Not to labour the point, but £38 for a seat in the stands at the Worlds? Add this to the £25 average you have to pay to get into the public space that is Glasgow Green and you are looking at an outlay of £63 per person for a Saturday at the Worlds 2024.
Still it doesn’t seem to have deterred folk. From what I can gather, Block A is already sold out and there are only 15 or so seats left in Block C.
Are we back to proper stands rather than the rickety looking structures of last year? It would appear not. A look at the seating plan here shows six rows only which appears roughly in line with our photograph above.
I make it that there are around 830 seats available to the public in the Grade 1 arena. If all are sold, this translates as an income stream of £31,464. How much of that, plus the general admission fees, finds its way to the Association and the bands?
ROSS MILLER GIG
Ross, solo piper and member of Inveraray PB: ‘I’m putting on a gig with my band in Glasgow on Monday 12th August in the Hug & Pint on Great Western Road, Glasgow. I think it would interest your readers who will be travelling to Glasgow for the Worlds.’
Ross’ debut album – The Roke – was released in March 2020 and received a nomination for Trad Album of the Year at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. Ross was a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. Tickets and more info here.
INVERARAY JUDGES
Those on pencil duty at Inveraray on Tuesday (July 16) are Euan Anderson, Alan Forbes, Barry Donaldson, Murray Henderson, Patricia Henderson, Iain Hurst, Tom Johnstone, Logan Tannock, Ronald MacShannon, William Morrison, Jack Taylor, RW, and John Wilson
The piping begins at 9am with good entries in all grades including juniors. The weather is forecast to be dry. If driving, leave in plenty of time – there are still lights at the Rest and Be Thankful and holiday traffic is in full swing.
KING’S TUNE
I bumped into Ian Lowther, piping tutor at the Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, at the Royal Garden Party the other week. Ian has written a tune to mark the visit to Edinburgh of HM The King on the city’s 900th Anniversary:
Thanks for that Ian and I hope the leg is better and you are out of the hurlie chair.
ARGYLLSHIRE GATHERING 1974
Open Piob.: 1 Hugh MacCallum, Daughter’s Lament 2 Duncan MacFadyen, Lady Margaret MacDonald’s Salute 3 Murray Henderson, Park Piobaireachd No.2
Gold Medal: 1 Kenneth MacLean, Battle of Bealach nam Brog 2 Arthur Gillies, Lament for Castle Dunyveg 3 John Wilson, Lament for Castle Dunyveg
March: 1 L/Sgt James Banks, Scots Guards 2 James MacGillivray, Canada 3 John Wilson
Strathspey & Reel: 1 John MacDougall 2 Ed Neigh, Canada 3 James MacGregor
Former Winners’ MSR: 1 John MacDougall 2 Arthur Gillies 3 John Burgess
