Dagenham Girl Pipers to Disband After Nearly a Century Due to Recruitment Challenges

A ladies’ bagpipes band, active for almost 100 years, has announced its disbandment, citing difficulties in recruiting younger members. The Dagenham Girl Pipers state that girls are no longer interested in taking up the bagpipes, with their final performance scheduled for Remembrance Sunday. Denise Morrison, who joined the east London band at the age of nine, commented that girls are “more into social media these days rather than the discipline of a band.” The members shared their experiences with BBC London during their last rehearsal at Valence House Museum in Barking. The group has performed globally, alongside notable figures such as Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, and the late Queen. Its current members range in age from 65 to 85. At one point, the band comprised over 60 members. Pipe major Sheila Hatcher identified the crucial age for attracting new recruits as 10 or 11. Morrison, who followed in her aunt’s and sister’s footsteps to join the band and has played for approximately 40 years, expressed her sadness. “I think it’s really sad that we’ve come to times where girls these days are not really interested in that kind of thing any more,” she explained. She further elaborated, “I think the youth of today are not really interested, there’s lots of other things out there – devices, TikTok. They’re more into social media these days rather than the discipline of a band.” An archive documenting the band’s history, contributions, and achievements over the decades is housed at the museum. This collection includes a china doll complete with brogues, hose, kilt, velvet jacket, lace, and a hat. The women recall an impressive list of celebrity collaborations over the years, including with Dame Vera Lynn, Paul O’Grady, and Eric Idle. However, for many, the memories forged with each other hold a particularly special significance. Lily Tillott, a sergeant who has been with the band for 59 years, told the BBC about the strong camaraderie among the women, stating, “We are like a family.” She expressed pride in wearing her uniform around the world, adding, “It’s fantastic, we’ve travelled around, met different people, famous and otherwise, we’ve learned different cultures. It’s just lovely. You go behind the scenes of things and see how things are done, which is something different.” Among Denise’s favorite memories from trips with the band are performing with a circus in Bilbao, Spain, and playing at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s house. Sheila, a member for 65 years, also cherished the travel opportunities associated with their performances. She recounted, “I was lucky enough to go out to Singapore to train the pipe band out there for the President of Singapore; South Africa, we’ve worked in circuses, pantomimes – you name it, we’ve been there.” The band anticipates many former members will join them for their final performance, an event they view with mixed emotions. Lily remarked, “It’ll take me a little while to realise – but we’ll still be meeting each other, still play every now and again.”