Starting Drone

This edition is from our archives, so it is presented as scanned pages rather than text.

We continue to extract members from all around the world — great stuff! But why are you a tiny short letting us know about piping in your countries (tell us honestly, exceptions in this issue’s Letters column)? Please write. Don’t worry if your English isn’t too good; we probably put it right. If you like, write in French or Spanish (for instance). We’re supposed by international organisations on why not give us something to print in your own language? And perhaps we might want to transliterate and print it in English as well. Doesn’t have to be a full scale article — anything would be nice. A signal nowhere will do. Tell us about the state of piping in your country. What’s the revival like? How healthy is the local tradition? What’s known about older forms of bagpipe in your country that haven’t died out? What’s the weather like? The world thirsts for knowledge (well I do anyway) — so write about it.

Roy Sloan of N. Hastings writes to say that on pre-print Geordie languishing in Hastings he would be pleased to hear from other pipers in the area. He would also be happy to teach Northumbrian pipes free of charge. Roy also makes pipes, but due to other pressures and the fact that he has a backlog of pipes he wants to make for himself, he can only undertake repairs at the moment.

Still losing members in the cessation of the Membership List. No time it’s £11 Crofman who has, according to the Post Office, “Being Away”. Any of you Crofmans reading? Where where he’s gone? Ohmigawd! Roy’s bagpiping to all you CAS? And when the Phantom Piper appears, has found with them, what letter will he start on next? Meanwhile, what sort of you remain under C. lost your door and windows next time you get the old pipes out for a practice — even New Zealand’s not too far away to except the cluthes.

Couple of juicy records we hear of: Hamish Moore’s “Open Friday” (Sablet) on 7-CH01 is currently getting airtime on Folk on two and BBC History 1900 - 2030. Hamish features lots of great musicians on this disc such as Nigel Eaton on hurdy-gurdy.

I hear Ian Sloan reported up hear of (via Julian Goodacre) that Italian piper and nifty bracis of Moses playing on it, well he would say that wouldn’t he? There of course is why Ian Sloan has not made it to many pipes, as many think, but one may be interested in news it was because one of their number had an argument with a tree while doing a bit of lumberjacking: the tree won.

Ian Smith would like it to be known that, due still health, he is winding up his just under cases selling business, but please don’t mind if you have an order in the pipeline Ian will be fulfilling all existing orders first.

Couple of important changes for you to note in your File: your Geordie Bagpipe Society position out open — only sixty quid!! Your Hon. Treasurer has grabbed the money and run all the way to Dollar . . . (with Vic and Drolin’s blessing, anyway).

The letter columns is a grave Society Editor who, faced in sultan idea of how to get out of his job, has indeed for every one of the many thousands who have already put the date in your diary with a firm resolve to be there at all costs, please accept our apologies and skip on to the more interesting bits of the Newsletter.

Events start at 11.30 on the morn of Sat. Dec. 5th in the town dives of the country, we are pleased to report that she has at last broken down to her new address.

So if you have any publicity matters you want to discuss, or help to offer, get in touch with her under her new name at her new home (and she might even play you a tune on her new pipes):

Judy would like to hear from any of you interested in attending a French bagpipe workshop which she hopes to get together with Jean-Pierre Rasle. I spoke to Jean-Pierre recently about this myself and he was very keen. Judy says not to worry if you don’t have French pipes. So long as you can more or less achieve the same fingerings and virtuosic things should be okay — after all, there is a very wide variety of pipes played in France as it is.

Now Chi has gone and deserted all us Londoners, is there anyone else who would be willing to host/organise some sort of rural or London meeting? Don’t worry if you haven’t got any ideas — we’re full of ‘em — all we need is a willingness.

Whatever happened to Milton Keynes? It seemed that everyone and his dog I spoke to was going to be there, but, who keeps from the event poor old John Ross had so few takers he had to cancel all but the Cauld Wind course. Where did we go wrong please note: this is not a rhetorical question? Answers — even if they hurt — urgently required.

Flying Camel present a Day of French Dance, from Brittany to Berry on November 29th, noon - midnight at the Chesterfield Arts Centre — dance workshops, music, food and a bar till late. Music will include bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy as well as other traditional French instruments. For tickets, phone (Ian Smith).

For the first time since the Society was formed, by your old fingers have been given something of a rest from the chore of typing this Newsletter. Pete Stewart (of Goodacre Brothers fame) is now sharing the load which is why the eagerly-read among you may detect a subtle difference in type faces throughout this issue. But the cunning devil has taken advantage of his privileged position to write letters, commenting on stuff in this issue (see letter from Uncle Fret) — crafty sod! Seriously, many thanks to you Pete; perhaps I can now get down to some bagpipe practice.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

As announced in the last Newsletter, this will be at Moutlarch on December 5th. By now you should all have had formal notice with your issue of ‘Chanter’ (you did all get ‘Chanter’ this time didn’t you?). But just to remind you, here are the details again (yes, I know I’ve a bore, but we are determined to get you out to this one. If you’re one of the many thousands who have already put the date in your diary with a firm resolve to be there at all costs, please accept our apologies and skip on to the more interesting bits of the Newsletter).

Events start at 11.30 on the morn of Sat. Dec. 5th in the town