Down Memory Lane
Last updated at 08:59, Thursday, 20 January 2011
THIS is another picture of the Langholm Pipe Band from Dick Irving. It was taken again, we think, in 1953 but this time the band are in the Thomas Hope gardens.
In the left column, front to back, are: pipe major Robbie Scott, piper Bill Telfer, piper Jim Christie, tenor drummer Alan Davidson, drum sergeant Dick Irving.
Then left to right are side drummer David McVittie, bass drummer Billy Elliot, piper Billy Storey, side drummer Lennie Bell, tenor drummer Elliot Bell, ex-pipe major Tom Fletcher, piper Jim Johnstone, piper Alex Harman, drum major John Fisher and pipe sergeant Jimmy Tedham.
Bill Telfer told us Johnnie Fisher was not pipe major but drum major, an innovation for Langholm pipe band. He did not play pipes or drums but paraded with a mace in front of the band.
Tom Fletcher, known as Tip, was the oldest member, while Bill was the youngest. There was no bass drummer in the picture but Bill thought it was Alec Christie. He confirmed what Billy Elliot told us, that Billy carried the ‘big drum’ that day.
Robbie Scott was an energetic and inspirational pipe major and leader. He taught Bill to play the pipes and brought in many innovations. He arranged for the band to join the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and registered them as a grade 3 competing band.
This involved a lot of rehearsals to improve their skills so they developed the ability to compete at big events, like the Cowal Games.
Bill says that, according to his sister Betty Little’s book, From Dawn to Dusk, Lennie and Bill made their debut with the band in uniform on the same day in about 1955-56 when he was about 11 so the photo could have been later than 1953.
Fred Ewart told us the caption on last week’s photo of the soldiers was wrong. They were the Newcastleton Territorials, not the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers, with which William Little served.
First published at 21:50, Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Published by http://www.eladvertiser.co.uk
