Lochmaben Royal Burgh Pipe Band took home not one, not two but eight awards at the Annan Riding of The Marches (AROM) Pipe Band Competition last Saturday.
Calling their winning streak a ‘remarkable achievement’, pipe Major Alan Hope said: “The band played really well in both the grade three and grade two contests despite some short heavy downpours during the afternoon.”
And praising the AROM competition, he said: “We really enjoy taking part in the contest at AROM as it is one where a lot of the band’s supporters can come and listen to us competing in the local area.
“The massed bands is the only one in the country that has all the bands playing together on the High Street with the streets lined with people.
“It’s a great atmosphere and it makes it really special to the members of the band when they have their families and friends watching and even more special when the band’s name is read out as a winner eight times.”
He added: “To win eight first places is a great feeling, especially when it is at the local contest and it is a credit to all members of the band who have worked hard so the band were able to give two really good performances.”
The band, who were recently also crowned the Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway Branch Pipe Band Champions at Girvan, are set to take a couple of weekends off before the final competitions of the season.
They will compete at Dumbarton in the Scottish Championships at the end of July and the Glasgow Green in the World Pipe Band Championships on August 13.
Alan said: “We hope to build on the success we have just had at Annan so we can have a strong run in to the end of the season.”
