The Thistle - April 2023

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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ST. ANDREW'S SOCIETY OF LOS ANGELES

~ Celebrating Scottish Cinema ~

In-Person Event

Saturday, April 8th @ 4:00 pm

Presenting

WATER of LIFE

Produced by Trevor Jones

Directed by Greg Schwartz

Location:

Rodeo Screening Room

150 S. Rodeo Drive

Beverly Hills 90212

Seats are limited!

Q&A afterward with Producer Trevor Jones

as he discusses the making of the film and Scotland!

Pre-Film Catered Reception & Whisky Tasting

Tickets

Special Whisky Selections:

-Glenmorangie "Tale of the Forest"

-Lagavulin "Limited Edition"

-Royal Brackla

-Oban 18

-Balvenie 16 French Oak

-Glengoyne 18

-Talisker "Special Release"

-Dalmore 15

Water of Life Preview

Synopsis:

Water of Life is a feature that focuses on the craftsmen, chemists, and renegades at the heart of the whisky revolution that turned the stagnant scotch whisky industry of the 1980's into the titan it is today.

Starting behind the locked gates of an abandoned distillery, Jim McEwan and Mark Reynier share their personal experiences of the risk-taking and wild experimentation they used to turn Bruichladdich into what it is today. The film takes you on the journeys of other early visionaries and the magic that paved the way for the next generation of whisky innovators.

Tickets

After Party:

The Four Seasons

"Culina"

300 Doheny Drive

Beverly Hills 90048

For Virtual Films in the Tartan Film Festival line up, please visit: www.TartanFilmFestival.com

NEW PODCAST

Andy Nelson

Sound Mixing Engineer and third most nominated person in Oscar History!

Legendary Sound Mixer Andy Nelson gives us an exclusive look into his successful career and why he continues to be recognized for his work year after year.

2023 Oscar nominations for "Elvis" and "The Batman"

Watch Andy Nelson Podcast

DISCOVERIES

Scotland's Oldest Tartan

Scotland's Oldest Tartan discovered by Scottish Tartan Authority

to go on display in Dundee

A piece of tartan discovered in a peat bog is

the oldest ever found in Scotland, new research has found.

The fragment of fabric was found in Glen Affric around 40 years ago, with a previous analysis pointing to it being from before 1750 due to the absence of any artificial dyes. Testing revealed the tartan, which measures around 55cm by 43cm, had initially been made up of four colors: green and brown and possibly red and yellow.

That research, carried out by analytical scientists from National Museums Scotland, confirmed the use of indigo to make the green color.

Travel

Dean Village, Edinburgh

Deemed as one of Scotland's most picturesque spots to visit, Dean Village in Edinburgh was named in the top 30 'most picturesque' locations in the UK and fourth overall in the study which looked at the most idyllic spots across the country

Read More at Edinburgh

History of TARTAN DAY

Timeline

April 6, 1320

The Birth of Heritage

The Scottish gain their independence by the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath.

March 9, 1986

The Canadian National Tartan Day is Established

The Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia proposes a ‘Tartan Day’ to nurture and acknowledge Canadian Scottish heritage.

March 20, 1998

The United States Adopts Our Own Tartan Day

105th Congress, Senate Resolution 155 is passed, which recognizes the strong Scottish presence among the Founding Fathers and attributes the creation of the Declaration of Independence as a direct product of the Declaration of Arbroath.

April 6, 2002

NY Tunes of Glory Parade

Referred to as the “greatest parade of Pipes and Drums ever seen”, the Tunes of Glory Parade took place on National Tartan Day in New York with over 8,000 pipers and drummers. Sir Sean Connery served as the Grand Marshal.

April 1, 2020

The Tartan Film Festival

The Tartan Film Festival is launched (Worldwide).

How to Best Celebrate Tartan Day

Have a DRAM of Whisky "The Water of Life"

Don your kilt and sporran

Have a traditional Scottish dish

Attend a Parade

FAQ's

-Tartan is unique to every clan and country

-New Year's Eve "Auld Lang Syne" is Scottish!

-The origins of the bagpipes are actually Middle Eastern

-Gaelic is still spoken in some parts of Scotland and some schools

-Scotland's national animal is the Unicorn (and has been since the 12th Century)

(Photo of Sam Heughan courtesy of Sassenach Spirits)

Member Spotlight

Madeleine Hamilton

Hailing from Houston, Texas, Madeleine Hamilton is a writer, comedian, and fervent bagpiper. Her bagpipes-centric one woman show, "Piping Hot," recently made it into the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has been doing stand-up comedy for over 6 years and is currently a Showrunner’s Assistant to Anthony King on Apple TV’s THE AFTERPARTY. Madeleine is also working on the 3rd draft of a novel which has caused a stunning amount of family drama. While studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh, she discovered her love of bagpipes and can be seen frequenting Crescent Heights and Santa Monica Blvd playing tunes! Madeleine will be traveling to Scotland in August where she will surely gain a new fan base for her one woman show!

FILM / TELEVISION SPOTLIGHT

TETRIS

Filmed in Scotland

Directed by BAFTA winning filmmaker

Jon S. Baird

Premiering on AppleTV

Watch our podcast channel in July as we sit down with Scottish director

Jon Baird

who discusses the making of TETRIS

Visit our YouTube Page

RUGBY

By Steve Adams

Scotland began it's 2023 6 Nations Rugby Championship campaign with two impressive wins over England and Wales, respectively. Scotland started at Twickenham, the Mecca of English Rugby, where Scotland would win back to back Calcutta Cups (The oldest international trophy in rugby) wins in London for the first time in over a century. The Scottish team was clinical in dispatching England on the strength of an amazing individual (The Rugby equivalent of a touchdown) by Duhan van der Merwe as Scotland prevailed 29-23.

(Photo of Jack Dempsey)

Find out more about this exciting season ~

READ ALL ABOUT SCOTTISH RUGBY