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After an extraordinary 52-year career with the Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band, we bid a bittersweet farewell to founding member, Grant Walker, as he retires from competing to join the adjudicators panel. With a deep sense of pride and a touch of sadness, we celebrate Grant's remarkable career, marked by unwavering dedication, passion, and countless contributions that have shaped our band's legacy and will continue to do so for generations to come.
A 7-year-old Grant joined the early learner classes with his elder brother Craig and the original cohort of Boghall bairns in 1972/73 when the band was established. Armed with a small practice chanter that his fingers could actually reach, he worked hard and first competed with the band during the 1974 season.
Grant was also too small to be fitted for a #1 uniform at that time so competed in #2 kit with another young drummer Brian Sim in that 1974 season.
Grant then competed with the band throughout the band’s well documented rise through the grades until the band achieved Grade 1 status in 1980 and has remained an ever-present playing band member, almost without missing a contest to this day. Moreover, Grant has played in every one of Boghall’s major championship victories from 1974 until this year, and notably the band's historic 2023 World Pipe Band Championship win, only missing out on the band’s victory at the 2024 British Championship in Forres due to his adjudicator training obligations that day – so in some sense he was still “in the arena” for that performance too.
Grant has fulfilled many roles during his service with the band. As well as a long-serving piper, he was also Pipe Sergeant to his brother Ross in his early years as Pipe Major, giving Ross an experienced and trusted partner as he established himself as band leader. In recent years Grant also served as band President, again providing valuable stability in a key role during times of significant change when the leadership at both ends of the band was passed to the next generation of “Boggies”.
As well as these roles, Grant has also been heavily involved in the Boghall teaching program, from working with learners on the practice chanter to helping established pipers transition through the Juvenile bands up to the G1 piping team. Current G1 piper Matthew McCafferty recalls “I needed a bit of extra help in making the leap from the Novice Juvenile to Juvenile grade within the Boghall setup and Grant graciously offered to come down to my house on a Sunday evening to provide his considerable expertise in achieving this end.” He continues “I know that I am just one of the many people who have benefited from his love of our band, but I consider myself extremely lucky to have been tutored by Grant Walker. I am not only indebted to Grant for my proficiency as a piper; I am indebted to him for the sense of loyalty and community values he instilled in me as a young man.”
You can read Matthew’s heartfelt reflections on Grant’s influence on his journey from Novice to Grade 1 here.
Away from the competition and administrative side of things, Grant has also enjoyed many overseas band engagements, with events in Canada, France, Switzerland Spain, Malaysia, Russia amongst some of the highlights. Concerts in Glasgow, Lorient, Canada, Germany, the Stade de France and many more also feature in his band storybook. Also worthy of note is his almost unblemished record in performing at the local Bathgate Procession parade across his 51 years in the band – a record that is likely to remain unbroken!
As Grant departs the band competition ranks after our medley performance at the 2024 World Championship and heads off to his new piping endeavours as a fledgling adjudicator, we would like to take this opportunity to mark his exemplary service to the band.
As the last of the Boghall original members to depart our ranks, he has been a source of inspiration to many and is, in many ways, the epitome of the way we do things in this fine organisation. It gives us great pleasure and an enormous sense of pride to congratulate him on his long service and thank him for his half-century of hard work, commitment and belief in “the Boghall”. Grant, your influence will be felt for generations to come. Thank you for everything.
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