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Lance Corporal Patrick Milne: Another Heroic Piper on the Heights of Dargai

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Two Victoria Crosses and seven Distinguished Conduct Medals were awarded to the Gordon Highlanders for gallantry at the battle for the Heights of Dargai on the North West Frontier of British India on 20th October, 1897. All pipers will be aware of the Victoria Cross presented to Piper George Findlater following the action, who ‘though shot through both legs, continued, while sitting on the ground, to play his pipes undauntedly’. …

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Scottish Schools Results/ Shotts’ Worlds Week Concert

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A record-breaking number of young musicians from across Scotland took to the stage at this year’s Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships, making it the most widely attended event in the competition’s history. Held at Kilmarnock’s William McIlvanney Campus on Sunday 9th March, the Championships saw 94 bands from 144 schools compete across eight categories. By Lesley Wilkinson Among the standout moments of the day was the victory of Sgoil Bhàgh…

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Editor’s Notebook: RT Shepherd & Co./ Entries at UKs/ Clan Fraser PB/ Correspondence/ Iowa Highlanders/ Scottish Schools

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I am sure that we are not the only people who are have failed in our attempts to get in touch with bagpipe manufacturer RT Shepherd & Co. On a visit to Fife this week I called in to their premises in Cardenden to find the place locked up with curtains closed and blinds down. Local enquiries yielded scant information other than that around a month ago the premises had…

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New Music: The Pinkman Family Collection

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I have compiled a new book of bagpipe tunes written by pipers from three generations of the Pinkman family. The majority of the tunes, which number over 300, were written by Pipe Major Robert (Rab) Pinkman (KOSB) pictured above.   There are also tunes from Rab’s father, Edward Pinkman, his grandfather, Robert D Pinkman and Archie Pinkman of Bilston Glen Colliery Pipe Band fame. By Stephen Beattie The book, with 354…

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News from Across the Water: Bill Livingstone Remembered/ Waterford Solos/ St Patrick’s Day/ Drumlough 75th/ MacDonald Solos/ Video Archive

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Many local pipe band enthusiasts were sad to hear of the passing of Pipe Major Bill Livingstone. Bill will ever be associated with his leadership of the 78th Fraser Highlanders from Ontario, Canada. He brought the band to Scotland in the early 1980s and in 1987 they went on to become the first from overseas to win the World Championships. Several days before that iconic event the band played in…

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