Royal Mile Jam is back on!

I spoke with the new owner of the Royal Mile pub on Friday afternoon, and our jam session is back on! I will have to talk to the owner's son, who is in charge of the calendar, to get us back on it, but we are on for our regular time. Indeed, the owner indicated that we could go to 8 PM if we wanted to.

Amy and I went there for dinner yesterday, and I was approached by two patrons who were excited to see me there and were asking about the jam's return. If ever you've wondered if the jam is appreciated, there's your answer.

With the jam's return coming up next weekend, I hope everyone will turn out for a strong showing of support for the pub and what it represents.

A picture worth a thousand words

News on the Royal Mile Pub

The Wheaton Calling blog writes:

Mr. WC happened upon Michael Moore, who was taking a smoke break outside of Limerick.  The big news is that he is now the former owner of the Royal Mile.  Moore said that he found a buyer, and described them as someone with some experience in the restaurant industry.  From the sound of things, the new owner will be keeping the Royal Mile name and Mr. Moore even said that the owner is getting in touch with former staff to try and rehire as many of them as possible.  The new owner has a crew at work to make needed repairs to the restaurant and Moore said the owner hopes to reopen the restaurant by St. Patrick's Day.

This could be very good news for fans of the Royal Mile pub; especially since many of its fans have been hit with the double-punch of the Royal Mile's closing and the reality TV-driven "re-imagining" of the Piratz Tavern into the "Corporate Bar and Grill" that has some folk wondering if any of their favorite  quirky spots will still be around.

What is not known yet is the new owner's degree of interest in remaining a "Scottish" pub, with all that comes with that, and what that means to the Royal Mile Traditional Scottish Jam Session. Mike Moore was very supportive of both the jam and the Virginia Scottish Games, and was open to having Scottish acts play there as well (the former general manager, apparently, not so much).

I'll stay on this story as more news trickles out.

March Royal Mile Jam Tunes

We got some promising hints that the Royal Mile might reopen again soon, but in the meantime, Barbara Saliunas was kind enough to host a spirited, if small, jam. We topped it off with a small potluck.

Here are the tunes we played:

Barrowburn Reel/Flowers of Edinburgh

Sailor's Wife/The Cushion Dance/My Wife's a Wanton Wee Thing/Mr. John Trotter's Reel

The Smith's a Gallant Fireman/Mor a Cheannaich/Captain Campbell/Miss Shepherd's/Brenda Stubbert's Reel

Lochanside/Earl of Mansfield

Troy's Wedding

Hamish Henderson's Refusal/Tam Lin/The Tongadale Reel/The Knockadhu Reel

Sean Truibheas Uillachan

High Road to Linton/Jenny Dang the Weaver/High Drive

Last Trip Home/The Luckenbooth

Highland Laddie/O'er the Hills & Far Awa'

Willie Davie/Lexy MacAskill

Nine Pint Coggie (Laura Risk's)/Skye Air/Hughie Shortys

Hills of Kaitoke

Road to Errogie/Scotsville Reel

Willie Fraser/Thomas MacDonnell/A Taste of Gaelic

Munlochy Bridge/Primrose Lasses

Willafjord

Da Full Rigged Ship/Da New Rigged Ship/Sleep Soond ida Moarnin/The Boannie Isle of Whalsey