PP Ed’s Blog: Adjudicator Panel/ London Pictures/ Inverness Recital etc.

Congratulations to John Wilson (left) on his election as Convenor of the RSPBA’s Adjudicator Panel following their meeting last weekend. The full list of appointments was: Convener: John Wilson Vice Convener: Peter Snaddon Secretary: Robert Mathieson Drum Major Adjudicators’ Representative: John Noble Piping Adjudicators’ Representative: Donald MacPhee Drumming Adjudicators’ Representative: Paul Turner Ensemble Adjudicators’ Representative: Cameron Edgar I hope the previous difficulties are now forgotten and the panel can move on. I hope too that they will consider reinstating Ian…

A Look Back at the 2016 London Championship

Ian Duncan and I judged the A Grade Piobaireachd for the Ram’s Horn Snuff Mull. Committee Room 5 at the Kensington Conference Centre was the venue and, though adequate, the close proximity of the bench to the room’s playing area may have intimidated some of the pipers and contributed to the mixed standard of play. Two tunes were out on their own: Darach Urquhart’s Big Spree and Nick Hudson’s Lament for…

London Championship – Bratach Goes to Callum, Gillies to Andrew Hayes, Gordon Takes MSR

The above picture shows some of the winners with their trophies at this year’s London Championship. Unfortunately some successful pipers had to leave early to catch flights back to Scotland. Full results below. Stay tuned for comment on the day from the Editor plus a full array of photographs.  Piobaireachd for the Dr Calum MacCrimmon Bratach Gorm (7 tunes) 1 Callum Beaumont  2 Finlay Johnston, MacLeod of MacLeod’s Lament 3 Jack Lee,…

London Championship Underway/ St Thomas New Job Announced/ Dowco-Boghall Switch/ Argylls Book

The Annual London Championship is now underway at the Kensington Conference Centre. All the main piobaireachd events started at 8.30am, the aim being to ensure an earlier finish than hitherto. The premier grade March Strathspey and Reel contest will be once through each tune only, again in order to save time. Entries this year are up on last with 14 contending the coveted Bratach Gorm for piobaireachd (seven tunes asked)…

History of the Scottish Piping Society of London: The 60s to Present Day

We conclude our illuminating history of this illustrious Society written by former president Adam Sanderson. Thanks again to Adam for his contribution to Piping Press……….. Through the early 1960s not much had changed for the Scottish Piping Society of London. James Campbell of Kilberry was still President of the Society, with R.A. Gillies as Vice President and David Ross as P/M. Jim Caution was now Hon. Secretary, and well known…