A great article about Dougie Law recently appeared in the Lennox Herald.

The clipping has been added to the Newspaper clippings page.

Regards

Alan

A new Article has been added to the Articles Section of the website:-

D.M.George Seymour (click to see Article and associated material)

This also includes two video clips, an Audio file, Pipe Music and Drum Score.

Enjoy

With a damp start St James playing fields there was a large turnout of 4,000 pipers and drummers, competing to become British Champions in their respective grades.

The “214BB Ex Members trophy” for the Winners of the Novice Juvenile B grade was contended for by the following bands.

An amazing number of entrants for this newly formed grade.

The trophy in it’s 2nd year of existence was won by :-

Lochalsh Junior Pipe Band

I’m sure all the ‘Auld Boys’ wish them all the best in their Pipe Band futures…… The secret is practice makes perfect.

Hugh’s cremation is to be held on

Tuesday 14th March 2017 – 2.30pm at Dalnotter Crematorium, Clydebank.

I’m sure the 214 will be well turned out in our 214 ties on Tuesday!

Alan

I am sorry to report that Hugh Davidson passed away peacefully yesterday morning.

Hugh was 77, a regular attender to the reunions and will be missed not only by his son Alan and the family, but also by the “Boys of his era”.

He was Alex Ibell’s nephew (His mother Nan was Alex’ sister). He played the pipes and passed down the tradition to his Son and Grandson who also play.

(Sgt. Hugh Davidson can be seen in this photo front row 2nd from the left.)

Hugh a butcher to trade, took over his father’s family butchers business then passed on the reigns to his son Alan.

They built up the business with shops in Yoker, Scotstoun and a factory unit in Linwood. (This supplies their shops as well as many top Scottish Hotels and Restaurants. (They even supply our Caterer for the Annual Reunion)

Funeral details once received will be posted on the website.

I am sure all the Ex Members pass on their condolences to Alan and the family.

N.B. previous post had incorrect date.

Please reply by Monday 27th of February 2017 (not March).

Many thanks to the ex member who noticed this, good to know someone is paying attention.

Alan

68th Annual Reunion – Friday 3rd March 2017

All invites have been sent out either by email, letter or both.

A good number of replies have been received and I thank each and everyone who has replied.

Can I ask you if you have not done so already, to please reply to the secretary by Monday 27th February 2017.

(In whatever form suits you Email, Text, Phone call, Facebook or Letter…..we just need to know!)

This will enable us to book meal numbers etc.

I look forward to another successful evening of celebration and fellowship next Friday.

Many Thanks

Alan

I am sorry to have to report that John Rennie passed away peacefully on Wednesday 30th November 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

John had been suffering from cancer for a few years and when I spoke to him last year at the reunion, he thought himself it would be his last one, which turned out to be true.

John was the last serving Captain of the 214BB Company, taking over from Lachlan May in 1984 until the company had no option but to amalgamate with the 135 Company in 1985.

Although not a 214 boy, he knew the importance of the company, being a BB man himself and also a piper.

He was a quiet gentleman, that just got on with it and never made a fuss.

John can be seen on the left of the picture smiling away. (This was at the 70th Anniversary Parade in 1994 at Scotstoun Parish Church.)

Piping played a great part in his life, he played with the Fire Service Pipe Band and latterly with “The Renfrew Pipe Band” (Which still to this day has 214 connections).

His son and daughter both play the pipes and have played with The Fire Service, Lomond and Clyde, Glasgow Skye and his son is currently with The Glasgow City Pipe Band.

John’s cremation is to be held on

Friday 9th December 2016 – 9.30am at Dalnotter Crematorium, Clydebank.

I would like to extend our 214 condolences to John’s wife Catherine and the rest of the family at this sad time.

I’m sure the 214 will be well turned out in our 214 ties on Friday!

(As the Scotland V England World Cup Qualifier 2018 approaches, it has prompted me to type up some memories about the 214 playing at Hampden Park over the years.)

For many a band player in the 214, playing at Hampden Park for the first time was always a memory they’ll never forget.

Arriving at the small door to the right of the main stand towers, you were ushered up a narrow staircase into a small locker room /gym, where wooden lockers lined one wall and the opposite one had windows, with ledges about 5 feet up the wall, that you struggled to see out of as a young bandsman. In the corner were rubber gym mats, piled high along with the dreaded medicine ball. Many an unsuspecting boy would be skelped with this before Alex MacIver, Joe King or Dan Finlay arrived in the room. This was where pipe cases, drum covers /boxes & jackets were stored and we were able to tune up prior to going onto the track and kept the noisy band away from dignitaries and the rest of the SFA bigwigs.

(Click the pictures)

Hampden Park Circa 1980

Hampden Park was built in the early 1900s to provide the then top-club Queens Park with a larger home. It officially opened on the 31st of October 1903 with a match between Queens Park and Celtic (1-0).

The stadium was bowl-shaped, with one covered main stand and vast terraces on all other sides. It then counted as the largest in the world and broke several attendance records.

Hampden Park opened a new North Stand in 1937, and in the same year recorded its highest attendance when 149,415 fans came to see an international between Scotland and England (3-1).

The official capacity of the stadium at that time amounted to 183,724, however this was limited to about 150,000 for actual matches.

In 1960, Hampden Park hosted the European Cup final between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt (7-3), which 130,000 people attended.

In 1976, Hampden Park would host another European Cup final, this time between FC Bayern and Saint-Étienne (1-0); however by then the stadium had already severely aged and lacked the facilities of many modern arenas of the time.

By the 1980s, capacity had fallen to below 80,000, and serious questions were raised whether Hampden Park had a viable future. It was finally decided to extensively redevelop the stadium, which meant almost completely rebuilding.

Works started in 1991 and were finally completed in 1999. The 114^th Scottish Cup Final of that year was the first match played at the new all-seater stadium. Rangers v Celtic (1-0)

In 2002, Hampden Park hosted its first Champions League final with Real Madrid beating Bayer Leverkusen (2-1). In 2007, the stadium hosted the UEFA Cup final between Sevilla and Espanyol (2-2).

Hampden Park also serves as the Scottish national stadium, hosting all of Scotland’s home games, and is furthermore the annual venue of the Scottish Cup final.

Donnie MacIver was instrumental in getting the 214 band playing at Hampden, as he was well established in Scottish Schools football and hence the SFA connection.

Donnie showed us this model of the “New Hampden” after we had played at a Glasgow v Bradford School’s game in the late 1970’s.

(It took a further 20 years before work was completed!)

These were the main games the 214 played at on our own, though as Massed bands we played at Scotland games too.

Many a supporter in the Stand tried (some succeeded), in the game of “Hit the Bass Drum with a Scotch pie!”

Usually the missiles landed short of the band, but there are a few instances where “Scotland’s main football culinary experience” hit pipers and drummers square in the face. Nothing was funnier than seeing the greasy remnants running down the face of the unlucky recipient.

(524) Scotland v England 15^th May 1976

This picture shows the massed BB Pipe Band marching along in front of the Hampden Main Stand being led by P.M. Alex MacIver in front of the 85,165 crowd that day.

This was the British Championships – Home International that Scotland won 2-1, and would be remembered for the Kenny Dalglish goal when the ball went through the goalkeepers legs (Ray Clemence).

(528) Scotland v England 15th May 1976.

A closer view showing the 214 band in the far rank.

(Alex MacIver, Donald MacLennan, Ronnie Peacock, Finlay MacLennan, John MacLeod, Iain MacLeod (Biff), (unknown Staffy another company), Murdo (Hans) MacDonald just makes it into the picture.

John MacLennan can also be seen in the front rank 5^th from the left wearing glasses.

Team details

(525) Scotland v England 15th May 1976.

Some of the match day Programme

(529) Scotland v England 15th May 1976.

For those of you who don’t remember the game may want to watch this clip.

(130) Scotland v England 15th May 1976.

What other football grounds did the 214 play at?

What do you remember of the day drop the secretary an email……

(I know we played at Ibrox for the Centenary in 1983 & the Edinburgh competitions were held in Meadowbank Stadium.)

Sorry to report that Angus MacLennan the eldest of the MacLennan boys, passed away on Tuesday 11th October in Canada aged 60.

He was admitted to hospital on Friday with internal bleeding. Unfortunately his blood got infected, which led to him being on life support.

Gus was a larger than life gentle giant.

I last met him at the Worlds probably 15/17 years ago, where a spur of the moment 214 reunion occurred, when all the MacLennan boys appeared (Gus, John, Donald, Finlay and possibly Gus’ son Finlay?) as I, along with my brother Dougy McColl, Willie Ellis & Gordon Medlow were in conversation at the side of one of the competition rings.

A number of stories were exchanged and this brought back loads of 214 memories for Gus, including when he and Ian MacDonald played on stage with Roxy Music in Edinburgh in 1973. (They even managed to convince Brian Ferry to wear a 214 kilt!)

After leaving the 214 band and prior to emigrating to Canada, Gus also played with The Red Hackle.

The Kyles of Scalpay (see Articles contd …on the website) shows a great insight to the MacLennan’s Harris way of life.

Gus is due to be cremated in Canada tomorrow, I would like to on behalf of all 214 Ex Members express our deepest sympathies to the whole family.

Mary (Gus’ mother), John, Donald, Finlay & families.

Not forgetting Gus’ son Finlay’s family (2 grandchildren) in Canada.

Sure & Stedfast