NEWS: St Andrews has one hell of a hoolie

HUNDREDS OF LOCALS TAKE IN A FANTASTIC EVENING OF ENTERTAINMENT AFTER THE TRADITION BID ST ANDREWS PUTS ON A STUNNING SHOW ON A BITTER WINTER DAY IN THE AULD GREY TOUN PHENOMENAL LINEUP OF TALENT SHOWCASED UNDER THE STARS ON SOUTH STREET FIREWORKS LIGHT UP THE FRIGID NIGHT SKY AT WEST SANDS

THE CITY OF ST ANDREWS PIPE BAND LED A LANTERN PARADE FROM SOUTH STREET TO WEST SANDS MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

WITH ST ANDREW'S DAY 2021 FALLING ON A TUESDAY BID ST ANDREWS ORGANISED A SPECTACULAR DAY TO CELEBRATE SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL DAY ON SATURDAY 27 NOVEMBER. THE EVENT BEGAN WITH A COMMUNITY MARKET, KINGDOM FM ROADSHOW AND CHARITY STALLS ON MADRAS COLLEGE LAWN AT MIDDAY, WHICH WAS WELL ATTENDED DESPITE THE TERRIBLE WEATHER WHICH WAS BROUGHT BY STORM ARWEN ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND EXPECTED TO LAST INTO SATURDAY.

DESPITE THE EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER WHICH HAS SEEMINGLY USHERED IN WINTER IN SCOTLAND, A BIG CROWD ASSEMBLED ON SOUTH STREET AND IN BELL STREET IN ANTICIPATION OF THE CITY OF ST ANDREWS PIPE BAND PLAYING AND THE LANTERN PARADE. THE PARADE WENT DOWN BELL STREET AND GREYFRIARS GARDENS BEFORE TURNING ON TO NORTH STREET AND HEADING TOWARDS GOLF PLACE. THE CROWDS FOLLOWED THE PARADE ALL THE WAY TO WEST SANDS BEFORE THE NIGHT SKY WAS ILLUMINATED BY A SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS DISPLAY.

SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS DISPLAY FOLLOWED THE LANTERN PARADE MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

A SCOTTISH THISTLE WAS PROJECTED ONTO THE TOWN HALL WHEN NIGHT FELL MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

AFTER A HIATUS OF AROUND AN HOUR THE EVENING ENTERTAINMENT BEGAN ON SOUTH STREET WITH A STUNNING PERFORMANCE FROM ONE HALF OF LOCAL DUO INHARMONY. SADLY MADDY HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID19 AND WAS ISOLATING, BUT EVA STOOD UP AND PERFORMED A SOLO SET TO OPEN THE SHOW. LOCAL BUSINESSES MUNCH AND CONPANNA STAYED OPEN UNTIL THE END OF THE SHOW AT AROUND 9.30PM SERVING HOT BEVERAGES, SOUP, STOVIES AND MUCH MORE TO KEEP THE LARGE CROWDS WARM ON ONE OF THE MOST BITTER NIGHTS I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN ST ANDREWS OTHER THAN THE BEAST FROM THE EAST.

EVA FROM INHARMONY PERFORMED A SOLO SET TO OPEN THE EVENING ENTERTAINMENT ON SOUTH STREET MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

THE SENSATIONAL AND EVER EVOLVING A CAPPELLA GROUP 'THE OTHER GUYS' THEN PERFORMED THEIR USUAL ENTERTAINING MIX OF SONGS TO A CAPTIVATED AUDIENCE WHICH WAS GROWING IN ANTICIPATION OF THE NOW ICONIC SOUTH STREET ST ANDREWS OPEN AIR CEILIDH.

THE OTHER GUYS, THE A cappella GROUP FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS, CAPTIVATED THOSE IN ATTENDANCE MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

THE KILRYMONT CEILIDH BAND LED THE NOW ICONIC ST ANDREWS STREET CEILIDH MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

A CROWD NOW NUMBERING IN THE HUNDREDS TOOK PART IN THE MOST SCOTTISH OF TRADITIONS, THE CEILIDH. LED BY THE KILRYMONT CEILIDH BAND PERFORMED A FANTASTIC SET OF SCOTTISH MUSIC AND LED THE MANY DANCES AS THOSE IN ATTENDANCE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO WARM THEMSELVES UP ON A BREATHTAKINGLY COLD EVENING.

DUNDEE'S BE CHARLOTTE THRILLED A NOW CHILLED AUDIENCE ON A BITTER NIGHT MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

THEN BE CHARLOTTE PERFORMED A FANTASTIC SET TO A NOW SHRINKING CROWD DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER BUT THOSE WHO DID STAY WERE ROYALLY ENTERTAINED BY THE DUNDONIAN AND THE FINAL ACT OF THE NIGHT, VANIVES. BID ST ANDREWS SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED FOR PUTTING ON A SHOW WHICH HAD UNDOUBTED BENEFITS TO BUSINESSES ACROSS ST ANDREWS ON WHAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE JUST BEEN A COLD SATURDAY IN ST ANDREWS. IT UNQUESTIONABLY BROUGHT PEOPLE OUT INTO THE TOWN WHO OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE AND THOSE BUSINESSES AT THE END OF SOUTH STREET WHICH CHOSE TO STAY OPEN SAW MASSIVE BENEFITS TO IT.

IT WAS A TREMENDOUS CELEBRATION OF OUR NATIONAL PATRON SAINT AND A CELEBRATION OF ALL THING SCOTTISH, AND ALSO A CELEBRATION OF EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ST ANDREWS. THIS EVENT TOOK IN THE HISTORIC MADRAS COLLEGE SITE, THE WEST PORT AND PASSED THE OLD COURSE. IT SHOWCASED THE TRADITIONAL AND THE MODERN, AND IT SHOWED THE BEST OF OUR MULTI-CULTURAL COMMUNITY AS STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS OF ALL NATIONALITIES AND ORIGINS MIXED IN HARMONY.

VANIVES CONCLUDED THE EVENING PERFORMING TO A NOW DWINDLED CROWD DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER MATT HOOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

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