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Welcome to Begg Bagpipes
------Est. 1980 Glasgow city centre's oldest bagpipe shop------
click on the banner for our home page
 

 
Dear Piping Enthusiast,
 
I am pleased to report that sales are booming and it's been our most successful year so far in our 35 years of business. I'm not talking financially although that wipes its face but it is the fact we are now a global business and providing a service that is most satisfying to us. For me, that is the real success and I'm sure the finances will look after themselves. I thank you all for continuing to open and enjoy the newsletter. The open rate is fantastic and we continue to keep customers up to date with piping and a little bit of cheeky Glaswegian banter. The idea of the newsletter was to keep in touch with all the people who have bought items from the shop and I hope to have also assisted in improving your piping in any way I could.
We are delighted to have supplied the 2015 world champions Shotts and Dykehead PB with bags and also the Champions of Champions Field Marshall Montgomery. We are of course not just a one trick pony and our hand made approach does well on the refurbishment of bagpipes too. This is the time of year for some of us to give our beloved bagpipes some TLC so please forward them - you will be amazed on how much better they will look and sound. We in fact had some Divine intervention on our side recently when the Reverend Val wished to have her pipes restored. Having been somewhat neglected for 40 years, it was a joy for us to repair all the blowpipe leaks, refurbish the wood and get them playing as they should -hallelujah. When my time comes, maybe I won't be going to join Auld Nick for a duet on the pipes after all!! .
 
We were glad to have recently supported the Strachur Piping Society as well as the Innerleithen Games and that is as direct result of your custom - it's good to reinvest in the piping world so thank you all. Congratulations also to Kate Paton on receiving the coveted Balvenie medal at the recent Glenfiddich Championship - a well deserved recognition.
 
Yours aye,
James Begg
 
Piping Perfection

News.
 
 
Congratulations to Piper Richie McCaw - Captain of the Rugby World Championship winning All Blacks from New Zealand - AWESOME!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
The first in a series of The Scottish Pipers Association's knockout competitions commences at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday 7th November 2015 at the College of Piping, Otago Street Glasgow. There will be a full bar service available for what promises to be a great evening - the two pipers going head to head are Finlay Johnston and John Patrick. I hope to be able attend this event and catch up with many old friends.
 

Piping Adventures and Experiences - Burns' Night.
 
Burns' Night is not far off and the haggis will be getting chucked down our necks again along with the tatties and neeps (and perhaps the odd libation or two!). I played my first Burns gig at Glasgow Cathedral, at the tender age of 13, and at that time, I hated haggis. However, I did try my best to eat it and subsequently went on in later life to enjoy haggis very much. It is a bit of an acquired taste and it also varies from being wet and soggy to somewhat dry and chewy. Not sure which one is best - probably dry. Could you please enlighten me if you know the ins and outs of a good haggis.  Many more Burns' nights later, I turned up at a well known Erskine Hotel to do the biz so to speak. It was announced the orator had gone AWOL presumably over the Erskine Bridge like many other poor souls before.  I was then informed that I would have to do the important Address as well as the Piping. Well, I informed the panic stricken Maitre D ' that I don't recite - my protestations were ignored and I was handed a book and told "On you go big man". Well, it worked and everyone was content. At this point, I became a bit cocky and thought I was the male version of Pam Ayres. I decided to learn the 2 well known verses so if any such situation arose again, I'd be well up for it. Next event the year after was in a very plush hotel in Argyle St. They suggested could I do the address for a small party of 20 or so and garnered with vast experience, I said yes. This went well although it's a bit tricky doing the playing and reciting at same time - breathing and changing mode from piping to reciting and piping again is not all that easy. So I'm now William Topaz McGonagall, Beatrix Potter and Shakespeare all rolled into one! With two successes in the bag, what could possibly go wrong - bring it on, as they say in Bonnie Scotland. Sadly, next time out, I came a bit of a cropper at the Copthorne Hotel on George Square. I was certainly moving up in the world in terms of venues and I'd been talked into doing the address. Boy, was I somewhat out of my comfort zone in their splendid ballroom with 400 people. I did the business but I realised my address to 20 odd people was not quite the same as to 400 plus. What will 2016 hold? The piping's not a problem but the address as well?? I will keep you posted.
 
James C. Begg
 
p.s.
            Tae the haggis did Jim address,
            of this he thought he'd make a mess,
            400 hundred listeners sure was risky,
            but all was well thanks to loads of whisky.
 
            By Jim Greenway, Press Baron, Glasgow character .
 
            (In the mould of McGonagall!)
 
 
 

Special Offer - FREE SEASONING PLUS TYING IN CORD
 
Free seasoning plus tying in cord for every bag ordered online during November, as well as free postage world-wide - don't miss it!!
 

YouReport
 
We received the following report from Gosse Hulzinga in Holland and it makes amazing reading. We wish Gosse all the very best with his project to raise funds for MND research and glad he is so positive about life and music. Please check it out on Facebook.
Thanks a lot Gosse.
Yours aye,
James
 
Dear James,
 
Thank you for sending me your interesting newsletter on bagpipes and the whole international scene. I really enjoy your personal, clear and informative style. In 2009 I had the opportunity of visiting your beautiful workshop during the piping live Festival. I purchased some spare parts for my set of bagpipes.
At the end of your newsletter you invite your readers to send in a report. I have got a personal story that might interest you. I was a Piper in a grade 4 pipe band here in Holland, when I was struck by Motor Neurone Disease in 2011. I had to give up my playing of the pipes and I had to sell my set of bagpipes. Most the story doesn't end there. I am playing a new instrument, the Magic Flute, a digital instrument, designed especially for people with muscular diseases. Together with studio pipers software. I am able to produce a true bagpipe sound again. My playing has improved and so I recorded a charity CD for MND research in Holland. I made the recording with 2 singers, 4 pipers and 2 drummers. You can read more about it in the article enclosed. So far I have managed to sell 250 copies and more than €500 has been raised for MND Holland.
 
But I really would like to share this story with piping enthusiasts from all over the world. I hope you will enjoy reading the article. For more information you can visit my special Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pipesanddrums4als
 
Thank You for your attention and good luck with your business!
 
Yours,
Mr. Gosse Hulzinga
 
If you would like to report on any aspect of the Piping World from wherever you live, or if you would like to comment on any articles or issues, we'd be pleased to hear from you. Email to bill@beggbagpipes.com
 

Piping Perfection
Begg Bagpipes
202A Bath Street
Glasgow, Strathclyde G2 4HW
United Kingdom
This email was sent to: wgbegg@hotmail.com
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