Pipe dream

IN 1885 Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch, the motor car was invented, the American Indians were forced to live in reservations - and Accrington Pipe Band was formed.

Today, the men in tartan are believed to be the oldest civilian pipe band in existence as they march proudly towards the millennium.

A sea of clansmen clad in kilts, sporrans and feather bonnets and playing the bagpipes has always been a spectacle to stir the imagination.

Several generations fill the giant gap between the oldest and youngest pipers in Accrington Pipe Band.

Longest-serving band member John Tinnion, 83, is a constant reminder of the rich legacy of the troupe.

John, who joined in 1928 at the age of 14, still plays alongside members who include youngest piper, 15-year-old Andrew Evans, part of the new blood who will be responsible for taking the band forward to the 21st Century.

Andrew, from Accrington, is one of a growing number of youngsters who have turned their back on their fast-moving high-tech computer world to indulge in a pastime which is centuries old. Andrew said: "I saw the band playing at Accrington Carnival, thought they looked brilliant and joined them. I received a lot of help and encouragement from all the band members."

The piper, from Aysgarth Drive, embarked on the seemingly-impossible task of learning to play the bagpipes and is proud to be part of such a rich tradition.

"I want to play bagpipes all my life," he said.

The pupil of Accrington's Hollins High School joined the band two years ago and took part in his first public performance with the rest of the pipers this month.

He said: "I have played for family and neighbours but this was the first time out with the band. I do get some stick at school but I also get a lot of praise."

Pipe Major Trevor Stokes, 49, of Lonsdale Street, Accrington, said: "We are supposed to be the oldest non-military pipe band in existence. The uniform and challenge of playing the bagpipes have always been the big attraction." The original band met in an ex-servicemen's club in Accrington. The first members included a gamekeeper at Dunkenhalgh Hall, an ex-piper from the Scottish Rifles and a piper in the Royal Scots Fusiliers

The band later became the St John Ambulance Band Accrington Corps Pipe Band and played at parades, functions and local celebrations such as the one for the Coronation of Edward V.

Today the band still perform at such functions and lone pipers also add an extra dimension to funerals, weddings and, of course, bringing in the New Year.

The men intent on following their pipe dream come from a wide range of backgrounds. from architects to surveyors and from mechanics to priests.

Fitness is important for the men, who can walk up to four miles during a parade carrying bagpipes weighing 30lb and wearing a heavy uniform which takes anything up to three-quarters of a hour to put.

John, of Burnley Road, Accrington, who even took his bagpipes to war to entertain the troops, has many tales of the pipe band's past. "One pipe major walked and played from Clitheroe to Pendleton across fields, stiles, streams - the lot," he remembered. "He tripped in the brook. He was a bonny site when he got out.

"We also once took a bus and the big drum was put on the stairs . We went over a bridge and the drum rolled off the bus and down the hill like a yo- yo."

John loves his bagpipes, whose sound he describes as "pure magic."

He said: "They are very expressive.

"They can be melancholy and strike a sad note or they can be joyful.

"They are the best instrument in the world.

"You have got to persevere for 12 months before you are proficient but it is worth it."

He added: "We are really pleased that more young people are joining us and ensuring the band's carries on into the future."

The band meets every Tuesday at 7.30pm in the drill hall at the St John Ambulance building in Accrington.

Anyone interested should go along on the night.

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