History: Teaching Teachers 50 Years ago

The following is from the Oban Times of 51 years ago and is by their then piping correspondent John MacFadyen. It mentions the Institute of Piping. This body was formed of the Piobaireachd Society, the Army School and the College of Piping and was the forerunner of today’s Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board… …….The Institute of Piping course for teachers has got off to a flying start and for the…

Catriona Hill and PS Summer School/ Scottish Pipers’ Veterans Entries

The Piobaireachd Society has announced that their 2025 Summer School of Ceol Mòr has sold out with 31 students signed up, a significant increase from this year. The school takes place at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Gaelic College on the island of Skye from June 1 – 6. President Robert Wallace said: ‘There is considerable appetite for high level instruction in ceol mòr. The Society is delighted to be able to…

Canadian Judge in Plea to PPBSO Members/ CLASP Online Results

Well-known piping and pipe band adjudicator Bob Worrall has called on members of the Piping and Pipe Band Society of Ontario (PPBSO) to support their board members during the current legal action and attendant controversy. In a statement on social media Mr Worrall (pictured below) writes: ‘For months now I have read and been made aware of a vicious online campaign directed toward the PPBSO Board and Chair of the…

Editor’s Notebook: Leslie’s Pipes/ Schools Jobs/ EUSPBA Vote/ John’s Book/ Piping Pop Groups

Next Friday (December 6) a set of pipes that belonged to the late Dr Leslie Craig will go under the auctioneer’s hammer in Glasgow. Great Western Auctions have put a price of between £1,200 and £1,600 on the Robert Gillanders instrument. The description reads: ‘A full set of ebonised white metal and ivory mounted Scottish Highland bagpipes. The mounts hand engraved with a thistle foliate pattern; together with an RG…

News from Across the Water: SLOT Headline Charity Night/ NI Success at WSD/ David Hanna/ Blackthorn/ FM Drummers

St Laurence O’ Toole Pipe Band will headline the ‘Kids with Cancer Charity Concert’ on Saturday 22nd March, 2025, in the Royal Hotel, Cookstown. SLOT, under the leadership of P/M Alen Tully and L/D Stephen Creighton, are the current UK Champions and World Champion drum corps. Also on the programme will be a ’70s tribute band with P/M David Caldwell and John Scullion in charge. As this is the first…