History: The London Championship of 1968, John MacFadyen, P/M Angus, Ian Cameron, Bob Brown, Ed Neigh, in the Prizes

This is from the ‘London Correspondent’ of the Oban Times. The contest was held at Buckingham Gate on April 6 that year. Pictured above is John MacFadyen with the Bratach Gorm….. In the piobaireachd for the Bratach Gorm. the winner for the third successive year, was John MacFadyen, Glasgow, with an outstanding performance of the Red Speckled Bull. Second was Robert U. Brown, Balmoral, with another excellent rendition of Patrick…

RSPBA Keep Minimum Size for Bands/ EUSPBA Winners/ Oban & Inverness

For the 2024 outdoor season the RSPBA are to continue with the lower minimum numbers of players in bands first introduced after the pandemic. They say that some bands continue to struggle for player numbers post pandemic and without the minimum sizes some might be faced with having to withdraw from a competition if members fall ill.  Minimums in Grade 1 for major and minor contests will be eight pipers,…

Pipe Major George Lumsden 1926 -2024

George Lumsden, one of the former Pipe Majors of the Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band, has died. He was in his 98th year and was being cared for in a nursing home. George was a native of Fife where he first learned his piping. A was also keen amateur boxer and a keep fit enthusiast throughout his long life. He was one of the young pipers recruited by the legendary…

CLASP Results

There was a good turn out for the first CLASP in-person competition of 2024 held in Glasgow on Saturday 13th January, writes Margaret Houlihan. Above is a picture of the Overall Winners, in Grade 1 John Frater (centre), in Grade 2 Donald Morrison (right), and in Grade 3 Adam Aitchison. The judges were Sandy Cameron (light music) and Eireann Iannetta-MacKay. Grade 1 Piobaireachd: 1 Con Houlihan  2 Eddie Boland 3 Graham Farr…

Editor’s Notebook: RSPBA Branch Reorganisation/ Prize Pipes/ Cailean’s Card/ NZ School/ Edinburgh Police Solos 1971

Whilst we are focussed on the matter of the ‘missing majors’ I think it would also be sensible if the RSPBA formally rationalised their branches. It is a good while now since the demise of the Fife and Central Scotland branches with their bands being absorbed into either Lothian & Borders or Dundee, Perth & Angus. But the names no longer make sense. All the former Central Scotland Branch bands…