PP Editor’s Blog: Cape Breton Piping/ Chatsworth Entry/ Band Formations/ ‘Freestyle’ Piping/ Audio Archive

Listened to the BBC’s ‘Travelling Folk’ last night on Radio Scotland and an interview with bellows piper Hamish Moore. It was astonishing. No, not Hamish’s wacky views on how the British Army destroyed piping; how those old guys in tatty tweed jackets sitting playing on kitchen chairs somewhere in Cape Breton were the repositories of the true tradition. No, not that, but the fact that the presenter swallowed lock, stock…

PP Editor’s Blog: Corby Games/ German Results/ Inverness Games/ Film Gig

Forty years ago I was at Corby, in Northants, for the World Pipe Band Championships (yes, the fated we wuz robbed event). Last weekend saw me back there almost to the day to judge the solo piping. Thanks to the influx of steelworkers in the 50s and 60s, Corby has a strong Scottish heritage, and a few thousand turned out for the games and pipe band competition. Before proceedings got…

PP Editor’s Blog: Captain John Young/ Bk 16/Crieff etc.

IN all my years of writing about piping and pipe bands there has never been a story as touching as that of Captain John Young, Assam Regiment and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He was the officer who, hopelessly outnumbered and fearing encirclement and massacre by the Japanese, sent his men to safety while he remained alone at his jungle outpost. Thus he fulfilled his orders to fight to the last man…

PP Editor’s Blog: Worlds Entries/Piping Job/Deaths Announced/Luss Games

The Worlds has attracted an entry of 230 bands, not a record but only a few off the all time high, which from memory was 235. There are 58 bands from overseas (that includes those from the Republic of Ireland). Click the link above for details of bands in each grade. The draw will be made next Wednesday at RSPBA HQ in Glasgow and will be on the Association website that…

Pipe Band Magazine/ New England Piping Academy/Northern Meeting

The latest edition of PIpe Band Magazine, the official publication of the RSPBA, is available from today.  The front cover features L/D Eric Ward of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band. His drum corps won both the British and UK titles earlier in the summer. In other features the magazine continues with its ‘Know Your Judges’ profile of Jim Wark and looks at the service of long-time Shotts man Sandy Bell….