Latest news with #AlanLongmuir
The National
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Edinburgh to host first ever tartan parade with live music planned
More than 1600 people are expected to descend on the capital to join in on the inaugural celebration on Saturday. TV star Gail Porter, president of New York Tartan Week, Kyle Dawson and the wife of Bay City Roller Alan Longmuir, Eileen Longmuir, will be among the participants. Inspired by the world-famous New York Tartan Week, the Edinburgh event, will be followed by a ceilidh and a gala concert at the Usher Hall featuring the internationally loved Red Hot Chilli Pipers and top Scottish folk band Rura. READ MORE: Scottish distilleries eye zero tariffs on whisky after US-UK trade agreement Edinburgh-born Porter, who will host the Usher Hall event, said she was thrilled to be joining the parade in her own tartan. She said: 'I'll be wearing the Fair Trade tartan with knee-high Doc Marten boots. Tartan was not really a family thing for me – but I was such a fan of Vivienne Westwood – she made it look so rock and roll.' (Image: Supplied) Porter (above), a TV star and activist who now lives in London, said she relishes every visit back home, adding she will be heading north to start filming on a travel show. She said: 'I was always so proud of being Scottish and I'm always glad to come back. 'This month I have two trips planned - I'll be going up to the Cairngorms to make a travel programme with Robson Greene.' The Edinburgh Tartan Day Parade will begin at 1pm at the City Chambers in the High Street, and will head down Cockburn Street, across Waverley Bridge and through East Princes Street Gardens before ending at the Mound Precinct alongside the National Galleries of Scotland. Organisers of the parade have invited Dawson to be the Grand Marshal of the event. He said: 'I'm very excited to be coming and it was such an honour to be named Grand Marshal. READ MORE: Scottish Parliament bans trans women from female toilets 'New York Tartan Week is such a special event – I have had Scottish visitors come up to me in New York and say: 'I have never felt more Scottish than I do today.'' Pipe bands and traditional dance troupes from across the country will take part in the parade, alongside participants from Australia, America, France and Sweden. 'Vikings' from Shetland and traditional Chinese dragon dancers will also be taking part – as well as more than 100 Bay City Roller fans from around the world. Eileen (below) will be wearing a purple and pink tartan created in her late husband's memory, Alan Longmuir Proud Son of Edinburgh, at the parade. (Image: Supplied) She said: 'It's always fantastic to be in Edinburgh, it was where Alan was brought up. He was born in Caledonian Road and he used to play on the banks of the Castle.' Edinburgh Tartan Parade founder Tania Pramschufer said: 'We want everyone to come together in the name of tartan and to have a wonderful time. It's not just about identity, it is about community. 'We want everyone to feel part of something really Scottish and to enjoy walking through the beautiful streets of Edinburgh on the glorious route which takes us from the Old Town to the New Town.' Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron, Depute Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, said: "Edinburgh is proud to host the first Tartan Parade Scotland, aligning with our city's 900th anniversary. 'This event not only celebrates our history but also our commitment to cultural diversity and community engagement.' Click here for more information on how to get tickets for the Usher Hall celebration.
BBC News
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bay City Rollers super fans unveil memorial benches in Edinburgh
Memorial benches honouring two former members of the Bay City Rollers have been unveiled in fan group Still Rollin raised more than £12,000 for the tributes in the city's Princes Street recognise founding member Alan Longmuir, who died in 2018, and former lead singer Les McKeown, who died in Scottish pop rock band became tartan-clad sensations in the UK and US in the 1970s and had hits with songs like Shang-a-lang and Bye Bye Baby. The community, which has more than 1,500 members around the world, raised the funds by auctioning off clothes that belonged to items were donated by his widow PekoKeiko band member Eric Faulkner also provided a tape containing some early demos and previously unheard Bay City Rollers' music to be sold for a limited funds will be donated to charity. Fellow band founder Derek Longmuir, brother of Alan, also attended the group got together in the early 70s and found their name by throwing a dart at a map which landed on Bay City, near first single was Keep On Dancing in 1971 and they had two number one hits in 1975 with Bye Bye Baby and Give A Little band enjoyed chart-topping album success with Rollin' (1974) and Once Upon A Star (1975) and went on to sell 120 million they finally imploded when McKeown left in 1978 and bitter battles over the money they should have been paid dragged on for benches are situated in Princes Street Gardens, close to the Ross Bandstand where Alan and founding member brother Derek performed in public for the first time as schoolboys.
