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The eighties began with another Scottish Piping Society of London appeal being launched, this time for the prize fund, as well as a request for more people to attend piping competitions. Recitals continued with pipers such as John Wilson and Robert Wallace, and Iain MacFadyen. Prize donations started coming in, with gifts of sets of pipes from D Naill bagpipes and chanters from Kilgour. 

The prize fund appeal was successful, and the Annual Competition settled in the Glazier’s Hall. In March 1984 the Society had the “greatest number of members” to turn out for a recital that was the “highlight of the year”. Who was the piper that provoked such interest? Donald MacPherson, which may not be that much of a surprise to some. In 1986 Allan Beaton left London to return home to Skye. He had been with the society 30 years, 21 of them as President. The role was succeeded by Donald Forbes, with Harry Denyer as acting Pipe Major, a role later to be taken over by Jimmy Banks.  

High quality recitals continued, including an appearance by Roger Huth, who was to become Pipe Major to the Society by 1990. 1988 saw the passing of J.B. Robertson, who had been an active member since 1932. His wife, May Robertson, donated a rose bowl which “Robbie” had won at Braemar. It had been a particular favourite  of J.B’s, and May felt it appropriate that it be used as a prize in the annual London competition. The J.B Robertson Silver Rose Bowl is still keenly fought for by former winners of the MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering, Northern Meeting and London events. The first winner of the bowl was a Lance Corporal Gordon Walker. 

In the 90’s the monthly meetings relocated to the Lucas Arms in the Gray’s Inn Road. The Annual Competition hit a sticky patch in 1993, when we saw the boycott of the senior competitions by members of the Competing Pipers Association. Thankfully such incidences are well behind us now. In the late 90’s we reconnected with the Pipes and Drums of the London Scottish Regiment, who very generously let us have the use of one of their practice rooms on Thursday nights. Roger Huth succeeded Donald Forbes as President, a role he would continue for the next three years, with Chris Apps as Pipe Major. Sadly for us, Chris emigrated and continues his reed making business in the USA. 

Roger then reverted back to the role of P/M, and Angus Nicol, who is well known in London Gaelic circles, was asked to be President in 2006. I am pleased to say that now that we are well into the Noughties, the Scottish Piping Society of London is in vigorous good health. Carrying on a tradition started in the 1930’s, the Society holds informal piping recitals at the Mudlark Pub, near London Bridge, on the second Saturday of every month. These evenings were instigated and are organised by our SPSL Piping Co-ordinator Alasdair Smith. Once again there is a Piper’s Club in London. 

After a spell as vice president, I was elected president in 2008 and I am pleased to report that we have a very enthusiastic committee, and we have recommenced providing high quality piping tuition in London, close to the Imperial War Museum. The interest in these classes is keen, we seem to be having better luck than J.B. Robertson did back in 1935. We are also running a weekend residential course in Wiltshire, catering for all level of players. The current venue we have chosen for the Annual London Competition, the Kensington Conference Centre, has proven extremely popular with competitors and audience alike, and we hope to continue to hold the Bratach there on an annual basis.  We also hold an informal invitational competition every Christmas at the Mudlark.

Of course, this would not be possible without our generous sponsors, in particular William Grant and sons Ltd, to whom we are extremely grateful. We continue to attract new members, and the audience at our recitals are steadily growing. We were all very saddened when one of our SPSL stalwarts, Jim Caution, passed away just before Christmas in 2007. His widow Anna, who was competition secretary for many years, asked that instead of flowers, donations be given to set up the Jim Caution Memorial Piping Trophy Fund. This fund has two aims, the first is to present the overall winner of the Juvenile piping contests with a gold medal and a silver quaich. The second aim is to provide a promising youngster with either an instrument or quality tuition, when they might not be in a position to afford it for themselves. 

Sadly Anna passed away last year, but the Caution family have asked that the Jim Caution  award continues as a tribute to both Jim and Anna. It’s a thrill to see youngsters getting involved with piping in the society, and their interest and enthusiasm ensures that the SPSL will continue for a while yet. 

Pipe Major R.U. Brown, one of the famous Bobs of Balmoral, had the following to say about the London competition; “It has an atmosphere all it’s own – it is truly the friendliest meeting I have attended. When I come to London, I hear the finest playing, meet old friends and make genuine new ones”. The SPSL are doing our utmost to ensure that pipers visiting us today can feel exactly the same way.