When I got to the Fife Arms Pub, I went to the bar to order a drink. While waiting, I met several folk who were sitting at the bar right by the order-station. Naturally, they invited me to join them. Naturally, I accepted! Among these folkz was a guy named Gordon Meldrum. [Plz excuse the blurry bar pix! HEY! It’s the fault of the camera … and the lighting … YEAH. That’s the ticket!] Sometime after the four pipers began piping, someone told me about Gordon …

They said that Gordon is a world-renown PIPER who “NEVER plays anymore.”
Supposedly, he stopped playing in public years ago because he was “in his cups” too often (drinks a bit).

I was told that Gordon was so accomplished and famous that:
When the Sultan of Oman wanted to create a Pipe Band, he hired Gordon to come to Oman
and train all the Omani Bagpipers that formed the Sultan’s original Pipe Band.

Now, Y’all know me! Even though I was “in my cups” (oh, surpriZe),
I was rather hesitant to believe such a story!
But …

Very soon after being told about him, I watched the four guys who had been piping in the pub

LET GORDON TUNE THEIR PIPES! Now … I’m no “bagpipe” expert, but I know MUSICIANS! NO musician on the PLANET would ever let some “guy” in a bar even TOUCH their instrument – let alone fuss with its TUNING –

UNLESS they KNEW that the guy was an “EXPERT” Piper!

Gordon tuned ALL FOUR BAGPIPES for these Pipers!
And, they seemed incredibly HAPPY that he did!

Consequently, that evening, I was CONVINCED that Gordon Meldrum really was a “famous piper”!

Once home and working on these pix pages, however, I researched “Gordon Meldrum” on the Internet
and found only ONE bagpipe website (an obscure German one) that mentioned a “Gordon Meldrum” …
and it ONLY mentioned a bagpipe CD’s musical “arrangements by Gordon Meldrum.”

I DID find a website about the Sultan of Oman’s Pipe Band!
[That website is GONE now (August, 2006). Sorry!]
There was no mention of a “Gordon Meldrum” there.
Then, again, there also was NO “HISTORY” page offered for the Omani Pipe Band.

INFO FROM THAT SITE: “Bagpipes are very popular with the Omani people, probably because the instrument was originally an Arabic one. All pipers start their training by learning standard Scottish bagpipe technique, but more than half the repertoire these days is Arabic. These local traditional melodies actually suit the bagpipes very well as Arabic tonality is very close to the bagpipe tonality.”

Soooooo!
After failing to find better information, I briefly resumed my suspicion that
the Gordon Meldrum pub-story might be just that – a PUB story.
BUT, then I reconsidered the following facts:

1. NO Pipe Band “history” page (citing the original director!)
   was offered on the Sultan’s Website …
   
2. Those Ballater Pipers let him TOUCH their pipes! …
   
3. Those Ballater Pipers let him TUNE their pipes!
   [That was really the “clincher!”] …
   
4. And then, those Ballater Pipers let Gordon PLAY their pipes!

Consequently … I have concluded that Gordon Meldrum really IS a “world-renown PIPER!” And, guess what?! I have a TINY “MINI-VID” of Gordon PLAYING in PUBLIC!!! Something he “never does” anymore!!!

[If you’re interested in the Mini-vid, Email me, and I’ll send it!
chas@novelholiday.com]

A very sad update about GORDON MELDRUM:

Pipe-Major Gordon Meldrum died suddenly, on the morning of August 28th, 2006, at the age of 61.

There was a great article about him in the Piper & Drummer Online – News.
[Thank you “cmackenzie” for sending me the link!]
That article is gone from the Internet now (August, 2011),
But I made a PDF before it went missing!:
Pipe-Major Gordon Meldrum (1945-2006)
I also managed to snag this pic (unknown date) from the article:

Can we say “Hubba, hubba?” I think we can!

A quote from the article that mirrors MY sentiments:

“Condolences go to his entire family and numerous friends.
Gordon is survived by his wife Phen, his children Alex, Sarah,
Anna and Cameron, his mother Stella, and his sister Norma.”

Apparently, there are so few Internet articles about him, that people who Google
“Gordon Meldrum” have been finding THIS PAGE of my 2003 UK Trip Site!
A few folkz were kind enough to contact me, and tell me about Gordon’s death.
(Had they not done so, I would never have known about it.)

Here are some of the comments I’ve received so far:

“Gordon Meldrum was one of the most lovely, warm, helpful people on this earth,
and he will be very sadly missed.”

“Gordon was a great piper and a great, great man. I can confirm that Gordon was instrumental in
setting up the Omani Pipe band. He spent a couple of years out there and was treated like royalty.
I recall a few years ago when the Omani Pipe band came over to play at the Aboyne games.
Gordon was treated with such reverence, it was scary. I saw this with my own eyes.
In fact only 3 weeks ago he was invited to Balmoral by the Queen herself.
It’s true he hasn’t played for many years. So, you can count yourself very lucky
to have heard a wee tune.RIP Gordon.”

If anyone else out there would like to send me something to post in commemoration of Gordon, PLZ DO!
I would be proud to help “spread the word” about how much Gordon Meldrum was appreciated by
those who knew him, as well as those who had merely met him.
He certainly was very friendly to, and terrifically appreciated by this Krazy Yank! (Me!)

LAST DAY FIVE Pix Page:
DINNER at the MOORFIELD Again
HEAVY SIGH. Last night in Braemar. Pout, Pout.

If you have suggestions for The Miller Fandamily Web Site,
OR contributions to the photo gallery
please Email WebMistress Chas!
chas@novelholiday.com