I have a great deal of admiration and respect for those who can play the bagpipes.
My Scot's ancestry has instilled in me a deep rooted emotional attachment to the pipes and I cannot help but have a welling up sensation whenever I hear even the slightest hum and drone of that evocative sound.
It could be from a marching band at a military tattoo, a backing to a pop song or in my own home town in Yorkshire when an employee at the Council Offices used to practice his craft in the municipal car park on every wednesday lunchtime, come rain or shine.
I was sufficiently motivated to enrol in pipe lessons a few years ago, encouraged by the fee being a gift from my wife, and a sort of mentoring sponsorship, as you would get at an alcoholics anonymous or drug rehab programme from a lovely lady we called Bagpipe Liz who was a near neighbour.
My attempt was a feeble one.
The loan of a practice chanter did not help me grasp even the basic finger positions and I lasted about half a dozen sessions before disappointing my Clansman Heritage, the memory of my Scottish Gran and of course Bagpipe Liz by dropping out.
That failure reinforced the high esteem in which I hold the Piper.
I was reminded just today by a reference in an archived radio broadcast about the popular culture of this musical instrument and specifically the Dagenham Girl Pipers.
They attained cult status in the 1960's and 1970's not so much for their playing achievements which were admirable and plentiful but from frequent mentions in the scripted comedic antics of the likes of Morecambe and Wise, I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, The Goon Show, Benny Hill and The Two Ronnies.
Of course the humour of that era was very sexist, misogynistic and downright smutty and what better vehicle to convey these attributes than in conjuring up images of a tartan clad troop of female bagpipers.
That seemed to be the emphasis of the comedy reference.
What could be more hilarious than women in traditional Scottish military dress, Royal Stewart weaved skirt, knee length woollen socks, frilly blouse and blazer and depicted as huffing and puffing to create a distinctive lament or a stirring battle rally.
I suppose some saw the uniform as a bit kinky and we are of course talking here of the generation who revelled in the gymslip attire of the girls from Saint Trinians, saucy nuns and french maids.
I do not condone such an attitude nowadays and no one else should either.
However, at the time it was a guaranteed, bolt on ,surefire and cast iron way to elicit a belly laugh from a few millions in the viewing and listening audiences in the BBC and ITV schedules.
Whilst the public perception of the Dagenham Girl Pipers was so perpetuated the organisation had in fact been around since the 1930's.
Originally founded by a Church Minister for his 10 to 12 year old congregational members the band turned professional in 1933 and within a few years they were on a full touring retinue which included the New York World Fair and, whilst in pre-WW2 Germany ,a performance for Adolf Hitler in or around 1937.
They were a great success for their musical prowess, precision marching and drilling and really consolidated their unique appeal as perhaps the worlds first all female pipe band.
They may, in recent years, have slipped from the limelight but the group is still going strong and is in its 88th year of existence.
Perhaps those flippant remarks and sexualised images of tartan and skirls from those far off days of black and white television were a bit disrespectful and in today's politically correct culture way off acceptable but they have proven to perpetuate the appeal and timelessness of the contribution of the Dagenham Girl Pipers to authentic Scottish heritage.
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