Going Green (Part II)

 The Irish Festival at Church Hill is hosted by St. Patrick's Church. 

We were gathered en masse, bright & early: Sarah, Julie, Geoff & Peder, Marcia & John, myself & The Manly Man. On the streets for 10 o'clock. 

  10 o'clock being when the Parade kicks off. 

This year, the chosen Grand Marshal to lead the parade was 

Tom McGranahan, our facilities manager at Willow Lawn.  

  

(This will help explain just why it was so important.) 

We were there to cheer Tom on.

The Hibees, whom Tom is a member of.

With splash of green.

Marcia set the pace for the morning, first in line at the Irish coffee stall. The Manly Man & I followed suit, having made our hellos.

It's good for you.
Strength-giver!

  

The Parade is proudly named as the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, being all of two blocks long. Even so, there were the bagpipers, Irish dancers in cute skirts & lurid colours, a few honorary Celts
(not so well-attired Welshwomen) 

... and a distinct lack of dogs.  :(

Geoff was also taking part with his bagpiping crowd,
St. Andrew's Legion Pipes & Drums.

                             Meet Bucky Badger! 

We listened to the harps in St. Patrick's church, stall-browsed, 
(I saw HP sauce, Bird's Custard, Mackie's crisps & McV biscuits!)

ate Proper Pies, conversed & caught up with friends,
walked around St. John's - Give me liberty or give me death! - Church
and enjoyed a sneaky wee pint of the black stuff .... 

Stalls with hats! just about made up for the lack of dogs-in-hats.