Dingwall & District A&F Club
1979 - 2000
by
THE EARLY DAYS
The Dingwall and District club was the idea of Bill MacDonald, Dingwall and Neil Macdonald, Achterneed. In March 1979, they put an advert in the Ross-shire Journal asking for any person interested in forming a Club to meet at the Ross Country Social club. The meeting duly took place and the first Committee was formed as follows :-
Chairman / Secretary – Mike Shaw
Vice Chairman – Donald MacKillop
Treasurer – George MacKintosh
Committee – John Pirie, Bill MacDonald, Neil MacDonald, Frank Thompson & Calum MacLean.
The aim of the Club was to foster and encourage interest in accordion and fiddle music.
PRE-CLUB MEETINGS
Three meetings were arranged for the summer months in the Ross-shire Social Club, Dingwall to raise funds for the Club. Hamish Polson, Strathpeffer offered the loan of PA equipment. Ali McGregor and the Tain Band launched proceedings, supported by local artistes in June 1979. Ali has been one of the Club’s most regular players since then.
PIANO PROBLEMS
The loan of a piano was negotiated with Mr Terry Kennedy of the Strathpeffer Hotel, on condition it was returned to the hotel when required. This involved some weight-lifting for the Committee as the piano had to be lifted onto a trailer and transported back to the hotel. Eventually the Club was in a strong enough financial position to purchase its own piano which was housed in the Ross County Social Club. It also made several journeys round Dingwall’s one=way system as the Club met in different venues.
FIRST MEETINGS
The first official musical evening was on 12th Septembe r1979 with Bobby MacLeod as guest artiste. In October we had Graeme Mitchell’s Band as our second guests and a successful dance to John Ellis and his Highland Country Band. The November guest was Jim Johnstone and his SDB. Meetings were held on the first Wednesday of each month and have remained so.
Since those first early meetings, audiences at the Club have been entertained by a variety of bands, trios, duos and soloists from all over Scotland and beyond.
CHANGE OF VENUE
Although ideal in many respects the Ross County Social Club was a private club and consequently all entrants were required to be members. As such, they had to join the Social Club in addition to the A&F Club or else be signed in regularly by an existing Club member. This problem was never satisfactorily resolved so in 1983 a move to the National hotel was suggested. The National Hotel was state owned and the Club had to pay for the hire of the function room and any unsold sausage rolls. Thus the Committee could often be found munching away at the extras rather than see them going to waste. This situation put a strain on the Club’s finances (not to mention Committee members’ belts) but soon the hotel was to be sold. New owner, George MacLean was approached and he kindly dropped the fee for the use of the room and adopted a more flexible catering policy.
THE MIDDLE YEARS
With the problems of accommodation and catering happily resolved, Committee meetings became a lot shorter and more productive. George Hogg became the second chairman and a strong central core of Committee members met once a month to ensure the smooth running of the Club and undertook various duties. One of the major events to be organised was the Club’s 10th Anniversary celebration in September 1989. The celebrations were two-fold with the first being a buffet dance to the music of one of the early guests Graeme Mitchell and his band, while part two was a musical evening with another of our early guests, Jim johnstone and his SDB.
Sadly, over the years we have lost a few stalwarts of the Club including Heather Christie, John MacKenzie, Dan MacKenzie, Duncan MacLean. Their efforts and support for the Club will always be appreciated and they will be fondly remembered.
Another great loss to the Club was the passing of founder member Bill MacDonald. After Bill’s death the Committee decided he should be honoured and an annual competition for duos is now held for the Bill MacDonald Memorial Trophy. The inaugural winners in 1999 were Stephen and Graeme MacKay and they received the trophy from Bill’s daughter, Fiona.
CLUB ACTIVITIES
The Club also held 4 dances annually in September, November, February and April and they were always very popular and helpful in raising funds for the Club as is the raffle held at the monthly meetings. Indeed had it not been for the extra cash raised on occasions things could have been very different and, like all clubs, a great deal of gratitude is owed to all who either donate prizes or sell tickets.
Fortunately over the years the Club has been in the position to make donations to local charities and causes and they include Friends of Seaforth, Heart Start and the National Mod.
The Club was also asked by the local council to provide music outside the Town Hall in Dingwall and this was well received by passers-by. Another great success at the Club has been our Youth nights. On these nights, the guest artiste spot was filled by young, local players who regularly attend the Club. Over the years we have been fortunate to have some fine young musicians come up through our ranks, including Lindsay Weir and Mark MacDougall who have made several broadcasts.
ALASTAIR HUNTER TUITION
In 1990 the Committee decided to encourage younger and older players to improve. With this in mind an accordion and fiddle workshop was organised with tuition by Florence Burns (now Lawie) and Alastair Hunter and a total of 38 players attended.
It was agreed to have accordion tuition once a month with up to 14 students getting individual tuition. Initially, the Club was fortunate to be able to get Grants from Ross and Cromarty Leisure Services but the Club subsidized the tuition from funds generated by the club’s general success. A total of 45 people have benefited from tuition and this has given many the confidence to play in public at the Club. Thanks are due to the many Committee members who have given their time in organising and co-ordinating the workshops over the past ten years, not forgetting Alastair Hunter.
THE NEXT GENERATION
The future of the Club is secure in the hands and talents of a fine group of young players coming forward, some of who have been the products of the Club’s workshops. Names to look out for in coming years include : David & Alexander MacKenzie, Graeme, Stephen and Allan MacKay, Matthew MacLennan, John Devine, Roya MacLean, Arran Devine, Scott Crossley, George Stuart, Rebecca Fraser, Steven MacIver, Alison Fraser and Jonathan McKendry.
It is nice to know that Dingwall & District A&F Club has helped promote and foster Scotland’s music and preserve the traditions of our country and that there are youngsters coming through the Club to maintain that for at least another 21 years.
Box and Fiddle
October 2000
The Dingwall and District club was the idea of Bill MacDonald, Dingwall and Neil Macdonald, Achterneed. In March 1979, they put an advert in the Ross-shire Journal asking for any person interested in forming a Club to meet at the Ross Country Social club. The meeting duly took place and the first Committee was formed as follows :-
Chairman / Secretary – Mike Shaw
Vice Chairman – Donald MacKillop
Treasurer – George MacKintosh
Committee – John Pirie, Bill MacDonald, Neil MacDonald, Frank Thompson & Calum MacLean.
The aim of the Club was to foster and encourage interest in accordion and fiddle music.
PRE-CLUB MEETINGS
Three meetings were arranged for the summer months in the Ross-shire Social Club, Dingwall to raise funds for the Club. Hamish Polson, Strathpeffer offered the loan of PA equipment. Ali McGregor and the Tain Band launched proceedings, supported by local artistes in June 1979. Ali has been one of the Club’s most regular players since then.
PIANO PROBLEMS
The loan of a piano was negotiated with Mr Terry Kennedy of the Strathpeffer Hotel, on condition it was returned to the hotel when required. This involved some weight-lifting for the Committee as the piano had to be lifted onto a trailer and transported back to the hotel. Eventually the Club was in a strong enough financial position to purchase its own piano which was housed in the Ross County Social Club. It also made several journeys round Dingwall’s one=way system as the Club met in different venues.
FIRST MEETINGS
The first official musical evening was on 12th Septembe r1979 with Bobby MacLeod as guest artiste. In October we had Graeme Mitchell’s Band as our second guests and a successful dance to John Ellis and his Highland Country Band. The November guest was Jim Johnstone and his SDB. Meetings were held on the first Wednesday of each month and have remained so.
Since those first early meetings, audiences at the Club have been entertained by a variety of bands, trios, duos and soloists from all over Scotland and beyond.
CHANGE OF VENUE
Although ideal in many respects the Ross County Social Club was a private club and consequently all entrants were required to be members. As such, they had to join the Social Club in addition to the A&F Club or else be signed in regularly by an existing Club member. This problem was never satisfactorily resolved so in 1983 a move to the National hotel was suggested. The National Hotel was state owned and the Club had to pay for the hire of the function room and any unsold sausage rolls. Thus the Committee could often be found munching away at the extras rather than see them going to waste. This situation put a strain on the Club’s finances (not to mention Committee members’ belts) but soon the hotel was to be sold. New owner, George MacLean was approached and he kindly dropped the fee for the use of the room and adopted a more flexible catering policy.
THE MIDDLE YEARS
With the problems of accommodation and catering happily resolved, Committee meetings became a lot shorter and more productive. George Hogg became the second chairman and a strong central core of Committee members met once a month to ensure the smooth running of the Club and undertook various duties. One of the major events to be organised was the Club’s 10th Anniversary celebration in September 1989. The celebrations were two-fold with the first being a buffet dance to the music of one of the early guests Graeme Mitchell and his band, while part two was a musical evening with another of our early guests, Jim johnstone and his SDB.
Sadly, over the years we have lost a few stalwarts of the Club including Heather Christie, John MacKenzie, Dan MacKenzie, Duncan MacLean. Their efforts and support for the Club will always be appreciated and they will be fondly remembered.
Another great loss to the Club was the passing of founder member Bill MacDonald. After Bill’s death the Committee decided he should be honoured and an annual competition for duos is now held for the Bill MacDonald Memorial Trophy. The inaugural winners in 1999 were Stephen and Graeme MacKay and they received the trophy from Bill’s daughter, Fiona.
CLUB ACTIVITIES
The Club also held 4 dances annually in September, November, February and April and they were always very popular and helpful in raising funds for the Club as is the raffle held at the monthly meetings. Indeed had it not been for the extra cash raised on occasions things could have been very different and, like all clubs, a great deal of gratitude is owed to all who either donate prizes or sell tickets.
Fortunately over the years the Club has been in the position to make donations to local charities and causes and they include Friends of Seaforth, Heart Start and the National Mod.
The Club was also asked by the local council to provide music outside the Town Hall in Dingwall and this was well received by passers-by. Another great success at the Club has been our Youth nights. On these nights, the guest artiste spot was filled by young, local players who regularly attend the Club. Over the years we have been fortunate to have some fine young musicians come up through our ranks, including Lindsay Weir and Mark MacDougall who have made several broadcasts.
ALASTAIR HUNTER TUITION
In 1990 the Committee decided to encourage younger and older players to improve. With this in mind an accordion and fiddle workshop was organised with tuition by Florence Burns (now Lawie) and Alastair Hunter and a total of 38 players attended.
It was agreed to have accordion tuition once a month with up to 14 students getting individual tuition. Initially, the Club was fortunate to be able to get Grants from Ross and Cromarty Leisure Services but the Club subsidized the tuition from funds generated by the club’s general success. A total of 45 people have benefited from tuition and this has given many the confidence to play in public at the Club. Thanks are due to the many Committee members who have given their time in organising and co-ordinating the workshops over the past ten years, not forgetting Alastair Hunter.
THE NEXT GENERATION
The future of the Club is secure in the hands and talents of a fine group of young players coming forward, some of who have been the products of the Club’s workshops. Names to look out for in coming years include : David & Alexander MacKenzie, Graeme, Stephen and Allan MacKay, Matthew MacLennan, John Devine, Roya MacLean, Arran Devine, Scott Crossley, George Stuart, Rebecca Fraser, Steven MacIver, Alison Fraser and Jonathan McKendry.
It is nice to know that Dingwall & District A&F Club has helped promote and foster Scotland’s music and preserve the traditions of our country and that there are youngsters coming through the Club to maintain that for at least another 21 years.
Box and Fiddle
October 2000