Box and Fiddle Archive
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    • A - B Articles >
      • Mickie Ainsworth
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        • 1998 - 40 Years in Showbiz
        • Oct 2008 - 50th Anniversary
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        • 2009 Guest of honour
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        • Nov 2013 Jack's Obituary
      • Paul Anderson of Tarland
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      • Bill Black >
        • 2006
        • March 1983
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      • Jimmy Blue >
        • Oct / Nov 1990
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      • Joan Blue (1987) >
        • Joan Blue (2016)
      • David Bowen
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        • Oct 1982
        • Feb 1982
        • Mar 2014
      • Bill Brown (CD Reviewer)
      • Bobby Brown (Adam Rennie Quartet)
      • Bobby Brown (Canada) >
        • March 1982
        • April 1997
        • January 2007
        • May 2011
      • Felix Burns
    • A - B Obituaries >
      • Bobby Abbott (2016)
      • Mickie Ainsworth (2012)
      • Tom Alexander MBE (2020)
      • Ian Anderson (Forres) 2004
      • John Anderson (2005)
      • Will Atkinson (2003)
      • Dave Barclay (2010)
      • JIm Barrie (2016)
      • Bill Black (2016)
      • Jim Berry (2012)
      • Jimmy Blue (1999)
      • Bill Brian (2011)
      • Jim Brown (1998)
    • C - D Articles >
      • Stuart Cameron
      • John Carmichael
      • Rab Carruthers
      • Iain Cathcart
      • Bobby Coghill
      • Bobby Colgan
      • Jack Cooper
      • Charlie Cowie
      • Jim Crawford
      • John Crawford
      • Bobby Crowe
      • David Cunningham Snr
      • George Darling
      • Jack Delaney
      • Keith Dickson
      • Roger Dobson
      • Blair Douglas >
        • Run Rig Dance Band
      • John Douglas
    • C - D Obituaries >
      • Angus Cameron (1998)
      • Colin Campbell (2015)
      • Duncan Campbell (2011)
      • Tom Clark (2020)
      • Ronnie Coburn (2010)
      • Bobby Colgan (2020)
      • Terry Connor (2000)
      • Ronnie Cooper (1982)
      • Alan ' Barney' Coulson (2020)
      • Charlie Cowie (1995)
      • Ernie Cowie (2009)
      • Billy Craib (2019)
      • Jim Crawford (2007)
      • John Crawford (2020)
      • Ian Crichton (1934 - 99)
      • Bobby Cronie (1998)
      • Roger Crook (1942 - 2013)
      • Bobby Crowe (2014)
      • Tony Dalton (2014)
      • Adrian Dante (2005)
      • Margaret Davidson (2020)
      • Robin Davidson (2020)
      • Jim Devlin (1989)
      • Fred Donald (Forres) 2017
      • Ian Duncan (2011)
      • Maurice Duncan (2017)
    • E - G Articles >
      • Jimmy Edwards
      • John Ellis
      • Robin Ellis >
        • Robin Ellis
      • Jack Emblow
      • Bill Ewan
      • Colin Finlayson
      • Angus Fitchet
      • David Flockhart
      • Ewan Galloway
      • Graham Geddes
      • Ron Gonella >
        • Mar 1994
        • Oct 1982
      • Rob Gordon
      • Niel Gow
      • Billy Grant (drummer)
    • E - G Obituaries >
      • Tommy Edmondson (2001)
      • Bob Edward (1998)
      • Peem Edwards (1999)
      • John Ellis (2015)
      • John Fairbairn (2003)
      • Frank Farquharson (2002)
      • Colin Finlayson (1952-93)
      • Angus Fitchet (1998)
      • Tommy Ford (2017)
      • John Gibson (1961 - 1990)
      • Eric Goodfellow (2008)
      • Joe Gordon (2020)
      • Rob Gordon (24/04/94)
      • Hebbie Gray (2018)
      • Jack Gray (1929-2013)
      • Wilbert (Bill) Grund (2010)
    • H - J Articles >
      • Jim Halcrow >
        • Jim Halcrow
      • Derek Hamilton
      • Stan Hamilton
      • William Hannah
      • Matthew Hardie
      • Addie Harper
      • Isobel Harper
      • Bobby Harvey
      • Bill Hendry
      • Ian Holmes
      • Max Houliston >
        • Jan 1983
        • March 1992
      • Tom Hughes (1986)
      • Alastair Hunter
      • Graham Jamieson >
        • Dec 1983
      • Jim Johnstone >
        • March 1982
        • Sept 1992
    • H - J Obituaries >
      • Jim Halcrow (2015)
      • Tom Hall (2011)
      • Ian Hardie (2012)
      • William J. Hardie (1916 - 95)
      • Addie Harper (2002)
      • Alistair Henderson (2005)
      • Bill Hendry (1995) (of Falkirk)
      • Alasdair Heron (2010)
      • Bob Hobkirk (2002)
      • Ron Hodgson (2014)
      • Ian Holmes (2017) >
        • Ian Holmes (2017)
      • John Huband (1942 - 2000)
      • Christine Hunter (1998)
      • Willie Hunter (1994)
      • Joe Hutton (1995)
      • Dave Ireland (1992)
      • Gordon Jamieson (2005)
      • Bryce Johnstone (2017)
    • K - L Articles >
      • Ron Kerr
      • Charlie Kirkpatrick
      • Andrew Knight
      • Sandy Legget
      • Judith Linton
    • K - L Obituaries >
      • Allan Kindness (2014)
      • John Laidlaw (1996)
      • Florence Lawie (2020)
      • Tommy Lees (2014)
      • Bruce Lindsay Snr (2020)
      • Jimmy Lindsay (2020)
      • Alex Little (2001)
      • Ben Lyons (2015)
    • Mac - Mc Articles >
      • Alex MacArthur
      • Alasdair MacCuish
      • Alistair McCulloch
      • Fergie MacDonald
      • Jim Mackay (Caithness)
      • Bobby MacLeod >
        • Memories of (2009)
      • Jim MacLeod
      • Rory MacLeod
      • Neil McMillan
      • Iain MacPhail >
        • May 2003
        • Sept 1982
      • Fraser McGlynn
      • Nicol McLaren
    • Mac - Mc Obituaries >
      • Duncan 'Dochie' MacCallum (2020)
      • Mark MacDougall (2015)
      • Iain MacFadyen (1983) (Producer)
      • Ally MacIntyre (2015)
      • John Mackie (1996)
      • Calum MacLean (2015)
      • Jim MacLeod (2004)
      • Jim MacRae (2001)
      • Rory MacLeod (2019)
      • Gervasio Marcosignori (2013)
      • John McDonald (2016)
      • Fraser McGlynn (2018)
      • Ewan McGowan (2015)
      • Blanche McInnes (1988)
      • Allan McIntosh (2012)
      • Iain McLachlan (1995)
      • Bob McMath (2016)
    • M Articles >
      • Dougie Maxwell
      • Gus Millar
      • Graeme Mitchell
      • Dennis Morrison
      • Ian Muir
      • Bert Murray
      • Ken Mutch
    • M Obituaries >
      • Hamish Menzies (2020)
      • Jim Muir (2001)
      • George Muir (1995)
      • Bert Murray MBE (2003)
    • N - P Articles >
      • Paddy Neary
      • Craig Paton
      • Gordon Pattullo >
        • Gordon Pattullo (40th Anniv)
      • Iain Peterson
      • Ian Powrie >
        • The People's Journal
        • Sept 1983
    • N - P Obituaries >
      • Andrew Nairn (2010)
      • Paddy Neary (2020)
      • Eann Nicolson (1990)
      • Dermot O'Brien (2007)
      • Stan Peacock (1994)
      • Davie Pollock (of Roslin) (2018)
      • Bill Powrie (1980)
      • Ian Powrie (2011)
      • Dave Pullar (2020)
    • R Articles >
      • Andrew Rankine
      • Frank Reid
      • Tony Reid
      • Adam Rennie
      • John Renton
      • Donal Ring
      • Jim Ritchie
      • Arthur Scott Robertson
      • Graham Ross
      • Lindsay Ross
    • R Obituaries >
      • Bert Rae (2015)
      • Ian Redford (1988)
      • Jimmy Ritchie (2001)
      • John Rooney (2015)
      • Graham Ross (2020)
      • Walter Rutherford (2018)
    • S Articles >
      • Stan Saunders
      • Sir Jimmy Shand >
        • April 1982
        • Feb 1998 (90 Years old)
        • Feb 1999 (Knighthood)
        • Jan 2001
        • Feb 2001 (Tributes)
        • Oct 2003 (Sculpture)
        • Sept 2016 (Auction of Memorabilia)
      • Neil Sinclair
      • James Scott Skinner >
        • April 1993
      • Robbie Shepherd >
        • October 1985
        • M.B.E. March 2001
        • 2006 Hamish Henderson Award
      • George 'Faunty' Smith
      • Gordon Smith
      • Hamish Smith
      • Will Starr
      • Andy Stewart MBE
      • Liam Stewart
      • George Stirrat
    • S Obituaries >
      • Stan Saunders (2011)
      • Davie Simpson of Invergowrie (1999)
      • Gordon Simpson (2016)
      • Bill Smith (1998) (Banchory)
      • Ian Smith (2005) First Editor)
      • Margaret Smith (2015)
      • Rosalind Snaith (2020)
      • Arthur Spink (2017)
      • Jack Stalker (2019)
      • Alex 'Toby' Stewart (2010)
      • Andy Stewart (1933-93)
      • Billy Stewart (2016)
      • Roy Stewart (2005)
      • Peter Straughan (1999)
    • T Articles >
      • Bill Thom
      • Kenny Thomson
      • Sandy Tulloch
      • Violet Tulloch
    • T Obituaries >
      • Kenny Thomson (2013)
      • Toralf Tollefsen (27/11/94)
      • Bobby Torrance (2011)
      • Dr Sandy Tulloch (2006)
    • U - Z Articles >
      • David Vernon
      • Robin & Deryn Waitt
      • Robert Whitehead
      • Bill Wilkie MBE
      • Pam Wilkie
      • Norrie Williams
      • Callum Wilson
      • Ena Wilson
      • Iain Wilson
      • Kenny Wilson
      • Peter and Daniel Wyper
      • Jimmy Yeaman
    • U - Z Obituaries >
      • Jimmy Urquhart (1993)
      • Roddy Urquhart (2000)
      • Charlie Walkins (2014)
      • Bill Wilkie (2017)
      • Ian Wilkie (1995)
      • Pam Wilkie (2016)
      • Norrie Williams (2015)
      • Willie Wilson (1991) (Beith)
    • Accordion Teachers Obits >
      • Ian Anderson (2018)
      • Jean Brown (2009) >
        • Jean Brown (Cambusnethan, Wishaw)
      • Louis Cabrelli
      • Renaldo Capaldi (2008)
      • Charles Duncan
      • Peter Farnan
      • Ron Hodgson (1982)
      • Ron Hodgson (2014)
      • Charles 'Chick' Kelly (21/01/95)
      • Chrissie Leatham
      • Jimmy Martin (2008)
      • Owen Murray
      • Bill Spence (2007)
      • Tom Veldon (15/01/95)
      • Sylvia Wilson
      • Wilson Wood (2005)
      • Rosemary Wright
    • Jimmy Clinkscale Articles from 1981
    • Poems by Andy Stewart >
      • Jimmy Shand
      • Angus Fitchet
      • Bobby MacLeod
      • Ian Powrie
    • Poem by Jock Turpie
  • Roll of Honour
  • NAAFC Awards Archive
    • NAAFC Honours >
      • 1979
      • 1980s >
        • 1981 Angus Fitchet
        • 1982 Bobby MacLeod
        • 1983 Ian Powrie
        • 1984 Andy Stewart MBE
      • 1990s >
        • 1990 Jimmy Blue
        • 1992 Robbie Shepherd MBE
        • 1994 Alex MacArthur
        • 1994 Andrew Rankine
        • 1995 Max Houliston
        • 1996 Jim MacLeod MBE
        • 1997 Musicians of Shetland
        • 1998 Ian Holmes
        • 1999 Bill Black
      • 2000s >
        • 2000 Bobby Crowe
        • 2000 Alex Little
        • 2000 Jim Ritchie
        • 2000 Stan Saunders
        • 2000 Bill Thom
        • 2000 Pam Wilkie
        • 2001 Mickie Ainsworth
        • 2001 Addie Harper
        • 2001 Jim Johnstone
        • 2001 Bill Wilkie MBE
        • 2002 Dave Barclay
        • 2002 John Crawford
        • 2002 David Cunningham
        • 2002 Gus Millar
        • 2002 Jimmy Yeaman
        • 2003 Iain MacPhail
        • 2004 John Carmichael
        • 2004 Iain Peterson
        • 2005 Bobby Coghill
        • 2005 Ken Mutch
        • 2005 Robert Whitehead
        • 2006 Jack Cooper
        • 2006 Jack Delaney
        • 2006 David Flockhart
        • 2007 Jimmy Burgess
        • 2007 Bobby Colgan
        • 2008 Bobby Harvey
        • 2008 Neil MacMillan
        • 2008 Gordon Pattullo
        • 2009 Tom Alexander MBE
        • 2009 Andrew Knight
      • 2010s >
        • 2010 John Ellis
        • 2010 Fraser McGlynn
        • 2011 Bobby Brown (Canada)
        • 2011 Ian Muir
        • 2012 John Douglas
        • 2012 Jim Halcrow
        • 2012 Charlie Kirkpatrick
        • 2013 Derek Hamilton
        • 2014 Robin Brock
        • 2014 Calum MacLean
        • 2014 Hamish Smith
        • 2015 David Ross
        • 2015 Iain Wilson
        • 2015 Kenny Wilson
        • 2015 Gordon Young
        • 2016 Joan Blue
        • 2016 Bill Ewan
        • 2016 Isobel Harper
        • 2016 Neil Sinclair
        • 2017 George Darling
        • 2017 Alasdair MacLeod
        • 2017 Violet Tulloch
        • 2018 - Freeland Barbour
        • 2018 Bill Hendry
        • 2018 Graeme Mitchell
        • 2019 - Billy Craib
        • 2019 - Dochie McCallum
        • 2019 - Margaret Smith
        • 2019 - Davie Stewart
      • 2020s >
        • 2020 Covid 19 No Awards
        • 2021 Anda Campbell
        • 2021 Peter Bruce
        • 2021 Malcolm Ross
    • BAFFI Awards
    • Scholarship
    • SDB of the Year
  • Club Reports
    • Club Reports Summary >
      • 1970s
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    • Club Directory
    • Guest Artistes >
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      • Lesmahagow A&F Club >
        • 1980s
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      • Newtongrange >
        • 1970s
        • 1980s
        • 1990s
        • 2000s
        • 2010s
      • Perth A&F Club >
        • 1970s
        • 1980s
        • 1990s
        • 2000s
        • 2010s
    • A >
      • Aberdeen A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Acharacle A&F Club >
        • 1988 - 89
      • Alnwick A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 25th Birthday (2002)
      • Annan A&F Club >
        • 1995 - 96
      • Arbroath A&F Club >
        • 1989 - 90
      • Armadale A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
        • 21st Birthday (1999)
      • Ayr A&F Club >
        • 1983 - 84
    • B >
      • Balloch A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Banchory
      • Banff and District
      • Beith & District A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 40th Anniversary (Beith)
      • Biggar A&F Club >
        • 1970s >
          • 1977 - 78
          • 1978 - 79
          • 1979 - 80
        • 1980s >
          • 1980 - 81
          • 1981 - 88
          • 1988 - 89
          • 1989 - 90
        • 1990s >
          • 1990 - 91
          • 1990 - 91
          • 1991 - 92
          • 1992 - 93
          • 1993 - 94
          • 1994 - 95
          • 1995 - 96
          • 1996 - 97
          • 1997 - 98
          • 1998 - 99
          • 25th Anniversary (1999)
          • 1999-2000
        • 2000s >
          • 2000 - 01
          • 2001 - 02
          • 2002 - 03
          • 2003 - 04
          • 2004 - 05
          • 2005 - 06
          • 2006 - 07
          • 2007 - 08
          • 2008 - 09
          • 2009 - 10
        • 2010s >
          • 2010 - 11
          • 2011 - 12
          • 2012 - 13
          • 2013 - 14
          • 2014 - 15
          • 2015 - 16
          • 2016 - 17
          • 2017 - 18
          • 2018 - 19
          • 2019 - 20
        • 2020s >
          • 2020 - 21
          • 2021 - 22
      • Blairgowrie A&F Club >
        • 1987 - 88
      • Brig Mill A&F Club >
        • 1989 - 90
      • Britannia (Kirkcudbright) A&F Club >
        • 2007 - 08
      • Bromley A&F Club >
        • 1995 - 96
        • Bromley (2014)
      • Buchan A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Button Key (Windygates) A&F Club >
        • 1987 - 88
        • 20th Anniv (2007)
    • C >
      • Callander A&F Club >
        • 1983 - 84
      • Campbeltown A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
      • Campsie A&F Club >
        • 1995 - 96
        • The Campsie Players
        • 20th Anniversary (2015)
      • Carlisle A&F Club >
        • 1993 - 94
      • Castle Douglas A&F Club
      • Coalburn A&F Club >
        • 1988 - 89
      • Coldingham A&F Club >
        • 2008 - 09
      • Coupar Angus A&F Club >
        • 1978 - 79
      • Crathes A&F Club
      • Cults A&F Club >
        • 1999 - 2000
      • Cumnock & District A&F Club >
        • History
        • 1977 - 78
    • D >
      • Dalriada A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
        • 21st Birthday (2002)
      • Denny & Dunipace A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
      • Dingwall A&F Club >
        • 1979 - 80
        • 21st Anniversary (2000)
        • 25th Anniversary (2004)
      • Dumfries Accordion Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 1978 - 79
        • 1979 - 80
      • Dunblane A&F Club
      • Dundee & District A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Dunfermline & District A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club >
        • 1987 - 88
      • Duns A&F Club >
        • 2004 - 05
    • E to F >
      • East Kilbride A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
        • 1981 - 82
        • 1982 - 83
        • 1983 - 84
        • 1984 - 85
        • Norrie Williams (2015)
      • Edinburgh / Chrissie Leatham A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
        • 1981 - 82
        • 1982 - 83
        • 1983 - 84
      • Ellon A&F Club >
        • 1994 - 95
      • Ettrick & Yarrow >
        • 1990 - 91
      • Falkirk A&F Club >
        • 1978 - 79
      • Fintry A&F Club
      • Forfar A&F Club >
        • 1988 - 89
      • Forres A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • Forres 21st Anniv (1999)
      • Fort William A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
    • G >
      • Galston A&F Club >
        • Club History
        • 1977 - 78
        • 30th Anniversary (1999)
        • Final Report (2006)
      • Glendale A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 40th Anniversary (Glendale)
      • Glenfarg A&F Club >
        • 1995 - 96
        • 30th Anniv (Sept 2018)
      • Glenrothes A&F Club >
        • 1993 - 94
      • Gorebridge A&F Club >
        • 1981 - 82
      • Gretna (see North Cumbria) A&F Club >
        • 50th Anniversary (2016)
    • H to K >
      • Haddington A&F Club >
        • 2004 - 05
      • Highland A&F Club >
        • Club History
        • 1977 - 78
        • Highland 25th Birthday (1999)
        • 40th Anniversary (Highland)
      • Inveraray A&F Club >
        • 1991 - 92
        • 25th Anniversary (2016)
      • Islay A&F Club >
        • 1993 - 94
      • Isle of Skye A&F Club >
        • 1988 - 89
      • Islesteps A&F Club >
        • 1981 - 82
        • 1982 - 83
        • 1983 - 84
      • Kelso A&F Club >
        • Introducing the Clubs No 8
        • 1977 - 78
        • 30th Anniv (2006)
        • 40th Anniversary (2016)
      • Kinlochsheil A&F Club >
        • 1983 - 84
      • Kintore A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 2010 - 11
    • L >
      • Ladybank A&F Club >
        • 1997 - 98
      • Lanark A&F Club >
        • 1996 - 97
      • Langholm A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Lauder A&F Club >
        • 2009 - 10
      • Lesmahagow A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
        • 1981 - 82
        • 1982 - 83
        • 1983 - 84
        • 1984 - 85
        • Closure announced
        • 2005 Final Report
      • Lewis & Harris A&F Club >
        • 1996 - 97
        • 20th Anniversary
      • Livingston A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • Murdo MacLeod
      • Lockerbie A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 40th Anniversary (Lockerbie)
    • M >
      • The M.A.F.I.A. >
        • History
        • 1977 - 78
        • Closing Speech
      • Mauchline >
        • 30th Anniv (Mauchline)
      • Monklands A&F Club >
        • 1978 - 79
      • Montrose A&F Club >
        • 1984 - 85
      • Morecambe A&F Club
      • Muirhead A&F Club >
        • 1995 - 96
    • N >
      • Newburgh A&F Club >
        • 2002 - 03
        • 40th Anniversary
        • Jim Berry
      • New Cumnock A&F Club >
        • 1979 - 80
      • Newmill-on-Teviot A&F Club >
        • 1999 - 2000
      • Newtongrange A&F Club >
        • 1979 - 80
      • Newton St Boswells >
        • 1977 - 78
      • North Cumbria (Gretna) A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • North East (Keith) A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • Ian Duncan
        • 40th Anniversary North East
      • Northern (Templepatrick, N.I.) A&F Club >
        • 2011 - 12
    • O to P >
      • Oban A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 25th Anniversary (1999)
        • 40th Anniversary (2015)
      • Orkney A&F Club >
        • 1983 - 84
        • Orkney 40th Anniv 2017
      • Peebles A&F Club >
        • 1981 - 82
        • 1982 - 83
        • 1983 - 84
        • 1984 - 85
      • Perth & District A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 1992 Letter
        • 40th Anniv (2010)
      • Phoenix (Ardrishaig) A&F Club >
        • 2004 - 05
      • Premier A&F Club
    • R to S >
      • Reading Scottish Fiddlers >
        • 1997 - 98
      • Renfrew A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Renfrew (Moorpark) A&F Club >
        • 1984 - 85
      • Rothbury (Coquetdale) A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 25th Anniversary (1999)
      • Scottish Accordion Music (Crathes) >
        • 1998 - 99
      • Seghill Comrades A&F Club >
        • 2010 - 11
      • Selkirk A&F Club >
        • 1998 - 99
      • Shetland A&F Club >
        • Shetland 40th Anniv (2017)
      • Stirling A&F Club >
        • 1991 - 92
      • Stonehouse A&F Club >
        • 2004 - 05
      • Straiton A&F Club >
        • History
        • 1977 - 78
      • Stranraer A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Sutherland A&F Club >
        • 1987 - 88
        • 20th Anniv (2007)
    • T to Z >
      • Thornhill A&F Club >
        • 1983 - 84
      • Torthorwald A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • Turriff 30th Anniversary
      • Tynedale A&F Club >
        • 1980 - 81
        • Tynedale 30th Anniv (2010)
      • Uist & Benbecula A&F Club >
        • 2007 - 08
        • 21st Anniversary (2016)
      • Wellbank A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
      • West Barnes A&F Club >
        • 2001 - 02
      • Wick A&F Club >
        • 1977 - 78
        • 25th Birthday (2001)
        • 40th Anniversary (2015)
  • Pipe Music Articles
    • Composers A - L >
      • Willie Bryson
      • John D Burgess
      • Duncan Campbell
      • George Cockburn
      • William D Dumbreck
      • William Fergusson
      • Ron Fleming
      • Duncan Johnstone
      • Willie Lawrie
    • Composers Mac >
      • John MacColl
      • John MacDonald
      • Angus MacKay
      • Hugh MacKay
      • John M MacKenzie BEM
      • Donald MacLean of Lewis
      • Capt John A MacLellan MBE
      • Donald MacLeod
      • Peter R MacLeod Snr & Jnr
      • Archibald MacNeill
    • Composers M + Mc >
      • David Charles Mather
      • James Mauchline
      • Captain D R McLellan
      • John McLellan
      • George S McLennan
      • Donald McPhedran
    • Composers N - Z >
      • Donald Shaw Ramsay
      • James Ross Riddell
      • James "Robbie" Robertson
      • Willie Ross
      • John Wilson
  • B&F Issues (1977-2020)
    • Oct 1977 - Apr 1980 >
      • Oct 1977 - Apr 78
      • Oct 1978 - Apr 79 >
        • Oct 1978
        • Nov 1978
        • Dec 1978
        • Jan 1979
        • Feb 1979
        • Mar 1979
        • Apr 1979
      • Sept 1979 - Apr 80 >
        • Sept 1979
        • Oct 1979
        • Nov 1979
        • Dec 1979
        • Jan 1980
        • Feb 1980
        • Mar 1980
        • Apr 1980
    • Sept 1980 - Apr 1985 >
      • Sept 1980 - Apr 81 >
        • Sept 1980
        • Oct 1980
        • Nov 1980
        • Dec 1980
        • Jan 1981
        • Feb 1981
        • Mar 1981
        • Apr 1981
      • Sept 1981 - Apr 82 >
        • Sept 1981
        • Oct 1981
        • Nov 1981
        • Dec 1981
        • Jan 1982
        • Feb 1982
        • Mar 1982
        • Apr 1982
      • Sept 1982 - Apr 83 >
        • Sept 1982
        • Oct 1982
        • Nov 1982
        • Dec 1982
        • Jan 1983
        • Feb 1983
        • Mar 1983
        • Apr 1983
      • Sept 1983 - Apr 84 >
        • Sept 1983
        • Oct 1983
        • Nov 1983
        • Dec 1983
        • Jan 1984
        • Feb 1984
        • Mar 1984
        • Apr 1984
      • Sept 1984 - Apr 85 >
        • Sept 1984
        • Oct 1984
        • Nov 1984
        • Dec 1984
        • Jan 1985
        • Feb 1985
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Malcolm Ross – Guest of Honour
by Pia Walker
B&F June 2020
 

​Malcolm ross was born into a musical family in 1960 in the village of Friockheim, Angus. He is the son of the late Lindsay Ross, a well-known bandleader. There were four children in the family, but Malcolm is the only one who has shown interest in music. Lindsay Ross had a couple of music shops in Brechin and Forfar and 3-year-old Malcolm was given unwanted singles to play on a record player. In fact 45rpm singles with Brian Bennett and The Shadows and Earl Palmer on Fats Domino records was the first drumming Malcolm heard. As he says, “They were an eclectic mix.”
In 1965 local Arbroath drummer Jimmy Bruce visited the Ross family and brought with him a new Premier mother-of-pearl drum kit. He set it up in the living room and that evening, before he went to bed, 5-year-old Malcolm’s fate was sealed. This was the start of a lifelong obsession, still as strong in 2020 as it was then. Malcolm’s mother, Mary, apparently took this in her stride as just another day in the life of a bandleader’s wife.
Malcolm’s next birthday added a snare drum to the kit and soon Malcolm, at the age of 6, was playing at friends’ weddings. A couple of years later, when Malcolm was playing at the wedding of fiddle player Jim and Elizabeth Sturrock, the bandleader Jimmy Fairweather from Alyth thought the drumming was decent enough, and soon Malcolm was playing in glenshee, Kinloch Rannoch, Glenisla, etc, for The Lancers, Quadrilles etc., all pretty heavy stuff for a 10 year old.
Malcolm played with his dad’s 6-piece band from early on and remembers playing for the opening of the British Legion in Kirkwall, Orkney in 1975. Eventually his father thought he was okay enough to do a BBC audition. He passed and at the age of 11 started broadcasting. This resulted in his being hired to do radio shows and theatre gigs. For this first broadcast Malcolm had to get permission to get off P7 as it was arranged for ’12 noon on a Friday.’ A trip to a recording studio was always a highlight. Malcolm remembers one he did as a youngster with Albany in 1981. Bandleader Billy Anderson had session experts Peggy O’Keefe, George McIlwham and others to back Margaret MacLeod singing Gaelic and country songs. Malcolm has always felt grateful for the help and kindness given by those experienced players on that two-day session.
Lindsay Ross, himself a pro bandleader, was definitely a big influence in Malcolm’s life. As well as playing in this father’s busy band, Malcolm was encouraged to play other styles of music and his father often drove him to rock gigs.
When Malcolm was 12 he was asked to replace drummer Charlie Fleming in the most successful amateur theatre show in the UK, The angus Minstrels, which ran from 1960 till 2019 in the Webster Theatre in Arbroath. Malcolm tells me, “It was a big responsibility playing to 7,000 patrons, although playing with musical directors such as Perth’s John Scrimgeour was a great experience.”
Malcolm did, of course, have drumming lessons. His father was playing in a show with the Scots trombone legend George Chisholm. The show’s drummer alan Johnston lived in Broughty Ferry, having moved there from Glasgow to teach in the local schools, and Malcolm started private lessons with him. Alan Johnston had quite a professional reputation as he had taught the world-class Average White Band drummer, Robbie McIntosh, whilst at Harris Academy and also played for the Moscow State Circus.
After Lindsay Ross passed away in 1980, Malcolm decided to work as a freelance musician. He remembers playing with the New Cavendish Band from Edinburgh in the 80s as being interesting, as most of the work was in castles and stately homes. By that time he was married with two young boys and his then wife was not too impressed with music as Malcolm’s chosen profession. Susan, whom he met at a Keith Festival gig in the Railway Club in 2001 and later married, at that time played Chilean music on accordion. She no longer plays the accordion, but is now proficient in the ukulele, although they still share an interest in Latin music. She incidentally despairs of his 5 drum kits, the 2 electronic kits, a variety of African djembes, timbales, a Dominican Republic tumbora, 15 snare drums and of course his collection of 70 cymbals, which are all dotted around the house! As Malcolm says, “Doing a wide variety of music has its downside for drummers, as Jesus Christ Superstar needs a huge rock kit while a small Accordion Club requires a ‘Sooty’s kit!’
At that time he also worked for Briggs Roofing and Cladding as a fireman. “If you have ever visited Dynamic Earth or Deep Sea World you can feel safe as the roofing was overseen by this foreman,” he tells me, and continues, “As gigs became more frequent, my 25 years with Briggs came to an end when I realized I had started turning away gigs to be on a roof.” So in 2002 Malcolm became a full-time musician and so was able to travel without the constraints of a daytime job. A mixed bag of gigs soon came Malcolm’s way, and backing cabaret acts in clubs kept the music reading alive until the first offer to do a musical came along with the Tayside theatre group Midas, with Paul Clancy as the MD. They thankfully got the scores 3 months early which allowed Malcolm to really study the drum part for…..Chess!
He has never looked back, having done between 230 and 270 gigs per year since the early 70s whilst working in many different genres. He has worked on more than 90 musicals in different theatres both in Scotland and in Ireland. The most recent ones include Crazy for You, whistle Down the Wind and Avenue Q. And with 30 pantomimes on the East Coast, 27 in Dundee’s Whitehall Theatre over the years, he is definitely busy in the winter. He has toured with Johnny Bettie, and recently in the Pride of Scotland show with Alan Stewart. He was in the pit at the Waterford Festival of Light Opera and has played 450 performances in the Webster Theatre in Arbroath, one of the theatres he particularly enjoys working in. Other favourites he has worked in recently include Eden Court in Inverness, Whitley Bay Playhouse, The Maltings in Berwick, The Alley Theatre Strabane in Northern Ireland, the Palace in Kilmarnock and Scotland’s oldest, the Theatre Royal, Dumfries.
He likes jazz and has played with the likes of Harry Hussey, Angus Kerr, Alison Burns, the Jauncey Brothers, the Dundee University Big Band, Ron Stewart Big Band, John Huband, Davie Stewart and Robert Black. He has been involved in cabaret and talent contests, and in STV and BBC shows as well as commercial radio programmes. John Carmichael’s band did 22 shows aired on prime time STV (just before Emmerdale) and in these Malcolm shared the drumming duties with the late Jim Milroy (Jack’s son), backing such luminaries as Alasdair Fraser, Gordon Pattullo and Tom and Jack Alexander.
He can turn his sticks to anything. He has played country music with Tony Hardacre and the pedal steel supremo Gerry Hogan. Rock and blues is not a problem either and highlights have been playing with Steve Gibbons at The Milnes, Isle of Man, and with the Nikki Richardson Band at BB King’s Blues Club, 42nd St, New York.
He is still picking up new techniques and is still learning. Despite more than 250 radio programmes and 150 albums recorded, he would like to get into more of the Cuban and New Orleans styles of drumming and has been to both places to take in the culture and to study the rhythms up close. This has allowed Malcolm to record Samba, Merengue, Songo, Mozambique and Cha Cha Batucada styles, On a visit to New Orlens in 2015, he realized the similarities between drumming in Scottish dance music and in early jazz when he discovered that Baby Dodds, one of the first early jazz drummers, was playing Schottisches, quadrilles etc. to a mainly European clientele. You can sense his excitement when he tells you, “Imagine him and Louis Armstrong playing Scottish dance music in 1910 on the riverboats out of New Orleans!”
Throughout his autobiography, Dodds talks about listening to the different band members and using his role as drummer to help the band come together, “It was my job to study each musician and give a different background for each instrument. When a man is playing it is up to the drummer to give him something to make him feel the music and make him work. That’s the drummer job.” It seems that Malcolm’s success stems from the same philosophy.
Traditional Scottish dance music has always been a huge part of Malcolm’s life and he remembers that one year with Bobby Crowe he did 9 RSCDS-type recordings. He appears at clubs with many of the guest bands and appears frequently in concert with Leonard Brown, looking suave wearing a dinner jacket but with the sleeves rolled up. Sleeves can be an issue if the drummer plays different ‘grips’ as he does.
Some of his favourite bands from the past are those of Jimmy Blue with the brilliant Arthur Easson on drums (Arthur used to tune Malcolm’s snare drum), Stan Hamilton, Alistair Downie and Andrew Rankine.
Away from the music – if he ever is – Malcolm enjoys going to see his team Arbroath FC whom he has been following for 52 years. If you are there, you may just see a brick placed in the wall with Malcolm’s name on it. Another passion is motorcycles and motorcycle road racing which has always been his main hobby. He has visited the Isle of Man 45 times! He currently owns four bikes: a Kawasaki, a Laverda Jota (named after a Spanish dance in ¾ time and the most powerful motorcycle made in its day), a Yamaha XT and a German MZ.
He still plays as much as ever, but at the time of writing, owing to the covid19 Lockdown, he plays only every second day and spends his time looking through old drum books for inspiration.
You know you are in for a good night when you see Malcolm behind the drums. His talent and expertise is truly worthy of a Guest of Honour award
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