From Jim Begg’s monthly distribution: . . . ‘Don’t get too prissy about how tight the bag is – it’s a reservoir, not a drum, and if you think at any time your playing is not that great, don’t blame the bag. Seasoning can have its lighter moments, like the time I had opened the big bay window of my Renfield Street shop during one of these rare sunny days in Glasgow. For no known reason, the cork suddenly shot out of one of the tenor drones, flew 10 feet across the room, bounced off of a pipe box and went straight out of the window – I didn’t look to see if any unfortunate passer-by was hit by the missile . . .’
PT Archives
From the 1966 report on the Flora MacDonald Cup, South Uist: ‘Col. Cameron first of all spoke of the Finlay Mackenzie bequest of £2,500 for the furtherance of piping . . . at a meeting it had been decided to purchase a set of pipes for presentation to the most suitable candidate . . . an advert was placed in two local papers inviting applications and the decisions were in favour of one William J Morrison, Locheynort. Before making the presentation Col Cameron added: ‘In 1908 under the auspices of the Piobaireachd Society classes were tutored by P/M John MacDonald, Inverness . . . I still have in my possession a snap of the original chanter class, all barefoot with the exception of one member who borrowed his granny’s boots for the occasion.They all became first class pipers so,Willie, you have a great tradition to uphold.’
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Reuters reported: ‘Inmates play bagpipes as part of their routine training inside Kotbhalwal central jail in Jammu, India. Jail authorities have formed a 20- member pipe band of a team of prisoners who are being trained to play and perform musical instruments. Once the band is ready, they will be sent to perform at weddings and other social functions, a jail superintendent said.The main aim of creating the pipe band is to develop relations of these prisoners with the rest of the outside world and to involve them in various social func- tions so as to change their mindset, the s u p e r i n t e n d e n t added.’