Weird looking fellas

[uncle Mario Tomasone]

Hy everybody.

Just courious about how you normally behave when you see/meet someone "strangely" attired - you know what I'm talking about, people with strange homemade kilts/pleats on the front/panoplies of eagle's fathers on their bonnets etc.

Personally, I think everybody's got the right to do wathever he feels like doing as far as he's not offending or insulting somebody else, so probably the whole question is : where to draw the line behind which you feel offended when someone's mocking the traditions we're hardly tryng to keep alive and 'proper'?

[Iain Sherwood]

Depends. If it's someone trying to impress the world with his total lack of good taste, then I just ignore them. There are several noted poseurs in the UK and the US, the worst being the twit who claims to be Bonnie Prince Charlie's direct heir. He's currently wanted for fraud in Maryland and D.C.

If, on the other hand, they're simply clueless like the two yoicks shown below, they're good for a laugh. And yes, they're both guys.

http://www.cuillinn.com/clueless.jpg
http://www.cuillinn.com/squaw.jpg

[Scott Malcolm]

Ah hah hahaha :D

Funny pics Iain.

[Lonny B.]

Gota love the footwear in pic two... very Scotish!

[Iain Sherwood]

It was the one with the tights that really got me. Only proves that you see ALL types at Pleasanton! We published these winners on our website after the 2000 Pleasanton Games. They show up every year - the clueless, the yobs painted blue, the multi-feathered, the one wearing his kilt backwards (tried explaining it to the guy, but he just wouldn't listen); all from the shallow end of the gene pool....

[Lonny B.]

Yeah, I have seen some funny looking people myself, wearing home made stuff... but U know.. whatever blows their pipes. :D

One can only shake their head and giggle.

[Rick James]

Did a wedding once -- I didn't see the groom until I was playing the bride down the aisle. Sure enough he was wearing his kilt backwards :eek: So there he was with video camera rolling, official photos, and lots of family snaps.
After the ceremony -- before the posed pictures -- I went up to him and complimented him on his fine kilt, and then gently suggested that he might want to spin it around before the photos were taken. He really appreciated the help. :thumb:

[brad]

Great pics!
Is the guy in photo 2 Daniel MacBoone, Davey MacCrocket, or Ted MacNugent?
NICE BOOTS!!!!!!!!! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Brad

[Iain Sherwood]

I think Ted MacNugent fits perfectly.

[Bruce Young]

Look out for the Tartan Police! http://www.durham.net/~neilmac/vigilant.htm

[JRM]

Originally posted by brad:
Great pics!
Is the guy in photo 2 Daniel MacBoone, Davey MacCrocket, or Ted MacNugent?
NICE BOOTS!!!!!!!!! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Brad How about Runnning MacBear ! :lol:

[John McCain]

You may want to consider that while y'all are laughing at how others dress, someone with more knowledge and taste may be doing the same to you.

Best, John

[Renny]

We have several of the renfair outfits around here and at the highland games you can just about see anything. I've seen some come in with enough armament to make ole William Wallace turn tail and run. Don't see how they can walk with all that weight. And footwear, we don't even want to go there.

[Dave Sanderson]

Yes, there are those who are turned out better than others, sometimes you can enlighten then and sometimes not. Most of the historical events I participate in you have to qualify to get in by being inspected and passing a period muster so to speak. I have seen some wannabees going over the top and they all seemingly have good explanations for what they have on.

As for weight, yes a highland soldier of the 18th century in full kit has alot of stuff on. One of these days I'll weigh it all. Lots of wool, leather , brass, steel, canteen of water and a musket. The best way to get used to it is wear it often till it seems a part of you. I've been doing this for almost 20 years and I know when summer is really here when I smell; canvas, black powder, & wood smoke.

Dave

[Iain Sherwood]

It's hard tpo keep from clanking when you march in all that kit.

Having done the '45 re-enactment from 1974-1996, carrying broadsword, targe, dirk, pistols, musket, sacoche, and haversack could make you walk lopsided and sideways after a while.

In some ways I'm happy just to be a vendor these days - don't have to polish all the brass!

[Angus MacDonald]

Ah......the "Highland Harry's"......

Ya gotta love em :wow: :wow:

Cheers,

Angus MacDonald & Maureen Lee
THE TARTAN THISTLE tm
http://www.tartanthistle.com
bagpipes@tartanthistle.com
Toll Free Order Line 1-888-888-9002

[Dave Sanderson]

Polish brass ??? As light infantry we don't polish brass and have everything adjusted so we don't clank.

We have only polished our brass once and that was for the change of command ceremony with Prince Andrew in attendence, he is the Honourary Colonel in Chief of the Queen's Rangers.

Dave

[Adam Sanderson]

These are quite, uhm, amazing modes of attire. In July a group of Canadian men were walking around dressed like that over here, mainly in Strathspey and Moray, much to the bemusement of the locals. They turned up at the Culloden battlefield visitor's centre while my wife was there and bought hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
Once you got over the shock of how they looked, they were quite pleasant people, in search of their roots, but just a tad misguided.....

[Stormy]

Originally posted by Tcheuchterloon:
.......they were quite pleasant people, in search of their roots, but just a tad misguided..... Very diplomatically put ma loon. :)
Not quite the same words I may have used!! :humm:

[Iain Sherwood]

It IS unfortunate that the 'Braveheart' and 'Rob Roy' films were made with American production values, instead of UK ones. I think they are responsible for a lot of the 'crap' highland dress over here (as David Murray would put it).

[Dave Sanderson]

Well said Iain, Hollywood doesn't let the facts to get in the way of a good story. Once on a set we had to discard our authentic clothes for the rubbish they had rented, we laughed and cried at the same time over what we would look like, there was 150 year time span in the outfits. The best was the rubber percussion lock replica firearms, cap locks in 1775 ??

Dave

[Iain Sherwood]

Been there, done that, got the scar, threw away the medal...

I spent several years on the 'fringe' of Hollyweird, driving, doing gags, and so on with my good friend Chip Robinson; you wouldn't BELIEVE some of the idiotic stunts they pulled to save a buck here and there.

Makes Ren Fairies look like little saints....

[denny]

According at least to tradition, when the King of England went to Scotland for the first time since the 45's he wore pink tights under his kilt. No accounting for taste. As odd and "incorrect" as folks can be, you gotta give 'em credit for trying. Much in the same vein as you should when a beginner piper is playing out of tune with bad blowing etc. We all sucked that bad once, and once we did not know to dress any better either.

[erracht]

I've seen them home-made things or whatever they are.
The wackiest must be what I saw on this guy, who walked
around Quebec City barefoot, with something like a big
yellow plaid lampshade. Loool.

[lonewlf4]

Best one I saw was at a provincial lifeguarding competition. One of the Edmonton teams was called "The Avenging Scotsmen" - no, I don't know why. The three team members all wore very nice kilts that one of the guys had made for them. They used large wall clocks for sporrans. During one first aid situation, one guard came running and sliding across the deck; reached the victim and ripped off his kilt (it had velcro fasteners), yelling "treating for shock" as he covered the victim. Fortunately, he was wearing shorts underneath, but the judge, the victim and most of the spectators were convulsing with laughter. The velcro was pretty practical - I'd have hated to do a water rescue with that much waterlogged wool! :wow:

[Dave Sanderson]

One of the funniest things I ever saw was at a Rev. War event at Black Creek Pioneer Village a number of years ago. The British line was advancing through the field till they came across the stream swollen fron a couple of days of rain. The 74th went down the bank and into the water wading across with their muskets over their heads like D Day. All 5 of the kilts floated on the water to make them look like they were wearing tutus, they came out soaked from the waist down but their kilts were practicaly dry. Both battalions laughed ourselves silly for about 30 sec.s then resumed the action.

[sqzpiper]

I want to nominate the blue painted folks and the biker girls in short kilts for the Tartan Police Award.(do you need to wear tartan to get this award?) They give us a pleasant change from dissing other bands and rationalizing our own mistakes..

[Iain Sherwood]

Yeah, but when it's GUYS in the short kilt skirts ya gotta watch out....

[Piper of Rose]

I've seen the guys wearing kilts backwards. And the thing is if you tell them and they still leave it wrong then they are the dummies :shrug: I saw one guy carrying pipes around in a black plastic garbage bag once. Just be glad the kilts we wear now are already pleaded.

[Gregor Burton]

This brings to mind a rather funny incident I witnessed as a young child. I don't think I was even piping at the time.

I have worn kilts since I was less then three. My dad is a drummer, and I remember going to the Rememberance Day parade the one year. This guy, who started piping at about 40, had brought his parents out to video tape his first parade. They were doting and oh so proud. They sat there video taping him tuning up (or trying to), while the other guys in the band laughed hysterically......He had put his kilt on backwards. Its all on video tape! How could he ever live this down.

[the fishiologist]

has anybody seen the army green, vinyl, utility kilts being made in Seattle? There was one guy at Enumclaw last summer with one of those, no socks, birkenstocks, and a tam. That was my first big games in years - I forgot the types that these things attract. Had many good chuckles, and am looking forward to this years. :D