Ghillies on, aboynes donned, bagpipes ready
Highland dancers (from left) Eleanor McKay Vercoe, 10, Lara Mills, 8, Elise Cookson, 7, and Lucy McKay Vercoe, 6, are ready to perform at the 113th Annual Highland and National Dancing Championships at Otago Boys' High School today. PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON
While many of us will be blissfully sleeping in this weekend, hundreds of Highland and National dancers will be flinging themselves across a stage to the skirl of bagpipes.
Piping and Dancing Association of New Zealand Otago Centre president Shiobhan Smith said about 120 dancers of all ages, from as far away as Auckland, would be competing in the 113th Annual Highland and National Dancing Championships at Otago Boys' High School.
She said the Otago provincial competition had attracted so many competitors this year because South Island dancing titles were also on offer at the championships.
"So there'll be awards for South Island level dancing as well as Otago level dancing, all in the same competition."
She said it was also very popular because the competition had a very long history.
"The actual Piping and Dancing Association of New Zealand started in Dunedin, hence why we have that long history.
"A number of the cups and trophies that we give out, have been awarded since at least the 1920s.
"They often have the who's who of Highland dancing from the last 100 years as winners [are] engraved on them, so there's a lot of prestige in doing well at these competitions.
"It is also one of the best big competitions for competitors to compete in, in order to complete their preparations for the New Zealand championships in July."
At the same time, the Otago Centre would be running the 113th Annual Solo Piping Competitions at John McGlashan College, where about 65 pipers would be vying for Otago, South Island and national titles, she said.
"If we weren't doing this on a King's Birthday weekend, we'd be sleeping in.
"But we're a passionate bunch.
"I don't think any of us could see ourselves doing anything but.
"There's no such thing as sleeping in on a weekend like this — not with all the bagpipes around."
Entry to both events is free.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Bain's dedication, hours devoted to pipes recognised
Alexandra and Districts Pipe Band Drum Major Ken Bain, of Millers Flat, leads the band at the head of the Blossom Festival parade. Mr Bain has been made a life member of the pipe band. PHOTO: JULIE ASHER Joining a pipe band might have been a dream come true but the band was equally fortunate when Ken Bain turned up for practice at the Alexandra and Districts Pipe Band for the first time. This month Mr Bain was made a life member of the band, recognising his dedication and countless hours devoted to the pipes. Mr Bain, of Millers Flat, began playing the pipes as a young lad growing up in the Teviot Valley. In 1954, neighbour Arthur Frame, of Dumbarton, brought then 13-year-old Ken a silver-and-ivory mounted set of pipes from a trip to Scotland. Tutoring from Charlie Sutherland, at Ettrick, and then Alan Porteous while attending Otago Boys' High School set him on his musical path. Ken Bain playing the pipes in 2008. PHOTO: SUPPLIED However, farming and raising a family meant the pipes were put away for many years. It was not until Mr Bain and his late wife, Dawn, retired from their farm to Millers Flat that he began playing again. After tutoring from Roxburgh's kilted pharmacist, Alistair Forbes, who plays outside his shop every Friday afternoon, Mr Bain joined the Alexandra and Districts Pipe Band in 2002. "It was a dream come true," he said. For the next 23 years Mr Bain drove to Alexandra every week for band practice and spent many more hours travelling to perform. "I wore out a car with the travel," he quipped. Taking up the pipes again was hard as it was more difficult to memorise the music when he was older, he said. Presenting the life membership, pipe band secretary Barbara Blackler said Mr Bain was always ready with a joke or funny yarn. He was an enthusiastic member and always keen to put up his hand and be involved in a performance whether for the blossom festival, Anzac parades, fundraising or community events. Nominated drum major in 2021, a position he still holds, Mr Bain was also president in 2009-11. Mr Bain had always been very supportive of new members and had a vision for the future of the band, especially involving young people, Mrs Blackler said. He was also responsible for her holding the role as secretary. After so many years of driving an hour and a-half every week for practice Mr Bain now heads up the road every second week. "I've never been a great piper but I love it."
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Farm swaps milk for cow cuddles as floods and food prices take toll
Visitor Helen Decker takes a selfie with a cow during a Cow Cuddling experience at Dumble Farm. Photo: Reuters Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them. Dumble Farm started as a dairy farm in the 1970s, but in recent years flooding washed out crops and killed off the type of grass the cows like to eat, while milk prices below cost of production proved an insurmountable challenge. "The amount of flooding and the pressures on our land were just making it unsustainable for us to carry on," said Fiona Wilson, co-owner of the farm. Agriculture is one of the sectors worst-affected by climate change, with farmers in Europe and elsewhere suffering under increasing heat, drought and flooding. In 2022, Dumble Farm sold all but a few of its dairy cows and, in a scramble to reinvent itself, began offering "cow cuddling" experiences to fund a wildlife conservation scheme. For 95 pounds ($127.80), visitors can cuddle, brush and stroke the cows as they lie down on a straw-covered enclosure inside a barn. The experience includes a safari to see Highland cattle. "It's been so worth it, just to get so close to the cows, and they are so loving and gentle," guest Emma Hutton, 25, said after she spent some time cuddling one of the cows. It took over a year to train the cows to feel comfortable with cuddling, but now the animals have fully adjusted, farmer James McCune said. "They like being pampered. They are like big dogs... It's more of a spa day for the cows," McCune said. The farm uses the proceeds to create habitats to protect wildlife and support declining species, such as lapwing birds. "It's great that we can fund the conservation scheme by having visitors to the farm, and that's really the bigger picture," Wilson said.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Long-Time Volunteer Honoured For Raising Millions For Special Olympics
Laurinne Laing has taken the phrase volunteer to a whole new level. Laing has been the driving force behind the Special Olympics Howick-Pakuranga club and the Upper North Island Trust and in the process has fundraised millions of dollars for athletes with an intellectual disability. This week is National Volunteer Week and like many others Laing just wanted to lend a helping hand, but ended up putting her heart and soul into Special Olympics for over 35 years, often dedicating more than 30 hours a week to the organisation. Earlier this month, Laing was recognised in the King's Birthday honours for her incredible contribution to Special Olympics. 'I got involved through my brother Glen who has an intellectual disability and we wanted to encourage him to get him involved in sport, and I also wanted to take a bit of a load off my mother,' says Laing. She remembers how Glen was one of the Special Olympics pioneers and competed at the first National Summer Games in Hutt Valley in 1989. 'Glen competed in every National Summer Games until 2009 in Palmerston North,' says Laing, who joined the committee and also put her hand up to coach the ten-pin bowling team. 'And I had never played the sport,' laughs Laing, who acted as club secretary for a decade before she agreed to be acting chairperson for a few months in 2007, only to find herself in the role for the next 18 years. Since then, Laing has helped prepare the Howick-Pakuranga team for each National Summer Games and regularly acted as Head of Delegation. The former school teacher and director of a software development company turned out to have a special talent for finding money with funding agencies, gaming trusts and corporate sponsors to get teams to the National Summer Games, send a regional team to the annual Snow Camp in Wanaka and for the other regional costs of the 13 clubs in the Upper North Island Trust. 'The snow camp alone would cost us about $50-60,000 each year, and closer to $80,000 in a National Winter Games year, and this year we need to raise $87,000 to get athletes to the National Summer Games,' says Laing. She is reluctant to guess how much money she and her colleagues raised over the past 35 years, but a quick calculation produces some staggering numbers that run well into seven figures. 'I never looked at it like that, but yes, it does start adding up when you look back over the years,' says Laing. She explains that the key to good fundraising is building relationships with the funding agencies, with local councils and sponsors, like Freemasons New Zealand so they keep supporting the athletes. 'But there is a lot of paperwork involved, and you need to make sure you apply for the right items, with the right agencies and for the right amount. And of course then there is a lot of audit work afterwards reconciling where the money was spent, so you have to be organised. 'After a while you know what they want to see and they know that they can trust you with their money, so it's all about cultivating those relationships.' This week is National Volunteer Week and Laing encourages more people to put their hands up to give their time to help others, and not waste the opportunity to help out at the National Summer Games in Christchurch on December 10-14 which will need 700 volunteers to run the event. 'Give it a go. It's not everybody's cup of tea, but more often than not it's just such a wonderful rewarding thing to do. You can make such an impact on people's lives and give them the chance to feel good, and do what their brothers and sisters can do at sports,' says Laing who adds that volunteers help athletes gain a sense of well-being and confidence to be out in the community and interact with other people. Laing says that she retired almost 20 years ago, so had the space in her week to dedicate so much time to Special Olympics, but is slowly looking to step back. 'Maybe I'm a bit of a control freak, but I find it hard to hand over jobs when I know those people are all busy and have full-time jobs. It's not always easy for me after putting blood, sweat and tears into these jobs for so many years, but it's time to hand over the reins.' Laing says the National Summer Games in Christchurch will be the first event in decades where she will not be Head of Delegation. 'The person who is taking over is really excellent and she will do really well. I will be in Christchurch, floating around the team, but only as a fan.'
