The Pipes and drums of the London Scottish Regiment celebrate their 150th Anniversary in 2010, one year after the Regiment do. To celebrate the event they are holding a one off Solo Piping Competition.

There will be an Open and Amateur competition running concurrently on the 13th of March at the Regimental Headquarters at 95 Horseferry Road, London, SW1 2DX and we have managed to get Tom Speirs to judge the Open. Tom has a connection with the Regiment, in that his father, Jock Speirs, was the Pipe Major of our 3rd Battalion from 1942-1946.

Entry fees are £10 per event for Open grade players, £5 for event for Amateur grade players.

Open players submit three 2/4 marches, three strathspeys and three reels. One of each to be chosen. 

Amateurs submit two 2/4 marches, two strathspeys and two reels. One of each to be chosen. 

Hornpipe and Jig entries are own choice for both Open and Amateur grades.

The closing date for entry forms is the 1st of March 2010. The start time will be 10:30. All entrants must be registered by the start time. 

The London Scottish has had quite a few famous serving members both in the Band and in the Soldiering part. Historically the Regiment provided the Personal Piper to HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. 

Pipe Major De Laspee was the piper who starred in The Longest Day and the band also provided the Pipe Band in Tunes of Glory. Soldier wise, Ronald Colman, Claude Raines, Basil Rathbone and Herbert Marshall from the film world all served, along with Kenneth Grahame (Wind in the Willows) and Sir Alexander Fleming. Recently the band has played in Holland at the Voorthuizen Military Tattoo, at the Fulda Tattoo in Germany, in Spain at the Xijon Bagpipe Festival and at The Ceremony of the Keys in Gibraltar. We have taken part in Beating Retreat at Horseguards and in the Lord Mayor's Parade along with many other high profile events in the UK.

Entry forms for the competition are available from me at nicktuckey@hotmail.com