The Missing Majors: Council Cash Cuts, RSPBA Statement, National Press Involved

All those piling in on the RSPBA regarding the difficulties over the ‘missing majors’ should have a close read at this statement from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the body that speaks for our local councils: ‘The Scottish Government has delivered a major blow to communities and has put councils at financial risk with a cash cut to local government. It will mean cuts in every community in Scotland…

Editor’s Notebook: Robert’s Top Job/ Mull of Kintyre/ Tools for Sale/ Pipers’ Persuasion/ Northern Meeting 1996

I hear that Robert Mathieson (pictured) has taken on the role of Convenor of the RSPBA’s Adjudicator’s Panel Management Board. Best man for the job, and the Board of Directors should not be slow in approaching him for ideas about how to solve the ‘missing majors’ crisis. Indeed there are several individuals on the APMB whose experience and knowledge should be drafted in to help. It’s got to be all…

‘Talk Piobaireachd’ Tonight / London Piper and His First Prize in 1937

The next session in the Piobaireachd Society’s popular ‘Talk Piobaireachd’ series of online tutorials is tonight at 8pm GMT. It features champion piper Jack Lee from British Columbia, Canada. Jack will discuss and play two tunes, Black Donald’s March and the Cave of Gold. The first is the tune with which he won his first Gold Medal, at Inverness, in 1981. The second is a more obscure, seldom heard tune,…

History of Clan MacRae Published in Book Form

Piping historian Iain Duncan has compiled a neat booklet on the history of the Clan MacRae Society Pipe Band. It is based on the series of five articles published in Piping Press and contains lots of photos and facts all readily accessible, writes the Editor. Not in the book is the photograph above. It was published in ‘Pipe Band’ magazine in the early 1980s and accompanied a letter. The writer,…

Irish Pipers and the Spanish Civil War/ Ross’s Xmas Song

Reader Alastair MacGregor on ‘Irish Pipers and the Spanish Civil War’: ‘I nearly choked on my cornflakes last week when l saw the request for information on the Irish pipers who fought for Franco’s fascists in the Spanish Civil War. ‘There can be many reasons for historical research – lets hope it’s not based on ambivalence or indifference. I’m not surprised there is difficult in tracking down relatives. I’d be…