Piping Press

Jimmy McIntosh on the archive report on Willie MacDonald, Benbecula’s Clasp in 1967: ‘My late friend Peter Forbes and myself stayed with Willie at that time. (Peter served in the HLI with Willie.) That morning when we were getting ready to go to Rose Street [the venue for the competition], Willie didn’t have his kilt jacket. His wife Margaret had forgotten to get it from the dry cleaners so Willie…

I was interested to read the extracts from the May 1936 issue of the Piping & Dancing’ magazine which Piping Press featured recently and in particular the item relating to the ‘Ulster Notes’. The North of Ireland Bands Association formed in 1907 exists to the present day. In its heyday in the 1940s / 50s it had a membership of 250 bands. Pipe bands joined it in 1911 and remained in membership…

The third and final part of Harry Stevenson’s very well received series…. Japan had entered the war in December 1941 with an unprovoked attack on the United States Navy at Pearl Harbour and also by occupying British, Dutch and United States possessions in the Pacific and Far East.  Burma fell to the Japanese, and with their next objective the conquest of India, the 14th Army composed of British and Indian…

Ulster piper and RSPBA adjudicator Harry Stevenson continues his look at pipe tunes associated with World War II… With the German and Italian forces defeated in North Africa, the Allies moved on to Sicily and after success there, the next objective was to invade mainland Italy. Italy was regarded as the ‘soft underbelly of Europe’ but proved to be anything but. The town of Cassino lies 80 miles south of…

We continue with our look back through piping history. We know readers appreciate these ‘blasts from the past’ and thank you to all those who have forwarded old photographs and newspaper clippings. Please keep them coming. The following is from the Press & Journal newspaper, Aberdeen, September 30, 1967. The report reads: Mr William MacDonald, a native of Benbecula, carried off the piping world’s major trophy at the Northern Meeting…