Northumbrian Gunner

Tuesday, 6 August 2019

Somme Battlefield Pipe Band - TS Visit

Visit from old friends of the Somme Battlefield Pipe Band (SBPB).

http://www.sommebattlefieldpipeband.com/home-news.php

The SPBP promotes the music and history of Scottish soldiers and their Regiments during their time in Northern France and the Somme Area in 1914/1918, and during the second World War.

Many memorable occasions with the Somme Battlefield Pipe Band and the Tyneside Scottish.

----o----

Op Drum - Drum Ceremony

Ceremony held at Erquninghem Lys to receive the Catto Drum and return it back home to Tyneside.

Op Drum 2012
SBPB Erquninghem-Lys

Op Drum - Menin Gate Ceremony

Parading at the Menin Gate, counter marching under the archways and marching down the Meninstrasse to the sounds of On the Road to Passchendaele.

Op Drum 201
SBPB Menin Gate Parade

Alnwick - Beating of Retreat

Beating of Retreat at Alnwick Castle forming massed bands of the Tyneside Scottish, Somme Battlefield and Northumbria ACF Pipe Bands, together with the military Northumbria ACF Casino Band.

Alnwick Beating of Retreat 2015
SPBP march on

Tyneside Scottish Visit

The SPBP visited the Tyneside Scottish as they returned from their tour of Scotland. The band performed together with the Tyneside Scottish Pipers.

Somme Battlefield Pipe Band

Tyneside Scottish Pipers

SBPB and TS Pipers

SBPB Amelie (Drum) | SBPB Yves (Pipe Major) | TS Billy (Pipe Major)

SOMME BATTLEFIELD PIPEBAND MEMBERS

Friday, 19 July 2019

Aydon Castle

Aydon Castle is situated near Corbridge in Northumberland. It is positioned in a loop of the Cor Burn, which flows west to the River Tyne, the sides of which form a deep ravine. This makes an ideal defensive position with three sides of the castle having natural defences.

Aydon Castle

The location began to be fortified when war between England and Scotland broke out in 1296 and by 1315. It's location 30 miles from the Scottish Border would see it involved in the conflicts between England and Scotland that followed over the centuries.

Aydon Castle

Aydon Castle
Entrance Gate

Aydon Castle
Main Building

Aydon Castle
Battlements

Aydon Castle

The castle features the use of a catapults to defend it's self, Northumbrian Gunners 700 years ago !

Aydon Castle
Catapult positions

Aydon Castle
Catapult OP

Aydon Castle
Catapult position

Saturday, 15 June 2019

Durham - 8 Rifles Sound Retreat

Sounding Retreat is a ceremony conducted by the Rifles based upon the practice of using bugles as a means of communication which dates back to the 16th Century.

Rifles Bugles Durham Market Square

The Rifles were formed in 2007, it's lineage includes the Light Infantry (formed in 1968) which brought together county Light Infantry Regiments, one of which was the Durham Light Infantry (DLI).

Durham Light Infantry Memorial
Durham Market Square

Sounding Retreat is the Rifles equivalent of Beating Retreat. The Beating Retreat originated in the 16th century and was used to recall troops back to their quarters. Drums were used as a mechanism for communication. Drum calls would be exchanged between the troops outside the barracks and their headquarters. The returning troops would beat the retreat as they returned. As drums as a means of communication fell out of use, the practice developed into a ceremony.

The Light Infantry Regiments used bugles, not drums, to communicate. They Sounded Retreat, an exchange of bugle calls.

Light Infantry Bugler

The 8 Rifles Sounding Retreat was performed on Castle Green, Durham by the Bugles of 8 Rifles, Durham ACF Cadet Band and Rifles Bugle Veterans.

Sounding Retreat Durham June 2019

Durham June 2019 IJ / DM

Wednesday, 12 June 2019

New York 2019 - Husdon River

New York 2019 Hudson River

The Hudson River flows between Manhattan Island and New Jersey into New York Harbour. The river originates in the Adirondack Mountains, Upstate New York, flowing from north to south or 507 km (315 miles). It takes it's name from English sea explorer Henry Hudson who explored the river in 1609.

Hudson River

The 'North River', the southern most part of the river lies between Manhattan and Jersey City. As New York grew, the piers along the Hudson on Manhattan Island became the location for the berths for ocean going ships. Chelsea Piers (23rd Street) became the main locations from 1910 to 1930s for passenger liners. With the decline of trans Atlantic passenger liners the piers closed down leaving their remnants along the Hudson.

Hudson River Piers Downtown Manhattan

Hudson River Chelsea Piers

Hudson River Chelsea Piers
Cunard Pier 59

New York 2019 Hudson River
New York Harbour

New York 2019 Hudson River
New Jersey Jersey City

New York 2019 Hudson River
Manhattan North Esplanade

New York 2019 Hudson River
New Jersey Ferry Terminal and Rail Station

New York 2019 Hudson River
Former Piers

On the 14th April 1912 at 11:40 pm ships time, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg 620 km (400 miles) south of Newfoundland and sank two hours later. The 705 survivors from the Titanic were picked up by the RMS Carpathia. On the evening of 18th April 1912 Carpathia arrived in New York disembarking the Titanic survivors at Pier 54.

RMS Carpathia Pier 54New York

New York 2019 Hudson River
Pier 54

New York 2019 Hudson River
Pier 54 IJ

New York 2019 Hudson River
Pier 56 garden under construction

New York 2019 Hudson River
Pier 59

New York 2019 - Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry runs between the Whitehall Street Terminal in Lower Manhattan and the St George Terminal on Staten Island. The 8.4 kilometre (5.2 miles) crossing across New York Harbour takes 25 minutes.

The ferry first operated in 1817, coming into the ownership of the City of New York in 1905.