There were no meetings at Biggar in September and October 2016

Year 40 No 05 January 2017
November 2016 saw our first meeting of the new season, with everyone assembled at the Biggar Bowling Club, in anticipation of a great afternoon’s entertainment. Our guests were the Duncan Hutchison SDB from Moffat but first we enjoyed a wealth of local talent. On accordions were Davy Millar, Fin Hope, Harry Tolson, Charlie Todd, Rose Cursiter, Ellie Arnold (Moniaive), Adam Gibb, Kyle Rowan, India Smith, Gordon, Inver & Clelland Shand (Dunfermline), Emma Dickson, Andrew Wight, Fiona Paul, Janet Graham, Sheena Dickson and David Kennedy. On fiddle were Gilbert Logan. Jane Seivwright (from Huntly) and Tom Gold. On keyboard Fiona Paul, Molly Tolson, Alan Gardiner, Keith Dickson, Emma Dickson, and Stevie Todd and on drums Tom Hope, Ross Anderson, Charlie Todd and Andrew Gibb. Well done to Alan Gardiner and Joan Gold in organising the stage performances for this marvellous support.
Accompanying Duncan Hutchison as guests were Jamie Young (second accordion), Tom Gold (fiddle), Jim Gold (keyboard) and Andrew Gibb (drums). These local lads provided a well rehearsed, nicely balanced programme of Scottish Dance music which suited the audience to a T. Tom Gold’s fiddle solo made a nice contrast and was well received.
Thanks to the Biggar Bowling Club for hosting us, the KODA mums for the excellent buffet at half time and all the supporting players and audience for making it an excellent afternoon.
Next months sees local artistes taking centre stage in a ‘Club Afternoon’ but with the welcome support of talented Moffat vocalist, Burns enthusiast and Country Dance Instructor William Williamson. Again we look forward to seeing everyone at the BBC at 2pm on Sunday, 11th December for an afternoon of traditional entertainment.  
 
Year 40 No 06 February 2017
Biggar Club rounded off the year at its December meeting with a ‘Club Afternoon’ highlighting the local players but with a little bit of ‘professional’ input. Supporting players turned out in force to make it an afternoon to remember. On accordions we had Fin and Jamie Hope, Davy Millar, Ian Ramsay, Ann Wall, Andrew Gibb, Harry Tolson, Amy May Smith and grandfather John Gray, Jim Gold, India Smith, Charlie Todd, Ian Graham, Rose Cursiter, Sheena Dickson and Fiona Paul. On fiddle were Gilbert Logan, Emma Gardiner and Tom Gold. On keyboard Alan Gardiner, Keith Dickson, Molly Tolson, Evie Glen, Rosie Bowman Jim Gold and Fiona Paul. Drums were in the capable hands of Andrew Barrie, Tom and Fin Hope and Ian Graham. Willie Little played the penny whistle and Shelley Clark sang us a couple of songs. 
We had a great diversity of music including a piano duet from Evie Glen and Rosie Bowman. Emma Gardiner did an all-too-rare solo and proved what an excellent fiddler she is. Our guests this month was well-known Dumfries-shire singer, raconteur, Burns enthusiast and Scottish Country Dance teacher and general all-rounder William Williamson. Several of the Cub’s ‘auld hauns’ (Alan, Keith, Charlie and Andrew Barrie) have known William for many years so it was a case of reliving the days when traditional Scottish entertainment was a bit more widespread than it is these days. William, backed by Alan, Keith and Andrew, gave a good account of himself and kept the audience well entertained with a variety old Scottish favourites. Thanks to William and wife Linda for making the journey up from Amisfield.
Thanks also to the Biggar Bowling Club, Sheena Dickson and the KODA mums for an excellent tea at half time and Alan Gardiner and Joan gold for steering us successfully through another afternoon.
Our next meeting in on Sunday, 8th January 2017 at 2pm in the Biggar Bowling Club with guest artistes John Somerville (accordion) and Hamish Napier (fiddle).  
 
Year 40 No 07 March 2017
Our January meeting on Sunday 8th saw a large turnout assemble to hear some excellent entertainment. Local accordionists were Joe Finkelstein, Alan Gardiner, Jim Gold, Janet Graham, Fin Hope, David Kennedy, Davy Millar, Fiona Paul, Kyle Rowan, Anna Scott, Allan Smith, Brian Smith, India Smith, Charlie Todd, Ann Wall and Angus Webster. Additionally, we welcomed the following accordionists from the Scots Music Group in Edinburgh - Ally Carmichael, Angus Creech, Sheena Dickson, Pat Drewitt, Rachel Frith, Liz Hall, Billy Higgins, Ed Murray, Ian Ramsay and Bill Wallace.
Our only fiddler was Tom Gold and on piano were Keith Dickson, Alan Gardiner, Fiona Paul, Alan Rowan and Stevie Todd. Drummers were Ross Anderson, Andrew Gibb, Tom Hope and Charlie Todd. Shelley Clark sang us a couple of songs and four-year-old Emily Gold told us a wee story.
Our guests for the afternoon were John Somerville (accordion) and Hamish Napier (piano). John, originally from Abriachan on the north shore of Loch Ness, and Hamish, originally from Speyside, entertained our attentive audience with a wide variety of tunes played in a contemporary folk music style, including several of their own compositions - later kindly donating copies of the sheet music to the local musicians! The duo clearly explained the background to the tunes and Hamish provided even more variety by singing a couple of traditional songs and playing the strathspey “The Sweetness of Mary" on wooden flute.
Thanks again to the Biggar Bowling Club for hosting us, the KODA mums for the                    excellent half-time buffet and to Alan Gardiner and Joan Gold for making the whole afternoon run like a well-oiled machine. Our next meeting is on Sunday 12th  February when we have Shetland fiddler Jenna Reid and guitarist Kevin Mackenzie joining us - 2.00pm at the Bowling Club. See you there.
 
Year 40 No 08 April 2017
The Club met on Sunday, 12th February, a rather chilly afternoon, to be entertained by the usual mixture of local and ‘professional’ talent. Player numbers were down since it was ‘mid-term’ holiday for the schools and many of our regular youngsters parents had taken the chance to get away for a short break. But that still left us with a more than adequate attendance.
On accordions we had Angus Lyon, John Weaks, Neil McMillan, Rose Cursiter, Allan Smith, Emma Dickson, Davie Millar, Sheena Dickson, Ronnie Easton, Alan Gardiner and Charlie Todd. Unsurprisingly we  had a better-than-usual turnout of fiddlers with June Meikle, Tom Gold, Hannah Dickson, Finlay Close and a first-time club attender, but very proficient player, June Nelson from Edinburgh. On keyboard were Stevie Todd, Keith Dickson, Neil McMillan and Emma Dickson and on drums Tom Hope, Andrew Barrie and Charlie Todd. Willie Little, from Dumfries, gave us a couple of selections on the tin whistle.
Our guests for the afternoon were fiddler Jenna Reid and accompanying guitarist Kevin MacKenzie. Jenna, a well known member of Blazing Fiddles, gave us two excellent sessions which showed her absolute mastery of the instrument, enhanced by her explanations of the tunes and the composers. Guitar backing is new to us, but Kevin provided a sympathetic and pleasing backing throughout. Jenna explained at the start that this was her first appearance at an Accordion and Fiddle Club since her days as a learner in her native Shetland. We certainly hope it won’t be her last.
Thanks to the Biggar Bowling Club, the KODA mums for the excellent buffet and to Alan Gardiner and Joan Gold (Wallace and Gromit) for running the afternoon so smoothly.
Next month sees two of our up-and-coming young stars of accordion and keyboard appearing at the BBC on Sunday, 12th March at 2pm. We look forward to seeing you there.      
 
Year 40 No 09 May 2017
It was the turn of two very talented youngsters, Kyle and Alan Rowan, to entertain us as guests at our March meeting on Sunday, 12th at Biggar Bowling Club. But first we had a wealth of local talent in the form of accordionists Rose Cursiter, Sheena Dickson, Alan Gardiner, Alec Graham, Jim Gold, Fin Hope, Jake Johnstone (with sister Jenna on guitar), Davy Millar, Newby Park, Fiona Paul, Anna Scott, Allan Smith, India Smith, Charlie Todd, Harry Tolson, Ann Wall, John Weaks, and visiting us all the way from Leeds Aileen Buchanan. On fiddle were Tom Gold and Gilbert Logan. Pianists were Keith Dickson, Alan Gardiner, Jim Gold, Fiona Paul, Stevie Todd and Molly Tolson and on drums were Ross Anderson, Tom Hope and Charlie Todd. We were delighted to welcome John Caskie from Locharbriggs who entertained us with a couple of songs and Molly Tolson also treated us to some Burns poetry.  
Our two young guests Kyle (15) and Alan (16) on accordion and piano are from Edinburgh and both pupils of Keith Dickson. Fresh from winning 9 trophies at the recent NAAFC Festival, Kyle ably demonstrated his prowess on the box, while brother Alan provided sympathetic accompaniment on the piano. Like his Dad, (PM Gordon Rowan) Kyle also plays the pipes, and although he didn’t perform any of this programme on bagpipes it probably helps to explain the total absence of sheet music on stage. Kyle even attempted to introduce his Gaelic waltzes in their original titles – well done. The boys played an excellent variety of music, including an interesting Finnish number called ‘Liikkuu’ and a fine rendition of Henry Mancini’s classic ‘Moon River’ - worthy guests for any Club.
Our thanks, as always, to the Biggar Bowling Club, the KODA mums for the excellent half-time buffet and Alan Gardiner and Joan Gold for running things so smoothly.
Our last meeting of the season is on Sunday, 9th April when the Hector MacFadyen SDB from Oban make the journey down to entertain us. We look forward to seeing you.   

Year 40 No 10 June 2017
Our final meeting of the 2016/17 season took place on Sunday, 9th April 2017 in front of a packed hall at Biggar Bowling Club. Supporting artistes on accordion included Jim Gold, David Millar, Kyle Rowan, Fiona Paul, Fin Hope, Ann Wall, India Smith, Matthew MacLennan and Sheena Dickson.
Emma Gardiner, Gilbert Logan, Tom Gold and Finlay Close entertained on fiddle with Fiona Paul, Alan Gardiner, Jim Gold, Alan Rowan, Keith Dickson, Evie Glen and Rosie Bowman on keyboard. Tom Hope and Andrew Barrie played drums and Willie Little entertained on whistle. The Scots Music Group also entertained (Sheena Dickson, Pat Drewitt, Liz Hall, Elspeth Porter, Ian Ramsay and Bill Wallace).
Our guesrs were the Hector McFadyen SDB all the way from Oban comprising Hector on lead accordion, Craig McFadyen on second accordion, Matthew MacLennan on keyboard and Kevin McGlynn on drums. The audience were treated to some great entertainment and thoroughly enjoyed both the music and the band’s camaradie.
Our Club kicks off the 2017/18 season on Sunday 12th November, 2.00pm at Biggar Bowling Club with Angus Lyon and Lauren McColl as our guesr artistes. Hope to see you there.