Willie Wilson of Beith
Obituary
I first met Williw Wilson when I was playing with the Powrie Band at a Farmers’ Dance in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, and even then, as a young man of 19, he impressed me with his helpfulness and his interest in Scottish music.
Willie was born on 28th April, 1934, and at the age of 4 started memorizing car numbers as a hobby – this was something he kept up, and he could reel out various people’s car numbers even up to 50 years back.
At 7, he wanted to play the accordion but his parents could not afford one. However, as his grandfather played the violin. Willie took up this instrument, and soon became very proficient, passing the various grade examinations, and playing at concerts in his teens. Willie was also a Sunday School and Bible Class teacher, and enjoyed taking the Sunday School for their trips with his beautifully decorated horse and box cart.
When Willie was 15 his mother died, and he had to give up, his dreams of being either a minister or a musician, and take over the farm. Willie’s first tractor was a second-hand Farmall International which he bought at Lockerbie. No trucks or transporters in those days! Willie drove it from Lockerbie to Dalry at 10 miles per hour! It took two days and he was frozen to the marrow!
Willie joined the Beith and District Young Farmers’ Club, and also became a member of the Vintage Tractor Club – another interest which he sustained throughout the years. When the Accordion and Fiddle Club movement began, Willie was tremendously enthusiastic. As well as founding the Beith Club, he took a great interest in the welfare of other Clubs, and in fact, he and his wife Elma, set out to visit every Club in the Association.
In the early days, distance was no object to Willie. He would drive from Dalry to Keith, Banffshire, for an A.G.M., and many guest artistes who were asked to appear at Beith Club, on asking directions, were told that Willie would meet them North, South, East or West of Glasgow, or at any appointed place, and would guide them there.
When Alex Little became Musselburgh Festival organiser, he invited Willie Wilson to join his Committee, and although there have been various changes in the personnel, Willie was still on the Committee and as enthusiastic as ever in 1991, the only original member. Willie was genuinely interested in the music od Scotland, and was on the team who started the Ayrshire Scottish Music Association, of which he became Chairman.
I am so pleased that I was invited to join the Executive Committee of the N.A.A.F.C. because it gave me the opportunity to get to know Willie and to appreciate his many gifts. Willie was always first to arrive at Committee meetings, and nothing was ever any trouble to him. If we needed raffle tickets, retiral gifts, wreaths, flowers, we turned to Willie – if he didn’t know someone who could supply the necessary, he always ‘knew a man who did’ – and always at a special discount for Willie!
Elma and Willie constituted the link between the N.A.A.F.C. and Frank Martin, the photographer who did the special technique transferring his photographs ro canvas and producing the magnificent portraits with which a few, myself included, were honoured by the Association. Willie got the greatest delight in arranging the photographic sessions, helping ‘the victim’ in every way possible – and none of us who were involved will ever forget his pride and pleasure when we were given the private viewing of the finished portrait.
Willie Wilson was a lovely man – a quiet, warm man who, when asked for an opinion, always had one to give, carefully thought out and logically explained. The love and respect in which he was held in all the varied aspects of his life was shown by the large number of people who attended his funeral in Dalry, and by the depth of emotion evident on that sad occasion.
Jimmy Blue
Born at Buckreddon, Kilwinning, brought up and stayed at Todhill Farm, Dalry, Ayrshire, Willie Wilson was a very respected gentleman in all the circles he was associated with.
I first met Willie when he was a ‘Roadie’ for Jim Gilbert’s Band in 1957 and our friendship developed over the years becoming stronger when Beith Accordion Club was formed in 1972, the Committee being then Willie and Elma Wilson and Margaret and Tommy Irvine. Scottish Dance music was in his blood from a very early age and in his young days Willie played the fiddle at local concerts. His favourite bands at the time were Adam Rennie, Jimmy Shand, Ian Powrie, Jim Cameron and Jimmy Blue, when he took over the Powrie Band. Although music was one of his main interests Willie and I had several things in common and many a good yarn him and I had over the years. Always willing to help, advise, assist, he was a worthy friend to many. I could write many lines about Willie – it was great to know him – he was a gentleman.
David Ross, Kilmarnock
Obituary
I first met Williw Wilson when I was playing with the Powrie Band at a Farmers’ Dance in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, and even then, as a young man of 19, he impressed me with his helpfulness and his interest in Scottish music.
Willie was born on 28th April, 1934, and at the age of 4 started memorizing car numbers as a hobby – this was something he kept up, and he could reel out various people’s car numbers even up to 50 years back.
At 7, he wanted to play the accordion but his parents could not afford one. However, as his grandfather played the violin. Willie took up this instrument, and soon became very proficient, passing the various grade examinations, and playing at concerts in his teens. Willie was also a Sunday School and Bible Class teacher, and enjoyed taking the Sunday School for their trips with his beautifully decorated horse and box cart.
When Willie was 15 his mother died, and he had to give up, his dreams of being either a minister or a musician, and take over the farm. Willie’s first tractor was a second-hand Farmall International which he bought at Lockerbie. No trucks or transporters in those days! Willie drove it from Lockerbie to Dalry at 10 miles per hour! It took two days and he was frozen to the marrow!
Willie joined the Beith and District Young Farmers’ Club, and also became a member of the Vintage Tractor Club – another interest which he sustained throughout the years. When the Accordion and Fiddle Club movement began, Willie was tremendously enthusiastic. As well as founding the Beith Club, he took a great interest in the welfare of other Clubs, and in fact, he and his wife Elma, set out to visit every Club in the Association.
In the early days, distance was no object to Willie. He would drive from Dalry to Keith, Banffshire, for an A.G.M., and many guest artistes who were asked to appear at Beith Club, on asking directions, were told that Willie would meet them North, South, East or West of Glasgow, or at any appointed place, and would guide them there.
When Alex Little became Musselburgh Festival organiser, he invited Willie Wilson to join his Committee, and although there have been various changes in the personnel, Willie was still on the Committee and as enthusiastic as ever in 1991, the only original member. Willie was genuinely interested in the music od Scotland, and was on the team who started the Ayrshire Scottish Music Association, of which he became Chairman.
I am so pleased that I was invited to join the Executive Committee of the N.A.A.F.C. because it gave me the opportunity to get to know Willie and to appreciate his many gifts. Willie was always first to arrive at Committee meetings, and nothing was ever any trouble to him. If we needed raffle tickets, retiral gifts, wreaths, flowers, we turned to Willie – if he didn’t know someone who could supply the necessary, he always ‘knew a man who did’ – and always at a special discount for Willie!
Elma and Willie constituted the link between the N.A.A.F.C. and Frank Martin, the photographer who did the special technique transferring his photographs ro canvas and producing the magnificent portraits with which a few, myself included, were honoured by the Association. Willie got the greatest delight in arranging the photographic sessions, helping ‘the victim’ in every way possible – and none of us who were involved will ever forget his pride and pleasure when we were given the private viewing of the finished portrait.
Willie Wilson was a lovely man – a quiet, warm man who, when asked for an opinion, always had one to give, carefully thought out and logically explained. The love and respect in which he was held in all the varied aspects of his life was shown by the large number of people who attended his funeral in Dalry, and by the depth of emotion evident on that sad occasion.
Jimmy Blue
Born at Buckreddon, Kilwinning, brought up and stayed at Todhill Farm, Dalry, Ayrshire, Willie Wilson was a very respected gentleman in all the circles he was associated with.
I first met Willie when he was a ‘Roadie’ for Jim Gilbert’s Band in 1957 and our friendship developed over the years becoming stronger when Beith Accordion Club was formed in 1972, the Committee being then Willie and Elma Wilson and Margaret and Tommy Irvine. Scottish Dance music was in his blood from a very early age and in his young days Willie played the fiddle at local concerts. His favourite bands at the time were Adam Rennie, Jimmy Shand, Ian Powrie, Jim Cameron and Jimmy Blue, when he took over the Powrie Band. Although music was one of his main interests Willie and I had several things in common and many a good yarn him and I had over the years. Always willing to help, advise, assist, he was a worthy friend to many. I could write many lines about Willie – it was great to know him – he was a gentleman.
David Ross, Kilmarnock