You’re eight years old and your mother tells you that you’re going
to learn how to play bagpipes. I nodded my head and went back
to watching cartoons.
My solo playing moved me from Novice - Juvenile - Junior -
Senior Amateur and ultimately Professional (no prizes...). For
three years straight at the end of August I attended the Glentrium
School of Piping in Nelson BC with Donald MacLeod as the Head
Instructor. My friend Phillip was a favourite of Wee Donald’s so he
got to play his pipes for the two weeks. After dinner we would
play his pipes for hours as they were dead easy, like driving a
Ferrari - but better. I was also fortunate to attend a week’s
instruction with Bob Hardie during this time
Bands that followed were the Seaforth Cadet Pipe Band - we left
when they wanted us to get haircuts as it was the early ’70’s.
The Richmond Pipe Band (run by Jack Lee) exposed me to
Scotland first hand with the World’s and Cowal in 1977. But it
was Triumph Street that placed me on the front seat of an
incredible roller coaster ride.
I had always been on the periphery of the Triumph Street Pipe
Band whether it was buying reeds from Hal Senyk, a few lessons
from Alan MacLeod, Rob Menzies or Graham Davidson. A trip to
the Portland Highland Game in the mid 70’s with the band
opened my eyes to what the possibilities were. It was a lifestyle I
wanted - play hard and party harder.
The first year in the band concluded with the ’79 World’s where
we placed fifth - the highest placing a band outside of Scotland
had ever achieved. We played the big sound and were backed

up by a drum core that won first. That sound we had for those
years is something I’ll never experience again. It was magic. For
the next eight years my life was TSPB.
The fog lifted in 1986 and I realized I was married and was
starting a career. I had been on the piping treadmill since I was
eight and it was time to move on. My pipes would sit in the box
for months until someone needed a piper for a wedding or
funeral and I would play for a month then nothing for several
more. This continued for thirty one years until I woke up early
with a thought - “I want to join a pipe band”. My girls were self
sufficient and I had plans to retire within the calendar year. I took
my D finger and poked my spouse in the shoulder and
announced my intention. She emitted a low growl and rolled
over. But I was back on for playing again.
The Vancouver Police Pipe Band was the best fit. Travel with a
band was not on my radar, but it is a focus of the VPPB and
since joining I’ve been to China, India, France, Switzerland (twice)
and Belgium. At first I told the PM my position was back row
centre in front of the Bass Drum. That lasted until a few years
ago and I now find myself as Staff Pipe Sergeant.
I just want to play my pipes until I can’t.