Box and Fiddle
Year 15 No 01
September 1991
Introducing the Clubs
No 1 Livingston
by Murdo MacLeod
The Club met for the first time in Rab’s Bar in September 1973. Bert Shorthouse, the well known entertainer was the guest soloist who was paid the princely sum of £12! Guest fees are slightly more than this nowadays.
Reflecting back to that evening one remembers how highly charged the atmosphere was, as the not too large venue quickly filled up with expectant punters. It is possible that people were wanting something different from ‘canned’ entertainment and also recapturing a form of entertainment which brought people together to participate. In any event, the evening took off in great style. And for this we must, I think, be grateful to Bobby Jack who brought along the full band, comprising Bobby himself on Shand Morino, Brian Forrest (2nd accordion), Jim Barrie (fiddle), Vic Laidlaw (drums) and the incomparable Derek Lawrence on piano.
From the first chord the appreciative audience wondered what had hit Livingston. The Club owes Bobby a debt of gratitude for lifting the Club off the ground all those years ago.
Derek Lawrence was so enthusiastic that he wrote a tune, ‘The Livingston Accordion and Fiddle Club’ which Ronnie Easton included in his first broadcast.
Reminding one’s self of these early days, certain pictures come to mind. There was a young lad almost completely hidden behind a rather large accordion spiritedly rendering his piece. His name – Graham Edwardson. He is a bit bigger now and certainly better known.
The Club was nursed along at that time by a group of enthusiastic musicians and a splendid Committee. Names that come to mind include Jock and Dorothy Glen, Tom Hay, Alex Grant, John Morrison, Celia McIntyre, Jack Stalker, Arthur Brown and his daughter Jackie.
We would like to mention the late Gordon Jamieson from Pumpherston who was the popular compere for some time. Gordon’s knowledge of Scottish music was quite phenomenal and it was through him that a great many of the younger generation of players were attracted to the Club.
There is no doubt that the location of the Club between two established accordion schools, namely Chrissie Leatham and Wilson Wood, helped to give us the reputation for talented youngsters. Soon the punters were beginning to realise that an awful lot of highly talented young players were on hand to entertain for the sheer love of playing. Some names come to mind – David Wilson, Iain Horsburgh, Karen Higgins, Michael Wynn, Ian Skinner from Longridge, and locally we had Marie and Owen Fielding, the aforementioned Graham Edwardson and Derek Rae, Alan Laidlaw, Bobby Darling, Graham Edwardson (drummer) and many others dutifully brought along by proud parents.
This plethora of young talent seemed to give the Club a certain aura and helped a lot to establish the Club as a sort of family entertainment venue which continues to this day.
If one or two names are mentioned as being especially fondly recalled, readers will forgive us if we mention Sandy Coghill and Freeland Barbour – they really got the punters coming back for more. I think we can fairly say that we heard the Wallochmore before most people did!
One of the undoubted highlights of those early days was the appearance of a fantastic character called Fintan Stanley, from Sligo in Ireland. This was at the Cameron Iron Works Social Club. What a night of music and even yet one hears mention of this fabulous player who unfortunately is probably all but unknown to the present generation of players. Nobody ever played ‘The High Level’ quite like Fintan, He is now resident in New York.
From these early days, the Club had to move venue several times. This infortunately, as organizers well know, changes the character of the Club as well! From Rab’s Bar, the Club enjoyed a period at the Meadow Head Hotel, West Calder, then it moved to the Cameron Iron Works Social Club which readers will remember with some pleasure.
After the demise of that venue, the Club moved to the British Legion Club in Livingston, then to the Golden Hind, Blackburn, and eventually settled in its present venue, the Golden Circle Hotel, Bathgate, which seems to have all the facilities that the public expect. However, it is difficult to compare the atmosphere with that of the early days without thinking that things have changed in some way. Perhaps we take too much for granted, whereas away back all those years ago, Clubs were something new and exciting. Perhaps we have gone too ‘showbusinessy’.
Today, the Club meets on every third Tuesday of the month. Its location near to the M8 makes it easily accessible to a wide area and it continues to attract a large following of both audience and players.
In passing, we may be forgiven for ‘blowing a trumpet or two!’ The Club, over the years, has been associated with the emergence of several well known artistes and bands. These include The Oakbank Sound, Graham Ross and the Strathalmond Band, Karen Higgins, Ian Horsburgh, Willie McFarlane, Marie Fielding, Arthur Brown.
It is hoped that young musicians will still be attracted to the Club because it is on them really that the next 18 years depends for its existence.
It is difficult in a short article to include much more, but if readers have memories of special occasions, why not drop a few lines to the B&F.
It is now more than a quarter of a century since the establishment of the first Accordion Club in Scotland and there must be a goodly number now which have been on the go for almost as long. Why not let us hear about them. There is nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia now and again.
Slainte
P.S. It is pleasant to record an interesting co-incidence. The guest spot at the September meeting of the Club is Jim MacLeod’s Band which includes Jim Cleland. A founder member of the Club. Jim, we recall, was one of the players to do ‘a turn’ at the first Club meeting in September, 1973.
No 1 Livingston
by Murdo MacLeod
The Club met for the first time in Rab’s Bar in September 1973. Bert Shorthouse, the well known entertainer was the guest soloist who was paid the princely sum of £12! Guest fees are slightly more than this nowadays.
Reflecting back to that evening one remembers how highly charged the atmosphere was, as the not too large venue quickly filled up with expectant punters. It is possible that people were wanting something different from ‘canned’ entertainment and also recapturing a form of entertainment which brought people together to participate. In any event, the evening took off in great style. And for this we must, I think, be grateful to Bobby Jack who brought along the full band, comprising Bobby himself on Shand Morino, Brian Forrest (2nd accordion), Jim Barrie (fiddle), Vic Laidlaw (drums) and the incomparable Derek Lawrence on piano.
From the first chord the appreciative audience wondered what had hit Livingston. The Club owes Bobby a debt of gratitude for lifting the Club off the ground all those years ago.
Derek Lawrence was so enthusiastic that he wrote a tune, ‘The Livingston Accordion and Fiddle Club’ which Ronnie Easton included in his first broadcast.
Reminding one’s self of these early days, certain pictures come to mind. There was a young lad almost completely hidden behind a rather large accordion spiritedly rendering his piece. His name – Graham Edwardson. He is a bit bigger now and certainly better known.
The Club was nursed along at that time by a group of enthusiastic musicians and a splendid Committee. Names that come to mind include Jock and Dorothy Glen, Tom Hay, Alex Grant, John Morrison, Celia McIntyre, Jack Stalker, Arthur Brown and his daughter Jackie.
We would like to mention the late Gordon Jamieson from Pumpherston who was the popular compere for some time. Gordon’s knowledge of Scottish music was quite phenomenal and it was through him that a great many of the younger generation of players were attracted to the Club.
There is no doubt that the location of the Club between two established accordion schools, namely Chrissie Leatham and Wilson Wood, helped to give us the reputation for talented youngsters. Soon the punters were beginning to realise that an awful lot of highly talented young players were on hand to entertain for the sheer love of playing. Some names come to mind – David Wilson, Iain Horsburgh, Karen Higgins, Michael Wynn, Ian Skinner from Longridge, and locally we had Marie and Owen Fielding, the aforementioned Graham Edwardson and Derek Rae, Alan Laidlaw, Bobby Darling, Graham Edwardson (drummer) and many others dutifully brought along by proud parents.
This plethora of young talent seemed to give the Club a certain aura and helped a lot to establish the Club as a sort of family entertainment venue which continues to this day.
If one or two names are mentioned as being especially fondly recalled, readers will forgive us if we mention Sandy Coghill and Freeland Barbour – they really got the punters coming back for more. I think we can fairly say that we heard the Wallochmore before most people did!
One of the undoubted highlights of those early days was the appearance of a fantastic character called Fintan Stanley, from Sligo in Ireland. This was at the Cameron Iron Works Social Club. What a night of music and even yet one hears mention of this fabulous player who unfortunately is probably all but unknown to the present generation of players. Nobody ever played ‘The High Level’ quite like Fintan, He is now resident in New York.
From these early days, the Club had to move venue several times. This infortunately, as organizers well know, changes the character of the Club as well! From Rab’s Bar, the Club enjoyed a period at the Meadow Head Hotel, West Calder, then it moved to the Cameron Iron Works Social Club which readers will remember with some pleasure.
After the demise of that venue, the Club moved to the British Legion Club in Livingston, then to the Golden Hind, Blackburn, and eventually settled in its present venue, the Golden Circle Hotel, Bathgate, which seems to have all the facilities that the public expect. However, it is difficult to compare the atmosphere with that of the early days without thinking that things have changed in some way. Perhaps we take too much for granted, whereas away back all those years ago, Clubs were something new and exciting. Perhaps we have gone too ‘showbusinessy’.
Today, the Club meets on every third Tuesday of the month. Its location near to the M8 makes it easily accessible to a wide area and it continues to attract a large following of both audience and players.
In passing, we may be forgiven for ‘blowing a trumpet or two!’ The Club, over the years, has been associated with the emergence of several well known artistes and bands. These include The Oakbank Sound, Graham Ross and the Strathalmond Band, Karen Higgins, Ian Horsburgh, Willie McFarlane, Marie Fielding, Arthur Brown.
It is hoped that young musicians will still be attracted to the Club because it is on them really that the next 18 years depends for its existence.
It is difficult in a short article to include much more, but if readers have memories of special occasions, why not drop a few lines to the B&F.
It is now more than a quarter of a century since the establishment of the first Accordion Club in Scotland and there must be a goodly number now which have been on the go for almost as long. Why not let us hear about them. There is nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia now and again.
Slainte
P.S. It is pleasant to record an interesting co-incidence. The guest spot at the September meeting of the Club is Jim MacLeod’s Band which includes Jim Cleland. A founder member of the Club. Jim, we recall, was one of the players to do ‘a turn’ at the first Club meeting in September, 1973.