Band News

2008

Ty Fry 2008!!

Keep the date free!! Saturday 18th October 2008...
Beeston and District Pipe Band Society in association with the RSPBA Midlands branch are holding a Tyler Fry tenor drumming seminar on Saturday, 18th October 2008. Unfortunately Nottingham Trent University is unavailable due to an Open Day so a new venue has now been arranged:

The Tyler Fry 2008 Seminar is now to be held at:

Beeston Rylands Junior School,
Trent Road,
Beeston,
Nottingham NG9 1LJ

Maps and directions are under construction - return here shortly to see if we've managed to produce them yet (our main PC server is a bit poorly at present)
Please arrive around 10am if possible to allow a prompt 10.30am start; there will be a LOT to get through on the day.
There will be tea/coffee making facilities available in the staff room but no laid-on food; please ensure you bring a packed lunch!
All other details remain as before:
The event will be free to Midlands Branch band members and, as last year, the cost for non-Midlands-branch bands will be £15 for an adult and only £7.50 for juveniles. The event is open to anyone from any band, anywhere. Those of you who have attended in previous years will know what a good day it is (Tyler is a terrific teacher and caters for all levels) and how useful it will be to your bass and tenor section!! It is hoped that Tyler will be willing to supply a pair of his new limited-edition tenor sticks and a few other goodies for a raffle on the day - yet another good reason to come along! Join us and find out how easy it is to play the tenor (and bass) properly.
Please let us know if you are planning to attend (in order to help us make proper plans and provisions) or if you have any questions; further details will be posted here as soon as they are confirmed.
Thanks,

Fiona Hedley
Chairman, BDPBS

( to contact Fiona directly)

Contest Summary for 2008:

The 2008 contest season has ended...

Well, the 2008 season is over. We won't say "finally" as it all seems to have come and gone in a flash this year. We started with the highest of hopes and ended with great disappointment. From the peak of winning 1st and 2nd at the beginning of the season at Dumbarton and Birmingham things went a bit pear-shaped for us.

But first Cowal. ..

The last contest of the season. We were 3rd in the band Champion of Champions table and unlikely to change that, no matter how well the band played - even winning full 6 points for first place would not have been enough to close the gap; the Lisburn and Worlds results had seen to that. There remained the strong chance of topping the drumming table with a 1st, 2nd or even 3rd place, however. How did it go? Don't ask! Oh, if you insist -

There were a few nerves evident in the back line on the Final Tuning but L/D Dave Wright kept faith and went on with the full corps. The opening rolls were the sweetest, cleanest, most smack-on rolls the band (ANY band, I'll wager) played on the day. And it stayed that way for the whole performance. Despite the unfortunate loss of our P/M on the day due to illness the entire band gelled under P/Sgt Pete Tait and played out of our collective skins. We came off the field to the cheers of the crowd and with smiles on our faces the width of the Cowal Peninsula. Everyone agreed we just couldn't have played any better. And how did we fare? 9th as a band and only 5th in drumming. Clydebank managed to take 2nd place in drumming and in one fell swoop leapfrogged us into top spot on the CoC Table at the final fence. It just goes to prove you can never predict things in the arts. To say Clydebank were happy and we had gritted teeth would be an understatement on both accounts! Our congratulations go to them for eventually winning what had been a hard fight all through the season.

The drum corps must admit to a wee embarrassment on the field as the results were announced. There we were, in the usual supportive huddle/scrum waiting, hoping, waiting and hoping to hear the (distorting) tannoy announce "Beeston!" and out came "Dees...!". The instant the first syllable came out half of the drum corps were already in flight, only to come crashing down to the surprise that Deeside caledonia had bucked their trend at the Majors this year to come crashing though from nowhere to win at Cowal. Our only excuse was that the odds had been more in our favour than theirs - our apologies to Deeside for apparently attempting to steal their thunder!

On the march down the road the entire band pulled out all the stops and had a ball playing our contest marches and reels to great applause from the crowd. At one point the pipers insisted the drum corps take the lead (this is starting to be a wee tradition with Beeston) and a great party time was had by all. The whole team on the day clapped each other on the back, said the ancient, traditional end-of-season Gaelic phrase "weewuzzroabed!" and proceeded back to Ronnie's for hot pies, homemade soup and a can or two of refreshing ale. Many thanks to Ronnie and his entire family for their fabulous end-of-term hospitality once again.

When all is said and done and the details of the day are forgotten in the mists of time the records will still show that the season ended:

2008 Champion of Champions Table, Grade 3A:
Beeston & District Pipe Band Society:     Band: 3rd,   Drums: 2nd.

Not too bad really, eh? Maybe next year...

26th July 2008: Lisburn, a contest too far?

Oh dear. Lisburn proved a wee upset. The less said about it the better. Nobody is quite sure exactly what happened but the published summaries show that one judge put the piping in 10th place while the other placed us at 19th - in last place. As one might expect there was a lot of discussion in the hotel bar that evening but in the end it was agreed that, whatever the cause, it would not be allowed to happen again and the entire band would prove their true mettle once more at the Worlds in a few weeks. The entire band now plans to get back on track as soon as possible. On a positive note the drum corps managed to convince their judge that they were worthy of a high placing - third in fact - with which they were quite pleased. Taking on Irish bands on their home ground is always difficult and 3rd was a realistic target to aim for on the day. Despite this element of success for the day the entire drum corps were as unhappy as everyone else with the overall result. A united band with the bit between their teeth will arrive at Glasgow Green, have no fear. The travelling was quite hard on all, whether they travelled by the coach or air. The coach left the University at 5.30am on Friday and returned at 10pm on Sunday; a significant expense in money, time and patience for all concerned. Well endured, everyone! Bring on the next one…

20th July 2008: ADD ENGLISH CHAMPIONS TO THE LIST...

The time had come once more for the biggest and best contest in England - the Ashbourne Highland Gathering, this year again doubling up as the All-England Championships. The weather was not ideal, indeed occasionally cold in the wind when the Sun disappeared, but there was no repeat of last year's muddy mayhem and once or twice it even pretended to be a lovely summer's day.
The two halves of the band focussed on their respective specialities right up to the last minute before competing in Grade 3; we squeezed in a couple of runs through together to sync the two halves and it proved successful yet again - we gained top spot in Grade 3 for band, drumcorps and the midsection as well. Another championship scalp to add to the collection.
We had high hopes of taking the Grade 2 crown as well after an excellent performance of the MSR set (perhaps the best performance so far this year) but it was not to be. The University of Bedfordshire - the only official Grade 2 band present - took the honours there, knocking Beeston back into second place. Bedford Uni also managed to win the Grade 1 contest, not difficult as they were the only band qualified to enter! Scottish/Irish Grade 2 bands take note - if you fancy a chance at going down in the record books as English Grade 1 champions come on back down to Ashbourne next year and give them a run for their money. You know where Ashbourne is - you all came down a few years ago and had a great time.
It wasn't all easy money for the lads and lasses from Luton - immediately after competing in Grade 1 they were invited to play for the special annual drum majors' challenge where the D/Ms march past the band one at a time and attempt to throw their maces over a high target banner before catching it and continuing, all without a faltering step. Many brave attempts were made and there were even a few successes - it all went down very well with the large crowd and all the competitors are to be commended for having a go.
The day ended with the traditional parade of all the bands down the street (a la Cowal) with Beeston eschewing (big word for Sunday) the normal street marches and instead playing our big march from the MSR (Hugh Kennedy) and the reels from the end of the medley (Kelsey's Wee Reel and Dancing Feet); we had even more fun than the crowd!

Next on the calendar is the European Championships in Lisburn. The hardy members are getting up at the crack of dawn to catch a bus at 5.30am on Friday while the softer souls have elected to fly out later in the afternoon. At this point we must make a huge, great official thank you to Majella O'Neill for her kind and exceeedingly generous donation to the band towards the trip. Majella’s support is very much appreciated and has made a VERY significant dent in the band's expenses for accommodation and travel to Northern Ireland. We hope we can put on a good show next weekend and pay her back in the best possible way with another winning performance. As has been mentioned elsewhere on this site the band has no official sponsorship and is always most grateful for financial support from any direction, either by regular or one-off donation. So, once again, thank you Majella - every single member of the band is indebted to you.

28th June 2008: MORE SUCCESS, THIS TIME AT BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS!

The improvement in the band's abilities continued today with another successful outing at a Major championship. Despite having been drawn second on in the programme (only marginally worse than the dreaded first-on position) Beeston & District took second place overall on the day and the drum corps came first in their section. We think this seems only fair as last time, at the Scottish Championships (see below), the band took overall first and the drummers came 2nd. The band knows we can play even better still and continue to pressure ourselves towards that elusive perfect performance; we might never reach it but we can all but try, eh?
The championships were held down in England once more at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham; this was considered a plus for us as most of the band only had less than an hour's travelling to do whereas the "foreign" (!) bands from Scotland, Ireland, etc. had the long haul to endure this time. Despite the early draw it transpired that Beeston were in the outright winning position right until the very last band in the contest, MacKenzie Caledonian, came along to snatch victory right from under our chanters; the difference was marginal in that we tied on points but MacKenzie edged us out on the Ensemble Preference rule. Our congratulations go to them. We would also thank the lads from the Clydebank drum corps who popped over to pass on their congratulations to our drummers, we appreciated the gesture.

You can see the entire results table on the RSPBA website by clicking here.

By our reckonng (the official table has not been posted at the time of this writing) Beeston are now on 11 points out of a possible 12 in both the Band and the Drumming Champion of Champions Tables and are therefore currently in the lead in both. A lot of hard work will still be required to maintain this but the band is certainly up for it and are looking forward to the European, Worlds and Cowal Championships on the horizon.

24th May 2008: BEESTON WIN SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIPS!

Two wonderful occasions today - 1) The weather was fine in Dumbarton - yes, it really was sunny and had a distinct lack of wind and downpour - and 2) Beeston & District Pipe Band Society took the top spot in their grade at the 100 Pipers Scottish Pipe Band Championships! We are now officially 3A Scottish Champions 2008. Have I mentioned yet that we won the Scottish Championships this year? Apologies, but we are just a wee bit full of ourselves at present. All the hard work of the past few months has proved fruitful and congratulations must go especially to P/M Guy Rylattt and L/D David Wright for working so well together and pulling the band up to a level even higher than last year.
We made our way up on Friday and most of the band were able to stay together in the same hotel in Milton once more. It should also be noted that all the travelling and accommodation expenses were met fully from the members' own pockets again - a point not lost on the grateful committee. Following Guy's new methods we practised separately at first and then just concentrated on snippets together most of the time throughout the two hours running up to competing. We had even practised our drill and deportment in order to better look the part as well as sound it. The performance wasn't perfect - it never is - but everyone's nerves held and we came off fairly happy. There was a tinge of disappointment in not winning the drumming (we came 2nd so can't really complain) but there was an eruption when our name came out first in the band prizes!
The party in Milton that night went on into the wee small hours for most (and into the next morning for one or two!) and the cup was hugged and posed with many times. It was worth it.
The Majors for the rest of the season mostly require us to play our other contest set - the March, Strathspey and Reel (MSR) - and we feel that is the stronger of our two sets so the prognosis for the rest of 2008 is currently rosy down Beeston way. The British Championships are due to be held in Birmingham as well so we will have "home advantage" helping us there as well. It is not just the weather looking bright - keep your fingers crossed for us...

19th May 2008: Tony Lee's funeral

Over 150 people attended Tony Lee's funeral today. The hour-long service was up-beat and had members of his family paying heartfelt tribute. Amongst the mourners were several pipers and drummers who had had dealings with Tony "on active service", including members of the Beeston band, past and present. After the service a few of us retired to the Harrington Arms and toasted his memory in the traditional fashion to complete the send-off. It was obvious from the periods of thoughtful silence that everyone was well aware Tony had moved on far too soon for anyone's liking.

11th May 2008: Stotfold

The band competed at the Jimmy McGinn Memorial contest in Stotfold today in Grade 3 and Grade 2, our first competing opportunity of 2008. A day of mixed results unfortunately - Beeston swept the board in Grade 3 by winning both band and drumming prizes but failed to make inroads once again against our traditional rivals from Luton the Grade 2 University of Bedfordshire band. We had all felt positive both going in and coming out of competing all three times (both bands played a medley and then an MSR in the Gd 2 contest) and everyone agreed we had improved markedly on our performances of 2007 but the judges managed to find enough each time to edge us out of the top spot. Ah well - we'll just set our collective jaw, evaluate their criticisms and make sure any particular weaknesses are addressed by Dumbarton. (Bands are only allowed to compete within their own grade at "The Majors" so we are adding a dash of determination on top of our current confidence for the Scottish Championships). As Monty Python says "Always look on the bright side..."
Speaking of bright points - our recent signing, Daniel Belfield, was triumphant in both the 15-18 Age Range March and the Open MSR solo drumming competitions. Excellent work Daniel! We feel sure he will make his mark on the solo scene for many years to come. Thanks must also go to former P/M Syd Charles for both practising with and then playing for Daniel in his successful endeavours.

8th May 2008: Comings & Goings (well, just Goings, really)...

As stated on the homepage we have learned of the sudden passing of Tony Lee. Tony was a member of the Beeston band from its very early days as part of the 17th Nottingham Boys' Brigade company into its heyday as a separate, competing band. A "well kent" and active figure round the English pipe band scene for many, many years he had successful spells as Pipe Major of Mickleover RBL and of Borough of Charnwood. The funeral is due to take place on Monday, May 19th at the Oasis Christian Centre on Derby Road, Long Eaton, service commencing at 2pm. We feel sure many old friends might wish to join us in saying goodbye to an old friend on the day.

Not quite so absolute but we should record that Cailean MacLean has taken the hard decision to leave Beeston to join his new friends at the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue band. Cal has been studying at Manchester Metropolitan University and while away from home has kept up his drumming through the close season by making new friends with the Manchester guys and gals who have all made him very welcome. The only downside is that now he will be competing directly in 3A against his Mum & Dad who remain with Beeston; I can confirm that no quarter will be sought or given on either side in this matter!

Cal's younger brother, Connor, will be seen this season playing for Ashbourne and District in 4B. While officially still remaining a "Beeston Boy" Connor has registered to compete with Ashbourne in order to gain contest experience. There is a long history of such mutual help between Beeston and Ashbourne over the years - long may it continue to the benefit of both bands.

25th March 2008: Help the band funds for free while surfing the Net

The band is now registered with easyfundraising.org.uk as a means of providing a small but steady income flow from members, friends and supporters. They provide a FREE service where you can shop with your favourite online stores and at no extra cost raise funds for any charity, good cause or group you choose to support. Beeston & District Pipe Band IS officially a registered charity. You still shop directly with each retailer as you would normally, but simply by using the links from the easyfundraising site first, each purchase you make will generate a cashback donation to the cause you wish to support. For example, spend £25 with WH Smith and 3.5% will be donated. You will have raised £0.88, at no extra cost to your purchase. Make any purchase from Amazon and 2.5% will be donated. Insure your car with Direct Line and raise £30.00, or purchase a mobile phone from O2 and earn £17.50, and so on. You can shop with 500+ Brand Name retailers and to raise funds you just use the links from their site first - it's that simple!

If you ALREADY shop online, why not help the band at no extra cost from purchases you would make anyway? Please consider the option.

If the concept appeals but you do not relish the idea of committing to another internet account (the account registration and usage is easy and completely free) there is another way to help, also from easyfundraising...

Do you search the internet? Of course you do! What search engine do you use - Google? Yahoo? Why not try bdpb.easysearch.org.uk? Simply by using this free, band-dedicated page to start your internet searches may raise even more pennies for the band. And every penny counts... Please remember that the band receives NO regular direct financial support from any source other than by our own efforts at paid engagements and from prize money, neither of which can ever be taken for granted.

Thanks go to Diane at Wolverhampton Pipe Band for informing us of this exciting and simple option.

2007

NEW PIPE MAJOR FOR 2008

Beeston and pleased and excited to announce that the 2008 season will see a new man at the helm.

Guy Rylatt has been invited to become Pipe Major and, at a well-attended band meeting, was accepted by all present. Guy has an impressive pedigree, having played in recent years with no less than Clan Sutherland, the RUC and Field Marshall Montgomery pipe bands. Outgoing P/M Syd Charles was personally responsible for inviting Guy to take over the reins and remains with the band to support the new regime. Pete Tait remains P/Sgt. All three pipers look forward to working closely together and with L/D David Wright to take the entire band to greater heights over the next few years.

2nd December 2007: The AGM went smoothly

In all bands we all know how tedious these things are but, in order to maintain at least a semblance of formal existence as an organised group, we must all get together annually to reaffirm our aims, pat ourselves on the back for the year's successes, get any gripes off our chest and make plans for the coming year. The band held its AGM on Sunday, 2nd December at the Victory Club in Beeston to achieve all these aims. I am happy to report that there were no dramas; in fact Chairman Fiona Hedley remarked that it was probably the smoothest and quickest AGM in the band's history! (AGM number 42 for anyone counting).
Syd Charles formally stood down as P/M in favour of his selected replacement, Guy Rylatt, and Guy was officially elected as of the date of the meeting. Thanks were expressed all round to Syd for the last few years of excellent results under his hard work and there was hope for even better things in future under Guy, Syd and Pete's continued efforts.

One special entry on the agenda was the surprise and very welcome repeat of last year's presentation of a set of individual medals to each of the Champion of Champions winning Drum Corps. President Vic Humphries made the presentations on behalf of the Leading Drummer Dave Wright and the band to those drum corps members present.
In the photo (L>R) are Rob Batty, L/D Dave Wright, Fiona Hedley, Ronnie Campbell, Lynn MacLean, Wayne Thorpe, Iain Neely, David MacLean, Richard Mellors and President Vic Humphries.
Absent from the photo: Alison Blair, Allan Campbell, Alister Fraser and Cailean MacLean.
Just click on the thumbnail for a better view of all the ugly mugs!

New Pipe Major

As stated on the home page the band will have a new Pipe Major - Guy Rylatt - in charge for the 2008 season and beyond. There will be more details soon when Guy, outgoing P/M Syd Charles, P/Sgt Pete Tait and L/D Dave Wright can all be interrupted from their excitement at working out all the improvements they want to make for 2008. Amongst other bands Guy has played for Field Marshall Montgomery and the RUC and hopes to be able to instil the winning ways of those top bands into the entire band at Beeston.

21st October 2007: Tyler Fry Seminar

A second chance for us all to attend one of Tyler's famous seminars for bass and tenor exponents. Our midsection benefitted tremendously from last year's event and we easily managed to get the entire section to attend this year, most of them for both days. The first day was mainly for beginners and those wanting to refresh their basics (never a bad thing) and the second day took things to a slightly higher level for the more experienced. Apart from ourselves there were representatives from Notts Police, Ashbourne, West Mids Police, Grampian Corby and Wolverhampton as well as a few others. Everyone learned a lot once more from the current king of tenor drummers, not only musically but his knowledge of the history of the pipe band and drumming genres was equally extensive. We should also like to extend a special thank-you to the Midlands Branch (especially the Anderson clan) and West Mids Fire Service for the facilities and all the arrangements. Should the event be approved again for next year we would strongly urge you to send as many of your midesection players (and snare drummers and even interested pipers!) as possible - it can only help to raise the profile of the English bands on the contest circuit. Keep an eye on possible events on the RSPBA Midlands Branch website.
Tyler can be contacted through his website: www.TyFry.com.

Contest Summary for 2007:

02-September-2007: Chatsworth

Chatsworth Country Fair contest - the end of the season for us here in the Midlands. A fair turnout of bands and drum majors to make the day a big finish to the year. The weather was miserable again but the band came away happy despite the rain (well, we've all had plenty of practice getting wet this year) with a win in both the Grade 3 and Grade 2 competitions. Farewell 2007 and here's to the (hopefully drier) 2008. Preliminary plans for the Winter and next year are already in place but, for the immediate next few weeks, a well-deserved rest is now in order. Thanks to all the band members for their effort and sacrifices over the year, to the friends and family who have supported us throughout our travels and to the many friends and competitors in all the other bands with whom we have shared 2007. See you all next year!

25-August-2007: Cowal Championships, Dunoon

Beeston win 6th place at Cowal and a 3rd place in the drumming secured enough points on the Champions of Champions (CoC) Table to be crowned Champion of Champions Drum Corps in 3A for 2007. The Bass Section took the Best Bass prize on the day - especially meaningful for bass drummer Ronnie Campbell on his home turf of Dunoon itself. The band as a whole has managed to make an impression in the 3A grade all year and can hold their head high after a successful season. The Majors are now finished and only the Chatsworth Country Fair contest remains to finish off the year with a flourish.
It is highly unusual for any band or drum corps to win the CoC title in one year, be upgraded to the next level and then repeat the feat in their new grade but the boys and girls of Beeston have managed it! It has been a season of heavy sacrifices and a lot of travelling - it was touch and go at one point whether we could field the required numbers to make the minimum headcount for Cowal but the pipers came through for the drummers yet again and allowed them their chance at The Crown. Photos will be appearing soon once everyone is home safe, unpacked and recovered from all this travelling around the country.
Once again we must thank the University of Strathclyde who immediately came over to pass on their congratulations - they gave us a good run throughout the year; we hope to be as magnanimous should the roles ever be reversed (but we'll do our best to make sure the need never arises, of course! :-) )
Oh - and Cailean survived the transition from youth to adult as his 18th birthday happily coincided with the CoC celebrations that evening. It was quite a party - someone even managed to arrange a spectacular fireworks display for him. (Well, we THINK it was for him...)
So, congratulations go to Ronnie (bass), the tenor corps - Alison, Iain, Lynn and Richard and the snare line - Alister, Allan, Cailean, David, Fiona, Rob and Wayne. Connor also deserves an Honourable Mention in Despatches for his sterling work in guarding the capes and cowboy hats - an unsung but essential operation and one all the apprentices must go through.
Final and special congratulations, of course, are due to Leading Drummer Dave Wright who has led the corps for many years now having succeeded his father, John. Rumour has it father and son were a little emotional after the results were announced - they had every right to be! Well done, everyone!
One last point - during the hugs, etc. after the CoC announcement Cailean's glengarry was knocked off - if anyone found a Beeston glengarry on the field (we did search at the time) or knows where it is he really does need it back. No names, no pack drill...
Update - Cal's glengarry has been returned! Many thanks go to the kind person who sent it back to Dave Wright.

11-August-2007: World Championships, Glasgow

There we went again - yet another trip over the border. This time to Glasgow Green and the World Championships. A day of mixed fortunes. Due to the extra large entry of 34 bands in our grade there were two qualifying heats put in place. The standard result is to take the top six from the two heats to form a final of 12. Guess what - we won our heat! This put us on a high and focussed everyone's attention on the final which was due to begin just over 30 minutes from discovering the heat result, not long to prepare. We played again and came off feeling quite happy with the performance (believing we had played far better than during the morning. Alas it was not to be. The final results proved the cruellest of placings - towards the 6 band prizes we came 7th and Annsborough pipped us to the single drumming prize (we came 2nd). Aargh!
There now remains only one Major of 2007 to finally define our standing in our first year back in 3A - the Cowal Championships. The band is already practising hard on the MSR (March, Strathspey & Reel) set required for that day.
Once again a wee thank you is due to some of our friends - the Pride of Murray band were kind enough to help transport some of Beeston in the morning from their "pits" at the University of Strathclyde Halls of Residence and to allow us to use their coach as a base for meeting and storing our equipment during the day; many thanks, PoM!
On a final note congratulations must also go to Greater Manchester County Fire Service, to RAF Halton Pipes & Drums and to the University of Bedfordshire's Grade 4 band - more English bands making a name for themselves in Scotland in 2007.
Oh, and a final, final note for those of you hanging on avidly for the weather report we have a surprise - it was soaking wet. Really, really wet. Well maybe not too much of a surprise, eh? Our resident South African member, Reg, remains distinctly unimpressed by the Celtic weather. It is amazing how much Anglo-Saxon someone from the Southern Hemisphere can pick up in a few short years.

28-July-2007: European Championships, Inverness

Another very long trip and a major commitment in personal time and money for all the competing band but ultimately worth it - we managed to secure 5th place as a band and took the drumming crown on the day as well. Some members of the Strathclyde Uni band popped over to pass on their congratulations - thank you, guys - and even Tyler Fry gave our b/t corps a "well done" (well he did train them last year). The weather continues to prove foul this season. How any Pipe Major manages to keep one set of bagpipes in tune in such dreadful conditions let alone an entire pipe corps is beyond me (a mere drummer, obviously). The mud was worse than Ashbourne but mercifully on the level this time.
On a personal note we were visited on the day by Lorne Brown (with Kilsyth Thistle this year), father of Allan and grandfather to Jen who have both played with Beeston this year - we hope you recover from your "wee operation" and are fully fit soon, Lorne.
A selection of photos from Inverness showing the band sporting a lot of smiles (and even more mobile phones) will appear on the Photo Page as soon as we return from the World Championships.
On an important, final note to the Band - you can all stop searching now - the P/M has managed to find his ghillie brogues, "misplaced" since Inverness. :-)

15-July-2007: Ashbourne Highland Gathering/English Championships

Rain again! Actually this was very unusual for Ashbourne - famed for its glorious weather every year since its inception. But, boy, did it make up for it this year. They even had to stop cars coming onto the competitors' car park for fear of not being able to get them off again. Still, we were lucky and the rain abated just before we competed, both times. Our haul on the day included:

Best Dressed Band on Parade (more by accident than design it must be admitted),
1st Band in Grade 3 (hence ALL-ENGLAND CHAMPIONS, GRADE 3),
1st in Drumming, Grade 3 (again ALL-ENGLAND CHAMPIONS, GRADE 3),
3rd place in Grade 2 (let's not be greedy),
1st in Drumming in Grade 2 (at last!) and
Best Bass in Grade 2 (the Bass and Tenor Team come up trumps again).

08-July-2007: Corby Highland Gathering

All change and at last back on a full winning streak. The weather turned out fine (too hot at times - some people are never happy!) and Beeston swept the day by winning band and drumming in both Grade 3 and Grade 2 contests. Admittedly our main opposition planned for the day - in the form of the Grade 2 University of Bedfordshire - failed to appear but the records will show our name in first place, nevertheless. We were doing well for association with world-class sportsmen for the second day in a row as the Chieftain for the day turned out to be none other than Colin Jackson CBE! I am convinced it was his smile and friendly nature which kept the rains at bay until the journey home. Many ladies on the day were obviously impressed by his wearing of the kilt, too.

                   

There are a few more photos on the main Photo Page of the site.
The other main topic of the day was that the contest coincided with the birthday of our P/M, Syd Charles. He supplied a "bit of bubbly" for the band early in the day (well before competing!) and had "Happy Birthday" sprung on him during Massed Bands just to drive the point home. Winning on the day was perhaps a suitable present from the band - Happy Birthday, Syd!

07-July-2007: Nottinghamshire Youth Games

An engagement which came through at short notice but almost on our doorstep - a request to play for the competitors at the Nottinghamshire Youth Games in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. The Games were held today over several venues. The only drawback was the early start - there by 8.15am to meet the buses. The weather was kind and the job itself was not too taxing, just playing a few street marches and being forced to observe a lot of happy kids and some cheerleaders going through their paces - it is a hard life at times! A highlight of the day was the chance to meet and be photographed with Chris Hoy MBE PhD, the Olympic cycling Gold Medalist. We hope to have one of those photos here, soon.

01-July-2007: Birmingham.

Brand new venue and an obvious resurgence in support from the City towards the event. Using Centenary Square, smack in the heart of the city, seemed to get the "thumbs up" from everyone we spoke to. Tuning up in a multi-storey car park is never ideal but it is better than outside in a downpour! Fortunately the rains were few and far between and the sun came out later to dry everyone off. Playing on concrete led to slightly different sound but had the advantage that shoes were not covered in mud by the end of the day!
Contest results were both good and bad - 1st in band and drumming in Grade 3 but only 2nd in both categories playing up in Grade 2; congratulations go to Greater Manchester County Fire Service on the day in that respect. Ronnie and the tenor corps managed to pick up Best Bass in Grade 2 also - well done to them.
The end of the day was incorporated into the end of the national Veterans Week with a short parade back down into the square at the end of the day, leading around 500 veterans in a march-past in front of the Lord Mayor. There were a few wee doubts and indecisions about who was giving the commands at the end but otherwise the event went off to everyone's general satisfaction.

One final note of significance - today was a special day for the MacLeans in the band - Mum, Dad and their two sons Cailean and Connor played together for the first time ever in public during the Veterans Parade; Mum Lynn plays tenor and the "three boys" all play snare drum. Cailean's girlfriend, Ploi, took this photo to mark the occasion...

25-June-2007: Disappointment at Ballymena.

We dropped the ball a bit at the British Championships in Ballymena, I'm afraid. Still managed to come 9th as a band and 6th in drumming but the contest performance was a poor one compared to how we had been sounding in the tuning park. No, really. Honestly. I mean it!
It was a looonnnng weekend. The bus was loaded up and left Grantham at 6.30am on Friday and picked up most of the rest of us in Beeston around 7.15am. Over to Holyhead and the ferry to Dublin, the rush hour traffic and one of the most torrential downpours most of us had ever seen. Eventually rolled into the B&B in Ballymena around 9.30pm, 15 hours after setting out. A quick decant into the rooms, a reshuffle of room assignments and then out into the streets looking for FOOD! A short trip the next morning down to the stadium and down to business. Of course the rain started just at the time we got the instruments out to tune up. We joined the queues of bands sheltering in "the cow sheds" and all tried to out-do each other in volume just to hear ourselves over the din. The rain let up just minutes before we were due on and we escaped into the open air and could suddenly hear ourselves clearly again. Sounded good. A quick group hug and pep talk from the P/M and we were on!
Oh, dear. For whatever reason it just didn't click. Tiredness? Nerves? Who knows? Problems in both pipe and drum corps early on in the performance spelled doom for our high hopes of only a minute earlier. The second half of the medley got back on track and up to par but by then it was too late. The bass and tenor corps were the only ones to receive nothing but credit in the write-ups.
The March Past & Prizegiving were treated to a surprise visit from the Rev Dr Paisley (with the obligatory rousing speech!) but there weren't too many happy faces round the Beeston area on the park. (I am, of course ignoring the cheers, whoops and hollers from Annsborough and the University of Strathclyde lot on either side of us - congrats to them). Back to the hotel, and then it was out on the town to drown the sorrows with brave faces and apparently not a care in the world. The very bravest turned in around 4am just in nice time to get ready to catch the bus at 6am for the ferry. The constitution of these people is astounding. How they suffer for our art. One member was so proud of the band he decided to remain in uniform all the way home as well! The Beeston contingent were dropped off around 6pm (12 hours travelling) and waved goodbye to the remainder heading back to Grantham and a quick bus unload. Like I said - a looooonng weekend. Still, all bright and breezy back at work on Monday morning, I'm sure. And to prepare for practice on Wednesday to prevent any repeat of the Ballymena slips happening again.
Footnote: 6th place for the drummers gets their second set of points on the CoC tables - currently in fourth place, so all is not lost.

20-May-2007: Beeston just pipped for a prize at Dumbarton.

The band competed in its new grade (3A) for the first time since being upgraded at the end of season 2006. It was too much to expect a major upset (did you get the pun I slipped in there?), especially with our first test being at the Scottish Championships at Dumbarton. However the band came SO close to picking up a prize it was almost painful. We came 6th equal in points with the University of Strathclyde but they were awarded the 6th and final prize of the day by virtue of a better Ensemble placing. Beeston were thus relegated to 7th - still very respectable on our first outing since promotion. The drum corps managed an excellent 4th place and hence chalked up the band's first points on the 2007 Champion of Champions tables.
The good news is that we all know we can learn from the couple of problems encountered on the day and we know for sure that we can improve next time. Now that the initial start-of-season nerves have been overcome we can all settle down and push harder, together..
By the way the atrocious on-off-on-off rain and wind were a nightmare for every band on the day. The lucky ones got a breeze with their drizzle, the unlucky ones (some poor souls in shirt-sleeve order!) got drenched in the wind. Talk about the Luck of the Draw. The band's gazebo (dead posh, us) only had to be restrained and tied back down three times so I guess it wasn't THAT bad... Of course Mother Nature kept one of the worst short, sharp and heaviest downpours for the March Past and Prizegiving; isn't tradition wonderful?

2006

28th August 2006: Beeston are declared 3B Champion of Champions!

2005

2005 AGM Presentation to founder member John Wright

During the 2005 Annual General Meeting a brief presentation was made to John Wright, one of the original founder members of the band in 1965, and still playing today. A small speech of thanks was given to John by Vic Humphries, the Band President, and John was presented with a Sgian Dubh engraved with his name and the name of the Band...

40th Anniversary Celebrations

On Thursday, 3rd November 2005 the Band played for the Mayor of Broxtowe Borough Council at her offices in Foster Avenue, Beeston. A miniband played into the Council Chambers to be met by the Mayor and many friends of the Band. The Mayor made a small speech which highlighted the various events which had taken place that year in celebration of the Band's 40th Anniversary.

Forbes Hodge received an engraved Quaich on behalf of the band which has been put in the band's trophy cabinet as a permanent reminder of the occasion.

Thanks were also expressed to some founder members of the band present on the evening, with special mention of Brian and Margaret Huskinson, specifically for Brian's playing at many various council events on behalf of the Band and for Margaret's sterling support of her husband and the Band throughout far more years than either would care to dwell upon! A clock was presented to Brian and Margaret received flowers.

To finish off the formal part of the evening Pipe Major Syd Charles played the 40th Anniversary tune which won a competition run earlier in the year, composed by Billy James, a piper from within the Band itself.

The Piping Spectacular 24th September 2005

Click the title above for all the results and several photos from this enjoyable day.

3-Mar-2005 Pat Lee stepped down as Acting Pipe Major. Over the last 14 months Pat made an outstanding contribution to rebuilding the pipe corps. There is no doubt that last season’s success in English contests was largely down to Pat’s input. Pipe Sergeant Syd Charles was been appointed Pipe Major, having worked closely with Pat over the last 14 months. Plans were laid for a full contest season in England and for competing in several of the Championships.

Paul Searson was appointed Secretary in succession to John Brown, who retired in December after 18 years. Alison Blair replaced Paul as Quartermaster.

2004

30-Nov-2004 At the band’s Annual General Meeting, on 28 November, PM Pat Lee emphasised that experienced players would be welcomed as plans are put in place for the 2005 season. Both Pat and Leading Drummer David Wright expressed their enthusiasm for competing in the major championships, as well as the English contests in 2005, after a successful season in England in 2004. Secretary John Brown stepped down at the meeting after nearly 20 years in the post.

30-Mar-2004 During the winter visitors to the band’s website (www.pipeband.org.uk) might have been forgiven for thinking that nothing much was happening at Beeston, after a disappointing season in 2003. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Since October the band has been working very hard under the direction of Acting PM Pat Lee and Leading Drummer Dave Wright. The response from pipers and drummers alike was extremely positive. The pipe corps was strengthened and new music material was introduced. Consequently, the whole team looked forward to the new season with great enthusiasm.

At the band’s AGM in December Band President Vic Humphries was presented with the President’s Chain of Office by founder-member Bob Goodwin.

2003

08-May-2003 The Band attended two dates at the Leicestershire County Show.

21-Mar-2003 Vic Humphries accepted an invitation to become President of the Society. A former playing member of the band, Vic has lots of experience of working with bands in Northern Ireland and in England. During the previous 12 months Vic played a part in bringing the band together under Pipe Major Fred Cronshaw and Leading Drummer David Wright, including the role of "drone czar"! Vic's assistance was appreciated as the band prepared for a busy season of contests and engagements. The band appeared at the Leicestershire and the Newark & Notts Shows in early May before taking part in the season's contests in England, starting in June.

17-Feb-2003 The band performed at the Leicester Showground on the 4th/5th of May. The band also performed the following weekend (10th/11th May) at the Newark & Notts Agricultural Society's County Show which was held at the Newark Showground.