Loudly beating the drum

The fifth Malta Military Tattoo will take place next weekend. On Friday there will be a special morning show for children, then on Saturday and Sunday, both evening performances starting at 6 p.m. This year the tattoo is forsaking the Main Guard for The Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre at Ta Qali.

As always there is a varied and rather exciting programme in store. There will be military bands from Turkey, Estonia and the UK... as well as from Malta of course. The Turks visit us this time in peace with the Bursa Mehter Ottoman band. This is one of the oldest and finest marching bands in Turkey.

The Club Piruett from Estonia are a rhythmic gymnastics team who have toured extensively, performing to huge acclaim at military tattoos all over Europe. The UK are sending us one of the most distinguished military bands on the planet, the band of the Welsh Guards... and that will be a real treat.

We in Malta are certainly not overawed however and will be contributing the Wallace Pipes and Drums, The Armed Forces of Malta Band, plus the Police Band and the Police Precision Drill Team.

For anyone who loves marching bands, this should be a terrific bonanza.