St Davids Day .. action replay

[Galician]

I add my thanks, Derek, for the pics. They are excellent. Good to see that you enjoyed the day. That feast means a lot to me. The Archbishop of Cardiff's office was kind enough to send me the texts for the liturgy of that day many years ago.

What, though, is that saffron(?) colored robe about? I mean the one next to the other guy in a robe? Do they represent some region of Wales or Brittany?

[Dirk Skene]

Nice photos of the event. The before & after beers were a good idea int:
I was going to ask what the black flag with the gold cross was all about, but McClef answered that.

[Macman]

Thanks for the pictures. It looks like a great event. I googled St. David's day and came up with an official site showing the pics from last year's march. I saw both Derek and Trefor in them.

[starbkjrus]

Thanks to you both for posting pics. It looks like a very fun day.

I was wondering where Elaine was - figured she was using her powers of invisibility again. Intead she's touring the continent. Hmmmm..."I'm with the band..."

Sounds fun!

[Alaskan Kilted Guy]

What an intresting batch of pictures!

[Standard]

Thanks for the history lesson Galician. It's always nice to be able to learn a new bit of your ancestorial home's culture. I don't think that I have heard mention of the day in here in the US, but I'll be sure to keep an ear open when next year comes around.

[McClef]

Another picture from the occasion - a Mayor in a cilt!

[McClef]

Not kilted but still colourful - the Welsh Lancers.

[BoldHighlander]

Another picture from the occasion - a Mayor in a cilt!

Trefor, this is another one of those very interesting Welsh sporrans I've seen a few times. Is there any significance to the design (very round pouch & extra long hair tassles)?

Handmade Welsh Dress /Day Ysgrepan Sporrans:





http://www.kilts-n-stuff.com/Highlan...cessories.html



http://www.landmhighland.com/default...ptyp=6&pid=621

[McClef]

Trefor, this is another one of those very interesting Welsh sporrans I've seen a few times. Is there any significance to the design (very round pouch & extra long hair tassles)?

Well the main significance I guess is to try and come up with something distinctively Welsh. It's called a Ysgrepan and is supposedly based upon a pouch that was worn to carry things in. Many cultures had an external money bag after all, but few were fancy decorated things. It would most likely have been carried at the side and hung from a belt, certainly not in the position it now occupies in front of a cilt apron.

I don't know who designed it but clearly they wanted not to follow the average sporran design. It's leather and the dress version (shown in the photo) does not have a cantle but a leather flap with the Red Dragon embossed upon it and an interesting and unusual locking mechanism - must do a photo showing this closer up so you can get a better idea.

The rest of it isn't fur, but hair. The white is goat hair (despite the overwhelming numbers of sheep in Wales! ) and the long black stripe is comprised of horse hair. The strap is in leather which has links similar to a Welsh love spoon design.

It's light, comfortable and can carry a reasonable amount of stuff but not necessarily as much as your average sporran can. Neither is it cheap - I paid £175 for mine and have seen it for as much as £235 on some sites, There are only two colour options - ox blood (as the Mayor is wearing) or black. The cheaper "day" sporran doesn't have the horse hair and I have yet to see anybody wearing one of those!

I know nothing of the third design - first time I have seen it. The length would suggest it's an alternative version of a piper sporran - we do have some pipers in Wales but I haven't seen them wearing one.

Hope this helps a little.