Did a google image search and found this page:
http://www.pipeshow.net/musee-up-williams.htm
utterly amazing
On a similar-ish topic, does anyone have Dave’s article on copying the Felix Doran pipes? Don’t suppose someone might be willing to pm me a copy? I’ve been studying one of the 2 sets he made to those specs recently and so it’d be interesting to read of his experiences with the sets?
Cheers
Andy
The article is mostly about Dave’s search for Frank Gorker, a German man living in Manchester, who made Felix’s set. Later Felix sold the stock and regs to Tom Mulligan, Alfie has them now. Felix had new regs made by by Leo Rowsome. John Rooney has a copy made by Dave of Felix’s set. I visited Dave’s workshop in Newark after I got my set I think it was 1981/82 and John’s set was in pieces ready to be assembled as Dave had just got the metal parts back from the man that silver plated them. You mention two sets, who has the other one, Michael Doran?
I found the article in NPU’s archive but it wasn’t possible to download:
“Sraith 2, Uimhir 26, Iúil 1985: page 2, “Felix Doran’s pipes” article by Dave Williams about Felix Doran’s pipes made by Frank Gorker not the Leo Rowsome set. Photo of Felix’s father John Doran and Felix’s son Michael Doran” - from my index
I’m confused now - i thought Felix Doran had the Rowsome set first, then sold those regs and replaced them with the Gorker ones. I thought Alfie Mulligan’s were the Rowsome regs? What do i know - i’m only going from your website, Thomas!!!
Anyway, when Dave made John Rooney’s pipes he made a sister set for himself but was unfortunately persuaded to sell it to fund a conservatory!! It’s that set which a prominent piper from Northeast England now owns, several owners down the line. When i mentioned the set to Dave Williams a few years ago it seemed he rued ever selling it for a conservatory!!
I had presumed that the chanter and drones were Rowsome design, the regs after the Gorker replacement, now i just don’t know?
Andy
Sorry Andy, you’re right, Felix sold the Rowsome regs and stock to Tom Mulligan, and Gorker, an engineer I believe, (it’s a while since I read the article) made new regs and a stock for Felix.
Yes, Dave copied Felix’s set after he’d passed away. Felix’s widow had her caravan parked near Newark at the time, and Dave visited her to take photos and measurements. She wouldn’t let the pipes leave the caravan as it was all she had left of Felix, Dave told me. So he must have measured the Rowsome chanter and drones and the replacement Gorker regs and stock. Felix is said to have said that the original Rowsome regs encased in metal leaked.
I never heard about the sister set that Dave made for himself. He never mentioned it at the time during the early eighties, prehaps he made the set at a later date? When I collected my pipes from Dave in 1980 he said he had made a set for himself but sold them to a Frenchman as he needed the money.
I visited him at his Spilsby house when he has still using the bus as a workshop, must have been 83-84 and he had John Rooney’s pipes there for cleaning and reeding. There were blobs of tar on the stock, and here and there. Dave was very proud of the set he made for John and he had every right to be, it’s a lovely set of pipes.
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Interesting - I haven’t seen a Williams chanter with a wooden windcap before. Also I see the keys are the same as on my Bb chanter made in late 1981. Is the chanter body stamped Williams.
yes , the chanter body is stamped Williams; why ?
Just wondered, as my chanters are stamped Williams (Harp) Newark. Dave had his first workshop there, in Newark, Nottinghamshire, at the bottom of his back garden. Rose Barton (before they were married) made bodhrans and sewed bag covers and flute rolls in a small room in the house. All the other pipes on my set, that is the drones and regs, are stamped Williams, but not the stock which is made of cherry and brass.
Dave was partcular it seems about stamping his work which makes his instruments easy to identify
I wonder what the stamp marke is on the Williams chanter that was put up on e-bay recently by Droner, but the thread was locked for some reason when someone asked about it?
Hello Steampacket ,
Here is the stamp of my chanter : WILLIAMS without any other indication . I know my friend take off his set at Dave’s home but I dont know the town .
Here it’s time to eat now… 
. Have a good sunday .
the stamp
Thanks - the stamp on your chanter is the same as that on my drones and regulators and on my flute. All the best