Gates opened at 9am today for the final European Pipe Band Championships to be held at Grant Park, Forres. Good weather is forecast with warm, dry conditions for the 110 competing bands.
A large crowd is expected with the organisers ‘Piping at Forres’ attracting a wide range of stallholders and catering outlets. A Park & Ride facility will operate from the east end of the town at the Forres Enterprise Park.
‘Piping at Forres’ have been running the championship since 2013 to widespread acclaim. Local MP Douglas Ross raised the success of the championships at Westminster. He said: ‘On Saturday Forres will hold the European PIpe Band Championships for the final time and every year since 2013, when it was first held, over 20,000 visitors have gone to Grant Park for this event and the natural amphitheatre makes it very highly regarded by competitors from around the world. So can we have a debate on the success of ‘Piping at Forres’ which will also allow us the opportunity to congratulate the army of volunteers who put in so much effort to make this a truly world-class event.’
Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the House of Commons, responded: ‘I do join him in congratulating all those involved in the European Pipe Band Championships. I know how successful they have been with countless hard-working volunteers and more than 100 bands from across the world due to attend on Saturday. I do wish them all a fantastic day.’
First bands on are in the lower grades at 10am. Whilst some grades are slightly depleted owing to the cost of getting to the Morayshire town, there is a full complement in Grade 1 all vying for the third major championship of the season.
It is proving to be a very open summer. The first major at Paisley went to Scottish Powerand the second, the UKs at Stormontto St Laurence O’Toole. These bands have been pushed all the way by Field Marshal Montgomery and Inveraray, the current World Champions. Today’s medley contest (submit two) may see one of these two capturing their first major of the year.
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This afternoon’s performance times in this grade:
2.15 Fife Police
2.25 Shotts
2.35 Buchan Peterson
2.45 Denny and Dunipace
2.55 Vale of Atholl
3.05 Scottish Power
3.15 Inveraray
3.25 Field Marshal Montgomery
3.35 Johnstone
3.45 Glasgow Skye
3.55 St Laurence O’Toole
4.05 PSNI
4.15 Boghall
4.25 Glasgow Police
4.35 Lomond and Clyde
Judges:
John Moles (P), Alvis Kerr (P), Alex Dudgeon (D), Jim Campbell (E)
The RSPBA will tweet the results as they are announced. Join their excellent feed here. Catch up with their YouTube channel here.
The ‘Big Rab Show’ will also be streaming Grade 1 live from Grant Park via their Facebook pages. Like Piping Press this is a free service for the pipe band community.
Read MacStig’s preview of Forres G2 here.
Today’s results from 6.30pm approx.
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