British Pipe Band Championships 2018 – Grade 1 Review

I arrived at Paisley around lunchtime on Saturday and after a coffee, picked up a programme (free) and headed over to the Grade 1 arena for the 2pm start of the British Pipe Band Championship . Readers will know all the usual caveats about the audience not being as close as the judges are to the bands, extraneous chatter etc, etc and this should be borne in mind when they read this…

British Pipe Band Championships Underway in Glorious Sunshine

The first major championship of the pipe band season, the British, are underway at the St James Playing Fields, Paisley, with 126 bands vying for honours across all grades. The RSPBA’s superb team of judges, stewards and officials were on duty from early morning and the first band performance begins at 10am. Grade 1 begins at 2pm, the bands playing in the following order: 1 Buchan Peterson 2 Glasgow Skye 3…

Dundee City – Competition Report and Grade 2 Review

Some say his para is more ‘handy’ than diddle, others that to him a good reed is a Dan Brown paperback (spelling isn’t his strong suit)… others bemoan his lack of spacial awareness as he tramps with his cromach to the isles. All we know is, he is our favourite, our number one, our very own MacStig……. Having watched the online performances at Bangor, courtesy of Big Robert (plaudits for that),…

Inveraray Concert at Ballymena – Incredible Solo from Steven McWhirter Plus Picture Gallery

As part of their 70th year celebrations, Ballybriest Pipe Band hosted what was described as a ‘brilliant’ evening of entertainment at the ‘Live in Ballymena’ concert at the Tullyglass House Hotel, Ballymena, Northern Ireland on Friday 4th May featuring current World Champion pipe band Inveraray & District. This was the first time that Inveraray have put on a concert in Northern Ireland and under the direction of Pipe Major Stuart…

Early Season Round-Up of Grade 2 and More – MacStig is Back!

Some say he can drive, others that he only drives pipe majors mad…others that his spare kilt is more black mark than Black Watch…..all we know is that we hang on his every word, so let’s hear a big warm welcome back for everyone’s favourite pipe band correspondent, the one and only MacStig!…. Spring has finally sprung, a bit like the oil leak in the petrol guzzler en route from…