Box and Fiddle
Year 15 No 06
February 1992
Introducing the Clubs
No 6 Islesteps and District
by Ian Gray
The Club now known as Islesteps A&F Club is, contrary to some opinions, a direct descendent of Scotland’s first Club then named the ‘Dumfries Accordion and Fiddle Club’.
Mine host at ‘The Hole I’ the Wa’ Inn’, a young man called Max Houliston, who needs no introduction to Scottish dance music enthusiasts, gathered together some like-minded musicians with the aim of promoting the music and give the players a chance to play in front of an audience.
It was August 1965 when this small Club started and before long it was decided to invite a Guest Artiste each month. Some of the first to appear were Bobby Harvey, Ivor Britton, Ian Holmes, Jimmy Yeaman and Bobby Crowe.
As the Club grew, it moved to the downstairs lounge in the ‘Hole I’ the Wa’ Inn’ and then after a spell there it was moved to another of Max’s establishments ‘Oughton’s’ in Church Place.
The manager of Oughton’s was Tony Dalton, another musician and enthusiast, who took over the running of the Club and it continued in the same vein, bringing on youngsters as well as established players.
Around 1981 Tony decided to branch out on his own and bought the ‘Cargenholm Hotel’ on the outskirts of Dumfries. With Max being heavily involved with his various business activities the Club moved to Cargenholm and being in the Islesteps area, the name became ‘The Islesteps A&F Club’.
At that time Tony, as did Max, organized and ran the Club single-handed and it was only prior to Tony selling the ‘Cargenholm’ that a Committee was formed to keep the club going. At this point I would like to thank Max Houliston for his help with the history of the Club.
The Committee started running the Club for the 85/86 season, with Tony still acting as M.C., John Douglas, well known local musician, as chairman, John Patterson as Treasurer, myself Ian Gray, as Secretary, members Stuart Tweedie, Bobby Murray and another box player Jimmy Kirkpatrick. Since then Bobby has dropped out for health reasons and has been replaced by John Caskie who is doing a great job as M.C. taking over from Tony Dalton.
We continue the Club on the same format as first started as a listening Club, there is no dancing at Islesteps. Stovies are still served free, admission is £1.50, players are always welcome, again free, no-one is refused a turn if they have an instrument and over the years the ages of the players have ranged from five to eighty.
We aim to continue inviting top line guests to Islesteps and although door money seldom pays their fees, we have a very active back-up team (Committee members wives selling raffle tickets etc) to help out.
Two dances a season are held with broadcasting bands and these are priced at an affordable level in thanks to our regular attenders and to top up our funds.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had three venues since 85/86, firstly ‘Cargenholm’ to 1987, one season ‘Driveway’ and now ‘Maybe House’, where we are looked after by mine hosts Rory and Annette.
The backbone of any club is as at the very first meeting started by Max, the local players, and we at Islesteps are fortunate to have and excellent spinal ‘chord’ with an age difference of some seventy years.
Finally, to our regular customers, a big thank you for turning up in all sorts of weather to ensure our guests get a good welcome at Islesteps – as one top fiddler once said “A richt couthy place”.
No 6 Islesteps and District
by Ian Gray
The Club now known as Islesteps A&F Club is, contrary to some opinions, a direct descendent of Scotland’s first Club then named the ‘Dumfries Accordion and Fiddle Club’.
Mine host at ‘The Hole I’ the Wa’ Inn’, a young man called Max Houliston, who needs no introduction to Scottish dance music enthusiasts, gathered together some like-minded musicians with the aim of promoting the music and give the players a chance to play in front of an audience.
It was August 1965 when this small Club started and before long it was decided to invite a Guest Artiste each month. Some of the first to appear were Bobby Harvey, Ivor Britton, Ian Holmes, Jimmy Yeaman and Bobby Crowe.
As the Club grew, it moved to the downstairs lounge in the ‘Hole I’ the Wa’ Inn’ and then after a spell there it was moved to another of Max’s establishments ‘Oughton’s’ in Church Place.
The manager of Oughton’s was Tony Dalton, another musician and enthusiast, who took over the running of the Club and it continued in the same vein, bringing on youngsters as well as established players.
Around 1981 Tony decided to branch out on his own and bought the ‘Cargenholm Hotel’ on the outskirts of Dumfries. With Max being heavily involved with his various business activities the Club moved to Cargenholm and being in the Islesteps area, the name became ‘The Islesteps A&F Club’.
At that time Tony, as did Max, organized and ran the Club single-handed and it was only prior to Tony selling the ‘Cargenholm’ that a Committee was formed to keep the club going. At this point I would like to thank Max Houliston for his help with the history of the Club.
The Committee started running the Club for the 85/86 season, with Tony still acting as M.C., John Douglas, well known local musician, as chairman, John Patterson as Treasurer, myself Ian Gray, as Secretary, members Stuart Tweedie, Bobby Murray and another box player Jimmy Kirkpatrick. Since then Bobby has dropped out for health reasons and has been replaced by John Caskie who is doing a great job as M.C. taking over from Tony Dalton.
We continue the Club on the same format as first started as a listening Club, there is no dancing at Islesteps. Stovies are still served free, admission is £1.50, players are always welcome, again free, no-one is refused a turn if they have an instrument and over the years the ages of the players have ranged from five to eighty.
We aim to continue inviting top line guests to Islesteps and although door money seldom pays their fees, we have a very active back-up team (Committee members wives selling raffle tickets etc) to help out.
Two dances a season are held with broadcasting bands and these are priced at an affordable level in thanks to our regular attenders and to top up our funds.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had three venues since 85/86, firstly ‘Cargenholm’ to 1987, one season ‘Driveway’ and now ‘Maybe House’, where we are looked after by mine hosts Rory and Annette.
The backbone of any club is as at the very first meeting started by Max, the local players, and we at Islesteps are fortunate to have and excellent spinal ‘chord’ with an age difference of some seventy years.
Finally, to our regular customers, a big thank you for turning up in all sorts of weather to ensure our guests get a good welcome at Islesteps – as one top fiddler once said “A richt couthy place”.