Congratulations to the former Director of Army Bagpipe Music Major Steven Small on his recent award of the MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List. Steven retired from his post last year after nine years in charge at the Army School at Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh. Steven served for 35 years in the Army and has now taken up a new job with the Edinburgh Tattoo. His successor is Major Gordon…
Thanks to Andy McCartney for his kind comments the other day and also for the latest information on the activities of the South West Scotland Piping and Drumming Academy: Weekend workshop – Abernethy Trust, Ringford, near Kirkcudbright from Friday evening 17th February until around tea time on Sunday 19th. Pupils stay over for the two nights, but day pupils will also be very welcome, and this workshop is for both pipers…
George Barlow in the US has asked for information on P/M Joe Rafferty: ‘Could you please check this with your readership. At the annual competition at Inchdrewer House the Army School has a piobaireachd award named after Pipe Major Joe Rafferty whom I met in the 1980s when the Black Watch was on tour here. The P/Sgt. was Alex Brown whom I saw on YouTube doing a recruitment film for the…
Some significant documents were missed from the Thow Bagpipemakers article yesterday. I have copies of Bills of Sale which make interesting reading. There are many of orders for ‘reel pipes’ for example. These were mouth blown half sets often used for playing at dances and for beginners. Fitted with a bellows they mirror almost exactly the lowland bagpipe as played by the town pipers of south Scotland. A lot of people confuse…
We are grateful to Jimmy McIntosh, now in South Carolina, for this information on the Thow Bagpipemaking firm formerly based in his near native Dundee. Jimmy has passed on a letter he received from a Mrs Joyce Thow, a relative of the firm’s founders. It reads: ‘The firm of Thow Brothers was established in 1854 by John Thow. He was followed by his son David Thow. The firm at that…
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