Impressive run of wins for drum major

However, it is a second place win that means the most to her as it relates to her honourary grandparents, even though it means she has, for the fourth time, missed out on taking the overall World Title.

Paula, who lives on Rossdowney Road, was spotted many years ago as a drum major of no little talent and as a result is the drum major for Ballycoan Pipe Band at Purdysburn in Belfast. She also runs her own school in the discipline the Paula Braiden School of Drum Majoring.

She started her career in drum majoring with Cumber Claudy, but was talent spotted and head hunted at an early age. Over the years Paula has amassed an impressive number of 'wins' at various levels, but nothing can compare to how she feels this year.

Indeed, there is one new trophy that Paula is particularly pleased to be the first recipient of this year, even though it was awarded to the runner-up, and that was the McBride Memorial Trophy.

"Alan first started to teach me whenever I was eight, and I went faithfully all over the winter to his house in Kilkeel. So , I got out early from school, and school would have given me the time away, maybe once a month in the winter and then, coming closer to the season it would have been weekends as well. So, for the last 18 years we have been very close and unfortunately his parents were deceased within 18 months of each other. It was very traumatic, because they didn't have any granddaughters, and I always called them Granny and Granda McBride because they were always like grandparents to me, so it was devastating for me when they passed away.

"So, this year at the World Championships Alan and his brother and sister, Harry and Violet, sponsored a new trophy for second prize dedicated to their parents' memories. Although I had a fantastic run this year, I have been second three previous times and was hoping to win, but to not win the competition and to win this trophy was far better than winning the world title. It is a beautiful trophy and will be held in high regard in our home. I am delighted to have won it and I have plenty of years left to win the world title. It is a big deal for me to be the first person to have their name put on it," she said.

Her full list of wins are: Fifth place, Lisburn Championships; fourth place at Newcastle; third place at Dungannon; second place at Dunbarton (in the Scottish Championships), Belfast (European Championships), Glasgow World Championships and second overall at the event, as well as second place at Portrush, Cookstown and Enniskillen (Fermanagh Championships).

She also took four first places, including the British Champion at Annan in Scotland and the All England Champion title at Ashbourne in England, in addition to the top spot at cpmpetitions in Larne and bangor.

In addition to winning the Scottish Champion of Champions at senior grade this year, she has won that tile before in 2007 and 2004, and has previously won the Northern Ireland Champion of Champions title this year as well as in 2009 and 2007. It is a very rare achievement to hold both the Northern Ireland and the Scottish Champion of Champion title s in the same year.

It's not surprising that Paula has done so well for herself over the years given that her brother, mum and dad were involved in the band scene too. Her father, a drummer, was in Mountjoy Pipe Band, while her mum was in Cappagh as a tenor drummer.