Queen Mary Highland Games 2011

[OC Richard]

I spent the day yesterday listening to solo piping competition in the morning and pipe band competition in the afternoon.

These pictures are deceptive as to the weather! Yes it was lovely and sunny at times. But in the afternoon, while the Camerons of San Diego were playing in the competition circle, it suddenly began pouring rain. They were in shirtsleeves. They received a huge ovation when they finished! The crowd appreciated their dogged response to the conditions.

Soon after they were finished and had marched off we got hail! All of us were huddled under the Beer Tent canopy for a while.

Then it cleared up again. Alas it was only that one band who got hit by the weather while competing. Other bands got hit by the rain and hail as they were doing their final tuneup before competing.

Here are some photos (alas nary a photo of the Camerons playing in the downpour).

First some Grade Four bands:

City of Sacramento:



Here you can see their lovely Holyrood kilts and the nice pleating:



The Irish Pipers of San Francisco (California's oldest pipe band, I think)



University of California Riverside, in their bespoke tartan:





Glendora High School (this is the sort of band which would compete in "juvenile" in Scotland, but we have no such grade here)



In Grade Three we had the Nicholsons:



and the nicely turned out Pasadena Scots. Their PM is also their kiltmaker! Wearing the California tartan.