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[Mourning Becomes Electra]

Nice story....

Actor Connery Leads Bagpipe Parade
Sat Apr 6, 6:43 PM ET
By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer

http://story.news.ya...pe_tartan_day_1

Never has Manhattan seen so many men's bare knees -including Sean Connery's- walking up the avenue.

Photos

AP Photo


The Edinburgh-born actor, in a kilt, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, his knees well-hidden under pants, led a band of about 10,000 bagpipers and drummers up Sixth Avenue on Saturday.

The one-time event marked Tartan Day, a celebration of Scottish heritage and billed by organizers as the world's largest pipe and drum parade.

But this is New York, and more than one kilt came with something surprising. Atop one woolen getup: an Indian headdress. Another man honored his Caribbean heritage with dreadlocks atop his Scottish wools.

"Now I'm really confused!" spectator Scott Balsan said at the sight of Angus MacKenzie, who honored his part-Cree, part-Scottish heritage by wearing a rich spread of white feathers as he walked with a Scottish silver mace.

There were 1,200 participants from Scotland. Others represented 26 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

The parade was to benefit cancer patients and survivors through the Marie Curie Cancer Care organization, based in Great Britain, and the New York-based Gilda's Club Worldwide, a support network named for late entertainer Gilda Radner. Each participant pledged donations and a fund-raiser was held at the Waldorf-Astoria on Friday night.

When the parade stepped off at about 2 p.m. in the 41-degree chill, piper Curt Anderson had eight feet of woolen kilt and a little something extra to ward off the cold.

In his white fur sporran -- a pouch worn on the belt -- "I have a little bit of Scotch whiskey. It's kind of cool today, so I've already had some," he said.

And what was he wearing under his kilt?



"Just shoes and socks," he deadpanned.

It's part of the Scottish tradition for men to wear nothing under their kilt, explained parade producer Thomas Grotrian, one of only about 20 men wearing "trews" — or trousers.

"It's a lot more comfortable in this sort of weather," explained Grotrian, minutes after a brief flurry of snowflakes.

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http://story.news.ya...ife_tartan_dc_4

Tartan Parade Brings Up to 10,000 Bagpipers to NY
Sun Apr 7, 4:30 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As many as 10,000 bagpipers and drummers made a racket as they piped and pounded their way through midtown Manhattan to celebrate Scottish Tartan Day on Saturday.

The "Tunes of Glory" parade was believed to comprise one of the biggest pipe bands ever assembled. The march was led by Scots acting star Sean Connery and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Connery, waiting at the start of the march, laughed as crowds yelled for him to show his kilt and "pull it up!"

"The band will start and away we'll go," he said.

"He's a great guy," Bloomberg told Reuters after greeting Connery. "We're all a little bit Scottish today."

Tartan Day commemorates April 6, 1320, when the Scottish Parliament sent a letter to the Pope declaring Scotland's independence.

[Friedrich Baxter]

It's great to see, that Sean Connery is dedicating his live for a large part for the Scottish people.

I respect my favourite actor very much! ;-)