Category: Letters

Editor’s Notebook: Henderson’s Shop/ Highland Games/ Sir John MacDonald/ Stuart Easton/ Campbeltown Book

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On a pleasant perambulation through Glasgow city centre the other day I passed the Atholl Arms pub in Renfrew Street. They’ve this old picture in the window. If you look closely you can see bagpipemaker Peter Henderson‘s shop next door at number 24. This was where John MacDougall Gillies held court of a Saturday, passing on his great knowledge to those crowding in. It was here too that RG Hardie…

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Jim Butler, Pipers’ Whisky Pipe Band/ British Columbia Pipers Association Gathering 2022

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I was so sorry to read about the death of Jim Butler, writes Iain Duncan.  Such a nice guy, we were Pipe Sergeants of our respective bands, Jim, Pipers’ Whisky (they had various incarnations), and me with Glasgow Skye.   Latterly we would bump into each other at Piping Live and 2019 was the last time we met (in the Ardnamurchan restaurant across from the Piping Centre).  For the PP…

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Editor’s Notebook: The Never Decreasing Circle/ Develop the Worlds Medley/ Bob McFie/ Miscellany

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For all the detailed, cogent explanation given by Alistair Aitken for judging inconsistency in pipe band competition the main culprit, in my view, is the circle formation used virtually unchanged by the RSPBA for not far off 100 years. I’ve droned on about this long and weary, but with judges wandering about the playing area seemingly at random, different walking patterns for every band, is it any wonder there’s a…

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Editor’s Notebook: Spotlight on London/ Ross of the Guards/ Sunbelt Contest/ Lachie Robertson

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London’s piping heritage will come under focus this evening in the fourth of the Piobaireachd Society’s season of ‘Talk Piobaireachd’ sessions. In the hot seat will be the Society’s Treasurer Roddy Livingstone. The ‘first city of the Empire’ has always had a prominent role to play in pipng too. Consider the regimental bands of the Guards, the Queen’s Piper, Campbells at nearby Cambridge, Dr MacPhail, the Bratach Gorm, Les Cowell…

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Editor’s Notebook: Hopeful Signs for 2022 Season/ Dale Brown/ Ken Eller/ Northern Meeting 1971

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Whether coincidental or by design, the considerably more positive statement which has appeared on the RSPBA website subsequent to my comments of last week regarding the forthcoming pipe band season, are to be welcomed. The Association is working hard on the majors (judges, stewards, compilers), is filling in gaps on the minors, and has their promoters, our cash-strapped Scottish local authorities, in constant and close contact. The feeling in Washington…

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