2025 Caledonian Club of San Francisco (Pleasanton) Games

[YOJiMBO20]

Well another hot Pleasanton is over. Didn't it get to nearly 100 on Saturday? Upper 90s Sunday?

I ended up not kilting, just cargo shorts & t-shirt for the weekend, and also my beloved self-bashed Stratoliner for a touch of pragmatic panache.

I'm sorry that I somehow missed seeing Jamie and Richard. A group pic would have been cool!

Some very impressive Pipe Bands made the trip, like North Stratton (Edmonton Alberta), Greater Midwest (Battle Creek MI), and Portland Metro.

Due to the anticipated high temperatures the bands were told a week in advance that the rules requiring Highland Dress would be suspended (as they were in 2017).

However none of the bands took the opportunity to wear casual clothes, even though Pipe Band people are always complaining about having to wear kilts and saying over and over that in an ideal world bands would just wear casual clothes.

A few bands ditched their waistcoats but I only saw one who ditched both waistcoats and neckties.

At least the higher-grade bands had some shade in their arena. The lower-grade bands were on asphalt in the blazing sun.

I never heard we had the option to ditch the uniforms.

And I absolutely HATE playing in the auxiliary circle. No shade, sun in your face, and chanters screaming with such a high pitch it was so hot. At one point we were in the upper 490s

[OC Richard]

I never heard we had the option to ditch the uniforms.

And I absolutely HATE playing in the auxiliary circle. No shade, sun in your face, and chanters screaming with such a high pitch it was so hot. At one point we were in the upper 490s

I was told on Friday that "midweek word went out to the bands" that the dress rules would be suspended. The person that told me is well-connected with the judges, but who can say.

In any case the rules are pretty vague, they only state that "Highland Dress" is required, there's nothing about jackets, waistcoats, or neckties. My band chucked our waistcoats and neckties at San Diego last year and we weren't the only ones.

Interestingly there's a Grade One Canadian band which announced that going forward they're going to wear polo shirts in competition as standard https://www.pipesdrums.com/article/7...k-polo-shirts/