Doogie

Ive been playing the bagpipes on and off ( more off than on tho ) for about 13 years and dont practice enough!! I learnt to play the pipes with the Glenmoriston Pipe Band in Bury St Edmunds....a lovely old proper Scot by the name of Jock Stobbs saw me through the early stages..hes sadly gone now. Then I played with The City Of Norwich and then finally The Pipes and Drums 1st Royal Tank Regiment. I went off playing in pipe bands, too much politics, rivalries and clash of personalities for me. All I ever wanted was to play! I also got fed up with wearing fluffy hats and spats. To those of you that have never had to wear full pipers dress, dont!!! Its most definitely designed by an Englishman...strapped in, buttoned up, if anything was designed to make the playing of the Great Highland Bagpipes harder it was full dress!!

Im lucky enough to have been left a set of Duncan MacDougall bagpipes circa 1875, by my Grandfather James Bruce Grant ( a piper in the Southend Scottish during the 70s ) He bought them in the mid 70s for £5.00!! They are worth thousands and I would never ever part with them...loads of other pipers have wanted to buy them off me. I bought my first ever new set made by Ian Murray of Forfar in Scotland. they are fantastic pipes and if anyone is thinking of buying their first set talk to Ian!!

I also try and play the mandolin, whistles, bodhran, sing and Im currently trying to play the fiddle.

Whatever time is left outside of the band.....Im now a Captain in the 514th QM Truck Regiment..The Red Ball Express...a WW2 re enactment group. I also make dirks and targes, play footie, get dressed up in American WW2 uniforms ( pilot and infantry) and go to hangar dances ( can you see a theme emerging here!!?? )

I work part time as an apprentice thatcher. Its a great job most of the time altho in the summer its a bit too hot on a roof. Roll on September! I also work as a costumed interpreter visiting museums schools colleges in a number of different disguises..Roman Soldier, Jacobite Piper, Highwayman, Pirate, WW2 American Pilot and WW2 American Infantry Sergeant. All my characters have names and detailed histories and I hope I bring them alive and do them justice.

My family on my fathers side come from Banff and MacDuff in the NE of Scotland and further back from Glenmoriston and Urqhuart.I have a direct descendant who was at Culloden who fought alongside Keppoch on the left, John Grant of Glenmoriston. My GGrandfather emigrated to Canada in the 30s and became a horse dealer and bred horses for the RCMP. He made a fortune and lost it all gambling. He never returned to Scotland and is buried in a paupers grave in Edmonton. Ive other ancestors and relatives who were in the Canadian Expeditionary Force who died in the Great War. One is buried in Edmonton Cemetery. My family on my mothers side is French Italian and Swiss. My GGGGgandfather Thomas Juchau ( I think thats enough Gs!) was Boxing Champion of England in 1759 a Swiss Coachman..his nickname was the Paviour! I carry on the tradition by studying the Arte of Self Defence 18thc style.

I used to be in the Blues And Royals Household Cavalry in the British Army, a fact of which Im extremely proud of.If your page displays or has information regarding the IRA or any other terrorist organization dont ask me to be your friend.Im on here to make friends not to get into any nasty arguments!! Simple.