Category: Letters

Responses and Conclusions in My Search for the Origin of My Historic Pipes

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A few readers got in touch after yesterday’s story on the pipes. Jim Robb: ‘Alan Bain maintained that his family’s ‘Avernish Pipes’ were made from hazel wood and had been bored with a red hot rod. They could still be played with a fairly modern chanter and were known in the family as ‘The Auld Sticks’. He said they had been made in Avernish, Kintail, and were about 200 years…

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Editor’s Notebook: ‘Pipeline’ Axed/ Copyright Appeal/ Highland Dress/ Andrew Wright/ Florida Academy

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So it seems the mainstream media has caught up with Piping Press and our story about the axing of key BBC Radio Scotland music shows including ‘Pipeline’. We even had one scribe claiming as an exclusive his report a full month after you read it here first. That’s how it goes and is not really important. What is is that we do all we can get the management at BBC…

More Editor’s Notebook: ‘Pipeline’ Axed/ Copyright Appeal/ Highland Dress/ Andrew Wright/ Florida Academy

History: GS, Bob Nicol and the 1926 Northern Meeting

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The results below, and the photograph above, are of undoubted interest to all pipers. The photograph is of George S McLennan and Robert B Nicol, clearly at a Highland Games. Not surprisingly, the original photograph, almost 100 years old, has faded due to age and the bottom of it has been torn off. What you see is one considerably enhanced thanks to modern-day technology. I found the picture in the effects of…

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Editor’s Notebook: Scott’s Competition March/ Piobaireachd Grounds/ Scottish Pipers/ Pipes Plea

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Following Dale Brown’s recent piece on the ‘same old, same old‘ pipe marches being chosen in competition, James MacHattie contacted us with regard to a less well known tune he often submits and is asked to play: Margaret Anne MacLeod. It is by the late Scott MacAulay and seems a good going piece. Following James’s message, Dale has now kindly forwarded us a copy of the tune. Could someone oblige…

More Editor’s Notebook: Scott’s Competition March/ Piobaireachd Grounds/ Scottish Pipers/ Pipes Plea

Editor’s Notebook: Hogmanay/ Stuart Liddell/ Queen’s Comment/ Grading/ Royal Bagpipe

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I hope everyone had a good New Year. The Hogmanay celebrations augured well for piping. Television channels BBC Alba and BBC2 had the pipes welcoming in the midnight bells (the latter featuring the Scots Guards P&D) and Buckingham Palace even put out a video showing Paul Burns, Sovereign’s Piper, piping down the steps at Buckingham Palace playing Auld Lang Syne (best to finish on high A with that setting Paul!)…

More Editor’s Notebook: Hogmanay/ Stuart Liddell/ Queen’s Comment/ Grading/ Royal Bagpipe