Box and Fiddle
Year 17 No 04
December 1993
Introducing the Clubs
No 19 Fintry Accordion & Fiddle Association
by Frank Farquharson
The above grand title was selected by the founder members of the Club.
The members of the Fintry Ceilidh Band, namely Robert Aitken, Jimmy Burgess and Alex Fitzsimmons decided to pay a visit to the M.A.F.I.A. Club in the Black Bull Hotel in Milngavie, the guest artistes that night being Jim Brown and Bobby Campbell.
The miles between Milngavie and Fintry were occupied discussing the night’s events and the outcome was – why don’t we start a Club of our own?
It was after a great deal of discussion and thought that it was decided to go ahead – nothing ventured, nothing gained!
The first meeting was held in the small lounge of the Fintry Inn with the guest artiste being Jimmy Lindsay from Glenalmond. It was really a ‘posh’ Club – they had the use of a grand piano!
Among the many talented musicians who supported the Club were the late Dennis McLaughlin and Bobby Lilley, both sadly missed, and Jimmy Yeaman, all on fiddle. The accordionists who attended were Bill Butler, Alisdair McPhail Snr, and our own Jimmy Shand – Dochie McCallum.
The first M.C. was Alex Fitzsimmons who continued in that position until the Club went into ‘suspended animation’ due to the lack of helping hands. The running of the Club had been carried on by Alex with the help of his good lady, Janet. With his employment taking him away from home and not knowing when he would get back, it became quite a burden with two young daughters at school. The problem of babysitters raised its ugly head, so more and more was laid at Janet’s feet. The final straw came when Alex was involved in a ‘rear shunt’ whilst on his way to a gig. The resultant back injuries put paid to humping about PA equipment, so after many loyal years helping to entertain the ‘punters’, Alex and Janet said that enough was enough, and F.A.F.A., as it was now known, ceased to exist, albeit temporarily.
When the new season started folk realised that there was no F.A.F.A. and they began to ask questions as to why it could not be restarted.
After long discussion, visits, phone calls and a lot of thinking, it was with the help of Morag MAcAskill and Jimmy Yeaman that a meeting was held in the home of Mary Bruce in Drymen – in attendance Mary Bruce, Morag MacAskill, Jimmy Yeaman, Sandy Shearlaw and myself Frank Farquharson.
The meeting was chaired by Jimmy and after all the ifs and ands, wheres and whens had been ironed out, Jimmy summed up by stating in a few words, “There is nothing to stop you – get on with it! I’ll be your first guest artiste.”
It was agreed that we would have a go, so with Sandy as Treasurer/Secretary and yours truly as Chairman, we set our sights for a December meeting. I had already spoken to the owners of the Fintry Inn who were agreeable – the only snag was they intended to start alterations in the Spring. We were made welcome and the F.A.F.A. was reborn and raring to go.
The first night was a great success and as you would expect with the ‘Phantom Fiddler’ and his ‘posse’, and as luck would have it we finished the season without a move.
When September came round we had found a new venue in the Barn Theatre at Culcreach Castle – great surroundings, great acoustics, but it was draughty – really no use for a seated audience. So, next season, we moved to the comfort of the Dining Room in the Clachan Hotel on the outskirts of the village.
We spent many happy years in those surroundings being entertained by talented professional musicians, but much more gratifying was the emergence of the youngsters through the years. We can think of one with two little short legs and two small arms appearing from behind a ‘box’ and who is now a young man who has just won the British Junior Championship for the second year in succession.
It is also gratifying when a Club gives a young player his first guest artiste spot ‘at home’ and the icing on the cake is when he and fellow musicians present their first broadcast. When being interviewed on radio he publicly thanks his Club for the encouragement – that makes it all worthwhile. That, after all is what the Clubs are here for – to encourage youngsters to keep our native music alive.
Fintry being one of the smaller Clubs with regard to members and players has been lucky that so many of the youngsters are ‘Festival minded’ and have awards to prove their talent.
It was with regret that we moved from the Clachan Hotel, the reason being lack of space as members were increasing and the Sports Club Lounge offered to us exactly what we required – ample seating, stage space and good acoustics.
Our January meeting in 1990 was the 10th Anniversary of the reconstituted club, our guests that night being the Newtongrange club. What a night – rain poured down and the car park flooded. There was no time for last minute thanks. However, all ended well. They got home safely. The main guests included Jimmy and Joan Blue, Bobby and Agnes Crowe and Norrie and Sheila Williams. A very pleasant and enjoyable evening we had.
We are now looking forward to our December meeting which will be the 21st Anniversary of the foundation of the F.A.F.A.
The Fintry club have a very good relationship with their neighbouring Clubs i.e. Balloch, Dunblane and Milngavie and all Committee members try to visit each Club as often as time permits and this I feel strengthens the real purpose of an Accordion Club – the furtherance of our native music.
It does not seem like 14 years since Sandy and I went, fingers crossed, to our first meeting. If we have, with the help of our guests, sent our members home happy, we have been successful and long may it continue.
To conclude, Sandy and I thank all who have supported the Club in the past, and look forward to your continued support to enable us to ‘keep the music alive’.
Thanks Morag and Jimmy for the push.
No 19 Fintry Accordion & Fiddle Association
by Frank Farquharson
The above grand title was selected by the founder members of the Club.
The members of the Fintry Ceilidh Band, namely Robert Aitken, Jimmy Burgess and Alex Fitzsimmons decided to pay a visit to the M.A.F.I.A. Club in the Black Bull Hotel in Milngavie, the guest artistes that night being Jim Brown and Bobby Campbell.
The miles between Milngavie and Fintry were occupied discussing the night’s events and the outcome was – why don’t we start a Club of our own?
It was after a great deal of discussion and thought that it was decided to go ahead – nothing ventured, nothing gained!
The first meeting was held in the small lounge of the Fintry Inn with the guest artiste being Jimmy Lindsay from Glenalmond. It was really a ‘posh’ Club – they had the use of a grand piano!
Among the many talented musicians who supported the Club were the late Dennis McLaughlin and Bobby Lilley, both sadly missed, and Jimmy Yeaman, all on fiddle. The accordionists who attended were Bill Butler, Alisdair McPhail Snr, and our own Jimmy Shand – Dochie McCallum.
The first M.C. was Alex Fitzsimmons who continued in that position until the Club went into ‘suspended animation’ due to the lack of helping hands. The running of the Club had been carried on by Alex with the help of his good lady, Janet. With his employment taking him away from home and not knowing when he would get back, it became quite a burden with two young daughters at school. The problem of babysitters raised its ugly head, so more and more was laid at Janet’s feet. The final straw came when Alex was involved in a ‘rear shunt’ whilst on his way to a gig. The resultant back injuries put paid to humping about PA equipment, so after many loyal years helping to entertain the ‘punters’, Alex and Janet said that enough was enough, and F.A.F.A., as it was now known, ceased to exist, albeit temporarily.
When the new season started folk realised that there was no F.A.F.A. and they began to ask questions as to why it could not be restarted.
After long discussion, visits, phone calls and a lot of thinking, it was with the help of Morag MAcAskill and Jimmy Yeaman that a meeting was held in the home of Mary Bruce in Drymen – in attendance Mary Bruce, Morag MacAskill, Jimmy Yeaman, Sandy Shearlaw and myself Frank Farquharson.
The meeting was chaired by Jimmy and after all the ifs and ands, wheres and whens had been ironed out, Jimmy summed up by stating in a few words, “There is nothing to stop you – get on with it! I’ll be your first guest artiste.”
It was agreed that we would have a go, so with Sandy as Treasurer/Secretary and yours truly as Chairman, we set our sights for a December meeting. I had already spoken to the owners of the Fintry Inn who were agreeable – the only snag was they intended to start alterations in the Spring. We were made welcome and the F.A.F.A. was reborn and raring to go.
The first night was a great success and as you would expect with the ‘Phantom Fiddler’ and his ‘posse’, and as luck would have it we finished the season without a move.
When September came round we had found a new venue in the Barn Theatre at Culcreach Castle – great surroundings, great acoustics, but it was draughty – really no use for a seated audience. So, next season, we moved to the comfort of the Dining Room in the Clachan Hotel on the outskirts of the village.
We spent many happy years in those surroundings being entertained by talented professional musicians, but much more gratifying was the emergence of the youngsters through the years. We can think of one with two little short legs and two small arms appearing from behind a ‘box’ and who is now a young man who has just won the British Junior Championship for the second year in succession.
It is also gratifying when a Club gives a young player his first guest artiste spot ‘at home’ and the icing on the cake is when he and fellow musicians present their first broadcast. When being interviewed on radio he publicly thanks his Club for the encouragement – that makes it all worthwhile. That, after all is what the Clubs are here for – to encourage youngsters to keep our native music alive.
Fintry being one of the smaller Clubs with regard to members and players has been lucky that so many of the youngsters are ‘Festival minded’ and have awards to prove their talent.
It was with regret that we moved from the Clachan Hotel, the reason being lack of space as members were increasing and the Sports Club Lounge offered to us exactly what we required – ample seating, stage space and good acoustics.
Our January meeting in 1990 was the 10th Anniversary of the reconstituted club, our guests that night being the Newtongrange club. What a night – rain poured down and the car park flooded. There was no time for last minute thanks. However, all ended well. They got home safely. The main guests included Jimmy and Joan Blue, Bobby and Agnes Crowe and Norrie and Sheila Williams. A very pleasant and enjoyable evening we had.
We are now looking forward to our December meeting which will be the 21st Anniversary of the foundation of the F.A.F.A.
The Fintry club have a very good relationship with their neighbouring Clubs i.e. Balloch, Dunblane and Milngavie and all Committee members try to visit each Club as often as time permits and this I feel strengthens the real purpose of an Accordion Club – the furtherance of our native music.
It does not seem like 14 years since Sandy and I went, fingers crossed, to our first meeting. If we have, with the help of our guests, sent our members home happy, we have been successful and long may it continue.
To conclude, Sandy and I thank all who have supported the Club in the past, and look forward to your continued support to enable us to ‘keep the music alive’.
Thanks Morag and Jimmy for the push.