The Archives

James Beaton

Captain Stuart Samson

Sergeant with the Dundee City Police and he sort of became, I would say, my main sort of teacher who really brought me to where I was as a player before I went on to join the military. Norman was very, very strict, a good teacher and really made sure that I covered all the bases and the b

James Beaton

Captain Stuart Samson

This is James Beaton for Noting the Tradition. It’s Friday the 28th of April 2012 and I am speaking to Stuart Samson who was formerly the Director of Army Piping and is now a teacher at the National Piping Centre. Stuart, welcome to the interview. Good morning James, I am looking forward

James Beaton

Captain Stuart Samson

NOTING THE TRADITION An Oral History Project from the National Piping Centre Interviewee Captain Stuart Samson MBE Interviewer James Beaton Date of Interview 28th April 2012 This interview is copyright of the National Piping Centre Please refer to th

Mags Smith

Annie Grant

Well that’s superb. Thank you so much. You’re very welcome. It’s been lovely to hear. I’m sure there’s more I can ask you. I might think of more over lunch. I know we had a discussion at the beginning about the actual musical side of it. Well I’ll switch this off

Mags Smith

Annie Grant

It’s apparently very good for asthma because you’re blowing out all the time. I used to have a lot of children in my band who were asthma sufferers and had inhalers and it did help them. It controlled their breathing out. Since I stopped playing over the past few years I seem to have

Mags Smith

Annie Grant

Because you all want to look alike. I always had a tartan skirt, a wee waistcoat and a white blouse. Great, great. That’s good to hear that it’s never been a problem. That’s really heartening to hear. You find too that, alright your pipe may not be as loud and heavy as a man’s

Mags Smith

Annie Grant

I’ve probably been very lucky with my experiences in that line. I think some women have come across some antagonism but I’ve been lucky. Even in the RSPBA they couldn’t have been more helpful. Is that the organisation that actually doesn’t allow women? No I was the first lady p

Mags Smith

Annie Grant

It obviously didn’t stop you. That is the way they’d been schooled. That is their way and they’re entitled to their opinion. Did it ever stop you entering a competition? No, never. One time women couldn’t enter competitions. I was reading something about that. There wer

Mags Smith

Annie Grant

You’re all part of the clan. That’s all that matters you know. It sounds lovely. It is lovely. I feel still strongly part of it even though you kind of move from one thing to the next and you move in a different direction but piping’s piping. Great. I know I’m so tha

Mags Smith

Annie Grant

successes. It’s the same with these school pipe bands. They come in circles, some years you have really good bands and then other years you’ve come in bottom and you’re starting again. It’s just the mix of players you have and the attitude of these pipers and then latterly I got a

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

National Cash Register, November 1967, Dundee.

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

Vale of Nethan, 1962. Piper R Lawson resplendent in the final development of the VNPB uniform.

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

Vale of Nethan, July 1960, Amsterdam, Holland, Fair Fortnight posing with the Batavia Drumband. VNPB members recognised L-R J A (Archie) Templeton, J Patterson, A Bell, J Imray, R Jackson, W Wright, M Dickson, A Shaw, W Stevenson, G Pirrie, A McLuskie, R Dickson, J Porter, J Barclay, R Lawson, I Nix

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

Vale of Nethan, August 1960, Cowal Games, Dunoon. L-R Players visible J A (Archie) Templeton, A Bell, R Lawson, I Nixon, W Wright, J Thomson.

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

Vale of Nethan, 1960, Woodpark school. L-R Back row – J Forsyth, G Pirrie, A Shaw, 2nd row – A McLuskie, R Fotheringham, R Dickson, 3rd row – J Imrie, J Porter, R Jackson, R Lawson, W Wright, Front row – J A (Archie) Templeton, I Nixon, J Barclay, J Dickson, R Brown, A Bell, J Thomson, J Hor

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

Vale of Nethan, 1960, Woodpark school. L-R Back row – R Fotheringham, A McLuskie, J Forsyth, R Dickson, 2nd row – G Pirrie, A Shaw, 3rd row – J Imray, W Wright, R Jackson, J Porter, 4th row – J Barclay, I Nixon, A Bell, R Lawson, Front – J A (Archie) Templeton, J Dickson, R Brown, J Thomso

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

Vale of Nethan, 1958, Woodpark school. Players recognised L-R Back row - , A McLuskie, J Forsyth, R Fotheringham, 2nd row – A Shaw, , G Pirrie, 3rd row – Jim Imray, J Gormley, , J Porter, 4th row – W Wright, R Jackson, A Bell, R Lawson, Front row – J A (Archie) Templeton, J Dickson, I Nixo

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

Vale of Nethan, 1958. Woodpark school. Players recognised L-R Back row – R Fotheringham, J Forsyth, A McLuskie, Second row – J Porter, R Lawson, A Shaw, W Rankine, A Bell. Front row – J A (Archie) Templeton, J Gormley, W Wright, J Dickson, I Nixon, J Imray, J Thomson, T Kane.

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

Vale of Nethan, September 1958, Dunblane contest, Dunblane. L-R Players visible J A (Archie) Templeton, J Gormley, J Imrie, W Rankine, W Wright, G Pirrie, R Jackson, I Nixon, A Shaw, J Porter, R Lawson, J Thomson.

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

Vale of Nethan, June 1958, Lanark Lanimers, Lanark. L-R Some players can be identified. J A (Archie) Templeton, R Lawson, W Wright, J Thomson.