Father served in WW II and we attended parades on Independence Day where there was occasionally a pipe band or two. This young soul was thrilled, but nothing came of it.

Later, obsessed with history (especially military) 'fell in with a bunch of others of like interest, miniature figure scale modelers and artists and became fascinated with (especially Napoleonic 42nd, 79th and 93rd and 2nd Royal North British Dragoons) Highlanders in the Penninsula and at Waterloo.

'Happened to be serendipitously vacationing with young wife in Toronto during the Scottish World Festival in '73 (she had half or more Scottish blood) and was awed to whelming by the vast bands and kilt kit, everywhere. There was an evening event with reportedly 500 pipes and 1000 drums in the stadium.

Over time, she was going to make a kilt...we purchased fabric, 'had a few albums and CDs of pipes music, but she tragically passed before it was even laid out. At a Ren Faire in '03 took the plunge and ordered Number One from Angus Harvey....