KIRKCUDBRIGHT FLOODLIT TATTOO 2014 -DGWGO REVIEW

It was a warm sunny August evening for the 2014 Kirkcudbright Tattoo this year on Saturday the 23rd of August ! Team DGWGO had been invited along by the Kirkcudbright Summer festivities  team to see what it was all about . Myself , LC and MJ went along , It had been many years since I last went to one of the Kirkcudbright Tattoo’s , and this was the first time I had been since it had been moved to a Saturday evening instead of a Monday , and LC and MJ had never been to a Tattoo before at all !

With a crowd of 5000+ folk the move to change the event to a Saturday evening really seems to of payed off , and as it went on until 10.30pm it also means that kids can enjoy it without worrying that it’s a school night .

The evening started at 7.30pm and host for the night was Bruce McKenzie , a well known face in the town , and also a well known radio voice and writer for Local media . Bruce was very smartly dressed in his Kilt , which I think was a nice touch , especially to set the tone of the evening for many visitors who were really looking for that wee touch of Scotland ! The Tattoo Opened with Pipe music and Marching bands , but the Headliner for the show was The Imps Motorbike display team , Who Roared into the Street Arena in front of McClellans Castle in the heart of the town , The display was excellent with Explosions , fire Jumps , jumps over people , multiple people on one bike , pyramids of people on multiple bikes , it was excellent to see and the crowd loved it ! Pictures below

The Imps final stunt is their giant pyramid , and at the peak, Holding the flag was Local 11 year old Kirkcudbright primary School girl Gemma Caygill , Gemma a local farmers daughter , only had 2 and half hours to train and prepare , but the brave lassie did a fantastic job , pictured below

 

After The Imps , and while the safety fencing was being removed we had the chance to listen to Robyn Stapleton, the Winner of this years BBC RADIO YOUNG TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR award . Robyn had the voice of an angel and was a joy to listen to, it was lovely to see and hear her live for my  first ever time , pictured below

Once the arena was ready again , we had the joy of watching more Pipe bands , Sword Dancing , The Kirkcudbright Tug Of war team ( who catch out many visitors to the town) Traditional Scottish country dancing , to name just a few things , Pictured below

One of the main things about a Tattoo though is YOU , the audience , without having such a fantastic crowd to clap, cheer and join in the Tattoo would not be put on for us all to enjoy. So here are some photos of the Crowd , and some of the faces and folk who are involved with putting on this amazing 3 hour extravaganza !

 Towards the end of the evening we got to enjoy one of the many Traditional parts of the tattoo , The lone piper , who was stood up high in one of the castle windows , with everything else darkened with the lights being turned off , it is quite a site and something very special to see !

Then as the evening draws to a close , we were treated to the Massed pipe bands , A really amazing display of Pipe bands from right across the region , coming together to celebrate , and enjoy the Kirkcudbright tattoo , and after the Lord-Lieutenant for Dumfries and Galloway Region , gives the bands his permission for them to play out , they marched past and saluted him ! Followed by Flag bearers and dancers who had all taken part .  Pictured below

Then to round off the perfect night , it needs FIREWORKS , and boy o boy the Kirkcudbright team know how to do them right , what an amazing display , all of us at team DGWGO loved them ! pictured

So all in all a huge success , and an event that the whole region should be proud of ! Team DGWGO only have a couple of tips for you though , Do take a fold up chair with you , do wrap up warm as it gets cold at about 9.00pm , do make sure you have been to the loo before the show , but most of all if you have never been , do get yourself  there for next year ! Roll on Summer 2015 !

Some very happy revelers enjoying a cheeky wee photo o[opportunity with the Lord-Lieutenant

DGWGO would like to Thank Kirkcudbright Summer festivities for the very kind invitation to join  them at the Tattoo this year , and we would like to congratulate them on the successes of all their summer events !

 

All Photographs Copyright to R.B Photography , 

Article written by R.B

A75 DUMFRIES BYPASS TO CLOSE FOR FURTHER WORKS 5th T0 8th SEPTEMBER

 

Scotland TranServ will return to the A75 at Dumfries next weekend (Friday 5th September to Monday 8th September 2014) to complete important improvement work on the A75 between Dancingknowe and the A709 roundabout.

The work on behalf of Transport Scotland will improve the road surface of this busy trunk road. The first phase of the improvement programme was completed in June.

Garry Head, Scotland TranServ’s Area Delivery Manager for Dumfries and Galloway said:

“The first phase of this work was completed in June, and through our partnership with DG First we will improve the remainder of this stretch of the A75 to improve the road surface for commuters and freight traffic alike.”

In order to carry out this work as quickly and as safely as possible, it will be necessary to divert westbound traffic through Dumfries before rejoining the A75 at Glasgow Road for the duration of the works.

A full road closure will also be carried out between 19.00 Friday 5th September and the evening of Saturday 6th September, 2014. This closure will allow the existing road surface to be removed safely. Once this short preparatory work is finished the road will be reopened to eastbound traffic.

Russell Rennie, Scotland TranServ’s Contract Director added:

“The health and safety of our workers and of the motoring public are of utmost importance to Scotland TranServ. That is why it will be necessary to close the road for this short period. We would like to take this opportunity to thank local drivers in advance, for their patience. Across Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland TranServ is investing on behalf of Transport Scotland to deliver this important improvement programme and deliver long-term tangible benefits supporting commuters, businesses and communities across South West Scotland.”

 

STRANRAER RNLI RESCUE FAMILY OF 3 AND THEIR DOG


At 12.39 pm  on the 26th of August  Stranraer Lifeboat was launched on service to aid 3 persons cut off by tide at Piltanton near Glenluce in Lucebay.

2 adults  and 1 child and a dog , had become stranded and cut off by the fast moving tide .

The lifeboat was towed by road, to Wigtownshire Golf Club by Landrover and was in the water by 1.00pm , and was on scene within 5 minutes, where the casualties were put on board the DSC_0354 lifeboat and taken back to the launch site. where they were passed over to the awaiting Stranraer Coastguard team.

 

All 3 including the dog was glad to be safe ashore.
Lifeboat was recovered and rehoused made ready for service @1400hrs

NFU SCOTLAND EXTENDS SCOTCHWATCH CAMPAIGN TO MONITOR IMPACT OF RUSSIAN TRADE BAN

NFU Scotland is to extend its regular monitoring of retail shop shelves to examine any impact that the Russian trade ban may have on prices or demand for Scottish produce.

While the Russian EU export ban, announced earlier this month, is not expected to cause significant disruption to Scottish farm produce, there is the potential for an indirect impact because EU products typically exported to Russia will have to find a new market. This may result in supply and/or price pressures in Scottish and UK markets.

Some member states in Europe are already reporting significant price falls in some commodities. The European Commission has made €125 million available for the fruit and vegetables sector for the period up to the end of November. This funding is likely to be focussed on measures to withdraw product from the market. A meeting in Brussels tomorrow (28 August) will consider the impact of the Russian ban on the animal products sector, particularly dairy, with the option of opening Private Storage Aid being floated.

NFU Scotland regularly examines shelf space in Scottish supermarket stores to look at support given by retailers to Scottish and British beef, pork, lamb and chicken. In light of the Russian ban, that ScotchWatch monitoring will be extended to soft fruit, vegetables and dairy produce.

NFU Scotland’s Food Chains Relationship Manager Kylie Barclay said:

“While there are limited direct impacts of the Russian ban on Scottish farmers and their produce, the indirect impacts remain largely unknown.

“However, given that one of the EU’s largest exports to Russia is fruit and vegetables, and the perishable nature of these products, the ban is already being felt in some countries. The EU is in the process of putting measures in place to support the sector but it is important that we monitor any ramifications for our growers here in Scotland.

“For that reason, key fruit and vegetables for Scotland – such as raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots and onions – have been brought into our weekly ScotchWatch monitoring scheme so that we can quickly get a handle on any supply or price issues.

“Our pigs committee has concerns over disruption to traditional pork and bacon export routes while dairy is another sector thought to be exposed to the export ban due to displaced product, particularly cheese. Europe will consider livestock product markets tomorrow (28 August) but working with the Union’s Policy Managers, we will monitor any wholesale or retail concerns for all Scottish produce over the coming weeks and months.” Ends

THE DGWGO SOLWAY SHARKS WEEKLY ROUND-UP

Solway Sharks Ice Hockey Club

The Solway Sharks, sponsored by Building Craftsmen (Dumfries), are delighted to announce the signing of two former Elite League forwards. Marc Fowley joins from Edinburgh Capitals and Aidan Fulton from the Braehead Clan and both players will be available for this weekend’s friendly against North Ayr Wild.
Both players have iced for the Sharks in recent years before moving to the EIHL and have gained valuable experience and will be looking to play key roles this season as the Sharks look to replicate last season’s trophy haul.

Aidan-Fulton
Aidan-Fulton

Aiden iced for the Sharks fifty-five times over three seasons scoring forty-one points before trying his luck with Braehead Clan. He is a twenty-one year old forward who has represented GB at junior level. Aidan started his career at North Ayr before moving to Dumfries and then onto Braehead and has also played for Scotland at various levels. He was always amongst the points in his previous time here so will be expected to contribute again this season.

Marc is a 25 year old forward who possesses a lot of speed and skill and has played over 150 EIHL games with Fife Flyers and Edinburgh Capitals as well as a nine game stint with the Sharks in ENL2 in 2012. Marc also iced for Fife in the old Northern League scoring more than a point per game and will be looking to add some offensive punch to the team.
Head Coach Martin Grubb was delighted to be able to bring the two players to Dumfries and commented “I have been talking to both Aidan and Marc for a while now and when I knew they were both available and keen to play here then it was easy to bring them here. Both have played for me before and know what I expect and what the club expect so they fit in very well and already know a few of the boys. They both have Elite experience and will be expected to show that they have improved as hockey players. They are both desperate to play more minutes and contribute to the team and they will help us. Marc is very quick and will cause teams problems with his speed and he will be looking to get amongst the goals and help the team. Aidan is a smart two-way player who can play at both ends of the rink and has a good shot that will trouble goalies in our league. They are both a good fit for us as a club and I look forward to seeing them in competitive action and it adds more options and depth to our squad”.
Aidan and Marc were happy to be signing in Dumfries and Aidan said “I am happy to be back playing for the Sharks and I look forward to playing a big part in the team’s success. I am excited to be playing more and want to show that I have become a better player for my time at Braehead and help the boys win trophies again. I already know most of the team and my previous line mates in Moorey and Peanut are still here so we have chemistry already”. Marc commented “I have been in the EIHL for a few years and have enjoyed my time there but I wanted to play more and be a big part of a team who challenges for honours. I am happy to be back at Solway after a short

Marc-Fowley
Marc-Fowley

spell a few years ago and have felt comfortable in practice and can’t wait to get started. Martin has brought a winning mentality to the club and a good team spirit and we are looking to pick up where we left off last season”.
Both players will be in action on Saturday night as the Sharks take to the ice in a pre-season challenge match against North Ayrshire Wild at 7pm at the Ice Bowl. Aidan will be wearing 93 and Marc 34 and will be looking to get off to a good start before the league season starts. Entrance to this game will be free of charge and will be the last chance for Sharks supporters to save themselves money and buy “early-bird” season tickets which will include entry to all Sharks league and cup fixtures. Also included in the season ticket price is entry to all matches at the forthcoming IHFF Women’s World Championship Division II Group A being played here at the Shark Tank from March 30th to April 5th 2015.
The Sharks are still talking to a few players and will also have more announcements in the coming days before the North Ayr game.

RUGBY NEWS , NEWTON STEWART 17 STEWARTRY 14

1 a 1 a logo newton stewart rugby clubNEWTON STEWART 17 STEWARTRY 141 a 1 a logo Stewartry rfc

The annual match to compete for the Sandy Irving Memorial Trophy took place at Bladnoch last Saturday..

Stewartry started the game off sending the ball down into the home 22 where Newton Stewart knocked on. Winning the scrum Newton Stewart kicked deep into the visitors 22. Loose defence saw the ball knocked on giving the home team a 5 metre scrum. Hooking their own put in, the ball came out the back of the scrum quickly.

Taking crash ball at speed the home full back McMillan went over for a try which he converted giving Newton Stewart a 7 point lead.

The home side went on the attack again and with good handling they were soon inside the Stewartry 22 and going for the try line. However the Stewartry’s full back Fingland was on hand to stop the attack 5 metres from the line. A knock on by Newton Stewart allowed Stewartry to clear their line.

In the twelfth minute from a scrum on the halfway line the home side picked up the ball. Running up the right wing the ball came back inside to James Wallace who touched down right of the posts. McMillan converted.

After a lineout on halfway Newton Stewart made ground up to the visitors 10 metre line but knocked on. At the scrum the ball came back to the home side who kicked it over the Stewartry defenders into their dead ball area. Once again Fingland managed to save another try giving the visitors a 22 drop out.

Midway through the first quarter the home team got a turnover on the Stewartry 22. The low kick forward was caught by John Kerr who charged forward up to halfway but he was stopped.

The visitors took the ball against the head in a scrum on the home 22. Sending the ball out wide to McCarney he jinked past two home defenders to get Stewartry’s first try. Mosey converted.

The restart kick went straight out. From the halfway line scrum Stewartry secured the ball sending it to left wing McCarney but the ball went forward 10 metres from the home line.

Newton Stewart were penalised for handling in the ruck and then for not being back 10 metres. Stewartry went for a 5 metre lineout but loose play allowed the home side to clear their line and get back to halfway.

Both sides had penalties before the break but nothing came of them. Half time score 14 – 7 to Newton Stewart.

The home team kicked off the second period. Going into a ruck Henderson took a knock to the head and was replaced by Broll. Five minutes later Middleton replaced John Kerr

For most of the third quarter the game went from end to end with neither team managing to score. On the hour Stewartry drove deep into the home 22 but were stopped short. Smith picked the ball out of the ruck and drove in for a try. Mosey took the conversion taking the score to 14 points each.

Into the last quarter both sides tried to put the pressure on with some good running rugby but it produced no tries.

With 4 minutes left Newton Stewart managed to get deep into Stewartry territory when the visitors were penalised for handling in the ruck. Russell who had come on as an injury replacement slotted the winning kick taking the final score to Newton Stewart 17 Stewartry 14.

Newton Stewart squad:- G McMillan, S McAllister, L Brawls, James Wallace, F Morton, J Muir, Robbie McCornick, I Matier, Martin Wallace, K Wright, M Adams, C Johnstone, Willam McCornick (captain) A Gaw, Mark McCornick, I Russell, R Fiskin, D Montgomerie, J McWhirter.

Stewartry squad:- J Fngland, S Carson, David Kerr, R Austin, T J McCarney, C Mosey, R Wallace, K Amos, D Burton, T Cannon (captain), L Henderson, K McMinn, H Sainsbury, M Smith, John Kerr, S Broll, R Middleton, I McMorrin, D Steele.

CREATIVE DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS WORKSHOP IN DUMFRIES

In preparation for the annual call for applications to Bridging the Gap – the UK’s leading short documentary training initiative which has produced many award-winning films, screening in 60 countries to date, Scottish Documentary Institute invite you to meet up and discuss your ideas at the Robert Burns Centre in Dumfries, on September 5th.

The outreach workshop in Dumfries will help you prepare your project for submission to the Bridging the Gap, now coming into its 12th year.

FREE

Friday 05 September 2014 (15:00-17:30) – followed by a screening of shorts from Scottish Documentary Institute (18:00 – 19:00)
Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre, Mill Road, Dumfries DG2 7BE

They will be showing examples of past work, explaining the aims of the initiative and how to improve your chances to be short-listed. Please take along an idea for a short documentary and learn how to develop and focus your proposal and pitching skills.

The workshop will be followed by a screening of selected Bridging the Gap short documentaries from previous years.

There are limited spaces available so make sure to book your place early.

Hosted by SDI and Dumfries & Galloway Council

To register for this workshop please email rebecca@scotdoc.com with your name, postcode and a brief summary about yourself.

RUN FOR HEALTH WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY AT CASTLE KENNEDY GARDENS

 

1 a 1 a run for life 1The Wigtownshire Run 4 Health is taking place on the 6th September 2014. This is a 5K family fun run, organised by the Wigtownshire Health and Wellbeing Partnership, and Stranraer and District Community Fireworks Display. It will take place on the above date at Castle Kennedy Gardens, courtesy of Lord Stair.

The run hopes to benefit from the momentum generated by the Commonwealth games and to encourage people to get active and stay active. People can walk, jog or run the Run 4 Health and it is very much aimed at being a family event.

The warm up starts at 10 am and will be led by Road Runner Children’s Entertainment with the run starting at 11am. Local musicians will be playing at the event throughout the day and it is hoped that families will come along to participate or watch, and enjoy the gardens and cafe.

Entry fees for the fun run will be £8 for adults, £2 for children and £18 for a group (2 adults and 4 children).

For entry forms please contact the Ryan Centre, Fairhurst Road, Stranraer 01776 703535 or enter online at www.think4urself.com.

1 a 1 a run for life 2.

SPRING FLING 2014 WAS BIGGEST EVER , APPLICATIONS FOR SF2015 LAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER

Spring Fling 2014 Visual Art and Craft Event Blossomed into Biggest Ever
Applications open for next year’s event with a call out to artists from across southern Scotland, Cumbria and Northern Ireland

1 a 1 a spring newThis year’s Spring Fling visual art and craft event was the biggest ever with 40,000 studio visits and £1.4 million for the local economy.
Organisers are celebrating a huge turnout which brought visitors from across Scotland and the rest of the UK to Dumfries and Galloway between 24-26 May.
Three national exhibitions of work by D&G artists and makers, in Glasgow, Newcastle and London also proved a big hit, attracting over 18,000 visitors.
Leah Black, Spring Fling Director, said: “It’s been a tremendous year, with more artists and makers than ever taking part and more than ever to see and do.
“The results have been wonderful for Spring Fling and the whole region. It’s great that such a large number of visitors have come her to enjoy some superb contemporary art and craft, and to get a taste of all the other wonderful things Dumfries and Galloway has to offer.
“Spring Fling is constantly trying to renew itself and come up with fresh ideas. This year the Rural Murals were an enormous hit, with national and international street artists creating fabulous artworks on everything from houses and barns to a tractor and a horse blanket.
“We have also taken Spring Fling outside D&G with the three national exhibitions. These helped bring the region, and its arts, to a whole new audience.”

 

 

The statistics for 2014 show that the main weekend in Dumfries and Galloway attracted 13, 450 visitors (up 13% from last year) who made 40,340 visits to 95 studios and spent £1,405m (up 42% from around £990,000 the year before). Nearly £250,000 was spent in studios with the rest going into other areas of the economy such as restaurants and hotels.
Prize draw entries filled in by visitors showed that nearly a quarter were from other parts of Scotland and around 30% from outside the country. The draw offered some great prizes including vouchers to spend in galleries along with accommodation and meals at our local sponsors the Trigony House Hotel.
For the artists themselves there were tremendous benefits, with an average 429 visits and spending of £2,645 per studio – an increase of around 24% from 2013. Three quarters of the artists were also commissioned to produce new work.
Perhaps most rewarding of all was the public reaction, with 99% of visitors saying Spring Fling was “good” or “excellent”, worthy of recommending to other people.
Councillor Colin Smyth, the council’s Events Champion said: “The superb results for Spring Fling demonstrate the timeless appeal of the event, the hard work of its staff and board and the sustained investment that the council has put in over a number of years.
“Spring Fling is exactly the kind of international quality event that the Dumfries and Galloway Major Festivals and Events Strategy 2014-2017, was established to assist and help reach new heights.”
Looking to the future – applications open on 1 September for six weeks for SF 2015 with roadshow and photography sessions for those who are new to SF
Applications are once again being invited from our neighbours in south and east Ayrshire, Borders, Cumbria, South Lanarkshire. And new for 2015 – we are inviting applications from our Northern Irish neighbours

The Blackwood 10K Trail Race , Pictures by Martin Johnston

Friend of DGWGO and regular contributor Mr Martin Johnston went    down to Auldgirth last week to take some photos of the Blackwood 10k, the event was attended by around 35 runners , and is an attempt to promote fitness and provide sporting activities for the region. This is the 4th year of the race starting and finishing at the Auldgirth Inn, the race organised by Frank Skachill, is a mix of trail and forest track that appeals to runners of all abilities who are looking to test themselves in an off road environment.

Martin took some fantastic photos , We are still waiting to be sent the official results , but we thought you may enjoy the Pictures if you were involved . You can contact martin on His facebook bage , Click HERE if you want to ask him about copies of the pictures !

All Pictures Copyright MJ Photography