Lochiel Marching Team

[ChrisDoak]

After this week's stushie on the Message Board on the eligiblity of wearing a kilt in the Cameron of Lochiel tartan,I was pleasantly surprised to turn on my television on Monday,to watch the Edinburgh Military Tattoo,to see a squad of young ladies,entitled "Lochiel Marching Team" performing on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.

Resplendant in white military tunics,and mini-kilts and acoutrements in the Cameron of Lochiel tartan,the girls undertook a number of complicated,close-formation,marching maneouvres.I read that the Team hail from Wellington,New Zealand,and that they are one of the countries foremost Marching Teams.(We don't have anything like this in Scotland,but I suppose it is quite like Synchronised Swimming - without the water!).

Whilst there does not seem to be a website devoted to the Lochiel Marching Team,photographs of the ensemble can be seen on a number of websites by Googling their name.

Can any Kiwis out there provide any information on their historical origins?

Cheers,Chris.

[laphroaig13]

Aug 29, 2008 4:45:40 GMT -6 ChrisDoak said:

After this week's stushie on the Message Board on the eligiblity of wearing a kilt in the Cameron of Lochiel tartan,.

Sorry but where was the stushie? A question was asked and answered. Because of the question I asked I had some very pleasant PM's from members who I look forward to meeting next year.

[Alans]

Hello Chris,
Good to see you following up some recent "Historical matters". I don't wish to add to the controversy about who can and who cannot wear a particular Tartan. However, I'd say that if you identify with a particular clan why not? I actually don't usually wear such attire but if I did there could only be one choice.

Tha mi na Camshronaich!
Ailean Glas MacRaibert

[lauren]

Hey ChrisDoak,
just so happens I live in Wellington, New Zealand and my dream when I was little was to be a marching girl! Unfortunately it's a dying "sport" here and I only know of a few Marching groups that still compete. That probably explains why I've lived in Wellington for 19 years and I had never heard of the Lochiel Marching Team Anyway I found an article from the Dominion Post about them being in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It says that the group first formed in the 50's and it has a picture of the girls too.

Here's the link: www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4579361a27348.html

[cameroning]

Sorry about my confusion but I have a question. Does a marching group go thru more of a military formation drill or are they also cheering like cheerleaders. Either way its pretty cool and I dont think we have anything like this in America

[ianjonefan]

In a :EDINBURH TATTOO : vidro I have , the Lociel Marching Team the performance was of a military formation drill . Even though the video is about 30 yrs. old it still comes out pretty good . For those that are interested I will look up the year the video was made . Please contact me by Personal Message if you would like additiona information .

[lauren]

Hi. If you enter something along the lines of "Lochiel's marching team" into youtube it comes up with several short video clips of their routines.
Here is the link to the one in edinburgh this year (hopefully the link works). about halfway through it focuses on the pipe band for a little bit but then goes back to the girls. It would be best if it was taken from the front instead of the side because you don't see the formations as well.
Anyway, I hope it clears up what they actually do!

Here's the link which I really hope works, otherwise just do a search for them:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFmuP2tAscs

[cameroning]

Hi Lauren,

Thanks for the link. I went and took a look on Youtube and now understand. What a great companion to a pipe band and a unique performance. Its too bad more countries dont have something similar.

Thanks again!

[lauren]

I always thought marching girls were so cool when I was young but as I said before they are a dying breed here now My mum said that when she was young they were everywhere, in all the parades and events and fairs, but to be honest I can't remember the last time I saw them! I know two little girls whose parents formed their own marching team for young kids in Wellington and they've just had to shut down because there's not enough interest in them anymore.
At least we still have the Lochiel marching team
I haven't been able to find out why they are called that, and I'm certain that they wouldn't all be Camerons, but I'll keep researching and let you all know if I find out.

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Lauren,

Thanks for all your postings and research - we are beginning to learn a lot more about the Team now.

What a pity we are not having them at our Gathering next year - the numbers attending would be doubled ,as every teenage boy in Lochaber would flock to Achnacarry!

Regards,Chris.

[shaynejuly]

Hi Chris,
I'm involved with marching in New Zealand, came upon your page just randomly. Lochiel are a technical display team who have been invited to attend Tattoos for a number of years. The competitive team is called 'Storm' and they compete at a local level for competitons with other teams in NZ. They use the Lochiel name in an offical manner when invited to tattoo's overseas or to local event's here in NZ.

Marching began in the 30's during the war years and involved New Zealand, Australia and some pacific islands using Technical military drills by the army to keep the large number of women active during the war years, it then became competitive later on. Australia who at one time in the 60's had 1000 teams competing with the average team number being 7 or 12 girls and they start from the age off 5yrs to over 50's.

The official governing body for our sport. www.marching.co.nz/

There are a number of reasons for the decline in marching competitors joining our sport these days though we manage to balance the loss with new members. Like most sports it can be funding, political, family & work commitments, even other varieties of sport to choose from. The cost of being in the sport is expensive and requires a lot of fund raising, companies who sponsored teams either don't exist or can't afford to support teams any longer. Marching was never meant to be a spectator sport as teams were competitive towards each other with teams and family supporters in attendance.

Not that many years ago marching competitions would take all weekend with Teams from all over New Zealand and it could take all day and sometimes twilight marching competitions were called for. We hold local and national event's and our season begins in Oct to April, Teams all do a military drill march and are marked by judges on technical ability then they can do a display of their own making to dance music. The top teams at a competition are awarded trophies and medals.

I have a marching page if your interested in checking it out. It will show you our sport. I have a few friends in Lochiel so I know the team but not a lot of its history - www.bebo.com/marchinginNZ
you don't have to be a member to view the pages but I encourage people to join if you wish to make comments.

Hope this has helped Chris.Its a great sport with about 900 marchers still competing in NZ. We have a leisure marching sport with retired marchers who don't compete but like to show off their skills. They have about the same number but don't affiliate with competitive marching here.

Regards
Shayne July Photography.
Marching Canterbury - Christchurch - New Zealand ;D

[lauren]

Think that about said it all! What a coincidence Shayne that you came across the page randomly just as we were talking about you!

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Sept 2, 2008 6:41:32 GMT -6 Alans said:

Hello Chris,
Good to see you following up some recent "Historical matters". I don't wish to add to the controversy about who can and who cannot wear a particular Tartan. However, I'd say that if you identify with a particular clan why not? I actually don't usually wear such attire but if I did there could only be one choice.

Tha mi na Camshronaich!
Ailean Glas MacRaibert

Hi Alan,

I don't mean to presume to answer for Chris - but the discussion on the other thread wasn't about the Clan Cameron tartan, it was about who could wear the Chief's tartan, Cameron of Lochiel. This tartan should only be worn by Lochiel and his immediate family.

Those young ladies do look very smart in their outfits, and I agree with Chris - if they came to the gathering I have no doubt it would increase our teenage male attendance!

Slainte,

John

[rachelross]

Hi, i'm actually in that team your discuss. The lochiel marching team and recently marched at the Edinburgh Tattoo you've been discussing. The group was formed a long long time ago by a man (don't know his name) who called the group lochiel and didn't use the tartan . (Theres a place and a golf course called Lochiel in NZ - not sure if thats where he got it from). And a few years later the team was taken over by the same woman who coaches today who decided to incorporate the Cameron of Lochiel tartan in the kilts, hats and plaids. I'm not sure when this happened but the Chieftain is aware of our existance as in several of the 5 times that Lochiel have performed at the tattoo over the years they have gone on a visit to the castle and to meet him, unfortunately we didn't have the time to do so this year but would have liked to. We do also appear as Storm as mentioned below but our main 'identity' is as Lochiel and are very proud of the name. It is the most successfull marching team in the history of the sport and continues to be so today. I hope this has answered most of your questions.

Rachel.

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Hi Rachel,

Thanks so much for stopping by and giving us some information on your marching team. It is appreciated! I hope you don't mind that we Cameron's, because of your Team name and its association with our Chief, are proud of you and your accomplishments.

There are places named Lochiel here in Canada too. Near where I grew up in Nova Scotia there is a Lochiel Lake (adjacent to a Lochaber), named in honour of the Camerons who originally settled the area. Our last Lochiel visited the lake when it was officially renamed.

Anyway - keep up the great work, and know that when you perform there will undoubtedly be Camerons there cheering you on!

Slainte,

John

[SherbrookeJacobite]

I just watched a clip on youtube - it's worth a look - the girls are very impressive. It obviously takes a great deal of hard work and practice to achieve the precision they do.