Berlin Wall, London

Twenty years since the Berlin Wall came down. Hard to believe. We did a 10 day gig in the GDR capital East Berlin in 1976. What a trip. Cheap Russian vodka and a rich soup, soljanka, were the diet. We recorded an album in a converted studio formerly used as an admin centre by the Nazis. It was right at one of the sentry posts on the wall and we had to walk past with the searchlights, dogs, barbed wire, the whole bit. You would never have believed then that 13 years later it would all be over. Getting into the country was hard going with all the documentation. Getting back into the UK was almost as bad. Special Branch at the airport.

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I'm not sure about the popularity of the pipe in the former GDR but when I was in the Czech Rep. last month I heard there were two or three bands sprouting, one in Leipzig. Only a matter of time before they get the bug and the CoP German Tutor, now in its second reprint, is bound to help. I forgot to mention in an earlier blog that we had our ace translator Justus Twele over in Glasgow a couple of weeks back. What a great job he did on the book and all in the same great spirit of charity that sustains our work. Pity not everyone is so generously minded.
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Stuart Liddell continued his great form by taking the top awards at London. Stuart (left with Bratach) must have coped very well with the poor tuning conditions for the main auditorium events (cold final tuning room, noisy air conditioning and only four minutes on the stage). I'm all for shortening tuning times but surely London can do better than this. Give me the Glaziers any day.

I heard Stuart's Gillies Cup tune the 'Earl of Ross's March' and very good it was too. The pipe wasn't quite right when he blew up but four minutes later it was singing. He seems to know the instrument so well at the moment. It was beginning to drift ever so slightly by the end right enough but at no time detracted from his controlled and thoughtful presentation of what can be a monotonous piece in the wrong hands.

Another tune I heard was Innes Smith's 'MacRae's March'. This earned him fourth prize in the 'A' piobaireachd. I enjoyed his playing but to be honest I have heard Innes in better form and the pipe didn't quite last. His mother Catriona told me that they had been at the Lewis and Harris Gathering the night before so maybe that had something to do with it. Innes is an orthopaedic surgeon and we sometimes forget pipers with demanding day jobs just don't have the same time to commit as some others do.

Another fine young piper I had a word with was Duncan Grant. He tells me he is thinking of moving up to Glasgow to develop his music writing career. He is based in London at the moment working in advertising. Another piper with hidden talent. His music writing is all self taught would you believe, and covers every genre.

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Well done to D Naill and Co for sponsoring London by giving them a smashing set of pipes for the raffle. And the good news is that they went to someone who will make good use of them - Northern Ireland's promising Emmett Conway. As well as the pipes, Emmett, a pupil of Jonathan Greenlees and member of the FMM, took a couple of good prizes too. What a day for the young man! He is pictured above receiving his pipes from London President Adam Sanderson.

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A word too for Liz and Derek Maxwell of sponsors Glenfiddich who were in attendance. I know we in the piping world keep saying it, but where would we be without William Grant and Sons?

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After the contest and a few pix of Stuart it was home. I want to thank big Rod for accompanying me to Victoria for the bus north. We had a few drinks in the bar at the station and he regaled me with some amazing tales of his old days with the B Cal band under P/M Bob Richardson. Trips all over the world with Ronnie MacShannon, Campbell McGuigan, P/M Angus, Rab Turner, Hughie MacInnes and many others. As Rod himself says, they never paid for a flight yet and many of them went first class. Ten days in Barbados all expenses paid and only two small spots to do. St Andrews Nights in downtown Santiago, Chile. Piping for the tyrant Idi Amin.....Someone should write these stories down. I remember saying the same to John Burgess many years ago. He didn't and I imagine most of his stories, Willie Ross et al, are gone forever.

Roddy MacDonald, London, Queensland

To London tonight via the sleeper - something of a flawed description for most people I suspect - but anything is better than airports these days. Will post the results from the Kensington Conference Centre as soon as poss. Looking forward to seeing everyone and hearing some good piping. The Circle Line tube is closed over the weekend so buses and taxis will be the order of the day Sat and Sun.

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Roddy MacDonald, Pipe Major of the Queensland Police PB, was on the phone the other day and tells me he is enjoying his time down there. It's eight years since he moved. He told me of some good Australian piping connections. One chap he knows, Brendan Hood, has the pipes which belonged to P/M George Ross of the Black Watch and the subject of that very fine 'Farewell' march by Willie Lawrie. Roddy says it's not one of his favourites but I think it pretty good and have enjoyed hearing Alasdair Gillies play it live and on CD.

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Roddy says the Queensland band are employed by the Chief Constable not to compete but to perform all the important ceremonial duties associated with his force. Very highly are they thought of too. The band is following closely the fortunes of their Strathclyde counterparts.
Had a call today confirming that they won't be at the Cenotaph in George Square on Sunday.
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Roddy tells me that John Flett, the subject of Donald MacLeod's tune 'Flett from Flotta', died in New South Wales after emigrating. Flett is still a common name in Orkney. Talking of tunes, Roddy's book (left) is selling well and is available from the CoP Shop. There's also a good review in the latest PT by young US piper Derek Midgley. Derek has been getting lessons at the CoP and is a fine player with great potential. He is also a member of Chris Armstrong's Scottish Power band. Derek has just returned to Scotland from a Hallowe'en Party in Las Vegas. He was telling me about it but fell asleep halfway through. Must have been some do.

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At Wellington Point in Queensland lived Skyeman Donald MacKinnon, composer of the reel 'The Sound of Sleat'. He was with Roddy's father on his Pipe Major's Course at Edinburgh Castle. Willie MacDonald, Benbecula, (always called thus to differentiate him from Willie MacDonald, Inverness) remains in hospital and is quite ill so our best wishes to him. One of my earliest, memories of Willie (Benbecula) was at the Chelsea Town Hall in 1976 on my first trip to the London Competition . Willie (pictured right at the Northern Meeting Ceilidh in 1966) came on in the Bratach and, after a few minutes tuning, the bass drone stopped. Undaunted, he laid the pipe down on top of the upright piano on the stage, took off the Glengarry, pulled a suitably long hair from his receding pate, calmly inserted it under the tongue of the bass drone reed, tipped up the pipes again and launched into his tune. I think he got a prize too.

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Roddy tells me that my old BB Staff Sergeant Gordon Ferguson has fully recovered from his illness and is back at work. Great news, and I asked Roddy to pass on my best wishes. Gordon, as you may have read in an earlier blog, was Pipe Sergeant of the 214th BB when I was a mere 12 year old. He was always very kind to the young lads in the band - encouraging and thoughtful. I followed in his footsteps to Muirhead and Sons PB but he left the year before I joined. I used to bump into him every year or so at the Worlds when he was home from Oz. The last time I saw him before he took ill was in Brisbane a couple of years ago when he came along to my recital. Still the same Gordon.

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PT Reader Dave Mason now in Ohio has sent this on: 'The next pandemic! I went to a dinner party last night, where I and other guests enjoyed copious amounts of alcohol. I awoke this morning with flu-like symptoms; headache, nausea, chills, sore eyes. As a result, I have unfortunately tested positive for what a cadre of experts are now calling Wine Flu. This debilitating condition is serious - and it appears this is NOT an isolated case. Reports are flooding in from across the country of others now being diagnosed with Wine Flu. To anyone exhibiting the aforementioned symptoms, experts recommend a cup of tea and a bit of a lie down. However, should your condition worsen, you should immediately rent a DVD and call in sick. Then take the only drug proven to combat this usual type type of flu - a McDonald's Happy Meal. If that doesn't work, further application of the original liquid, in familiar quantities, has been shown to do the trick. Wine Flu does not NEED to be life threatening!'

Glenfiddich Weekend

Just back from Blair Atholl/ Pitlochry where, despite the weather, everyone had a great time. I'll have a full report in the next PT so make sure you get your copy. One of the pipers was Alastair Dunn of the Field Marshal Montgomery band and before I headed north he sent me this nice picture of him and his wife Margaret and their new baby Calum, already christened by some wag 'Alastair's new CD'. During the contest the child was as good as gold sleeping contentedly anytime I saw him at the hotel or in the castle corridor, though MC John Wilson swears he was wakened by what he thought was a howling banshee in the middle of the night but what turned out to be a baby at full throttle. If it was you Calum, good on you. First time Wilson's been defeated in the vocal stakes for a long time.

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We woke to a lovely morning. Perthshire in autumn is

hard to beat and this was the view from our bedroom

window, mist filling the Tummel glen, and trees protruding above. Photographer Derek Maxwell told me that the trees were the legacy of a certain Duke of Atholl who many years ago planted them not for the benefit of guests at the Glenfiddich but so that on maturity they could be cut down for shipbuilding.

It was pleasant to share breakfast at the Atholl Palace Hotel with Gwen and Donald MacPherson. Both looked fit and well and Donald tells me he is still teaching on a Monday and Tuesday and that Stuart Shedden's son has taken his dad's place on the lessons roster.

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Glenfiddich stalwarts John and Sheila Finlay were there. John asked me if the Archie MacLean (left) he'd seen judging in the PT was the same Archie that played with him in the Clan MacRae back in the 70s. I assured him it was. John hadn't seen him since 1974 and was pleased to see his name and to know that he was still involved in piping.
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Friday night was a hoot I must say. Locked into agreeable company with Iain MacFadyen, John Wilson and Bill Livingstone, the master raconteur (John) held the floor with some priceless stories which had us chortling into our beer. Bill insists that John gets these tales, so full of West Highland and Glasgow humour, down for posterity. I agree. So John, get to it.

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My attempts to blog from the hotel met with no success but I later discovered free wi-fi in the reception area and was able to post the results on Saturday evening as soon as I got back.

Now not one to blow the personal trumpet as they say, but is this blog ever wrong? Didn't I tell you Stuart Liddell would win? No, but I did say that if I was a betting man I'd put my money on him. He has been in sparkling form all year. On the Friday I had a quick talk with him and he said that he had expected his solo form perhaps to drop a little given the time constraints his band, Inveraray, placed on him. But as Stuart said himself, when it came to the crunch, he was able to deliver no matter the circumstances. Sign of a great player.

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Bruce Gandy tells me that the Editorial on the College of Celtic Performing Arts a couple of issues ago hit the mark but that I was wrong to describe their piping instructor as of Grade 1 standard. He is actually an Open player now and is going to Bruce for lessons. The piper is determined to improve he said. He couldn't do better than go to Bruce, the outstanding piping figure in the Maritimes and currently installed as instructor at Halifax Citadel.

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On Sunday it was down to Perth for a meeting of the Joint Committee on Judging on which I am the Piobaireachd Society's rep. It was my first stint and I was extremely impressed by the effort that is made by all concerned, the CPA, the judges and the promoters, to get the best possible arrangements for our competing pipers.

Glenfiddich Weekend

Letter from Kabul, G'fidd

Three of the Strathclyde boys were in the CoP yesterday. Still no firm news nor a firm date for the publication of the force's review on their future. They did confirm that they definitely won't be doing Armistice Day. Pity. Given the sacrifice in Afghanistan this will be at the forefront of the public's mind more than ever this year. One PT reader, Robert Gunther, is serving with the US's NATO contingent. He has emailed from Kabul:

'I think I would give you a piping update from Kabul, Afghanistan!

Suprisingly, there is a lot going on! Besides myself, there

is a LCPL "Piper" PraKash with the Gurka Logistics Group at ISAF HQ and there are 2 US Warrant Officers who are teaching about 7 of their soldiers to play, using the College Tutor 1, I might add. I made sure to ask to see if they are on the right path!! We still have been here only a month, so I am working to get my schedule down so I can have more set practice time. Another interesting note, as our new HQ is standing up we have all kinds of new personnel coming in. A US Army sergeant major who moved into our tent the other night stated that he too was beginning to learn. You might have to spin up your planners and get us a Kabul winter and summer course! I will start looking for seven sets of extra body armor and helmets! I also saw a local version of a pipe chanter at a music store they have set up on our post. It was interesting as it had a very similar cane chanter reed and looked like a pipe chanter but with, no top, and it appeared as if it was missing the top hole for High A. The Public Affairs unit here is going to do a story about the lot of us, so I am sure there will be a link! There is plenty of material for a good story, so more to follow. All the best.'
Well Robert, great to hear from you, and keep the head down. I think I would need a bravery transplant before I could run a CoP school where you are. Good luck to you and your NATO comrades.
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Glenfiddich looms again. Judges are Ronald McShannon, Malcolm McRae and Jack Taylor in the piob. and Andrew Wright, Iain MacFadyen and Bill Livingstone in the MSR. Fear an Tighe is John Wilson who spoke out so well a few days ago re the cops. Will try to post on the day if at all possible. Weather forecast is not great so we may have to forego the usual glorious colours which decorate the Perthshire countryside at this time of year. Anyway. looking forward to seeing everyone on what is always a great occasion.

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Professor Donald MacIntyre from Perth, who gave a couple of talks at the Piob Soc conference in the recent past, has died. He was 87. The professor's talks were always illuminating. From memory he conducted one on the sound of the Bells of Perth, the actual bells that is, not the tune, and another on the acoustics of the pipe. Both have been recorded for posterity in the Piob Soc Proceedings available to members online. There will be a tribute in the PT and a celebration of the professor's life will beheld at St John's Kirk, Perth, on Friday October 30th at 11am.
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The Winter School has about 15 places left. All arrangements are as before. Dates are Feb 7 -14 and sign up via this link. Instructors so far are myself, Barry Donaldson, Jim Semple, Robert Mathieson, Willie Park, Dave Johnston and Craig Munro. We'll add to the faculty as numbers dictate. Robert will be running a pipe majors' course. Who better to learn from than the five times World PB Championship winner?

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The Silver Cap solo contest, such a success at the CoP in August, will probably be held at a new venue next year. The CoP with only 100+ seats was just too small. One suggestion is that it is held at the Lord Todd where Willie McCallum runs a very popular string of events during worlds week. Willie's place holds about 600 so that would be ideal I think. Coincidentally Willie was the winner of the Silver Cap
this year and is pictured left with his trophy and Richard and Steve the organisers and originators. Apart from Glenfiddich they showed everyone the way forward with regard to prize money. Are you listening Oban and Inverness?

World Drumming, Strath.Pol., Bratach

There was some very fine piping at the World Solo Drumming. Chris Armstrong played for the winner Barry Wilson, Glenn Brown played for his Brother Blair who placed fourth, Stuart Liddell was on duty for second placed Steven McWhirter, Duncan Nicholson played for Eric Ward, Ross Walker played for third placed Gordon Brown. Glenn had lovely drones which, if they sound like that, will be a treat in the Great Hall at Blair on Saturday. The whole event went like clockwork and judges I spoke said the standard was extremely high, particularly in the junior ranks. Furthest travelled were Reid Maxwell and the contingent from SFU with Robert MacNeill's son James winning Junior Section 1. Worthwhile trip.

Nigel Hodgson of sponsors Andante told me that business is healthy in his Northern Ireland factory but he is having to do a deal of multi-tasking since the sad passing of his father Sam the firm's founder.

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Stuart MacMillan MSP is trying to get a question asked re Strathclyde Police PB during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament on Monday. He wants First Minister Alex Salmond to arrange a meeting for him with the Chief Constable. Government Ministers themselves don't get involved in police matters but there is nothing to stop MSPs having their say. If this can be done face to face then so much the better. It's probably been what's been missing in this whole sorry saga.

Thanks again to all those who have left comments on earlier blogs. If you haven't had a read at them it's well worth a few minutes of your time.

As expected two Scots papers have picked up the story this morning. The Sunday Post (above left) has a big show with a colour picture of the band and of John Wilson. They credit this blog with the story which is nice. The Sunday Mail (below right) concentrates on a line about Chief Constable House, who earns £234,000 a year, charging the force for new

curtains and carpets for his house. As far as I am concerned he can have his carpets, just give us the band. Let's hope that public and piping opinion will finally prevail. We need to keep the pressure on and these stories in the national press will do no harm at all to the cause.

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The Bratach Gorm looms closer and Adam Sanderson has been on the email re tube problems in the capital. Adam says: 'London comp is busier than ever, but unfortunately the Mighty Law of Sod that applies to all piping events has dictated that there will be massive disruptions on the tube on the weekend of the contest, including the closure of Kensington High Street Station. The vast majority of pipers arrive on the Friday night, but I am advising anyone else to make sure that they have looked at alternative travel arrangements. The Central Line is still running as usual and Notting Hill Station is around a 10 minute walk to Kensington. As for the comp itself, we are all geared up and ready to go, the digital timers proved popular last year, so we have ordered some more. On the Thursday before the Comp, the 5^th November, we are having a Q&A session with Bill Livingstone, followed by a recital from the man himself. More details, as always, are on the SPSL website.' Judges for the Bratach as far as I am aware are Bill, Andrew Wright and John Wilson.

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This month's magazine is on the final proof. We've more on Iain Archie MacAskill, a full report on the Northern Meeting, a piece on the Willie Ross's succession at the Castle and all the other outstanding features you've come to expect.

John Wilson Speaks Out

John Wilson, former Strathclyde Police Commander and Pipe Sergeant of the band during its glory days, has gone public for the first time on the future of the band. Having known him for more than 30 years I don't think I have ever heard him so angry.

In a strongly worded statement John lambasted the senior executive of the force for their attitude to the band and severely criticised the 'unfounded' and 'deliberately misleading' statistics circulated by senior officers. John, now a respected judge of both solo piping and pipe bands, said: 'What has happened is nothing short of disgraceful. Doing away with the band will not make the slightest difference to front line policing. When Strathclyde Chief Superintendent John Pollock made his statement at the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Conference saying that the band was costing the force £100,000, he was totally unprofessional. In all my time as a serving police officer I have never heard senior officers criticise police constables in public the way he did. And this was from a man whose duties include overseeing the grievance procedure at Strathclyde, a procedure he knew many of the band members had entered into. It was astonishing. It was all designed to take heat away from the Chief Constable Stephen House who was under pressure in the press for his attitude to the band. This was very unbecoming behaviour by Mr Pollock. It was reprehensible and was aimed at creating bad feeling for the band and protecting the Chief Constable.

'I totally recognise that changes have to be made to adapt to circumstances but the cost of the band must be weighed against the community spin off. There are only ten serving policemen in the band after all. They have done everything to try to comply with the new set up since the band unit was dissolved but are still getting nowhere. I can fully understand why Don Bradford and Duncan Nicholson stood down. It is a wonder they hung on for so long and it says a lot for their dedication that they did so.

'Mr House is failing to understand what the band is about and the cultural background to its existence. What is really galling is that he appears not to want to take the time to try to understand this background. It is nothing to do with the fact that he is English. I remember one of our earlier Chief Constables, Leslie Sharp, a Londoner. On his first day he asked me what was important about the band and why shouldn't he get rid of it.

'I said that was an easy one. 'Go out into the street and stop the first person you see and say Strathclyde Police and ask them what comes into their heads immediately. It will either be the pipe band or the mounted branch, but I would put my house on it being the band'.

'He seemed happy with that but later went with us to Cowal where he was on the podium for the march past. We marched down the street with the Argyll Shield and he couldn't believe the reaction. Crooks we'd locked up were there dancing in front of us. We were their band, just as much as we were the rest of the community's.'

John revealed that he had not gone public before because he had been working away quietly trying to do something for the band in the background - part out of loyalty to the force and also because he was concerned that any public statement could do more harm than good.

'That was my approach before but now it is time to say my piece. I had approached Paul Rooney the Chairman of the Strathclyde Police Authority and he assured me he would speak to Mr House. I heard nothing back from him [Mr Rooney]. I will now be speaking to him again and this time, on a professional basis, I would expect a response.

'I know the background to what is going on and the new system of community team policing that the new regime is trying - but failing - to implement. I find it throughly distasteful that the band with its proud history of service to the force should have its future jeopardised in any fall-out.'

Well said John and if any readers concur please leave a statement of support.