Information for Participants
If you are taking part in the festival, this page will hopefully tell you all you need know.
The page will be updated with times and information
when events are finalised.
This is what happened in 2016...
2016 PDF's of all the information you need to know here...
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FRIDAY 9th SEPTEMBER
This year to entertain you at our Friday night concert we have the brilliant Folkin Rock band "The Dambuskers".
Supporting the Dambuskers we have the Cornish Shanty Singers "The Bencoolen Wreckers" and also the City of Newport Pipes & Drums.
So why not come along and listen to some fantastic live music, have a few beers and meet the people you will be playing with over the weekend.
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Venue - |
Pollyfield Centre |
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Time - |
Doors open 7.30pm - Starts 8.00pm |
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Tickets - |
Pre Booked - £6 Pipe Band Members* - £3.50** |
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* Pipe band members are those performing at the massed pipes and drums event on the Saturday night. ** These tickets MUST be pre booked |
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Details - |
There is ample parking at the venue. Venue address - Pollyfield Centre, East the Water, Avon Road, Bideford, EX39 4BL There will be a bar and hot pasties available. |
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Directions - |
There are two main ways of getting to the venue Option 1 via the A39 - On the main A39 between Barnstaple and Bideford, turn off before crossing the new high level Torridge Bridge on to the A386, at the roundabout take the 1st exit towards Bideford, follow the road for just over a mile until you reach a mini roundabout at the end of the old bridge next to the Royal Hotel. Take the 1st exit under the old railway bridge, follow the road up the hill for about 0.3 miles and turn right into Avon Road, just past Whiteland Engineering. Straight on at the next roundabout and the venue is at the end of this road. Option 2 via Bideford Quay - At the mini roundabout at the end of the old bridge take the 1st exit and travel over the bridge and you will reach another mini roundabout at the end of the bridge next to the Royal Hotel. Go straight across and under the old railway bridge, follow the road up the hill for about 0.3 miles and turn right into Avon Road, just past Whiteland Engineering. Straight on at the next roundabout and the venue is at the end of this road. |
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SATURDAY 10th SEPTEMBER
MORNING
Explore the Area
Your chance to see what North Devon has to offer.
Bideford - is a unique little town, most of the shops are independent retailers with a few chain shops thrown in. The town is also steeped in history from it's long bridge which has spanned the river Torridge for over 700 years to its tobacco trade and Sir Richard Grenville.
AFTERNOON / EVENING
Bideford Carnival & Massed Pipes & Drums
Free parking is available from 3.00pm in the Cattle Market Car Park the same as last year, if you arrive before 3.00pm it will cost £1 for all day. Please note that if you leave your car parked overnight - Charges are payable on the Sunday.
Tuning - There is plenty of room to tune in the car park. We don't want to give you a time to arrive but please be ready for the rehearsal at 4.30pm prompt. The massed band will be tuning to 475hz (this will be 449 for some of you).
Rehearsal - 4.30pm PROMPT. To run through a few tunes and to work out our marching positions.
Carnival Procession - Starts at 6pm. Bands not wishing to do the whole route can drop out at the top of Bridgeland Street and then make their way to New Street. If you have done the carnival before please note this is a different street than previous years, it is a back street lower down the High Street by the Famous Little Store. Please wait here to rejoin at the carnival at the appropriate place. As usual, Mandy from the Bideford Youth Pipe Band will be there to help you.
At the end of the carnival procession a marshal will direct you to the refreshments for bands. This will be for a quick drink and a nibble to keep you going before the massed band. More refreshments will be provided after the event.
Massed Band tunes to be played in the following order:-
6/8s Steamboat, A Hundred Pipers, Bonnie Dundee
3/4's - Green Hills, Battles O'er and Lochanside
2/4's - Teribus, Barren Rocks, Brown Haired Maiden, Mhari's Wedding
4/4's - Scotland the Brave, Rowan Tree and Were No Awa Tae Bide Awa
My Home (Started with one slow 5 beat roll)
6/8's 10th HLI Crossing the Rhine and Cock o' the North
9/8 - Battle of the Somme
Highland Cathedral 1st part played by Bideford, everyone join in with the 1st part, 2nd part, 4 beat hold, 1st and 2nd parts 4 beat hold, 1st part again, ending with 4 sharp drum beats.
Salute to the Chieftain - Highland Laddie
March off Scotland the Brave, Black Bear (repeat if necessary)
Refreshments - After the event there will be refreshments for the Massed Band participants and their families at the Blues (Bideford Amateur Athletic Club) on the Pill. This is in the road where the carnival starts from.
Download a PDF of all the information you need to know here...
Participants information booklet
SUNDAY 11th SEPTEMBER
We will be playing in Victoria Park again this year. Although playing on the Quayside with the tide in is a great setting we have more room for players and participants in the park and less danger of someone falling in the river.
So if you've recovered from the night before all pipers and drummers are welcome to come along and have a jam session in the park. Last year it was great fun, there's no set tunes, we just shout out a set and if you can play them, then join in.
The Bideford Youth Pipe Band will be there, so if you would like to join in then you are most welcome. It would only be for hour or two, playing a few tunes, nothing formal or planned, just turn up and play, it's just for fun.