RSPBA Give Green Light to Adjudicator Consultation

The following proposals were recommended by the Board of Directors and approved at the RSPBA’s AGM:  Critique sheet moving from duplicate to triplicate form – this means the judges can retain a copy for their own use during a competition the other two copies handed over to Association officials. Two major championships, the Europeans at Forres and the UK in Belfast, will pilot a scheme whereby judges have the option…

PP Editor’s Blog: SG Pipers/ Highlands & islands/ SPA KO/ Florida Award/ Silver Medal Tunes etc.

The above picture is of three doughty Scots Guards pipers (l to r) P/Sgt Jimmy Banks, Iain Wood and P/M Angus MacDonald. It looks as though the picture was taken in the early 1970; venue unknown. Jimmy and Angus are well known to everyone in the piping world but I would be grateful for more on Iain Wood who I’m afraid I don’t know. Reminder: entries for the Highlands &…

World Pipe Band Championships – Grade 1 Prizewinners over the Years

Most readers will be aware of the winners of the World Pipe Band Championship over the years. Indeed many of you will be able to reel off the names of those bands who’ve made it to the number one position and maybe even the year(s) in which they did it. However how many can remember all the great bands who ‘only’ got  second? Not a lot we think. Yet the…

Uist & Barra Professional Competition Comment & Photographs

A Look Back at the 2016 Uist & Barra Professional Solo Piping Contest by Robert Wallace One conversation I had recently was over the changing of the guard at the top of world solo piping. On Saturday at the Uist & Barra contest in Glasgow it was there for all to see. Every first prize went to a player from the younger generation. And quite right too. I’ll start with…

Argyllshire Gathering Announces Gold & Silver Medal Contestants

The Argyllshire Gathering have announced the competitors in this year’s major Gold and Silver Medal competitions to be held in Oban on August 24/25. As last year, 28 places have been allocated in each event. Piping Convenor Torquil Telfer said:  ‘These selection were arrived at after much deliberation and consideration. We have tried to be as fair as possible based on the information available on each player and his/her track record. We always…