History: The Scottish Pipers’ Association Junior Competition of 45 Years Ago

The following comes from the November 8, 1972 edition of the Oban Times and is by its then piping correspondent, John MacFadyen. The Oban Times is a popular newspaper and reflects a wide range of west Highland and Argyllshire news. To its credit it has, over the years, always had a piping column, a column usually written by a leading piper or authority on piping such as John. This article…

PP Ed’s Blog: US Sojourn Day 2 – Balmoral Classic Results/ Toronto Police Concert

Day two in Pittsburgh began with breakfast with Jimmy and Gordon Bell, illustrious sons of the late and equally illustrious George Bell, Bishopbriggs and New Jersey. I told them that  over the years I had been in regular contact with their father up until his death eight years ago. George had been taught by Bob Hardie in the Bishopbriggs Boys Brigade and in the Kenmure’s Pipe Band. Hardie would go…

PP Ed’s Blog: American Soujourn Day 1

Pittsburgh has indeed thrown off its smokey steel town reputation. Yesterday I was given a tour of the metropolis by Andrew Carlisle and saw for myself the parks, the clean rivers the clean air – a distinct turnaround from the days of belching chimneys and Scot Andrew Carnegie’s industrial empire. That empire has endowed the city with some magnificent buildings and universities however and everywhere you get the feeling of…

Band Formations Poll/Nicol-Brown Information/Hawick BB

There was considerable response to yesterday’s essay on pipe band formations and to further gauge opinion we have a new poll. We hope as many readers as possible will respond:   [polldaddy poll=8982241] Our last poll on 2/4 marches posed the question: ‘Should we be free to alter music for 2/4 marches as we see fit’. 33% said ‘yes’, it was traditional music after all; 31% it depended on the…

PP Video Archive/ John MacDonald Recording/RSPS pic/Mod Reminder

New PP Video Archive page launched today with a slideshow from the Argyllshire Gathering. It has pictures from before WW2 right up to the present day.  The picture above is included. It is from the games at Oban in 1950, and the pipers left to right are: John Finlay, Charlie Scott, Willie Connell, Donald MacLean (Lewis), a shy looking John Burgess, George Stoddart, J O’Grady and R Henderson. John D. had…