Alison, How's it going with your new pipes? I received a new set of bellows blown Scottish smallpipes on 3 July and find them a challenge. Imagine a gibbon in a swimming pool attempting to drown a greased football under each armpit whilst wrestling an enraged gartersnake. That's me trying to pump the bellows, pressurize the bag enough to sound the reeds, and play the chanter...without scowling or sweating. The cats head for the hills and PJ gets paralytic with laughter but I'm getting better. When everything comes together they sound really sweet and I hope someday to be as good a player as they are pipes. You can see them on Ray Sloan's website. I'm sure you're playing yours effortlessly, I'd love to hear. Cheers, Dave