Wednesday 19th November
Truro City of Lights Parade

Pipers: Nigel, Alex, Tom G, Chris, Miranda, Keith G, David C, Allan, David T, Felicity, John C

Drummers: Snare – James, John R, Tenor – Fred, Vic, Bass – Keith I

Drum Major – Andrew

It was a cold evening and though it had been raining most of the day, the forecast was for a clear dry night so hopes were high for a dry Carnival. The Dress Code was No 2s with Glengarries and there was a very good turnout of members – 11 pipers, 5 drummers and Drum Major and the Bass Drummer had safely returned from his wanderings abroad. The Band met in the Moorfields car park for 18.00 hours and tuned up before walking up the long hill to the Truro High School for Girls, the start of the City of Lights Parade. The streets were rapidly filling up with the public all eagerly awaiting the start of the Parade at 18.30 hours. It started on time, with the participants feeding into the procession from two roads and the Kernow Band’s position was the very last one.

It seemed like every primary school in Cornwall had taken part with the children carrying lanterns in every shape and size and there were a few incidences of them catching fire and of course they were discarded by the roadside! Also in the long Parade were numerous samba bands, jazz players, dancers in exotic dress and some fantastic monster sized paper lanterns being borne along by the students.

The route was different from previous years and appeared longer – along Lemon Street, River Street, Little Castle Street, Victoria Square then back to Lemon Quay and finish.  The dense crowds on the pavements, in places 8 to 10 people deep, were loud in their appreciation, clapping and cheering as the Kernow Band marched by.

It was a good Carnival appreciated by all and had finished by 20.30 hours and the Band was dismissed. Some members on the way to the car park stopped and had a coffee together and wind down.

Tunes played during the evening included the following – Green Hills/Battles O’er, Scotland the Brave/Rowan Tree/Wings/Bonny Galloway, Scotland the Brave/Mairi’s Wedding, Collin’s Cattle/Shoals of Herring, Cockney Jocks/Rainbow Country/Bluebells of Scotland.