Tattoo night

I forked out the £2 pounds for a ticket and wandered into the town last night to see the tattoo for the first time in years - this century perhaps. I can here it from my garret window, usually accompanied by the gentle, oan often not so gentle, sound of rain. Not last night though as the weather has been very kind and it was a lovely starlit night and just ever so slightly perishing.

It started off with a stunt bicycle team and was followed by the very hairy Saor Patrol, a drum and pipe outfit from a northerly direction.

The Yorkshire Volunteer Military band do that drumstick moustache thing you see from time to time.

Every year a tug of war team is hand picked from the audience to take on the local team - this year it was a very international affair with several Australians, a bloke from Bolton and a lady from New York as the anchor. It never wins. In the years that the competion has been running the local team which comprises of about 100 kids takes the glory.

No tattoo, of course, would be complete without pipe bands.

After this a lack of light was making it pointless taking pictures but there was plenty more. A bit of highland dancing, some Scottish country dancing, the Stewary wind band and all the bands playing together. All this topped off with some fireworks.

For a small refreshment afterwards, I popped into the Kirkcubright Bay Hotel where Life o Reilly, a folk band from somewhere not to local were putting on an evening of entertainment. Pipes in an enclosed space are not good for the ears - fortunately for most of the evening he played the tin whistle or guitar.