2008 Dan Reid Memorial in San Francisco, California 

This year's Dan Reid Memorial solo piping competition was again held at the spectacular Marines' Memorial Hotel in downtown San Francisco.

This year's competition was incredible and a very close run affair.  Excellent performances were turned in by all.  Mr. Jack Lee, the ageless wonder dazzled all at dinner with his handy finger work.  Mr. Spiers the newcomer thrilled all, to include a few sighs by the ladies as if he was a long haired....um....shorter haired rockstar.  Mr. MacLeod was solid and powerful in his performance.  Mr. XXXX, delighted all at the dinner with his 'Goodnight Mary' comical closing.  He even cracked a smile from the ever unflappable, well mostly unflappable Master of Events Mr. Ozzie Reid.

At dinner as the pipers played their encore, one piper prepared in the hallway to make a grand entrance.  The walls started to shake, and floors reverberated with the sound of his drones.  In walked this year's champion for his encore performance, one of the most powerful and amazing pipers of our generation, Mr. William McCallum.  This large rock of a man, with husky voice that bellows like a bass drone humbly accepted yet another piping competition award.  During the days competition Mr. McCallum's Piobaireachd impressed all in attendance.

After the evenings dinner fun was had by all in the upstairs pub at the Marine's Memorial Hotel.  Minor excitement was had by those in attendance as the Great Pumpkin of the Bay Area piping scene with Jacobite vest and all manner of extravigant Highland dress had a minor skirmish with one of the judges in the lounge.  Another bit of excitment came about as one sloshed and obnoxious lass standing at the bar, a wee bit past middle age insisted on lifting her dress for all to see and showing normally hardy Highland men unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity, her self described and according to the maiden still very firm arse. After this macab spectacle, a note to self......steer clear of the bar and that brown haired maiden at the next Dan Reid Memorial lest the haunting memories of sagging jello never stops stalking my nightmares!  Suffice it to say, I have stopped playing the standard tune Brown Haired Maiden lest my sporran never rise again!  

The awesome up and coming piper  Mr. Iain Spiers (center) between two wild and wooly CA Fire Department pipers from Chico, CA.

In our final picture another champion Mr. Roddy MacLeod (left) next to one of our rowdy Fire Department pipers in attendance at the Dan Reid.