Category: Bagpipes

Richard Reflects on His Four Decades of Success with Field Marshal Montgomery – Part 4

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Legendary pipe major Richard Parkes concludes this series of articles to mark 40 years of success with FMM, 40 years that has seen him capture an incredible array of trophies and awards both for the band and himself. Recognised by royalty and academia, Richard has, through his achievements, written himself into the history books. In this final section he answers a few more questions from our Editor Robert Wallace. Which…

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Bag Maker Jim Launches Blistering Attack on Pipe Band and Solo Promoters – Readers React

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Pipe bag maker James Begg has used his monthly newsletter to severely criticise the dearth of pipe band and solo piping events this summer. Jim points to the thousands of people attending large sporting events in the UK, yet here in Scotland we cannot even put on an open air piping contest. Jim says it is a ‘disgraceful outcome’ for piping and pipe bands. He writes: ‘There were 66,000 football…

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Richard Reflects on His Four Decades of Success with Field Marshal Montgomery – Part 3

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In this, the third part of this illuminating series, P/M Richard Parkes answers with honesty and candour some questions from our editor Robert Wallace. Richard talks of the first changes he made at FMM, his confidence in being able to do the job, and some of the mistakes he made along the way….. Before you took over FMM did you always fancy being P/M?I always had an ambition to be…

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Piper Steve On the High Seas with the Canadian Navy

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Maintaining helicopters, playing the bagpipes, that’s Sgt Steven Drinkwalter of HMCS Calgary. British Columbia’s Sergeant Drinkwalter is deployed on the Canadian warship and has just finished taking part in Operation Artemis, a successful counter-terrorism and maritime security mission in the Middle East. He’s the ship’s unofficial piper. Steve is pictured above playing during a Battle of the Atlantic commemoration ceremony in May whilst in the Arabian Sea when the ship…

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Editor’s Notebook: World Solo Drumming/ Champion of Champions Medal/ Richard Parkes/ Piobaireachd by the Sea/ Oldest Piper Search/ North East Photographs

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Not surprised the RSPBA have cancelled the World Solo Drumming given that there will be no fly-in competitors, but could they not have put on something for the drummers in lieu? I really cannot understand the lack of activity from this great organisation. What about a Scottish drum championship or a UK drum championship or a British Isles drum championship? They could have used Headquarters in Washington Street and if…

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