The winter is creeping past.its meant to a cold weekend here, so if you are at a loose end have a look here.

http://www.celt.co.nz/blog/

Yes my  blog has information on and links to

Scotland peoples centre,  Anyone wishing to explore the fascinating world of Scottish family history can access digitised sources - birth, marriage and death records, wills, census records and coats of arms - going back almost 500 years.

and a story on the Children of Lir, fascinating

Our front page has all thats new on items connected with the Children of Lir. Be in early to order any pieces that catch your attention.thanx.

And twice amonth i get internet radio from the lovely Moray coast of Scotland.helps keep me in touch.

If you like that click here on to the show of the maestro of the airwaves himself ,Andy Ross. I save the show to computer and then load on ipod.  great stuff

2 hours once a fortnight.just grand

http://www.andysceilidh.co.uk/

all the best

bob

It never ceases to amaze me what is happening on our own doorstep. Thanx heaps to the people who let me know there is a major Family History Fair happening right here in Hamilton NZ next saturday and sunday, the 17th and 18th of July.

Where at the Kingsgate Hotel

100 Garnett Avenue in Te Rapa

great website here.have a look and lots of info

http://nzfhf2010.dnserver.net.nz/

For the bagpipers here is a special you cant miss

Only 2 fagerstroms available at this price.Sorry offer is only available to NZ residents.

Yes only $495. Down from $550.read my review on these fab instruments.all here

http://celt.co.nz/fagerstrom-technopipes-p-1454.html

And for our tartan day have a  look at our blog photo.what a great day.

http://www.celt.co.nz/blog/

please scroll down to view

all the best

bob

Welcome to Highlander Newsletter 5

The All Whites have done well.

Wales to go tomorrow night against the All Blacks.

Glad I have tickets

Indulge a little in your Welsh Ancestory ,Check out our growing range of Welsh items online. just type Welsh in the searchbar.

www.celt.co.nz

Nevern Cross

Pewter openwork brooch with embossed design and amethyst cabochon centre, although we can supply 6 other stone centres.Inspired by a standing cross in Nevern Parish Church.in a small village , of just a few houses in Pembrokeshire in West Wales. The Norman church of St Brynach is on the site of St Brynach's 6th century "clas", an important ecclesiastical centre.See here fro more info.

http://celt.co.nz/nevern-broochamber-p-694.html

AND

Fagerstrom electronic technopipes are back in stock

Be quick. The price cant hold for ever

http://celt.co.nz/fagerstrom-technopipes-p-1454.html

Tartan day events are looming. great to see all that is happening

Slainte

bob

Where on earth is this year going.?

Dont forget some of us have made a pact to see the Auld new year Oot and the New Year IN

AT WAIPU. I will keep reminding you.

but see here

http://www.breambay.co.nz/blog/

and also

www.waipumuseum.com/html/TartanWeekProgramme.htm

both these websites are fascinating.

AND of course i bring you some goodies new in from St Justin

see front page my website right here

http://celt.co.nz/

with exciting new items copied from the Staffordshire Hoard.

The Staffordshire Hoard (wikipedia article) is an unparalleled treasure find dating from Anglo-Saxon times. Both the quality and quantity of this unique treasure are remarkable. The story of how it came to be left in the Staffordshire soil is likely to be more remarkable still.

The Hoard was first discovered in July 2009. The find is likely to spark decades of debate among archaeologists, historians and enthusiasts.

Leslie Webster, Former Keeper, Department of Prehistory and Europe, British Museum, has already said:

This is going to alter our perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England… as radically, if not more so, as the Sutton Hoo discoveries. Absolutely the equivalent of finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells.

So there you go. i believe more stuff will be forthcoming as it is available to be copied and we will keep you posted.

 

Slainte

 

bob

New new goodies have arrived again

and this time some Welsh Jewellery

see online here

http://celt.co.nz/index.php

May maddies. 10% off any Welsh jewellery  ordered online this weekend

Did you know - Britons believe the hills are alive with haggis.

LONDON (Reuters) - One in five people in Britain thinks that haggis, the traditional Scottish dish made from the lung, liver and heart of a sheep, is an animal that roams the Highlands, according to a survey recently.

Commissioned by the online takeaway food service Just-Eat.co.uk, the survey found that 18 percent of Britons believe that haggis is a hilltop-dwelling animal.

Another 15 percent said it is a Scottish musical instrument while 4 percent admitted to thinking it was a character from Harry Potter.

The survey questioned 1,623 people across Britain to see how well they were acquainted with traditional Scottish food.

Even 14 percent of the 781 Scottish people polled said they did not know what haggis was.I am dumfounded at that.

Have you  seen our new `bronze age `jewellery.see here

http://celt.co.nz/new-bronze-age-c-177.html

The NEW Traveller's charm (Lillbjärs picture stone) pendant
is spectacular. Another beauty from St Justin
Bronze spearhead with embossed detail on front. The runic inscription on the back translates to Venture forth, safe from harm. Black leather thong.

The design on the front of this pendant was taken from the Lillbjärs picture stone found in Stenkyrka, Gotland, Sweden. The stone is approximately 70cm high and dates back to the 8th century.

The Bronze age in Great Britain and Western Europe began over 4000 years ago in around 2000 BC. Both copper and tin were discovered,mined and fused together to form the alloy bronze,renowned for its strength and longevity.
A new bronze age is appearing from the depths of history, a revival of a bygone culture and a metal that changed lives and brought a sopistication in jewellery  that had not existed before.

Scottish Lochs Slideshow from Scottie
Over the years he built up a vast library of photographs taken around
Scotland and although a good number of them have been used to illustrate
the articles and other pages on the Rampant Scotland site, many have
remained unused. The Windows Media slide shows are allowing us to use a lot more of these and the latest addition is a slideshow of photos taken ofLoch Lomond, Loch Katrine and Loch Long. The background music has two songs
from Moira Kerr  - "Loch Lomond" and "The Water Is Wide."  To view the
slideshow, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIfr8p6fwLQ

All the best till next time

bob

Clans

With all the games now finished for  the season the next events will be the Clan tartan days. Our local Hamilton  Combined Clans 'TARTAN DAY' will be held at the 'AGORA CAFE' Kent St, Frankton, 3rd July,2010 Hosted by Clan MacLachlan.
Tartan Day  here is celebrated on 1 July,or nearest,  the day Royal Assent was granted to repeal the Act of Proscription, prohibiting the wearing of any Scottish national dress or the playing of bagpipes!
More info as it comes.

Speaking of National dress, dont forget our special on Tartan sashes. Only $ 70 if ordered this month April and if available.

Piping World

If you already have an electronic chanter, like a fagerstrom then see this

http://www.epipes.co.uk/

i have not got my hands on the programme yet but soon.

Please let us have a chance at pricing any of your piping requirements.We look forward to being of service.

Irish Rose of Tralee

Entries close soon for this years `Rose`and if you have a minute have a look at the NZ webiste for info. see here.

http://roseoftralee.co.nz/nzrose.html

May7th.  Biddies Irish pub in Hamilton  is the place for our local girl to be picked for the Waikato region.Find out where your local event is being staged , and support if you can.The Rose of Tralee festival is an international competition which is celebrated among Irish communities all over the world. The festival takes its inspiration from a nineteenth century ballad of the same name about a woman called Mary, who because of her beauty was called The Rose of Tralee.

Green Fire Islands.Irish Maori dvd

"Green Fire Islands is an extraordinarily important project,  bringing together the traditional music of New Zealand and Ireland for the first time. Dnal Lunny, perhaps the most significant Irish musician and producer of his generation, is the musical director of Green Fire Islands, which sets out to build a musical bridge between two creative island cultures, Ireland and New Zealand. Donal, leading a group of Irish traditional musicians and singers has  arranged this dvd with the finest musicians and singers of the Maori tradition. I have 4 copies at $25 each.Please e mail me.

Blood of the Irish - DVD

Who are the Irish and where did they come from? What blood flows in their veins? The archaeological evidence currently shows that the first human settlement in Ireland was 9,000 years ago, but where did these people come from and are there traces of them still in us today?

 Going beyond traditional genealogy which can only take us back few hundred years, this series explores the genetic history of Irish going back into our distant past. Using groundbreaking studies from Trinity College Dublin and around the world as well as new research conducted especially for this programme, we follow the remarkable story of modern man who left Africa and the particular strands of humankind which ended up in Ireland.

 Journeying from Kenyan plains through Ice Age Europe and the remarkable cave art of Northern Spain, we explore the survival, adaptation and tenacity of our ancestors. What particular genetic traits are Irish? Who are the Irish genetically closest to? Where else does Irish blood flow beyond the shores of this island? 'Blood of the Irish' explores all we want to know about the Irish people and the story of the human colonisation of this island.

 'Produced by Crossing the Line Films - an award-winning television production company specialising in historical, adventure, wildlife, and travel documentaries'.

 Presenter - Diarmuid Gavin.

View trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J53YKv4n68c

I have several copies on the way, let me know of you are interested, in fact let me know if you have been struggling to get hard to locate books or dvd`s now.We can help.

Slainte

bob

Céad Míle Fáilte!
"One hundred thousand welcomes!"
Yes we have a new look `one for all ` newsletter which will come to you twice a month.I am always gathering some information of one sort or another so i thought this would be the place to share, plus of course bring you specials and the latest additions in our shop.

Clan Gatherings

Hastings is on at Easter @ Lindisfarne College. Come see our tartan range of goods if you are to be there.

Specials on tartan sash ordered in April

Reduced from $85 to $70.

100% new wool. Made in Scotland,

Whichever way you like to wear it, is fine, and yes there are a few hundred thousand pages on the internet already,on the subject of wearing a sash

I see there is a new book out on Glencoe

John Sadler has written.` Glencoe the Infamous Massacre 1692.`

The author is a passionate historian and a gifted story teller.In his research he believes the cause to have been a chain of misguided events.

ISBN-978-84868-086-9.Amberley Publishing.

I have a few copies coming.Let me know if you would like.

Pipe Band World

I hear the rumbles of a few bands already planning next years nationals at Timaru.How exciting is that.       Whats on offer.!

An Achitibuie Special

Balance Tone Drone Reeds

@ only $100 for April and whilst stocks last

Stop press

For users of Electronic chanters such as Fagerstrom etc

I just bought off trade me one o these last week

Portable Wireless PA Amplifier & Microphone

Man its awesome. I want it to be able to play at my stalls and demonstrate the fagerstroms.

Its rechargeable, lasts for hours, very compact.

Contact me if you want more info..see on trade me

In Scotland the National Piping Centre Seasonal Schools begin with the Spring School which will take place at The National Piping Centre 5th - 9th April.

I was just interested as to how they grade puplis.see here

http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/schools/seasonal-piping-schools/

Celtic Jewellery 

Convex trefoil knot pendant

This is  really nice piece.approx 3 cm x 3 cm so quite large

Usually $45 but down to $40 for the first 5 takers.

We anxiously await the new St Justin catalogue and also the new range of Irish jewellery. Celtic Summer Collections.

Watch this space.

Speaking of Irish

did you know there is an Irish Dictionary online.

Its fascinating

You type in a word and hey presto

Find it right here

http://www.irishdictionary.ie/dictionary

Trip to Scotland

Some have wondered what happened to the planned trip to Scotland. Sadly I just cant get around to it on an annual basis, but am preparing a pamphlet on a July  2011 trip. More info soon.

 Waipu. very early notice

Finally every year we go to Waipu for New Year.For the last 7 or 8 years me and me buddy Noel have `danced ` around the memorial @ the Hogmanay  bells,(usually with a female !)  a tune or two on the pipes, a gude haunshake,awrebest for the New year, sing Auld Lang Syne and so on.Maybe 30 or so  turned up this year

Why not come join us this year.

We would love to make a hundred souls Choir 

Slainte

Till next time

bob

Fold Away bagpipes carrier

These are awesome, Made in Scotland. I saw many pipers carrying their pipes around as we do.

Strong, compact.fits in your sporran

Dont lay your pipes down ever again or get tired from nursing them

Buy online here on our web

http://celt.co.nz/index.php

For those who remember we collected e mail addresses at

Te Awamutu and Masterton the winners of a great bottle of whisky were

George Yardley. Bay of Plenty Pipe Band

George Stick. St Andrews College

So remember if we are out and about at events collecting  emails, you might just win a bottle of the cratur.

Coming to Hastings for the 60th Diamond jubilee
Hawkes bay Easter Highland games

Entry totals are a lot larger than last year we hear 133 Dancers and 78 Pipers and 10 Drummers, so far.
Where; Lindisfarne College in Pakowhai Road, Hastings
See the best info here on the New Zealand piping dancing website

http://www.piping-dancing.org.nz/


and yes we will be having a stall there.come see us.