This article, written by the legendary Jack Churchill, was published in the very first edition of The International Piper (May 1978). Jack Churchill was a British Army officer who fought in the Second World War with a longbow, bagpipes, and a Scottish broadsword. Nicknamed ‘Fighting Jack Churchill’ and ‘Mad Jack’, […]
Thousands of people are being encouraged to work from home for the first time due to the Coronavirus outbreak. For many of us, though, it’s just like any other week. There has been a trend in recent years for more of us to work from home and there are innumerable […]
Following Tommy Pearston’s article last week, cultivated from the Piping Times archives, we reproduce another of his pieces on hygiene, this time on the subject of disinfecting our instrument. This article appeared originally in the Piping Times of June 1953 and covers some misconceptions and sound advice on disinfecting our […]
With many events falling victim to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all monitoring the guidelines from our respective governments around the world. Our chosen is just that: a hobby. Some take it more serious than others but it’s still a hobby. As The National Piping Centre advised on […]
By Jeannie Campbell MBE At a piping competition in the early 1950s, Catriona Campbell (now Catriona Garbutt), was awarded third prize, playing against male competitors. She was pictured, below, with the judge, Seumas MacNeill. It is interesting to note that in the days before the advent of the Ladies’ pipe […]
Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. It’s a day that will be marked all around the world to reflect the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. We certainly have come along way since the bad old days of “blinkered sentiment” surrounding women competing in piping competitions. It […]
“Libraries gave us power” – A Design For Life, 1996, Manic Street Preachers. Today is the 23rd World Book Day. It’s a day designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It will be marked in over 100 countries and unlike some of these types of marketing […]
A common fun aspect to seasonal piping schools is asking youngsters to write a short story based around tune titles. Here is one such story written by Muriel Clayton and published in the April 1980 edition of The International Piper. Her story uses a number of piobaireachd titles and was […]
By Elizabeth B. Somerville, Edinburgh This article originally appeared in the December 1984 Piping Times. I was seven years of age when I went for my first piping lesson from Pipe Major James Sutherland, late of the 2nd Batallion Seaforth Highlanders. I didn’t learn much in the first few weeks […]
William MacLean (1876–1957) was born in Tobermory, Isle of Mull to Raasay parents. He was a pupil of Calum Piobaire and won all the major prizes of the early 1900s. William became Pipe Major of The 5th Cameron (Lochiel) Highlanders during the First World War. He is an important link […]
