Piping Press

Piping Press has just learned of the death at the age of 80 of Lawrie Gillespie, former member of Pipe Major Iain McLeod’s World Championships winning Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band in 1971 and 1972.  Lawrie Gillespie was also a prominent competitor in the solo piping circuit. Following service in the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, Lawrie Gillespie joined Edinburgh City Police in 1962 where he served until he retired at…

Piping summaries: Drumming summaries:

The annual professional competition run by the Scottish Pipers’ Association was held at the NPC Otago Street and the NPC McPhater Street in Glasgow today (April 13). Results: A Piob:1 Darach Urquhart, Earl of Ross’s March2 Steven Leask, I Gave a Kiss to the KIng’s Hand3 Sarah Muir, End of the High Bridge4 William Geddes, Old Men of the Shells5 Allan Russell, Mary’s Praise B Piob:1 Finlay Cameron2 John McElmurray3…

P/M Roger Huth reports: A new year; a new venue. The RSPBA London and the South of England Branch committee members last weekend provided the southern echelon of competing pipers and drummers our first outing of the year in a different and very fitting venue. With plenty of inexpensive Sunday parking nearby, a short walk took us all to the portals of a clean and welcoming University of Bedford. When I…

The Scotsman newspaper reports today on the unveiling of the design of a sculpture (above) to commemorate the murder of piper Eilidh MacLeod, who died in the terrorist bomb outrage in Manchester two years ago. The paper reports: ‘Work is continuing on the bronze sculpture – featuring a young female bagpiper with her pipes at rest, reaching out a hand to a young boy also learning the instrument – which…