Category: Letters

Editor’s Notebook: PS Conference/ NI Bands/ D.R. MacLennan’s Pipes/ Missing Trophy

Posted on      by      1 Comment

A week from now we will have the first Piobaireachd Society Conference since 2019. It can be difficult to re-kindle enthusiasm after so long a gap, easy-option Zoom meetings making us all lazy and complacent. But the benefit of human contact and a face to face welcome cannot be underestimated, and the Conference has been part of the furniture in the piping world since as far back as many can…

More Editor’s Notebook: PS Conference/ NI Bands/ D.R. MacLennan’s Pipes/ Missing Trophy

The Day Willie Fergusson Met the Australian Ladies

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Further to our reports of a week or so ago on the Australian Ladies, Clive Douglas has sent us the following tale. The Ladies are pictured above outside Burns’ Cottage during their 1926 visit. Clive writes: The well known Glasgow piper and teacher Eddie McLellan told the story that Willie Fergusson was a sign writer by trade. One day he was working on a shop front sign on Buchanan Street…

More The Day Willie Fergusson Met the Australian Ladies

Editor’s Notebook: Highland Games Threat/ Trophy Search/ Oban Festival/ Dollar Contest/ Sandy Jones

Posted on      by      4 Comments

This from a prominent Highland games organiser: ‘On the CPA judge/pupil pronouncements that have lately been made, has anyone raised the problems this causes for competition organisers? ‘How are games committees, expected to be able to attract decent player numbers, or to maintain their ‘local’ feel, when they may not be able to use local piping adjudicators because they then wouldn’t get local competitors? ‘How can they afford to import…

More Editor’s Notebook: Highland Games Threat/ Trophy Search/ Oban Festival/ Dollar Contest/ Sandy Jones

Advice on How Best to Travel Safely With Your Pipes

Posted on      by      5 Comments

Well the good news is Barry got his pipes a couple of days after he arrived home, writes the Editor. The bad is that one projecting mount was chipped and there were other nicks here and there. I wondered if the imitation ivory had been deliberately cut to test for the real stuff. The leaflet that tells you they have been into your suitcase has a disclaimer regarding any damage…

More Advice on How Best to Travel Safely With Your Pipes

Editor’s Notebook: North Lanarkshire Schools PB/ Jet Travel/ Uist & Barra/ Braemar/ PS Conference

Posted on      by      1 Comment

Speaking to Ross Cowan regarding the recent expansion of teaching in North Lanarkshire, he tells me he has 120 kids on practice chanter and 12 moving on to pipes this year. Who says there’s no interest out there? Other Scottish local authorities cutting back on their schools music tuition should look to this Motherwell-based council for the way forward. Says Ross:  ‘The band will be depleted this year as a…

More Editor’s Notebook: North Lanarkshire Schools PB/ Jet Travel/ Uist & Barra/ Braemar/ PS Conference