Happy St Andrew's Day - despite the weather!

Rather fitting that this was filmed in St Andrews!

Latest update

I've spent the last couple of days in Dumfries with the "day job" - including the now infamous annual Chinese Karaoke night - as you can see (below), my photographic skills were at their absolute best on Thursday evening!

Before leaving on Thursday, I was delighted to attend the Friends of Magdalen Green's visit to meet the Lord Provost to promote their super charity calendar. You can read the "Evening Telegraph" report of the event by clicking on the headline above and there's more detail about the calendar at http://www.magdalengreen.btik.com/p_Photo_Competition.ikml

Tomorrow is St Andrew's Day and the various event on Dundee are listed at http://www.scotland.org/standrewsday/around-scotland/dundee.html.

St Andrew's Day Celebrations

As part of Dundee City Council’s celebrations for St Andrew's Day, the Wellington Consultancy and Friends of Wighton have arranged a programme of musical happenings in the city. Many thanks to Sheena Wellington for the information and very pleased to see the St Andrew's Night Party at Meadowside St. Paul's Church Hall - very handy for West End residents!

ST ANDREW'S DAY - FRIDAY 30th NOVEMBER

Care Homes for Senior Citizens:

11am: Janet Brougham House, Robertson Street

2pm: St Margaret’s Home, Victoria Road

3.30pm: Wellburn Home, 118 Liff Road

Fiddle player Karen Read and singer Mike Kelleher will be the musicians visiting the Care Homes. Both artists have done a lot of work in this field and enjoy entertaining older people.

Karen Read (nee Hannah) is a highly accomplished fiddler with a sparkling personality. A former Celtic Connections Danny Award winner she has toured throughout the UK, Europe and New Zealand, appearing with musicians of the calibre of Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham and Alasdair Fraser. She is a member of the band Randan and several other groups.

Mike Kelleher hails from Ireland and is equally at home with Irish or Scottish song. A fine guitar player he also has a mellow, delightful voice and a winning way with an audience. He is also a member of Randan. (interesting footnote: Karen & husband Danny and Mike & wife Eleanor are expecting their first babies in mid to late March – there are bets on which arrives soonest!)

Senior Citizens Clubs

11am Broughty Ferry Centre, 343 Brook Street, Broughty Ferry

3.30pm Fiveways Centre, 2-4 Caird Avenue DD3 8AW.


Musicians entertaining at the Clubs are Maureen Jelks, singer, and Simon Chadwick, harpist

Dundee born Maureen Jelks is one of Scotland’s finest traditional singers, much in demand for festivals and concerts. She has recently returned from the International Celtic Women’s Festival in Milwaukee.

Simon Chadwick is a world expert on the medieval harp, a recent winner of a prestigious Arts Trust of Scotland Award and proud possessor of a beautiful replica of the harp which belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots.


City Square

1 -2 pm Dundee High School Pipe Band & Mains of Fintry Pipe Band.

DHS Pipe Band is a very promising young band. Mains of Fintry Pipe Band have been invited to represent Scotland at a major piping event in Japan in 2008 and this will be part of their fundraising for the trip.

Wellgate Centre Entrance: Kinnear & McKay, pipes, banjo and a touch of funk!

Central Library

12.30 - 2pm Music from Wighton Singers with input from Maureen Jelks, Simon Chadwick, Karen Read, Mike Kelleher

The Wighton Singers are a group of mainly senior citizens who meet with Maureen Jelks every Tuesday afternoon in the Wighton Heritage Centre to learn Scottish songs.

3.30pm Children's Song workshop with Sheena Wellington

Meadowside St. Paul's Church Hall, West Marketgait

7.15 pm St Andrews Night Party (pipes, highland dancers, Sheena Wellington & stovies)
Tickets £5 including refreshments, available from Cornerstone Coffee House, Nethergate