Recent Posts

Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5] 6 7 ... 10
41
Games & Festivals / Re: Testing a new photo hosting site
« Last post by Thomas B. Thompson on August 04, 2017, 07:48:49 AM »
That's a cool looking monument. Where is it located ?
Hope you and yours are doing well.
Best wishes,

Tom & Barbara
42
Games & Festivals / Testing a new photo hosting site
« Last post by Stirling Thompson on July 18, 2017, 08:24:28 AM »
Test ing a new photo hosting site, Post Image.
43
Games & Festivals / Grandfather Mountain 2017
« Last post by Stirling Thompson on July 17, 2017, 09:48:30 AM »
Well, apparently everyone has been too busy to post a report on the Grandfather Mountain Games so I'll give you my impressions as a first time visitor to the second (?) largest highland games in the US.

Dottie and I left home on the 4th of July and stopped for the night at the Red Lion Inn in Chambersburg, PA since its such a long ride we decided to split it up into two legs to relieve some of the strain of a long ride. My car was at the body shop as a result of a minor fender-bender so we got to make the trip in a 2017 Cadillac rental which was nice but would have been better if I could have gotten the cruise control to work.

We checked in to the Baymont Inn & Suites in Boone, NC on Wednesday afternoon, unpacked and relaxed for the rest of the day. On Thursday morning we drove down to Linville to the games HQ to get our tickets for the games and called Alan and Heidi to let them know we had arrived. We drove up the mountain to McRae Meadows, where the games are held, and located the Clan Thompson assigned tent site. Alan and Heidi were already there, along with their friends Marty and Kay who came along to help out, and unpacked and covered everything up for the overnight. We went to the house Alan and Heidi rented and had some lunch and rested up a little. We returned to the mountain later that afternoon, walked around and checked out the other clans and vendors and waited patiently for the torchlight ceremony to begin. Tom had showed up by then and he was going to represent us at the torchlight ceremony. They do a 5K BEAR race from the bottom to the top of the mountain, 6,000 ft up, and we watched the runners go through in the afternoon and saw the winners receive their rewards and take a victory lap that evening. The weather was very cooperative and the torchlight ceremony was really beautiful and Tom did us proud when it came to our turn. I'd really like to see that ceremony repeated here in New England at the NH Games.

Friday we took the shuttle from Boone to the games because the parking is so limited on the mountain. The ride was an adventure in itself going up the mountain on a school bus over an unpaved private road with sharp turns and ditches and steep drop-offs but we arrived safely.

By the time we arrived Alan and crew had everything ready to go. Ian and his friend, sorry don't remember his name, came and spent lots of time helping out at tent. Dottie, Heidi and Kay had fun going to all the different programs at the Scottish Cultural tent. I got to go to one of the programs about the Darien scheme presented by author John McKendrick and I purchased his book which he graciously signed for me. Friday is a major day at the games with lots of things going on all over field and includes the Grandfather Marathon and we got to see the runners coming in for that. We spent the day helping at the tent and wandering around taking in all the sights and sounds of the games. Dottie says she was particularly impressed by all the athletic competitions they had for the children including wrestling and races. Again the weather was fine except for an early shower which had passed before we got there. It was cloudy early but cleared out and warmed up in the afternoon. We had to catch the shuttle off the mountain so we left around 4 pm for the ride back to Boone. Going down was a bit better than going up. We got back to the hotel and changed before going out for supper and a little shopping then went back and settled in for the night.

Saturday was pretty much a repeat of Friday, except the weather was better all day. We had tons of visitors at the tent and met lots of Thoms, including some from Scotland. I bought a Sport Kilt in the Thomson hunting on Friday and wore it Saturday so we had all of the Thom(p)son tartans represented with Tom in blue, Alan in the gray, Ian in the camel and me in the hunting. We looked good so it was decided I would wear the hunting again on Sunday for the parade of tartan. Again we had taken the shuttle and had to leave around four.

Sunday was the last day for the games but was packed with activities including the parade of tartans that kicked off at 11 am. We were lined up alphabetically so we ended up starting from the far side behind the reviewing stand and before we even started moving the first clans had already passed by and left the field. We said our goodbyes and headed out mid-afternoon to the hotel to rest up for trip home.

We left Monday morning and again stopped in PA before continuing home on Tuesday. We got home early in the evening safely.

All in all, we had a great time with great people and it looks like we'll get together again in September for the Ligonier Games in PA. We're looking forward to it.

OK, here's the good stuff. Below is a link to all the photos on Photobucket.
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/StuT/library/Grandfather%20Mountain%202017
44
NEW MEMBERS! Introduce yourselves here! / Re: New Supporting members.
« Last post by Thomas B. Thompson on July 11, 2017, 08:03:39 PM »
Has no one applied for membership since Feb. of last year? Haven't seen any new names posted.
45
GENERAL Topics - Scottish or not / Thanksgiving Greeting
« Last post by Thomas B. Thompson on November 24, 2016, 08:12:35 PM »
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
46
Games & Festivals / 2016 New Hampshire Highland games and Festival
« Last post by Stirling Thompson on September 22, 2016, 10:56:44 AM »
Finally! After all these years of being turned away and told we weren't needed Clan Thom(p)son made it to the New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival held at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH on Friday, Saturday and Sunday September 16, 17 and 18, 2016. Hooray!

Most of us arrived on Thursday and went over to Loon Mountain to locate our site and set up the tents in preparation for Friday's opening. Dottie and I were the last to arrive and Alan and Heidi and Tom and Mary already had one tent up. We made short work of getting my tent up and deciding what we could leave overnight and what to take back to the motel.

The following morning dawned clear and cold (only 40 degrees) Alan and Heidi, being morning persons, met us at 7:00 am to put the finishing touches on the tent display. We were one of the first ones there so everything was pretty well buttoned up.


It didn't take long to set up everything so we had no problem getting ready before the crowds started coming in around 9:00 am.


The tent display really looked nice and the Reiver board was a big hit with everyone, kids and adults.


The first day I wore the Reiver outfit Dottie made for me and I borrowed the helmet Alan and Heidi brought.

The Lord Lyon, King of Arms was on hand and made the rounds of all the Clan tents and Tom had a lengthy chat with him when he got to us.

The whole weekend was terrific, the weather cooperated every day warming up nicely in the afternoons and the only rain was late Saturday night into Sunday but it stopped before the opening and was overcast but dry all day.

Saturday was the opening ceremonies and we all had wear our tartan for the Parade of Clans so I swapped the Reiver garb for my kilt. And Dottie dressed the part as well.


It was so nice having everyone here and helping out in the tent taking pictures and talking with visitors and signing up new members.
Alan and Heidi came in from Indiana.


Harold and Patsy came also.


Sherry and Robert as well.


Along with Paula and daughter Michelle.


And of course Tom..


and Mary.


I guess we must have behaved because Robin said we are invited back next year. Hooray!

More pictures are out on Photobucket here...
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/StuT/library/2016%20New%20Hampshire%20Games?sort=2&page=1
47
Games & Festivals / Re: Grandfather Mountain Highland Games July 7-10, 2016
« Last post by IanKiser on September 11, 2016, 04:55:50 PM »
They have published pic from the games and the parade of tartans there is a good picture of the Thompsons http://www.gmhg.org/Parade%20of%20Tartans%20Photo%20Gallery%202016%20Page%206.htm
48
Games & Festivals / Re: 2016 Quechee Games
« Last post by Mary on September 09, 2016, 09:12:47 AM »
Stirling =
Sorry I didn't reply to your post and pictures!  Somehow, I totally missed it  :-\

Great pictures and we're so happy to hear Quechee isn't defunct after all! Hope all goes well and the gate was good enough to hold it again next year. The visitors looked like they were enjoying!
49
Games & Festivals / 2016 Quechee Games
« Last post by Stirling Thompson on August 29, 2016, 11:54:16 AM »
The newly resurrected Quechee Games were held at the Quechee Polo Grounds in Quechee VT on Saturday August 27, 2016. The new sponsors were under considerable time constraints to put the games on this year and as a result there was no headline entertainment and the number of clans in attendance was down some but the athletes, dancers, pipe band competitors all showed up and next year I'm sure they'll do better.

It's a quick turnaround with only a week between the Maine and Quechee games so Dottie stayed home to get some real work done. Last year my granddaughter Leah went with me but she has started college at La Roche College in Pittsburg PA so I got her brother Alex to go with me. We left home at 4:45 am for the three hour ride up to Quechee. That part of New England has not been affected by the drought so there was lots of green along the way and also lots of fog but we got there and got setup in plenty of time.

Alex looked great in his Reiver outfit. There is a story here...the pants were made for me and I wore them to Glasgow Lands but they kept sliding down so Dottie said she would fix them but she cut them down too much so she had to make a whole new pair.

Attendance seemed to be down a little but that is understandable given the circumstances. Even so, we had a steady stream of visitors passing through the Clan Village area and we face the parade grounds so we could see all the bands in competition and the dancers across the way.


My youngest visitor was Shayna Thompson, when I asked her to smile she did this...

All in all it was a good day. The rest of the photos are here:
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/StuT/library/Quechee%20Games%202016
Enjoy!
50
Games & Festivals / 2016 Maine Highland Games
« Last post by Stirling Thompson on August 29, 2016, 11:18:23 AM »
As promised...
The 2016 Maine Highland Games were held at the Topsham Fairgrounds in Topsham ME on Saturday August 20, 20126. We left my daughter's home in Waldoboro around 6:30 in the morning and got to the fairgrounds about 7:30 and had everything set to go by 8:00 am.

 Dottie and I were accompanied to the games by our grandson Jacob who looked great in his Clan Thompson tee and Heritage of Scotland kilt.

It was a beautiful day with temps in the 80's and fairly low humidity but the drought conditions here in New England made it a bit dusty. Again this year we were located directly behind the entertainment tent. Rathskeltair was the headline entertainers and the only one that used the tent.

I don't care for the setup here since the Clan Village is behind the parade ground and well away from the vendors and competitions and I think that probably affected visitor turnout but we still had a decent number of visitors to the tent.

Our youngest visitor of the day was Finbar Scott Thomson all the way from Glasgow who stopped by with dad Kevin.

Jacob wants to try competing in the hammer throw next year possibly and this year he learned how to toss the caber.

I looked resplendent in my Reiver outfit that Dottie made for me.

There are lots more pics on Photobucket here:
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/StuT/library/Maine%20Highland%20Games%202016
Enjoy!
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5] 6 7 ... 10