Box and Fiddle
Year 20 No 05
February 1997
21st Anniversary at Aberdeen
by Charlie Lawie
The Aberdeen A&F Club celebrated a milestone event at our regular Tuesday evening on 26th November, 1996, when we reached our 21st Anniversary and chose to mark this important occasion with due recognition for those who had done so much to establish the Aberdeen Club at a meeting held during November, 1975.
The Club originated with a meeting in the Old Gloucester Hotel, Union Street, Aberdeen, called as a result of an advert in Aberdeen Journals inserted by Tom Wemyss, who, rightly, thought that this area of ours should have its own Accordion and Fiddle Club.
A large number of interested people responded to the newspaper appeal and enthusiastically agreed to the idea of a Club, proceeded to draw up a Constitution and Committee and set out aims and objectives for the future of the Club.
One could say the Aberdeen Club, like so many throughout Scotland, was established in response to what was clearly felt to be a pressing need to have a safe, pleasant and friendly meeting place for similarly minded musicians and supporters and to develop a keen interest among the young and provide a platform for the presentation of their music and instrumental skills.
The members of the 1975 founding Committee were truly representative of the Aberdeen playing scene at the time and comprised ; Chairman and accordionist, Tom Wemyss, Secretary and pianist, Esma Shepherd, Treasurer and accordionist, Frank Thomson, Committee, Alistair Hunter (accordionist), Alda (non playing member), Helen Sorrie (accordionist), Martin Conn (accordionist), Robbie Shepherd (non playing member), Florence Burns (fiddler) and Skene Foote (accordionist).
The newly former Committee then set themselves the task of arranging for the very first meeting, and others which the then Secretary, Esma shepherd, recorded.
‘The first night of the Club was held on Monday, 26th January, 1976, when Jimmy Blue was the guest artiste. About 200 people turned up, and it was a great night. The Committee were delighted with the response.
The second meeting was on 23rd February, when Angus Fitchet was guest. His enthusiasm for his music and his obvious enjoyment got across to the audience and Angus was a very popular choice’.
The Aberdeen club was now successfully launched and, five months later, we had 218 subscribing members and growing rapidly under the guidance of a dedicated Committee. We own them a great deal.
After holding the Club evenings for a while in the Gloucester Hotel, burgeoning numbers compelled a shift to the Queen Hotel, an absolutely superb place for a developing Club and a wonderful venue for the great musicians and band entertainers of the time. Within a couple of years we were regularly having audiences of up to 400. Our greatest turnout was for the well known and much loved Arthur Spink who brought in nearly 500 to hear him that memorable night. Large crowds for Club nights were very common in those days and reading and thinking back to those halcyon days will induce a touch of mistiness to the eyes of those who were very much part of it.
Another move, this time to the Amatola Hotel for a short stay, when we hosted the Cape Breton Symphony and Bobby Brown and the Scottish Accent, who were a playing revelation and clearly influenced a lot of young people in musical style and content.
Shortly after this we moved to our present venue, the Dee Motel, where, since then, we have enjoyed an excellent relationship with the management and staff and had some really memorable club nights. We continue to provide an essential musical focal point, whether for musicians or supporters, young or old, and if we are judged a successful Club it is because of the combined efforts of so many genuine and generous people.
When the present Committee realised our 21st was approaching we speedily agreed that we would mark the occasion as a night to remember and have the 1975 founding Committee as our honoured guests.
Two of the 1975 Committee had to regretfully decline our invitation, Skene Foote, unfortunately through illness, and Martin Conn because he and his group, the Gordonaires, would be doing three gigs in the heat of the Gulf States at that time.
The Ian Thomson band were booked in place of Jim Johnstone who had to call off due to a necessary operation.
Tuesday, 26th November, the night of our 21st Anniversary Celebration, was a very special night for those deeply rooted in the Accordion and fiddle Club scene.
Tom Wemyss our very first Chairman, honoured guests of the 1975 founding Committee, Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen, Margaret Farquhar, were introduced by present chairman Stanley Flett, and given a warm welcome by those attending.
Graeme Mitchell and his band provided some excellent music for dancing during the first half, for those with sufficient energy, of pleasant background music for those who wished to listen or catch up on what had happened over many years.
Prior to the presentation ceremony we had a truly magnificent 21st Birthday cake made, and beautifully decorated wit the N.A.A.F.C. motif, by Harry Deegan, cut by both Tom Wemyss and Stanley Flett, our very first Chairman and present Chairman.
Stanley Flett in his address paid tributeto the effort of Tom Wemyss in seeking to start an A&F Club in the Aberdeen area and to the members of the 1975 founding Committee for the enthusiasm shown in support of that ideal. The importance of working together for the good of the Club was borne in mind and they, like careful builders, had put in place strong, solid foundations which had supported the Club well over 21 years. Great emphasis had been placed on the need to help the young by providing a musical platform and a great deal of success over the years was due to the clear direction given by the members of the 1975 founding Committee. The Club offered them our grateful appreciation and he called for the Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen, Margaret Farquhar, to make the presentation to Tom Wemyss, Frank Thomson, Alistair Hunter, Alda Hadden, Helen Anderson, Robbie Shepherd and Florence Lawie. Esma Shepherd could not attend because of her mother’s illness and husband Robbie accepted on her behalf.
Tom Wemyss, responding on behalf of these guests, gave sincere thanks to the Aberdeen Club for making the occasion such a memorable one. The accordion had been a wonderful instrument to him and, he was sure, many others.
He remembered fondly the days of Perth and Bill Wilkie and the many friends he had made through playing the instrument. On coming to Aberdeen it was clear to him that the Club was necessary in order to provide a place to meet and help others to gain the same opportunities and enjoyment as himself.
He recalled those early days, the hard work everyone put in, the great friendship, the personalities of that time, the satisfying crowds and how worthwhile it had all been and how pleasing it was that the Club still continued to provide an essential service for the people of the area.
Tonight had been a wonderful evening for all who had been honoured, and he thanked the members for making it a night to remember.
Flowers were presented to the Lord Provost and to Mrs Wemyss by Susan McIntosh.
After an excellent buffet supper provided by the Dee Motel, which took a bit longer than we had anticipated, dancing resumed, this time to the Ian Thomson band who took us to a 12.15 close with Chairman, Stanley Flett, summing up the pleasure of the evening and thanking all for their participation and contribution to the undoubted success of this very special evening.
by Charlie Lawie
The Aberdeen A&F Club celebrated a milestone event at our regular Tuesday evening on 26th November, 1996, when we reached our 21st Anniversary and chose to mark this important occasion with due recognition for those who had done so much to establish the Aberdeen Club at a meeting held during November, 1975.
The Club originated with a meeting in the Old Gloucester Hotel, Union Street, Aberdeen, called as a result of an advert in Aberdeen Journals inserted by Tom Wemyss, who, rightly, thought that this area of ours should have its own Accordion and Fiddle Club.
A large number of interested people responded to the newspaper appeal and enthusiastically agreed to the idea of a Club, proceeded to draw up a Constitution and Committee and set out aims and objectives for the future of the Club.
One could say the Aberdeen Club, like so many throughout Scotland, was established in response to what was clearly felt to be a pressing need to have a safe, pleasant and friendly meeting place for similarly minded musicians and supporters and to develop a keen interest among the young and provide a platform for the presentation of their music and instrumental skills.
The members of the 1975 founding Committee were truly representative of the Aberdeen playing scene at the time and comprised ; Chairman and accordionist, Tom Wemyss, Secretary and pianist, Esma Shepherd, Treasurer and accordionist, Frank Thomson, Committee, Alistair Hunter (accordionist), Alda (non playing member), Helen Sorrie (accordionist), Martin Conn (accordionist), Robbie Shepherd (non playing member), Florence Burns (fiddler) and Skene Foote (accordionist).
The newly former Committee then set themselves the task of arranging for the very first meeting, and others which the then Secretary, Esma shepherd, recorded.
‘The first night of the Club was held on Monday, 26th January, 1976, when Jimmy Blue was the guest artiste. About 200 people turned up, and it was a great night. The Committee were delighted with the response.
The second meeting was on 23rd February, when Angus Fitchet was guest. His enthusiasm for his music and his obvious enjoyment got across to the audience and Angus was a very popular choice’.
The Aberdeen club was now successfully launched and, five months later, we had 218 subscribing members and growing rapidly under the guidance of a dedicated Committee. We own them a great deal.
After holding the Club evenings for a while in the Gloucester Hotel, burgeoning numbers compelled a shift to the Queen Hotel, an absolutely superb place for a developing Club and a wonderful venue for the great musicians and band entertainers of the time. Within a couple of years we were regularly having audiences of up to 400. Our greatest turnout was for the well known and much loved Arthur Spink who brought in nearly 500 to hear him that memorable night. Large crowds for Club nights were very common in those days and reading and thinking back to those halcyon days will induce a touch of mistiness to the eyes of those who were very much part of it.
Another move, this time to the Amatola Hotel for a short stay, when we hosted the Cape Breton Symphony and Bobby Brown and the Scottish Accent, who were a playing revelation and clearly influenced a lot of young people in musical style and content.
Shortly after this we moved to our present venue, the Dee Motel, where, since then, we have enjoyed an excellent relationship with the management and staff and had some really memorable club nights. We continue to provide an essential musical focal point, whether for musicians or supporters, young or old, and if we are judged a successful Club it is because of the combined efforts of so many genuine and generous people.
When the present Committee realised our 21st was approaching we speedily agreed that we would mark the occasion as a night to remember and have the 1975 founding Committee as our honoured guests.
Two of the 1975 Committee had to regretfully decline our invitation, Skene Foote, unfortunately through illness, and Martin Conn because he and his group, the Gordonaires, would be doing three gigs in the heat of the Gulf States at that time.
The Ian Thomson band were booked in place of Jim Johnstone who had to call off due to a necessary operation.
Tuesday, 26th November, the night of our 21st Anniversary Celebration, was a very special night for those deeply rooted in the Accordion and fiddle Club scene.
Tom Wemyss our very first Chairman, honoured guests of the 1975 founding Committee, Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen, Margaret Farquhar, were introduced by present chairman Stanley Flett, and given a warm welcome by those attending.
Graeme Mitchell and his band provided some excellent music for dancing during the first half, for those with sufficient energy, of pleasant background music for those who wished to listen or catch up on what had happened over many years.
Prior to the presentation ceremony we had a truly magnificent 21st Birthday cake made, and beautifully decorated wit the N.A.A.F.C. motif, by Harry Deegan, cut by both Tom Wemyss and Stanley Flett, our very first Chairman and present Chairman.
Stanley Flett in his address paid tributeto the effort of Tom Wemyss in seeking to start an A&F Club in the Aberdeen area and to the members of the 1975 founding Committee for the enthusiasm shown in support of that ideal. The importance of working together for the good of the Club was borne in mind and they, like careful builders, had put in place strong, solid foundations which had supported the Club well over 21 years. Great emphasis had been placed on the need to help the young by providing a musical platform and a great deal of success over the years was due to the clear direction given by the members of the 1975 founding Committee. The Club offered them our grateful appreciation and he called for the Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen, Margaret Farquhar, to make the presentation to Tom Wemyss, Frank Thomson, Alistair Hunter, Alda Hadden, Helen Anderson, Robbie Shepherd and Florence Lawie. Esma Shepherd could not attend because of her mother’s illness and husband Robbie accepted on her behalf.
Tom Wemyss, responding on behalf of these guests, gave sincere thanks to the Aberdeen Club for making the occasion such a memorable one. The accordion had been a wonderful instrument to him and, he was sure, many others.
He remembered fondly the days of Perth and Bill Wilkie and the many friends he had made through playing the instrument. On coming to Aberdeen it was clear to him that the Club was necessary in order to provide a place to meet and help others to gain the same opportunities and enjoyment as himself.
He recalled those early days, the hard work everyone put in, the great friendship, the personalities of that time, the satisfying crowds and how worthwhile it had all been and how pleasing it was that the Club still continued to provide an essential service for the people of the area.
Tonight had been a wonderful evening for all who had been honoured, and he thanked the members for making it a night to remember.
Flowers were presented to the Lord Provost and to Mrs Wemyss by Susan McIntosh.
After an excellent buffet supper provided by the Dee Motel, which took a bit longer than we had anticipated, dancing resumed, this time to the Ian Thomson band who took us to a 12.15 close with Chairman, Stanley Flett, summing up the pleasure of the evening and thanking all for their participation and contribution to the undoubted success of this very special evening.