Box and Fiddle
Year 26 No 04
December 2002
Price £2.00
44 Page Magazine
9 month subscription £18 + p&p £5.40
Editor – Karin Ingram, Hawick
B&F Treasurer – Charlie Todd, Thankerton
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
I can’t believe that it’s almost Christmas time already – I haven’t even bought my cards, let alone written them!
Yet again the B&F is full to overflowing. Rather than omit photographs, or edit text, we decided to hold back Bill Black’s Stanley Ceilidh write-up until next month. Believe me, it’s worth waiting for! We also have an interesting article about the Campsie club Workshop, and a piece about The Violin shop in Glasgow.
Some of you have been asking about the Petition. There are around 12,500 signatures on it now. Nicol was advised that merely handing in a petition was unlikely to bring results, and so he is busy putting together a programme plan with the help of some people in the know. That should be ready for presentation early in the new year.
The B&F team would like to wish all our readers a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Karin Ingram
Shetland Festival 2002
by Ivor Scollay
The 15th Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival was held on ……………
Class of 2002 (at the RSCDS) – Eilidh Steel
I’m from Helensburgh in Argyll & Bute. My parents have told me……
53rd Perth Festival 2002
by Joe O’Neill
We are three lads from Dublin attending the Perth Accordion Festival and this is what we saw and heard.
It took us 45 minutes to travel from Dublin to Edinburgh, where we hired a car and took a look around Edinburgh as one of our party had not been to this fine city before. The weather was great, lots of sunshine, and we walked up and down The Royal Mile for the exercise and took in a few attractions along the way. At one o’clock we heard a loud bang and were told it was from the Castle cannon, which is fired each day at that time.
On our way to Perth we paid a quick visit to Jimmy Shand Jnr, where I got a copy of the new music book containing 44 original compositions by Sir Jimmy. I knew Sir Jimmy for many years and he composed a tune for our band called The Three Rock in 1984. I also called in to say hello to Sir Jimmy’s widow Anne, who was in fine form.
That evening we arrived in Perth at about 6 p.m., checked into our guesthouse and went for a swim at the Leisure Centre and then a meal in the city. On the morning of Friday 18th we called into Bill Wilkie’s Music shop to check out what was on and where.
We then had a look around Perth and bought as many CDs of Scottish music as we could carry, had dinner at a very nice restaurant and then proceeded to The Salutation Hotel where the pre-festival ceilidh was being held. John Carmichael’s Ceilidh Band was all set up and ready to play when we arrived. The band consisted of John on piano accordion, Alan Kitchen on keyboard, Angie MacEachern on fiddle, Gordon Robertson on drums and Mickie Ainsworth was the MC. It was not long till the floor was full of dancers doing reels, jigs, hornpipes and old time waltzes, which the band played so well. If it was a cold night your feet were sure to be warm.
During the intermission two young accordionists took the stage, namely Matthew MacLennan and David McKenzie on piano accordions with Billy Coburn on drums and Mickie Ainsworth on keyboard. We were entertained to some fine reels, jigs and pipe marches. Laura Jane Rintoul gave a fine selection of Gaelic songs………………….
All Scotland Senior Amateur Traditional Solo (John Crawford Trophy)
1)
2)
3)
All Scotland Open Traditional Accordion Solo Championship (Jimmy Shand Shield)
1) Alan Small (Kinross)
2)
3)
Senior Scottish Dance Band (John Gibson, Ronnie Cooper Trophy)
1)
2)
3)
All Scotland Junior Ceilidh Band (Alex MacArthur Cup)
1) Robert Menzies (Thornhill)
2)
3)
Own Composition (Jimmy Blue Trophy)
1) Perdy Syres-Gibson (Edinburgh)
2)
3)
Scottish Trio (Perth Accordion & Fiddle Club Challenge Cup)
1) Gary Forrest (Jedburgh)
2)
3)
Scottish Traditional Button Key Accordion Solo
1) John Weaks (Glasgow)
2)
3)
Veterans’ Solo (40 and over) (Andrew Rankine Memorial Quaich)
1) Willie Lawrie (Kinlochleven)
2)
3)
Junior Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 16) (Angus Accordion College Challenge Shield)
1) David McKenzie (Dingwall)
2)
3)
Junior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Under 16) (Charlie Cowie Cup)
1) Gary Sutherland (Ladybank)
2)
3)
Senior Ladies Accordion Solo (Jimmy Stephens Silver Salver)
1) Kerry Irvine (Fraserburgh)
2)
3)
Senior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Bill Black Challenge Cup)
1) Gary Forrest (Jedburgh)
2)
3)
Junior Girls Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 16) (Margaret Hendrie Silver Salver)
1) Gemma Coupland (Loanhead)
2)
3)
Scottish Ceilidh Band (Bobby MacLeod Trophy)
1) Gary Forrest (Jedburgh)
2)
3)
Junior Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 12)
1) Gemma Coupland (Loanhead)
2)
3)
FIDDLE CLASSES
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 16) (Albie Tedham Trophy)
1) Kathryn Matthews (turriff)
2)
3)
Junior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (Under 16)
1) Kathryn Matthews (Turriff)
2)
3)
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 12) (Jim Ritchie Challenge Cup)
1) Kerry Alexander (Buckie)
2)
3)
Senior Fiddle Solo (16 and over) (Ian Powrie Cup)
1) Perdy Syres-Gibson (Edinburgh)
2)
3)
Senior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (16 and over)
1) Perdy Syres-Gibson (Edinburgh)
2)
3)
Bob Hobkirk – Obituary ( 1921 - 17/11/2002)
by Karin Ingram
Bob Hobkirk was born in 1921 in Westerkirk, near Langholm. His mother was from Lockerbie, and she played the melodeon, and his father (a piper) came from Eilrig near Roberton and lived in the borders area for most of his life although the family also spent several years in Moffat.
Bob’s father could play a passable slow air on the fiddle, but it wasn’t until Bob was about 14 and heard Jimmy Potts from Ettrick playing that he decided that he would like to learn. He persuaded his sister to buy him a fiddle (costing the princely sum of 25/-) and proved to be a natural. There was always music in the house and Bob also went along to local dances with his parents. He picked up tunes by ear, and once heard, the young Bob rarely forgot them.
Bob said of his first public appearance, “That was at Waterbeck at a Coronation Dance. I was 16 years old and I had no idea what to play for dances, but there was a woman there played the organ at the church and she played the piano as well, so she knew the tunes and I followed on. Of course I had a great memory for tunes, I’d any amount of tunes!”
Bob’s first job was as a shepherd near Teviothead. He met up with another shepherd, Watt Swanson, who played the accordion and Bob joined him to play at the Teviothead and Newmill dances.
When war broke out bob volunteered to join up, but shepherds were scarce and he was told that he had to stay and work on the land. The Borders weren’t as affected by war as some other areas of the country, and Bob was out most weekends playing for dances. He had this to say about traveling to the village halls, “In war time we used bicycles. I had a motorbike and you got about a gallon and a half of petrol a month so you didnae get very far with that and you werenae allowed to take it to dances. You used it, if necessary, for your work, so you used to motor to the nearest place where it was off the road and bring the bike into a shed or something and walk the rest you see. That’s what we had to dae. It was awkward. But most of the time I traveled by bike. Fiddle case in an old legging pulled over the top in case it rained, and that was us, off we went. I mind once coming doon Newmill to play to a dance and I was biking doon by Stobs there and the planes were woo, wooing, (ken that never ending noise of them going over?) and Hawick was all in blackout and we came down and went into The Bridge Bar and everybody was in there. That was the air raid shelter, nae worry about what the bombs were hitting, so we went up to Newmill and came back and they were still going over. There were no bombs dropped but that was the big raid on Clydebank at Glasgow. They were over the next night and a’, that’s where they were going but if we’d shown a light there would have been a bomb dropped. I know there was a bit at Hoscote, over there at a shepherd’s house, somebody had opened the door and the light had been shining out and there had been a bomb dropped and it landed on the hill and did nae harm, but there was quite an explosion.”
In those days dances would go on all night. It was at one such dance at Hyndlee that Bob met Lil, the girl that he was to marry in 1950. She was working in London at the time so their’s was no whirlwind romance – but it lasted a lifetime.
In about 1960 Bob became a waterman at the local filters station that served Hawick and moved to Dodburn with Lil and his son John and daughter Mary. The house had a big wooden-floored room that originally served as the boardroom (for meetings of the Water Committee) and it was just perfect for parties! Said Bob, “We had some big nights. We used to have Burns Nights. At New Year time they a’ came and brought their bottles and stayed a’ night. And Lil made their breakfast before they went away in the morning. There’s naebody got maliciously drunk or anything, they were a’ needing someone to drive the car. We played a’ night and sang and danced”.
Bob was Scottish Fiddle Champion in 1965, ’67 and ’68. At that time he was playing regularly with Eric Goodfellow and Ian (Spud) Thomson in the Trviot Vallry Dance Band. He also played with Jock borthwick, Roger Dobson, Iain MacPhail and Ray Milbourne. He was with Ray’s band for ten or twelve years, until Ray moved down south. During Bob’s lifetime he played at many functions and with many notable musicians, including Yehudi Menuhin when he visited the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh in 1985. (Aly Bain and Ron Gonella also played with them that night). He was in demand for both village hall dances and grander occasions. With Roger Dobson he played at the young Earl of Dalkeith’s wedding when he married Elizabeth Ker, Lord Lothian’s daughter. Lady Lothian also asked him to play at a party at Ferniehurst Castle to celebrate Nigel Tranter’s 80th birthday. For that occasion he wrote a tune – The Voice of Scotland.
In the late ‘70s / early ‘80s Bob visited Russia three times with a group organised by Tommy Kettles. He spoke of his first visit, “The first time we went we landed at Kiev and we were at Leningrad and went right up to Tallin in Estonia. The dances there, we got involved in them. It was very warm up there, It was September and it’s real hot weather in that area for all it’s a bit cold in the winter time. I had the kilt on then, I used to wear the kilt on thae occasions and they was dancing away and suddenly there’s yin o’ the girls came out and pulled somebody in o’ the group and eventually somebody pulled me in. I was getting pushed that way, shoved another way…no idea where I was going!”
For many years Bob was the leader of The Border Strathspey and Reel Society. He struck up an association with the equivalent society in Orkney, and was a frequent visitor there. He was also a regular attendee and judge at the Keith Festival.
Bob retired in 1986 and moved down to the town. The Water Board sold the house with the big party room and there were no more all night music sessions.
In February 1992 Bob was involved in a dreadful car crash when travelling home from playing at a charity event. He was lucky to be alive, but his first words upon regaining conscientiousness were, “Where’s my fiddle?” He spent three months in hospital, and for weeks his family didn’t dare to tell him that his beloved fiddle had been smashed to smithereens. As a result of the accident Bob was struck down with a severe stroke. Again he struggled to survive, and his music seemed to give him the will to live. His favourite tunes were pipe marches, 6/8s and 2/4s for the Barn Dances that he had learned from his father, and gradually through sheer determination he began to play again.
When I worded for The Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust researching traditional dance and dance music in the Borders, Bob was one of the first people that I interviewed. I found him to be a delightful man – full of funny stories and interesting snippets of local information. When we had our first meeting of The Newmill Box and Fiddle Club in March 1999 Bob was there as a supporting player.
In 2000 Dr Fred Freeman produced and compiled a CD entitled Border Fiddles. He used tracks that Bob had recorded at home in 1973, and enhanced two of them with accordion accompaniment from Ian Lowthian. When Fred played the CD to Bob for the first time, his reaction was, “I didnae think I could play that good!” Bob played at the launch of the CD in the Cross Keys in Denholm, along with Jimmy Nagle, Wattie Robson, Iain Fraser and Ian Lowthian.
Bob’s young granddaughter Jane plays the fiddle, but only in the last few months had she been letting him hear her play. Perhaps there will be another well-known borders fiddler by the name of Hobkirk in years to come.
A couple of years ago there was a New Year’s party in Bob and Lil’s old house. The big room rang again to the sound of accordions and fiddles. Bob was in his usual place right in the middle, a dram at his elbow and surrounded by good friends, Eric Goodfellow, Roger Dobson, David Anderson, Drew Dalgleish, Spud Thomson and many other fine musicians. That will be my everlasting memory of a lovely man and a fine fiddler. Lil sat in the corner with a proud smile on her face and she turned to me and said, “You know lass, this is what this house has been waiting for, and it’s as if the years have just rolled back”. I hope there will be many more nights of music and dancing in Filters House – I’ve lived there for five years now….
With thanks to The Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust for permission to use interview quotes.
The Alnwick Northumbrian Gathering
by Karin Ingram
On the second weekend in November the Alnwick Northumbrian Gathering………
Collectors’ Pieces
by Charlie Gore
Charlie Gore edited and published ‘The Scottish Fiddle Music Index’ in 1994. This was the first attempt ever made to index the titles of the 12,000 or so traditional tunes, songs, airs and miscellaneous music published in the printed collections of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The chief value of the Index to researchers, musicians and students of the tradition is that it has made it possible to locate any tune listed and to identify an accessible source for the music (mostly based on collections held at the National Library of Scotland).
The 20th Century
There can be very little disagreement about the state of Scotland’s fiddle tradition when the world went to war in 1939. It was precarious. Skinner had died in 1927, leaving a towering reputation as a performer and composer along with his own music collections – nine bound volumes, a sheaf of sheet music and those priceless early recordings of his, played on a stroh fiddle. These created the link with the older days from whence a handful of players (with Skinner himself to the fore) had carried the flame in changing times – Peter Milne, J. F. Dickie, Hector MacAndrew and the Hardie family. Led by that strong contingent from the north-east, the torch would from thence be in the hands of a few top soloists, such as, in more recent times, Angus Cameron, Ron Gonella, Angus Grant, Douglas Lawrence and Maurice Duncan, the fiddle orchestras and a plethora of accordion led bands. These last were discovering an increasing affection for the true pipe music repertory, a fashion that the fiddlers were not slow to imitate!
The war put a damper on most enterprises not directly connected with the war effort, but when it was over one or two bands still contrived to make the fiddle speak (Tim Wright of Edinburgh was the prime example) offering a bit of variety on a Saturday evening in the fifties. From that period the BBC took a prominent part in the guardianship, if not primarily of the fiddle, at least of traditional dance. When, in the fifties, the newly discovered sounds of the Shetlands and the Irish Ceili Bands exploded onto the folk scene, things were never really to be quite the same again. At the beginning of the sound recording era the term ‘Traditional’ came to mean anything that could be published without undue fear of royalty payments. In the newly created world of international folk music the tag ‘trad. Scottish’ still identifies the odd tune as a survivor from earlier days. Scotland’s fiddle tradition is not, by and large, a recognisable feature of the wider world of contemporary folk music.
It is nevertheless of vital importance to keep the root traditions alive without the use of a life support system. The music itself can be revived at any time. What may prove to be much more difficult will be to find fiddlers who can play it in the older styles and provide the authentic backing for traditional dancing, which is, after all, what most of the music was written for. When the present generation hang up their dancing shoes, will Scottish Country Dancing have gone for ever? It has happened before. During the 19th century the ‘valse’, the polka and the quadrilles quickly put the country dances to flight or banished them to the outer fringes, the ‘farm touns’ and the Highlands. When demand at the Assembly Rooms and public dances picked up again from around the mid-1840s, the publishers were ready, as publishers tend to be, with an answer.
James Spiers Kerr’s ‘Collection of Merry Melodies for the violin’ (Glasgow, from 1875) has been the quintessential source book for country dance music ever since and is still in print! More than 1600 tunes, mostly reels and strathspeys, ‘Specially arranged for the Ballroom’; and ‘Arranged in sets for dancing Reel and Strathspey alternately’. If anybody can tell me why Kerr’s books, and all the other collections of this period, followed this format I would be grateful. Perhaps future generations might want to know the reason for it too. Surenne (in a note on page 1 of his collection) states that the tunes are arranged “….in sets of three, a Reel, Strathspey, and Reel, this being the succession in which they are usually performed’. The ‘Scots Medley’, whatever that may be, appears to have held centre stage!
The ‘Merry Melodies’ have another curious characteristic, shared with other of their ilk. They give no hint whatever as to the source of the music printed in them. It’s easy enough to discover (from original editions) that almost all of it is of a much earlier date, but nevertheless no reference is given – except in a few isolated instances – no source, no publisher, no date. This gives a completely false impression of ‘oneness’…is this music of great antiquity, or brand new? No, it’s ‘traditional’. In such a way the editors were able to write off the whole repertoire (with those few exceptions) as ‘traditional’ in one master stroke, no questions asked. In addition to Kerr, the same applies to all the following :
Joseph Lowe’s ‘Collection of Reels etc’ (1844) Six volumes plus others.
John T. Surenne’s ‘The Dance Music of Scotland’ (1851) 164 pages.
James Stewart Robertson’s ‘Athole Collection’ (1884) 302 pages
Keith Norman MacDonald’s ‘Skye Collection’ (1887) 192 pages (although he does dot the pages with composers’ names where known).
Over 2,000 pieces of music condemned to virtual anonymity! But there was one majoy exception; John Glen, the Edinburgh music collector who delved into the subject most of his life, left us with two volumes of ‘The Dance Music of Scotland’ (1891 and 95) with full attributions, biographies and analysis.
In the 20th century, John Murdoch Henderson (1935) and James Hunter (1979) followed this invaluable practice. There is also just a hint in the introduction to the 1961 edition of Athole. The Royal Scottish Country Dance society has added much research to the subject since its foundation in 1923. Annie Shand and Winifred Bird Matthew were leading contributors. Despite the fact that the international folk movement has tended to bypass the bulk of the real Scottish traditional repertory, more of the old music has been reprinted in the last decade than in the whole of the preceding century. One can’t help wondering for whose benefit this will turn out to be!
I picked these three tunes more or less at random from ‘The Athole Collection’ (870 tunes first published in 1884; reset 1996). Every tune of the period 1780-1830 (and that’s most of the music in Kerr, Athole, Skye, Surenne, etc.) has a story like these to tell, or more so!
Only Glen’s ‘Scottish Dance Music’ (1891-5) makes any attempt to record them :
Mrs Bourke (Reel) Originally ‘Mrs. J. W. Bourke’ in Gow’s Reels Book 4, 1800; no named composer, but that’s not unusual; the publication dates the tune.
Abercairny House (Strathspey/Slow Strathspey) was published in the same year (1792) by Charles Duff (Dundee) and Malcolm MacDonald (Inver), but under two different titles. Who was the composer? My guess would be a third party who may or may not have given it a title – that would account for MacDonald’s ‘Abercairney House’ and Duff’s ‘Mr John Smith’s Strathspey’; both, incidentally marked ‘slow’.
Mrs Christie (Rant/Strathspey) had three distinct personalities
(1) Published by Alexander MacGlashan (Book 3, 1786) and clearly attributed ‘Mrs Christie’s Rant – by Mr Marshall). Nathanial Gow followed suit in 1806 with ‘Mrs Christie. A Strathspey’, but un-attributed (The Complete Repository, Book 3).
(2) Meanwhile the tune appeared as a dance title, ‘Miss Smollet’s Fancy’, in a Broderip & Wilkinson dance manual (No. 8. London, 1800)
(3) Marshall then published it himself in his second collection (1822) using the title ‘Fiddich-side Lasses’ and this was carried through to the ‘Skye Collection’ (1887). Athole (and Kerr) published the tune as ‘Mrs Christie’.
The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2002
by Ian Robertson
On the afternoon of 28th October this event was held in the magnificent setting of Blair Castle ballroom. This competition sponsored by William Grant and Sons, distillers of Glenfiddich Whiskies is by invitation only and is for “the cream of the new generation of players”.
Seven competitors took part and the hall was about three-quarters full, a steady increase from the early days when it was barely half full. This was the 13th Annual Competition and the ‘Glenfiddich’ is now firmly established as Scotland’s premier fiddle competition.
Each competitor was required to play three sets of their own choice in the following categories -
1) Slow air, march, strathspey and reel
2) Slow strathspey, hornpipe and jig
3) A set of four tunes of any kind composed by Peter Milne
Prizes were ; 1st – the specially commissioned Glenfiddich Trophy, a silver quaich and £250, 2nd - £150 and 3rd - £100
The adjudicators were Peter Zanre, Bill Cook and Paul Anderson. Fear an Tighe was Robbie shepherd, who ensured that all went smoothly.
As usual, the standard of playing was very high, but this year I thought the difference between the top and the bottom players was closer than it had ever been. Any one of them would have been a worthy winner of the trophy. All the competitors were classically trained musicians, so it could be assumed that there would be no problems with technique. All played in the ‘north-east style’ of Hector MAcAndrew as carried into the 21st century by such as Douglas Lawrence and Paul Anderson. At the end of the day it all hinged on the personal interpretation of the tunes by the players. The choice of Peter Milne as this year’s ‘set’ composer was interesting, as he has not so many well-known published tunes as others such as Skinner and Marshall. Having said that, what he has in print is second to none. Inevitably some favourites were played by the competitors, Tarland Memories, The Countess of Crawford and possibly Milne’s best known composition, John McNeil’s Reel were all played a few times. John McNeil’s Reel is well-known as the chosen original tune for the dance ‘Cadgers in the Canongate’ in RSCDS Book 9 and is also much played across the Atlantic under the title Big John McNeil.
All players performed without written music and there was no amplification except for the announcements. The winner this year was Ruaridh Campbell, accompanied by Morag McAskill. Originally from Callander, now Glasgow, this was Ruaridh’s fourth appearance at the Glenfiddich. He is studying classical music at Strathclyde University and was played third in the 2000 and 2001 events, winning the Charles Gore prize in 1999. In January he was a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Of The Year competition. He was the winner of the 2002 Highlands and Islands Fiddle Master Competition, and has just recorded an album with accordionist Angus Lyon.
Ruaridh’s performance was characterized by a well-chosen selection of tunes and a complete mastery of all the various idioms. Second prize went to Christine Legge, accompanied by Duncan Black. Originally from Montrose and now based in Edinburgh, Christine is a graduate of The Royal College of Music, London, where she attained a B.Mus (Hons) and Dip RCM teaching diploma. She has played with several classical orchestras but is best known to the Box and Fiddle world as fiddler in the Jim Johnstone SDB. What I liked about Christine’s performance was the way she filled the hall with a rich full-bodied sound. She had great stage presence and really looked as if she was enjoying herself.
Third prize went to Ingrid Hammond, accompanied by Gill Simpson. Another first time entrant, Ingrid, is a student at St Andrews University. She is a member of the University Chamber Orchestra and is Leader of The Tayside Young Fiddlers. She won the Under-18 competitions for both fiddle and piano at the 2001 Mod and has won competitions at Oban, Perth, Musselburgh and Kirriemuir. Ingrid was the only player who stood ‘side-on’ to the audience. This ensures that most of the fiddle sound goes into the auditorium, rather than escaping out to the side, especially when there is no amplification.
A special prize of his book ‘The Scots Fiddle Index’ has been presented annually, since 1994, by Charlie Gore, writer of the fascinating series on the old fiddle composers currently running in the Box and Fiddle. This is awarded to the most promising player not on the prize list, and this year it went to Stuart Robertson form Alford who was accompanied by Margaret Smith.
Other competitors were Perdy Syres-Gibson accompanied by Joan Blue (Perdy won at Perth the previous day), Graeme Davidson from Banchory who was accompanied by his grandmother, Margaret Smith, and Erin Smith from Aberdeen who was accompanied by Joan Blue. Although only 14 years old, Erin seems to have been competing at the top level forever. A future Glenfiddich Champion, I predict.
While the judges were making their final decisions all the players came on stage and played some well-known tunes in the form of a stramash.
Peter Zanre came on stage and summed up the afternoon’s performances on behalf of the judges. To round off the afternoon Sandy Grant Gordon, a member of the Grant family, presented the prizes and thanked all concerned.
On the way out, each member of the audience was presented with a 50ml miniature of 12-year-old Glenfiddich Special Reserve single malt Scotch whisky.
Next year’s event will be held on Sunday, 2nd November, owing to the last Sunday in October falling early in the month.
Dufftown Dancers
by Heather McLean
During the weekend of 11th / 13th October 2002, more than 200 dancers gathered in The Memorial Hall to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Dufftown Scottish Country Dance club (incorporating Old Time Dance). They had come from all over the country, from Shetland, Newcastle, Dumbarton, Fort William, the Borders and Alva, and all places in between! Club members and friends spent Thursday evening decorating the hall and Mrs Stephen created beautiful floral arrangements.
There was a Scottish Country Dance on the Friday evening, with music from the brilliant Colin Dewar SDB. Colin was on lead accordion, Alasdair MacLeod on second box, Dennis Morrison on keyboard and Ally McIntryre on drums. Until 1982 the class teacher was Sandra French who, although now living in Glenrothes, managed to travel up for the celebrations. The current teacher and secretary ‘Queen of the Dance’ Jessie Stewart was, of course, the life and soul of the party as usual!
In 1989 Jessie initiated a revival of Old Time Dancing at the Club, and the Saturday night dance, again with Colin and his Band, included such favourites as the Boston Two-Step and the Mississippi Dip, as well as some not so familiar, like The Yearning Saunter and the Waltz of Britain.
Hebbie Gray composed a wonderful tune, The Dufftown Twirl and dedicated it to Jessie. It was used as the original for a dance written by 16-year-old Gary Coull, entitled ‘Dufftown’s 50th’.
The anniversary cake was cut by Miss Edith Duncan, who was the first Club member, having paid her subscription of 10/- on 10th October 1952. Since 1978 the club has helped many charities, raising over £18,000.
The Club continues to go from strength to strength, with 24 children in the junior class, which bodes well for the future.
Here’s to the next 50 years!
The Piping Shrike
by Jean Lumsden
Well, spring has come to South Australia…………………………
Greeting from Inverness
by Margo MacLennan
On driving through to Aberdeen on Sunday…………………..
CD Reviews
Making Tracks – The Lomond Ceilidh Band – LCRCD3 – Independent
Dancers choice 1 – Marian Anderson SDB – Highlander Music
Book Review
The Greenlea Collection – Donald Ridley – Deeay Music
Take the Floor – Saturdays with Robbie Shepherd
7th Dec 02 – Jimmy Lindsay SDB + composer feature on Iain MacPhail
14th Dec 02 – The Lothian SDB + feature on RSCDS Overseas Branches
21st Dec 02 – Wayne Robertson SDB + feature on Broadcasting Bands of the Past – Ian Powrie
28th Dec 02 – Ian Thomson SDB + Concert Set – Fiddlers Bid live in The Queens Hall
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Westburn Park Lounge) – 17th Dec 02 – Christmas Buffet Dance with Dick Black SDB
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle) 11th Dec 02 – Christmas Party – Local Artistes
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 15th Dec 02 – Christmas Dinner Dance with Ian Rankine
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 1st Dec 02 – Club night
29th Dec 02 – Lindsay Weir Trio
Armadale (Masonic Hall) – 5th Dec 02 – Jim Cleland Band
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) – 15th Dec 02 – Ian Muir Trio
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 30th Dec 02 – Bill Black SDB (Special Christmas Night)
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 18th Dec 02 – Garioch Blend (Christmas Ceilidh Dance)
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) – 16th Dec 02 – Sandy Nixon SDB
Belford (Community Centre) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) – 8th Dec 02 – Neil Hardie SDB
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 10th Dec 02 – Give Way
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) - 10th Dec 02 – Alastair Cameron
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 12th Dec 02 – Players Open night
Campbeltown (The Royal Hotel) -
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) - 3rd Dec 02 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary’s Social Club) - 5th Dec 02 – Ronmar Accordion Concert Orchestra
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 6th Dec 02 – Dance to Ian Cruickshanks SDB
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) - 19th Dec 02 – Willie McFarlane Band
Crathes (Crathes Hall, Banchory) - 8th Dec 02 – All musicians welcome
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel) 5th Dec 02 – Lomond Ceilidh Band
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club) 1th Dec 02 – Jim Lindsay Trio
Dalriada (Argyll Arms Hotel, Lochgilphead)
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 4th Dec 02 – Daniel MacPhee
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 18th Dec 02 – Willie Simpson Duo
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) – 10th Dec 02 – John Morgan
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
East Kilbride (The Village Inn) –
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 6th Dec 02 – Annual Dinner Dance
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) – 23rd Dec 02 – Charlie Kirkpatrick SDB
Forfar (Plough Inn) -
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 11th Dec 02 – David Bowen Trio
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) – 5th Dec 02 – David Patrick
Galston (Barr Castle Social Club) – 9th Dec 02 – Marie Fielding, Alison smith & Alan Kitchen
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel, Wooler) – 19th Dec 02 – Bill Black SDB
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 4th Dec 02 – John Stuart Trio
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 17th Dec 02 – Willie McFarlane Band
Gretna (Halcrow Stadium) - 1st Dec 02 – Jimmy Cassidy
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) – 16th Dec 02 – Colin Dewar
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) - 11th Dec 02 – Gordon Pattullo
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) - 6th Dec 02 – Annual Buffet Dance with the Black Rose C.B.
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) – 3rd Dec 02 – Gordon Pattullo
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) – 18th Dec 02 – Brian Griffin Duo
Kintore (Torryburn Hotel) – 4th Dec 02 – James Coutts
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 21st Dec 02 – Christmas Dance to Roger Dobson SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) – 11th Dec 02 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 12th Dec 02 – Seamus O’Sullivan
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 5th Dec 02 – Iain J. MacDonald Trio
20th Dec 02 – Christmas Dance with the Colin Dewar SDB
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) - 17th Dec 02 – Donald MacLeod Trio
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (The Ship Inn) -
Newmill-on-Teviot (Newmill Country Inn) - 4th Dec 02 – Gordon Pattullo
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 7th Dec 02 – Supper Dance with the Waverley SDB
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (McTavish’s Kitchen) – 5th Dec 02 – Lindsay Weir SDB
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Green Tree Hotel) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) –
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) - 3rd Dec 02 – Robert Watt & Emma Culbert
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) – 10th Dec 02 – Iain Anderson Trio
Rothbury (Queen’s Head) - 5th Dec 02 – Alistair McCulloch Duo
Selkirk (Cricket Club) - 12th Dec 02 – David Scott
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) - 12th Dec 02 – Local Night
Stirling (Terraces Hotel) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Masonic Hall) - 10th Dec 02 - Ceilidh
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) – 9th Dec 02 – David Bowen Trio
Turriff (Royal British Legion) – 5th Dec 02 – Ian Cruickshanks SDB
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn) 12th Dec 02 – Club Night
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 17th Dec 02 – Bill & Ena Brian
Yarrow (Gordon Arms) -
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Alnwick & District
3. Arbroath
4. Balloch
5. Banchory
6. Beith & District
7. Belford
8. Biggar
9. Blairgowrie
10. Campsie
11. Carlisle
12. Coalburn
13. Crieff
14. Dingwall
15. Dunfermline
16. East Kilbride
17. Ellon
18. Fintry
19. Forfar
20. Galashiels
21. Galston
22. Glendale
23. Glenrothes & District
24. Gretna
25. Inveraray
26. Islesteps
27. Kintore
28. Lanark
29. Langholm
30. Lesmahagow
31. Lewis & Harris
32. Livingston
33. Lockerbie
34. Montrose
35. Newburgh
36. Newmill
37. Newtongrange
38. North East
39. Oban
40. Orkney
41. Peebles
42. Perth
43. Premier
44. Renfrew
45. Rothbury
46. Shetland
47. Thornhill
48. Thurso
49. Turriff
50. Tynedale
51. West Barnes
52. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2002
(Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports or in the Club Diary above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975 – present)
2. Alnwick A&F Club (Aug 1975 – present)
3. Annan A&F Club (joined Assoc in 1996 but started 1985 – present)
4. Arbroath A&F Club (1991? – present)
5. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Closed
6. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
7. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
8. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
9. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
10. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
11. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
12. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
13. Bromley A&F Club
14. Button Key A&F Club (
15. Campbeltown A&F Club (
16. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
17. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
18. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
19. Coalburn A&F Club (
20. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
21. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
22. Cults A & F Club (
23. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
24. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
25. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
26. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
27. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
28. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
29. Ellon A&F Club (
30. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
31. Forfar A&F Club (
32. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
33. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
34. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
35. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
36. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
37. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
38. Gretna A&F Club (1991) Known as North Cumbria A&F Club previously (originally called Gretna when started in June 1966 but later had to move to venues in the North of England and changed name. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
39. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
40. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
41. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
42. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
43. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
44. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
45. Kintore A&F Club (
46. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed
47. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – present)
48. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
49. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
50. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
51. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
52. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
53. Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
54. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
55. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
56. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
57. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999
58. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
59. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
60. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
61. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
62. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
63. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
64. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
65. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
66. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
67. Selkirk A&F Club (
68. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
69. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 - )
70. Sutherland A&F Club (
71. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
72. Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
73. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
74. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
75. Vancouver
76. West Barnes ( - present)
77. Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975 - present)
78. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – )
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
79. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
80. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
81. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
82. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
83. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
84. Buchan A&F Club
85. Callander A&F Club (
86. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
87. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
88. Club Accord
89. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
90. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
91. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
92. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
93. Derwentside A&F Club
94. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
95. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
96. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
97. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? – 1995?)
98. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
99. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
100. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
101. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
102. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
103. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
104. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
105. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
106. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
107. Mull A&F Club
108. Newcastleton Accordion Club
109. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
110. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
111. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
112. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
113. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
114. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
115. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
116. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
117. Tranent A&F Club
118. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
119. Wellbank A&F Club
Advertising rates
Full Page - £120
Half Page - £60
Quarter Page - £30
B&F Treasurer – Charlie Todd, Thankerton
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
I can’t believe that it’s almost Christmas time already – I haven’t even bought my cards, let alone written them!
Yet again the B&F is full to overflowing. Rather than omit photographs, or edit text, we decided to hold back Bill Black’s Stanley Ceilidh write-up until next month. Believe me, it’s worth waiting for! We also have an interesting article about the Campsie club Workshop, and a piece about The Violin shop in Glasgow.
Some of you have been asking about the Petition. There are around 12,500 signatures on it now. Nicol was advised that merely handing in a petition was unlikely to bring results, and so he is busy putting together a programme plan with the help of some people in the know. That should be ready for presentation early in the new year.
The B&F team would like to wish all our readers a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Karin Ingram
Shetland Festival 2002
by Ivor Scollay
The 15th Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival was held on ……………
Class of 2002 (at the RSCDS) – Eilidh Steel
I’m from Helensburgh in Argyll & Bute. My parents have told me……
53rd Perth Festival 2002
by Joe O’Neill
We are three lads from Dublin attending the Perth Accordion Festival and this is what we saw and heard.
It took us 45 minutes to travel from Dublin to Edinburgh, where we hired a car and took a look around Edinburgh as one of our party had not been to this fine city before. The weather was great, lots of sunshine, and we walked up and down The Royal Mile for the exercise and took in a few attractions along the way. At one o’clock we heard a loud bang and were told it was from the Castle cannon, which is fired each day at that time.
On our way to Perth we paid a quick visit to Jimmy Shand Jnr, where I got a copy of the new music book containing 44 original compositions by Sir Jimmy. I knew Sir Jimmy for many years and he composed a tune for our band called The Three Rock in 1984. I also called in to say hello to Sir Jimmy’s widow Anne, who was in fine form.
That evening we arrived in Perth at about 6 p.m., checked into our guesthouse and went for a swim at the Leisure Centre and then a meal in the city. On the morning of Friday 18th we called into Bill Wilkie’s Music shop to check out what was on and where.
We then had a look around Perth and bought as many CDs of Scottish music as we could carry, had dinner at a very nice restaurant and then proceeded to The Salutation Hotel where the pre-festival ceilidh was being held. John Carmichael’s Ceilidh Band was all set up and ready to play when we arrived. The band consisted of John on piano accordion, Alan Kitchen on keyboard, Angie MacEachern on fiddle, Gordon Robertson on drums and Mickie Ainsworth was the MC. It was not long till the floor was full of dancers doing reels, jigs, hornpipes and old time waltzes, which the band played so well. If it was a cold night your feet were sure to be warm.
During the intermission two young accordionists took the stage, namely Matthew MacLennan and David McKenzie on piano accordions with Billy Coburn on drums and Mickie Ainsworth on keyboard. We were entertained to some fine reels, jigs and pipe marches. Laura Jane Rintoul gave a fine selection of Gaelic songs………………….
All Scotland Senior Amateur Traditional Solo (John Crawford Trophy)
1)
2)
3)
All Scotland Open Traditional Accordion Solo Championship (Jimmy Shand Shield)
1) Alan Small (Kinross)
2)
3)
Senior Scottish Dance Band (John Gibson, Ronnie Cooper Trophy)
1)
2)
3)
All Scotland Junior Ceilidh Band (Alex MacArthur Cup)
1) Robert Menzies (Thornhill)
2)
3)
Own Composition (Jimmy Blue Trophy)
1) Perdy Syres-Gibson (Edinburgh)
2)
3)
Scottish Trio (Perth Accordion & Fiddle Club Challenge Cup)
1) Gary Forrest (Jedburgh)
2)
3)
Scottish Traditional Button Key Accordion Solo
1) John Weaks (Glasgow)
2)
3)
Veterans’ Solo (40 and over) (Andrew Rankine Memorial Quaich)
1) Willie Lawrie (Kinlochleven)
2)
3)
Junior Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 16) (Angus Accordion College Challenge Shield)
1) David McKenzie (Dingwall)
2)
3)
Junior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Under 16) (Charlie Cowie Cup)
1) Gary Sutherland (Ladybank)
2)
3)
Senior Ladies Accordion Solo (Jimmy Stephens Silver Salver)
1) Kerry Irvine (Fraserburgh)
2)
3)
Senior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Bill Black Challenge Cup)
1) Gary Forrest (Jedburgh)
2)
3)
Junior Girls Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 16) (Margaret Hendrie Silver Salver)
1) Gemma Coupland (Loanhead)
2)
3)
Scottish Ceilidh Band (Bobby MacLeod Trophy)
1) Gary Forrest (Jedburgh)
2)
3)
Junior Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 12)
1) Gemma Coupland (Loanhead)
2)
3)
FIDDLE CLASSES
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 16) (Albie Tedham Trophy)
1) Kathryn Matthews (turriff)
2)
3)
Junior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (Under 16)
1) Kathryn Matthews (Turriff)
2)
3)
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 12) (Jim Ritchie Challenge Cup)
1) Kerry Alexander (Buckie)
2)
3)
Senior Fiddle Solo (16 and over) (Ian Powrie Cup)
1) Perdy Syres-Gibson (Edinburgh)
2)
3)
Senior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (16 and over)
1) Perdy Syres-Gibson (Edinburgh)
2)
3)
Bob Hobkirk – Obituary ( 1921 - 17/11/2002)
by Karin Ingram
Bob Hobkirk was born in 1921 in Westerkirk, near Langholm. His mother was from Lockerbie, and she played the melodeon, and his father (a piper) came from Eilrig near Roberton and lived in the borders area for most of his life although the family also spent several years in Moffat.
Bob’s father could play a passable slow air on the fiddle, but it wasn’t until Bob was about 14 and heard Jimmy Potts from Ettrick playing that he decided that he would like to learn. He persuaded his sister to buy him a fiddle (costing the princely sum of 25/-) and proved to be a natural. There was always music in the house and Bob also went along to local dances with his parents. He picked up tunes by ear, and once heard, the young Bob rarely forgot them.
Bob said of his first public appearance, “That was at Waterbeck at a Coronation Dance. I was 16 years old and I had no idea what to play for dances, but there was a woman there played the organ at the church and she played the piano as well, so she knew the tunes and I followed on. Of course I had a great memory for tunes, I’d any amount of tunes!”
Bob’s first job was as a shepherd near Teviothead. He met up with another shepherd, Watt Swanson, who played the accordion and Bob joined him to play at the Teviothead and Newmill dances.
When war broke out bob volunteered to join up, but shepherds were scarce and he was told that he had to stay and work on the land. The Borders weren’t as affected by war as some other areas of the country, and Bob was out most weekends playing for dances. He had this to say about traveling to the village halls, “In war time we used bicycles. I had a motorbike and you got about a gallon and a half of petrol a month so you didnae get very far with that and you werenae allowed to take it to dances. You used it, if necessary, for your work, so you used to motor to the nearest place where it was off the road and bring the bike into a shed or something and walk the rest you see. That’s what we had to dae. It was awkward. But most of the time I traveled by bike. Fiddle case in an old legging pulled over the top in case it rained, and that was us, off we went. I mind once coming doon Newmill to play to a dance and I was biking doon by Stobs there and the planes were woo, wooing, (ken that never ending noise of them going over?) and Hawick was all in blackout and we came down and went into The Bridge Bar and everybody was in there. That was the air raid shelter, nae worry about what the bombs were hitting, so we went up to Newmill and came back and they were still going over. There were no bombs dropped but that was the big raid on Clydebank at Glasgow. They were over the next night and a’, that’s where they were going but if we’d shown a light there would have been a bomb dropped. I know there was a bit at Hoscote, over there at a shepherd’s house, somebody had opened the door and the light had been shining out and there had been a bomb dropped and it landed on the hill and did nae harm, but there was quite an explosion.”
In those days dances would go on all night. It was at one such dance at Hyndlee that Bob met Lil, the girl that he was to marry in 1950. She was working in London at the time so their’s was no whirlwind romance – but it lasted a lifetime.
In about 1960 Bob became a waterman at the local filters station that served Hawick and moved to Dodburn with Lil and his son John and daughter Mary. The house had a big wooden-floored room that originally served as the boardroom (for meetings of the Water Committee) and it was just perfect for parties! Said Bob, “We had some big nights. We used to have Burns Nights. At New Year time they a’ came and brought their bottles and stayed a’ night. And Lil made their breakfast before they went away in the morning. There’s naebody got maliciously drunk or anything, they were a’ needing someone to drive the car. We played a’ night and sang and danced”.
Bob was Scottish Fiddle Champion in 1965, ’67 and ’68. At that time he was playing regularly with Eric Goodfellow and Ian (Spud) Thomson in the Trviot Vallry Dance Band. He also played with Jock borthwick, Roger Dobson, Iain MacPhail and Ray Milbourne. He was with Ray’s band for ten or twelve years, until Ray moved down south. During Bob’s lifetime he played at many functions and with many notable musicians, including Yehudi Menuhin when he visited the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh in 1985. (Aly Bain and Ron Gonella also played with them that night). He was in demand for both village hall dances and grander occasions. With Roger Dobson he played at the young Earl of Dalkeith’s wedding when he married Elizabeth Ker, Lord Lothian’s daughter. Lady Lothian also asked him to play at a party at Ferniehurst Castle to celebrate Nigel Tranter’s 80th birthday. For that occasion he wrote a tune – The Voice of Scotland.
In the late ‘70s / early ‘80s Bob visited Russia three times with a group organised by Tommy Kettles. He spoke of his first visit, “The first time we went we landed at Kiev and we were at Leningrad and went right up to Tallin in Estonia. The dances there, we got involved in them. It was very warm up there, It was September and it’s real hot weather in that area for all it’s a bit cold in the winter time. I had the kilt on then, I used to wear the kilt on thae occasions and they was dancing away and suddenly there’s yin o’ the girls came out and pulled somebody in o’ the group and eventually somebody pulled me in. I was getting pushed that way, shoved another way…no idea where I was going!”
For many years Bob was the leader of The Border Strathspey and Reel Society. He struck up an association with the equivalent society in Orkney, and was a frequent visitor there. He was also a regular attendee and judge at the Keith Festival.
Bob retired in 1986 and moved down to the town. The Water Board sold the house with the big party room and there were no more all night music sessions.
In February 1992 Bob was involved in a dreadful car crash when travelling home from playing at a charity event. He was lucky to be alive, but his first words upon regaining conscientiousness were, “Where’s my fiddle?” He spent three months in hospital, and for weeks his family didn’t dare to tell him that his beloved fiddle had been smashed to smithereens. As a result of the accident Bob was struck down with a severe stroke. Again he struggled to survive, and his music seemed to give him the will to live. His favourite tunes were pipe marches, 6/8s and 2/4s for the Barn Dances that he had learned from his father, and gradually through sheer determination he began to play again.
When I worded for The Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust researching traditional dance and dance music in the Borders, Bob was one of the first people that I interviewed. I found him to be a delightful man – full of funny stories and interesting snippets of local information. When we had our first meeting of The Newmill Box and Fiddle Club in March 1999 Bob was there as a supporting player.
In 2000 Dr Fred Freeman produced and compiled a CD entitled Border Fiddles. He used tracks that Bob had recorded at home in 1973, and enhanced two of them with accordion accompaniment from Ian Lowthian. When Fred played the CD to Bob for the first time, his reaction was, “I didnae think I could play that good!” Bob played at the launch of the CD in the Cross Keys in Denholm, along with Jimmy Nagle, Wattie Robson, Iain Fraser and Ian Lowthian.
Bob’s young granddaughter Jane plays the fiddle, but only in the last few months had she been letting him hear her play. Perhaps there will be another well-known borders fiddler by the name of Hobkirk in years to come.
A couple of years ago there was a New Year’s party in Bob and Lil’s old house. The big room rang again to the sound of accordions and fiddles. Bob was in his usual place right in the middle, a dram at his elbow and surrounded by good friends, Eric Goodfellow, Roger Dobson, David Anderson, Drew Dalgleish, Spud Thomson and many other fine musicians. That will be my everlasting memory of a lovely man and a fine fiddler. Lil sat in the corner with a proud smile on her face and she turned to me and said, “You know lass, this is what this house has been waiting for, and it’s as if the years have just rolled back”. I hope there will be many more nights of music and dancing in Filters House – I’ve lived there for five years now….
With thanks to The Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust for permission to use interview quotes.
The Alnwick Northumbrian Gathering
by Karin Ingram
On the second weekend in November the Alnwick Northumbrian Gathering………
Collectors’ Pieces
by Charlie Gore
Charlie Gore edited and published ‘The Scottish Fiddle Music Index’ in 1994. This was the first attempt ever made to index the titles of the 12,000 or so traditional tunes, songs, airs and miscellaneous music published in the printed collections of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The chief value of the Index to researchers, musicians and students of the tradition is that it has made it possible to locate any tune listed and to identify an accessible source for the music (mostly based on collections held at the National Library of Scotland).
The 20th Century
There can be very little disagreement about the state of Scotland’s fiddle tradition when the world went to war in 1939. It was precarious. Skinner had died in 1927, leaving a towering reputation as a performer and composer along with his own music collections – nine bound volumes, a sheaf of sheet music and those priceless early recordings of his, played on a stroh fiddle. These created the link with the older days from whence a handful of players (with Skinner himself to the fore) had carried the flame in changing times – Peter Milne, J. F. Dickie, Hector MacAndrew and the Hardie family. Led by that strong contingent from the north-east, the torch would from thence be in the hands of a few top soloists, such as, in more recent times, Angus Cameron, Ron Gonella, Angus Grant, Douglas Lawrence and Maurice Duncan, the fiddle orchestras and a plethora of accordion led bands. These last were discovering an increasing affection for the true pipe music repertory, a fashion that the fiddlers were not slow to imitate!
The war put a damper on most enterprises not directly connected with the war effort, but when it was over one or two bands still contrived to make the fiddle speak (Tim Wright of Edinburgh was the prime example) offering a bit of variety on a Saturday evening in the fifties. From that period the BBC took a prominent part in the guardianship, if not primarily of the fiddle, at least of traditional dance. When, in the fifties, the newly discovered sounds of the Shetlands and the Irish Ceili Bands exploded onto the folk scene, things were never really to be quite the same again. At the beginning of the sound recording era the term ‘Traditional’ came to mean anything that could be published without undue fear of royalty payments. In the newly created world of international folk music the tag ‘trad. Scottish’ still identifies the odd tune as a survivor from earlier days. Scotland’s fiddle tradition is not, by and large, a recognisable feature of the wider world of contemporary folk music.
It is nevertheless of vital importance to keep the root traditions alive without the use of a life support system. The music itself can be revived at any time. What may prove to be much more difficult will be to find fiddlers who can play it in the older styles and provide the authentic backing for traditional dancing, which is, after all, what most of the music was written for. When the present generation hang up their dancing shoes, will Scottish Country Dancing have gone for ever? It has happened before. During the 19th century the ‘valse’, the polka and the quadrilles quickly put the country dances to flight or banished them to the outer fringes, the ‘farm touns’ and the Highlands. When demand at the Assembly Rooms and public dances picked up again from around the mid-1840s, the publishers were ready, as publishers tend to be, with an answer.
James Spiers Kerr’s ‘Collection of Merry Melodies for the violin’ (Glasgow, from 1875) has been the quintessential source book for country dance music ever since and is still in print! More than 1600 tunes, mostly reels and strathspeys, ‘Specially arranged for the Ballroom’; and ‘Arranged in sets for dancing Reel and Strathspey alternately’. If anybody can tell me why Kerr’s books, and all the other collections of this period, followed this format I would be grateful. Perhaps future generations might want to know the reason for it too. Surenne (in a note on page 1 of his collection) states that the tunes are arranged “….in sets of three, a Reel, Strathspey, and Reel, this being the succession in which they are usually performed’. The ‘Scots Medley’, whatever that may be, appears to have held centre stage!
The ‘Merry Melodies’ have another curious characteristic, shared with other of their ilk. They give no hint whatever as to the source of the music printed in them. It’s easy enough to discover (from original editions) that almost all of it is of a much earlier date, but nevertheless no reference is given – except in a few isolated instances – no source, no publisher, no date. This gives a completely false impression of ‘oneness’…is this music of great antiquity, or brand new? No, it’s ‘traditional’. In such a way the editors were able to write off the whole repertoire (with those few exceptions) as ‘traditional’ in one master stroke, no questions asked. In addition to Kerr, the same applies to all the following :
Joseph Lowe’s ‘Collection of Reels etc’ (1844) Six volumes plus others.
John T. Surenne’s ‘The Dance Music of Scotland’ (1851) 164 pages.
James Stewart Robertson’s ‘Athole Collection’ (1884) 302 pages
Keith Norman MacDonald’s ‘Skye Collection’ (1887) 192 pages (although he does dot the pages with composers’ names where known).
Over 2,000 pieces of music condemned to virtual anonymity! But there was one majoy exception; John Glen, the Edinburgh music collector who delved into the subject most of his life, left us with two volumes of ‘The Dance Music of Scotland’ (1891 and 95) with full attributions, biographies and analysis.
In the 20th century, John Murdoch Henderson (1935) and James Hunter (1979) followed this invaluable practice. There is also just a hint in the introduction to the 1961 edition of Athole. The Royal Scottish Country Dance society has added much research to the subject since its foundation in 1923. Annie Shand and Winifred Bird Matthew were leading contributors. Despite the fact that the international folk movement has tended to bypass the bulk of the real Scottish traditional repertory, more of the old music has been reprinted in the last decade than in the whole of the preceding century. One can’t help wondering for whose benefit this will turn out to be!
I picked these three tunes more or less at random from ‘The Athole Collection’ (870 tunes first published in 1884; reset 1996). Every tune of the period 1780-1830 (and that’s most of the music in Kerr, Athole, Skye, Surenne, etc.) has a story like these to tell, or more so!
Only Glen’s ‘Scottish Dance Music’ (1891-5) makes any attempt to record them :
Mrs Bourke (Reel) Originally ‘Mrs. J. W. Bourke’ in Gow’s Reels Book 4, 1800; no named composer, but that’s not unusual; the publication dates the tune.
Abercairny House (Strathspey/Slow Strathspey) was published in the same year (1792) by Charles Duff (Dundee) and Malcolm MacDonald (Inver), but under two different titles. Who was the composer? My guess would be a third party who may or may not have given it a title – that would account for MacDonald’s ‘Abercairney House’ and Duff’s ‘Mr John Smith’s Strathspey’; both, incidentally marked ‘slow’.
Mrs Christie (Rant/Strathspey) had three distinct personalities
(1) Published by Alexander MacGlashan (Book 3, 1786) and clearly attributed ‘Mrs Christie’s Rant – by Mr Marshall). Nathanial Gow followed suit in 1806 with ‘Mrs Christie. A Strathspey’, but un-attributed (The Complete Repository, Book 3).
(2) Meanwhile the tune appeared as a dance title, ‘Miss Smollet’s Fancy’, in a Broderip & Wilkinson dance manual (No. 8. London, 1800)
(3) Marshall then published it himself in his second collection (1822) using the title ‘Fiddich-side Lasses’ and this was carried through to the ‘Skye Collection’ (1887). Athole (and Kerr) published the tune as ‘Mrs Christie’.
The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship 2002
by Ian Robertson
On the afternoon of 28th October this event was held in the magnificent setting of Blair Castle ballroom. This competition sponsored by William Grant and Sons, distillers of Glenfiddich Whiskies is by invitation only and is for “the cream of the new generation of players”.
Seven competitors took part and the hall was about three-quarters full, a steady increase from the early days when it was barely half full. This was the 13th Annual Competition and the ‘Glenfiddich’ is now firmly established as Scotland’s premier fiddle competition.
Each competitor was required to play three sets of their own choice in the following categories -
1) Slow air, march, strathspey and reel
2) Slow strathspey, hornpipe and jig
3) A set of four tunes of any kind composed by Peter Milne
Prizes were ; 1st – the specially commissioned Glenfiddich Trophy, a silver quaich and £250, 2nd - £150 and 3rd - £100
The adjudicators were Peter Zanre, Bill Cook and Paul Anderson. Fear an Tighe was Robbie shepherd, who ensured that all went smoothly.
As usual, the standard of playing was very high, but this year I thought the difference between the top and the bottom players was closer than it had ever been. Any one of them would have been a worthy winner of the trophy. All the competitors were classically trained musicians, so it could be assumed that there would be no problems with technique. All played in the ‘north-east style’ of Hector MAcAndrew as carried into the 21st century by such as Douglas Lawrence and Paul Anderson. At the end of the day it all hinged on the personal interpretation of the tunes by the players. The choice of Peter Milne as this year’s ‘set’ composer was interesting, as he has not so many well-known published tunes as others such as Skinner and Marshall. Having said that, what he has in print is second to none. Inevitably some favourites were played by the competitors, Tarland Memories, The Countess of Crawford and possibly Milne’s best known composition, John McNeil’s Reel were all played a few times. John McNeil’s Reel is well-known as the chosen original tune for the dance ‘Cadgers in the Canongate’ in RSCDS Book 9 and is also much played across the Atlantic under the title Big John McNeil.
All players performed without written music and there was no amplification except for the announcements. The winner this year was Ruaridh Campbell, accompanied by Morag McAskill. Originally from Callander, now Glasgow, this was Ruaridh’s fourth appearance at the Glenfiddich. He is studying classical music at Strathclyde University and was played third in the 2000 and 2001 events, winning the Charles Gore prize in 1999. In January he was a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Of The Year competition. He was the winner of the 2002 Highlands and Islands Fiddle Master Competition, and has just recorded an album with accordionist Angus Lyon.
Ruaridh’s performance was characterized by a well-chosen selection of tunes and a complete mastery of all the various idioms. Second prize went to Christine Legge, accompanied by Duncan Black. Originally from Montrose and now based in Edinburgh, Christine is a graduate of The Royal College of Music, London, where she attained a B.Mus (Hons) and Dip RCM teaching diploma. She has played with several classical orchestras but is best known to the Box and Fiddle world as fiddler in the Jim Johnstone SDB. What I liked about Christine’s performance was the way she filled the hall with a rich full-bodied sound. She had great stage presence and really looked as if she was enjoying herself.
Third prize went to Ingrid Hammond, accompanied by Gill Simpson. Another first time entrant, Ingrid, is a student at St Andrews University. She is a member of the University Chamber Orchestra and is Leader of The Tayside Young Fiddlers. She won the Under-18 competitions for both fiddle and piano at the 2001 Mod and has won competitions at Oban, Perth, Musselburgh and Kirriemuir. Ingrid was the only player who stood ‘side-on’ to the audience. This ensures that most of the fiddle sound goes into the auditorium, rather than escaping out to the side, especially when there is no amplification.
A special prize of his book ‘The Scots Fiddle Index’ has been presented annually, since 1994, by Charlie Gore, writer of the fascinating series on the old fiddle composers currently running in the Box and Fiddle. This is awarded to the most promising player not on the prize list, and this year it went to Stuart Robertson form Alford who was accompanied by Margaret Smith.
Other competitors were Perdy Syres-Gibson accompanied by Joan Blue (Perdy won at Perth the previous day), Graeme Davidson from Banchory who was accompanied by his grandmother, Margaret Smith, and Erin Smith from Aberdeen who was accompanied by Joan Blue. Although only 14 years old, Erin seems to have been competing at the top level forever. A future Glenfiddich Champion, I predict.
While the judges were making their final decisions all the players came on stage and played some well-known tunes in the form of a stramash.
Peter Zanre came on stage and summed up the afternoon’s performances on behalf of the judges. To round off the afternoon Sandy Grant Gordon, a member of the Grant family, presented the prizes and thanked all concerned.
On the way out, each member of the audience was presented with a 50ml miniature of 12-year-old Glenfiddich Special Reserve single malt Scotch whisky.
Next year’s event will be held on Sunday, 2nd November, owing to the last Sunday in October falling early in the month.
Dufftown Dancers
by Heather McLean
During the weekend of 11th / 13th October 2002, more than 200 dancers gathered in The Memorial Hall to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Dufftown Scottish Country Dance club (incorporating Old Time Dance). They had come from all over the country, from Shetland, Newcastle, Dumbarton, Fort William, the Borders and Alva, and all places in between! Club members and friends spent Thursday evening decorating the hall and Mrs Stephen created beautiful floral arrangements.
There was a Scottish Country Dance on the Friday evening, with music from the brilliant Colin Dewar SDB. Colin was on lead accordion, Alasdair MacLeod on second box, Dennis Morrison on keyboard and Ally McIntryre on drums. Until 1982 the class teacher was Sandra French who, although now living in Glenrothes, managed to travel up for the celebrations. The current teacher and secretary ‘Queen of the Dance’ Jessie Stewart was, of course, the life and soul of the party as usual!
In 1989 Jessie initiated a revival of Old Time Dancing at the Club, and the Saturday night dance, again with Colin and his Band, included such favourites as the Boston Two-Step and the Mississippi Dip, as well as some not so familiar, like The Yearning Saunter and the Waltz of Britain.
Hebbie Gray composed a wonderful tune, The Dufftown Twirl and dedicated it to Jessie. It was used as the original for a dance written by 16-year-old Gary Coull, entitled ‘Dufftown’s 50th’.
The anniversary cake was cut by Miss Edith Duncan, who was the first Club member, having paid her subscription of 10/- on 10th October 1952. Since 1978 the club has helped many charities, raising over £18,000.
The Club continues to go from strength to strength, with 24 children in the junior class, which bodes well for the future.
Here’s to the next 50 years!
The Piping Shrike
by Jean Lumsden
Well, spring has come to South Australia…………………………
Greeting from Inverness
by Margo MacLennan
On driving through to Aberdeen on Sunday…………………..
CD Reviews
Making Tracks – The Lomond Ceilidh Band – LCRCD3 – Independent
Dancers choice 1 – Marian Anderson SDB – Highlander Music
Book Review
The Greenlea Collection – Donald Ridley – Deeay Music
Take the Floor – Saturdays with Robbie Shepherd
7th Dec 02 – Jimmy Lindsay SDB + composer feature on Iain MacPhail
14th Dec 02 – The Lothian SDB + feature on RSCDS Overseas Branches
21st Dec 02 – Wayne Robertson SDB + feature on Broadcasting Bands of the Past – Ian Powrie
28th Dec 02 – Ian Thomson SDB + Concert Set – Fiddlers Bid live in The Queens Hall
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Westburn Park Lounge) – 17th Dec 02 – Christmas Buffet Dance with Dick Black SDB
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle) 11th Dec 02 – Christmas Party – Local Artistes
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 15th Dec 02 – Christmas Dinner Dance with Ian Rankine
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 1st Dec 02 – Club night
29th Dec 02 – Lindsay Weir Trio
Armadale (Masonic Hall) – 5th Dec 02 – Jim Cleland Band
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) – 15th Dec 02 – Ian Muir Trio
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 30th Dec 02 – Bill Black SDB (Special Christmas Night)
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 18th Dec 02 – Garioch Blend (Christmas Ceilidh Dance)
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) – 16th Dec 02 – Sandy Nixon SDB
Belford (Community Centre) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) – 8th Dec 02 – Neil Hardie SDB
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 10th Dec 02 – Give Way
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) - 10th Dec 02 – Alastair Cameron
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 12th Dec 02 – Players Open night
Campbeltown (The Royal Hotel) -
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) - 3rd Dec 02 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary’s Social Club) - 5th Dec 02 – Ronmar Accordion Concert Orchestra
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 6th Dec 02 – Dance to Ian Cruickshanks SDB
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) - 19th Dec 02 – Willie McFarlane Band
Crathes (Crathes Hall, Banchory) - 8th Dec 02 – All musicians welcome
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel) 5th Dec 02 – Lomond Ceilidh Band
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club) 1th Dec 02 – Jim Lindsay Trio
Dalriada (Argyll Arms Hotel, Lochgilphead)
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 4th Dec 02 – Daniel MacPhee
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 18th Dec 02 – Willie Simpson Duo
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) – 10th Dec 02 – John Morgan
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
East Kilbride (The Village Inn) –
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 6th Dec 02 – Annual Dinner Dance
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) – 23rd Dec 02 – Charlie Kirkpatrick SDB
Forfar (Plough Inn) -
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 11th Dec 02 – David Bowen Trio
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) – 5th Dec 02 – David Patrick
Galston (Barr Castle Social Club) – 9th Dec 02 – Marie Fielding, Alison smith & Alan Kitchen
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel, Wooler) – 19th Dec 02 – Bill Black SDB
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 4th Dec 02 – John Stuart Trio
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 17th Dec 02 – Willie McFarlane Band
Gretna (Halcrow Stadium) - 1st Dec 02 – Jimmy Cassidy
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) – 16th Dec 02 – Colin Dewar
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) - 11th Dec 02 – Gordon Pattullo
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) - 6th Dec 02 – Annual Buffet Dance with the Black Rose C.B.
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) – 3rd Dec 02 – Gordon Pattullo
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) – 18th Dec 02 – Brian Griffin Duo
Kintore (Torryburn Hotel) – 4th Dec 02 – James Coutts
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 21st Dec 02 – Christmas Dance to Roger Dobson SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) – 11th Dec 02 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 12th Dec 02 – Seamus O’Sullivan
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 5th Dec 02 – Iain J. MacDonald Trio
20th Dec 02 – Christmas Dance with the Colin Dewar SDB
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) - 17th Dec 02 – Donald MacLeod Trio
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (The Ship Inn) -
Newmill-on-Teviot (Newmill Country Inn) - 4th Dec 02 – Gordon Pattullo
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 7th Dec 02 – Supper Dance with the Waverley SDB
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (McTavish’s Kitchen) – 5th Dec 02 – Lindsay Weir SDB
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Green Tree Hotel) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) –
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) - 3rd Dec 02 – Robert Watt & Emma Culbert
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) – 10th Dec 02 – Iain Anderson Trio
Rothbury (Queen’s Head) - 5th Dec 02 – Alistair McCulloch Duo
Selkirk (Cricket Club) - 12th Dec 02 – David Scott
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) - 12th Dec 02 – Local Night
Stirling (Terraces Hotel) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Masonic Hall) - 10th Dec 02 - Ceilidh
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) – 9th Dec 02 – David Bowen Trio
Turriff (Royal British Legion) – 5th Dec 02 – Ian Cruickshanks SDB
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn) 12th Dec 02 – Club Night
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 17th Dec 02 – Bill & Ena Brian
Yarrow (Gordon Arms) -
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Alnwick & District
3. Arbroath
4. Balloch
5. Banchory
6. Beith & District
7. Belford
8. Biggar
9. Blairgowrie
10. Campsie
11. Carlisle
12. Coalburn
13. Crieff
14. Dingwall
15. Dunfermline
16. East Kilbride
17. Ellon
18. Fintry
19. Forfar
20. Galashiels
21. Galston
22. Glendale
23. Glenrothes & District
24. Gretna
25. Inveraray
26. Islesteps
27. Kintore
28. Lanark
29. Langholm
30. Lesmahagow
31. Lewis & Harris
32. Livingston
33. Lockerbie
34. Montrose
35. Newburgh
36. Newmill
37. Newtongrange
38. North East
39. Oban
40. Orkney
41. Peebles
42. Perth
43. Premier
44. Renfrew
45. Rothbury
46. Shetland
47. Thornhill
48. Thurso
49. Turriff
50. Tynedale
51. West Barnes
52. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2002
(Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports or in the Club Diary above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975 – present)
2. Alnwick A&F Club (Aug 1975 – present)
3. Annan A&F Club (joined Assoc in 1996 but started 1985 – present)
4. Arbroath A&F Club (1991? – present)
5. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Closed
6. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
7. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
8. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
9. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
10. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
11. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
12. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
13. Bromley A&F Club
14. Button Key A&F Club (
15. Campbeltown A&F Club (
16. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
17. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
18. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
19. Coalburn A&F Club (
20. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
21. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
22. Cults A & F Club (
23. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
24. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
25. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
26. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
27. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
28. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
29. Ellon A&F Club (
30. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
31. Forfar A&F Club (
32. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
33. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
34. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
35. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
36. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
37. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
38. Gretna A&F Club (1991) Known as North Cumbria A&F Club previously (originally called Gretna when started in June 1966 but later had to move to venues in the North of England and changed name. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
39. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
40. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
41. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
42. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
43. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
44. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
45. Kintore A&F Club (
46. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed
47. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – present)
48. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
49. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
50. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
51. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
52. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
53. Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
54. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
55. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
56. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
57. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999
58. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
59. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
60. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
61. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
62. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
63. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
64. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
65. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
66. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
67. Selkirk A&F Club (
68. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
69. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 - )
70. Sutherland A&F Club (
71. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
72. Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
73. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
74. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
75. Vancouver
76. West Barnes ( - present)
77. Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975 - present)
78. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – )
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
79. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
80. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
81. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
82. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
83. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
84. Buchan A&F Club
85. Callander A&F Club (
86. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
87. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
88. Club Accord
89. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
90. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
91. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
92. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
93. Derwentside A&F Club
94. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
95. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
96. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
97. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? – 1995?)
98. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
99. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
100. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
101. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
102. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
103. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
104. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
105. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
106. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
107. Mull A&F Club
108. Newcastleton Accordion Club
109. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
110. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
111. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
112. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
113. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
114. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
115. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
116. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
117. Tranent A&F Club
118. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
119. Wellbank A&F Club
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