On these pages we will try to give some alternative links to sources of information on
bagpipes of all types, from London and elsewhere.
London Piping Links
Castle Pipers, also known as the Elephant and Castle Pipe Band. We play Monday evenings
from 7-9pm at the Newington Tenants Community Centre, or from 8pm on the first Monday of
each month when the local councillors use the centre for a surgery.
We can arrange a Scottish or Irish piper for most occasions.
We have had close links with the Somme
Battlefield Band for many years.
We were proud to be involved with the establishment of the Pipers' Memorial at the
Longueval at the Somme when the names of the Irish regiments were added. See this link http://www.webmatters.net/france/ww1_longueval_p1.htm
Some of our members also play with the London Scottish Pipe Band which is a
TA band based in Horseferry Road, Victoria. Some others play with the London Irish Pipe
Band. The two groups are now under the combined umbrella of the London Regiment, but
it is possible to play music with them without discussing foreign policy and they're quite
friendly really. London Scottish play Thursday nights, London Irish play Friday nights at
Flodden Road.
The Piping Society of
London have various meeting places and dates now and provide tuition for learners.
A new band, the Green Hackle Pipe Band have set
up and are ready to teach beginners. Several of their members are regular visitors to us
on Mondays. They practice on occasional Saturday afternoons in Putney.
If you want to try Scottish dancing the way nature intended: not too much worry about
detail, lively with a range of partners and beer which goes down quite easily, the Ceilidh Club has dances at least
once a month at Cecil Sharp House in Camden. I have played for them in the past in
exchange for free tickets and had a good time.
International Piping
Bagpipe Makers and other bagpipes
If you are looking for help and advice with buying or playing bagpipes, I would
recommend contacting a bagpipe forum such as the Bagpipe Forum or Viper Piper (which are two places
where I post) or Bob
Dunsire's page which also has a forum.
If you're interested in other instruments, and particularly in traditional english music,
try Greenwich Traditional Musicians
Co-operative who have a session every Tuesday night at the Lord Hood in Greenwich.