Manorcunningham Celebrate Successful Year and Are Now Recruiting

John Kelly reports….After a year out in 2016, Manorcunningham Pipe Band made a welcome return to the Grade 2 pipe band competition arena in 2017 picking up an amazing 41 trophies in a most successful year. To celebrate this success the band held a celebratory dinner in the Arena 7 Restaurant, Letterkenny on Saturday 7th October.  Earlier in the day the band members gathered in the band’s practice hall in Manorcunningham village for what…

Captain John MacLellan Memorial Results (pictures added)

More than 50 pipers took part in what was a very well run series of competitions at the Army School of Piping and Highland Drumming at Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh. There were nine competitions over four grades with everything completed by 4.30pm. Pictures courtesy Major Gordon Rowan, Director of Army Bagpipe Music. P Grade Overall Champion: Iain Speirs P Grade Piobaireachd: 1st: Iain Speirs 2nd: Callum Beaumont 3rd: Glenn Brown 4th: Faye…

PP Ed’s Blog: Northern Meeting Names/ Capt. John Contest Draw/ Worlds Pictures/ Tom Knobel, South Africa

Thanks to Greig Canning for supplying the missing names and awards from in Tuesday’s picture from the 2004 Northern Meeting at Inverness rerun above. Names and prizes are (standing l – r):  James Beaumont (‘B’ S&R), Alastair Dunn (Silver Medal), Ian K MacDonald (‘A’ H&J), Richard Hawke (‘A’ MSR), Simon McKerral (2nd ‘A’ MSR), P/M Michael Gray (Dress & Deportment?), and Donald MacPhee (2nd Gold Medal). Seated from the left…

The Northern Winter School and Teaching in Germany

Principal of the Northern Winter School in Lohheide, P/M Ronnie Bromhead, has written to the Editor about the origins and ethos of his successful enterprise. The school runs from November 10 -17…. ‘I thought it was about time something happened in the north of Germany and I had played with the idea for quite some time. I asked Craig Munro of Wallace Bagpipes and Jim Semple [RSPBA Adjudicator and ex-Strathclyde Police…

Glasgow Branch Workshop & Contest/ Inverness Piping Soc./ N Mtg 2004/ Pipe Bands Australia

The Glasgow & West of Scotland Branch of the RSPBA are holding their annual October Workshop from Monday October 16 to Friday October 20th. Only £20 for a week of expert tuition. Correspondent Maureen Gilmour writes: ‘For many years the Branch has been committed to the enhancement of piping and drumming practical skills and theoretical knowledge of Branch juvenile pipers and drummers through the provision of a workshop held each year…