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Carluke Caledonia Pipe Band

Taken at Kirkton House in 1952, this may have been the year they won the Grade 3 Championship at the Cowal Games.
Back row: Piper Walter Thomson, Piper Jim Nelson, Piper Eddie Frame, Drummer Adam Hastings, Piper John Nicol.
Middle row: P/Major William Lyle, Piper Jim Ruthven, Piper Tom Steele, Piper George Dunlop, Drummer Alan Cassels, Drummer John Forrest, P/Sergeant John Martin.
Front row: Drummer Alec Edgar, William Laird (President), Harry Steele (Secretary), Ldg/Drummer George MacDonald.

Taken on the Market Square, Carluke, occasion unknown.
Back row: 3rd from left – Piper John Gilchrist, 3rd from right – Piper Jim Brown, Bandsman not wearing Balmoral – unknown.
Kneeling: 4th from left – George McMorran, 5th from left –unknown, 2nd from right – unknown

Taken at the Miners Welfare Hall, Carluke, occasion unknown.
Back row: 2nd from left – unknown, 2nd from right – John Gilchrist.
Middle row: Far right – unknown

Taken at the Miners Welfare Hall, Carluke, occasion unknown.
L – R: Ldg/Drummer George MacDonald, P/Major William Lyle, William Laird (President), Harry Steele (Secretary).

Carluke Caledonia Pipe Band

What follows is an account of the formation and early years of Carluke Caledonia Pipe Band by one of the band’s early members, Jim Nelson. Carluke is a small town in South Lanarkshire famed for its jam and bacon.

“I don't know the exact year when the band was formed, only that it was post war and probably sometime around 1947/8. I remember that we had chanter practice evenings in a small wooden shed on a piece of waste land in Rankin Street. The cold and dark winter evenings were endured by the light of a hissing Tilley lamp and layers of extra clothing. No doubt there were times when we youngsters envied our friends enjoying themselves in the warm Windsor Cinema or listening to the juke box in Coia's Cafe. If I'm not mistaken then the first tune we had to tackle on the chanter was called Farquar Macrae.

As the band became more established, pipe and drum practice nights were held in the Templar's Hall. This was where my Dad paid his sixpenny dues to the Rechabite Society and where we had our school dinners.

When I joined the band I was already able to play the pipes through my association with the Lesmahagow Boy's Brigade Band. The Pipe Majors of these two bands were Willie Lyle (CCPB) and Archie Templeton (Lesmahagow BB) both ex members of Dalzell Highland Pipe Band and sticklers for perfection.

Transport to competitions was normally made on a Bedford coach of the type where the driving controls were inside the coach along with the passengers. It was a rather smart looking vehicle owned by a local man called Sinclair Sutherland and it carried the Sutherland clan badge on the sides and rear luggage door. Sinclair was quite a character who always drove the coach dressed in his kilt, jacket and balmoral. The Cowal games meant an early start and at various times on these outings Sinclair would start the community singing - all the old Scots songs with 'Keep Right On To The End Of The Road' seeming very appropriate on the long run home from Dunoon.”

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