ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
Maclachlan. T e transporting of such supplies from shore to ship was carried out with military precision, a spectacle enjoyed by many summer visitors. On other occasions tourists gave the boys cigarettes [sic] and sweets when they circulated the ship on sight- seeing boat trips.
In the late 1890s a piper named John Wallace took up employment as an instructor on T e Empress. John Wallace had previously been Pipe Major and piping instructor at Dr Guthrie’s Industrial School at Liberton in Edinburgh. Born in Edinburgh, he had served in the Argylls where he was tutored by Pipe Major Robert Meldrum. He was later a pupil of John MacDougall Gilles and became a successful competitive solo piper which included winning the Gold Medal piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering in 1901.
Within the short space of six months from joining T e Empress, John Wallace turned out an Empress
‘At that time a full set of pipes mounted with ivory cost around £4 per set…’
Juvenile Pipe Band of good standard. T e band became available for local functions and could oſt en be seen playing on the cast-iron bandstand, the base for which still exists in Kidston Park in Helensburgh. T e band also played at Inveraray Highland Games. T ere is evidence that they continued to exist at least until 1914. Duncan Fraser of Greenock made bagpipes for many customers in the area and it is likely that the company supplied bagpipes for the boys on the training ship. At that time a full set of pipes mounted with ivory cost
around £4 per set. As the pictures show, however, it is likely that all the boys played half-size bagpipes.
John Wallace remained in employment on T e Empress for only a few years and it was rumoured that he lost his job on account of frequent absences whilst competing at Highland Games. Nonetheless he leſt a legacy to the ship and the pipe band by composing a hornpipe with the title CTS Empress (see over). Other tunes attributed to John Wallace
CHAMPIONS REIGN WHEN IT POURS! IN THE BANDSPEC SFU STAY DRY
P/S Jack Lee, Robert Mathieson & P/M Terry Lee (ret’d.) of SFU Pipe Band 22 APRIL 2014 Pipe Band Magazine
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