SUNDAY, MAY 5, 1985
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HK POLICE SHOW SCORES WELL IN EDINBURGH
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THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE DISPLAY, TO BE PERFORMED AT THIS YEAR'S EDINBURGH TATTOO, HAS SCORED FULL MARKS WITH THE SHOW'S PRODUCER.
''I'M VERY IMPRESSED,'' SAID AN ENTHUSIASTIC COLONEL LESLIE DOW, FOLLOWING A FULL DRESS REHEARSAL AT THE POLICE TRAINING SCHOOL THIS WEEK.
''I THINK THE HONG KONG POLICE DISPLAY WILL BE THE MOST UNUSUAL ITEM IN THIS YEAR'S TATTOO. IT IS A VERY COLOURFUL DISPLAY AND THE BAND WILL BE PLAYING SOME GOOD, POPULAR MUSIC.
I KNOW THEY WILL GO DOWN EXTREMELY WELL WITH THE AUDIENCE IN EDINBURGH.
THE HONG KONG CONTINGENT WILL LEAVE FOR THE U.K. ON JULY 27.
COLONEL DOW, WHO IS ON A LIGHTNING VISIT TO PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE AND FINALISE LAST-MINUTE DETAILS, HAS BEEN THE PRODUCER OF THE ANNUAL TATTOO SINCE 1976 AND WELL REMEMBERS THE LAST APPEARANCE BY THE HONG KONG POLICE BAND AT EDINBURGH, IN 1978.
TAKING PART THIS TIME WILL BE THE POLICE SILVER AND PIPE BANDS A TEAM OF WOMEN POLICE RIBBON DANCERS AND A TEAM OF PEAKING LION DANCERS.
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ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE GROUP PERFORMED AT EDINBURGH ON THE LAST OCCASION AND, ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC, MR COLIN WOOD: ''THEY HAD AN ABSOLUTELY SPLENDID TIME AND CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK TO SCOTLAND.'
MR WOOD SAID IT WAS A PARTICULAR HONOUR FOR AN OVERSEAS
ESPECIALLY DISPLAY TO BE INVITED BACK TO PERFORM AT THE TATTOO SO SOON AFTER THEIR LAST APPEARANCE BECAUSE PREPARATIONS FOR EACH TATTOO ARE UNDERWAY MANY YEARS IN ADVANCE. IT TOOK FIVE YEARS TO GET HONG KONG TO EDINBURGH THE FIRST TIME, AND THREE YEARS THIS TIME.
''I'VE ALREADY BEEN LOOKING INTO SEVERAL ITEMS FOR 1990," ADDED COLONEL DOW.
DURING THEIR STAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE HONG KONG CONTINGENT WILL GIVE 31 PERFORMANCES AT THE TATTOO, WITH ADDITIONAL APPEARANCES SCHEDULED FOR CRIEFF, FALKIRK, CARLISLE, GLASGOW AT A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN EDINBURGH, AND AT THE POLICE STAFF COLLEGE AT BRAMSHILL.
/THE PERFORMERS