Highland Games debut for Dufftown bagpiper Alfie who played in memory of ‘Pops’
A young musician had an emotional day playing a set of bagpipes gifted to him by his much-missed grandfather.
Alfie Stables was only a toddler in 2014 when the photo below appeared in the Northern Scot paper of him dressed in Dufftown and District Pipe Band tartan.
A decade later and Alfie, now 11, has just performed with the band at his first-ever Highland Games in his hometown of Dufftown.
A crowd of nearly 6000 thoroughly enjoyed themselves on Saturday, and Alfie’s debut performance maintained a family tradition which dates all the way back to 1967.
That was the year when his grandad, Gordon Stables, joined the Dufftown and District Pipe Band.
A talented piper, Gordon was awarded the King’s Cup for his playing and remained a Dufftown stalwart for many decades.
Sadly, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Knowing that he didn’t have long left, he gave his bagpipes to his grandson Alfie as a present on his eighth birthday.
Alfie was still too young to blow hard enough to make a sound on the pipes, however, he did begin lessons on the chanter.
Becky Stables, Alfie’s mum, said: “We always used to think that Alfie would grow up to play the drums rather than the bagpipes. I used to pay drums in the band and his dad is the Drum Major, so that’s how we both met.
“But Alfie was very close to his ‘pops’. Alfie was at his bedside the week before he died and played a tune for him on his chanter.
“His grandad tried to play a tune back to him, but was too ill by that stage.”
Alfie didn’t graduate from the chanter to the fully-fledged pipes until after his grandad died. However, last Friday (July 26), on the eve of the games, he went to Gordon’s graveside to play a bagpipe tune.
Becky, who’s a cook at Aberlour Primary School, said: “Alfie loved performing at his first Highland Games. There was a lot to take in – playing in front of so many people while marching in step – but he was absolutely buzzing afterwards.
“Alfie and Nick got absolutely soaked at one stage, but the downpour didn’t last for long though.
“And it was beautiful by the evening when the Beat the Retreat was played in the town centre. There were 216 musicians all performing at the same time. It was a special moment.”
Dufftown and District has a reputation for being a family band.
As well as his mum, dad and grandad, Alfie’s late uncle Gordon was also a member before his death in a road accident in 1997.
Fiona Caldwell, who’s Alfie’s chanter teacher, has a son and daughter who also play pipes in the band. Meanwhile, Raymond McConnachie, the band’s drum sergeant has two drumming sons in the band, plus another who’s learning, while his wife and daughter are learning to play the pipes.
Alfie was awarded the Angus Reid Memorial Cup on Saturday as the most improved piper.
His sister Heidi, eight, took part in the day’s Highland dancing and won five medals while their youngest sibling, Georgie, five, watched on.
See a full list of all the results from the Dufftown Highland Games below:
Attendance – 5725
Heavies – 8 competitors
Young Heavies – 8 competitors
Light Events – 8 competitors
Pipe Bands – 9 Pipe Bands – (216 Playing)
Highland Dancers – 114 competitors
Hill Race – 87 competitors
