After Pipe Major Bob Shepherd MBE passed away last year I felt the need to commemorate him in some way and to pay my tribute to the man and his extraordinary accomplishments. First of all, I would like to go back in time somewhat. My first encounter with Bob Shepherd was in 1977 shortly before my 15th birthday. I went to the World Pipe Band Championships in Aberdeen with my father….my…

By Laëtitia Bernigaud From August 7 to 16, 2020, we should have celebrated the 50th year of the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, entitled ‘Year of Brittany’, and half a century of contemporary ‘intercelticism’. It is hard to believe 50 years have passed since the arrival in 1971, in Lorient, of the National Bagadoù Championship, the forerunner of the Festival. In five decades the ‘Fête des Cornemuses’ associated with the first Lorient…

UK Government scientists this week predicted a ‘reasonable worst case scenario’ of 119,000 deaths in January and February next year during a second wave of Covid-19. As we all recoil in horror, it is worth bearing in mind that there are opposing views in the scientific community about all this, the lack of unanimity among boffins a feature of the pandemic. But if this unlikely and disastrous circumstance were to…

There is a vacancy created by another withdrawal from Aboyne, writes Dr Jack Taylor. Anyone interested in entering will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. Six piobaireachd and three MSRs are needed, tunes chosen on the day.  An audio recording is made on Games Day, 1st August, supervised by one of our stewards. Contact me on jackandmarytaylor@gmail.com or 07999955386. Details are on the entry form here. At least there won’t…

We have always been sceptical about the claim that P/M James Robertson’s 6/8 march Farewell to the Creeks was the source for the melody for Bob Dylan’s song ‘The Times They are a Changin’ as often quoted in the national press. In this investigation the writer debunks the claim further. P/M Robertson is pictured above in his Army days and shortly before his death in 1961. By Dr Stuart Eydmann…