Dundee cousins John Brown and Alec Lawson have come a long way since their childhood days.
Today, they stand together once more, this time on one of the most prestigious stages in the world— the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The two men, who emigrated to Australia as a teenager and young adult respectively, are now performing as part of the Australian Federal Police Pipes and Drums.
They are bringing their shared heritage and love of music to life in a unique and powerful way.
Roots in Dundee
For John, now 70, and Alec, 69, the journey from Dundee to the grand esplanade of Edinburgh Castle has been one filled with both excitement and nostalgia.
John’s earliest memories are tied to the streets of Dundee, where he lived on St Salvador Street before moving to Main Street and later to a new housing scheme in Menzieshill.
He attended Dens Road Primary School and then Logie, following his family’s move to Menzieshill.
“My father was a plumber, and my mother was a bookkeeper,” John recalls in a sit down interview with The Courier ahead of an appearance at the Edinburgh tattoo.
“We moved to Australia in 1968 when I was just 14. My father had worked in Australia after the war, and the opportunity came for him to return.
“It was an exciting but strange time for me, moving to a completely different culture. It never felt like Christmas in Australia until I had my own family. Christmas in 108-degree heat just wasn’t the same!”
Alec, who left Dundee at almost 21, remembers his childhood fondly as well.
Born in Hilltown, his family later moved to Lawson Place, and then to Mid Craigie, where he completed his schooling at Rosebank Primary and Rockwell.
He began an apprenticeship at Timex in 1970, but a desire for change led him to follow John to Australia a few years later.
“John was already in Australia, and we used to communicate occasionally,” he says.
“I felt like a change, and the commitment was only for two years initially. I’d never been to Australia, but John said it wasn’t a bad life, so I decided to give it a go.”
A new life Down Under
Both men settled in Canberra, where they quickly adapted to their new lives.
John pursued a career in electrical engineering, eventually working as a biomedical engineer at a hospital.
It was in Australia that John also developed a passion for the bagpipes, a passion that would lead him to join a competition band and, later, the Australian Federal Police Pipes and Drums.
Alec, on the other hand, began his Australian career as a lab craftsman at the Australian National University, where he worked for 15 years.
His path crossed with John’s once more when John mentioned there were job openings in biomedical engineering at the hospital.
Alec applied and got the job, working alongside John from 1989 until 2006. “John was on the electronics side, and I was on the mechanical side,” Alec says with a smile. “We worked together for many years.”
Both men started families in Australia, with John marrying Ros and having four children and five grandchildren, while Alec married Jane, an Australian with Scottish roots, and had two daughters and five grandchildren.
The call of the pipes
Music played a significant role in both men’s lives, particularly in John’s, who had been deeply involved in piping since his early years in Australia.
“I actually learned the pipes in Australia,” John says. “I’ve been part of the Australian Federal Police Pipes and Drums for years now, and I’m now the oldest member of the band!”
Alec’s journey into the world of pipe bands was more unexpected. “I used to annoy John by tapping on things all the time,” Alec laughs.
“One day, John said to me, ‘You should join a pipe band.’
“I wasn’t interested at first, but then John mentioned that there was a vacancy because the guy who was playing the bass drum was getting his knees replaced. He convinced me to come along to a practice, and once I heard it, I was hooked.”
Despite his late start, Alec took to the drums with enthusiasm, and when the opportunity arose to join the Australian Federal Police Pipes and Drums for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, he couldn’t believe it.
“John called me around Christmas last year and said, ‘How are your knees?’ I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Then he said the band was looking for a bass drummer for the Tattoo. I just about fell off my chair. I couldn’t believe they wanted me!”
The magic of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
For John, this year’s Tattoo marks his fourth appearance, having performed in 2012, 2014, and 2017.
For Alec, however, it’s his first, and the excitement is palpable.
“I’m not nervous, just excited,” Alec says. “I’ve played at the World Championships before, but nothing compares to this. There’s something truly special about being part of the Tattoo.”
John agrees, reminiscing about the first time he marched through the gates of Edinburgh Castle.
“There’s nothing like it—the smoke, the red lights on your face, the roar of the crowd.”
John laughs when I joke that it’s a bigger crowd than at Dens Park, referring to the football stadium in Dundee where he spent many Saturdays as a child.
The Tattoo also offers a unique opportunity for the cousins to reconnect with their Scottish roots, something that both men cherish.
“When I come back to Scotland, I start speaking properly again,” John jokes. “You can’t get the Scottish out of you, no matter how long you’ve been away.”
For Alec, a Dundee United fan who returned to Dundee for his 65th birthday to watch the Dundee derby, the connection to Scotland remains strong.
“I’ve been back a few times recently for weddings and funerals, and every time it feels like coming home.”
A shared heritage
Performing together at the Tattoo is more than just a musical experience for John and Alec – it’s a celebration of their shared heritage and a testament to the enduring bond of family.
“I’m happy and delighted that Alec is playing alongside me,” John says. “There’s nothing like having family to share this experience with, especially in a pipe band.
“We’ve always been close as cousins because of our age, and this just brings us even closer.”
Alec echoes the sentiment, reflecting on how far they’ve both come since their days in Dundee.
“John said to me once that I had to do this sometime, and now that I’m here, I can’t imagine not being a part of it. It’s great to be able to share this with him and to be part of something so special.”
The legacy continues
As John and Alec march through the gates of Edinburgh Castle, they are not just representing Australia; they are carrying with them the legacy of their Scottish roots.
For these two cousins, the Tattoo is more than just a performance—it’s a homecoming, a celebration of where they’ve come from, and a reminder that no matter how far they’ve travelled, Dundee will always be a part of who they are.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2024 runs until August 24. This year’s ‘Journeys’ theme is the third and final instalment by creative director and New Zealander Michael Braithwaite.
Conversation