henryhallsdanceband

Feel like like I'm saying this every couple of weeks at the moment, but that was just magnificent. Bloody incredible. I'm actually finding it difficult to fully process just how successful we've been this season, and how good we are at just winning.
It's only just hit me this morning how gutted I am not to be able to go to the final, or to properly celebrate in town afterwards if we win. 17th May 2014 was the best day of my life, and I want another one. 

Best 50th ever....... I'm struggling after many years of watching dire, soul destroying fitba', always having to explain to ... Everyone that I don't follow either of the uglies just because I'm Scottish..... Now faced with Saints being a "fashionable" team. Unreal...
 

Me and you the same...62 and supported them since I was ten (well since forever) -  the years of stick I took as a lad growing up in Glasgow and the blank looks I’ve got since moving to south of England in 1984...brilliant just brillliant...I must stop pinching myself it’s starting to hurt...unreal.  What a great performance from the lads today. All round...but Spoony was class, Booth tireless, back three winning (almost) everything...great skills, teamwork and togetherness all over the pitch.

Me and you the same...62 and supported them since I was ten (well since forever) -  the years of stick I took as a lad growing up in Glasgow and the blank looks I’ve got since moving to south of England in 1984...brilliant just brillliant...I must stop pinching myself it’s starting to hurt...unreal.  What a great performance from the lads today. All round...but Spoony was class, Booth tireless, back three winning (almost) everything...great skills, teamwork and togetherness all over the pitch.

Holy Moly - so many years getting the proverbial extracted by fans of the OF; so many years down here where I am in south of England after revealing that I’m from Glasgow being asked whether I was Rangers or Celtic - and receiving blank looks when I indignantly proclaim neither but that I’m a Saintee...and now this bonkers season after last night maybe just maybe there will be a wee bit of recognition.  
Meanwhile I have had loads of fun this morning with my Rangers season ticket holder brother - and soon to move on to my niece - also a Rangers season holder.  It’s her birthday today so I’ve let her off this morning ... but the time is just about upon us.
And my dear mum - who so proudly went to Parkhead with me and my lad in 2014 - will be smiling from up high and afar...maybe she’ll be taking my dad up for a joyous Highland Scottische - to tunes by Bobby MacLeod of course - their favourite.  Both gone but joyously with me today.
And we are all still dancing.  So proud of the lads, Callum and just everyone...
 

Zero now that we've won it   Actually I'll retype that as I enjoyed it so much.  '...now that we've won it'  

Aye - but Scotland can - and I wiz there

Playing in Europe,Vilnius iirc,the fans were signing “Its the Perthshire boys making all the noise”,but local lassies asked why we were  singing about the Pet Shop Boys 

I get what you're saying but I think if the club restricts its celebrations to a matchday then we'd miss out on something the whole city can be a part of. They'd basically only reach the people who would be going to matches anyway. Hold a party in the town centre on a nice summer's day and you'd reach way more potential new fans.
I reckon it should be given the same treatment the Christmas lights get, but do it in summer - call it Saintsfest, have a stage, maybe with some live music (let's book Haddaway), and then have the open top bus arrive in front of everyone followed by speeches/presentation. Find a way of getting free tickets out to the crowd for whatever the next home match is, and aim to fill the ground for that first game back. I know the club's probably desperate to get people paying through the gate again but after all this time would one big free game at the start of the season really do much harm?
I also think the club should consider capping entry prices at £20 maximum across all four stands for the season (charge the OF fans £30 though obvs ). I really think this is the time to plan some innovative changes and fresh ideas to not only attract new fans, but keep them coming back.
(Of course, I'm aware that all of the above could only happen in a world where crowds are actually possible again!).
 
 
 

Not posted for a long time - almost exactly 6yrs in fact...though I've been regular reader as we've battled along since then.  But felt I just had to come back on following yesterday and comments about those no longer with us but watching from the Hampden Stands...and I'll include my mum in that group. 
A Dunkeld lass (she was a gamies daughter brought up on Craig-y-barns) and life-long supporter, she went with myself and my lad to the Cup final at Parkhead and loved and was so proud seeing her team win the Cup.  And she'd have been cheering on from above on Sunday.  We were brought up in Mount Florida and lived a stones-throw from Hampden.  All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 
But now we have.  And it's brilliant.  I even spent £12.99 on Premier Sports to watch.  Nerve-wracking but great goal from Rooney and great performances all over the pitch and CallumD that others have waxed lyrical on so I won't.  Except to say my lad - sitting watching in his Sheffield front room wearing his Saintees top and scarf with pride commented that for all that the fancy dans that England might have - Perth Saintees have our very own Kane and Rooney doing the business up front.  I liked that.  COYS. 

Not posted for a long time - almost exactly 6yrs in fact...though I've been regular reader as we've battled along since then.  But felt I just had to come back on following yesterday and comments about those no longer with us but watching from the Hampden Stands...and I'll include my mum in that group. 
A Dunkeld lass (she was a gamies daughter brought up on Craig-y-barns) and life-long supporter, she went with myself and my lad to the Cup final at Parkhead and loved and was so proud seeing her team win the Cup.  And she'd have been cheering on from above on Sunday.  We were brought up in Mount Florida and lived a stones-throw from Hampden.  All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 
But now we have.  And it's brilliant.  I even spent £12.99 on Premier Sports to watch.  Nerve-wracking but great goal from Rooney and great performances all over the pitch and CallumD that others have waxed lyrical on so I won't.  Except to say my lad - sitting watching in his Sheffield front room wearing his Saintees top and scarf with pride commented that for all that the fancy dans that England might have - Perth Saintees have our very own Kane and Rooney doing the business up front.  I liked that.  COYS. 

Loving this picture from Sunday - as the tenement block roof you see poking over the top of the stand top left is the roof of the block in which I was brought up.  Sight of it always brings back memories of me and my mate Ralph (we'd have been 6 when we first did it) climbing over the Somerville Drive wall into the ground and playing in the grand old lady that was Hampden park of the mid 1960s - sometimes kicking around any ball we found missed after training.   We also sometimes climbed over the main gate into the area in front of the South Stand and those who remember that gate - it was huge...:)   Ah memories...now added to by memories of Sunday.

Loving this picture from Sunday - as the tenement block roof you see poking over the top of the stand top left is the roof of the block in which I was brought up.  Sight of it always brings back memories of me and my mate Ralph (we'd have been 6 when we first did it) climbing over the Somerville Drive wall into the ground and playing in the grand old lady that was Hampden park of the mid 1960s - sometimes kicking around any ball we found missed after training.   We also sometimes climbed over the main gate into the area in front of the South Stand and those who remember that gate - it was huge...:)   Ah memories...now added to by memories of Sunday.

Not posted for a long time - almost exactly 6yrs in fact...though I've been regular reader as we've battled along since then.  But felt I just had to come back on following yesterday and comments about those no longer with us but watching from the Hampden Stands...and I'll include my mum in that group. 
A Dunkeld lass (she was a gamies daughter brought up on Craig-y-barns) and life-long supporter, she went with myself and my lad to the Cup final at Parkhead and loved and was so proud seeing her team win the Cup.  And she'd have been cheering on from above on Sunday.  We were brought up in Mount Florida and lived a stones-throw from Hampden.  All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 
But now we have.  And it's brilliant.  I even spent £12.99 on Premier Sports to watch.  Nerve-wracking but great goal from Rooney and great performances all over the pitch and CallumD that others have waxed lyrical on so I won't.  Except to say my lad - sitting watching in his Sheffield front room wearing his Saintees top and scarf with pride commented that for all that the fancy dans that England might have - Perth Saintees have our very own Kane and Rooney doing the business up front.  I liked that.  COYS. 

Not posted for a long time - almost exactly 6yrs in fact...though I've been regular reader as we've battled along since then.  But felt I just had to come back on following yesterday and comments about those no longer with us but watching from the Hampden Stands...and I'll include my mum in that group. 
A Dunkeld lass (she was a gamies daughter brought up on Craig-y-barns) and life-long supporter, she went with myself and my lad to the Cup final at Parkhead and loved and was so proud seeing her team win the Cup.  And she'd have been cheering on from above on Sunday.  We were brought up in Mount Florida and lived a stones-throw from Hampden.  All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 
But now we have.  And it's brilliant.  I even spent £12.99 on Premier Sports to watch.  Nerve-wracking but great goal from Rooney and great performances all over the pitch and CallumD that others have waxed lyrical on so I won't.  Except to say my lad - sitting watching in his Sheffield front room wearing his Saintees top and scarf with pride commented that for all that the fancy dans that England might have - Perth Saintees have our very own Kane and Rooney doing the business up front.  I liked that.  COYS. 

Not posted for a long time - almost exactly 6yrs in fact...though I've been regular reader as we've battled along since then.  But felt I just had to come back on following yesterday and comments about those no longer with us but watching from the Hampden Stands...and I'll include my mum in that group. 
A Dunkeld lass (she was a gamies daughter brought up on Craig-y-barns) and life-long supporter, she went with myself and my lad to the Cup final at Parkhead and loved and was so proud seeing her team win the Cup.  And she'd have been cheering on from above on Sunday.  We were brought up in Mount Florida and lived a stones-throw from Hampden.  All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 
But now we have.  And it's brilliant.  I even spent £12.99 on Premier Sports to watch.  Nerve-wracking but great goal from Rooney and great performances all over the pitch and CallumD that others have waxed lyrical on so I won't.  Except to say my lad - sitting watching in his Sheffield front room wearing his Saintees top and scarf with pride commented that for all that the fancy dans that England might have - Perth Saintees have our very own Kane and Rooney doing the business up front.  I liked that.  COYS. 

Not posted for a long time - almost exactly 6yrs in fact...though I've been regular reader as we've battled along since then.  But felt I just had to come back on following yesterday and comments about those no longer with us but watching from the Hampden Stands...and I'll include my mum in that group. 
A Dunkeld lass (she was a gamies daughter brought up on Craig-y-barns) and life-long supporter, she went with myself and my lad to the Cup final at Parkhead and loved and was so proud seeing her team win the Cup.  And she'd have been cheering on from above on Sunday.  We were brought up in Mount Florida and lived a stones-throw from Hampden.  All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 
But now we have.  And it's brilliant.  I even spent £12.99 on Premier Sports to watch.  Nerve-wracking but great goal from Rooney and great performances all over the pitch and CallumD that others have waxed lyrical on so I won't.  Except to say my lad - sitting watching in his Sheffield front room wearing his Saintees top and scarf with pride commented that for all that the fancy dans that England might have - Perth Saintees have our very own Kane and Rooney doing the business up front.  I liked that.  COYS. 

And so in the end a change in circumstances meant that we had to cancel our trip to Inverness and our overnight stay in Perth.  Instead we got ourselves 2 nights deluxe room B&B in the Cameron House Hotel for £196.  Now that was one heck of a deal.  Absolutely tops,  Brilliant stay.
 
My (English) Mrs found herself just loving the place, the Scots staff, the food, the hill walking and the scenery.  And on way home as we headed down the M74 towards the noise and 'way too busy' South of England she did actually say that she'd think about us moving to Scotland in a few years time.  In years (and years...) past living in Scotland was not an option.  The girl is getting it...taken her 25 yrs mind.
 
And a sidenote - we had lunch in the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel (in Luss).  Lovely bar and splendid food. 

And so in the end a change in circumstances meant that we had to cancel our trip to Inverness and our overnight stay in Perth.  Instead we got ourselves 2 nights deluxe room B&B in the Cameron House Hotel for £196.  Now that was one heck of a deal.  Absolutely tops,  Brilliant stay.
 
My (English) Mrs found herself just loving the place, the Scots staff, the food, the hill walking and the scenery.  And on way home as we headed down the M74 towards the noise and 'way too busy' South of England she did actually say that she'd think about us moving to Scotland in a few years time.  In years (and years...) past living in Scotland was not an option.  The girl is getting it...taken her 25 yrs mind.
 
And a sidenote - we had lunch in the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel (in Luss).  Lovely bar and splendid food. 

The Tunes of Glory-hole

Looks like I'm going to have to visit Murrays bakery to try out their Scotch Pies - being best in the country as they have just been voted!

The Tunes of Glory-hole

No Cafe Rouge in Perth, but try any of the French Restaurants: Cafe Tabou, Breizh, Sante, and Pig Halle all really excellent food and great service.

Checked our date and can get a double room at Murrayshall for £89 for the night we'd be staying.  £106 with breakfast.  Sounds good?
 
Premier Inn in town centre gets good reviews mind...£74 in breakfast

as many have peviously posted, theres pretty much nowt in perth city centre. Altho as WS posted, theres budget hotels these days in town, but if youre looking for somewhere "nice" to stay, murrayshall would be the closest.