Editor’s Notebook: Worlds Prices/ SPA Meeting/ PS Summer School/ Festival of Junior Piping/ Luss Games

Tickets are now on sale for the Worlds and already there has been a frisson of discontent regarding spectator prices. One reader has written: ‘I have noticed that tickets for the Worlds have just gone on sale on the Tickets (theworlds.co.uk) ‘I am a little shocked at the various add-ons to the face value of the ticket, thus…. A 12% booking fee will be added to all tickets A £1…

New Information for John and his Ancient Bagpipe Identification Research

There are so many old makers that we have yet to positively attribute works to, that short of carefully removing all of the lacquer in the hope of trying to find a maker’s stamp, we may never really know who made this set until something very similar surfaces. Not just one or two of the features being similar, but all. By George Hannah Some of the features that stand out…

Editor’s Notebook: Teaching At the Highest Level is the Only Answer to Decline/ Atlantic Canada Challenge

Michael Grey, the invigorating new President of Ontario’s Piping and Pipe Band Society, lamented on social media the decline of bands and piping in his province. Mike’s bout of mild depression was occasioned by his perusal of an old programme from 1972 of the Canadian National Exhibition Intercontinental Gathering held in Toronto. Ontario then was second only to Scotland in the piping empire. Dozens of bands in every grade. Top…

Can Anyone Help Me Identify My New But Ancient Bagpipe?

It was always a dream of mine that one fine day up in Highlandshire, when it was pouring down and I am making my way through the 43rd charity shop of the holiday, I would spot a manky old wooden box holding up a tea set in the display window.  Removing the china, I would fish out and blow the dust off the box to reveal on the lid the…

Campbell McGougan 1930 – 2022

The death has been announced of Campbell McGougan who passed away on 5th June at Redwoods Care Home, Alness, Ross-shire. He was 92 years of age.  (Please see the notice below for details of his funeral which takes place next Tuesday.) Campbell McGougan, first name Neil seldom used, had a lifelong love of piping. He was born in Campbeltown where has was taught by Peter McCallum a scion of the…