PP Editor’s Blog: Captain John Young/ Bk 16/Crieff etc.

IN all my years of writing about piping and pipe bands there has never been a story as touching as that of Captain John Young, Assam Regiment and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He was the officer who, hopelessly outnumbered and fearing encirclement and massacre by the Japanese, sent his men to safety while he remained alone at his jungle outpost. Thus he fulfilled his orders to fight to the last man…

PP Editor’s Blog: Crieff, Toronto Police New P/M, Muirheads Pic, SLoT Drums

Hector Russell has kindly sent me a copy of this picture taken in 1978 at the retiral of Muirhead & Sons P/M Robert Hardie and Leading Drummer Robert Turner. The line up is: Dougie Alexander (drummer), Peter Anderson (drummer), John Kirkwood (drummer), Lawrence Jenkins (Band Secretary), Robert Wallace (I know, I know), Robert Turner, Derek Boyd (piper), Willie Williamson (bass & tenor), Les Hutt (piper), John Christie (Band President), Jimmy…

Crieff’s Highland Games Plan to Restore Piping Competitions in 2016

Crieff Highland Gathering has confirmed that there will be no competitive piping at this year’s games. However, in an interview with pipingpress.com, the solo piping convenor, Mr Graham Taylor, voiced his intention, given support, of restoring the solo competitions in 2016. He also confirmed that the intention of the games committee was to have full day of ‘non-competitive’ piping at the Sunday, 16th August 2015 event. A number of duty pipe bands…

Crieff Abandons Piping – A Shameful Decision

Editor Robert Wallace: Crieff’s excuse of blaming the two-day Worlds and the RSPBA is a red herring. Last year and this, Glasgow Green was, and will be, busy on Friday and Saturday. Crieff is on a Sunday. That their committee has succumbed to that low emotion – victimhood – gives all credence to the lie. If we needed further evidence, then a read of Nick Hudson’s factual account in the comment…

Crieff Highland Games Abandons Piping Contests

In a shock move, the organisers of one of Scotland’s longest established Highland games has announced that they will no longer hold solo piping or pipe band contests during their August gathering. In a statement to the Competing Pipers’ Association they said: ‘As you will be aware the number of both participants & spectators at Crieff Games piping competitions has dwindled over the past few years. We believe that this…