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Versions of the Bagpipes are known all over the World and are not a particularly Scottish thing. I believe the Romans had a version.. and many others exist worldwide.  I heard some in Crete. many years ago.. called 'Haskamandouras' I think.

 

I can enjoy listening to the Scottish pipes but they are a bit fierce.. and also since they are restricted to what I believe is called a 'pentatonic scale' (I'm no musician..) they lack subtlety and melodic range for me.

 

I do like the Irish 'Uellean' pipes (spelling?) and have a good friend. John Murphy.. who plays them very well.  He is socially and professionally linked to the likes of Mary Black and many other well known Irish musicians.  To me, the Irish pipes are infinitely more 'expressive' and musical.. but then they ought to be because they are more technically advanced.. having keys for playing chords on the drones and so on..  I also like the Northumbrian 'Smallpipes'... which are very similar to the Irish.. but .. err smaller.

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't music fab?  :)

 

 

 

 

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I'm told they can be difficult to get rid of. 

It is also Chinese New Year, we can have Chinese Burns.

I remember Chinese burns - it really hurt when someone twisted the skin on your wrist 

Oz, I just love Haggis. Would have it with every meal if I could. Likewise, Scotch pies. The pastry is rock solid and the filling is like Haggis. Another favourite is Lorne sausage.(if you don't mind it served like a square tile).

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2 hours ago, jonab said:

What about chitterlings or testicles?

 

As far as I know.. I'm ok for those thanks... :blink:

 

 

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2 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

Haggis, if you have more than one is it

Haggi

Haggises

Haggis

Mind you the last one I had with a full Scottish in Tyndrum was from a tin???

That’s Scottish cuisine for you. The crab in the salad I had in the fishing port of Campbeltown was from a tin. Anything other than chips and the Scots are thrown!

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4 hours ago, Beekay said:

Well dome Col., wished I knew how to post videos to NS.:wacko:

 

It can be a bit of a 'black art', depending partly on what website or forum you want to post them to, but..

 

Keep NS open and open another Tab for Youtube.

 

Go to Youtube and find the video you want.. then, while it's playing, copy the address from the address bar at the top of the screen and paste it into this site.

 

For reasons I haven't figured out, it will sometimes appear as just a 'link' in your post, which people will need to click on to view.  Sometimes it seems the address will immediately display 'in line'  i.e. the start screen of the video will load into your post. Other times, I find I have to place my cursor at the end of the link and press 'Return', which then makes the link appear 'in line'.  I have no idea why..

 Yet other times.. I post the post.. press edit and go back to the links and press Return from the end of each link.. which brings them 'in line'.

 

Sometimes there are multiple versions of the same thing in youtube.. some will work and others not.

Finally, you can still use the 'share' button at the bottom of the Youtube screen to access the 'BB code'.. but that seems to be used a lot less these days.

 

Give it a try!

Col

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I reckon that in theory, you could sing, whilst playing the Uilleann, or the Northumbrian pipes, or ny other 'bellows' pipes. This because you pump air into the bag using the bellows and then play the tune on the Chanter.. without having to blow into anything.

 

However.. if you are playing a full set of Uilleann pipes, you are already pretty busy without singing.  You are simultaneously pumping with your right elbow, regulating the pressure in the bag with your left arm, playing the melody on the chanter with both hands and playing the drones either singly or in chords, by using your wrist to press the Regulators.. ohh, and for some purposes, 'stopping' the end of the Chanter by pressing it on your thigh.  Some pipers wear a leather pad on their knee for this purpose.  Not for nothing are the Uilleann Pipes sometimes called the 'Irish Organ'.  I have nothing but admiration for people who can play these things.  A quality set of pipes is also a thing of beauty to behold.

 

Jerry O'Sullivan explains the basics.

 

 

 

And here Kathryn Tickell explains the Northumbrian Smallpipes.

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Beekay said:

Likewise, Scotch pies. The pastry is rock solid and the filling is like Haggis

 

I spent some time in Scotland whilst training to be a Careers Adviser.  Mostly in Aberdeen,  Peterhead, Elgin and Buckie. Most of the food I got in assorted B&B's was basic, but excellent.  I really wasn't much sold on 'Whhhyyte Pewdeeeng' though.  Almost every office I was in had somewhere.. a postcard with a recipe for a 'Scotch Pie'.  The picture made it look very solid, glossy and distinctly unappetising.  The ingredients listed were flour, hot water, lard, and gristle.  Just shows the Scots don't take themelves too seriously.

There were many types of bread based things which were fought over at morning breaks in all of the school staff rooms.  The 'Buttered Softies', and 'Tattie Scones' seemed a favourite but there were others whose names I can't recall. 

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A few years ago, wifey and me went on a steam long Weekender and stayed in the Erskine hotel, Erskine bridge, on the banks of the Clyde. Each morning wife asked for porridge, to be told not available as Chef had not arrived yet?? On the last morning she decided to have a full breakfast to set her up for the journey home. When she finished her last piece of bacon and toast, she had a bit of yoghurt to finish. Along trotted a little waitress with a big bowl of steaming porridge and said " There ye go Hen, this'll set ye up to go hame"! Wifey didn't have the heart to refuse it after pleading every day.

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10 hours ago, jonab said:

What about chitterlings or testicles

OK I'll admit to having to look up chitterlings

A definite no to both of those

9 hours ago, Beekay said:

Lorne sausage

I'd give that a yes along with Irish sausage and champ

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Back in the early 60s there useter be a Pork Butcher's in Boowul Market that had tripe, trotters, chitterlings and stuff in the window.  If I recall correctly, it was the one at the bottom left of Pilkington Street.  I seem to recall that they had the offall type stuff in the window to the left of the door, and a new fangled spit roasting thing full of chickens to the right of the door.  Or am I merging two memories into one?  Eitherway, I'd been brought up on the reality that beef was cheaper than chicken and never even bothered enquiring about the price of a spit roasted chicken.

 

I did eat testicles once.  They were served up in the Hotel Schutzen in Brienz, Switzerland, whilst I was on a school trip there in 1963.  They were served up in a white sauce (I know....) with rice. We all wondered what these small, spherical and very gristly little 'sausages' were and one brave soul enquired of the staff.  She explained something to do with Baa Lambs and a knife.  The things were remarkably small, given what I recall from seeing a couple of military mascot Rams.

 

They appeared again the next evening, as one ingredient of a small 'meat pie'.  Most of us picked them out....

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I'm sure you're aware of the definition of a gentleman....

 

Someone who knows how to play the bagpipes...but doesn't!

 

Incidentally, I encountered a bagpipe busker recently. I can't abide the sound of bagpipes but I couldn't help noticing that he was playing flattened sevenths. A sort of bagpipe jazz? I don't think it was accidental (no pun intended there!)  I didn't linger as bagpipes at close...or any other quarters...brings on an urge to stuff them where the sun don't shine.

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I didn't know it was possible. That's why I noticed. I know nothing about bagpipes but always supposed the range of notes was modal rather than chromatic. Perhaps the piper was trying to start a new type of repertoire.

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