Flute bands?

[Knitjob]

I heard a flute band today for the first time in years. I grew up in the West coast and the catholic/protestant/orange walk issues were huge and divisive.
It was really weird to hear one today.
Do other people find them mildly offensive or is it just some weird thing left over from my particular village growing up? Are they just nice music?

I play the flute but would never dream of joining a flute band for exactly the negative connotations you mention.

I used many years ago to play for Dunbartonshire Concert Band - but that's sitting down and includes brass and other woodwind

I find them offensive. I can't believe that, in this day and age, any march by an organisation that was set up to oppress those of another religion would be permitted. June & July are a feckin nightmare where I live.

Totally agree. I find it really offensive. And the fact that we have segregated schooling in this day & age.

They’re an embarrassment to Scotland. I find them offensive.

Just re-reading the OP: I don't rhink that they are "mildly" offensive - I think that they are highly offensive Whenever I see/hear them, my skin crawls because of the sectarianism they represent.

The fact that they "play nice music" is something that I think makes them worse - as it's a a way of encouraging people to join in without due consideration of what they represent.

Dh (a lapsed Catholic) has shocking stories of how the bands would stop outside the church he was altar-boying and bang their drums extra loudly. Nothing to do with "playing nicely".

The fact that they "play nice music" is something that I think makes them worse - as it's a a way of encouraging people to join in without due consideration of what they represent.

Not that I'm awarding the same level of revulsion, but that's what lots of these organisations especially religions do. I can remember when I was a child there was some Christian based group that used to give out fancy stickers and sweets for turning up to meetings. Though, even as a child I knew what they were doing but I kept going as I wanted the stickers and sweets. Like most kids in the area, we didn't have a lot so a bit of singing or praying seemed a reasonable price for the stickers and sweets.I

I find it completely abhorrent and it's about time that segregated schools were abolished too.

My dh is english and had absolutely no idea why I was bothered by it. So I'm glad others have the same thoughts. Even friends I know here in Fife don't think it's a big deal. I was really quite shocked to see them, I haven't in such a long time. I wonder how many of the kids, and it was mainly kids, playing in the band are aware of their history? Or if they just think it's fun or following in family footsteps?

I think sectarianism, affected my childhood way more than I realised at the time. I really was quite suspicious of catholics growing up. Isn't that terrible? And those feelings were entirely because we were so completely separate. In our village there was even an unspoken rule that catholics went to the playpark on Tuesdays and Thursdays, everyone else went on the other nights. I did not have a single catholic friend until I was in my 20s.

I go to church most weeks as an adult, but I make absolutely sure my kids understand that this is just the church that feels right to me. A different church or religion, or no church or religion, will feel right to different people and that is absolutely fine by me and has absolutely no bearing on whether that person is good or kind or someone we should play in the park with.

I think segregated schooling should end in Scotland too. I lived in Edinburgh for a while and it was less of a thing there because there were so many different schools to choose from, there were all sorts of reasons why you might not have gone to the same school as your neighbour. But growing up it was very different. And completely unnecessary.

I know several children who play the flute, most are part of orchestras but none are in a flute band.

Totally it's a sectarian theme and very much a relic of the past which should be firmly left there. Was also very pleased when I drove through Drumchapel on my way to B&Q and saw that the Orange Lodge has closed and is up for sale. Quite right.

Not offensive at all, it's part of some people's heritage and way of life.

I find them highly offensive but I’m a catholic, Glaswegian and old enough to remember the 70’s and 80’s vividly. I can’t beleive marching is still allowed, really annoys me.

So so Offensive and pain in the arse when you forget abs get stuck behind them!

My dad was brought up catholic (atheist now) and the lived in fear of being beaten up or run out of their houses during and after the processions. Some horrible stories of real sectarianism. He’s in his 50s so not that long ago really.

I'm not sure I would be offended by them but I do judge and consider the types that take part in that sort of backward shite as beneath me. And I'm happy to own that

Also, DD went to a catholic primary school where 50% of the pupils were non catholic including her. I don't think schools are an issue outside the west coast. I made a placing request because i liked the school. It's not an us and them thing here.

I live in the heart of bigot land and I HATE flute bands. They are so offensive. Around here, folk chant, kids twirl red, white and blue baton things and folk boast about marching. It's horrible. Faith schools are a big problem here, too. It just deepens the divide and gives kids something else to have fights over.

I only have to hear one in the distance to feel my blood starting to boil at all the implicit (and explicit) hatred directed towards the religion of my family whilst growing up. One special day I remember was when the bands (ie all of Lanarkshire) marched up our street at 8 am to collect the Grand Master who lived across the road.

Now an atheist, living where they don't come down our street, my children don't really know what it was like and probably wonder why I get so annoyed when I no longer follow any religion. However, it is the tangible hatred of people just because they have a different religion (and often heritage) that still really, really makes me mad.

So yeah, a bit more than mildly offensive.

I hate them. I live behind a chapel and the marchers stop outside it and bang even louder on their drums.

Passed a small Orange march in Maryhill Road this lunchtime. Just the usual - a few knuckle dragging type men and some kids. About 15 marchers and the same number of Police. (And I'm assuming the Orange Lodge doesn't pay for the policing).

Conversation with my 10 year old DD went something like this:

DD: Mummy, why are those people marching?
Me: Because they want to show everyone how much they hate the Catholics.
DD: But that's stupid.
Me: Quite agree.
DD: Why are there children there? That's stupid.
Me: Quite agree.
DD: I don't think I'd like that if we were Catholics. It's not nice.

Ban the lot of them with their marches and sashes and flutes. Or make them pay for their own policing at the very least, might put a lot of them off.

We had one 4yrs ago in my small town on the Clyde coast.
No idea why the council allowed it but the decent members of town were outraged.
luckily it's never happenned since.

I passed what looks like it was going to be a big one on Saturday morning just as they were gathering at the end of Maryhill Road near the motorway (outside the drama studios). Lots of police vans.

Made me shiver

Hate marching season

Highly offensive, and I can’t belueve they’re allowed to disrupt towns and cities throughout Scotland just so they can spout their bile and drag their knuckles while “celebrating” a battle from over 300 years ago. Scotland would be a better place without these Neanderthals.

I have a question for those who claim faith schools are the issue. Would you have rather that the constant anti-Catholic taunting and abuse I was subjected to on the streets of my village had continued into the classroom? Would you rather I had had no respite? No chance to shelter and concentrate on my work? I probably would have been a suicide statistic by now rather than the professional I managed to become. It’s so unrealistic to think that merging the schools will solve the problem.

If they got rid of Catholic schools I’d leave

Where’s the hatred from the Catholic side? I just don’t see it outside football

The other side is in bed with the establishment so it’s minimised. The ScotGov focus on racism as worse is so hypocritical.