tommy was also a friend of billy pigg, first hearing him at a concert in bellingham in 1948-9, and getting to know him well from about 1962. he felt that "there were two really outstanding pipers that i've known, ... billy pigg and tom clough." he regretted that while tom clough was recorded at the peak of his ability, billy pigg was only recorded on poor equipment when his health was failing "it's a great pity he wasn't recorded at his peak". tommy reported billy pigg's account of how he had learned from sessions at tom clough's.