Torcher Parade

Saturday night was the annual Aberdeen Torcher Parade. That's "torcher", not "torture!" It is the largest torch-led charity parade in the UK, and it's presented by the University of Aberdeen. Each of the University clubs creates a float on the back of a lolly (18-wheeler), and some club members walk along beside the floats carrying buckets and collecting pennies from the crowd for local charities. I met Amie, Carrie, and Carrie's two boys downtown for the parade on saturday evening. The parade itself wasn't all that exciting. The best part was the bagpipe band that led off the parade. The floats themselves were actually kind of lame, mostly decorated with cardboard and based on various movies, like Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Happy Feet. But the boys loved it, and it was fun just being out experiencing it with my friends. We actually watched the whole parade as it started at Marischal College, then walked over to Union Street to catch it coming by the second time. The first time it was too light for the torches to be lit, but the second time a group of marchers carrying torches walked in front. You can't go to a torcher parade and not see the torches!