Tartan Day 2006!

This year, Tartanweek in New York City spotlighted three significant milestones, the stories behind each of which you can explore in more proper detail on the respective websites of the three organizations to be honored: the American Scottish Foundation's 50th Birthday; the 150th Birthday of the New York Caledonian Club --- and the 250th Anniversary of the St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York!

It is the latter anniversary that doubtless received the most buzz, as evidenced by the spectacular Feast that the Society held at the usual place, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Fifth Avenue. (And aye, 'twere a black-tie/kilt optional affair; and dignity above all else be the order of the day!) Jonathan Henken and the Mount Kisco Scottish Pipes and Drums provided most of the music on the night in question, in addition to taking part in the Tartan Saturday Parade on April 8th, along with our friends from Pipe Major Andrew McDicken's Clan Gordon Highlanders Pipe Band of Locust Valley and Lattingtown and Commander Bob Small's 42nd Royal Highland Regiment. Despite yet another harsh rainstorm (and Scots always have this delicious little history of laughin' at the rain!), yer auld Uncle Fergus met up wi' a few other good Pipe Bands during his journey. Here are some of their names:

  • The Atlantic Watch Pipes & Drums
  • Trenton Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 Pipe Band
  • The Breezy Point Pipes & Drums
  • The NYC Corrections Department Pipe Band
  • The Shamrock & Thistle Pipe Band
  • The Pipes & Drums of St. Brendan the Navigator
  • The Pipes & Drums of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh
  • Camden County, NJ Emerald Society Pipe Band
  • The Colonel D.B. Kelly Memorial Pipe Band
  • The Staten Island Pipers' Association Pipes and Drums
  • The Tri-County Pipe Band
  • Middlesex County, NJ Police & Fire Pipes and Drums

    • Visiting us directly from Scotland were:

  • The Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Pipe Band
  • The Inverclyde Juvenile Pipe Band
  • The Silver Arrow Piping Society
  • The South Queensferry Pipes and Drums
  • The Edinburgh University Officers' Training Corps
  • Pipe Major John Mackintosh, Edinburgh
  • Mike Midgely's Pipes-Aloud.com
  • Members of the Highland 2007 Project
  • Members of the Glasgow City Council, Youth Services
  • Clan Mackay and Highland Council, Lochaber Area and Runrig Fanclub
  • The Scottish Institute for Enterprise

    • Piper Mukhtar Ahmed Patialive of the Patiala Pipers joined us all the way from Pakistan; France and Switzerland were represented by Pipers Gerard Goetti and Roger Vuille of the Ancient Clanship Pipes and Drums of Basel; this year's Official Tartanweek Parade Town Crier was G. David Boyd, Town Crier of the Village of Rideau Lakes Township, Ontario, Canada; and we also heard from Canada's Sons of Scotland Pipe Band; the Palm Beach, Florida Pipe Band; the Valley Forge Highland Pipers; the Kentucky United Pipe Band; the Pipes & Drums of the Wisconsin Shamrock Club; the Brian Boru Pipe Band; the Celtic United Pipe Band USA; the NYC Tartan Army; St. Andrew's Royal Scottish Honor Guard; and even the Somerset County, NJ Horse and Pony Equestrian Association --- aye, we welcomed them all!

    In all we had about 2181 Pipers, Drummers, Highland Dancers and others marching along with us down Avenue of the Americas from 44th to 58th Streets, wrapping up as in prior years one block removed from the Jekyll & Hyde Club, at the corner of 57th Street and 6th Avenue! Believe me, 'twas quite a feast fer the eyes and ears! And once more, as was the case last year, Tartan TV captured all the sights and sounds for all those Mortals what couldn't be here to be wi' us! Remember, the Public TV Series version of Tartan TV comes yer wa' every Saturday night @ 7 PM (ET), on Garden City's own WLIW/21!

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