It's been a huge weekend of bagpiping and I'm almost out of hot air. At the inaugural Ipswich Piping and Drumming Solo Championships, following a mountain of running around as part of the organising team, I played for 11 drummers performances - including multiple pre-contest runs. Particular congratulations to Carlie for winning both D and C grade bass! I also watched on as our Greater Ipswich College of Piping (GICOPAD) students took their first steps into competitive piping

Over the last few months I have been considering getting a new bagpipe case, with my 8-year-old case looking a little worse for wear. So, I spent some time looking at the various cases available on the market. My initial thought was to get something with wheels since, as you know, carrying the Original Bagpiper Case for long periods, on planes or through airports can be awkward and lead to quite a strain on your back and shoulders. I was however not too keen on the idea of ta

Brisbane Bagpiper - Nick Tomkins - is Pipe Sergeant of St Andrew's Pipe Band, Brisbane. In August 2015 the band travelled to Scotland to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships. St Andrew's spent the first week practicing in famous Stirling - home of Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument, and Stirling Bridge; the site of the Battle of Stirling in the Scottish War of Independance. St Andrew's competed at North Berwick and Perth, coming 1st place at North Berwick. Unfortun