NOTABLE CHARACTERS

Good hearted lump of a man!  Came from somewhere out of the East sometime in the early 1970's!  An ideal stature for a Drum Major at about 9 feet tall including his feather bonnet.  Seemed to have a collection of uniform accoutrements, swords, maces, dirks, gold tassels etc. Had it not been for the tartan, you might have thought he rolled an Italian Opera Company at some point - or raided the closet of a third-world Dictator!   

All he needed was a kilt to match your band - and you had an 'Instant Drum Major'.

No one was really sure of his credentials, but he certainly looked the part and knew all the right drill commands.  He moved in a way that you might lead you to believe he knew what he was doing. On his chest, he (sometimes) sported a rack of medals including the CD or Canadian Forces Decoration - which is normally presented after 12 years of service (undetected crime) and another that looked like the Queen's Jubilee medal.  Hard to say whether they were his to wear, but looked really good as part of the ensemble! 

The Viscount Park Pipe Band had him on the 'payroll' for a while.  For all his foibles, Fields always struck an imposing figure whenever he led the band down the street or into a crowded arena.  

It was the late 1970's during the Massed Bands segment of the Nelson Tattoo.  Each band had an opportunity to put on a public performance.  D/M Fields stood like a stoic totem pole encircled by the band.  As part of the 'drama' of their performance, they had pre-arranged that the lights in the arena go black during a drum solo.  When the lights came back up, all the pipers had quickly put on Bluto masks (a character from the Popeye cartoon series) - and the entire band looked exactly like the unsuspecting drum major! 

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May have been the same weekend, but a different year, during the finalé of the tattoo, Drum Major Bud Fields issued the command..."Pipes & Drums, by the centre...Quick March" at which time all the participants of the Nelson Tattoo would smartly march into the arena with the ill-fated Drum Major in the lead.  The hair on the backs of the audience's necks stood to attention as the rolling thunder of the Massed Pipes and Drums (as many as 200 strong) would march to the strains of Scotland the Brave - and down to the far end of the arena. Bud would raise his mace to signal the 'counter march' (always a hazard on the drones when people march in close quarters in two different directions), then would play to the opposite end of the arena....where he would signal another counter march to lead the band back into the centre of the arena.  Under normal circumstances, this is done twice - then the band would mark time then halt for the official closing ceremonies.

This time, the front rank decided to simply continue out the exit instead. Fields again made his way through the ranks and emerged into the centre of the arena in a flurry of pomp and ceremony only to notice the 200 pipers and drummers had vanished, they had left the building....and he was literally the last man standing!

Knowing full well that he had again been 'had', Bud came to a smart halt in the centre of the arena, made a smart 'about turn', confirmed that he had been summarily deserted, put his mace in front of himself, rested his right hand atop, then his left, then lowered his head onto his hands resting hands in a sign of utter defeat.

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Being a member of the Shrine, Bud Fields also served with the Pipes & Drums of the Al Azhar for a time before he vanished as mysteriously as he originally appeared!  I know a few creditors who followed the illusive Mr. Fields as far as Kingston before he simply faded away.