Archive Hour: Helensburgh's Homecoming was huge hit in 2009

Here's how we reported on the event in the Advertiser on June 25, 2009...

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THE glorious spectacle of 17 pipe bands led by Highland dancers in their full rig parading down Helensburgh’s Sinclair Street brought a hugely successful Homecoming weekend to a thrilling close.

The streets were lined with spectators who had turned out to see the parade, the like of which Helensburgh has never seen before.

The early evening sun glinted on the drum majors’ maces as the bands and dancers marched proudly down the street, bringing tears to many an eye along with cheers.

The Helensburgh Bicentenary Pipeband Championships, which this year was a three-day celebration of Homecoming had closed the way it had started - with music and laughter.

The weekend of events began at the Commodore Hotel on Friday evening when an out-of-season Burns supper attracted a full house.

After a meal of haggis, neeps and tatties, Kilcreggan man Eddie Gaughan entertained with some Burns tales and recitations and then joined his wife Jean to sing a selection of Burns songs.

Ceilidh band Hell for Leather provided music for dancing and and finally brought the evening to a close with a rollicking rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

The following day a large crowd turned out to enjoy the sun on the pierhead and to watch Drew Crockett from Hell for Leather play the pipes for the Margaret Rose Highland Dancers, following a display by the Helensburgh and District Pipe Band, and all were invited to join the opening parade on Sunday.

Then on Sunday the Bicentenary Pipeband Championships and Highland Dancing Competition got off to a great start with a Margaret Rose School of Dance class competition in the morning followed by an open event in the afternoon.

The Pipeband Championships proper began with a parade from the pier led by Iona, Duchess of Argyll and Chairman, Colina Helen Campbell accompanied by the Margaret Rose Highland Dancers, Helensburgh and District Pipe Band and Clydebank and District Pipe Band plus local councillors Ellen Morton, George Freeman, Vivien Dance and James Robb.

A crowd of several thousand people came to watch the spectacle of pipeband competitions, highland dancing, world champion drum major’s display featuring the skills of local youngsters Iona Burns from Garelochhead and Andrew Wright from Helensburgh.