South Coast Gathering 2007

30 April 2007

The Amanzimtexas Highland Gathering is one of the biggest gatherings in the country and is set to become the grand finale when the piping season shifts into "summer season" in a couple of years time. We love playing here because this is the gathering when we get our biggest support. The supporters have to get to the grounds early to watch the novice juvenile band. Notice how enthusiastic they look...

For the first time in a while (since Lyttleton 2006) it rained on a gathering day. (And the Scots can't understand what we're complaining about..)

Preparation for the the first Major gathering of the year starts early in the year and runs right up till the last minute. Here the Grade 4 band is running through the march selection.
The evening before the gathering, we normally head down to Hutchinson Park to go have a listen to the solo's which were poorly attended in comparison to last year.

Super Bob Robert prepares for his set while Tom sets his chanter in the middle of a blackout.

We arrived at the grounds to find Chris Mullinder judging Piobreached by candle light. It was all quite romantic until we realised that the reason was because there was a black out provided by Eskom for free and fair judging...

New Mascot We have managed to find a new mascot - Here Butch puts him to the test to see if he will last with the band. His name is ....

We are looking for suggestions for a name for our new Mascot to try fill the shoes of Melvin who has gone, shall we say, on sabaticle.

Carlos leads the Grade 4 band to the line in the background Chris Terry follows in his Inverness Cape.. no it is not Batman.

International Judge of Mystery This gathering saw the return of Canadian, Bob Worrall to our shores. Apart from judging on the day he paid most of the bands a visit in a series of band clinics. Thanks go to him once again for his time and dedication to serving the pipe band community.

Remember the supporters who looked rather disinterested in the morning? As the day wore on and the "fruit juice" flowed, interest and enthusiasm picked up exponentially.

In an effort to keep the instruments dry, everything got wrapped up in black plastic bags.

There is more than one! Everyone in our band had to look twice to see if Vaughan had moved across to the Jocks band. We were sure his stance was unique, but obviously not. Vaughan's apprentice.

Jocks clean up No, they still havent cleaned up their act, but they certainly cleaned up all the prizes.

Spirits always run high at the gatherings. Some of the young guys wondering around the grounds apparently inspecting the various stalls in the flea market.. yeah right. Andre keeps a watchful eye.. it's the blind leading the deaf...

Too much butter on his sandwich? Gary put on a sheepish grin after Benoni's Gr2 MSR set where he dropped his stick. It can happen to anyone.. Slippery when wet.

Great result on the day! Brad and Leoniades celebrate after the announcement of the days results.

The next leg of our amazing race see's teams travel to Blue Bulls country to get vengence for the Super14 rugby final. The Pretoria Boy's High Gathering will be held on the 16th of June at Boy's High.

Here are the results from the South Coast Gathering:

Band Results
Grade 2 - Overall
Band :
1st Transvaal Scottish A, 2nd Richmond Avenue, 3rd Benoni MacTalla A
Drum Corps :
1st Transvaal Scottish A, 2nd Richmond Avenue, 3rd Benoni MacTalla A
Bass Section :
1st Transvaal Scottish A, 2nd Benoni MacTalla A, 3rd Richmond Avenue

Grade 3 - Overall
Band :
1st 1 Medical Battalion A, 2nd SA Irish Regiment, 3rd Lyttelton Manor
Drum Corps :
1st Lyttelton Manor, 2nd 1 Medical Battalion A, 3rd SA Irish Regiment
Bass Section :
1st SA Irish Regiment, 2nd 1 Medical Battalion A, 3rd Lyttelton Manor

Grade 4 - Overall
Band :
1st African Skye B, 2nd Benoni MacTalla B, 3rd Cape Town Caledonian
Drum Corps :
1st African Skye B, 2nd Benoni MacTalla B, 3rd Cape Town Caledonian
Bass Section :
1st Benoni MacTalla B, 2nd African Skye B, 3rd Cape Town Caledonian

Juvenile - Overall
Band :
1st Benoni Juvenile
Drum Corps :
1st Benoni Juvenile
Bass Section :
1st Benoni Juvenile

Novice Juvenile - Overall
Band :
1st Benoni Novice Juvenile, 2nd KES, 3rd Jeppe CBC Boksburg, 4th Pretoria Boys, 5th St Benedict's
Drum Corps :
1st KES, 2nd St Benedict's, 3rd Jeppe CBC Boksburg, 4th Benoni Novice Juvenile, 5th Pretoria Boys
Bass Section :
1st KES, 2nd St Benedict's, 3rd Pretoria Boys, 4th Benoni Novice Juvenile, 5th Jeppe CBC Boksburg

Drum Major Results
Open - Line Abreast : Deborah Robinson
1st D Bester (Benoni MacTalla B), 2nd A Evans (Transvaal Scottish A), 3rd K Janson (Lyttelton Manor)

Junior - Line Abreast : Anthony Evans, Deborah Robinson
1st D Bester (Benoni Juvenile)

Drill, Dress & Discipline Results
Senior : RSM Smit
1st 1 Medical Battalion A, African Skye A, Benoni MacTalla A, Cape Town Caledonian

Junior : RSM Smit
1st Benoni Juvenile, 2nd Benoni Novice Juvenile, Jeppe CBC Boksburg


The PBASA held a Solo Piping Invitational competition at Natal Mounted Rifles in Durban on Sunday 29 April 2007.
The competition was adjudicated by Bob Worrall and the results are as below.

Piobaireachd
1st David Springer
2nd Thomas Fuller
3rd Billy Ansell
4th John Decker
5th Justin Carter

March, Strathspey & Reel
1st Thomas Fuller
2nd Ian Siemers
3rd Billy Ansell
4th Justin Carter
5th John Decker
6th David Springer

Overall
1st Thomas Fuller - Well done Tomopopolous!
2nd Billy Ansell
3rd David Springer
4th John Decker
5th Justin Carter