Julie A. Wallace

Author

You are here: Home / Archives for Chronicles

Chronicles

My Top 10 Bay City Rollers Songs

Rarely does an opportunity come along that just makes me giddy with excitement. So when Suz and Laura from Bay City Rollers Fan Events reached out and asked me to be a guest DJ on their weekly radio show on May 12th, I jumped at the chance.

And then I had to decide on ten songs that bring up amazing memories for me.. After infinite hemming and hawing and checking to see what was allowed to be played on the radio, I settled on my Top 10.

TD1Radio and Bay City Rollers Fan Events

Bay City Rollers Fan Events is the fan-driven, fan-produced organization that puts on amazing events (just like the event I went to in NYC in April.) This is also the same team responsible for Bay City Rollers Archives, for a fun YouTube channel, and for this four-hour radio show I guest DJ’d on. The organization has donated thousands over the years to a variety of philanthropic causes.

Dedication: Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers is broadcast on TD1Radio out of Galashiels, Scotland, every Friday night from 7p-11p Eastern. The station is entirely community supported and all of the DJs are volunteers. They rely entirely on donations and advertising revenue to survive. If you love community radio and are able, please donate.

Listen to the show!

The links for hours 1-3 will eventually expire. If you want to hear me, listen to hour 4!

I had a huge crush on lead singer Les McKeown, so these selections are heavy on Les songs. Not that I don’t appreciate the others who sang, but man, Les can put it down like no one else.

By the time the Kroft Saturday morning show came around in ’78, I was almost done with the Rollers. I was getting older, and so were they. I watched that Saturday morning show and felt embarrassed – first for me as a fan, and second for the band. They really deserved so much better.

And when Les left the band , I pretty much left, too, though I continued to have pen pals for a few more years. I can’t recall hearing any of the music the band made with Duncan until that other radio station started their BCR show…and then I was blown away by the depth and breadth of the catalog.

And oh – one of the best things about listening to Dedication: Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers is the live listening party every Friday night in the Facebook group.

What To Do In Athens On A Monday Night

I mention the poem “What To Do In Athens On A Monday Night” from my poetry book The Wordstorm: Collected Poetry 1976-2006. Here’s a video of me reading and then talking about the poem. The poetry form is a Ghazal (pronounced guzzle) which is an Arabic/Persian love / heartbreak poem with some rhyming.

LINK TO MY POETRY BOOK https://amzn.to/3T3gS8d (This is an affiliate link. I’m running a sale on both the Kindle and paperback versions right now.)

Let’s Go

First, the cheerleaders at my school had a cheer – Let’s Go, L-E-T-S-G-O. I spent an awful lot of time as a kid going to football and basketball games and this super simple cheer stuck in my head.

Fortunately, there’s Let’s Go by the Rollers. It’s all about hugging and kissing in the moonlight. It’s such an upbeat, poppy romp through teenage love.

And so, whenever I am dragging my feet, I chant either one of those to get myself going! Most of the time it’s Let’s Go, and that fantastic guitar riff over and over and over. And, eventually, I do get going.

Here’s Let’s Go from the Rollers show Shang-A-Lang

Life On The Radio

This just gives me all the feels…

Growing up in a small rural town, life often did revolve around radio. If I didn’t have a record playing, I had radio on, or it was quiet and I was reading a book.

Radio was comfort, radio was a sign that there was life out there somewhere that maybe someday I could have a life beyond that tiny town.

I even won contests calling in the football scores…we got home pretty fast after games so I called the station as fast as I could. In fact, that’s how I got my copy of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.

Magic

Not a Rollers song, but rather by Scottish pop-rock band Pilot. What’s the Rollers connection?

The last couple of years have been a real revelation in terms of BCR things for me: I’d lurked in online communities for years. And when that other radio station started playing BCR my ears got a true BCR education. I’d never heard Duncan sing until a couple of years ago.

And back in the 70s I had no idea that members of Pilot were former BCR members. This song is upbeat, happy, and makes me feel hopeful about the future – even the future I’ve found thus far with the BCR community – it’s just like magic to me!

Les McKeown’s version of Saturday Night

One of the things I’ve loved about this show is hearing the different covers and originals. The first time I heard Les’s version of Saturday Night, I think I about fell off my chair. It’s a ska and punk and I just love it! And psssst, I’ve heard there is a live Green Day cover of Saturday Night out there somewhere.

Les introduces the song by saying that it inspired the “Hey, ho, let’s go” chant in The Ramones Blitzkreig Bop. That’s actually true – or, at least that’s what Tommy Ramone says in this interview.

Loch Lomond

It represents to many things… Scotland, the BCRs, reunion and redemption, and the difficulty in breaking old patterns, the the promise of a new future.

Interesting thing about this song, though, it’s not a romantic song. It’s actually written from the perspective of a Jacobite soldier choosing the low road of death to allow his soul to return to Scotland. The ‘high’ road required the soldier to renounce his loyalty to King Bonnie Prince Charlie and spend the rest of his life in prison in London – far from Scotland.

Unchain My Soul

The next two songs speak volumes for how we grow as we age and I’m excited to hear them back-to-back. Listen carefully and you hear the wisdom of the ages pouring out in both of these. Both bring chills.

There is no video of Unchain My Soul by Eric Faulkner. But much of his music is available for free at faulknermusic.net. Add a “tip” in the jar if you enjoy the song as much as I do.

Listen to Unchain My Soul by Eric Faulkner

Danny Boy

This version of Danny Boy is one of the last things Les recorded. It is as haunting as ever.

Marlena

There’s no video for this song, so here’s the original audio.

Rock N Roller

Here’s a video clip from a Japan tour in the 80s. This is the video that blew me away…such a tight band, having so much fun onstage despite the well-documented personal difficulties.

Champion

There’s no video for this song, either, but man, there should be. This is a Les McKeown solo song from The Lost Songs release.

I think we all need reminders that we write our own stories, and that we are the heroes and heroines of our own lives. Sometimes you’re the heroine in someone else’s story. This song remind us all to get up, stand up, today – you’re a champion!

Some Alternates

Of course, when you make a list of your favorite songs from a band that has a nearly 50-year career, there are bound to be others that fall just off that list. Here are a few of mine.

There’s Angel Angel – a classic boy meets girl love story with a twist. It’s the working title of my novel in progress.

Strangers In The Wind is another favorite. There are a few live versions out there, but I really like the original recording. Here it is paired with a fan-made video compilation.

Where Will I Be Now is a perfect late 1970s disco’d pop song. There’s no official video, so here’s the song. It was originally on the Strangers In The Wind album.

La Belle Jeane is the perfect picture of a date in Paris. There’s a mandolin (which I’d never heard of as a kid in the 70’s. Who is this Jeane, and why does she get to spend the night with a Roller?

Listen On Spotify

Last year at this time, I had no idea that I’d end up marching in parade in New York and talking about the Bay City Rollers on the radio in Scotland this year. And it all happened because I said yes to one little event happening in Bay City in August of 2022.

I was so out of my comfort zone. I even talk about that a little in hour four…about how I was worried about being accepted. And then I went and got a big hug, and that feeling of love hasn’t stopped. And my life changed more than I even dreamed it could have.

What kind of little thing can you do to step outside of your comfort zone this summer? In your wildest dreams, what would you like to see happen in your life?

Mission 2023 May

A woman stares at a paper map. She is sitting on a suitcase. The suitcase is in the middle of a deserted country road. The woman is contemplating where she will go next.

Last year I set forth on a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined. I conquered a few things last year, like the back yard. In 2023, I’m on a different quest.

It’s been tricky to narrow down what missions I want to make public. So in 2023 there are a few public goals, a few more secret goals, and some other odds and ends like a word for the year.

On to the 2023 missions!

Move More Sit Less

I crushed this mission in April!!! So much so that after I came home from NYC, I have deliberately taken it easy.

In April I wrapped up The Cotswold Way Conqueror Virtual Challenges and started the Rome challenge. I finished Rome at the very beginning of May and am already working on Paris. There was even that one day in New York where I walked darn close to six miles.

I also increased my yearly goal to 320 miles, nearly double my original goal of 175 miles! And I’ve saved four trees this year because of all this walking.

All Things Writing

Last year I finished the first draft of a novel. This year I want to finish the second draft. I also enjoyed posting twice a month here, so let’s see if I can meet or exceed that one in 2023.

Finish All The Projects

If you’ve owned a home, you know that the list of projects never end. And to be honest, I don’t think I’ll finish ALL of the projects. But this year, I’d like to knock a few of those things that I’ve been thinking about for a long time right off the list.

This part of the mission is more about consistently making an effort to do the things…all the things…even the little things like take that pile of things to the thrift store or break down the boxes and put them in the car and haul them off to the recycling center.

Not much activity on this one in April. The weather was more like March…sigh.

My niece, Chloe, on the other hand, finished her senior art project at Central Michigan University and was part of an exhibit on campus.

The president of CMU even stopped by the exhibit opening and talked with all of the artists. Here he is talking with Chloe about her painting.
My mom resting and looking at Chloe’s exhibit.

Secret Things

There are a handful of other things I’m hoping will happen, and this is the month that one of the secret things happens:

I march in the New York City Tartan Week parade with a huge group from Bay City Rollers Fan Events!!!!!! And I wrote three blog posts about the experience:

I’m not done with all things Bay City Rollers yet this year, either.

This FRIDAY, MAY 12, I am the GUEST DJ on the BCR Fan Events radio show on TD1Radio out of Scotland!!!!

  • Dedication: Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers is a weekly show that runs from 7p-11p Eastern.
  • The first two hours of the show are listener requests. The third hour is cover songs. And the fourth and final hour is the guest DJ spot.
  • That means you can hear me from 10p-11p.
  • Listen Live at TD1Radio.scot.
  • Join the live listening party group on Facebook.
  • There will be a recording available, and I have a post ready to roll about the experience, too.

Year In Books

This year I’m a Bookshop affiliate. Bookshop actively supports local, independent bookstores and has even given more than 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores. I even have my own store on Bookshop!

I’m making an effort to buy some books from Bookshop, and others from Sleepy Dog Books, my local independent bookstore.

(Disclosure: All of the links to books are Bookshop.org affiliate links. If you click through the link and finalize a purchase, I earn a commission.)

Here’s what I read in February and March:

Word of the Year

Action is the word of the year. I want to accomplish, do, go, make things happen.

Guiding Thought

As I went through the process of thinking about my mission for the year, the one thing that I kept returning to was: what was life like before the internet? Do more of that!

I am so failing with this that it’s kind of funny. The internet is soooooo pervasive in my life. I can remember life before the internet, but it’s hard to remember to “do more” of life before the internet when there is internet. It’s like the chicken and the egg, the chicken and the egg!

Quote of the Month

Did you know there is a collection of thought-provoking quotes up at the top of the blog? Once that page displays and you’ve absorbed the words, click “Next Quote” to see another and another and another.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King, Jr.s

Your Turn

Tell me how your “missions” are going this year. Read any good books lately?

All The Other Things I Did In New York City

Yes, I was in NYC to march in the 2023 Tartan Week Parade with BCR Fan Events. But – if you’re in New York – and you’ve only been there a few times before – you have to explore.

You didn’t know I was in New York? Catch up on these posts:

I flew out of Grand Rapids, Michigan with my friend Jan.

Upon arrival we caught a cab and were soon in the heart of Manhattan, driving right by Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

We stayed at the Oyo Times Square Hotel, a budget friendly place less than a block from Times Square.

On one hand that was great because it was very close to anything you’d want to do in NYC. On the other hand, it meant that as soon as you stepped onto the sidewalk, it was busy with people and noise.

The lobby was beautiful, but most people passed through the area. I spent a bit of time sitting in the lobby and waiting for our third roommate, Maureen, to arrive from Pennsylvania.

There was a cool colored-glass wall hanging.

After Maureen arrived, we settled in for the night. Traveling is exhausting!

The next day, I walked a good 10 blocks south to meet the incomparable Sammy Davis of Vintage Boss Babes for coffee. Her Ultimate Manhattan Secondhand Shopping Experience is unparalleled in the city.

I really tried hard to get a group together for one of these experiences. Alas it was not to be, so instead, we met for coffee. We talked for more than an hour, and I can say Sammy is as authentic as it gets. It was a pleasure. I only wish I would have remembered to bring my phone so I could have grabbed a few pictures with her.

I walked back “home” to the Oyo and rested for awhile. Then, my roommates and I ventured off into the big city. We headed north from Times Square towards Central Park.

You have to take pictures of tall buildings while in Manhattan. Mostly we wondered what it would be like to live inside of one of those.

We stopped at Le Pain Quotiden near Columbus Circle for lunch. This place is what Panera Bread wishes it was: the ingredients are fresh and not reheated in a microwave.

I had the Smoked Salmon Tartine – an open-faced sandwich with salmon, avocado mash, scallions, dill, and more. I had a lot of salmon while in NYC, as you’ll soon see.

For dessert I had a monster-sized chocolate chip cookie. It was too big, too sweet, and too crunchy. Thank goodness my roomies helped devour most of it.

We crossed Columbus Circle and there, right in front of us, was the 843-acre Central Park.

We kept walking though, as we were heading to Strawberry Fields, the memorial for John Lennon. He lived in the nearby Dakota apartment building.

But we had a good 10 more blocks worth of walking before we got there. People were out celebrating the first real hot day of the year – it was over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The city streets were alive, the sky was blue and this was just a perfect way to spend the day.

Leaves were busting out on tree.

We rested along the way, and my roomie Maureen snapped this picture of me.

The daffodils were already done, and tulips were almost done, too. I loved seeing the mass planting of flowers. How many tulips do you think there are?

We finally got to Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic. There was a guitarist singing and people all around. People took turns photographing the mosaic.

We walked around a bit longer, then decided we’d had enough walking. We caught a cab back to Times Square and rested for a while, then walked to Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant.

After all that walking during the day, I was really happy it was only a block or two away. And this being New York, you never know what you’ll see on the city streets.

We met with other Roller fans and had a fabulous time catching up and eating good food.

One of my roomies had the chicken pot pie. Just look at that crust.

I had Walnut Crusted Salmon. This Dijon dill cream sauce was amazing.

There were more than twenty of us…we took over this corner of the upstairs bar. This is just one table…there were three or four other tables, too.

I’m not sure if this is my photo… but it was on my phone so here it is.

Soon enough, though, dinner was over. My roomies and I walked back to the hotel and crashed for the night.

The next day I went to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. There’s a series of famous picture of the Rollers taken at the same place, so I knew I had to go. Here are the Rollers (I grabbed this picture from the interwebs.)

The skies were clearer and the perspective is totally different, but here I am.

It was a little hazy, but the views were still spectacular.

The fan gathering and parade filled the better part of two days. After brunch on Sunday, my roomies and I walked home. On the spur of the moment, I decided I had to see a play. I choose the musical Hadestown and was absolutely blown away.

I couldn’t have asked for a better seat. Can you believe I bought the tickets maybe a half hour before the show started and ended up this close to the stage?

The next photo was taken before sitting down.

Here’s the stage view from my seat.

Hadestown is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. That will spoil the plot for you English majors out there, but the story is told in a unique way.

And when the turning point comes in the third act, there are audible gasps from the audience. Everyone is stunned.

The show has won both Tony and Grammy Awards. If it’s coming to your town, run out and get tickets now; I want to see it again and again.

There are a slew of bootleg versions floating around on YouTube. Here’s a taste of the show with the cast performing “Wait For Me” at the 2019 Tony Awards.

After the show my roomies and I met fellow Roller fan, Rena, for dinner at local Italian restaurant Bocca Di Bacco.

I had salmon – again. This was the best. And you know it’s a good place if they add that little “hair net” onto the lemon to prevent lemon seeds from dropped onto your fish.

And chocolate ice cream for dessert. I mean, it was my last night in New York City after all.

I snapped a selfie just outside the restaurant.

Everyone else did, too.

And some passersby grabbed a picture of all of us. Then we walked back to the hotel, packed our things, and slept.

Early next morning, Jan and I grabbed a cab and went to LaGuardia Airport. We thought we were going to be home to Grand Rapids by noon, but nope. LaGuardia was blanketed in fog.

And so, we waited around for around six hours. Rena wandered by so we chatted the whole time…and took turns walking up and down the terminal. And soon enough, Jan and I got on our plane and were on our way home.

We left the sunny skies of New York, and returned to grey and cloudy Michigan. There was even a little snow and sleet on my drive home.

All in all, though, my trip to New York City to march in the Tartan Week Parade with the Bay City Roller Fan events felt like one big hug from start to finish. There are a zillion people I could thank, but let me mention a few quickly here.

Thanks to my roomies Jan and Maureen were wonderful. Even if they did like the air conditioner a little too much for my taste, the three of us had so much fun and I couldn’t have asked for better roomies. Thank you Jan for the exfoliating kit, and thanks to Maureen for that fab picture of me above.

Thanks to Simone from Australia for the beautiful bookmark. Every time I turn a page and see that bookmark, I’ll think of you and your daughter – and that long, long journey you made just to march in a little parade in New York.

Thanks to Rena who joined up with us for that delicious Italian dinner – and then also found Jan and I at LaGuardia.

Thanks to Laura and Suz and the whole team at Bay City Roller Events who made this experience possible. Keep On Rollin!

NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023

Come along with me as I march in the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023. I marched in the with 90+ other Bay City Rollers fans. This was another part of the different activities sponsored by BCR Fan Events.

The night before the parade, I added pins to my distressed denim jacket. The wool rosettes on the left represent my Scottish clans: Wallace, Leslie, and Cameron.

The Bay City Rollers are represented on the right side, with a few other pins thrown in for good measure.

All dressed up and ready to go. I suppose I’m not looking very enthusiastic, but oh well. On the inside I was ready!!

In full regalia. Thanks to Doris for this fantastic photo.

Waiting For The Parade To Start

It’s impossible to capture just how much excitement was in the air as we walked from our hotels to meet to queue up for the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023. We were all decked out in various forms of “Rollergear” – that iconic look of the Rollers.

Once at the parade waiting location the atmosphere was electric. So much tartan! So many bagpipes! And so many men in kilts.

Our banner reveal for the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023. It says “In our eyes you’ll always be a star.”

Doris snapped a great picture of me, so I’m happy to return the favor.

So many people packed into a one-block area waiting to march. And dogs. And mysterious creatures from Loch Ness.

I captured several videos while waiting. Here are a group of Scottish dancers dancing to a pipe and drum band warming up.

Lots of kilts, lots of pipes and drums bands walking to their appointed place to await the start of the parade.

And those pipe and drum bands took turns practicing. The sound of bagpipes was ever-present and magical.

I couldn’t get enough of the pipe and drum bands warming up.

I was a “line leader” for the parade. All that really meant was that I was responsible for getting a few folks to more or less fall in line as we assembled to march. Here’s Line I ready to go!

Just look at the smiling faces and tartan-trimmed clothes! Everyone interpreted “dress in Rollergear” a little differently. Some had tailors sew on tartan. Some wore stripey socks and tartan shoes. We were quite the colorful group.

Eventually the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023 got started and, well, we stood around and waited some more.

That’s how it goes with parades, though. You just have to wait until it’s your turn. So we slowly crept forward to the turn onto 6th Avenue.

Also in this parade, we walked and then we stopped. So there was quite a bit of just standing around and waiting for the go ahead signal, too. Here we are on 6th Avenue and waiting.

NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023 Live Streams

There were numerous live streams of the event, and many captured the atmosphere before the parade began. Here we are just hanging around waiting – and talking!

You can hear drums and pipes in the background. And I’ll bet you can see Nessie!

We did stand around and wait a LONG time before the parade started. Here’s one of the BCREvents organizers, Laura, being interviewed by Iona MacGowan.

Here we are at 1 hour 14 minutes into this live stream just entering onto 6th Avenue. I am on the other side of the street.

Our piper, Kyf Brewer, is playing Saturday Night on bagpipes. Saturday Night was the BCR’s biggest hit in the US.

Watching these videos brings tears to my eyes. I’m so proud to have been in this parade not only because of my Scottish ancestry, but also representing the Rollers.

Here’s another take on our group.

And one more…

And another. I mean, seriously, I can’t get enough of these. This one might be my favorite because there are so many closeups of our group. Can you spot yourself?

After The Parade

As we ended our walk along the parade route, we filtered onto a side street. We gathered on the steps and sang a few Roller songs.

Renowned photographer Graham MacIndoe wandered by and risked his life to grab a lot photos of our group. He literally was standing on a narrow fence line and hanging onto a tree limb to get pictures – but not this one!

BCR Fans photographed by Graham Macindoe.
Bay City Rollers fans at NYC Tartan Day Parade 2023 captured by Graham MacIndoe.

The parade was celebratory. This after-parade gathering was sweet. In some ways, it was the best part of the parade.

There are pipes and drums gathering on the other side of the street. As bands came off the parade route, they joined in or marched by. Sigh. It was incredible.

Here’s a quick video. Oops, there’s photographer Graham MacIndoe snapping photos!

And another quick video showing a pipe and drum band marching by.

This was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. And like I said, it meant so much to me. I am so grateful to have been able to march in this parade with BCR friends.

The group will not be marching in the 2024 parade, but who knows? Maybe we’ll be back in 2025.

BCR Fan Events and the NYC Gathering

As many of you know, I was recently in New York City attending the Bay City Roller Fan Events Tartan Week gathering. There were so many wonderful things about this trip that I’m going to break it down into three separate posts:

  • This post talking about the BCR Fan Events gatherings
  • Another piece celebrating the experience of being in the NYC Tartan Week Parade
  • And another post talking about the other things I did while in NYC.

So grab your tartan, short pants, stripy socks and get ready for an amazing trip report. As the song says, Let’s Go! (But instead of hugging and kissing in the moonlight, we’re going to NYC with BCR Fan Events.)

BCR Fan Events

BCR Fan Events are fan-driven and fan-funded gatherings that celebrate the fun and friendships that formed around the 1970’s pop-rock band Bay City Rollers.

The events bring together fans from around the world, and this event in New York City was no different: there were fans from the US, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, and even as far away as Australia. The events are family-friendly and multi-generational, too. At both of the events I’ve attended, there were mother-daughter participants and husbands tagging along with wives.

BCR Events Friday Concert

The group gathered upstairs at the Tailor Public House and Kitchen on the corner of 8th and 35th in New York City.

My roommates and I stopped briefly at the welcome table for hugs and our marcher’s goodie bags. Inside the bag was a pin, a hoodie, a t-shirt, and a name badge.

And here’s a tip for the hoodie! When I got home and tried the hoodie on, I realized it was just too tight around the neck, wrists, and waist. I snipped off the wrist and waist cuffs, then made another quick snip at the center of the neckline and removed the hood string. I cut up the sides just a little bit, too and now it’s super comfy to wear.

After gathering our goody bags, we walked into the main event room.

People were already gathering and talking.

There were two rooms reserved for our group. This room held not only the stage up front, but also two tables with a raffle and “Tip Jar” memorabilia.

The attendees of BCR Fan Group events are as generous as can be so there were plenty of people buying tickets for the raffle and purchasing memorabilia. The proceeds for the memorabilia went into a tip jar for that night’s performers.

I spy a copy of Bay City Babylon, a copy of Rollercoaster, and a couple copies of Eric’s An Edinburgh Lad.

More memorabilia went set up in the second room. These were super special items for a silent auction.

There were autographs from the “Classic 5” lineup, the famous “Bubi” book with photographs, a full set of BCR Poker cards, a full set of BCR bubblegum cards, a hologram BCR necklace, two “The Rollers” necklaces, the Voxx CD, and more.

Maybe the most anticipated auction item was the collection of BCR albums along with a portable record player.

I bid on a few of these items, but sadly, the bidding went was fast and furious and quickly beyond what I could afford.

BCR Fan Events Raffle Winner

Back to that raffle in the first room. The proceeds of the raffle were to go to the 2024 Edinburgh gathering celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band’s first album’s release.

I bought a handful of tickets and didn’t give it another thought… until the winners were announced and I got a beautiful, cozy fleece throw!

The throw is white with the logo for this year’s event. It’s not quite large enough to use as a throw, but a few people suggested it might be a great wall hanging.

After saying hello to about a million people, we all found seats and listened to some announcements. Then, the show started.

Concert Time

The next few hours flew by as the BCR Fan Events attendees listened and sang along to four amazing world class performers: Brian Gold, Craig Weir, Kyf Brewer, and Duncan Faure.

I mean, seriously, there were times where we were almost drowning out the performers. If they were singing BCR songs, we were singing along. There were a couple of times there where we (the audience) knew the words better than the performers!

If you’re like me, you may not know who most of these people are. I’d heard the first three names around the Bay City Rollers Fan Events Facebook page, but I’d never heard any of them live.

And Duncan? When my heartthrob Les McKeown left the band, Duncan came in and (together with the remaining Rollers) made a few ridiculously good albums that I had never heard until a few years ago.

So let me introduce you to some of these musicians who are well worth looking up.

Brian Gold

Brian is based in the Northwest of England. He’s a guitar vocalist with more than twenty years experience, and his set lists vary depending on the audience. For us, Brian performed a dynamite combination of Rollers songs and other throw back sing-a-long songs from the 70s.

Head to Brian’s website to listen to some of his songs. And if you love the Rollers, he’s got Roller’s songs on his website, too. Besides, his wife is a huge Rollers fan!

Craig Weir

Craig Weir is the bagpiper and vocalist for the bagpipe rock band Gleadhraich. Yes, bagpipe rock band: the band regularly combines bagpipes with rock music and it works.

For the set for our group, Craig did a combination of traditional Scottish songs and originals on both guitar and bagpipes. Weir is an acclaimed musician, having performed for The Queen, the Dalai Lama, among others. He’s also shared the stage with Rollers, Queen, and more.

Here’s a snippet of Bay City Roller Alan Longmuir joining Gleadhraich on stage for the Rollers song “Shang-A-Lang.” That’s Craig on lead vocals and Alan to the right on acoustic guitar.

Here’s Craig with the reformed Rollers several years ago playing the pipes on Loch Lomond. Les McKeown on vocals, Alan Longmuir on bass, and Stuart “Woody” Wood on guitar; they’re backed by Les’s touring band. (I don’t know all of their names, sorry.)

And here’s Craig’s performance at the BCR Fan Events gathering last year. Recordings of this year were made, but aren’t available on YouTube yet.

Kyf Brewer

Kyf Brewer was both a performer on Friday night and the piper leading our group up Sixth Avenue on Saturday. Kyf found success with the band “The Rayvns” who had a song on the Fast Times At Ridgemont High soundtrack called “Raised On The Radio.”

Kyf was also in the band “Company of Wolves.” While that band was filming the below video, Kyf fell in love with Celtic music and the bagpipes.

And eventually, he formed the band Barleyjuice which has released eight albums and counting. Learn more and find more music at the Ryf Records website.

You may also know Kyf from audiobooks. He’s the narrator on a whole slew of David Baldacci books, a couple of Danielle Steele novels, and The Return by Nicholas Sparks.

Duncan Faure

The highlight of the evening was Duncan Faure’s performance. Faure moved seamlessly between electric piano and guitar, and between solo material and old songs from The Rollers. Here’s his performance from last year’s event.

Faure is an internationally acclaimed artist who first found fame in his native South Africa with 70s pop-rock group Rabbitt. He was inducted into the RockGodz Hall of Fame in 2014; the RockGodz recognize contributions of “stunningly gifted musicians and professionals who flew under the radar while delivering to the world music that has orchestrated the soundtrack of many lives.”

Here’s a fan favorite solo recording of Love and Dream Wishes, followed by Duncan’s superb cover of John Lennon’s Imagine.

All too soon the evening ended. My roommates and I caught a cab back to our hotel near Times Square. We had to rest up for the parade the next day. I’ll tell you about that in a post soon.

Sunday Brunch

The weekend closed with a brunch at the Tailor Public House and Kitchen. By Sunday I think we were all worn out. But still, there was plenty of talking and lots and lots of love in the room.

While I took a lot of pictures all weekend, I think this picture of Jan, Laura, and Suz really really captures the spirit of these gatherings.

We share stories, lives, silliness, and countless hugs. At both of the events I’ve attended, there is so much smiling that even now writing these words I’m smiling. And the love felt from everyone is palpable.

I feel that love every Friday night listening live on the TD1 Radio out of Scotland from 7p-11p Eastern. We have the most fun in the live listening party: Dedication – Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be on that show one of these days – but you didn’t hear it from me.

That love carries on in so many ways – to the performers, to the Facebook Group, the Bay City Rollers Archives, and beyond.

Can’t wait to see everyone in Edinburgh in 2024! We’ll gather then to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the group’s first album release. And if you loved the Bay City Rollers like I loved the Bay City Rollers, come on and join us!

Mission 2023 April

A woman stares at a paper map. She is sitting on a suitcase. The suitcase is in the middle of a deserted country road. The woman is contemplating where she will go next.

In 2022 I set forth on a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined. I supposed I conquered a few things last year, like the back yard. In 2023, I’m on a different quest.

It’s been tricky to narrow down what missions I want to make public. So in 2023 there are a few public goals, a few more secret goals, and some other odds and ends like a word for the year.

On to this year’s mission!

Move More Sit Less

I sit all day for work, then I stand and make dinner. Then I sit to eat dinner and I sit to read books. And sometimes I putter around my yard and call it gardening, but most of the time I sit.

I March I walked more than 80,000 steps. That translates into a wee bit over 33 miles – and that’s an amazing thing given that I started the year at nothing.

I’m writing this on April 2 and am still working on the Conqueror Virtual Challenges. The Cotswold Way challenge is 97 miles. I thought it would take me three months to finish, but that’s just not the case. I started this one on February 6 and will definitely finish it sometime this week or early next week.

I seriously thought it would take me all year to finish 175 miles. But here it is APRIL and I’m almost done with the three I started with in January. So I signed up for another three challenges: Rome, Paris, and London. I really need to increase my year-long goal of 175 miles, don’t I?

All Things Writing

Last year I finished the first draft of a novel. This year I want to finish the second draft. I also enjoyed posting twice a month here, so let’s see if I can meet or exceed that one in 2023.

Finish All The Projects

If you’ve owned a home, you know that the list of projects never end. And to be honest, I don’t think I’ll finish ALL of the projects. But this year, I’d like to knock a few of those things that I’ve been thinking about for a long time right off the list.

This part of the mission is more about consistently making an effort to do the things…all the things…even the little things like take that pile of things to the thrift store or break down the boxes and put them in the car and haul them off to the recycling center.

Not much activity on this one in March. But spring is just getting started, right?

Secret Things

There are a handful of other things I’m hoping will happen, and this is the month that one of the secret things happens:

I’m marching in the New York City Tartan Week parade with a huge group from Bay City Rollers Fan Events!!!!!!

Tartan Week celebrates Scottish culture and heritage and the whole week culminates with a parade up Sixth Avenue.

The parade begins at 2pm on Saturday, April 15. Last year I watched live streams on YouTube, so I’ll bet you can find one or two if you search for Tartan Week parade live stream.

Bay City Rollers Fan Events encouraged us to wear “RollerGear” – that iconic tartan-trimmed look that the Rollers had. I’m diverting from that a bit, but still wearing a ton of tartan. Here’s a sneak peak at the main components of my parade outfit featuring the Wallace “Red Modern” tartan.

Year In Books

This year I’m a Bookshop affiliate. Bookshop actively supports local, independent bookstores and has even given more than 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores. I even have my own store on Bookshop!

I’m making an effort to buy some books from Bookshop, and others from Sleepy Dog Books, my local independent bookstore.

(Disclosure: All of the links to books are Bookshop.org affiliate links. If you click through the link and finalize a purchase, I earn a commission.)

Here’s what I read in February and March:

Word of the Year

Action is the word of the year. I want to accomplish, do, go, make things happen.

March was not a “make things happen” kind of month. It’s a “darn it all my allergies are here so I can’t work outside” and a “is that snow?” kind of month. Once the leaves are out on the trees, my allergies will be done and I shall make ore things happen. No, really, I will.

Guiding Thought

As I went through the process of thinking about my mission for the year, the one thing that I kept returning to was: what was life like before the internet? Do more of that!

That did not happen at all in March. Nope, not one bit. I used the internet a LOT. I bought stuff for my upcoming trip. I surfed all sorts of websites. Star Trek: Picard started and I will not miss an episode. And then I just happened to start re-watching Babylon 5 on Tubi. Sigh.

Quote of the Month

Did you know there is a collection of thought-provoking quotes up at the top of the blog? Once that page displays and you’ve absorbed the words, click “Next Quote” to see another and another and another.

Once she told me she was an ocean person and when she combed her fingers through the seaweed she heard the songs of the mermaids and it was easy to believe all the old stories.

Brian Andreas

Your Turn

Tell me how your “missions” are going this year. Read any good books lately?

Mission 2023 March

A woman stares at a paper map. She is sitting on a suitcase. The suitcase is in the middle of a deserted country road. The woman is contemplating where she will go next.

In 2022 I set forth on a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined. I supposed I conquered a few things last year, like the back yard. In 2023, I’m on a different quest.

It’s been tricky to narrow down what missions I want to make public. So in 2023 there are a few public goals, a few more secret goals, and some other odds and ends like a word for the year.

On to this year’s mission!

Move More Sit Less

I sit all day for work, then I stand and make dinner. Then I sit to eat dinner and I sit to read books. And sometimes I putter around my yard and call it gardening, but most of the time I sit.

In January I moved more and sat less. The FitBit tells me:

  • 3,329 average steps walked per day.
  • 214,937 lifetime steps since starting to use the FitBit in January.
  • 144.32 lifetime miles since starting to use the FitBit in January
  • Best day? More than 6,000 steps!

I finished another of the Conqueror Virtual Challenges and am well on my way to exceeding my year-long goal of 175 miles.

All Things Writing

Last year I finished the first draft of a novel. This year I want to finish the second draft. I also enjoyed posting twice a month here, so let’s see if I can meet or exceed that one in 2023.

  • That second draft is starting to pester me, so I’ve started to take notes. The thing is warping into something completely different than the first draft. Sigh. That’s how writing works.
  • I wrote two posts in February: Mission 2023 February and All About The Conqueror Virtual Challenges.
  • I published another brief newsletter in February. Keeping my fingers crossed I can do that every month this year. It always includes something that is not on this blog. Jump on that mailing list.

Finish All The Projects

Snow on a kinetic lawn ornament. This colorful sunflower spins all year long.

If you’ve owned a home, you know that the list of projects never end. And to be honest, I don’t think I’ll finish ALL of the projects. But this year, I’d like to knock a few of those things that I’ve been thinking about for a long time right off the list.

This part of the mission is more about consistently making an effort to do the things…all the things…even the little things like take that pile of things to the thrift store or break down the boxes and put them in the car and haul them off to the recycling center.

Not much activity on this one in February. It was cold and snowy and dark. Sigh.

Secret Things

Scottish tartans from left to right: Cameron, Leslie, Wallace. These are perfect for that secret thing in April..

There are a handful of other things I’m hoping will happen. I mean, one of them is definitely going to happen in April.

The plane tickets and hotel are already booked. I’m thinking about what to do while in that city, and what to wear in the parade (for real.)

Another “secret thing” also in the works for after April!

Year In Books

This year I’m a Bookshop affiliate. Bookshop actively supports local, independent bookstores and has even given more than 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores. I even have my own store on Bookshop!

I’m making an effort to buy some books from Bookshop, and others from Sleepy Dog Books, my local independent bookstore.

(Disclosure: All of the links to books are Bookshop.org affiliate links. If you click through the link and finalize a purchase, I earn a commission.)

In February I read

Word of the Year

Action is the word of the year. I want to accomplish, do, go, make things happen.

That’s not what February was about at all, or maybe it was just a quieter “make things happen.” I took myself out for tea and treats, bought some new shoes. I saw two movies at the local theater.

So February was small, quiet action befitting a small, quiet month.

Guiding Thought

As I went through the process of thinking about my mission for the year, the one thing that I kept returning to was: what was life like before the internet? Do more of that!

In February, I used the internet to buy things, including birthday gifts for myself. You couldn’t have done that before the internet; you would have needed a paper catalog. Or you would have had to literally walk into a store and hope they had what you were looking for. I miss those days of wandering around stores searching for something unknown…

I still find that mystery in thrift stores, which I did hit during February. And I walked outside a few times with a friend. I read books… physical books, not digital books. I cooked not digital food…but from the digital Hello Fresh service (I’ve had at least 70 weeks of deliveries at this point.)

It’s not easy doing more of “life before the internet” when you’re whole life is now tied to the internet in one way or another. How about you?

Quote of the Month

Did you know there is a collection of thought-provoking quotes up at the top of the blog? Once that page displays and you’ve absorbed the words, click “Next Quote” to see another and another and another.

“Every person shapes and colors the world in which he lives by the things he builds into his character. It is a different world for each of us. I mean this very literally. Whatever controls the kind of person we are inside determines also the kind of world we are to live in. If we ourselves can control and guide what we are within, we shall have the power of making our own environment. In a very real sense, each person IS his own environment.”

Richard Heinemann

Your Turn

Tell me how your “missions” are going this year. Read any good books lately?

All About The Conqueror Virtual Challenges

In January I told you that one of my “missions” for the year was to move more and sit less. To help me stay motivated with that mission, I signed up for three virtual challenges on a whim. Today, I’m going to tell you all about the Conqueror Virtual Challenges.

((Disclosure: All of the links to Conqueror Virtual Challenges are referral links. If you click through and finalize a purchase you get 10% off your first purchase. For every two people who finalize a purchase, I earn one free standard priced challenge.)

No Exercise For Me

Let’s start with the fact that I hate the word exercise. It sounds like a slog through a bog during a thunderstorm: not something I ever want to experience.

Exercise reminds me of gym class, and gym class reminds me of being a teenager and being embarrassed and extremely self conscious and thinking that everybody was watching every move I made. Exercise reminds me of gyms and muscular guys lifting weights to get big muscles and that’s no place for a young lady.

Exercise reminds me of Aerobics and not being able to keep up with whatever the hell the leader in the front of the room was doing; plus that leader shouted the whole time and the music was loud and it was crowded.

Exercise reminds me of modern gyms like the one next to the thrift store. The music’s so loud I can feel the thumping bass while browsing old cookbooks and bric-a-brac. I just can’t, and absolutely will not make myself either. Just imagining the smell of the locker rooms makes me nervous.

Sigh

I’ve been in enough yoga classes to know that not all exercise is like that. But I’ve learned that for me, it’s important that I have FUN and enjoy myself while moving more and sitting less. That’s why I like walking: it’s a gentle way of moving that works for me.

Here’s the thing…

I also was young in the 70s when not everybody thought that exercise had to be a part of everyday life. People did not go to the gym or have a gym membership.

There were some people who ran, but they were weirdos. There were athletes; those were people who played sports.

Sports had only just started to include women. I remember classmates wanting to try out for the boy’s basketball team in junior high because there was no girls basketball team. I tried basketball for a little while; I quit because I couldn’t see the point in running up and down a basketball court.

(That’s not a criticism of those women who did and do play sports. They’re just not for me.)

So nope, exercise is not for me. Moving more and sitting less works really, really well.

That’s the very long way around to say that it’s pretty amazing that I’m writing a blog post all about the Conqueror Virtual Challenges.

Life Challenges

Thinking about my 2023 “missions,” I decided that one of the most important things for my long term health was to simply move more and sit less.

It’s simple, really: the older I get the more clearly I understand that old phrase “use it or lose it.” It’s incredibly easy to sit for work then sit and cruise the interwebs and sit and read a book and then go to bed.

At age sixty, I’ve started to notice subtle changes that suggest larger issues if I don’t start addressing things right now. For example, I’m more stiff in the morning and it takes a little longer to get up to “full power.”

I don’t bounce back immediately after an injury. And while my balance is good now, I can see how quickly it could go downhill.

Then there’s the fact that my doctor wants me to on lowering my cholesterol levels. Through eating oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast, minding my caffeine and sugar intake, switching to whole grain breads, using Hello Fresh, and generally eating less, I’ve done well over the last year. But I hadn’t added movement in – and this is what really solidified the “move more sit less” mission for 2023.

Also, move more and sit less is incredibly easy to do. Anything that helps me move more and sit less helps me smash my goal mission.

Conqueror Virtual Challenges

I went googling and found the Conqueror Virtual Challenges. It seemed silly at first: I don’t need a medal to congratulate myself for virtually walking somewhere. But it also intrigued me so I took advantage of the year-end sale and signed up for four challenges:

Angkor Wat at 20 miles.

Mount Fuji at 46 miles.

Cotswold Way at 97 miles.

Plus the year-long “Conquer 2023” challenge where you set your own goal; that’s where the 175 miles comes from in my Mission 2023 of move more sit less. (I didn’t keep a picture of the annual challenge number.)

Conqueror Virtual Challenges

Here’s the basic idea: you do your routine. And it can be any exercise, not just walking; there’s even an activity conversion chart that converts time spent exercising into miles and km. The conversion chart includes movement like dancing, gardening, grocery shopping, housework, mowing the lawn, raking leaves, shoveling snow, and washing a car.

You log your movement miles in the Conqueror Virtual Challenge app. As the miles increase, you virtually “travel” the distance of the map.

For example, my first challenge was the Cambodian temple complex of Angkor Wat. This is a 20 mile (32km) meander through the historic site. You see a map of where you are in that complex. You can also see the location of other people who are also participating in the challenge.

Find the JW in the image below. That’s me!

At the bottom of the screenshot, you can see that my walk around Angkor Wat was 4% completed at 0.85 miles (with 19.15 miles to go.) I thought I needed 56 days to complete the 20 mile challenge.

If you tap the little grey person icon just above the brown box that shows 4% distance, you see your literal location – like this:

You quite literally have a 360 degree view of where you’re standing (virtually, to admire the view and catch your virtual breathe.)

I also synched my Fit Bit to the Conqueror Virtual Challenge app so at around 12:30am every morning the previous days steps magically are entered into that app and I move a little further along the course route. You can also manually enter your miles right in the app.

Do Good Things

Not only are you doing good things for your body by moving more and sitting less (see how I left out that ugly exercise word there?) — you’re also helping the planet while being a virtual tourist.

At specific spots along the way you can hit the explore button and see a gallery of images. You also receive four “postcards” in your email (and on the app) to encourage you and to tell you more about the location in which you are walking.

For every 20% of the route you walk, Conqueror Virtual Challenges donates money towards planting a tree or stopping bottles from entering the ocean. By the end of the route you’ve planted five trees or stopped 50 bottles from entering the ocean.

You Win

You really are the winner with Conqueror Virtual Challenges. Each of the routes can be done solo (like me) or on a team. There’s an uplifting private Facebook group, too.

And when you finish the route? You win!

I thought it would take me 56 days to walk the 20 miles but nope, I knocked it out in 14 days during January in Michigan!

When you finish the route, you have an option to receive a medal and a t-shirt. I opted for the medal and it arrived a few days after I finished the route.

The medal is substantial. It’s 4″ x 3″ and held on a beautiful strand of fabric that reflects the colors associated with the route around Angkor Wat.

There are also two sides to the medal; here’s the back.

I’ll Keep Walking

Now that I know all about the Conqueror Virtual Challenges, I’m going to keep walking. I’m almost done with my second challenge.

Bonus – as I walk each route, the miles also total into the year-long Conquer Challenge. So all of those steps I’m walking along the three routes contribute to my goal of 175 miles.

(PSST: I have a top secret mission that’s going to push me a *very* long way towards that goal, but you didn’t hear it from me.)

I happened to find Conqueror Virtual Challenges during a year-end sale and there was a darned good deal for purchasing three of the challenges. I believe it was a bundle of get 3 challenges at 20% off plus get the Conqueror 2023 for free.

I’m excited to try other challenges…eventually. I’ve got my eye on the 26-mile Inca Trail in Peru (I’ve been to Peru,) the 124-mile Ring of Kerry in Ireland, or the 500-mile North Coast through the Scottish Highlands.

Then there’s the amazing 145-mile Shire route based on the Lord of The Rings; you virtually travel from The Shire to Mordor. There are even longer routes, too, like the 1968-mile Appalachian Trail or the 2,280-mile Route 66.

Your Turn

What are your favorite ways to move more and sit less?