BOOM IN BAGPIPES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1940, Page 11

BOOM IN BAGPIPES

SEQUEL TO DUNKIRK LONDON, September 7. Some industries have suffered in •the war, others have benefited. One that is booming just now is the manufacture of bagpipes. Never before has this peculiarly Scottish industry enjoyed such a rush. Manufacturers are overwhelmed by demands for complete sets of instruments, both for home and abroad. The evacuation at Dunkirk had much to do with this. Few regimental pipe bands leaving France managed to bring any equipment home. In addition, the military authorities are realising the benefit of martial, music to the troops and are accordingly forming many new bands. “We have orders for at least 200 sets of pipes, and are still making hopeful promises to commanding officers all over the country, with only the vaguest idea of when they will be fulfilled,” the manager of a leading Scottish firm said this week. “We suffer from shortage of the skilled labour essential in making bagpipes, but fortunately our stocks of raw material are good. We have enough cane in stock for 33 years. We are also going back to the old practice of using native Scottish woods, like elm and laburnum in place of ebony ahd brazilwood. Many people declare that they give the pipes a richer tone than foreign timber.”