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.
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.
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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