Robin Loomes
Pipe Major
Robin resides in Christchurch, NZ and formed the Pipes and Drums of Christchurch City in June 2009. He has been Pipe Major and secretary ever since.
Robin began his piping career in 1972. Over the years, he had some success competing as a soloist and has been involved with many bands, including some of the country’s leading grade 1 bands.
He was a member of New Zealand’s last military pipe band, the Pipes and Drums 5th Battalion (Wellington West Coast & Taranaki) Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment during the 1980s and again from 1997 to 2001. During the second period, he also served as Pipe Major.
His involvement with this band had many highlights of which the most memorable were:
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The 1986 tour of Tonga, which coincided with the 68th birthday celebrations of His Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV
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A member of the New Zealand Defense Force deployment to Turkey in 2000 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War.
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Deployment to Edinburgh in 2000 to participate in the 50th Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and also in Scotland’s Tribute to the Queen Mother on the occasion of her 100th birthday.
Robin looks forward to many more years of active involvement.