G.G. Armstrong

Who was G.G. Armstrong?

George Grey Armstrong was a noted player, teacher and maker of the Northumbrian smallpipes. He also composed several tunes for the instrument. He lived in Hexham, Northumberland. He learned to play the instrument from the Clough family, and studied pipemaking with John E. Baty. There is a photograph of him with his pipes, from the Cocks collection, at A later photograph, taken by Bert Hardy in 1950 for Picture Post, is available from Getty Images.

He taught 36 pupils, including Joe Hutton, Tommy Breckons and Colin Caisley, and passed on his pipemaking skills to William Cocks. Some of his teaching was for Scout troops - the Northumbrian Pipers' Society led a move to introduce the instrument among Scouts in Northumberland between the wars. From the playing of these and other pupils, it is clear that Armstrong must have been not only a fine piper but an excellent teacher. Tommy Breckons recalled learning first from Armstrong, and later from Tom Clough: Now as to the difference between Tom and George. Tom wouldn't have been much use to a novice piper.... But George had a gift for teaching a novice. He could show you how to do things. I don't quite know how he did it!.