Young piper Gabriel raises spirits of Lauder townsfolk as part of daily challenge

Applause rang out across the region once again last night as Borderers supported the #clapforcarers initiative for another week.
Gabriel Potts his parents Stephen and Gail and sister Emily.Gabriel Potts his parents Stephen and Gail and sister Emily.
Gabriel Potts his parents Stephen and Gail and sister Emily.

In Lauder pipers led the attempt to make as much noise as possible as part of a nationwide coordinated round of applause at 8pm.

And among them was 10-year-old Gabriel Potts, who has set himself the challenge of piping every day at 1pm for residents during lockdown.

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The Lauder Primary School pupils plays daily on the High Street and each Monday and Thursday for residents at South Garden sheltered housing complex.

Potts family, Stephen, Gail, and Emily 10-year-old piper Gabriel and his fellow musicians Callum Atkinson,  Euan Craig, Clare Ellis and Karen Craig.Potts family, Stephen, Gail, and Emily 10-year-old piper Gabriel and his fellow musicians Callum Atkinson,  Euan Craig, Clare Ellis and Karen Craig.
Potts family, Stephen, Gail, and Emily 10-year-old piper Gabriel and his fellow musicians Callum Atkinson, Euan Craig, Clare Ellis and Karen Craig.

“He plays for about 15 minutes every day without fail,” his mum Gail said. “At South Garden there’s a couple grassy areas outside so he doesn’t go into the complex, but people open their doors and come listen. It has been really well received.”

Having taken up the chanter with Stow Pipe Band in 2018, Gabriel moved onto the pipes just a year ago.

Undaunted at the prospect of piping solo, Gabriel played on his doorstep for the first time eight weeks ago during the first Clap for Carers event before falling in with three other pipers, Euan Craig, his mum Karen Craig, and Callum Atkinson, to form Lauder’s now famed foursome, which pipes each Thursday night at The Row.

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“He is quite confident in his piping abilities and has taken to it really well.

“When we realised that the pipe major of Stow’s junior band, Euan, lived along the road we got in touch with him and Gabriel started playing in the foursome.

People look forward to it every week,” Gail added. “They’ve played together since the second week of lockdown.”

Gabriel can also be heard each day when he’s not at the sheltered housing complex, playing for locals on High Street at 1pm.

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