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The Vale of Nethan Pipe Band & Pipe Major James Archibald Templeton

This wonderful collection of photographs was donated to the College of Piping in 2008 by Billy Clelland. Through images and the essay below, he chronicles the development of Lesmahagow's Vale of Nethan Pipe Band.

“The Vale of Nethan Pipe Band” (VNPB), during its short life, was the most successful pipe band in South Lanarkshire during the 1950s and 1960s in terms of its prowess on the competition field and the individual achievements of its members. From a newly fledged group of dedicated juveniles and their tutors, it rose to the ranks of the leading bands in Scotland in only a few years.

PIPE MAJOR ARCHIE TEMPLETON

The man singularly responsible for its success was James Archibald Templeton – known to all as ‘Archie’ - who passed away at the Southend Hospital, Essex, England on Monday, 26 September 2005 just a few months short of his ninetieth birthday. However, before his passing he did manage to read this story in draft form.

It is acknowledged by his pupils that his influence on them in the art of piping and his enthusiasm for pipe bands in general gave them skills which allowed them to meet as equals and to befriend people of like interests wherever in the world they found themselves. In this respect every pupil and band member, piper or drummer, is indebted to Archie. To tell the story of the band it is first necessary to introduce the reader to Archie’s life, his interest in piping and pipe band competition and VNPB’s genesis in the 1st Lesmahagow Company Boys’ Brigade Pipe Band.

Archie’s earliest recollection of the Lesmahagow BB band was at a Sunday-school trip to The Hill farm near Lesmahagow in 1921 when he was only five years of age. The field where the trip was held was close to the Limekilns near the hamlet of Auldton and although almost everything of the trip had been forgotten, the music of the pipes remained in his memory. The tune being played was “The Earl of Mansefield”.

Archie joined the BB band in September 1929 and it wasn’t long before the fourteen or so original recruits had dwindled to only two. Practice night was a Thursday. A Mr John Boyd from Motherwell, who was the Janitor at the Dalziel High School, taught the boys. Some of the then members of the band were George Buchanan, Jim Buchanan, Tom Buchanan (drummer), Dan Smart, John R Inch (later Chief Constable of Edinburgh Police), Alistair MacKenzie (drummer) and Sid Brown (bass drummer). Sid was one of the finest bass drummers that Archie ever knew and said that he had never seen anyone who could manipulate the sticks better. Within three months Archie had been issued with a set of pipes, albeit no ribbons or tassles. The drones were tied together with window sash cord. But at least he had pipes of a sort and could play several easy tunes such as “The Brown-haired Maiden”, “Barren Rocks of Aden”, “Jeanie’s Black E’e”, (which he hated and never gave the music out to any of his many pupils in later years. “Rock and a Wee Pickle Tow” was another tune he had no time for and it soon fell into disuse).

The BB band pipes were the cheapest of the cheap and of very poor quality. (After World War Two, Archie took some samples of these pipes into RG Lawrie’s shop in Renfield Street, Glasgow to see if anything could be done to improve them but Pipe Major Albert Sheath just shook his head. He said that when these pipes were made in 1924, they cost £4 per set and were made especially for BB and Boy Scout bands at minimum cost. Dan Smart, who was in the BB band at that time, said that the BB Coy had paid £8-10/- per set so there was a big discrepancy. The tutor for the pipers at that time was Mr David K Finlay, Pipe Major of the Coalburn IOR Pipe Band.)

The only engagements the band got in those days were two Church Parades per year, the local [Lesmahagow] Cattle Show and Flower Show. Archie and the band never visited pipe band contests nor went anywhere to meet other bandsmen. However Archie’s Uncle Robert Gold and his wife had a small holiday cottage in Dunoon. In the adjoining garden there was a maker of pipe reeds with a wooden hut and Archie wasn’t long in introducing himself. He was Pipe Major George MacDonald who, by luck, was the tutor of the Douglas Water Pipe Band and he gave Archie the address of the secretary. Douglas Water had won a prize at the Cowal Games so that was the obvious band to join. Both he and Bill Kerr went along to their band practice on the following Saturday afternoon and joined up there and then. That was in 1938. At this time four pipers from Coalburn IOR also joined so they were well placed to win a few prizes in the 1939 season. But the outbreak of war finished all that and Douglas Water was never able to compete again.

During Archie’s absence of six years and three months in the army during World War Two, the Lesmahagow BB band was held together by Mr Tom Clelland of Burnfoot near Kirkmuirhill. It took some time and hard work to get it going ahead again.

ORIGINS

The post-war Lesmahagow BB band practiced twice a week in summer, Tuesday and Wednesday, in the Old Parish Church Hall at “the Fountain”. Archie was the principal piping tutor and Jim Macintyre of Woodpark taught the drummers. Until the end of 1949, band membership comprised of both mature and younger BB Company members however band membership soon became wholly composed of under-eighteen year olds (with the exception of Archie, as Pipe Major). In the pursuit of excellence, Archie started taking pupils to the College of Piping in Pitt Street, Glasgow (then later in Otago Street). In the first Junior contest, John Jackson from Garngour Road, was the winner of the Practice Chanter competition beating all the Glasgow College of Piping students and he was awarded a handsome silver-mounted junior dress sporran. Billy Gardiner from Lupus farm was also in the prize list. On later visits to contests in Glasgow, the Lesmahagow BB pipers were the winners of many prizes, notably Willie Ross, the local Police Sergeant’s son, and Tommy Clelland, who lived next door on New Trows Road. Most of the boys gained their College of Piping Certificates without any bother. Favoured pupils were also taken by Archie on the back of his 1947 Douglas 350cc flat-twin motorbike up to Rigside to meet an old piper and composer friend, Alexander (Sannie) Jamieson, former Pipe Major of Douglas Water Pipe Band. Archie and Jim Macintyre also insisted that the drummers learn to read music, which, at this time, was more the exception than the rule. Drummers Billy Clelland and, later, David Watson were also given extra tuition regularly accompanying Archie to the Dalzell Highland Pipe Band practice in Motherwell.

About 1948, the mothers of the BB band boys formed a “Parents’ Association” to raise funds for better instruments and a more appropriate form of pipe band uniform namely kilts and highland dress. Following a lot of hard work, by 29th March 1949 the BB band was outfitted in kilts (Ancient Hunting Sinclair tartan), knitted blue hose, pale blue balmorals and former RAF tunics. The drummers were not overlooked. The old BB band rope snare drums were scrapped and replaced by a set of new pale blue John Grey Autocrat rod-tension side drums with nylon heads in 1949. The tenor and bass drums were renovated and re-painted in matching colours. To help in fund-raising and to gain confidence and exposure, the band began making regular public performances: particularly popular were weekend (both Saturday and Sunday) Council public park engagements in South Lanarkshire, the local Cattle Show and the annual Lanimer’s Day parade in Lanark.

Properly equipped and trained, the BB band then entered into competition. For example, during the summer of 1951, the band took part in five contests competing at both Juvenile and Grade Three levels. At the Scotstoun contest in June the band attained a Third, at Renfrew a Fourth, and at the World’s Championship in Edinburgh, Fourth. At the Cowal Games, Jim and Archie loaned the band’s side drums to Clan Fraser, who won Grade Two and a First Prize for drumming in pouring rain thanks to the nylon skins fitted from new with wise foresight by Jim Macintyre.

Archie recalls the arguments he had with Robert Smart, the Lesmahagow BB Captain, about going to contests – he wasn’t interested in them and didn’t want the BB band going to them. Once he said to Archie ‘And just when are you going to be satisfied?’ His reply was ‘When we win the World’s Championship.’ He turned and walked away as much as to say ‘He’s mad.’

The Parents’ Association had opened a separate bank account at the British Linen Bank (now Bank of Scotland) to control fund-raising activities. This move was not popular with the officers of the BB Coy and they soon took over the Parents’ Association for the benefit of the whole BB Coy, not just the band. They also limited the band’s attendance at competitions to three per year much to Archie’s and Jim Macintyre’s disgust as Jim had also worked hard to make the BB band a competitive one. The bad feeling between the BB Coy and the band didn’t improve and when the band fund assets were incorporated into the BB Coy fund that was the final straw. Archie resigned early in 1953. A few nights later Jim Macintyre called around to see him at home to tell him that if they didn’t start a new band all the learners and playing members were going to leave the BB band and join the Coalburn IOR Pipe Band. A meeting of the parents was called and it was decided to start up VNPB.

GENESIS

Most of the boys from the BB band joined up and Archie was warmly surprised at the help given by older colleagues. Jimmy Thomson, formerly of the BB band and Coalburn IOR, joined. John Fraser, of Lanark, who worked in Skelton’s Nylon Factory at Turfholm was another founder member. The other founding members came largely from the ranks of the BB band, its supporters and the Parents’ Association. Jim Macintyre printed the “Vale of Nethan Pipe Band Constitution and Rules” in the form of a small booklet on 10th March 1953 at Morrison’s in Lanark where he worked. The Office-bearers were President A. Bennett, Vice-President J. Macintyre, Joint Secretaries Mrs J. (Margaret) Macintyre and J.A. Templeton, Treasurer A.D.M. (Murray) Dickson, Pipe Major J.A. Templeton and Drum Major J. Macintyre. E. (Ted) Catherall and his wife Isabel (neé McAloon) were on the band committee. Ted was Band Quartermaster. Isabel was Drew McAloon’s sister. Drew married Jim Macintyre’s daughter Mary. All four and Ted and Isabel’s children immigrated to Australia in the late 1950s.

On top of all the work of fitting out the band, the band committee struggled to get funds and, among other projects, organised dances in the Jubilee Hall, Lesmahagow with all the difficulties that that entailed. At one dance, a local vandal cut deeply into the plaster of the gents’ toilet and the Council naturally asked the band to have the repair work done professionally. To save expenses the committee asked permission to do the work and Archie was the poor blighter who got the job. It took many hours of work to re-plaster part of the wall and then paint it to match the rest of the paintwork. The band committee ran Whist Drives and other social evenings too but these made very little profit. ‘Sales of Work’ did a little better but were a lot of really hard work. These were held in the Masonic Hall, Lesmahagow.

During the early 1950’s the main objective was to build up funds to equip the band and buy instruments and uniforms. Much of the effort consisted of giving programmes in public parks for which the Councils paid the hearty sum of £5 for a 2-hour programme. From that sum they had to meet their travelling expenses which could not have been achieved without the generous help of Hugh Love and later John Dodds who provided 31-seat coaches or even double-decker buses at £2 a time irrespective of distance – and these were not local hires. The band travelled to places such as Portobello, Ayr, Moffat and Carluke. It was however hard-earned cash.

A few of the players from the BB band had bought their own kilts of the Ancient Hunting Sinclair tartan so it was decided to adopt a similar tartan which would blend in and the Ancient Colquhoun was chosen. Leather sporrans, black ex-RAF and ex-Army tunics, navy diced balmorals and blue stockings straight from the Gourock Knitwear Co in Greenock completed the simple uniform, to be added to at a later date.

The band was also struggling to improve their instruments. At this time Archie was also a member of the Dalzell Highland Pipe Band in Motherwell, having joined in 1952, and that band had just bought a new corps of drums from Carlton. Archie enquired about buying their old Premiers that had been in use since 1929 – but which had been greatly modernised. The well-known Alex Duthart was their Leading Drummer and nothing less than perfect pleased him. The cost to VNPB was £35. So at least they now had a 1st Class set of side drums. (There is an interesting footnote to this tale of the original Premier rod-tension snare drums. Many years later, Gordon Jelly who had preceded Alex Duthart in the Dalzell Highland Pipe Band came looking for these original drums. Discovering only that they had been sold to a band in the Lesmahagow district and by which time VNPB no longer existed, he contacted Bruce Shaw at the Coalburn IOR Pipe Band and Bruce was persuaded that they had been sold to Coalburn. At the time of the purchase of the drums, Bruce was away doing his National Service. So the tale of the original drums became a local legend since there was no one still around who knew the correct history. It goes without saying that Gordon did not find his drums in Coalburn or Lesmahagow although ultimately Premier did locate them and installed them in their museum. It is believed that they were actually sold on to a Scout band when near-new Carlton Super Gaelic drums were bought by VNPB from Law Highland Pipe Band around 1958.) An old Templar’s brass band bass drum was found under the stage of the Templar’s Hall in New Trows Road. As this had been a brass band, the bass drum was almost double the width of a Pipe Band bass drum (of that period) so it was a major task to convert it. Archie wrote to the Gourock Ropework Co at New Lanark for a quotation to supply new rope and they very kindly donated a good supply of new rope to tension the drum. A tenor drum was borrowed from one of the Dalzell Highland drummers, and as it was a rope tension drum, there was little demand for such drums by this time and VNPB was allowed to keep it. Rope-tension tenor drums were added to the corps, as a minor pipe band of that time didn’t usually parade any rod-tension tenor or bass drums. It was a continuous search to find pipes and one source was the disbanded Dalziel Highland School Band that had been an Air Training Cadet band during the war. A few sets of pipes were sourced there for very low prices. Other sets were got from newspaper adverts or borrowed from owners. Second-hand Guards Pattern tenor drums had been bought earlier to update the BB band but these were not required now that they had the Dalzell set. The Drum-Major, Drew McAloon, sported a mace bought from John Currie of Douglas.

On 2nd June 1953, Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation Day, VNPB made their first public appearance – three engagements in one day. A small band of four pipers and three drummers played at Bent School; a full band of eight pipers and four drummers played at Ferniegair and in the evening the full band gave a complete musical programme in Lesmahagow’s McKirdy Public Park.

COHESION & PROGRESS

When Billy Wright started with the band at ten years of age in the autumn of 1953, the band practiced in the Masonic Hall from about 6.45PM to 8.00PM after which the full band practice started. Billy and Allan Shaw also went to Archie's place one other extra night each week for tuition. Archie was very keen to fast track the younger boys because some of the older members who had came over from the BB band were soon due to go into National Service (Geordie Imray, Sandy Dickson, Tom Renwick, Jim Macintyre, Davie Watson, Robert Martin and a few others). When he was issued with his uniform, Ted Catherall was the Quartermaster. Billy’s parents, Bill and Peggy, became more closely involved in band management from about 1954 or 1955. Other parents involved were Nelly Kane (Tom’s mother), Murray Dickson and his wife (he was Band Treasurer and sometime tenor drummer) and John Porter. Later, for a while in winter, VNPB used to

practise in the old Cordiner Church which was, by then, the “Linn Dance Hall” and owned by Freddy Lang (Blin’ Freddy). It was so cold the boys had to sit round the old gas oven and heat their fingers to be able to play. Billy’s first engagement was the Lesmahagow Cattle Show in June 1954. It was held up the Monkstable in the park below Birkwood

Castle.

Rab Lawson started about one year or so later. Sandy Bell and Jim Imray started their piping tuition in the continued version of the BB band which had Johnny Meikle as Pipe Major. They would have came over to VNPB around late 1954 or early 1955.

PIPE BAND COMPETITION

Around the end of 1957, VNPB began to think of going in for competition to see how they would compare with other bands. (VNPB’s results, as reported in “The Pipe Band” magazine, from 1958 onwards are given in the Appendix.) They entered the winter quartette contest in Edinburgh, which was a Grade One function only but lesser grades could enter. In the next issue of “The Pipe Band” there appeared a review of the contestants, which shook Archie and Jim to the core; “The Vale of Nethan gave a lifeless performance and the terrible tone must have worried the judges for their comments!” Archie immediately framed a letter in reply (as given below) and submitted it to “The Pipe Band” magazine:

1 Woodpark,

Lesmahagow,

Lanark

28th February 1958.

The Editor

The Pipe Band Magazine

Sir

I have just read the Report on the Annual Quartette Piping Competition by “P. Expert” appearing in the Jan-Feb issue of “The Pipe Band”. His criticism of the Vale of Nethan performance viz. “a lifeless performance and the terrible tone must have worried the judges for their remarks” reminds of the drama adjudicator who commented “the producer of this play should be shot”. The one is as helpful as the other.

Were I to agree with the derogatory statements I would feel obliged to apologise to the audience at large for having subjected them to such an ordeal. Fortunately however, the judges, and these are the persons who really matter in competitions, had rather more encouragement to offer than your “Expert” and it is indeed a pity that the points analysis and judges’ remarks could not have been included in the article.

It is rather significant that the judges do not appear to have undergone any undue amount of worry. Indeed one placed the band equal in tone to the Clan McRae and half a point behind Shotts, the World’s Champions, whom your critic states had the best all-round tone of the day. The official comments anent the tone were:- P. Bain – “Unsteady blowing affecting the tone here and there”; J. Herd – “Tone of pipes fairly good”.

As regards the “lifeless performance”, the official comments contained such phrases as “Playing nicely together ---“ and “Playing together very well”. There does seem much diversity of opinion between or SPBA judges and your anonymous well-known pipe major who, I suggest, in addition to being a little more constructive rather than destructive in his criticisms might cast off his cloak of anonymity particularly if he has confidence in his own judgements.

Finally may I mention that this band, which so brazenly disturbed the serenity of our fair Capital is a new band, meantime competing in the juvenile grade, and the above was its first attempt at a quartette competition. Was its performance so bad? The judges at least do not seem to think so and I would suggest that bands would be happier with the criticism and advice on the points sheets without a freelance giving an entirely conflicting opinion.

Perhaps the SPBA could do much more to encourage juvenile bands such as a small prize for the best band in that grade competing – which, incidentally, this monstrosity of a band would have won!

I am &c.

J. A. Templeton (signed).

The critic never revealed himself but Archie did hear on the grapevine that it was J.K. Macallister, Pipe Major of Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, who had written the article. There was never another mention of the quartette competition or of his letter in the magazine.

In June 1958 they entered a Juvenile band to play in the Knightswood contest. It was a sad day for Archie as his father had died at 11:45AM that day and the band bus due to leave at 1:00PM. He hurriedly carried out what arrangements he could make and decided to go to the contest with the band, feeling pretty downcast. After the contest but before the results, he met Pipe Major Donald R McLeod walking across the field. He hailed Archie in the Doric as he always did. “Yer boys played gey weel the day but I can tell ye, ye’ll no get a prize. The committee never alloo ony o’ the trophies tae leave the area.” So there it was, and he was right – VNPB were nowhere on the prize list. So they never attended the Knightswood contest again.

SUCCESS

However in a matter of a few weeks during that 1958 season, VNPB had beaten every other Juvenile band and held the British and European Juvenile Championships. The 214th Glasgow BB’s had ruled the roost for years and it was a great shock to them to become an “also-ran”.

In June 1958, while VNPB was still a Juvenile band, they decided to go to the World’s Championship in Aberdeen. They hired John Dodd’s bus and left Lesmahagow about 8:00pm on the Friday evening and reached Aberdeen in the morning. They came First in piping but were slightly lower in drumming. Overall, they were 2nd, losing the Juvenile Grade, World’s Championship by ¼ point. It was early on the Sunday morning when they got home, the sun was shining as some members got off the bus at the Old Parish Church Hall. One villager asked “Whaur’s the baun gaun the day?”. Quick came the reply, “We’re no gaun onywhere. This is us jist gettin’ hame.”

In 1959, VNPB contested Grade Three winning at Dunblane and never getting lower than Fourth place in competitions entered throughout the season. By the end of the 1959 season, the band’s position in the Grade Three league was 16th out of 40 bands.

At the end of 1959, the band held their Annual Social in the Jubilee Hall, when a large turnout of members and friends enjoyed a good night’s entertainment. During the evening’s proceedings Archie presented a clock to Robert Rankin in appreciation of his services to the Band in past years. Mr Rankin who, for the previous three years had been Vice-President of the Band, was now leaving the district to work in England.

Tragedy struck just before the start of the 1960 season. Jim Macintyre, Archie’s right-hand man, founder member and the band’s drum tutor, died suddenly on the 14th April 1960 at the early age of 44.

Nevertheless 1960 proved to be another busy and successful year for the band.

The band accepted an invitation to spend the 1960 Fair Fortnight in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. During this excursion, members of the Band were guests of Scots families living in Holland. The lads were looking forward very much to their visit to the Continent, where they met the Rev. R P Mackechnie, Minister of the Scots Church, and formerly of Craigneuk Parish Church, Wishaw. It proved to be a very successful trip and members continue to this day to talk of their adventure to the Continent as boys and young men. As it was a long period to be away from home some members were unable to attend. The Leading Drummer Joe Logan was one who missed the trip. However he was able to recruit his friend Billy Stevenson, formerly a member of the Dalzell Highland Pipe Band drum corps and, at that time, playing with Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band under Drum Major Alex Duthart. Following a short familiarisation period and practice with the Vale of Nethan corps, Billy joined the band for the Amsterdam trip. Billy Stevenson has a well-respected reputation in pipe band drumming circles worldwide. He began his drumming career as a thirteen-year-old with Law Highland Pipe Band before moving to Dalzell Highland Pipe Band a few years later. After National Service, he joined Alex Duthart’s Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band corps where he remained for many years with only a short break with a Larkhall pipe band. He was attracted to the St Andrews Pipe Band in Queensland, Australia by offers of employment and assistance with housing arriving in Brisbane in March 1978. He and his wife Jean live in retirement at Woody Point, Queensland. Billy maintains his interest in piping and drumming through tuition and passing on his considerable knowledge and skills to young players

The band entered twelve contests during the 1960 season. Not once did they achieve less than Third place in Grade Three. They won four First places including the Grade Three Scottish Championship. For the season, VNPB was 1st out of 48 bands and re-graded from Grade Three to Grade Two together with Patna & District and Edinburgh Corporation Transport.

Archie told “The Pipe Band” correspondent for the January/February 1961 issue that ‘some of the [band] members are now a bit scared [after upgrading to Grade Two] and he is having difficulty keeping his numbers up to the level of previous years’. Willie Wright and the VNPB made arrangements, for the first time as promoters following the withdrawal of support by the local Farmers Association, of the Lesmahagow Highland Games contest in June 1961. In the summary of the Grade Two league for 1961, VNPB finished 16th out of 24 bands. The band came Fourth in the Grade Two World Championship.

Archie had made friends with a Dutch piping enthusiast engineer, Bob Marschall, and he had been teaching him the pipes via tape recordings and written scores which crossed the North Sea on many occasions. This was quite unique and “The Pipe Band” magazine in the September/October issue of 1961 joked “The Italians are importing footballers but the Dutch are exporting pipers. Vale of Nethan have had a Dutchman, who is staying temporarily in this country, registered with them. His name is Mr Robert Marschall and he recently sat and passed the examination for the Elementary Certificate. He is the first foreigner to do so. When in his own country much of Mr Marschall’s instruction is done by post via Pipe Major A. Templeton.” Bob Marschall maintained his friendship throughout Archie’s life and also became a keen maker of bagpipes and chanters. He made regular visits to the UK to exchange knowledge and discuss piping topics with Archie.

DECLINE

1962 was a bad year for the Vale of Nethan. They came 22nd out of 22 bands in Grade Two and were downgraded to Grade Three. Almost ten full years had passed since the band was formed and the original boys who had constituted the nucleus of the band were now ten years older, had entered or were entering the workforce and higher education. Maintaining their interest at this crucial age was a difficult challenge.

Archie Templeton resigned as Pipe Major in December 1962 but remained a committee member of the band for perhaps another two years or more. Now in his late forties, he was continually frustrated in his career ambitions by lack of recognition and promotion despite his experience and academic qualifications. He had started work at the Council Offices following matriculation in January 1935 at the princely annual salary of £40. Except for his Army war service, he continued there until 1948 when he joined the Civil Service at the new ‘hutted’ offices in Bloomfield Road, Lesmahagow near the Jubilee Hall. In December 1966 he accepted an appointment with the Civil Service in London and moved south in March 1967. When he finally retired on 30 June 1976 at the age of sixty, he was working on the 27th Floor of Millbank Tower just upstream from the Houses of Parliament in London. He first settled in Prittlewell, a suburb of Southend-On-Sea, Essex, and joined the Southend Scottish Pipe Band, a prize-winning band that later became the Hylands Pipe Band. He retired from the Hylands Pipe Band in 1981 and spent his ‘pipe band’ retirement in bagpipe repair and maintenance for the Dagenham Girls Pipe Band. (It should be noted that during his last years in Rochford the Pipe Sergeant of the Dagenham Girls Pipe Band, Mrs Carol Deacon, regularly paid him social visits, looked after his general welfare and helped the sometimes-crusty old bachelor with his shopping.) Before he left Lesmahagow he had started making pipes and practice chanters and by the late 1990s had made over a dozen sets of pipes and more than 200 chanters. He also kept busy making practice reeds, stitching leather bags and making up his own recipe for pipe bag seasoning. Unfortunately he was unable to play the bagpipes in his last years due to denture problems that no amount of money or dental technology could solve.

Upon his resignation Archie had recommended that Jim Imray be elected his successor as Pipe Major. However this was not to be and Pipe Major Tom Finlay, lately of Newmains & District Pipe Band, was appointed to the position. At the end of the 1963 contest season, VNPB came 14th out of 21 bands in Grade Three.

They appeared (apparently for the last time in the Prize list) at the 1964 Grade Three Scottish Championship in Edinburgh gaining 3rd place. By the end of 1964 season, VNPB was 14th out of 17 bands in Grade Three. In the 1964 League, 16th out of 27 bands and in 1965 last out of 45 bands. By this time the decline was well under way – Sandy Bell had joined Shotts & Dykehead; Robert Jackson had joined BP Grangemouth; Billy Wright was in Australia; John Barclay also went to Shotts & Dykehead as did the bass drummer and some others. The band was falling to pieces and very few if any prizes were gained in this period. When seen in 1964 in Edinburgh, Pipe Major Tom Finlay was resplendent in a gold-braided uniform – an extravagance which Archie Templeton had refused many times as he believed that “it would have emptied the funds completely”.

In 1966, VNPB was 22nd out of 24 bands in Grade Three. (Coalburn IOR Pipe Band was 7th out of 37 bands in Grade Four.) A comment in the July/August 1966 issue of “The Pipe Band” magazine read: “Pipe Major Tom Finlay and his band turn in some grand performances when they are playing outwith contests and yet, when they get into the contest arena they just seem to fade that little bit which is just sufficient to keep them out of the prize list. Come on boys, banish those inhibitions and underline the confidence which Tom has in your ability. Best of luck in your future endeavors at contests this season. We know you have it in you.” This appears to be the last reference to the band in this magazine.

FINALLY….

When the band actually disbanded is not on record or known with any accuracy but is likely to have been shortly after 1966 or 1967. What happened to all the expensive uniforms, drums and several sets of pipes is likewise not known despite the Constitution Rules clearly stating the procedures for proper “Dissolution of the Band” including all monies and property of the band to be placed in the hands of three appointed Trustees. These trustees after allowing three years from the date of dissolution of the band were to have sold the band property and donated the funds received to local charities. There is no evidence that this ever took place.

One important and long-lasting memorial to Archie and the band has been the contribution made by his many former pupils and band members to the worldwide community of Pipe Bands and piping generally. A few examples: Sandy Bell’s work at the Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band is perhaps the best known as formerly Pipe Major and currently President of the band. Chris Apps, well-known champion solo piper, Pipe Major of the Scottish Piping Society of London and reed maker. Rab Lawson has been a stalwart of the Coalburn IOR Pipe Band pipe corps for many years. Robert Martin was Pipe Major of the City of Leeds Pipe Band. I’m sure there are many others who have led distinguished careers in the pipe band world who owe their enthusiasm to Archie Templeton.

Perhaps the highest point reached by the band was at the World’s Championship at Murrayfield, Edinburgh in 1961. VNPB was a Grade Two band by this time and came 4th in Grade Two. Of the three bands which beat VNPB, two were immediately promoted to Grade One which left the band 2nd amongst the Grade Two bands remaining. There were only twelve bands in Grade One so the Vale of Nethan could claim to be in the best dozen or so bands in Scotland or, at that time, the World.

Unfortunately not too many people living in the small parish of Lesmahagow at that time realised they had such an accomplished local band or gave them credit or recognition for their skills and hard work.

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