Box and Fiddle
Year 14 No 02/3
October/November 1990
Price 50p
12 pages
8 month subscription £5.00
Editor – Tom Clark, 55 Sutherland Crescent, Dundee, DD2 2HP
B&F Treasurer – Mrs Margaret Smith, Smeaton Farm Cottage, Dalkeith, Midlothian.
The main features in the above issue were as follows (this is not a comprehensive detail of all it contained. The Club reports, in particular, are too time consuming at this stage to retype).
Editorial
Shortage of Copy
For the second time in two years, I have had to miss a month of October’s issue because of lack of material. I have been finding that the September issue is generally oay, with a backlog of material built up over the summer months, but the October issue often seems to present problems. This may be because many Clubs don’t get under way until well into September, which means that reports don’t reach me until after the deadline. Whatever the reason, there just wasn’t enough copy to justify an October issue. My sincere apologies ro all who were disappointed. My thanks to Robbie shepherd, who kindly informed the listeners about the problem.
This would seem to be an appropriate time to appeal once again to Club scribes to keep sending in their reports as quickly as possible.
Tom Clark
The Provost of Forgandenny
“That wee box used to sit and spit at me”
by Norrie Williams
A month or two back, when I was playing for a Scottish Country Dance course, I was amazed to find out during a conversation with one of the participants – a small unassuming Indian gentlemen – that he had been a senior airline captain with Air India and had flown Jumbo Jets all over the world. No-one would have guessed. In fact, when I asked other members of the class what they thought his occupation had been they were all miles wide of the mark.
The same thing would have been the case 17 or 18 years ago when a tall, erect, nattily dressed executive type, complete with briefcase was walking smartly from Glasgow’s Ingram Hotel round to the old S.T.V. studios in the Theatre Royal. I would have defied anyone at the time to have come up with his background or current occupation, and no wonder.
On leaving school he had driven a pair of Clydesdales for 6 years as a ploughman, been 2 years on a travelling threshing mill, and a further 10 as a tractorman and now as a full time musician was heading for the studios to lead his band in a tele-recording.
But the pull of the soil and the open air was always there, our ‘executive’ has now returned to the land and is today blissfully happy as head gardener at Kingston School in Strathearn, with the music once again an enjoyable hobby. For many years his name has been one to be reckoned with on the Scottish accordion and dance music scene – Jimmy Blue. Just turned 61, this dynamic and purposeful British Chromatic player has a great zest for living and packs more into a day than many do in a week.
Born in Newton Mearns in 1929, he was the second in a family of four and the only boy. His father had worked in the area for some time, initially at the Netherplace bleach fields and latterly serving his time as a gardener on the Broom Estate. Then when Jimmy was only one year old the family moved to Rosneath on the west shore of the Gareloch where dad joined the big squad of gardeners on Princess Louise’s (Duchess of Argyll) Estate. When her ladyship’s carriage used to be heard approaching, this squad, if working on the driveway had to dive into the bushes dragging wheelbarrows and tools with them!
Two or three years later and another move, this time to the gardens at Elmsbank, near Clynder just a couple of miles up from Rosneath. This was to be home for the next 6 years or so and then just as the clouds of war were gathering, Mr Blue senior who displayed the same single-mindedness and sense of purpose which are today seen in his son, decided he wanted to work for himself, saw the potential in a place which was going for sale further up the peninsula, and took it over. Called ‘Woodneuk’ it comprised a big house, a cottage and a one and a half acre garden. To start with it was run as a nursery, then as a poultry farm and the big house was let out to summer visitors.
It was here at ‘Woodneuk’ that Jimmy’s interest in the accordion and Scottish music was fostered. Two local lads Jim Mongomery and Matthew Cowan played piano and piano accordion respectively. Jimmy heard them and said to himself “by Jove, I like that music, I must do that”. He felt very strongly about it so bought a small second hand ‘Madella’ piano accordion which cost £6.
Jimmy, although not yet 14 was already working as a ploughman, thanks to a benevolent ‘Silas Snatcher’ (school attendance officer) who obviously felt that agriculture took precedence over school as far as the war effort was concerned.
But to pursue the music line for a bit – we’ll come back to the job later – Jimmy, not wanting to do things by half as is his wont, decided to teach himself to play, but properly, so enlisted the help of the cook from the big house next door.
On one of her weekly trips to Glasgow she got a ‘George Scott Wood’ tutor for him but it did not impress. However, a second attempt produced a series of ten excellent booklets in a folder, ‘The Mathis Method’ which is apparently still going strong today.
Jimmy worked with this accordion and tutor for 18 months or so, although not particularly happy with the tone of it, especially after hearing Jimmy Shand on the wireless and learning that this great sound came from a button key instrument. He learned this from the late Davie Dalrymple, a 3 row player himself who had moved in next door with his family.
There were no less than three accordion playing Dalrymples, Davie’s son another 3 row man, and his younger brother Bob, who played 5 row Continental, a good musician who also taught accordion, one of his protégés being young Gordon Shand of Tillicoultry. Jimmy recalls how Bob, who stayed near West Calder,used to come over and visit them in the west, bringing his big Ranco Continental with the stud type button keys tiered in 5 rows – great occasions these were!
However, ‘this Shand thing’ had unsettled our young horseman and there was nothing for it but to go button key, so Bob Dalrymple got him first a melodeon and then in 1946 a 2 row/ 36 bass ‘L’Organola’ – price £15 10/- “it wasn’t second hand, it was many hands!”. The button key instrument treble side was not covered in ‘the Mathis Method’ so it was over to a Willie Hannah tutor which included a keyboard indicator for the 2 row. When a switch was later made to a 3 row, Jimmy had to work this out for himself.
Now being a Jimmy Shand fan, one of J.B.’s ambitions was to pay for dancing and such was his progress on button key, that he was invited to join the Dalrymple band, playing at such prestigious functions as the Annual Ball of the Argyllshire Constabulary. The line-up at the time was the 3 row boxes, trumpet, piano and drums , the former often playing melody which was common in those days.
The tractorless farm on which Jimmy worked until 1949 was really a combination of two holdings, ‘Little’ and ‘Meikle Rahane’ and was run by three brothers MacIntyre who hailed from the Isle of Canna. He worked hard and was happy there but by the late '40s, things were getting tight, his father couldn’t see any future for ‘Woodneuk’ and was putting out feelers for other employment.
By good fortune the choice of two jobs came up, one at Gatehouse of Fleet, to work for Mrs Murray of Usher (the beer baroness), the other to manage the accredited poultry station on Rossie Farm, 1½ W.S.W. of Dunning in Perthshire. As Jimmy was the able bodied young man of the family, his preference held sway, the option being for the latter – “I liked the sound of Dunning better because it was nearer Shand and Poorie and the Hawthorne and a’ they bands I was hearin’ on the wireless”. Little could anyone have guessed at the impact his move was to have on Jimmy’s musical career”.
There were tractors at Rossie and J.B. was wanting to get on them, and this he did, but not quite in the way he had expected. The farmer, Jimmy Neill, had it all worked out, he put the new start on the threshing mill for 2 years. “A young lad like you coming to live in a strange country, you’ll get to meet the people very quickly going round the farms, you’ll like it”. And he did, and word also got round that he played the box a bit, with the result that, one day at the threshing at East Mill Farm, by Auchterarder, an approach was made by the late Matt Aitken to say that Hamish McLaren of the ‘Lang Toon’ was looking for an accordion player to join his group. Jimmy ‘auditioned’ for him and was accepted immediately spending a most enjoyable year and a half with the quartet which consisted of two three row button keys, piano and drums.
Hamish, now 87, is still going strong and still having a tune. His enthusiasm for the music remains undiminished, in fact I believe he writes to ‘Shepherd’s Fancy’ every week just to keep it on its toes. He also has a great sense of humour. When Joan and Jimmy visited him in the residential home near Auchterarder just the other week, Jimmy played a couple of selections on the senior man’s box by request, and when he was finished Hamish cracked, “That wumman through the wall will be thinkin’ that my playin’ has fairly come on in the last twa days”.
Through this period with Hamish other musical contacts were made and things began to gather momentum. One evening they played at a two band dance in Auchterarder, the other group being ‘The Skyliners’ which specialised in modern (bop at the time) and featured a local 19 year old accordion player/painter, one Mickie Ainsworth. Although Jimmy had seen Mickey before at Saturday night dances, “…thought he was magic, could sing as well, very slick…”they had never met but on this occasion at the Masonic Ball, Mickey introduced himself. A week or two later they met again, purely by chance, in a Perth music shop, had a wee tune together and decided they must work out some duets.
Mickey was interested that Jimmy could read music and duly wrote out some arrangements on which they worked hard, one night a week. He was also the leader of the Bill Wilkie Accordion Orchestra which practiced in Perth on Sunday evenings and Jimmy used to go in just to listen. At least that was his story, but it is interesting to note that the orchestra pianist was a Miss Joan McNeill, later to become Mrs Joan Blue.
At this point Jimmy decided to form a wee group with Joan on piano, Malcolm Harkness on fiddle (Malcolm’s brother is married to Jimmy’s sister), and Jimmy Spiers on drums. After about a year Malcolm was posted away with his job and was replaced by Derek Auld. Shortly after this, and augmented by Mickey Ainsworth and Peter Malcolm on guitar, they went for an audition with the B.B.C. – but failed. “Must have been ahead of out time”.
Meanwhile, Jimmy and Mickey were grinding away at the duets, were happy with the results, and wrote to the B.B.C. to see if they would be interested. They were and our doughty duo were summoned to Glasgow where Peter McLaren (pianist with ‘The Skyliners’) escorted them by tram out to Queen Margaret Drive where they met a Bill Meikle (yes, the same one as the J.B. composition) assistant for Scottish Overseas Broadcasts. “He was looking for something that we had to offer, so he left us in the studio, we played our pieces, one at either side of the single microphone and he came in and said ‘Thank you gentlemen, that’s just what I’m after, I’ll be in touch, we’ve got a broadcast lined up for you’”. This was to be just the first of many.
Herewith a clip from the ‘Dundee Courier’ in the early 1950s: “Early this morning and even earlier tomorrow thousands of exiled Scots will sit with their ears glued to short wave receivers listening to the latest weekly edition of ‘Scottish Magazine’. This week it goes out from the Dundee Studio and this morning it goes out at 6.30 on the General Overseas Service to the Eastern Hemisphere and tomorrow at 15 minutes past midnight is to be beamed to the Western Hemisphere.
It has a large audience who are enthusiastic over everything that comes from Scotland, especially music….Yesterday afternoon the programme was rehearsed at Coldside Studio and recorded to London …Michael Ainsworth (20) a painter, 39 High Street, Auchterarder and James Blue (21) farm worker, Rossie Farm, Dunning were making their first appearance before live mikes. They are accordionists and provided the interludes with tasteful duets…”
Some achievement for two ordinary working lads, the mind boggles at the area covered by the transmissions. Incidentally, Jimmy was actually working on the mill when he was interviewed by the ‘Courier’ reporter.
Things just snowballed from there with countless B.B.C. broadcasts, Children’s Hour, Mid-day Music Hall, and even Starlight Serenade guesting with Jack Lion and the Scottish Variety Orchestra.
Almost inevitably records followed, when they were put in touch with ‘Parlophone’ by Ian McLeish who was at that time (1953) recording with the Adam Rennie Quartet. The duo had to go to a church hall in Glasgow’s Albion Street, a military looking type listened to them, said, “That’s fine, I’ll take six sides of that, have you got enough material?” They didn’t, just sufficient for four, but they put them on and the remaining two a few weeks later. The following year George Martin, of Beatles fame, was the recording producer , same hall up the stair with only a green light and a telephone for company, the recording van being outside in the street.
At the four side session mentioned above there were no retakes and to quote Jimmy “We were so naive and so confident, we met Adam Rennie, Bobby Brown and Ian McLeish coming out after a session and we said, ‘We’ll be out in a wee while and join you for lunch!’”
But lots of things had been happening in parallel with the Mickey/Jimmy partnership. In 1950, Jimmy bought a brand new accordion, a ‘Casali’ 3 row, 48 bass instrument which cost £57 10/-. Again his determination came to the fore, he ‘worked like a Trojan’ on converting from two to three rows to such effect that in the autumn of that year playing ‘Cameron Highlanders’, ‘Fiddlers Joy’ and ‘The Mason’s Apron’, he became the first winner of ‘The Jimmy Shand Shield’ for Scottish country dance music at Bill Wilkie’s Perth Festival, a tremendous achievement and one which he was to repeat in 1952 with one change in the selection viz. ‘John McFadyen of Melfort’ as the march. Jimmy had a soft spot for pipe music, and fiddle music in the Scott Skinner vein as one would have jaloused from his various recordings over the years, and from the first class set he played in the button key section at this year’s Musselburgh Festival. What expression in that strathspey!
In both the work and band fields changes were also taking place about this time. Farmer Jimmy Neill sold up Rossie, J.B. switched from the threshing mill to become a tractorman driving the earlier models of petrol/paraffin and diesel Fergusons, but after a short time under the new management he shifted to Netherholm Farm, two miles S.W. of Forgandenny and got his paws on a brand new FE35 diesel. This was the machine he was driving when I first saw him in the flesh playing with the Powrie Band at the Rosemount Rooms in Montrose in 1956. In those halcyon days the bike the players had, (Jimmy had a Norton ES2) or the tractor he drove, was equally as important to us Scottish dance music fans as was his instrument or the music itself. The two went together.
And mentioning the Powrie Band, December 1952, was a red letter one for Jimmy, because during that month, not only did he join Ian’s Band (as Ian’s brother, Bill, had gone to do his National Service with the R.A.F.) but he also got engaged to Joan McNeill.
When our man agreed to join Ian Powrie, he also decided to disband his own quartet and while courting one Sunday evening he broke this news to Joan in the Washington Café and was certainly anything but the flavour of the month.
In 1954 he slipped in the popularity stakes once again because Joan and he were planning to get married during that year, but because Ian didn’t like the tone of the ‘Borsini’ that he was then playing, he got rid of it and bought a new Shand Morino which cost £208 10/-. So, the nuptials were postponed until April, 1955. Some folk do live dangerously!
The other members of the Powrie Band when Jimmy joined were Jack Ewen (second accordion), Gordon Clark (piano), Bert Smith (double bass) and Stan Peacock (drums). Life became really hectic with ‘long-haul’ dances which often meant “getting back at breakfast time …and “ca’in the neep chopper wi’ dinner suit and bow tie”.
Throughout the '50s the band became associated with the T.V. productions of ‘The Kilt is my Delight’ and the ‘White Heather Club’ and through the latter it forged a lasting bond with Andy Stewart. In fact, it was this link which dramatically changed the lifestyles of the band members.
At the end of 1960, Andy had an overwhelmingly successful hit with ‘The Scottish Soldier’ and became very hot property. In the theatre war that ensued, the Glasgow Empire was successful in getting his services for a 19 week season and Ian was equally successful in getting his band to give up their jobs and go full time for the duration of the show. Mind you, £30 a week was an attractive proposition after £8 10/-. The Empire was packed to the roof top for the summer season of 1961 and 1962 and Jimmy well remembers the colossal queues 4 deep.
The spin-off from the Glasgow shows was tremendous, seasons at the ‘Gaiety’ in Ayr, ‘Her Majesty’s Theatre’ in Aberdeen, ‘King’s Theatre’ Edinburgh, tours of Australia and New Zealand etc, etc. To catalogue these events would take a separate write-up.
One memorable season in Aberdeen was in 1964 during the ‘typhoid’ outbreak when tremendous hygiene and cleanliness were the order of the day, soap and towels everywhere, but Andy managed to keep them rolling in the aisles with morsels such as these :
Shop Assistant: “Yes, madam.”
Customer: “Are ye no’ goin’ tae wash yer hands?”
Shop Assistant: “Certainly” washes hands “Now madam, what would you like?”
Customer: “A gallon o’ paraffin please!”
or this
First Aberdeen man: “Did you know that this is the only town in the world with 400 typhoid cases at the one time?”
Second Aberdeen man: “No, why is that?”
First Aberdeen man: “Because it’s the only town in the world that could get 400 slices oot o’ one tin o’ corned beef!”
Toward the end of the 1966 Aberdeen season which followed hard on the heels of a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand (10,000 in Sydney Stadium), Ian announced that he was emigrating to the former continent in December of that year. This surprise announcement came as something of a bolt from the blue and Jimmy went straight home to tell Joan that evening instead of staying on in the ‘Granite City’. Joan thought things over and a couple of days later suggested, “Why not have a go yourself?” Why not, indeed? The proposition was put to Ian who wholeheartedly agreed, giving every help he could with equipment etc. In addition to Ian and Jimmy the band at the end of ’66 consisted of Mickey Ainsworth (second accordion), Pam Brough (piano), Dave Barclay (bass) and Arthur Easson (drums).
Mickey and Jimmy had to fulfill a 4 week tour in Canada with Andy Stewart in the spring of ’67, but while they were away Joan organised various theatre jobs for the summer season. Then on his return, Jimmy had to pick up a band "Easy if you’ve got work." There were various permutations from time to time, such as Jim Johnstone, Davie Stewart and Jimmy Cassidy on second accordion, Ronnie Kerr and Angus Fitchet on fiddle, Bobby Colgan and Dave Blyth on drums, Pam or Joan on piano and so on. One particular 20 week stint in Blackpool with Andy was so poorly patronised that as Jimmy said “two weeks in Blackpool and I was needin’ hame – no job satisfaction.”
Photo
Dave Barclay, Pam Brough, Jim Johnstone, Bobby Colgan & Jimmy Blue
The passing reference to Jim Johnstone brings us back to the J.B. accordions. By 1962 the Shand Morino was getting a bit clapped out so Jimmy purchased his only black box, a 3 row Excelsior (£180). This was followed by a small Morino which was all out of tune. The reeds were then all taken out and cleaned with an ink rubber and it became “The loudest box I’ve ever had”. Jim Johnstone was in the band at the time and he still says “That wee box used to sit and spit at me”!
A third Morino followed this vicious little animal and that in turn has been superseded by a Guerrini which has given Jimmy endless pleasure.
Just before the aforementioned Blackpool stint, the band was engaged in one of their most exciting and memorable undertakings – a full length feature film ‘Country Dance’ starring Peter O’Toole, Michael Craig and Susannah York. The group must surely be the only Scottish Dance Band to date to be involved in such a venture for the big screen. The film producers had been looking for a dance director and band and Bobby Watson and Jimmy Blue respectively were recommended by the late Jimmy Findlater of the London Branch of the R.S.C.D.S.
Photo
Sitting behind Peter O'Toole in the film "Country Dance" (1969)
The bandleader was contacted by producer, Robert Emma Ginna, through the longest telegram that Jimmy had ever seen, something like 37 pages! The film was being made by ‘Windward Films’ a subsidiary of M.G.M., Hollywood.
The music was first recorded in Shepperton Studios, the musical director being a John Addison who made the band feel so welcome and relaxed – a bit different to the B.B.C.
The recording session went like clockwork with full co-operation at every stage between J.A. and J.B. Then it was by air to Dublin Airport for the shooting of the sequences in Ireland, and then the excellent organisation began to show. A van for the gear, a mini-bus for the band, a car for Jimmy and a representative of the film company to meet them. “Made me feel important.” Then a choice of where to stay, in Dublin or a nice country pub – they plumped for the latter.
Three glorious weeks they had shooting on location at a big country house in County Wicklow from early morning till night and once through the night, but there was no hassle and the association with the stars was enjoyable. Peter Reeves, an English actor who stood in with the button key in the front kept up contact with Jimmy for years afterwards.
The actual band, Jimmy, Davie Stewart, Ronnie Kerr, Dave Barclay, Pam Brough and Arthur Easson, just mimed to their own sound track as the dancers took the floor. An unforgettable experience for all.
Joan and Jimmy were at the film premiere in Edinburgh when they discovered that one of Jimmy’s own compositions ‘The Bonnie Lass o’ Scotland’ which had originally just been included in one of the band waltz sets had been extracted by M.D. John Addison and fully orchestrated as the theme tune. What a compliment.
Incidentally, Jimmy penned no end of tunes for Andy Stewart’s songs and although not a prolific composer, has produced some first class dance tunes, among them – ‘Bill Meikle’ (reel), ‘Balintore Fisherman’ and ‘Angus Howie’ (polkas), ‘Braes of Auchterarder’ and ‘Broomhill’ (strathspeys), ‘Andy Cowan Martin B.B.C.’ and ‘Gask Wood’ (hornpipes), ‘Big Geordie’s Wee Still’ and ‘Ian Powrie’s Farewell to Scotland’ (2/4 marches).
‘Broomhill’ is a farm near Forteviot, about 3 miles from Dunning. The tune, always a favourite of mine, was in large part responsible for Jimmy’s introduction to Ian Powrie. Ian received a copy from the father of the aforementioned fiddle playing Malcolm Harcus. The Harcus family knew the Powries well because Malcolm’s dad was shepherd on Dupplin Estate which marches with Bankhead Farm where Ian and his dad worked. Ian liked the tune, played it at dances and in broadcasts and things just went from there.
Jimmy’s band remained full time until 1977. It had a very clean, sharp, tight sound, made several L.P.s did broadcasts and in the early 70s literally dozens of the very popular ‘Scotch Corner’ programmes for television with Andy Stewart. In stark contrast to the laid back atmosphere during the shooting of ‘Country Dance’ the ‘Scotch Corner’ exercise sometimes entailed doing a batch of 4 at a time. Returning home after one such occasion which had kept the band hard at it for 4 days non-stop they came across an army convoy with soldiers jumping in and out and Ronnie Kerr said “Good Heavens (or words to that effect), do you think war has broken out?”
Ronnie, who worked for the ‘Dundee Courier’ at that time (and still does) eventually had to pull out of the band when the demise of his grannies (about a dozen) was beginning to wear a bit thin!
The summer shows with Andy not only included speciality acts but involved members of the band in bit parts with costumes etc. Some of the speciality acts were of the highest calibre, one such being a dynamo of a Negro dancer, Larry Gainer, who when he had finished his superb energetic display, wiped his face with his semmit.
Jimmy had a tremendous sense of humour and the stories he could tell are legion. He was helped a lot in this respect by his excellent personal relationship with Andy Stewart, off stage.
1977, and things were getting pretty hectic…”I was getting a wee bit fed up of climbing on and off aeroplanes and travelling about all over the place.” Once again, as in 1966, Joan came to the rescue with a sound, down to earth (in more ways than one) suggestion. “They’re needing a gardener at Kilgarston, why don’t you pack it in?” Jimmy wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that yet, so he carried through a ten week solo stint at ‘Piper’s’ Restaurant in Edinburgh’s Lothian Road, and then made a start at Kilgarston as assistant gardener.
Because he had become accustomed, over that past few years to being in control, this situation wasn’t exactly to his taste so he duly made an approach and was put in charge. This gave him the freedom to take on one further season (30 weeks) at ‘Piper’s’ and with Joan’s help, he made the successful transition back to full time work on the land, a very happy state of affairs because gardening is his other great hobby, hence the Angus Fitchet composition ‘Jimmy’s Aye Diggin’. The garden at 22 Kinnaird Road, Forgandenny and at Kilgarston are testimony to his dedication and ‘green fingers’.
In the late 50s he was exhibiting at Flower Shows with some success and in 1959 he and another local chap, a professional gardener, revived the Forgandanny Show. They re-organised the schedule which had previously been very amateurish. To quote Joan – “He was entering shows by this time and used to come home from a dance about 4.30 a.m. and before bed would put ox-blood on his onions. The night before a Flower Show you wouldn’t believe it – even if he was playing he would dig everything up and any carrots or parsnips that weren’t perfect were chucked in that field. Had to get 3 matching, everything oiled and laid on black velvet. And I’m away across the fields trying to get all the rest back to keep me going during the winter!”
Talking of onions, we saw some ‘Kelsays’ (probably mis-spelt) at the ‘Provost’s’ residence the other week, as big as turnips. Jimmy’s knowledge on matters horticultural and agricultural is almost encyclopaedic and his memory for places and names is quite astonishing, and although he is very forthright and outspoken at times he is unbelievably modest and self-effacing when it comes to his musical abilities and very generous in his praise of fellow musicians. He is, of course, a very experienced adjudicator of traditional accordion at competitive festivals but less well known is the fact that he also judges at Horticultural Shows.
Photo
Ian Holmes, Dave Barclay, Jimmy Blue, Bobby Crowe, Angus Fitchet & Jack Cooper at Angus's 80th Birthday Party.
Understandably perhaps when he gave up the full time band work in 1977, he took a kind of scunner at the music and temporarily lost interest until one evening a friend, Willie Simpson, the well known fiddle player/farmer from Chapelhill, asked Jimmy to help him out at a dance. He enjoyed the tune and happily this simple wee session rekindled his enthusiasm and he has never looked back.
And of course, the musical and personal reunion with Ian Powrie since his return from Australia and the very active Chairmanship of the N.A.A.F.C. are well known to all.
Two daughters, four grandchildren, Joan the perfect team-mate, his music, his gardens, his Kubota tractor (with hydrostatic transmission, mark you!) the perfect blend, what more could a chap ask?
The ‘Provost of Forgandenny’ has certainly made his indelible mark on Scottish music.
Footnote
Recorded ‘O’Kane’s March’ didn’t know origin so put ‘traditional’. With Andy Stewart in Dublin and playing same tune and bloke comes up and thanks him for recording it. “Who are you” says Jimmy. “I’m O’Kane and I wrote it!”
Norman Y. Williams
Sadly Jimmy Blue died suddenly after a very short illness on 7th December, 1999. Forgandenny Village Church was packed for the funeral service, which was relayed to a further 200 standing outside in the pouring rain. Robbie Shepherd, from BBC Scotland, read the following poem written by Andy Stewart for Jimmy some years ago and it is indeed a fitting tribute to this great man. CT
FOR JIMMY BLUE FROM ANDY, WITH AFFECTION
We hae been tae lots o’ places, Jimmy Blue
Aye and seen a wheen o’ faces, Jimmy Blue
But the thocht was in oor mind
O’ the loved anes left behind
And that kept us leal and true, Jimmy Blue
Aye, we’ve seen the warld thegither, Jimmy Blue
Tours that seemed tae last FOREVER, Jimmy Blue
Near and far I can recall
But I couldn’t name them all
Though we missed oot Timbuctoo (this is true) Jimmy Blue
And we made a song or two, Jimmy Blue
Though the credit goes to you! Jimmy Blue
For though fancy words one quotes
What’s a song without the notes?
And what notes ye brawly wrote, Jimmy Blue
Noo when the time cams roon, Jimmy Blue
Tae gang upwards (never doon) Jimmy Blue
I’ll meet you at Heaven’s Gate, and I hope it’s lang I’ll wait
For your company – I do, Jimmy Blue
I can see us baith thegether, Jimmy Blue
Lying ‘mang celestial heather, Jimmy Blue
You will play, I’ll sing a psalm
Syne we’ll hae a Heavenly dram
We ne’er were angels through and through, Jimmy Blue
But until that time I’ll pray, Jimmy Blue
That is unco far away, Jimmy Blue
Have a day that aye shall rate an’
Be accorded syne as “great” an’
May I add congratulations! Jimmy Blue
You deserve congratulations, Jimmy Blue
And the blessin’s o’ this nation, Jimmy Blue
For through a’ the years that’s gone
You kept her music moving on
And her thanks she owes tae you, Jimmy Blue
I wish I could be there, Jimmy Blue
And your magic moments share, Jimmy Blue
But tho’ miles awa’ I be
My hairt this day’s wi’ thee
And I bless you – yes I do, Jimmy Blue
With love and affection – fraternally
Andy Stewart
Record Review
by Norrie Williams
Nightowls – The Craigowl SDB – Donside Records CRD017
From Orkney – Albert Linklater SDB – Attic Records AT024
Book Review
The Lorne Collection – comps by Charlie & Alastair Hunter – Deeay Music
Letters to the Editor
Sir – In January, 1989, I attended my first ever ‘Box and fiddle’ at the inaugural meeting of the Ettrick & Yarrow Club when the guests were Bill Black and his S.D.B.
As a former player but whose instrument had been under wraps for well nigh 20 years, my interest in playing was re-kindled and I have become a regular attender and player, at local and other Clubs.
To date, I have been given the opportunity of playing at all clubs irrespective of the number of musicians.
I traveled to the September meeting of the Newtongrange Club where my name was included in the players list. Some two and a half hours later, towards 10.30 p.m. I was informed by the M.C. that there was insufficient time for myself and some others to have a tune.
I consider that the organisers of the Club which has existed for 14 years ought to have readily forseen the developing situation and adjusted the programme to allow all the players one set of tunes.
I am presently unaware if this was a one-off situation or if it is a usual feature of Newtongrange Club, but if the latter, they are certainly not operating in the spirit of the N.A.A.FcC.
I will not be disillusioned by this incident, but as far as Newtongrange Club is concerned, I will not be back.
James C. Paterson
Sir – I was most interested to see the current edition of the ‘B&F’, in which there appears a review of the recently released tapes of our original Glendaruel Scottish Dance Band.
Could I ask you to convey our thanks to your reviewer for the very kind and complimentary remarks that he made about our playing. It is most gratifying to find that the Sounds of Yesteryear are still of interest and still have a contribution to make.
It was also of great interest to me to hear up-to-date news of some of my old friends in the business.
Tony Reid
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Dee Motel) –
Alnwick (Golden Fleece) – members only
Arbroath ( ) - 4th Nov 90 Neil MacEachern
Armadale (Masonic Arms Hotel) –
Ayr (Gartferry Hotel) –
Balloch (St Kessog’s Hall) – 18th Nov 90 George Stirrat
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) –
Banff & District (Knowes Hotel, Macduff) – 28th Nov 90 Simon Howie SDB
Beith & District (Hotel de Croft, Dalry) – 19th Nov 90 Tom Clark SDB
Belford (Community Club) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 13th Nov 90 Michael Philip SDB
Bridge of Allan (Walmer Hotel) -
Buchan (Buchaness Hotel) –
Button Key (Windygates Institute) –
Callander (Glengarry Hotel) –
Campbeltown (Royal Hotel) –
Castle Douglas (Ernespie Hotel) – 20th Nov 90 Clansmen
Coalburn (Miners Welfare) - 15th Nov 90 Dunoon & Cowal Club
Crieff & District (Drummond Arms Hotel)
Dalriada (Royal Hotel, Lochgilphead) –
Derwentside (Working Men’s Club, Consett) –
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 7th Nov 90 James Coutts
24th Nov 90 Dance to Ian Thomson SDB
Dunblane (Westlands Hotel) –
Dundee (The Marquee) –
Dunfermline (Northern Roadhouse) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
East Kilbride (King’s Park Hotel, Rutherglen) –
Ellon (Ladbroke Hotel) –
Etterick & Yarrow (Gordon Arms) -
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 25th Nov 90 Craigowl SDB
Forres (Brig Motel) – Nov 90 Jennifer Forrest SDB
Fort William (Alexandra Hotel) –
Galashiels (Maxwell Hotel) –
Galston (Theo’s Restaurant, Galston) –
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel – Wooler) –
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) – 19th Nov 90 Alastair MacPhail
Isle of Skye -
Islesteps (Driveway Inn) – 6th Nov 90 Bruce Lindsay Trio
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) –
Kinlochshiel (Tingle Creek Hotel) -
Kintore (Crown Hotel) –
Langholm (Crown Hotel) –
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 8th Nov 90 Craig McCallum SDB
Livingston (Golden Circle Hotel, Bathgate) 20th Nov 90 Windygates Club
Lockerbie (Bluebell Hotel) -
Mauchline (The Jean Armour Restaurant) 20th Nov 90 Hamish Smith Trio
M.A.F.I.A. (Masonic Hall, Milngavie) –
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North Cumbria (Golden Fleece, Ruleholme) (prev called Gretna Club) –
North East (Seafield Hotel, Keith) –
Oban (Highlander Restaurant) – 1st Nov 90 Deirdre Adamson
Orkney ( venue?) –
Ormiston (Miners’ Welfare Social Club) –
Peebles (Greentree Hotel) –
Perth (Station Hotel) –
Premier NI (Camlin function Rooms) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloom) – 13th Nov 90 Karen Higgins SDB
Rothbury (Jubilee Hall) - 1st Nov 90 Billy McGuire
Shetland (venue?) -
Thornhill (?)
Thurso (McKay’s Hotel) – 5th Nov 90 Gordon Pattullo
Turriff (Royal Oak Hotel) –
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
Wick (McKay’s Hotel) –
Wooler ( ) - Nov 90 Marian Anderson SDB
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Arbroath
2. Banchory
3. Banff
4. Beith
5. Biggar
6. Blairgowrie
7. Coalburn
8. East Kilbride
9. Ettrick & Yarrow
10. Forres
11. Gretna
12. Kintore
13. Lesmahagow
14. Livingston
15. Mauchline
16. Montrose
17. Newtongrange
18. North Cumbria
19. North East
20. Ormiston
21. Peebles
22. Thurso
23. Tynedale
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT SEPT 1989 (Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975)
2. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
3. Alnwick A&F Club (Sept 1976)
4. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months)
5. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974)
11. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
12. Button Key A&F Club (
13. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980)
14. Coalburn A&F Club
15. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
16. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
17. Derwentside A&F Club
18. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
19. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971)
20. Dundee & District A&F Club
21. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
22. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
23. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
24. Ellon A&F Club (
25. Etterick & Yarrow (Jan 1989 -
26. Fintry A&F Club
27. Forfar A&F Club
28. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
29. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
30. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
31. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
32. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
33. Highland A&F Club (Inverness)
34. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981)
35. Isle of Skye A&F Club (
36. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976)
37. Kintore A&F Club
38. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967)
39. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
40. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – per first edition)
41. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973)
42. M.A.F.I.A. (early)
43. Mauchline A&F Club (first mention 1986?)
44. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
45. Mull A&F Club
46. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1979)
47. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
48. North Cumbria A&F Club (originally Gretna started June 1966 – had to move to a venue in the North of England and changed name – eventually changed back when they returned to the Halcrow Stadium. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
49. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971)
50. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975)
51. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978)
52. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club
53. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981)
54. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970)
55. Premier A&F Club NI (cNov 1980)
56. Rothbury Accordion Club (1987??)
57. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978)
58. Sutherland A&F Club (
59. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition)
60. Thurso A&F Club (cSept 1981)
61. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982)
62. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980)
63. Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
64. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition)
65. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
66. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
67. Buchan A&F Club
68. Callander A&F Club (
69. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
70. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
71. Club Accord
72. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2?)
73. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
74. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
75. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
76. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
77. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
78. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
79. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
80. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
81. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
82. Gretna A&F Club (June 1966)
83. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
84. Kinlochsheil A&F Club (
85. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
86. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
87. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
88. Newcastleton Accordion Club
89. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
90. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
91. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
92. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
93. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
94. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
95. Wellbank A&F Club
Advertising rates
Full Page - £92
Half Page - £46
Quarter Page - £23
B&F Treasurer – Mrs Margaret Smith, Smeaton Farm Cottage, Dalkeith, Midlothian.
The main features in the above issue were as follows (this is not a comprehensive detail of all it contained. The Club reports, in particular, are too time consuming at this stage to retype).
Editorial
Shortage of Copy
For the second time in two years, I have had to miss a month of October’s issue because of lack of material. I have been finding that the September issue is generally oay, with a backlog of material built up over the summer months, but the October issue often seems to present problems. This may be because many Clubs don’t get under way until well into September, which means that reports don’t reach me until after the deadline. Whatever the reason, there just wasn’t enough copy to justify an October issue. My sincere apologies ro all who were disappointed. My thanks to Robbie shepherd, who kindly informed the listeners about the problem.
This would seem to be an appropriate time to appeal once again to Club scribes to keep sending in their reports as quickly as possible.
Tom Clark
The Provost of Forgandenny
“That wee box used to sit and spit at me”
by Norrie Williams
A month or two back, when I was playing for a Scottish Country Dance course, I was amazed to find out during a conversation with one of the participants – a small unassuming Indian gentlemen – that he had been a senior airline captain with Air India and had flown Jumbo Jets all over the world. No-one would have guessed. In fact, when I asked other members of the class what they thought his occupation had been they were all miles wide of the mark.
The same thing would have been the case 17 or 18 years ago when a tall, erect, nattily dressed executive type, complete with briefcase was walking smartly from Glasgow’s Ingram Hotel round to the old S.T.V. studios in the Theatre Royal. I would have defied anyone at the time to have come up with his background or current occupation, and no wonder.
On leaving school he had driven a pair of Clydesdales for 6 years as a ploughman, been 2 years on a travelling threshing mill, and a further 10 as a tractorman and now as a full time musician was heading for the studios to lead his band in a tele-recording.
But the pull of the soil and the open air was always there, our ‘executive’ has now returned to the land and is today blissfully happy as head gardener at Kingston School in Strathearn, with the music once again an enjoyable hobby. For many years his name has been one to be reckoned with on the Scottish accordion and dance music scene – Jimmy Blue. Just turned 61, this dynamic and purposeful British Chromatic player has a great zest for living and packs more into a day than many do in a week.
Born in Newton Mearns in 1929, he was the second in a family of four and the only boy. His father had worked in the area for some time, initially at the Netherplace bleach fields and latterly serving his time as a gardener on the Broom Estate. Then when Jimmy was only one year old the family moved to Rosneath on the west shore of the Gareloch where dad joined the big squad of gardeners on Princess Louise’s (Duchess of Argyll) Estate. When her ladyship’s carriage used to be heard approaching, this squad, if working on the driveway had to dive into the bushes dragging wheelbarrows and tools with them!
Two or three years later and another move, this time to the gardens at Elmsbank, near Clynder just a couple of miles up from Rosneath. This was to be home for the next 6 years or so and then just as the clouds of war were gathering, Mr Blue senior who displayed the same single-mindedness and sense of purpose which are today seen in his son, decided he wanted to work for himself, saw the potential in a place which was going for sale further up the peninsula, and took it over. Called ‘Woodneuk’ it comprised a big house, a cottage and a one and a half acre garden. To start with it was run as a nursery, then as a poultry farm and the big house was let out to summer visitors.
It was here at ‘Woodneuk’ that Jimmy’s interest in the accordion and Scottish music was fostered. Two local lads Jim Mongomery and Matthew Cowan played piano and piano accordion respectively. Jimmy heard them and said to himself “by Jove, I like that music, I must do that”. He felt very strongly about it so bought a small second hand ‘Madella’ piano accordion which cost £6.
Jimmy, although not yet 14 was already working as a ploughman, thanks to a benevolent ‘Silas Snatcher’ (school attendance officer) who obviously felt that agriculture took precedence over school as far as the war effort was concerned.
But to pursue the music line for a bit – we’ll come back to the job later – Jimmy, not wanting to do things by half as is his wont, decided to teach himself to play, but properly, so enlisted the help of the cook from the big house next door.
On one of her weekly trips to Glasgow she got a ‘George Scott Wood’ tutor for him but it did not impress. However, a second attempt produced a series of ten excellent booklets in a folder, ‘The Mathis Method’ which is apparently still going strong today.
Jimmy worked with this accordion and tutor for 18 months or so, although not particularly happy with the tone of it, especially after hearing Jimmy Shand on the wireless and learning that this great sound came from a button key instrument. He learned this from the late Davie Dalrymple, a 3 row player himself who had moved in next door with his family.
There were no less than three accordion playing Dalrymples, Davie’s son another 3 row man, and his younger brother Bob, who played 5 row Continental, a good musician who also taught accordion, one of his protégés being young Gordon Shand of Tillicoultry. Jimmy recalls how Bob, who stayed near West Calder,used to come over and visit them in the west, bringing his big Ranco Continental with the stud type button keys tiered in 5 rows – great occasions these were!
However, ‘this Shand thing’ had unsettled our young horseman and there was nothing for it but to go button key, so Bob Dalrymple got him first a melodeon and then in 1946 a 2 row/ 36 bass ‘L’Organola’ – price £15 10/- “it wasn’t second hand, it was many hands!”. The button key instrument treble side was not covered in ‘the Mathis Method’ so it was over to a Willie Hannah tutor which included a keyboard indicator for the 2 row. When a switch was later made to a 3 row, Jimmy had to work this out for himself.
Now being a Jimmy Shand fan, one of J.B.’s ambitions was to pay for dancing and such was his progress on button key, that he was invited to join the Dalrymple band, playing at such prestigious functions as the Annual Ball of the Argyllshire Constabulary. The line-up at the time was the 3 row boxes, trumpet, piano and drums , the former often playing melody which was common in those days.
The tractorless farm on which Jimmy worked until 1949 was really a combination of two holdings, ‘Little’ and ‘Meikle Rahane’ and was run by three brothers MacIntyre who hailed from the Isle of Canna. He worked hard and was happy there but by the late '40s, things were getting tight, his father couldn’t see any future for ‘Woodneuk’ and was putting out feelers for other employment.
By good fortune the choice of two jobs came up, one at Gatehouse of Fleet, to work for Mrs Murray of Usher (the beer baroness), the other to manage the accredited poultry station on Rossie Farm, 1½ W.S.W. of Dunning in Perthshire. As Jimmy was the able bodied young man of the family, his preference held sway, the option being for the latter – “I liked the sound of Dunning better because it was nearer Shand and Poorie and the Hawthorne and a’ they bands I was hearin’ on the wireless”. Little could anyone have guessed at the impact his move was to have on Jimmy’s musical career”.
There were tractors at Rossie and J.B. was wanting to get on them, and this he did, but not quite in the way he had expected. The farmer, Jimmy Neill, had it all worked out, he put the new start on the threshing mill for 2 years. “A young lad like you coming to live in a strange country, you’ll get to meet the people very quickly going round the farms, you’ll like it”. And he did, and word also got round that he played the box a bit, with the result that, one day at the threshing at East Mill Farm, by Auchterarder, an approach was made by the late Matt Aitken to say that Hamish McLaren of the ‘Lang Toon’ was looking for an accordion player to join his group. Jimmy ‘auditioned’ for him and was accepted immediately spending a most enjoyable year and a half with the quartet which consisted of two three row button keys, piano and drums.
Hamish, now 87, is still going strong and still having a tune. His enthusiasm for the music remains undiminished, in fact I believe he writes to ‘Shepherd’s Fancy’ every week just to keep it on its toes. He also has a great sense of humour. When Joan and Jimmy visited him in the residential home near Auchterarder just the other week, Jimmy played a couple of selections on the senior man’s box by request, and when he was finished Hamish cracked, “That wumman through the wall will be thinkin’ that my playin’ has fairly come on in the last twa days”.
Through this period with Hamish other musical contacts were made and things began to gather momentum. One evening they played at a two band dance in Auchterarder, the other group being ‘The Skyliners’ which specialised in modern (bop at the time) and featured a local 19 year old accordion player/painter, one Mickie Ainsworth. Although Jimmy had seen Mickey before at Saturday night dances, “…thought he was magic, could sing as well, very slick…”they had never met but on this occasion at the Masonic Ball, Mickey introduced himself. A week or two later they met again, purely by chance, in a Perth music shop, had a wee tune together and decided they must work out some duets.
Mickey was interested that Jimmy could read music and duly wrote out some arrangements on which they worked hard, one night a week. He was also the leader of the Bill Wilkie Accordion Orchestra which practiced in Perth on Sunday evenings and Jimmy used to go in just to listen. At least that was his story, but it is interesting to note that the orchestra pianist was a Miss Joan McNeill, later to become Mrs Joan Blue.
At this point Jimmy decided to form a wee group with Joan on piano, Malcolm Harkness on fiddle (Malcolm’s brother is married to Jimmy’s sister), and Jimmy Spiers on drums. After about a year Malcolm was posted away with his job and was replaced by Derek Auld. Shortly after this, and augmented by Mickey Ainsworth and Peter Malcolm on guitar, they went for an audition with the B.B.C. – but failed. “Must have been ahead of out time”.
Meanwhile, Jimmy and Mickey were grinding away at the duets, were happy with the results, and wrote to the B.B.C. to see if they would be interested. They were and our doughty duo were summoned to Glasgow where Peter McLaren (pianist with ‘The Skyliners’) escorted them by tram out to Queen Margaret Drive where they met a Bill Meikle (yes, the same one as the J.B. composition) assistant for Scottish Overseas Broadcasts. “He was looking for something that we had to offer, so he left us in the studio, we played our pieces, one at either side of the single microphone and he came in and said ‘Thank you gentlemen, that’s just what I’m after, I’ll be in touch, we’ve got a broadcast lined up for you’”. This was to be just the first of many.
Herewith a clip from the ‘Dundee Courier’ in the early 1950s: “Early this morning and even earlier tomorrow thousands of exiled Scots will sit with their ears glued to short wave receivers listening to the latest weekly edition of ‘Scottish Magazine’. This week it goes out from the Dundee Studio and this morning it goes out at 6.30 on the General Overseas Service to the Eastern Hemisphere and tomorrow at 15 minutes past midnight is to be beamed to the Western Hemisphere.
It has a large audience who are enthusiastic over everything that comes from Scotland, especially music….Yesterday afternoon the programme was rehearsed at Coldside Studio and recorded to London …Michael Ainsworth (20) a painter, 39 High Street, Auchterarder and James Blue (21) farm worker, Rossie Farm, Dunning were making their first appearance before live mikes. They are accordionists and provided the interludes with tasteful duets…”
Some achievement for two ordinary working lads, the mind boggles at the area covered by the transmissions. Incidentally, Jimmy was actually working on the mill when he was interviewed by the ‘Courier’ reporter.
Things just snowballed from there with countless B.B.C. broadcasts, Children’s Hour, Mid-day Music Hall, and even Starlight Serenade guesting with Jack Lion and the Scottish Variety Orchestra.
Almost inevitably records followed, when they were put in touch with ‘Parlophone’ by Ian McLeish who was at that time (1953) recording with the Adam Rennie Quartet. The duo had to go to a church hall in Glasgow’s Albion Street, a military looking type listened to them, said, “That’s fine, I’ll take six sides of that, have you got enough material?” They didn’t, just sufficient for four, but they put them on and the remaining two a few weeks later. The following year George Martin, of Beatles fame, was the recording producer , same hall up the stair with only a green light and a telephone for company, the recording van being outside in the street.
At the four side session mentioned above there were no retakes and to quote Jimmy “We were so naive and so confident, we met Adam Rennie, Bobby Brown and Ian McLeish coming out after a session and we said, ‘We’ll be out in a wee while and join you for lunch!’”
But lots of things had been happening in parallel with the Mickey/Jimmy partnership. In 1950, Jimmy bought a brand new accordion, a ‘Casali’ 3 row, 48 bass instrument which cost £57 10/-. Again his determination came to the fore, he ‘worked like a Trojan’ on converting from two to three rows to such effect that in the autumn of that year playing ‘Cameron Highlanders’, ‘Fiddlers Joy’ and ‘The Mason’s Apron’, he became the first winner of ‘The Jimmy Shand Shield’ for Scottish country dance music at Bill Wilkie’s Perth Festival, a tremendous achievement and one which he was to repeat in 1952 with one change in the selection viz. ‘John McFadyen of Melfort’ as the march. Jimmy had a soft spot for pipe music, and fiddle music in the Scott Skinner vein as one would have jaloused from his various recordings over the years, and from the first class set he played in the button key section at this year’s Musselburgh Festival. What expression in that strathspey!
In both the work and band fields changes were also taking place about this time. Farmer Jimmy Neill sold up Rossie, J.B. switched from the threshing mill to become a tractorman driving the earlier models of petrol/paraffin and diesel Fergusons, but after a short time under the new management he shifted to Netherholm Farm, two miles S.W. of Forgandenny and got his paws on a brand new FE35 diesel. This was the machine he was driving when I first saw him in the flesh playing with the Powrie Band at the Rosemount Rooms in Montrose in 1956. In those halcyon days the bike the players had, (Jimmy had a Norton ES2) or the tractor he drove, was equally as important to us Scottish dance music fans as was his instrument or the music itself. The two went together.
And mentioning the Powrie Band, December 1952, was a red letter one for Jimmy, because during that month, not only did he join Ian’s Band (as Ian’s brother, Bill, had gone to do his National Service with the R.A.F.) but he also got engaged to Joan McNeill.
When our man agreed to join Ian Powrie, he also decided to disband his own quartet and while courting one Sunday evening he broke this news to Joan in the Washington Café and was certainly anything but the flavour of the month.
In 1954 he slipped in the popularity stakes once again because Joan and he were planning to get married during that year, but because Ian didn’t like the tone of the ‘Borsini’ that he was then playing, he got rid of it and bought a new Shand Morino which cost £208 10/-. So, the nuptials were postponed until April, 1955. Some folk do live dangerously!
The other members of the Powrie Band when Jimmy joined were Jack Ewen (second accordion), Gordon Clark (piano), Bert Smith (double bass) and Stan Peacock (drums). Life became really hectic with ‘long-haul’ dances which often meant “getting back at breakfast time …and “ca’in the neep chopper wi’ dinner suit and bow tie”.
Throughout the '50s the band became associated with the T.V. productions of ‘The Kilt is my Delight’ and the ‘White Heather Club’ and through the latter it forged a lasting bond with Andy Stewart. In fact, it was this link which dramatically changed the lifestyles of the band members.
At the end of 1960, Andy had an overwhelmingly successful hit with ‘The Scottish Soldier’ and became very hot property. In the theatre war that ensued, the Glasgow Empire was successful in getting his services for a 19 week season and Ian was equally successful in getting his band to give up their jobs and go full time for the duration of the show. Mind you, £30 a week was an attractive proposition after £8 10/-. The Empire was packed to the roof top for the summer season of 1961 and 1962 and Jimmy well remembers the colossal queues 4 deep.
The spin-off from the Glasgow shows was tremendous, seasons at the ‘Gaiety’ in Ayr, ‘Her Majesty’s Theatre’ in Aberdeen, ‘King’s Theatre’ Edinburgh, tours of Australia and New Zealand etc, etc. To catalogue these events would take a separate write-up.
One memorable season in Aberdeen was in 1964 during the ‘typhoid’ outbreak when tremendous hygiene and cleanliness were the order of the day, soap and towels everywhere, but Andy managed to keep them rolling in the aisles with morsels such as these :
Shop Assistant: “Yes, madam.”
Customer: “Are ye no’ goin’ tae wash yer hands?”
Shop Assistant: “Certainly” washes hands “Now madam, what would you like?”
Customer: “A gallon o’ paraffin please!”
or this
First Aberdeen man: “Did you know that this is the only town in the world with 400 typhoid cases at the one time?”
Second Aberdeen man: “No, why is that?”
First Aberdeen man: “Because it’s the only town in the world that could get 400 slices oot o’ one tin o’ corned beef!”
Toward the end of the 1966 Aberdeen season which followed hard on the heels of a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand (10,000 in Sydney Stadium), Ian announced that he was emigrating to the former continent in December of that year. This surprise announcement came as something of a bolt from the blue and Jimmy went straight home to tell Joan that evening instead of staying on in the ‘Granite City’. Joan thought things over and a couple of days later suggested, “Why not have a go yourself?” Why not, indeed? The proposition was put to Ian who wholeheartedly agreed, giving every help he could with equipment etc. In addition to Ian and Jimmy the band at the end of ’66 consisted of Mickey Ainsworth (second accordion), Pam Brough (piano), Dave Barclay (bass) and Arthur Easson (drums).
Mickey and Jimmy had to fulfill a 4 week tour in Canada with Andy Stewart in the spring of ’67, but while they were away Joan organised various theatre jobs for the summer season. Then on his return, Jimmy had to pick up a band "Easy if you’ve got work." There were various permutations from time to time, such as Jim Johnstone, Davie Stewart and Jimmy Cassidy on second accordion, Ronnie Kerr and Angus Fitchet on fiddle, Bobby Colgan and Dave Blyth on drums, Pam or Joan on piano and so on. One particular 20 week stint in Blackpool with Andy was so poorly patronised that as Jimmy said “two weeks in Blackpool and I was needin’ hame – no job satisfaction.”
Photo
Dave Barclay, Pam Brough, Jim Johnstone, Bobby Colgan & Jimmy Blue
The passing reference to Jim Johnstone brings us back to the J.B. accordions. By 1962 the Shand Morino was getting a bit clapped out so Jimmy purchased his only black box, a 3 row Excelsior (£180). This was followed by a small Morino which was all out of tune. The reeds were then all taken out and cleaned with an ink rubber and it became “The loudest box I’ve ever had”. Jim Johnstone was in the band at the time and he still says “That wee box used to sit and spit at me”!
A third Morino followed this vicious little animal and that in turn has been superseded by a Guerrini which has given Jimmy endless pleasure.
Just before the aforementioned Blackpool stint, the band was engaged in one of their most exciting and memorable undertakings – a full length feature film ‘Country Dance’ starring Peter O’Toole, Michael Craig and Susannah York. The group must surely be the only Scottish Dance Band to date to be involved in such a venture for the big screen. The film producers had been looking for a dance director and band and Bobby Watson and Jimmy Blue respectively were recommended by the late Jimmy Findlater of the London Branch of the R.S.C.D.S.
Photo
Sitting behind Peter O'Toole in the film "Country Dance" (1969)
The bandleader was contacted by producer, Robert Emma Ginna, through the longest telegram that Jimmy had ever seen, something like 37 pages! The film was being made by ‘Windward Films’ a subsidiary of M.G.M., Hollywood.
The music was first recorded in Shepperton Studios, the musical director being a John Addison who made the band feel so welcome and relaxed – a bit different to the B.B.C.
The recording session went like clockwork with full co-operation at every stage between J.A. and J.B. Then it was by air to Dublin Airport for the shooting of the sequences in Ireland, and then the excellent organisation began to show. A van for the gear, a mini-bus for the band, a car for Jimmy and a representative of the film company to meet them. “Made me feel important.” Then a choice of where to stay, in Dublin or a nice country pub – they plumped for the latter.
Three glorious weeks they had shooting on location at a big country house in County Wicklow from early morning till night and once through the night, but there was no hassle and the association with the stars was enjoyable. Peter Reeves, an English actor who stood in with the button key in the front kept up contact with Jimmy for years afterwards.
The actual band, Jimmy, Davie Stewart, Ronnie Kerr, Dave Barclay, Pam Brough and Arthur Easson, just mimed to their own sound track as the dancers took the floor. An unforgettable experience for all.
Joan and Jimmy were at the film premiere in Edinburgh when they discovered that one of Jimmy’s own compositions ‘The Bonnie Lass o’ Scotland’ which had originally just been included in one of the band waltz sets had been extracted by M.D. John Addison and fully orchestrated as the theme tune. What a compliment.
Incidentally, Jimmy penned no end of tunes for Andy Stewart’s songs and although not a prolific composer, has produced some first class dance tunes, among them – ‘Bill Meikle’ (reel), ‘Balintore Fisherman’ and ‘Angus Howie’ (polkas), ‘Braes of Auchterarder’ and ‘Broomhill’ (strathspeys), ‘Andy Cowan Martin B.B.C.’ and ‘Gask Wood’ (hornpipes), ‘Big Geordie’s Wee Still’ and ‘Ian Powrie’s Farewell to Scotland’ (2/4 marches).
‘Broomhill’ is a farm near Forteviot, about 3 miles from Dunning. The tune, always a favourite of mine, was in large part responsible for Jimmy’s introduction to Ian Powrie. Ian received a copy from the father of the aforementioned fiddle playing Malcolm Harcus. The Harcus family knew the Powries well because Malcolm’s dad was shepherd on Dupplin Estate which marches with Bankhead Farm where Ian and his dad worked. Ian liked the tune, played it at dances and in broadcasts and things just went from there.
Jimmy’s band remained full time until 1977. It had a very clean, sharp, tight sound, made several L.P.s did broadcasts and in the early 70s literally dozens of the very popular ‘Scotch Corner’ programmes for television with Andy Stewart. In stark contrast to the laid back atmosphere during the shooting of ‘Country Dance’ the ‘Scotch Corner’ exercise sometimes entailed doing a batch of 4 at a time. Returning home after one such occasion which had kept the band hard at it for 4 days non-stop they came across an army convoy with soldiers jumping in and out and Ronnie Kerr said “Good Heavens (or words to that effect), do you think war has broken out?”
Ronnie, who worked for the ‘Dundee Courier’ at that time (and still does) eventually had to pull out of the band when the demise of his grannies (about a dozen) was beginning to wear a bit thin!
The summer shows with Andy not only included speciality acts but involved members of the band in bit parts with costumes etc. Some of the speciality acts were of the highest calibre, one such being a dynamo of a Negro dancer, Larry Gainer, who when he had finished his superb energetic display, wiped his face with his semmit.
Jimmy had a tremendous sense of humour and the stories he could tell are legion. He was helped a lot in this respect by his excellent personal relationship with Andy Stewart, off stage.
1977, and things were getting pretty hectic…”I was getting a wee bit fed up of climbing on and off aeroplanes and travelling about all over the place.” Once again, as in 1966, Joan came to the rescue with a sound, down to earth (in more ways than one) suggestion. “They’re needing a gardener at Kilgarston, why don’t you pack it in?” Jimmy wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that yet, so he carried through a ten week solo stint at ‘Piper’s’ Restaurant in Edinburgh’s Lothian Road, and then made a start at Kilgarston as assistant gardener.
Because he had become accustomed, over that past few years to being in control, this situation wasn’t exactly to his taste so he duly made an approach and was put in charge. This gave him the freedom to take on one further season (30 weeks) at ‘Piper’s’ and with Joan’s help, he made the successful transition back to full time work on the land, a very happy state of affairs because gardening is his other great hobby, hence the Angus Fitchet composition ‘Jimmy’s Aye Diggin’. The garden at 22 Kinnaird Road, Forgandenny and at Kilgarston are testimony to his dedication and ‘green fingers’.
In the late 50s he was exhibiting at Flower Shows with some success and in 1959 he and another local chap, a professional gardener, revived the Forgandanny Show. They re-organised the schedule which had previously been very amateurish. To quote Joan – “He was entering shows by this time and used to come home from a dance about 4.30 a.m. and before bed would put ox-blood on his onions. The night before a Flower Show you wouldn’t believe it – even if he was playing he would dig everything up and any carrots or parsnips that weren’t perfect were chucked in that field. Had to get 3 matching, everything oiled and laid on black velvet. And I’m away across the fields trying to get all the rest back to keep me going during the winter!”
Talking of onions, we saw some ‘Kelsays’ (probably mis-spelt) at the ‘Provost’s’ residence the other week, as big as turnips. Jimmy’s knowledge on matters horticultural and agricultural is almost encyclopaedic and his memory for places and names is quite astonishing, and although he is very forthright and outspoken at times he is unbelievably modest and self-effacing when it comes to his musical abilities and very generous in his praise of fellow musicians. He is, of course, a very experienced adjudicator of traditional accordion at competitive festivals but less well known is the fact that he also judges at Horticultural Shows.
Photo
Ian Holmes, Dave Barclay, Jimmy Blue, Bobby Crowe, Angus Fitchet & Jack Cooper at Angus's 80th Birthday Party.
Understandably perhaps when he gave up the full time band work in 1977, he took a kind of scunner at the music and temporarily lost interest until one evening a friend, Willie Simpson, the well known fiddle player/farmer from Chapelhill, asked Jimmy to help him out at a dance. He enjoyed the tune and happily this simple wee session rekindled his enthusiasm and he has never looked back.
And of course, the musical and personal reunion with Ian Powrie since his return from Australia and the very active Chairmanship of the N.A.A.F.C. are well known to all.
Two daughters, four grandchildren, Joan the perfect team-mate, his music, his gardens, his Kubota tractor (with hydrostatic transmission, mark you!) the perfect blend, what more could a chap ask?
The ‘Provost of Forgandenny’ has certainly made his indelible mark on Scottish music.
Footnote
Recorded ‘O’Kane’s March’ didn’t know origin so put ‘traditional’. With Andy Stewart in Dublin and playing same tune and bloke comes up and thanks him for recording it. “Who are you” says Jimmy. “I’m O’Kane and I wrote it!”
Norman Y. Williams
Sadly Jimmy Blue died suddenly after a very short illness on 7th December, 1999. Forgandenny Village Church was packed for the funeral service, which was relayed to a further 200 standing outside in the pouring rain. Robbie Shepherd, from BBC Scotland, read the following poem written by Andy Stewart for Jimmy some years ago and it is indeed a fitting tribute to this great man. CT
FOR JIMMY BLUE FROM ANDY, WITH AFFECTION
We hae been tae lots o’ places, Jimmy Blue
Aye and seen a wheen o’ faces, Jimmy Blue
But the thocht was in oor mind
O’ the loved anes left behind
And that kept us leal and true, Jimmy Blue
Aye, we’ve seen the warld thegither, Jimmy Blue
Tours that seemed tae last FOREVER, Jimmy Blue
Near and far I can recall
But I couldn’t name them all
Though we missed oot Timbuctoo (this is true) Jimmy Blue
And we made a song or two, Jimmy Blue
Though the credit goes to you! Jimmy Blue
For though fancy words one quotes
What’s a song without the notes?
And what notes ye brawly wrote, Jimmy Blue
Noo when the time cams roon, Jimmy Blue
Tae gang upwards (never doon) Jimmy Blue
I’ll meet you at Heaven’s Gate, and I hope it’s lang I’ll wait
For your company – I do, Jimmy Blue
I can see us baith thegether, Jimmy Blue
Lying ‘mang celestial heather, Jimmy Blue
You will play, I’ll sing a psalm
Syne we’ll hae a Heavenly dram
We ne’er were angels through and through, Jimmy Blue
But until that time I’ll pray, Jimmy Blue
That is unco far away, Jimmy Blue
Have a day that aye shall rate an’
Be accorded syne as “great” an’
May I add congratulations! Jimmy Blue
You deserve congratulations, Jimmy Blue
And the blessin’s o’ this nation, Jimmy Blue
For through a’ the years that’s gone
You kept her music moving on
And her thanks she owes tae you, Jimmy Blue
I wish I could be there, Jimmy Blue
And your magic moments share, Jimmy Blue
But tho’ miles awa’ I be
My hairt this day’s wi’ thee
And I bless you – yes I do, Jimmy Blue
With love and affection – fraternally
Andy Stewart
Record Review
by Norrie Williams
Nightowls – The Craigowl SDB – Donside Records CRD017
From Orkney – Albert Linklater SDB – Attic Records AT024
Book Review
The Lorne Collection – comps by Charlie & Alastair Hunter – Deeay Music
Letters to the Editor
Sir – In January, 1989, I attended my first ever ‘Box and fiddle’ at the inaugural meeting of the Ettrick & Yarrow Club when the guests were Bill Black and his S.D.B.
As a former player but whose instrument had been under wraps for well nigh 20 years, my interest in playing was re-kindled and I have become a regular attender and player, at local and other Clubs.
To date, I have been given the opportunity of playing at all clubs irrespective of the number of musicians.
I traveled to the September meeting of the Newtongrange Club where my name was included in the players list. Some two and a half hours later, towards 10.30 p.m. I was informed by the M.C. that there was insufficient time for myself and some others to have a tune.
I consider that the organisers of the Club which has existed for 14 years ought to have readily forseen the developing situation and adjusted the programme to allow all the players one set of tunes.
I am presently unaware if this was a one-off situation or if it is a usual feature of Newtongrange Club, but if the latter, they are certainly not operating in the spirit of the N.A.A.FcC.
I will not be disillusioned by this incident, but as far as Newtongrange Club is concerned, I will not be back.
James C. Paterson
Sir – I was most interested to see the current edition of the ‘B&F’, in which there appears a review of the recently released tapes of our original Glendaruel Scottish Dance Band.
Could I ask you to convey our thanks to your reviewer for the very kind and complimentary remarks that he made about our playing. It is most gratifying to find that the Sounds of Yesteryear are still of interest and still have a contribution to make.
It was also of great interest to me to hear up-to-date news of some of my old friends in the business.
Tony Reid
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Dee Motel) –
Alnwick (Golden Fleece) – members only
Arbroath ( ) - 4th Nov 90 Neil MacEachern
Armadale (Masonic Arms Hotel) –
Ayr (Gartferry Hotel) –
Balloch (St Kessog’s Hall) – 18th Nov 90 George Stirrat
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) –
Banff & District (Knowes Hotel, Macduff) – 28th Nov 90 Simon Howie SDB
Beith & District (Hotel de Croft, Dalry) – 19th Nov 90 Tom Clark SDB
Belford (Community Club) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 13th Nov 90 Michael Philip SDB
Bridge of Allan (Walmer Hotel) -
Buchan (Buchaness Hotel) –
Button Key (Windygates Institute) –
Callander (Glengarry Hotel) –
Campbeltown (Royal Hotel) –
Castle Douglas (Ernespie Hotel) – 20th Nov 90 Clansmen
Coalburn (Miners Welfare) - 15th Nov 90 Dunoon & Cowal Club
Crieff & District (Drummond Arms Hotel)
Dalriada (Royal Hotel, Lochgilphead) –
Derwentside (Working Men’s Club, Consett) –
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 7th Nov 90 James Coutts
24th Nov 90 Dance to Ian Thomson SDB
Dunblane (Westlands Hotel) –
Dundee (The Marquee) –
Dunfermline (Northern Roadhouse) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
East Kilbride (King’s Park Hotel, Rutherglen) –
Ellon (Ladbroke Hotel) –
Etterick & Yarrow (Gordon Arms) -
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 25th Nov 90 Craigowl SDB
Forres (Brig Motel) – Nov 90 Jennifer Forrest SDB
Fort William (Alexandra Hotel) –
Galashiels (Maxwell Hotel) –
Galston (Theo’s Restaurant, Galston) –
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel – Wooler) –
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) – 19th Nov 90 Alastair MacPhail
Isle of Skye -
Islesteps (Driveway Inn) – 6th Nov 90 Bruce Lindsay Trio
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) –
Kinlochshiel (Tingle Creek Hotel) -
Kintore (Crown Hotel) –
Langholm (Crown Hotel) –
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 8th Nov 90 Craig McCallum SDB
Livingston (Golden Circle Hotel, Bathgate) 20th Nov 90 Windygates Club
Lockerbie (Bluebell Hotel) -
Mauchline (The Jean Armour Restaurant) 20th Nov 90 Hamish Smith Trio
M.A.F.I.A. (Masonic Hall, Milngavie) –
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North Cumbria (Golden Fleece, Ruleholme) (prev called Gretna Club) –
North East (Seafield Hotel, Keith) –
Oban (Highlander Restaurant) – 1st Nov 90 Deirdre Adamson
Orkney ( venue?) –
Ormiston (Miners’ Welfare Social Club) –
Peebles (Greentree Hotel) –
Perth (Station Hotel) –
Premier NI (Camlin function Rooms) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloom) – 13th Nov 90 Karen Higgins SDB
Rothbury (Jubilee Hall) - 1st Nov 90 Billy McGuire
Shetland (venue?) -
Thornhill (?)
Thurso (McKay’s Hotel) – 5th Nov 90 Gordon Pattullo
Turriff (Royal Oak Hotel) –
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
Wick (McKay’s Hotel) –
Wooler ( ) - Nov 90 Marian Anderson SDB
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Arbroath
2. Banchory
3. Banff
4. Beith
5. Biggar
6. Blairgowrie
7. Coalburn
8. East Kilbride
9. Ettrick & Yarrow
10. Forres
11. Gretna
12. Kintore
13. Lesmahagow
14. Livingston
15. Mauchline
16. Montrose
17. Newtongrange
18. North Cumbria
19. North East
20. Ormiston
21. Peebles
22. Thurso
23. Tynedale
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT SEPT 1989 (Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975)
2. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
3. Alnwick A&F Club (Sept 1976)
4. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months)
5. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974)
11. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
12. Button Key A&F Club (
13. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980)
14. Coalburn A&F Club
15. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
16. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
17. Derwentside A&F Club
18. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
19. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971)
20. Dundee & District A&F Club
21. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
22. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
23. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
24. Ellon A&F Club (
25. Etterick & Yarrow (Jan 1989 -
26. Fintry A&F Club
27. Forfar A&F Club
28. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
29. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
30. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
31. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
32. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
33. Highland A&F Club (Inverness)
34. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981)
35. Isle of Skye A&F Club (
36. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976)
37. Kintore A&F Club
38. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967)
39. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
40. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – per first edition)
41. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973)
42. M.A.F.I.A. (early)
43. Mauchline A&F Club (first mention 1986?)
44. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
45. Mull A&F Club
46. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1979)
47. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
48. North Cumbria A&F Club (originally Gretna started June 1966 – had to move to a venue in the North of England and changed name – eventually changed back when they returned to the Halcrow Stadium. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
49. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971)
50. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975)
51. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978)
52. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club
53. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981)
54. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970)
55. Premier A&F Club NI (cNov 1980)
56. Rothbury Accordion Club (1987??)
57. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978)
58. Sutherland A&F Club (
59. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition)
60. Thurso A&F Club (cSept 1981)
61. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982)
62. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980)
63. Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
64. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition)
65. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
66. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
67. Buchan A&F Club
68. Callander A&F Club (
69. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
70. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
71. Club Accord
72. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2?)
73. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
74. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
75. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
76. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
77. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
78. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
79. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
80. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
81. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
82. Gretna A&F Club (June 1966)
83. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
84. Kinlochsheil A&F Club (
85. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
86. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
87. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
88. Newcastleton Accordion Club
89. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
90. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
91. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
92. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
93. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
94. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
95. Wellbank A&F Club
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