The new CoP Shop webstore is up and running. Customers will have the option of trying either the old or the new for a couple of weeks and once we are sure everything is operating glitch free the old one will go. The new one has a more user friendly interface with postage calculated at source etc; all the facilities the modern webshop should have. If anyone has any thoughts or issues please give us some feedback to: [email protected]. To access the new store go to CoP Shop on the CoP home page and hover over the tab.
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CoP closed 12 noon  Dec 24 for staff lunch + Dec 25 and 26; reopens 9am Dec 27; Closes 12 noon Dec 31;  reopening Jan 3 9am. I want to say a huge personal thanks to all those who have helped the College and the Piping Times over the last year. Without our advertisers, suppliers, readers, students, thousands of CoP Shop customers, members and supporters we would not be able to continue our work for piping worldwide. We march on into 2013 confident we can build on our work as piping’s leading charity. Hard to believe that next year marks ten years since we moved back into Otago Street after the rebuild. All the best to everyone for 2013.
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A new mural of Glasgow’s west end was unveiled a couple of months back at Hillhead underground station, a short walk from the College. It’s by the writer and artist Alasdair Gray. Unfortunately we are not on it but the arrow points the way: 

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Thanks to Pietro Malaguti and Simonietta for an enjoyable weekend in Bologna. His students are well taught with five easily passing their Level 1 PDQB. Three struggled a bit and two had to decline. Some of them flew in from as far away as Sicily which says a lot for their commitment  On the Saturday afternoon we had a very interesting talk about Scots language from the brilliant Prof. Iain L.Fraser. Iain hails from Hillhead and is now resident near Florence where he works as a translator. He speaks 12 languages fluently and can write and translate about 50. Staggering. I managed to keep pace with the train of most of his thoughts but only when he reverted to west end Glasgow dialect. Apart from what I learned from Iain here are a few other bits of not so useless Tally info: The dessert Tira mi su translates as ‘pick me up’ which is what the coffee, chocolate  ingredients are designed to achieve; Spaghetti Bolognese is an oxymoron – they don’t eat spag in Bol: they have their special sauce with tagliatelle; the River Po as in the popular retreat march The Argylls Crossing the River Po by RH Brown should be pronounced ‘paw’ as in bear, not ‘po’ as in chanty.
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Rod Caird has sent this: ‘Ipswich Piping Society is proud to announce that on Friday April 5^th 2013 we are lucky enough to have Donald MacPhee coming to Ipswich to give a recital. Donald of course is a Gold Medal winner, Field Marshal Montgomery piper and world-class dance music player – as well as being a maker of very fine reeds. The recital will be at the Holiday Inn, 2, The Havens, Ipswich IP3 9SJ at 7.30pm; tickets can be obtained at £12.00 each by emailing Rod Caird on .’ Should be a great evening….
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Barry Donaldson has confirmed the details for the popular Wheel of Fortune contest to be held in Danderhall Minders n Feb 9. Cracking line-up:

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PT/ PB: both magazine will be out end of next week. PB has lots on World Solo Drumming and young superstar Grant Cassidy now of Inveraray. PT has good piece on tartan, Echoes of Oban,  Norman Matheson’s reminiscences and the usual sparkling features….well worth £1.90.
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They say that owners, over time, end up looking like their dogs. Clearly in the case of a certain SFU front ranker things are moving along rather quickly. Here is his new dug (called Piper)

and next its proud owner who also answers to the name ‘Piper’ (why, we’ll never understand):

Seriously, Robert tells me he has a superb new range of fabrics at the Kilt Centre so if you are thinking of getting a new piping suit you may like to check out the Kilt Centre.

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