Taynuilt Games

A blustery day at the Argyllshire village games near Oban. Rain threatened but never materialised. Eight played in the ceol beag and six in the ceol mor. Champion piper was Darach Urquhart. Piob 1 Darach Urquhart (Big Spree) 2 Euan Dewar 3 Jamie Forrester Judges: G Clark, R Clark March 1 Darach Urquhart 2 Gordon MacLean 3 Jamie Forrester S&R 1 Euan Dewar 2 Darach Urquhart 3 Jamie Forrester Jig…

Band Formations Poll/Nicol-Brown Information/Hawick BB

There was considerable response to yesterday’s essay on pipe band formations and to further gauge opinion we have a new poll. We hope as many readers as possible will respond:   [polldaddy poll=8982241] Our last poll on 2/4 marches posed the question: ‘Should we be free to alter music for 2/4 marches as we see fit’. 33% said ‘yes’, it was traditional music after all; 31% it depended on the…

Harpenden Highland Games/ Roddy Cannon Eulogy

 Harpenden Highland Games John Angus Smith was the overall winner at the games held at the weekend near London. Adjudicator Roddy Livingstone:  Re your report on Corby, the points regarding pipe bands / teaching etc. are well made and mirror comments of people like myself, Andrew Hall, Hugh Jamieson, Alan Beaton, Jimmy Banks, ‘Gabby’ Roe, Brian MacRae….. (the list goes on) over many years!  The Scottish Piping Society of London is seeking…

PP Editor’s Blog: Corby Games/ German Results/ Inverness Games/ Film Gig

Forty years ago I was at Corby, in Northants, for the World Pipe Band Championships (yes, the fated we wuz robbed event). Last weekend saw me back there almost to the day to judge the solo piping. Thanks to the influx of steelworkers in the 50s and 60s, Corby has a strong Scottish heritage, and a few thousand turned out for the games and pipe band competition. Before proceedings got…

PP Editor’s Blog: Captain John Young/ Bk 16/Crieff etc.

IN all my years of writing about piping and pipe bands there has never been a story as touching as that of Captain John Young, Assam Regiment and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He was the officer who, hopelessly outnumbered and fearing encirclement and massacre by the Japanese, sent his men to safety while he remained alone at his jungle outpost. Thus he fulfilled his orders to fight to the last man…