Information on UK Pipe Band Championship and Northern Ireland Season

The RPSBA has announced that the United Kingdom Championships will be hosted in the city of Bangor, County Down and facilitated by the Ards & North Down Council on Saturday May 18th . I have little doubt that the local NI Branch will have had a major input into achieving this outcome as they would in any event have been discussing the annual local contest which generally takes place either…

Can You Help Identify These Pipers?

Reader and well known amateur piper Dugald Macleod has sent us three striking photographs. He writes: ‘I wonder if you or your readers could help in identifying the pipers in these photos. ‘I think they are of the South Uist Games in the early 1930s, and were taken by Margaret Fay Shaw. ‘I wonder if they show John Macdonald, South Uist, (Seonaidh Roidean) and his brother Ruairidh?’ The editor writes:…

WAPOL Looking for New Pipe Major

Western Australia Police Force are currently advertising for the position of Pipe Major of their pipe band. The position is permanent and full time and has an annual salary of circa. £46,000 per annum. The force state: ‘Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive Curriculum Vitae (CV). Your CV should provide enough detail (dot points are sufficient) to allow the selection panel to assess your skills, experience and qualifications. ‘Your…

Editor’s Notebook: John Burgess Gold Medal/ Recordings Mystery Solved/ Jimmy McIntosh Memorial/ Reminders

Referencing my earlier post about young lowlander Norman Graham being denied a place at the Northern Meeting in 1970, it occurred that special dispensation must have been given to John Burgess two decades earlier. We all know that John was the youngest ever winner of the Gold Medal when he was awarded the coveted prize in 1950 playing Castle Menzies. Twenty years later young Norman, also 16, was denied the…

New Zealand Pipe Band Championships Attracts Record Entry – Juvenile Grade Largest in World

Fifty-two bands will take part in next month’s New Zealand Pipe Band Championships making it the largest pipe band competition event outside of Europe. ‘Having so many bands attend the ‘Nationals’ is a testament to the hard work of teaching organisations and bands throughout the southern hemisphere,’ said RNZPBA President Iain Blakeley.  Current New Zealand Pipe Band champions are:  Mr Blakeley went on: ‘Bands from across Australia and New Zealand will…