Eighteen months ago we ran an interesting story on Victor Herman, boxer, painter, piper. Vic learned the pipes in the Jewish Lads Boys Brigade in Glasgow.
When he found fame with the gloves he would pipe himself into the ring. He loved his piping and when he discovered another talent as a painter, set about creating images of our master pipers of old in oils.
Reader Peter Candy takes up the story: ‘I met Victor one night in London in 1987 when I heard someone playing the pipes and followed the sound.
‘I found Vic busking on the pavement. I hung around and when he took a break we got talking. He let me play his pipes for some time while he watched – passing police ‘bobbies’ merely smiled.
‘We kept in touch, and a while later he invited me to his home in Essex which was fascinating. There were many paintings in every room, and I noticed a fine one of GS McLennan on the easel.
‘After remarking on it, he showed me two others that he had completed – one now hangs in the College of Piping building in Otago Street, now the Piping Centre.
‘It shows Angus MacKay, Bob Brown and John MacDonald – see the Piping Times cover Vol 54 No. 10 July 2002. The other seems to have disappeared, from memory it was of Bob Brown and Bob Nicol but I cannot now be sure.
‘Victor subsequently gave me the painting of GS McLennan. (See photo above.) He went on to open a Thai restaurant in London which I think he ran until he sadly passed away.’
- Read the full story on Vic Herman here.
Cupar Pipe Band
Thanks to all those who contacted PP with the names of the Cupar Pipe Band featured on PP last week. The band was snapped on a fundraiser in 1988.
The members are (l-r): P/M Andy Hain, Susan Blues, Sharon Gordon, Ian Tobin, Paula Tobin, Bob Hain, Richard Petrie, Ian Cuthill, Paul Kilbane, John Wallace, Marian Tobin, Fiona Hain and Gordon Douglas.
- Do you have a pipe band photograph you’d like to share with the rest of our community? If so please forward to editor@pipingpress.com .
Hi Rab . Hope you are well. My Aussie friend Peter Hewlett was very friendly with Vic Herman and has many stories about him
Rgds
John Gunn