PEOPLE
Here are some of the people (in roughly chronological order) who provided
inspiration or help with traditional music in general but especially piping.
The musical welcome received by Carole & I when we arrived at
Mount Hooley Cottage was wonderful. The Dicksons, Margaret
Ian and Carolyn, Willy and Nancy Taylor, Will and Bella Atkinson
and, of course, Alistair and Liz Anderson and Alistair’s parents
Lloyd and Dil all gave us a sense of belonging. Geoff Purvis was a
legendary figure and his father Ron gave me fiddle lessons in
1983. Much later David Hume joined Geoff, Jamie and me for some
great nights as “The Full Stottie”.
The best bit is that the story continues and I have had the real
treat of working with hundreds of pupils at Folkworks events
including Border Box run by Colin Bradford (now an independent
organisation) and Cracking Ceilidh Bands with multi-talented
David and Joey Oliver and the exceptional Stewart Hardy.
Mount Hooley Cottage was wonderful. The Dicksons, Margaret
Ian and Carolyn, Willy and Nancy Taylor, Will and Bella Atkinson
and, of course, Alistair and Liz Anderson and Alistair’s parents
Lloyd and Dil all gave us a sense of belonging. Geoff Purvis was a
legendary figure and his father Ron gave me fiddle lessons in
1983. Much later David Hume joined Geoff, Jamie and me for some
great nights as “The Full Stottie”.
The best bit is that the story continues and I have had the real
treat of working with hundreds of pupils at Folkworks events
including Border Box run by Colin Bradford (now an independent
organisation) and Cracking Ceilidh Bands with multi-talented
David and Joey Oliver and the exceptional Stewart Hardy.
THANKS
Mike, Kath and Kathryn Tickell were all regular attenders of the Folk workshops at
Wallsend Arts Centre in the late seventies. I took down a set of pipes by Archie Dagg for
dental student Bridget Wilson who unfortunately couldn’t afford them. Mike bought them
for Kathryn and you all know the rest of the story. Kathryn originally joined Dennis Ogle in
the beginners class but rapidly moved up to the advanced class where she joined Chris
Ormston. Jane Gillon (Robson), Peter Walton and Neil Smith also added to the mix.
Wallsend Arts Centre in the late seventies. I took down a set of pipes by Archie Dagg for
dental student Bridget Wilson who unfortunately couldn’t afford them. Mike bought them
for Kathryn and you all know the rest of the story. Kathryn originally joined Dennis Ogle in
the beginners class but rapidly moved up to the advanced class where she joined Chris
Ormston. Jane Gillon (Robson), Peter Walton and Neil Smith also added to the mix.
Gerry Murphy my flatmate (1968-1970) discovered a copy of The Northumbrian Minstrelsy
in Manchester Library and photocopied all of the pipe tunes. Gerry and I shared a set of
pipes at first until I got my own set in June 1970. In those days there were no professional
pipe makers and only 3 examples of piping available to us on record; an EP by Jack
Armstrong; the pipes duet track by Colin Ross and Foster Charlton on the High Level
Ranters LP “Northumberland For Ever” and the original 78 of Tom Clough’s 1929
recording for Columbia. (Found and purchased from a Harrogate Market stall by Ron
Elliot). Ron, wife Sandra Kerr and daughter Nancy were regulars at Low Newton.
Bill Hedworth made pipes for Gerry & me when were still seeking ebony walking sticks
and lignum vitae mangle rollers to make our own pipes. This was the only advice given at
the time to the question “where can we get two sets of pipes?” !!
David Hillery heard Gerry & me playing Lads of Alnwick on concertina and tenor banjo
and invited us into his home to give us regular pipes lessons and encouragement.
Billy Pigg, John Doonan and Foster Charlton; Their version of “Lark in the Clear Air” on
“The Border Minstrel“ album caused such a flood of tears and delight that I lost a morning
in the lab. John, Foster, Carole and I subsequently joined Ernie Kirkby and the Saddler
Hall group on a mini tour of Austria and Czechoslovakia. John and I joined Benny Graham
as the Minstrels in James Kirkup’s “Cyrano de Bergerac”. This ran for a month at the
(then) University Theatre and precipitated the use of the Colin Ross plastic G chanter
photographed for the Billy Pigg album.
Dave and Elsie Burleigh provided replacement pipe parts, shared their music and took
Carole and me up to Rowhope for our first meeting with Joe Hutton, John Armstrong of
Carrick and Archie Bartram.
Dick Hill (who had lessons from Billy Pigg) and George Atkinson (son of Will) were
first class pipers with beautiful tone and style who made a huge impression on me when I
returned home from my studies.
in Manchester Library and photocopied all of the pipe tunes. Gerry and I shared a set of
pipes at first until I got my own set in June 1970. In those days there were no professional
pipe makers and only 3 examples of piping available to us on record; an EP by Jack
Armstrong; the pipes duet track by Colin Ross and Foster Charlton on the High Level
Ranters LP “Northumberland For Ever” and the original 78 of Tom Clough’s 1929
recording for Columbia. (Found and purchased from a Harrogate Market stall by Ron
Elliot). Ron, wife Sandra Kerr and daughter Nancy were regulars at Low Newton.
Bill Hedworth made pipes for Gerry & me when were still seeking ebony walking sticks
and lignum vitae mangle rollers to make our own pipes. This was the only advice given at
the time to the question “where can we get two sets of pipes?” !!
David Hillery heard Gerry & me playing Lads of Alnwick on concertina and tenor banjo
and invited us into his home to give us regular pipes lessons and encouragement.
Billy Pigg, John Doonan and Foster Charlton; Their version of “Lark in the Clear Air” on
“The Border Minstrel“ album caused such a flood of tears and delight that I lost a morning
in the lab. John, Foster, Carole and I subsequently joined Ernie Kirkby and the Saddler
Hall group on a mini tour of Austria and Czechoslovakia. John and I joined Benny Graham
as the Minstrels in James Kirkup’s “Cyrano de Bergerac”. This ran for a month at the
(then) University Theatre and precipitated the use of the Colin Ross plastic G chanter
photographed for the Billy Pigg album.
Dave and Elsie Burleigh provided replacement pipe parts, shared their music and took
Carole and me up to Rowhope for our first meeting with Joe Hutton, John Armstrong of
Carrick and Archie Bartram.
Dick Hill (who had lessons from Billy Pigg) and George Atkinson (son of Will) were
first class pipers with beautiful tone and style who made a huge impression on me when I
returned home from my studies.
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