The 2008 St Andrew's Day Rally will take place on Saturday 29th November, at 16:30 pm leaving from East Market Street. More details will be added closer to time.
The Saint Andrew's Day Rally web site was started on the 5th of December 2003, following the inaugural parade in Edinburgh on Saturday the 29th of November 2003. The Rally has become a regular annual event, and this year's rally took place on Saturday, 1st December 2007.
The muster was as usual in East Market Street (just up from the Hebrides Bar) at 16:00 pm, with a march-off time of 16:30 pm. Led by the Stockbridge Pipe Band as always, marching across Waverley Bridge and then turning left onto Princes Street, the march carried on straight down Princes Street, and then up Lothian Road to Festival Square for the speeches. This year's featured speakers included local author and poet Kevin Williamson, and poetess Valerie Gilles.
2007's evening event featured Fiery Jack along with Albannach at The Function Suite, Marcos Leisure Centre, 55 Grove Street, from 7:30 pm to midnight, and was enjoyed by all who attended.
Some film of the 2006 march has been posted on Youtube and can be viewed here.
This web site features some pictures and press reports from all five previous rallies, and will contain other information as it grows.
The original publicity releases for the 2003 event stated:
" All are welcome, this is a family event to celebrate our patron saint - it is not a political event, although politicians are welcome to participate as citizens of Scotland. They will not, however, be allowed to turn it into yet another turgid and dreary day. Bring along your saltires, lions rampant and banners and carry them proudly! Let the world see our pride in our country!
We hope to make this event a success, so that it will become an annual event, and not just a one-off. Scotland is one of the few nations on earth which does not celebrate its saint's day or Independence Day. We hope to change that. Please help us to do so.
St Andrews Day Rally Committee"
That attitude will not change. We are not politicians. We are not particularly politically aligned. We merely represent the people of Scotland, whose voice is not listened to by our political elite, whatever their persuasion or alignment. Two years ago, despite invitations having been sent to all Scotland's MSP's, a mere 5 even responded to the invitation - all in the negative. We also received a message of support from Dennis Canavan, Independent MSP:
"Unfortunately, I am unable to attend, as I have already accepted an invitation to participate in the STUC St Andrew's Day Rally on the same morning. Please accept my apologies with the hope that you have a successful event and I do hope that your Committee will use the occasion to express support for my bill to establish a St Andrew's Day National Holiday.
With best wishes
DENNIS CANAVAN MSP"
The same invitation was extended to all in 2006 - not one turned up.
It goes without saying that the invitation was been extended to all MSP's yet again in 2007, and again the turn out was staggeringly poor - not a single one yet again! - and a mere 9 bothered to reply to the invitation.
A brief mention in the Scotland on Sunday dated 25th November 2007 featured a picture of 2006's march and called it "the traditional St Andrew's Day march" - so we are attracting some notice at long last! Read the (somewhat negative as always) article here.
The Stockbridge Pipe Band showed their faith in us, and led the initial Parade. Our grateful thanks to them for their superb display on the day, and our assurance that they will always be in the vanguard of the Parade - they performed superbly again in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 - we have no doubt that they will prove to be as professional as ever in 2008.
Thanks are also due again to Edinburgh City Centre Management, who gave permission for the Rally, and to Lothian and Borders Police, for their safe, cheerful and highly efficient management and escort of the Parade every year.
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