Author: Tom Johnstone

A Glasgow Taxi, A Stolen Set of Pipes and a Lucky Coincidence

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Around 1975/6 I was building a house in Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire, a few miles west of Glasgow. To generate money to finance this project I decided to drive a Glasgow taxi for a couple of years as I was told that it was a very well paid occupation at that time if you worked hard. I sat the topographical test (known among London cabbies as ‘the Knowledge’) and to my amazement…

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Scottish Pipers' Association Celebrate Their 100th Anniversary with Special Event in Glasgow

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By President Tom Johnstone The event to mark the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Scottish Pipers’ Association was held in NPC Otago St (formerly known as the College of Piping) on Friday 10th January 2020 – 100 years to the day after being founded. I started off proceedings with a few tunes and then gave a condensed history of the Association. [Tom is pictured above on stage.] Although…

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Scottish Pipers’ Association President’s Message and Preview of Saturday’s Competition

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The Scottish Pipers’ Association celebrates its 100th Anniversary next year. Our showpiece event in the annual piping calendar is the professional contest to be held this Saturday in Glasgow. In my programme note I write: ‘Welcome to the Annual Professional Contest of the Scottish Pipers’ Association. ‘The SPA was founded in 1920 by the leading pipers of that era and continues to this day encouraging all pipers, young and old…

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