There are so many old makers that we have yet to positively attribute works to, that short of carefully removing all of the lacquer in the hope of trying to find a maker’s stamp, we may never really know who made this set until something very similar surfaces. Not just one or two of the features being similar, but all. By George Hannah Some of the features that stand out…
Michael Grey, the invigorating new President of Ontario’s Piping and Pipe Band Society, lamented on social media the decline of bands and piping in his province. Mike’s bout of mild depression was occasioned by his perusal of an old programme from 1972 of the Canadian National Exhibition Intercontinental Gathering held in Toronto. Ontario then was second only to Scotland in the piping empire. Dozens of bands in every grade. Top…
It was always a dream of mine that one fine day up in Highlandshire, when it was pouring down and I am making my way through the 43rd charity shop of the holiday, I would spot a manky old wooden box holding up a tea set in the display window. Removing the china, I would fish out and blow the dust off the box to reveal on the lid the…
Last Saturday the grounds of Antrim Castle Gardens echoed to the sound of pipe bands as it hosted the third of the local RSPBA NI Branch’s 2022 competition programme. Twenty one bands and twenty six drum majors competed on the day and despite the absence of a number of the leading bands there was a good attendance of spectators. Closkelt once again won the Grade 1 contest unopposed however they…
There was a good crowd and plenty of entertainment including a Father’s Day race and the potential nucleus of a new North-East Pipe Band, surely to be known as the Hazelhead Giants, writes Dr Jack Taylor. There were a number of call-offs from the pipe band competition leaving Buchan Peterson uncontested in grades 2 and 1. Champion Piper Ben Duncan is pictured above playing part of Beloved Scotland to earn…
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