Collapse of Lord Semple's Gathering Company

[ForresterModern]

They probably should have had the private organizing company put up a bond in a sizable amount to cover just these unforeseen and uncovered expenses. At least then the organizers would be paying the insurance comapny bond for the excess costs, instead of the little guys taking the hit---the people who should have had most to gain as a group from hosting the gathering. Too bad the financials were not worked out better in advance.

[Chas]

Can somebody, please, remind me what the cost of the 3 classes of tickets were.

Regards

Chas

[cessna152towser]

Sad but not unexpected.
As Scottish Highland Games go the Edinburgh Gathering was a very poor show, an embarrassment to Scotland, oh how I wished many of our overseas guests would have stayed two weeks longer and visited a real international Scottish run highland games with lots of activities, pipe bands and heavies from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. at North Berwick Games on 8th August.
Most of the clan tents at the Edinburgh gathering were run by groups from overseas rather than by Scots, this was a decision taken by the organisers, Lord Jamie Sempill will no doubt recall I gave him some grief in e-mails about this before the Edinburgh event took place, what was the point of a so-called Homecoming event when there were no Scottish based hosts on the clan tents to welcome you? Now perhaps you will understand why the lowland clans held our own Homecoming event, the Muster of the Clans, in Selkirk in September at which most of the clan tables were hosted by Scots, a big thanks is due to those overseas visitors from the lowland clans who were prepared to wait till September to visit Scotland and to attend our friendly event rather than the Edinburgh disaster.
The people I really feel most sorry for in this mess are the kids and parents from my local Hawick Scout Fellowship Pipe Band. This is a group of very talented young pipers and drummers, some of whom are just ten years old yet are capable of handling adult size pipes and drums. They were invited to play at the Edinburgh gathering and were promised a donation to their funds. I went along to watch them on the Sunday and missed them because the so-called "organisers" had re-scheduled them an hour earlier. Parents paid for two or three nights accommodation in Edinburgh for themselves and their kids at their own expense in good faith that the band would receive some funding. Shame on you Jamie Sempill as I see it right now you are a cad and a bounder, as I see it, morally, you really ought to pay the band the promised payment from your own personal wealth!
I genuinely do not like feeling the need to post this kind of controversial stuff on xmarks, I sincerely want you to tell me the band will receive the payment which they were promised in which case I will be happy to delete this post.

[Chas]

I can only agree, Alex. When I saw then at the Hawick Games last year, I was most impressed. Extremely difficult for a child to play an instrument and keep pace with adults and do both in a professional manner. A true credit to the town and most cruelly used. Lord Semple must have known before the day that monies could not be paid. For shame, for shame.

Regards

Chas