Drum roll for the band
Caledonian Society pipe outfit is 100 years old
The East London Caledonian Society Pipe Band (ELCSPB), a popular staple of the city and wellknown for their public performances, passed a historic milestone after their 100th anniversary this year.
Unfortunately, the planned celebrations have had to be postponed until 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
While the band was officially formed in 1920, its roots go back much further. The idea of a pipe band for the EL Caledonian Society was first proposed in 1899, but the idea didn’t gain much traction in the beginning.
However, the society did help Col HW Cuming to establish the Scottish Company of the Kaffrarian Rifles (now the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles) in 1903, which included two fully equipped pipers.
Then in 1920, brothers James and John Forbes established the ELCSPB with Field Marshell Douglas Haig as their patron.
The band started out using equipment previously owned by the Kaffrarian Rifles Pipe Band, which had been disbanded after World War 1, but within three years they were able to purchase their own equipment.
During World War 2, the band was officially recognised as the pipe band of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and were presented with a drum major’s sash and mace, which they still possess.
The band continues to be a feature in East London, often performing at key events such as the St George Presbyterian Church anniversary in 2009 or the more recent Fort Pato reenactment in 2018.
New members are always welcome. Contact Pipe Maj Robet Rankin at 082-897-8571 or Drum Sgt Stephen Goold at 082-560-0247.