Veterans return to Scotland for ‘magical' visit to Edinburgh Tattoo
They described the Tattoo as 'the icing on the cake' after seeing the show on Tuesday evening.
The visit was organised after Mr Turrell, who lives in Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, disclosed it was his 'final wish' to return to Scotland, where he had served in the Cameronians, and he vowed to come back next year.
Polish veteran Mr Niedzielski was 'delighted' to watch the Band of the Polish Border Guard, according to organisers.
He served with the 1st Armoured Polish Division, and during the visit spent time with the Polish Community in Edinburgh, and also attended a Catholic Mass and a memorial service to his fallen comrades.
Ms Barron, who served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), returned to the site of her former barracks at Port Edgar, now a housing development and had a tour of Campbeltown, while Mr Turrell visited the Cameronians Museum and the Ben Nevis Distillery.
He said the visit was 'unforgettable', and also described the Tattoo as 'magical'.
Mr Turrell said: 'It was breathtaking – from the stirring opening to the grand finale. When the pipers emerged through the smoke, I thought the procession would never end – it was magical.
'It's been absolutely wonderful – and I'm coming back next year.'
Colin Mills, chairman of the Taxi Charity, said: 'Since 1948, the Taxi Charity has supported thousands of veterans, arranging free trips to the Netherlands and France for acts of commemoration, as well as days out to museums, concerts, and social events across the UK.
'This trip to Scotland was inspired when Don quietly shared with me that his last wish was to return there. We were determined to make it happen – and in doing so, we've not only fulfilled Don's dream, but also the heartfelt wishes of Dorothea and Eugeniusz.'
Dick Goodwin, vice president of the Taxi Charity, said 'This trip has given the veterans the chance to return to places of deep personal meaning from their wartime service – and they've enjoyed every moment.'
He said the Tattoo was 'a celebration of skill, pageantry, and shared history'.
Mr Goodwin said: 'It was a fantastic performance, from the hundreds of pipers, The Band of the Polish Border Guard, that delighted World War Two veteran Eugeniusz Niedzielski, to the precision and daring of the USAF Honor Guard Drill Team, spinning and throwing rifles with bayonets attached.
'The whole evening was a celebration of skill, pageantry, and shared history.
'This trip has given the veterans the chance to return to places of deep personal meaning from their wartime service – and they've enjoyed every moment.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
26 minutes ago
- Time Out
St. Patrick's Cathedral unveils its largest mural in 150 years, dedicated to NYC's immigrant communities
It's not every day that New York's most famous house of worship gets a glow-up. But this fall, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the 146-year-old Gothic Revival landmark on Fifth Avenue, will unveil its largest commissioned artwork since the cathedral first opened. And yes, it's a showstopper. Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced that Brooklyn-based artist Adam Cvijanovic has been tapped to create a monumental mural that stretches 25 feet high and wraps around the cathedral's entrance vestibule. Titled What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding (Elvis Costello fans, take note), the work will be officially dedicated during Mass on Sunday, September 21. Cvijanovic's sweeping tableau pays tribute to the generations of immigrants who have made New York City what it is today, while also tipping a hat to the city's first responders. Inspired by the Apparition at Knock in Ireland—a vision witnessed in 1879, the same year St. Patrick's was consecrated—the mural marries sacred imagery with the very secular hustle of New York's history. Think saints and angels hovering above, while Irish immigrants stream ashore on one panel and modern-day arrivals from every corner of the globe take their place on another. The cast of characters is vast, realistic and larger than life. Saint Frances Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants, makes an appearance, as does Dorothy Day of Catholic Worker fame, New York's first Archbishop John Hughes and Al Smith, the former governor and first Catholic presidential nominee. There's also Pierre Toussaint, the Haitian-born philanthropist buried in the cathedral's crypt, plus Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint. It's basically a who's who of New York's immigrant and Catholic history, all rendered in Cvijanovic's luminous, sky-filled style with rays of gold leaf tying the eras together. Cvijanovic, a self-taught painter known for sprawling, site-specific works, says the mural intentionally flattens time: 'Everything exists at once in a heavenly realm where there is no passage of time.' In other words, saints, first responders and everyday New Yorkers all stand shoulder to shoulder.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
ITV launch formal probe into Good Morning Britain after ‘humiliating blunder too big to ignore' left viewers outraged
ITV is investigating Good Morning Britain's Holocaust Memorial Day coverage after it failed to say victims were Jewish. Anchor Ranvir Singh said six million people were killed in Nazi death camps — but did not mention they were Jews. 1 ITV is investigating Good Morning Britain's Holocaust Memorial Day coverage Credit: X She went on to say others were targeted for being 'Polish, disabled, gay or belonged to another ethnic group'. The segment on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in January sparked outrage. Both ITV and Singh apologised for the 'mistake'. But insiders say bosses have now launched a formal investigation. A source said: 'Good Morning Britain is a flagship programme for ITV and to allow a blunder like this was too big to simply ignore. 'They are now investigating how this happened and the top brass want answers. 'ITV pride themselves on their news coverage but this was lower than sub par. 'Fingers of blame have been pointed but now the probe will uncover who allowed it to happen and there will be consequences. 'It has been hugely humiliating and is a headache the bosses over at ITV really could do without.' The Campaign Against Antisemitism slammed the segment at the time, saying if it was meant as a tribute to victims it 'failed abysmally and ignores the true nature of this horrific event'.
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Channel 4's 'moving' new period drama about forbidden love story hailed 'the best'
Channel 4's new period drama starring Gillian Anderson is based off Louise Kennedy's 2022 best selling novel. Channel 4 is set to release a brand new period drama which has already been branded as one of the "best". Trespasses starring Gillian Anderson is based on Louise Kennedy's 2022 novel of the same name and is set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Starring alongside the X Files actress in the role of Gina, who's described as a 'glorious wreck', is Lola Petticrew, as the role of Gina's daughter, Cushla, who she is constantly sparring with. Tom Cullen, Martin McCann and Gerard McCarthy also star in the upcoming series, which wrapped up filming in Belfast in December last year. While a release date has not yet been set the show will be coming to Channel 4 later this year and it's already been hailed as 'the best' by Red Magazine reviewers. The broadcaster's synopsis reads: "1975, in a town outside Belfast. "Whilst working one night behind the bar of her family pub, serving a mixed crowd including the locally stationed soldiers, Catholic schoolteacher Cushla meets Michael, an older Protestant married man, who often defends IRA suspects and is friends with cultured Bohemians who enrage and intrigue Cushla. "Worlds apart, Cushla knows a relationship like this spells all kinds of trouble, but they are irresistibly drawn to one another. "In a place where loose lips cost lives and danger lurks in the shadows, amidst the fear and paranoia, this illicit affair between Cushla and Michael ignites and burns bright..." Those who have read the book, which was also shortlisted for the Women's Prize 2023, have heaped praise among the novel with one fan describing it on Amazon as very "moving". Another reviewer said: "Trespasses by Louise Kennedy is an exceptionally well-written, intense novel. This is not an easy read, and you know from the very beginning that there can be no happy ending for these characters. "The prose is direct and at times brutally honest while describing the societal distinctions, violence, divisiveness, bigotry and politics in Northern Ireland during the early years of the Troubles. "I was completely immersed in this novel. The authenticity shone forth and wrapped me in its spell. This is an extremely well-written book that presents both political and emotional complexities in the most straightforward of plots. "There is nothing ornate or clever here, but the author's dedication to truthfulness and organicity broke my heart many times while stoking outrage and tenderness in equal measure." A third described it as: "A passionate but everyday love affair has repercussions not just for Romeo and Juliet but contributes to both implosions and explosions for families, the community and Ireland at large. These are characters and narratives that are etched deeply into my gut. Thank you for this humble yet riveting masterpiece, Ms. Kennedy! Brava." Trespasses will be available to stream on Channel 4 later this year.
