Firstly a message to those commercial enterprises that keep posting their goods on our Facebook page. I’m afraid you cannot get a free ride gents. Advertise with Piping Press and post all you like on our Facebook pages.
Producing Piping Press costs – but is totally free to readers thanks to the generosity of our current advertisers. It is wrong that they should be expected to subsidise your enterprises too.
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Tickets for the Worlds are now on sale here. Some details:
| Friday 12 | Saturday 13 | Two Day Ticket | |
| Adults | £6 | £16 | £20 |
| Children / Concessions | £4 | £11 | £13 |
| Family (2 adults with up to 3 children) | £16 | £43 | £49 |
Children aged 5 and under go FREE.
Children’s tickets are available for ages 6-15 years old.
Had an enjoyable couple of hours at the RSPBA’s Glasgow & West of Scotland contest at Coatbridge on Saturday. Hope the Branch manage to keep this contest going. Can’t understand why their Grade 1 bands don’t support it. Congratulations to P/M Keith Bowes and Johnstone Pipe Band on their win. Here’s their MSR: Marchioness of Tullibardine, Susan MacLeod and the Smith of Chilliechassie:
New Letters on Scott Methven, Queen’s Piper, Robert Mathieson’s articles and Willie Ross’s Army Class. Read them here.
Lochaber Gathering have confirmed that the contest this year will be on August 20th. Unfortunately it clashes with the local games at Glenfinnan but due to an accommodation booking with the Nevis Centre in Fort William the Lochaber date cannot be changed. Glenfinnan moves around year to year always coming on the Saturday nearest the actual raising of the Bonnie Prince Charlie’s standard in 1745. Possible to play at both? For Lochaber contact Allan MacColl on maccolls@btinternet.com. Entries for Glenfinnan on the field from 11.30am. Check out the rest of the games season here.
The picture up top shows New Zealand piper Donald Bain playing in the hills above Glenfinnan in the 1970s. Donald was asked by a tourist board photographer if he would break off from competing to give him a few shots. Ever helpful, Donald agreed and this wonderful picture was the result. Donald was one of the first NZ pipers to come to these shores to compete, taking lessons initially from P/M Donald MacLeod and going on to win the Gold Medal at Inverness in 1979, first on, with MacCrimmon’s Sweetheart. Thus he emulated the achievement of the first Kiwi pioneer Lewis Turrell who took the medal in 1958 with the Rout of the MacPhees. Lewis was also the first overseas piper to take the coveted medal.