PP Editor’s Blog: All Happening in the South West etc…..

To Dumfries the other night for a recital by Gordon McCready at the Hole in the Wa’ pub. The crowd enjoy a full evening of quality piping on a very good instrument.  Gordon was supported by 86-year-old Hamish Thow – clearly a player of note in his day, Alan Clement, and a very promising, clean fingered 11-year-girl, May Cranmer. Alan is, I think, Stuart Liddell’s cousin, and like the maestro, taught by his…

Captain Andrew Pitkeathly, Audio Recording and History

Thanks to Patrick Molard in Brittany we are today able to hear some of the superb piping of Captain Andrew Pitkeathly, former Piper to HM The Queen, and Director of Army Bagpipe Music at Edinburgh Castle. Patrick writes: ‘Hi Rab, here is a recording; it is Andrew Pitkeathly when he came over to Brittany in 1973 ( Batz-sur-Mer near La Baule), for a piping workshop and a competition. The quality of…

Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band as Reported in the 1950s

We thought that given the photographs and information we’ve all ready published on the City of Edinburgh Police Pipe Band, now sadly defunct, we should round things off with the history of the band as recorded in the Piping and Dancing Bulletin of the 1950s. Here’s how it reads: ‘The Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band; Tartan: Prince Charles Edward Stuart; Pipe Major: Duncan S. Cameron ‘The City of Edinburgh Police Pipe Band,…

New President Heads Pipe Bands Australia

Pipe Bands Australia has a new president following the retirement of Greg Gordon OAM after 19 years at the helm of the organisation. Taking over is Chris Earl who was elected in Adelaide, South Australia, where state branch councillors held their biennial conference. The conference acknowledged Greig’s outstanding contribution to, and leadership of, the national association over almost two decades. In accepting the gavel of office Chris congratulated Greg on his extraordinary…

PP Editor’s Blog: John MacFadyen Recording/ Edin. Police Names etc

New recording added to the sound archive today. It’s of John MacFadyen playing Too Long in This Condition complete with open fosgailte. The tune has been made available to PP readers thanks to Chris Terry, Grahamstown, South Africa. John recorded the tune when he was on a visit to the country in the early 70s. Listen here. The above picture shows John leading the march to the games at Glenfinnan….