Time present, timespast

As lockdown continues the useful #BBatHOME material and action packs continue into Week 12. However, Seniors working towards their Queen’s Badge may have been interrupted. Our Scotland committee representative indicates something that may help. The Duke of Edinburgh Scheme has posted information with guidance on activities that can be pursued. It might apply to potential QB work. Check it out on www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference. Recently I have been grateful to Dave Wilson, who is moving into his 60th year in 1st Grangemouth, in his provision of information. Now, too, I have been given sight of three tomes from a previous battalion secretary with newspaper articles, pictures and personal reflections from 1936 to 1996. Surely some of that has had to have been obtained through research. He can’t be that old! I shall look into them further; just the thing to fill a spare moment or three. To some degree that should perhaps be now as the ‘‘now’’ is becoming longer and longer. What I did observe were articles by my predecessor who published in The Falkirk Herald under the name of ‘‘Glengarry’’. His reflections of the day seem to be fuller than mine. Grateful for his example and the generosity of The Falkirk Herald. I can, however, illustrate that I have started to peruse the material provided in indicating a report from June 1976 “Band Trip”. A round trip of 700 miles meant the 26-stong bugle band from the 2nd Polmont Company was weary when it returned after competing in the first ever UK BB Band Championship in Stafford. The warmth of their reception compensated for the disappointment of the year-old bugle band. Unplaced they may have been but how they tried! They gave everything and highest praise due to their months of hard work to enter the contest. Some of those are now members of the F&D Stedfast Association. Any band members recall the occasion?