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…
The Piping Centre announced a couple of weeks ago that their instructor Margaret Dunn would be giving a paper at the Piobaireachd Society Conference in March, writes the Editor. Her subject was to be the Centre’s popular CLASP series of competitions for amateur pipers. Margaret is the main organiser and one of the reasons for its success. Students tell me of how helpful and encouraging she is and certainly she keeps the…
Short item I missed from the article on the British Legion contest programme of 1969. An advert reads: ‘Se an duine an t’aodach – Clothes Maketh the Man. What goes under a Heilandman’s kilt and other fascinating questions about Highland Dress can be answered by Gordon Stobo at Highland House, 328b Lawnmarket, Edinburgh – pipe bands kitted out – assistance with financing.’ Older readers will remember Mr Stobo. He was…
As I said in our first look at this competition from nearly half a century ago, the programme contains some candid thoughts and interesting comments, writes the Editor. This first part may bring a lump to the throat of many an old soldier who reads it, and in this year of the Somme centenary we should remember that in 1969 many who fought there would still be around to relive the…
As I mentioned in an earlier comment on the Edinburgh scene, writes the Editor, the British Legion’s solo contest used to be one of the highlights in the capital’s piping calendar. It was open to all serving soldiers, those who had done their National Service, who were attached to Territorial Army units or were members of British Legion pipe bands. My copy of the 1969 programme seems to indicate that it…
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