A FORMER leading Borders piper and ex-footballer returned from his home in Canada and laid on a musical treat for customers at the Neidpath Inn in Peebles.

Stevie Connor, once of Halmyre Mains, West Linton, is a promoter and the owner of a successful radio station in North America.

He was joined for the session by Stevie Lawrence of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Raintown and Rallion, award-winning fiddler Fiona Cuthill, Sandy Bell (ex-Pipe Major of Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band), local world champion piper John Connor along with other musicians.

“Stevie’s done terrific and it was great to have him home for the first time in two years,” said dad Danny, from Peebles. “I went to the Neidpath for the session and a lot of people came from Edinburgh and Glasgow to see him.” Stevie hosts his own Celtic, Folk & Roots show on the radio station which is listened to in 63 countries worldwide and his show sponsor www.CowalBagpipes.com organised the event at the Neidpath to present him with a set of Scottish small pipes for his promotion of the company.

For many years before moving to Canada, he was the Pipe Major of West Linton Pipe Band, and helped with the Peebles Ex-Service Pipe Band with his dad. He was also a member of the Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band for many years.

Since moving to Canada five years ago he has founded his own promotions company www.WeeDanMusic.com and owns a radio station which is a phenomenon of the online music world www.BluesandRootsRadio.com. It started with 68 listeners a year ago and it now has 50,000 listeners monthly playing shows featuring independent artists from across the globe.

Stevie, 49, was once a footballer but his dad and mum, Nan, always thought he’d end up in the music industry.

“He was a good footballer and could have signed for Notts County and Everton when he was young but we knew that his heart was always in music,” said his dad.

“When he was 16 Notts County wanted to sign him and sent us a letter inviting us to go with him.

“He did two weeks with them and did really well.We then got a letter to say they’d send us tickets for a match but Stevie didn’t want to go. One night he went missing with his two brothers. I went to the bedroom and he was crying and said he just wanted to keep playing his pipes.” Stevie did play for Berwick Rangers but later turned down offers from Montrose and Albion Rovers. “He just didn’t fancy it and he switched to music by the time he was 23 or 24,” said Mr Connor.

Stevie has now returned to his home in Port Credit, near Toronto, where he lives with his Canadian wife Anne.