News from Across the Water: Piper of the Year/ Solo Piping & Drumming Champs./ New Leading Drummers

Saturday, September 28th saw the annual Piper of the Year competition in the Adair Arms, Ballymena. There was a decent attendance to listen to the eleven invited pipers who competed in the afternoon in the Piobaireachd section and then in the evening’s MSR and Hornpipe and Jig. The pipers played in the following order: Andrew Pattison, James Frazer, John McElmurry, Alastair Donaghy, Andrew Nelson, Kris Coyle, James Stone, Marc Warnock, Scott…

Legendary Boys Brigade Company Honoured with a Civic Reception in Home City

Last Friday my old Boys Brigade Company, the 214th Glasgow, was honoured with a Civic Reception from the city to mark 100 years since the company’s founding. It was held in the City Chambers off George Square. Glasgow has deserved much of the recent criticism of its roads, litter, shop closures…but you cannot complain about the City Chambers. If you have never visited you must. There won’t be finer marble…

Dr Hugh Parker Dinwoodie, General Practitioner, Piper and Climber

Born on this day in 1930, Dr Dinwoodie, who died last year, was a member of the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society and a lifelong supporter of the Piobaireachd Society. This touching tribute was written by his son Colin….. There is never a good time to begin writing of a parents’ passing, and until now I have felt unable to keep pace with life and prepare this for my father, a…

A Day at the Army School for the Captain John MacLellan Memorial

Judges convened at 8am at Inchdrewer House, Army School HQ, Edinburgh, for a bacon roll breakfast. From table it was immediately down to work given the entries in the B and C divisions. Such was the efficiency of the stewarding and the organisation that morning fears of an early evening finish were soon dispelled. By the Editor My first task was the P Grade MSR with Andrew Frater. First on…

Captain John MacLellan Memorial Results

The 11th annual Captain John A MacLellan MBE Memorial Piping Championship was held at the Army School at Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh, today. B & C grades were oversubscribed, good A grade entries but P grade entries were limited. Under the guidance of Major Ross McCrindle, Director of Army Bagpipe Music, the Army School delivered a very efficiently run event with top prize money and a high standard of playing. Stay…