Following on from yesterday’s story on the new P/M RG Hardie Memorial Trophy, we have uncovered the above picture from the PP archives. It is of the Massed Bands at Pitlochry Highland Games and must be from the late 1960s. In those days bands formed up in two files, a Pipe Major leading one and a Pipe Sergeant the other. P/M Hardie is far left. To his right in the…
Congratulations to last weekend’s Grade 1 winners St Laurence O’Toole at Bangor, Northern Ireland, and Scottish Power at Banchory. It is good to see these big bands supporting the smaller contests and not just the major championships. At the latter the Power narrowly beat Fife Police on ensemble preference and at Bangor it was Field Marshal who were nudged into second on a third prize for their drummers. There has…
The British Newspaper Archive can provide an interesting and rewarding few hours for those searching for piping history. Below is the Inverness Courier’s report on the Northern Meeting in 1928. Remember it was held outside in those days, at the Northern Meeting Park close to where the Eden Court Theatre is today. Back then the Meeting was always a couple of weeks later than it is today – to tie in with…
Spare a thought for piper Darach Urquhart who suffered the opposing emotions of elation and disappointment at the Highlands & Islands Festival on Saturday. Firstly the piping steward read out his name as the winner of the March, Strathspey & Reel contest only for him to realise much later – and after he had been photographed with the winners’ trophy – that in fact there had been a mistake and the prize…
For this year’s senior piping there were five prizes in each class. There was also an extensive programme of junior piping. All events held at Oban High School. Double Silver Medallist Gordon Bruce was the P&A Grade champion, with good showings from Allan Russell, Darach Urquhart (pictured with Gordon) and Gordon McCready in the As and Euan Dewar, Andy Wilson and Ross Cowan in the Bs. There was a mix up over the winner…
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