Kenny Wilson – the Leadhills Fiddler
By Pat Saulnier
Kenny Wilson was born in June 1930 to a sheep farmer and his wife living near Leadhills in South Lanarkshire. A younger brother, Ian, was born five years later. The spark that led Kenny to become a fiddle player was lit when Ian was given a fiddle and Kenny, the older brother was a little envious. Ian did not show much interest in the fiddle, so when he was occupied with something else Kenny would have a go at the fiddle and soon managed to scrape a tune out of it.
It was when a certain Willie Todd called one day at the farm to buy some milk or butter and heard these scrapes, that things took a new turn. He took the fiddle and played a tune on it, and when Kenny heard this the spark grew into a flame – “this is how I want to play”. Then Willie Todd spoke to Alex Brown, a postman living in Abington, about this young man’s potential and Alex Brown, when up in Leadhills delivering letters spoke to Kenny’s mother. Seeing Kenny’s keenness Alex Brown offered to give Kenny lessons at £2 a time for several years, teaching him how to hold the fiddle and bow properly and how to read music. So Kenny cycled from Leadhills to Abington, a distance of seven miles, in all weathers with his fiddle on his back.
Kenny progressed so well that Alex introduced him to play with the Lanark Amateur Orchestra conducted by William McGeechan. This Kenny did for about three years. About the same time, a certain Andrew Coke, an accordion player in a family band where the other accordionists were his cousin Davy Coke and Jim Watson appeared on the scene. At one point this group came to play in Leadhills Village Hall and Andrew, who had heard about Kenny’s fiddle playing from Johnny Wilson at the Post Office in Elvanfoot, invited Kenny to come to the Hall and listen to the band and to go after the concert with the band to Agnes Gracie’s house for tea. Agnes had a drapers shop in Leadhills and it was while they were having tea that Andrew Coke invited Kenny to join his band. For Kenny this offer killed two birds with one stone – joy at playing his beloved fiddle and the satisfaction of getting paid for it – money to indulge his other passion – motor-bikes.
It was when a certain Willie Todd called one day at the farm to buy some milk or butter and heard these scrapes, that things took a new turn. He took the fiddle and played a tune on it, and when Kenny heard this the spark grew into a flame – “this is how I want to play”. Then Willie Todd spoke to Alex Brown, a postman living in Abington, about this young man’s potential and Alex Brown, when up in Leadhills delivering letters spoke to Kenny’s mother. Seeing Kenny’s keenness Alex Brown offered to give Kenny lessons at £2 a time for several years, teaching him how to hold the fiddle and bow properly and how to read music. So Kenny cycled from Leadhills to Abington, a distance of seven miles, in all weathers with his fiddle on his back.
Kenny progressed so well that Alex introduced him to play with the Lanark Amateur Orchestra conducted by William McGeechan. This Kenny did for about three years. About the same time, a certain Andrew Coke, an accordion player in a family band where the other accordionists were his cousin Davy Coke and Jim Watson appeared on the scene. At one point this group came to play in Leadhills Village Hall and Andrew, who had heard about Kenny’s fiddle playing from Johnny Wilson at the Post Office in Elvanfoot, invited Kenny to come to the Hall and listen to the band and to go after the concert with the band to Agnes Gracie’s house for tea. Agnes had a drapers shop in Leadhills and it was while they were having tea that Andrew Coke invited Kenny to join his band. For Kenny this offer killed two birds with one stone – joy at playing his beloved fiddle and the satisfaction of getting paid for it – money to indulge his other passion – motor-bikes.
When Andrew Coke’s father retired from the band, Kenny’s brother Ian, by now a talented pianist, joined the band also. Andrew’s parents owned a garage in Crawford which meant that the band were never short of transport. There was always something which could be borrowed.
Kenny played with Andrew Coke’s band for some 12 years, often playing two or three times a week after a days work, mostly in the Clydesdale district, the Borders and down into the North of England. In 1955 there was a break for a year when Andrew was called to do his National Service, and Kenny was head-hunted to join Jim Anderson’s band from Broughton. It was understood, however, that when Andrew Coke’s National Service ended, both Kenny and his brother Ian would rejoin Andrew’s band – and this they did.
Andrew’s band finally broke up in 1961 when he moved to Onich near Fort William to run a guest house. Kenny’s talents were snapped up by Tony Woodage from Kirkfieldbank who asked him to join his band – the Carlton Quintet – where he played for about a year with Tony and Jack Gray on accordions and a youthful Ena Wilson (no relation) from the Post Office at Elvanfoot on piano.
Next Ian Holmes from Dumfries approached Kenny and asked him to join his band.
Kenny played with Andrew Coke’s band for some 12 years, often playing two or three times a week after a days work, mostly in the Clydesdale district, the Borders and down into the North of England. In 1955 there was a break for a year when Andrew was called to do his National Service, and Kenny was head-hunted to join Jim Anderson’s band from Broughton. It was understood, however, that when Andrew Coke’s National Service ended, both Kenny and his brother Ian would rejoin Andrew’s band – and this they did.
Andrew’s band finally broke up in 1961 when he moved to Onich near Fort William to run a guest house. Kenny’s talents were snapped up by Tony Woodage from Kirkfieldbank who asked him to join his band – the Carlton Quintet – where he played for about a year with Tony and Jack Gray on accordions and a youthful Ena Wilson (no relation) from the Post Office at Elvanfoot on piano.
Next Ian Holmes from Dumfries approached Kenny and asked him to join his band.
The Holmes band did an audition for the B.B.C. and passed first time, and Kenny went on to play with Ian Holmes for over thirty years. The band went on air frequently and became very well known. Then Max Houliston from The Hole in the Wa’ in Dumfries asked Kenny to go with his band for an audition at the B.B.C. and they also passed. Max Houliston’s band made broadcasts and recordings mainly, while the Ian Holmes band played for dances.
Max Houliston’s claim to fame was that he started up the Accordion club movement we know today. The Houliston band was the first to play at an Accordion Club and went on to play regularly at Accordion Clubs throughout the country. The band also did T.V. work (the Christmas and Hogmanay Shows) and latterly Max and Kenny did T.V. and Accordion Club work as a recognised duo. Ian Holmes and Kenny also did work at Accordion clubs.
During this time, Kenny also guested with many other bands – the White Heather club in theatre with Bobby MacLeod and one White Heather Club Show in Lanark with Jimmy Shand. He also played with Andrew Rankine and Iain MacPhail. There was a one night stand replacing Iain Powrie who was ill. Other bands Kenny guested with were Callum Wilson, Bill Black, Jimmy Shand on trips to England and Ronnie Easton’s band. But Kenny was never a full-time player with any of them. He did, however, do recordings and Accordion Club work with Allan McIntosh as well as a T.V. show with Ronnie Hodgson and another with Ken Dodd.
During the 1970’s the Border Strathspey and Reels Society was formed with Kenny as a founder member, and he went on to conduct the orchestra for 12 years. They played many concerts throughout the Borders and the North of England and also produced 2 L.P. Records.
Now in his 82nd year and staying in Biggar Kenny still plays with Allan McIntosh, Bill Richardson and John Renton’s bands.
Max Houliston’s claim to fame was that he started up the Accordion club movement we know today. The Houliston band was the first to play at an Accordion Club and went on to play regularly at Accordion Clubs throughout the country. The band also did T.V. work (the Christmas and Hogmanay Shows) and latterly Max and Kenny did T.V. and Accordion Club work as a recognised duo. Ian Holmes and Kenny also did work at Accordion clubs.
During this time, Kenny also guested with many other bands – the White Heather club in theatre with Bobby MacLeod and one White Heather Club Show in Lanark with Jimmy Shand. He also played with Andrew Rankine and Iain MacPhail. There was a one night stand replacing Iain Powrie who was ill. Other bands Kenny guested with were Callum Wilson, Bill Black, Jimmy Shand on trips to England and Ronnie Easton’s band. But Kenny was never a full-time player with any of them. He did, however, do recordings and Accordion Club work with Allan McIntosh as well as a T.V. show with Ronnie Hodgson and another with Ken Dodd.
During the 1970’s the Border Strathspey and Reels Society was formed with Kenny as a founder member, and he went on to conduct the orchestra for 12 years. They played many concerts throughout the Borders and the North of England and also produced 2 L.P. Records.
Now in his 82nd year and staying in Biggar Kenny still plays with Allan McIntosh, Bill Richardson and John Renton’s bands.
Fiddles
Kenny and brother Ian were part of a large extended family and had 56 full cousins, but strangely only the two of them were musical. Kenny’s first fiddle had belonged to his grandfather, a Strad copy made in Prague in 1719 which he still has. The fiddle he plays regularly for band work though, he bought for £10 in 1957 from an elderly gentleman, a Mr McKenzie, who approached Kenny after he had played at a dance in Lockerbie Town Hall with Andrew Coke’s Band. Kenny had done a solo spot during the evening and the 85 year old Mr McKenzie was sufficiently impressed to offer Kenny the fiddle which he was now too elderly to play.
It was a beautiful Jean Werro made in Berne, Switzerland in 1926 and numbered 104. Kenny was later told by an Elgin violin maker and valuer that it had won first prize in a violin makers competition in 1931. Jean Werro was therefore obviously a talented violin maker but in his strive for perfection he put himself on the wrong side of the law. He bought a genuine Stradivarius and took it to pieces, studying and recording its exact dimensions and construction. He then made 26 violins, each of which contained one piece of the original Strad, but marketed them as the genuine article. However his fraud was detected and he was caught and imprisoned in 1937 for five years but served only two before being released at the start of the war.
However by that time his violins, although not the genuine article, were recognised as being excellent instruments in their own right. A few years later when Kenny was doing a recording with Ian Holmes Band, the Record Producer Cyril Stapleton, himself an accomplished violinist, tried the fiddle and immediately offered Kenny £500 for it. Kenny refused but immediately realised he had by good fortune acquired a highly regarded instrument from a renowned, if slightly misguided, maker.
One unfortunate incident occurred in the early 1960s when Kenny was still with the Andrew Coke Band. The band were playing on two consecutive evenings and rather than unpack everything Andrew took the car home and parked it up. It was scorching hot June day and when Kenny opened his fiddle case that evening he discovered to his horror that much of the fiddle’s varnish had melted. He took advice from violin expert John Beare in Manchester and also from Stephane Grapelli when he appeared locally once at the Tinto Hotel in Symington and both advised him not to try to have the varnish reinstated or the beautiful tone of the instrument would be lost forever. It bears the scars of that incident to this day.
Kenny and brother Ian were part of a large extended family and had 56 full cousins, but strangely only the two of them were musical. Kenny’s first fiddle had belonged to his grandfather, a Strad copy made in Prague in 1719 which he still has. The fiddle he plays regularly for band work though, he bought for £10 in 1957 from an elderly gentleman, a Mr McKenzie, who approached Kenny after he had played at a dance in Lockerbie Town Hall with Andrew Coke’s Band. Kenny had done a solo spot during the evening and the 85 year old Mr McKenzie was sufficiently impressed to offer Kenny the fiddle which he was now too elderly to play.
It was a beautiful Jean Werro made in Berne, Switzerland in 1926 and numbered 104. Kenny was later told by an Elgin violin maker and valuer that it had won first prize in a violin makers competition in 1931. Jean Werro was therefore obviously a talented violin maker but in his strive for perfection he put himself on the wrong side of the law. He bought a genuine Stradivarius and took it to pieces, studying and recording its exact dimensions and construction. He then made 26 violins, each of which contained one piece of the original Strad, but marketed them as the genuine article. However his fraud was detected and he was caught and imprisoned in 1937 for five years but served only two before being released at the start of the war.
However by that time his violins, although not the genuine article, were recognised as being excellent instruments in their own right. A few years later when Kenny was doing a recording with Ian Holmes Band, the Record Producer Cyril Stapleton, himself an accomplished violinist, tried the fiddle and immediately offered Kenny £500 for it. Kenny refused but immediately realised he had by good fortune acquired a highly regarded instrument from a renowned, if slightly misguided, maker.
One unfortunate incident occurred in the early 1960s when Kenny was still with the Andrew Coke Band. The band were playing on two consecutive evenings and rather than unpack everything Andrew took the car home and parked it up. It was scorching hot June day and when Kenny opened his fiddle case that evening he discovered to his horror that much of the fiddle’s varnish had melted. He took advice from violin expert John Beare in Manchester and also from Stephane Grapelli when he appeared locally once at the Tinto Hotel in Symington and both advised him not to try to have the varnish reinstated or the beautiful tone of the instrument would be lost forever. It bears the scars of that incident to this day.
Kenny’s other pride and joy is a Norwegian style hardanger fiddle with 8 strings. This exquisitely crafted instrument was made for Kenny by David Eunson of Orkney in 1980 as a gift after David had heard him do a fiddle solo on one of Max Houliston’s broadcasts. The scroll ends in the type of dragon’s head which appeared on Viking long-ships complete with lemmings teeth and the body of the fiddle is beautifully decorated with inlaid mother-of-pearl and fine engraving work. It takes a full year to make a hardanger – six months for the manufacture and six months for the engraving and varnishing. Once tuned this fiddle holds its tuning beautifully regardless of changing conditions unlike the 9 string one owned by Aly Bain which was so temperamental on stage that he was forced to stop performing on it.
Another interesting incident along the way was when Kenny was asked by Roy Lane, a talent scout for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to join and train with the Orchestra in London under its conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. Roy told him that his training would be intensive and last two years after which he would he a full-time member of the orchestra and would travel the world. For those two years a part time job and a flat would be found for him. But as we shall shortly see Kenny was used to an outdoor life and to exchange that for one which would consist only of rehearsal rooms, concert platforms and travel really didn’t appeal, so Kenny turned down the offer.
Although not a composer himself over the years Kenny has had four tunes written for him – a jig by Ian Holmes, reels by Donald Ridley and John Renton and a pipe tune by the late Ian Crichton.
The Hopetoun Estate
Although raised on a sheep farm Kenny had no particular inclination to follow in his father’s footsteps and accordingly although he worked on the farm for a few months after leaving school at 14 he then became a ‘kennel boy’ on the local Leadhills Estate which was part of the Marquis of Linlithgow’s Hopetoun Estate. A kennel boy was an apprentice gamekeeper and for the next 5 years Kenny gradually increased his skills as he progressed from simply looking after the dogs, and during the shooting season the horses which in the days before 4 wheel drives were used to carry the shooters out to the butts in the hills, to setting vermin traps, cleaning guns, acting as a loader, shooting and learning all the skills associated with rearing and caring for all types of gamebirds.
In 1950, apprenticeship over, Kenny was offered a post as a ‘beat’ keeper (an under-keeper) and continued to learn his trade until in 1964 the head keepers job became available. He was successful in his application for the job and started immediately to repair some of the damage which had been done to grouse stocks by a disease the previous year. He was able to build stocks up to such an extent that in the 1974 and 1978 seasons the ‘guns’ shot just short of 5,000 brace of grouse each year and his average over the 28 years of his head keepership was 3,150 brace per year.
In the early days there were still 16 shepherds working on the Leadhills Estate and Kenny worked closely with them to their mutual benefit. Kenny made the interesting point that although there are a great many shepherds who played the fiddle there are relatively few, in fact very few, gamekeepers who play the instrument. Where possible he used local tradesman when work was needing done, used the local Post Office to distribute birds in the shooting season, bought vehicles and petrol locally and generally tried to inject as much money back into the local economy as possible.
Initially all the shooting was done by the Marquis and his family, friends and guests but gradually over the years it became more commercial. Kenny formed lasting friendships with many of those who leased the shooting including US Senator Bill Flowers who on two occasions invited Kenny to his Ranch in the States to shoot quail on horseback (Kenny, not the quail, before you ask). Thankfully his early experience looking after the horses as a kennel boy and at the same time learning to ride them stood him in good stead here.
For 10 years from 1965 to 1975 Kenny accompanied the Marquis to Balmoral to act as his loader. As well as getting to know all the members of the Royal Family over that time he also came into contact with many of the other guests. He was the only gamekeeper who was actually allocated a room (and a valet) in the Castle itself. He was usually allocated an apprentice valet and told strictly to do ‘nothing for himself’ since the valet had to learn. Amongst other things this involved taking two baths a day!!
Two of the great characters at Balmoral were two of the Estate stalkers who were also world renowned solo pipers – the ‘Bobs of Balmoral’ as they were known in the piping world – Bob Brown and Bob Nicol. Even after a wet day out on the hills they were expected to change into kilts and play at the dinner table in the evening.
Near the end of Kenny’s trips he was offered the head keepers job on the Balmoral Estate. It was a tempting offer but there were a string of things he would no longer be able to do so reluctantly he declined. Instead of being offended the Queen opened another door for Kenny when she recommended that he become a Justice of the Peace and a local Magistrate. Apparently the seniority of the person making such a recommendation has a large bearing on whether it is acted upon hence in this case there was no doubt and after 3 years of part time training Kenny sat on the Bench at Lanark Sheriff Court for the next 23 years.
He had already been a Special Constable for 25 years but had to relinquish that role before becoming a J.P. Although in reality he had no authority outwith the courtroom, local folk were unaware of that, and he became Licence Holder to the local Hopetoun Arms Hotel which at that time was owned by the Estate.
Another interesting incident along the way was when Kenny was asked by Roy Lane, a talent scout for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to join and train with the Orchestra in London under its conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. Roy told him that his training would be intensive and last two years after which he would he a full-time member of the orchestra and would travel the world. For those two years a part time job and a flat would be found for him. But as we shall shortly see Kenny was used to an outdoor life and to exchange that for one which would consist only of rehearsal rooms, concert platforms and travel really didn’t appeal, so Kenny turned down the offer.
Although not a composer himself over the years Kenny has had four tunes written for him – a jig by Ian Holmes, reels by Donald Ridley and John Renton and a pipe tune by the late Ian Crichton.
The Hopetoun Estate
Although raised on a sheep farm Kenny had no particular inclination to follow in his father’s footsteps and accordingly although he worked on the farm for a few months after leaving school at 14 he then became a ‘kennel boy’ on the local Leadhills Estate which was part of the Marquis of Linlithgow’s Hopetoun Estate. A kennel boy was an apprentice gamekeeper and for the next 5 years Kenny gradually increased his skills as he progressed from simply looking after the dogs, and during the shooting season the horses which in the days before 4 wheel drives were used to carry the shooters out to the butts in the hills, to setting vermin traps, cleaning guns, acting as a loader, shooting and learning all the skills associated with rearing and caring for all types of gamebirds.
In 1950, apprenticeship over, Kenny was offered a post as a ‘beat’ keeper (an under-keeper) and continued to learn his trade until in 1964 the head keepers job became available. He was successful in his application for the job and started immediately to repair some of the damage which had been done to grouse stocks by a disease the previous year. He was able to build stocks up to such an extent that in the 1974 and 1978 seasons the ‘guns’ shot just short of 5,000 brace of grouse each year and his average over the 28 years of his head keepership was 3,150 brace per year.
In the early days there were still 16 shepherds working on the Leadhills Estate and Kenny worked closely with them to their mutual benefit. Kenny made the interesting point that although there are a great many shepherds who played the fiddle there are relatively few, in fact very few, gamekeepers who play the instrument. Where possible he used local tradesman when work was needing done, used the local Post Office to distribute birds in the shooting season, bought vehicles and petrol locally and generally tried to inject as much money back into the local economy as possible.
Initially all the shooting was done by the Marquis and his family, friends and guests but gradually over the years it became more commercial. Kenny formed lasting friendships with many of those who leased the shooting including US Senator Bill Flowers who on two occasions invited Kenny to his Ranch in the States to shoot quail on horseback (Kenny, not the quail, before you ask). Thankfully his early experience looking after the horses as a kennel boy and at the same time learning to ride them stood him in good stead here.
For 10 years from 1965 to 1975 Kenny accompanied the Marquis to Balmoral to act as his loader. As well as getting to know all the members of the Royal Family over that time he also came into contact with many of the other guests. He was the only gamekeeper who was actually allocated a room (and a valet) in the Castle itself. He was usually allocated an apprentice valet and told strictly to do ‘nothing for himself’ since the valet had to learn. Amongst other things this involved taking two baths a day!!
Two of the great characters at Balmoral were two of the Estate stalkers who were also world renowned solo pipers – the ‘Bobs of Balmoral’ as they were known in the piping world – Bob Brown and Bob Nicol. Even after a wet day out on the hills they were expected to change into kilts and play at the dinner table in the evening.
Near the end of Kenny’s trips he was offered the head keepers job on the Balmoral Estate. It was a tempting offer but there were a string of things he would no longer be able to do so reluctantly he declined. Instead of being offended the Queen opened another door for Kenny when she recommended that he become a Justice of the Peace and a local Magistrate. Apparently the seniority of the person making such a recommendation has a large bearing on whether it is acted upon hence in this case there was no doubt and after 3 years of part time training Kenny sat on the Bench at Lanark Sheriff Court for the next 23 years.
He had already been a Special Constable for 25 years but had to relinquish that role before becoming a J.P. Although in reality he had no authority outwith the courtroom, local folk were unaware of that, and he became Licence Holder to the local Hopetoun Arms Hotel which at that time was owned by the Estate.
If things looked like getting out of hand near the end of the evening the Manager phoned Kenny, who by his prompt appearance was able to nip any potential trouble in the bud without raising a finger.
In 1992 after 28 years as Head Keeper, Kenny decided to call it a day when he was asked by Saville’s of Edinburgh to become a part time estate agent and game advisor. The Game Conservancy Council got wind of the offer and made a similar one, both of which he accepted. Since he lived in a tied house he also took the opportunity to move to Biggar, where he still stays. As mentioned above Kenny is now in his 82nd year and now in a freelance capacity still travels the length and breadth of Scotland and beyond as one of Scotland’s foremost experts on grouse management and conservation.
In 1992 after 28 years as Head Keeper, Kenny decided to call it a day when he was asked by Saville’s of Edinburgh to become a part time estate agent and game advisor. The Game Conservancy Council got wind of the offer and made a similar one, both of which he accepted. Since he lived in a tied house he also took the opportunity to move to Biggar, where he still stays. As mentioned above Kenny is now in his 82nd year and now in a freelance capacity still travels the length and breadth of Scotland and beyond as one of Scotland’s foremost experts on grouse management and conservation.