Box and Fiddle
Year 36 No 10
June 2013
Price £2.70
44 Page Magazine
12 month subscription £29.70 + p&p £13.20 (UK)
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
More
Karin Ingram
Derek Hamilton – Guest of Honour
by Susan MacFadyen
Born in Duns Berwickshire on May 28th 1945 Derek's folks moved to Chirnside, Berwickshire when he was two. A third move in october 1949 saw Derek domiciled in Galston, Ayrshire where he has been ever since. His father had a grocer's shop and then a pub.
Derek got interested in music through the medium of radio. At the age of five he was an avid listener to Scottish Dance Music on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. He recalls hearing two vastly different bands as his early favourites – the legendary Jimmy Shand and Bobby MacLeod.
He was so keen on this type of music that on visits back to his parents home town of Hawick he spotted an accordion in the window of Spence's Music Shop and pestered his father to buy it. It was an 8 Bass Hohner Mignon which still proudly sits on the piano in his lounge to this day 63 years later!
His Dad took him, with box, to the local music teacher in Galston who promptly told him to come back when the box grew up a bit!
Formal training was not to be, so Derek set about learning tunes for himself. When he was 8 he got a Hohner Verdi 1 48 Bass and found another teacher in Galston but he would play the tunes Derek had to learn and Derek, having heard them, could play them without reading the music. So that only lasted a short time. So again no formal training.
Derek played in his first band at the age of 10 with Alan Logan (the son of the first teacher who rejected the wee box). Infrequent gigs came between practices. Derek remembers his first paid gig – a Women's Guild Social in the Cooperative Hall where he got 7/6d (that's 37.5 pence in today's terms) and a steak pie tea!!
Having played with the Alan Logan Band on and off for quite a few years, he joined up with Richie Holland who was to become a lifelong friend. At 16 he played in his first real Scottish Country Dance Band with Richie, Ed McLuckie on Drums (Ed still plays with the bands of David Ross and Karin McCulloch), Johnny Paton on Piano and Eddie MacKinnon on Double Bass.
At school Derek had a couple of musical mates – Jimmy Christie and Matt Richmond and after leaving school they all joined up again with Alan Logan (who had bought a bass guitar) and formed various groups with various names such as The Corvettes, The Beetles (yes – this was 1960 and the Fab Four had not been heard of). Derek played guitar as it was no longer 'hip' to play the box!
In 1962 Derek met Jean Thorburn. They got engaged and married in March1965. However, this was not the only major change to happen in Derek's life.
The day before the wedding Derek & Jean had a major car accident on their way to Kilmarnock to buy a new Accordion. The new accordion was put on the back burner.
On return from their honeymoon Derek, on a visit to McCormick's Music shop in Glasgow, decided not to buy a new accordion but procured a Hohner Symphonic 30 organ instead.
With Jimmy Christie and Matt Richmond he formed a 'Club' trio – the Likely Lads! The boys became one of the most successful bands on the Ayrshire (and beyond) working men's club scene which was huge in the 60s and early 70s. They worked with caberet stars – Sydney Devine, Hector Nicol and the like, gaining great experience.
Back in time, as a very young teenager, Derek found an interest in recording. He had acquired a reel to reel tape machine and he and a pal, Walter Davidson who was keen on broadcasting, spent their summer holidays from school recording programmes and broadcasting them (highly illegal of course but when you're 13 that really doesn't come into the equasion!) to the good people of Galston blotting out the BBC Light Programme in the process!!
In 1972 for work comittment reasons (the day job always intervenes with part time musicians) the Likely Lads disbanded. Derek and Richie Holland joined forces again and this brought about a renewed interest in Scottish Music for Derek. Combining his interest in recording and playing Derek and Richie produced a 'live' album – 'A Scottish Dance Party' which was a multi-tracked affair with Richie on accordion and double bass and Derek playing accordion, piano and drums. That was actually the catalyst for a long happy friendship with George Fleming who had a very popular Scottish Dance Band. Derek played drums with George until his death in 1988.
Also in 1972 Derek got a call from a guitarist, Sam Nimmo, who had a trio of organ, guitar and drums playing resident in the Gowanbank Hotel in Darvel. The organist was emigrating to Canada and Sam planned to follow shortly after. Derek was asked if he could fill in until Sam finished the contract with the hotel. That 'fill in' lasted 7 years till in 1979 Sam finally decided to go an make a new life in Canada, where he still is today.
During his time at Gowanbank, the band, Just Three, recorded two albums both produced by Derek.
The second one 'Gowanbank Cocktail' featured not only the trio but a Scottish Dance Band comprising Richie Holland (you've heard that name before) on Accordion, Archie Brown on Fiddle, Sam Lawson on Drums and Derek on piano/bass.
Derek, while playing very little Scottish music during the late 60s through to the late 70s always had an interest and it was, and still is, his first love in music.
The Galston Accordion Club which started in 1969 (Davie Ross says 1970 but he's wrong!!!) re kindled a real interest in the music and Richie and Derek played duets round the clubs as they sprung up all over the place.
In 1979, while playing drums with the George Fleming Band, George mentioned to Derek that he was going to pull down the private recording studio he had built due to the sudden death of the chap who did George's private recordings. Derek talked him out of it, saying he would find time to do these recordings for him. Bands like John Renton, Derek Lawrence, Ronnie Easton, Kenny Thomson used to use the studio for practice sessions and they would be recorded purely for George's own private collection and of course his pleasure as he was a real enthusiast for Scottish Dance Music.
After about a year of keeping the studio alive Derek suggested to George that they should set up a proper business. Ayrespin Music was born.
Derek, who by this time had been Sales Manager at Glenfield and Kennedy Engineering works in Kilmarnock for a few years left the company, where he'd worked for 20 years.
He spent the next year (and nearly all his savings!) building up Ayrespin Music.
Kenny Thomson & the Wardaw Band were first to record an album there, followed by debut albums for Colin Dewar, The Etives (later to become Cappercaille), Ian Muir, The Oakbank Sound, Bobby Torrance, Sandy Nixon, Colin Ross, Danny Black. Robin & Deryn Waitt (The Bon Accords), Willie MacFarlane & Colin Brown, Fintry Style, Ron Harris, Pipe Major Ian Clowe, John Douglas and many, many more all recorded albums in the Studio at Crosshouse under the engineering and production skills of Derek.
After George Fleming sadly passed away in 1988 Derek continued with the studio on a hobby basis having gone back to work as Sales Manager for another engineering company in the early 80s and in 1992 set up Bryansroom as a record label. To date Bryansroom has some 75 CDs in it's catalogue.
Names like Andy Kane, Kenny Thomson, Roy Hendrie, Alex Fitzsimmons, Bill Stewart, John Stuart, Ewan Galloway, The Clappy Doo Ceilidh Band, David Sturgeon & the Waverley Band, James Paterson and the Caberston Ceilidh Band, Wullie Scott, Colin Donadson, Archie McPhee and the Bogroy Band, Sandy Nixon and most recently Janet Graham all appear on the label. Derek, too, has albums of his own and albums produced for other labels such as Ross Records, Highlander Music and Club records. Notable big names produced by Derek are Joe Gordon & Sally Logan and their Scottish Champion son Scott as well as Richard Smith from Coalburn.
Two names omitted from the list are Charlie Kirkpatrick and Ian Muir.
Derek first met Charlie in 1978 when the Cullivoe Band visited Galston Accordion Club and Charlie came to hear them. Derek played piano for Charlie's spot at the club and that started a long and enduring friendship, hundreds of gigs and over 30 broadcasts. Derek reckons Charlie has got the formula just right for a band leader. He combines great communication and rapour with the audience with equally great musicianship. In Derek's eyes he is an undisputed master of the 3 row Shand Morino.
Likewise Derek has great praise and humble admiration for the talents of Ian Muir whom he met first when Ian was just 16. After producing Ian's first album they became great friends and along with Colin Bell (the best all round pianist Derek has ever known) played many gigs in many places.
The years spent playing with Ian were actually a great time of learning for Derek, having never had any formal training. Some of the gigs were quite demanding for a non reader but Ian was always encouraging. He also played 2nd box in Ian's broadcasts.
Derek recognises that these two musicians were probably the biggest influence on his musical career since the early 80s.
In 1983 & 1984 Derek jumped at the chance, presented to him by Deryn Waitt, to tour playing keyboards for Dermot O'Brien, a wonderful experience he'll never forget.
Derek was also in Abu Dhabi in1984 and 1986 with Charlie Kikpatrick and John McCroskie.
In recent years Derek has been to China with the John Stuart Band several times to play for ex-pats at the Beijing and Shanghai Annual Scottish Ball and on one occasion there even rubbed shoulders (literally) with the First Minister – Alex Salmond!
Having retired from the day job as an engineer and Sales Manager in May 2010, Derek still enjoys his playing with the likes of Charlie Kirkpatrick and Gordon Young and relishes getting away for the weekends of the Mull Festival, Skye Festival and Dumfries Festival when he meets up with old pals Richard Hughes and Jimmy MacDonald for a tune and a vodka or three (doubles of course! If Jimmy's buying – triples!!).
He also spends a lot of time recording in Bryansroom and out in the field. His latest recording is of Ian Muir, Gordon Simpson and Neil MacMillan playing a selection of new country dances for the Glasgow Branch of the RSCDS. It's their 90th Anniversary in 2013.
He is also pleased to be part of the Mauchline Accordion Club as resident pianist. Mauchline celebrate s it's 30th year in October 2013.
Of course, who can forget that Derek was in from day one of the Box & Fiddle. Under the editorship of Ian Smith he wrote the Record Review, The Reel Radio and many fine articles on the life and times of the musicians and our Scottish scene. He was also an ethusiastic committee member of Galston Accordion Club and on the committee and then Secretary of The Ayrhire Scottish Music Association (ASMA).
When you analyse it, there's not much Derek hasn't done in the music scene. He says humbly, 'I shall be eternally grateful to all the musicians and friends who have placed so much faith in my meagre abilities and given me oportunities I would never have had if I hadn't convinced my Dad to buy me that wee box in 1950 and then spent a lifetime kidding the world that I was a musician! Thank you to every one of you – you know who you are!'
Derek is one of the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs recipients of the annual honour award. It took him a wee while to accept as he genuinely believes that there are plenty folk much more deserving than himself and as he says 'Little did I know or expect when I proposed to the Association in 1971 that we have an annual celebration to honour our treasured musicians while they were still alive, that I would one day receive the award. I am deeply honoured.'
Kenny Thomson (1944 – 2013) - Obituary
by Alasdair, Grant & Stuart Thomson
Kenny Thomson was born on 18th March 1944 in Muirkirk, Ayrshire, the first son of Jim and Eadie Thomson. Jim and Eadie were both part-time musicians – Eadie played piano and Jim the accordion, both in Samson’s Band around the Muirkirk area. As a wee boy, Kenny listened intently to his Dad playing at home and before long started to “accompany” him on his first “accordion”, a wooden foot stool strapped around his neck! His first real accordion, an 8 bass Steldini, came courtesy of Santa at Christmas 1947, three months before his fourth birthday!
Kenny attended Muirkirk Junior Secondary School until he was 15. During this time, he continued to play the accordion, progressing to bigger and better instruments. He received accordion tuition from Robert (Bobby) McFarlane Adamson (another former Muirkirk man) who was at that time considered to be the best music teacher in the district.
Kenny’s first Hohner accordion, an Atlantic IV, was bought new in November 1957. He bought a new Hohner Morino VM in April 1965. Following repeated trips back and forth to McCormack’s in Glasgow for repairs, they ordered a replacement. When it arrived in January 1966, Kenny went to collect it and Neil McCormack opened up the packaging to be met with what is now known as the Morino VN. It has always been presumed to have been (at least one of) the first Morino VNs in Britain. On opening up the case, Neil McCormack was surprised at the “Gola” style couplers in place of the familiar “Domino” couplers of the “M” model, exclaiming,
“Oh my goodness, what do we have here?” (or words to that effect................)
In recent years, Kenny had been finding the weight of the Morino V problematic so, he had his Atlantic restored. He couldn’t bear to part with either but he felt the Atlantic more manageable.
When he was growing up in Muirkirk, there was another budding accordionist in the village - Ronnie Easton. The two used to take turns to play at local functions - Church Guild socials and the like. On one occasion, somebody slipped up and BOTH were asked to play. Each did his first spot and at the interval, they had a “jamming session” backstage and decided to play together in the second half. Thus was born a friendship which lasted for many years. In September 1965, they recorded an EP in Biggar’s Music Studio, Glasgow, as “Ronnie Easton and the Eglinton Dance Band.” The tracks on it were, “The Accordion Polka”, a strathspey “Lochiel’s Rant”, a jig “The New Rigged Ship” and a reel “Roxburgh Castle”.
On leaving School, Kenny had three ambitions. The first was to be an electrician which he achieved after he left school in 1959, when he served an apprenticeship as an electrician with the National Coal Board at Lugar Works. He left that employment in 1967 to follow in his Dad’s footsteps, becoming a bus driver with Western SMT, fulfilling his second ambition. Ambition number three was to play on the radio with Jimmy Shand. While he didn’t fully realise that one, he did play with Jimmy Shand – albeit in Jimmy Junior’s accordion workshop in Auchtermuchty in 1992.
As a bus driver, Kenny had to allow his love of playing music to take second place, shift working being incompatible with band work.
In 1967 Jock Loch persuaded Kenny to help him out by playing with Jock’s “Blackthorn Dance Band” at a dance in Barr. Numerous gigs followed but again, shift working was getting in the way. A change of course was required so during 1970, Kenny became a lorry driver. While still far from ideal, at least he knew he wouldn’t be working “backshift”.
Jock was also responsible for Kenny and his brother Stuart playing their first guest artist spot which was at Straiton Accordion Club in 1975. That in turn led to Kenny competing in the Duos with Stuart, Trios with the addition of Dave Waters (bass) and the Band sections with the aforementioned plus John Holmes (fiddle), in the West of Scotland Accordion Championships. Over consecutive years, considerable success was achieved in each class.
Also attending the accordion club circuit around this time was his old acquaintance Ronnie Easton. In 1976, they both joined a new band being formed by Derek Lawrence. What Kenny didn’t know was that Derek’s intention was for the band to audition for BBC Radio Scotland’s “Scottish Dance Music” programme. The band successfully passed the BBC audition, going on to record a number of broadcasts both there and at Radio Forth. Within a couple of years Derek emigrated to Canada, at which point Ronnie took over the band. Sadly in 1979, Ronnie also left to work in England. This put Kenny in charge of the band and Ian Muir took over the vacant position of lead accordion. This was the birth of “Kenny Thomson & the Wardlaw Scottish Dance Band”. Under Kenny’s professional leadership, the band had a successful career, performing regularly on “Take the Floor” and recording a number of LPs and CDs as well as playing at Scottish Country Dances and Ceilidhs throughout the UK. During his musical career, Kenny played in many locations from Shetland in the north to Lewes in the south of England in addition to Georgia US; Toronto, Sweden, Malta, and Tunisia.
Watching Kenny play, his concentration was often misinterpreted as ‘dourness!’ This couldn’t have been further from the truth; in private he was kind, humorous and even prone to the odd romantic gesture.
It was while driving with Western SMT at Cumnock that Kenny met his future wife Cathy. They started going out together in 1969. When Kenny used to drive the miners' bus that passed Cathy’s family home; she would wait at the gate in anticipation, and he would throw red roses to her as he passed.
Kenny and Cathy married on 3rd October 1970 and later, they settled in Cumnock, going on to raise a family of their own. Elder son Grant was born in June 1977 and Alasdair followed in March 1986. They inherited Kenny’s interest in transport; his strong work ethic; his droll sense of humour - and, of course, his love of music, which was nurtured in them from early childhood. They each in turn had filled in with the band at the odd gig over the years, Grant on fiddle, and Alasdair on bass.
They enjoyed family holidays together in a touring caravan in the ‘80s and ‘90s, visiting places like Blackpool, Oban and Fort William. Kenny’s Dad had links with Dumfries & Galloway region. This resulted in one place becoming a particular favourite haunt - quiet Kirkcudbright.
Kenny also forged a link with Gatehouse of Fleet when, in 1979, he was asked to play for the local RSCDS Branch. It must have gone well – he played there annually for the next 33 years, latterly for Gatehouse Scottish Country Dance Class. Kenny’s final appearance there was in December 2012.
In recent years, many an enjoyable “New Year’s Night” musical evening took place in the family home - Kenny and Stuart playing the boxes, Grant and Alasdair on fiddle and bass respectively. Cathy and Stuart’s wife Audrey would sing along like Fran and Anna, but making up the words as they went along! On these occasions, it was traditional for Kenny to refer to his 'Drink-Barometer;' basically, if he could still play the first four bars of “The Tushkar”, he hadn't had enough!
As Alasdair was growing up, he helped Kenny discover a latent interest in sport. Towards the end of a nice "boys' day out" in Glasgow when Alasdair was 13, Kenny asked him to look in the glove box of the car, where he found an envelope containing two tickets to an evening kick-off at Ibrox. It was the first time either of them had been to a football match, and it was to be the first of several matches they attended together over the years. On the car journeys back, they would discuss football tactics, transfer policy and linesman's decisions as men do - as if either of them knew what they were talking about!
Kenny retired from his job as a lorry driver with T French & Son, in September 2009 – having counted down the days for the preceding five years. Then, of course, he went straight back out to drive for French part-time –
“Well, it’s different when you don’t HAVE to do it,” he reasoned!
He maintained a connection with his bus driving days too, by becoming a member of the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum, near Dunfermline. Whenever he had a free Sunday, he enjoyed being around and driving some of the bus types he had driven during his time with Western SMT.
The family had matured and Kenny and Cathy had been introduced to the joys of cruise holidays in 2005, taking two that year! They never looked back.
After Scottish Dance Music, Kenny’s other great musical love was Jazz. (Hence the saxophone tattoo on his right forearm. It isn’t commonly known that Kenny used to play both sax and clarinet. The reason he decided to concentrate on the accordion was that he was never satisfied with the clarity of sound he achieved on high notes).
It was on that first cruise of 2005, he was able to satisfy a lengthy desire, by visiting New Orleans and sampling the Mardi-Gras atmosphere. They were to repeat the visit in March 2013, and it was in the latter stages of this cruise that Kenny first became unwell. He passed away peacefully on the 5th April in Ayr Hospital, after a short illness, surrounded by his family.
Kenny Thomson was a much-loved husband, dad, brother, brother-in-law, father-in-law, granddad, highly respected musician, bandleader, colleague and friend who will be sorely missed.
Cathy, Grant, Alasdair, Stuart and their respective families would like to extend their thanks to all who attended Kenny’s funeral, sent cards or messages of sympathy, or contributed to the Retiral Collection, which raised the sum of £900. This was split between Cancer Support UK and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland.
Suzanne Croy
Kenny Thomson’s sound and style of arrangements always held great appeal for me. I wore down many cassette recordings of radio broadcasts by listening and re-listening to various tracks. The first time I met Kenny was as a teenager when I had my own band. We had entered the band competition at Ayr Music Festival and we were all delighted that Kenny gave the band a super score and commented favourably on the selection we played (which was heavily influenced by the medleys and arrangements of Kenny and Ronnie Easton!)
I was absolutely thrilled called me in 1999 to play bas in The Wardlaw Band. I remember the first rehearsal. Often, it takes some time for a band to settle down when there is a change of personnel; getting familiar with members’ styles and embellishments, but I remember feeling completely at home from eight bars in. That was because of the musicianship and professionalism of Kenny and his Band. What a privilege to have had 14 years of fantastic music, recordings, fun and friendship. Kenny was a perfectionist. His solid leadership qualities and sense of musicality when arranging music are second to none. He had the ability to understand the role of each instrument in the band and bring out the best in the musicians around him. He remains the only Scottish Dance Band leader I have played with who scored the drum parts and indicated which octave the bass was to play certain notes. Kenny was a leader who knew the sound he wanted and never compromised on this. I admired him hugely for this even if we had one difference of opinion in all these years! Kenny preferred the sound of my electric guitar and electric double bass to the acoustic!
Kenny loved to play strathspeys, even recording an 8 x 32 bar dance on Take the Floor. Despite some reservations regarding how listeners would react to this, after recording the track, the producer exclaimed ‘lovely’. Kenny had a knack for putting sets together and creating the right level of interest in each measure.
Over the years, Kenny and I became good friends. Kenny was a genuine man with a huge intellect. Far from the normal topics of conversation on the way to gigs, the Wardlaw Band could find themselves engrossed in discussing subjects as diverse as Scottish history to current affairs. Kenny also had a keen sense of humour and was a thoughtful man. As he arrived at my daughter Rachel’s christening, he presented us with a lovely march he had written. It has pride of place on the house!
Kenny was also a true friend who has supported me over the years, well outwith the remit of ‘just’ being my bandleader. I am still deeply shocked and saddened that we have lost such a brilliant, talented, musician and one of the most decent, genuine people I have ever been privileged enough to consider my friend. Kenny, I thank you for the opportunity of being part of your Band for so many years. It is the end of an era and I will treasure all the recordings and memories.
Derek Hamilton
I suppose you could say I was Kenny Thomson's record producer.
I first new Kenny back in the late 60s early 70s through the Accordion Club movement and in those early days he always struck me as a 'dapper' young man. I don't think I ever saw Kenny in casual clothes – he was always very well dressed wherever he was.
That was to prove to be a measure of the man – everything polished, neat and tidy and perfect. That was Kenny and that was his music.
I got to know him properly in 1980 when, having taken over Ronnie Easton's very successful band and formed it into the Wardlaw Scottish Dance Band, he was keen to make an album. George Fleming and I had started a new record label – Ayrespin Music and Kenny and the band used the studio to practice for broadcasts for the BBC and Radio Forth. I recorded these practices and Kenny knew that I knew what sort of sound he wanted so it was quite natural that he recorded his debut album at Ayrespin. 'Double First' was the title as it was Kenny's first and it was Ayrespin's first commercial album.
I remember at the end of the session when it was all 'in the can' I chastised Kenny for not praising the guys for their superb contribution during a fairly long day. The best they got was ' Aye well I suppose it'll dae'! But Kenny explained that he was bad at lifting spirits not like Derek Lawrence who was the ultimate optimist and enthusiast. Kenny had played in that band and knew how Derek worked but just wasn't able to be anything other than how he was.
Following on from 'Double First' Kenny did at least two albums for the RSCDS and one for Sue Petyt of Dumfries and I produced a further three on the Bryansroom Label.
I can't say if he took the same attitude with the others but for the albums I produced he certainly looked for perfection in the recording. To all intents and purposes he surrounded himself with people he knew would give him a good solid performance and that left him to worry only about his own. Which he did to the point of almost destruction! When it came to things like that, Kenny had ears like a bat as well as perfect pitch. He had an obsession with correct timing for the dances. If he was a second or two out he would ask me to 'sort it' He just liked things to be right.
He never was totally pleased with anything he recorded but then I used to tell him 'That's fine Kenny – at least you've got somewhere to go next time. One you reach total perfection and satisfaction it's time to give up!'
Kenny never did give up – oh he threatened a few times but never actually got round to it I'm glad to say.
The world could do with more musicians like Kenny Thomson. He knew what he wanted and he normally got it because he knew how to get it. He was also one of the most capable musicians I have ever met.
He will be sadly missed by me and many others.
RONNIE EASTON (Lifelong friend and fellow accordionist)
The first time I came across Kenny was when we were both booked to do an old folks concert in Muirkirk. I was only 12 or 13 at the time and Kenny was just a wee boy. I realised then that he could certainly play the box a lot better than his years displayed.
Later we were both taught by the same teacher, Robert McF Adamson of Cumnock who famously composed the Triumph March.
Kenny's similar thinking to mine drew us together and he came to my house regularly to play tunes.
As the years progressed it was obvious to me that Kenny had a great talent on not only the box but on the Saxaphone which he took up as a teenager. He travelled up to Glasgow for lessons and was eventually so good at it that he was offered a professional job down south with a big band. Kenny turned that opportunity down and gave up the sax in favour of the box. As I recall this was because there were certain elements of sax playing he was failing to master and in his frustration just decided enough was enough.
That showed me what Kenny was – a total perfectionist. He really was just that in everything he did. It had to be right and he expected the same from everyone else.
Brian Griffin and I had become good friends and when the Accordion Clubs started up he and I played duets around many of them. Eventually, in 1974 or 1975 I think it was, Brian joined the Iain MacPhail Band.
I was introduced to Derek Lawrence at a concert in Ayr where Derek was accompanying a singer and, having heard me do my first spot, asked if he could play piano for me in the second half. Derek had been playing with Bobby Jack but was trying to start his own band and asked me to join. He was looking for a second box player and had some bookings so I suggested that the very man for the job was Kenny Thomson. We all had similar likes in music – great fans on the Ian Powrie Band.
'Just bring the chords you want' I said to Derek, 'and the 'wee man' will play exactly what you want'.
And Kenny did. That was another great asset he had – he gave you what you wanted musically.
When Derek left for Canada I took over the band retaining Kenny on second box – well, lead plus block chords Mickie Ainsworth style.
In 1979 I decided to go down south to get better work in the day job and left Kenny to take over the band. To replace me he brought in Ian Muir, and the Wardlaw Band was born. The rest is history as they say.
I will always remember Kenny for his absolute conviction to the music. He was a total perfectionist and it showed. I'll miss him.
Ian Muir
I first started playing with Kenny and The Wardlaw Band in 1980, playing Scottish Country dances, ceilidhs, broadcasts for the BBC, Radio Forth and West Sound. I was also involved in the Band’s first commercial recording ‘Double first’, which was first for The Wardlaw and first for Ayrespin Records, the label started by George Fleming and Derek Hamilton. I learned a lot from Kenny, being only 16 years of age when I joined the band I had a lot to learn and I remember sitting in Gordon Simpson’s house at a practice session before Ronnie Easton’s final BBC broadcast thinking to myself that I would never be able to cope! The band was in great form!
Kenny was a perfectionist in every aspect of his playing career and in everything he did in life. His professional standards were of the highest level and he expected everyone around him to aspire to the same standards, from his meticulous playing, exact musical arrangements through to dress code and equipment care and maintenance. (His cable wrapping was an art form in itself!)
I remember one of the first Box and Fiddle Clubs we did as a six-piece; it was Perth and Kanny wanted us all to be on our ‘mettle’ for it. John Gibson was playing piano at the time; he didn’t own a red shirt, so Kenny insisted on him buying one for the Perth gig. We arrived in Perth to find John already there and sporting a brand new Red shirt – probably the brightest red shirt I have ever seen! Only problem was that it was made from some kind of plasticky rubbery material and was so shiny that you could have used it as a mirror! Kenny’s face was a study – he just shook his head and muttered in his Cumnock twang “Well, ah suppose it’s rid…”
Kenny was an inspiration to many of us and will be a huge loss to our music scene. A man of many talents not least of which was his ability to scoff two whole digestive biscuits….in one go!!
Webwatch
by Bill Young
www.
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Robbie Shepherd (repeated on Sunday’s 13.05 – 15.00)
REPEATS
1st June 2013 – David Oswald SDB + Charlie Todd on B&F Archives
8th June 2013 – Ian Thomson SDB
15th June 2013 – Ewan Galloway SDB (Debut Broadcast)
22nd June 2013 – Susan MacFadyen SDB + Nicol McLaren NAAFC Awards
29th June 2013 – Ian Muir SDB - OB
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 16th June 2013 – Judith Linton Trio
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 9th June 2013 – Alasdair MacLeod Trio
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 24th June 2013 – Scott Nichol SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 26th June 2013 – Ewan Galloway Trio
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 11th June 2013 – Mark cummine SDB
Britannia (Arden House Hotel) -
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 13th June 2013 – Fife S&R Society
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) –
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Coldingham (Crosslaw Caravan Park) - 3rd June 2013 – Andy Kain Trio
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel)
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club)
Dalriada (Argyll Inn, Lochgilphead) -
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 7th June 2013 – Annual Dance
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Royal British Legion Club, Langtongate)
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 18th June 2013 – Johnny Duncan Duo
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 30th June 2013 – Alex Ross SDB
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 12th June 2013 - AGM
Fort William (Railway Club, Inverlochy) -
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 5th June 2013 – Alex McIntyre
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) -
Gretna (Athlitic & Social Club) -
Haddington (Railway Inn) -
Highland (Waterside Hotel) – 17th June 2013 - AGM
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) –
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) – 12th June 2013 - AGM
Kintore (Torryburn Arms Hotel) –
Ladybank (Ladybank Tavern) -
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 22nd June 2013 – Dance to Robert Whitehead SDB
Langholm (Eskdale Hotel) –
Lauder (Black Bull Hotel) -
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 6th June 2013 – Dochie McCallum & Friends
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Maine Valley (Ballymena) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (Adbie Hall) -
Newmill-on-Teviot / Teviotdale (Buccleugh Bowling Club)
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 4th June 2013 - AGM
Northern (Lylehill Suite, Templepatrick, N.I.) - 5th June 2013 – End of Season Special – with Special Guests
Oban (The Argyllshire Gathering) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) – 26th June 2013 – Eunice Henderson & Young Shetland Fiddlers
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) –
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) -
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) - 6th June 2013 – AGM + Gavin Piper
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Seghill (Old Comrades Club) -
Selkirk (Angus O’Malley’s) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 6th June 2013 – Johnny Duncan Duo
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 20th June 2013 – Darren Broadley Duo
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn)
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Annan
3. Arbroath
4. Biggar
5. Blairgowrie
6. Button-Key
7. Castle Douglas
8. Coalburn
9. Dingwall
10. Dunfermline
11. Duns
12. Fintry
13. Forfar
14. Forres
15. Glendale
16. Gretna
17. Highland
18. Inveraray
19. Isle of Skye
20. Kelso
21. Lewis & Harris
22. Livingston
23. Lockerbie
24. Mauchline
25. Montrose
26. Northern
27. Peebles
28. Rothbury
29. Thurso
30. Turriff
31. Tynedale
32. West Barnes
33. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2012
(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. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
11. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
12. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
13. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
14. Button Key A&F Club (
15. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
16. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
17. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
18. Coalburn A&F Club (
19. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 -
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. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
29. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
30. Ellon A&F Club (
31. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
32. Forfar A&F Club (
33. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
34. Fort William A&F Club (2009 -
35. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
36. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
37. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
38. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
39. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
40. 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)
41. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
44. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
45. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
46. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
47. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
48. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
49. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
50. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
51. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
52. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
53 Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
54 Maine Valley A&F Club (
55 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
56 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
57 Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
58 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
59. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
60. Northern A&F Club (Sept 2011 -
61. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
62. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
63. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
64. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
65. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
66. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
67. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
68. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
69. Selkirk A&F Club (
70. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
71 Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
72 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
73 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
74 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
75 Turriff A&F Club (1st April 1982 - present)
76 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
77 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
78 West Barnes ( - present)
79 Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975 - present)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
80. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
81. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
82. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
83. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
84. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
85. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
86. Buchan A&F Club
87 Callander A&F Club (
88 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
89 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
90 Club Accord
91 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
92. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
93. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
94. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
95. Derwentside A&F Club
96. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
97. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
98. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
99. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
100. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
101. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
102. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
103. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
104. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
105. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
106. Kintore A&F Club (
107. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
108. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
109. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
110. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
111. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
112. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
113. Mull A&F Club
114. Newcastleton Accordion Club
115. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded much earlier – closed April 2011 when venue closed)
116. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
117. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
118. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
119. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
120. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
121. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
122. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
123. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
124. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
125. Tranent A&F Club
126. Vancouver
127. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
128. Wellbank A&F Club
129. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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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
More
Karin Ingram
Derek Hamilton – Guest of Honour
by Susan MacFadyen
Born in Duns Berwickshire on May 28th 1945 Derek's folks moved to Chirnside, Berwickshire when he was two. A third move in october 1949 saw Derek domiciled in Galston, Ayrshire where he has been ever since. His father had a grocer's shop and then a pub.
Derek got interested in music through the medium of radio. At the age of five he was an avid listener to Scottish Dance Music on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. He recalls hearing two vastly different bands as his early favourites – the legendary Jimmy Shand and Bobby MacLeod.
He was so keen on this type of music that on visits back to his parents home town of Hawick he spotted an accordion in the window of Spence's Music Shop and pestered his father to buy it. It was an 8 Bass Hohner Mignon which still proudly sits on the piano in his lounge to this day 63 years later!
His Dad took him, with box, to the local music teacher in Galston who promptly told him to come back when the box grew up a bit!
Formal training was not to be, so Derek set about learning tunes for himself. When he was 8 he got a Hohner Verdi 1 48 Bass and found another teacher in Galston but he would play the tunes Derek had to learn and Derek, having heard them, could play them without reading the music. So that only lasted a short time. So again no formal training.
Derek played in his first band at the age of 10 with Alan Logan (the son of the first teacher who rejected the wee box). Infrequent gigs came between practices. Derek remembers his first paid gig – a Women's Guild Social in the Cooperative Hall where he got 7/6d (that's 37.5 pence in today's terms) and a steak pie tea!!
Having played with the Alan Logan Band on and off for quite a few years, he joined up with Richie Holland who was to become a lifelong friend. At 16 he played in his first real Scottish Country Dance Band with Richie, Ed McLuckie on Drums (Ed still plays with the bands of David Ross and Karin McCulloch), Johnny Paton on Piano and Eddie MacKinnon on Double Bass.
At school Derek had a couple of musical mates – Jimmy Christie and Matt Richmond and after leaving school they all joined up again with Alan Logan (who had bought a bass guitar) and formed various groups with various names such as The Corvettes, The Beetles (yes – this was 1960 and the Fab Four had not been heard of). Derek played guitar as it was no longer 'hip' to play the box!
In 1962 Derek met Jean Thorburn. They got engaged and married in March1965. However, this was not the only major change to happen in Derek's life.
The day before the wedding Derek & Jean had a major car accident on their way to Kilmarnock to buy a new Accordion. The new accordion was put on the back burner.
On return from their honeymoon Derek, on a visit to McCormick's Music shop in Glasgow, decided not to buy a new accordion but procured a Hohner Symphonic 30 organ instead.
With Jimmy Christie and Matt Richmond he formed a 'Club' trio – the Likely Lads! The boys became one of the most successful bands on the Ayrshire (and beyond) working men's club scene which was huge in the 60s and early 70s. They worked with caberet stars – Sydney Devine, Hector Nicol and the like, gaining great experience.
Back in time, as a very young teenager, Derek found an interest in recording. He had acquired a reel to reel tape machine and he and a pal, Walter Davidson who was keen on broadcasting, spent their summer holidays from school recording programmes and broadcasting them (highly illegal of course but when you're 13 that really doesn't come into the equasion!) to the good people of Galston blotting out the BBC Light Programme in the process!!
In 1972 for work comittment reasons (the day job always intervenes with part time musicians) the Likely Lads disbanded. Derek and Richie Holland joined forces again and this brought about a renewed interest in Scottish Music for Derek. Combining his interest in recording and playing Derek and Richie produced a 'live' album – 'A Scottish Dance Party' which was a multi-tracked affair with Richie on accordion and double bass and Derek playing accordion, piano and drums. That was actually the catalyst for a long happy friendship with George Fleming who had a very popular Scottish Dance Band. Derek played drums with George until his death in 1988.
Also in 1972 Derek got a call from a guitarist, Sam Nimmo, who had a trio of organ, guitar and drums playing resident in the Gowanbank Hotel in Darvel. The organist was emigrating to Canada and Sam planned to follow shortly after. Derek was asked if he could fill in until Sam finished the contract with the hotel. That 'fill in' lasted 7 years till in 1979 Sam finally decided to go an make a new life in Canada, where he still is today.
During his time at Gowanbank, the band, Just Three, recorded two albums both produced by Derek.
The second one 'Gowanbank Cocktail' featured not only the trio but a Scottish Dance Band comprising Richie Holland (you've heard that name before) on Accordion, Archie Brown on Fiddle, Sam Lawson on Drums and Derek on piano/bass.
Derek, while playing very little Scottish music during the late 60s through to the late 70s always had an interest and it was, and still is, his first love in music.
The Galston Accordion Club which started in 1969 (Davie Ross says 1970 but he's wrong!!!) re kindled a real interest in the music and Richie and Derek played duets round the clubs as they sprung up all over the place.
In 1979, while playing drums with the George Fleming Band, George mentioned to Derek that he was going to pull down the private recording studio he had built due to the sudden death of the chap who did George's private recordings. Derek talked him out of it, saying he would find time to do these recordings for him. Bands like John Renton, Derek Lawrence, Ronnie Easton, Kenny Thomson used to use the studio for practice sessions and they would be recorded purely for George's own private collection and of course his pleasure as he was a real enthusiast for Scottish Dance Music.
After about a year of keeping the studio alive Derek suggested to George that they should set up a proper business. Ayrespin Music was born.
Derek, who by this time had been Sales Manager at Glenfield and Kennedy Engineering works in Kilmarnock for a few years left the company, where he'd worked for 20 years.
He spent the next year (and nearly all his savings!) building up Ayrespin Music.
Kenny Thomson & the Wardaw Band were first to record an album there, followed by debut albums for Colin Dewar, The Etives (later to become Cappercaille), Ian Muir, The Oakbank Sound, Bobby Torrance, Sandy Nixon, Colin Ross, Danny Black. Robin & Deryn Waitt (The Bon Accords), Willie MacFarlane & Colin Brown, Fintry Style, Ron Harris, Pipe Major Ian Clowe, John Douglas and many, many more all recorded albums in the Studio at Crosshouse under the engineering and production skills of Derek.
After George Fleming sadly passed away in 1988 Derek continued with the studio on a hobby basis having gone back to work as Sales Manager for another engineering company in the early 80s and in 1992 set up Bryansroom as a record label. To date Bryansroom has some 75 CDs in it's catalogue.
Names like Andy Kane, Kenny Thomson, Roy Hendrie, Alex Fitzsimmons, Bill Stewart, John Stuart, Ewan Galloway, The Clappy Doo Ceilidh Band, David Sturgeon & the Waverley Band, James Paterson and the Caberston Ceilidh Band, Wullie Scott, Colin Donadson, Archie McPhee and the Bogroy Band, Sandy Nixon and most recently Janet Graham all appear on the label. Derek, too, has albums of his own and albums produced for other labels such as Ross Records, Highlander Music and Club records. Notable big names produced by Derek are Joe Gordon & Sally Logan and their Scottish Champion son Scott as well as Richard Smith from Coalburn.
Two names omitted from the list are Charlie Kirkpatrick and Ian Muir.
Derek first met Charlie in 1978 when the Cullivoe Band visited Galston Accordion Club and Charlie came to hear them. Derek played piano for Charlie's spot at the club and that started a long and enduring friendship, hundreds of gigs and over 30 broadcasts. Derek reckons Charlie has got the formula just right for a band leader. He combines great communication and rapour with the audience with equally great musicianship. In Derek's eyes he is an undisputed master of the 3 row Shand Morino.
Likewise Derek has great praise and humble admiration for the talents of Ian Muir whom he met first when Ian was just 16. After producing Ian's first album they became great friends and along with Colin Bell (the best all round pianist Derek has ever known) played many gigs in many places.
The years spent playing with Ian were actually a great time of learning for Derek, having never had any formal training. Some of the gigs were quite demanding for a non reader but Ian was always encouraging. He also played 2nd box in Ian's broadcasts.
Derek recognises that these two musicians were probably the biggest influence on his musical career since the early 80s.
In 1983 & 1984 Derek jumped at the chance, presented to him by Deryn Waitt, to tour playing keyboards for Dermot O'Brien, a wonderful experience he'll never forget.
Derek was also in Abu Dhabi in1984 and 1986 with Charlie Kikpatrick and John McCroskie.
In recent years Derek has been to China with the John Stuart Band several times to play for ex-pats at the Beijing and Shanghai Annual Scottish Ball and on one occasion there even rubbed shoulders (literally) with the First Minister – Alex Salmond!
Having retired from the day job as an engineer and Sales Manager in May 2010, Derek still enjoys his playing with the likes of Charlie Kirkpatrick and Gordon Young and relishes getting away for the weekends of the Mull Festival, Skye Festival and Dumfries Festival when he meets up with old pals Richard Hughes and Jimmy MacDonald for a tune and a vodka or three (doubles of course! If Jimmy's buying – triples!!).
He also spends a lot of time recording in Bryansroom and out in the field. His latest recording is of Ian Muir, Gordon Simpson and Neil MacMillan playing a selection of new country dances for the Glasgow Branch of the RSCDS. It's their 90th Anniversary in 2013.
He is also pleased to be part of the Mauchline Accordion Club as resident pianist. Mauchline celebrate s it's 30th year in October 2013.
Of course, who can forget that Derek was in from day one of the Box & Fiddle. Under the editorship of Ian Smith he wrote the Record Review, The Reel Radio and many fine articles on the life and times of the musicians and our Scottish scene. He was also an ethusiastic committee member of Galston Accordion Club and on the committee and then Secretary of The Ayrhire Scottish Music Association (ASMA).
When you analyse it, there's not much Derek hasn't done in the music scene. He says humbly, 'I shall be eternally grateful to all the musicians and friends who have placed so much faith in my meagre abilities and given me oportunities I would never have had if I hadn't convinced my Dad to buy me that wee box in 1950 and then spent a lifetime kidding the world that I was a musician! Thank you to every one of you – you know who you are!'
Derek is one of the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs recipients of the annual honour award. It took him a wee while to accept as he genuinely believes that there are plenty folk much more deserving than himself and as he says 'Little did I know or expect when I proposed to the Association in 1971 that we have an annual celebration to honour our treasured musicians while they were still alive, that I would one day receive the award. I am deeply honoured.'
Kenny Thomson (1944 – 2013) - Obituary
by Alasdair, Grant & Stuart Thomson
Kenny Thomson was born on 18th March 1944 in Muirkirk, Ayrshire, the first son of Jim and Eadie Thomson. Jim and Eadie were both part-time musicians – Eadie played piano and Jim the accordion, both in Samson’s Band around the Muirkirk area. As a wee boy, Kenny listened intently to his Dad playing at home and before long started to “accompany” him on his first “accordion”, a wooden foot stool strapped around his neck! His first real accordion, an 8 bass Steldini, came courtesy of Santa at Christmas 1947, three months before his fourth birthday!
Kenny attended Muirkirk Junior Secondary School until he was 15. During this time, he continued to play the accordion, progressing to bigger and better instruments. He received accordion tuition from Robert (Bobby) McFarlane Adamson (another former Muirkirk man) who was at that time considered to be the best music teacher in the district.
Kenny’s first Hohner accordion, an Atlantic IV, was bought new in November 1957. He bought a new Hohner Morino VM in April 1965. Following repeated trips back and forth to McCormack’s in Glasgow for repairs, they ordered a replacement. When it arrived in January 1966, Kenny went to collect it and Neil McCormack opened up the packaging to be met with what is now known as the Morino VN. It has always been presumed to have been (at least one of) the first Morino VNs in Britain. On opening up the case, Neil McCormack was surprised at the “Gola” style couplers in place of the familiar “Domino” couplers of the “M” model, exclaiming,
“Oh my goodness, what do we have here?” (or words to that effect................)
In recent years, Kenny had been finding the weight of the Morino V problematic so, he had his Atlantic restored. He couldn’t bear to part with either but he felt the Atlantic more manageable.
When he was growing up in Muirkirk, there was another budding accordionist in the village - Ronnie Easton. The two used to take turns to play at local functions - Church Guild socials and the like. On one occasion, somebody slipped up and BOTH were asked to play. Each did his first spot and at the interval, they had a “jamming session” backstage and decided to play together in the second half. Thus was born a friendship which lasted for many years. In September 1965, they recorded an EP in Biggar’s Music Studio, Glasgow, as “Ronnie Easton and the Eglinton Dance Band.” The tracks on it were, “The Accordion Polka”, a strathspey “Lochiel’s Rant”, a jig “The New Rigged Ship” and a reel “Roxburgh Castle”.
On leaving School, Kenny had three ambitions. The first was to be an electrician which he achieved after he left school in 1959, when he served an apprenticeship as an electrician with the National Coal Board at Lugar Works. He left that employment in 1967 to follow in his Dad’s footsteps, becoming a bus driver with Western SMT, fulfilling his second ambition. Ambition number three was to play on the radio with Jimmy Shand. While he didn’t fully realise that one, he did play with Jimmy Shand – albeit in Jimmy Junior’s accordion workshop in Auchtermuchty in 1992.
As a bus driver, Kenny had to allow his love of playing music to take second place, shift working being incompatible with band work.
In 1967 Jock Loch persuaded Kenny to help him out by playing with Jock’s “Blackthorn Dance Band” at a dance in Barr. Numerous gigs followed but again, shift working was getting in the way. A change of course was required so during 1970, Kenny became a lorry driver. While still far from ideal, at least he knew he wouldn’t be working “backshift”.
Jock was also responsible for Kenny and his brother Stuart playing their first guest artist spot which was at Straiton Accordion Club in 1975. That in turn led to Kenny competing in the Duos with Stuart, Trios with the addition of Dave Waters (bass) and the Band sections with the aforementioned plus John Holmes (fiddle), in the West of Scotland Accordion Championships. Over consecutive years, considerable success was achieved in each class.
Also attending the accordion club circuit around this time was his old acquaintance Ronnie Easton. In 1976, they both joined a new band being formed by Derek Lawrence. What Kenny didn’t know was that Derek’s intention was for the band to audition for BBC Radio Scotland’s “Scottish Dance Music” programme. The band successfully passed the BBC audition, going on to record a number of broadcasts both there and at Radio Forth. Within a couple of years Derek emigrated to Canada, at which point Ronnie took over the band. Sadly in 1979, Ronnie also left to work in England. This put Kenny in charge of the band and Ian Muir took over the vacant position of lead accordion. This was the birth of “Kenny Thomson & the Wardlaw Scottish Dance Band”. Under Kenny’s professional leadership, the band had a successful career, performing regularly on “Take the Floor” and recording a number of LPs and CDs as well as playing at Scottish Country Dances and Ceilidhs throughout the UK. During his musical career, Kenny played in many locations from Shetland in the north to Lewes in the south of England in addition to Georgia US; Toronto, Sweden, Malta, and Tunisia.
Watching Kenny play, his concentration was often misinterpreted as ‘dourness!’ This couldn’t have been further from the truth; in private he was kind, humorous and even prone to the odd romantic gesture.
It was while driving with Western SMT at Cumnock that Kenny met his future wife Cathy. They started going out together in 1969. When Kenny used to drive the miners' bus that passed Cathy’s family home; she would wait at the gate in anticipation, and he would throw red roses to her as he passed.
Kenny and Cathy married on 3rd October 1970 and later, they settled in Cumnock, going on to raise a family of their own. Elder son Grant was born in June 1977 and Alasdair followed in March 1986. They inherited Kenny’s interest in transport; his strong work ethic; his droll sense of humour - and, of course, his love of music, which was nurtured in them from early childhood. They each in turn had filled in with the band at the odd gig over the years, Grant on fiddle, and Alasdair on bass.
They enjoyed family holidays together in a touring caravan in the ‘80s and ‘90s, visiting places like Blackpool, Oban and Fort William. Kenny’s Dad had links with Dumfries & Galloway region. This resulted in one place becoming a particular favourite haunt - quiet Kirkcudbright.
Kenny also forged a link with Gatehouse of Fleet when, in 1979, he was asked to play for the local RSCDS Branch. It must have gone well – he played there annually for the next 33 years, latterly for Gatehouse Scottish Country Dance Class. Kenny’s final appearance there was in December 2012.
In recent years, many an enjoyable “New Year’s Night” musical evening took place in the family home - Kenny and Stuart playing the boxes, Grant and Alasdair on fiddle and bass respectively. Cathy and Stuart’s wife Audrey would sing along like Fran and Anna, but making up the words as they went along! On these occasions, it was traditional for Kenny to refer to his 'Drink-Barometer;' basically, if he could still play the first four bars of “The Tushkar”, he hadn't had enough!
As Alasdair was growing up, he helped Kenny discover a latent interest in sport. Towards the end of a nice "boys' day out" in Glasgow when Alasdair was 13, Kenny asked him to look in the glove box of the car, where he found an envelope containing two tickets to an evening kick-off at Ibrox. It was the first time either of them had been to a football match, and it was to be the first of several matches they attended together over the years. On the car journeys back, they would discuss football tactics, transfer policy and linesman's decisions as men do - as if either of them knew what they were talking about!
Kenny retired from his job as a lorry driver with T French & Son, in September 2009 – having counted down the days for the preceding five years. Then, of course, he went straight back out to drive for French part-time –
“Well, it’s different when you don’t HAVE to do it,” he reasoned!
He maintained a connection with his bus driving days too, by becoming a member of the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum, near Dunfermline. Whenever he had a free Sunday, he enjoyed being around and driving some of the bus types he had driven during his time with Western SMT.
The family had matured and Kenny and Cathy had been introduced to the joys of cruise holidays in 2005, taking two that year! They never looked back.
After Scottish Dance Music, Kenny’s other great musical love was Jazz. (Hence the saxophone tattoo on his right forearm. It isn’t commonly known that Kenny used to play both sax and clarinet. The reason he decided to concentrate on the accordion was that he was never satisfied with the clarity of sound he achieved on high notes).
It was on that first cruise of 2005, he was able to satisfy a lengthy desire, by visiting New Orleans and sampling the Mardi-Gras atmosphere. They were to repeat the visit in March 2013, and it was in the latter stages of this cruise that Kenny first became unwell. He passed away peacefully on the 5th April in Ayr Hospital, after a short illness, surrounded by his family.
Kenny Thomson was a much-loved husband, dad, brother, brother-in-law, father-in-law, granddad, highly respected musician, bandleader, colleague and friend who will be sorely missed.
Cathy, Grant, Alasdair, Stuart and their respective families would like to extend their thanks to all who attended Kenny’s funeral, sent cards or messages of sympathy, or contributed to the Retiral Collection, which raised the sum of £900. This was split between Cancer Support UK and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland.
Suzanne Croy
Kenny Thomson’s sound and style of arrangements always held great appeal for me. I wore down many cassette recordings of radio broadcasts by listening and re-listening to various tracks. The first time I met Kenny was as a teenager when I had my own band. We had entered the band competition at Ayr Music Festival and we were all delighted that Kenny gave the band a super score and commented favourably on the selection we played (which was heavily influenced by the medleys and arrangements of Kenny and Ronnie Easton!)
I was absolutely thrilled called me in 1999 to play bas in The Wardlaw Band. I remember the first rehearsal. Often, it takes some time for a band to settle down when there is a change of personnel; getting familiar with members’ styles and embellishments, but I remember feeling completely at home from eight bars in. That was because of the musicianship and professionalism of Kenny and his Band. What a privilege to have had 14 years of fantastic music, recordings, fun and friendship. Kenny was a perfectionist. His solid leadership qualities and sense of musicality when arranging music are second to none. He had the ability to understand the role of each instrument in the band and bring out the best in the musicians around him. He remains the only Scottish Dance Band leader I have played with who scored the drum parts and indicated which octave the bass was to play certain notes. Kenny was a leader who knew the sound he wanted and never compromised on this. I admired him hugely for this even if we had one difference of opinion in all these years! Kenny preferred the sound of my electric guitar and electric double bass to the acoustic!
Kenny loved to play strathspeys, even recording an 8 x 32 bar dance on Take the Floor. Despite some reservations regarding how listeners would react to this, after recording the track, the producer exclaimed ‘lovely’. Kenny had a knack for putting sets together and creating the right level of interest in each measure.
Over the years, Kenny and I became good friends. Kenny was a genuine man with a huge intellect. Far from the normal topics of conversation on the way to gigs, the Wardlaw Band could find themselves engrossed in discussing subjects as diverse as Scottish history to current affairs. Kenny also had a keen sense of humour and was a thoughtful man. As he arrived at my daughter Rachel’s christening, he presented us with a lovely march he had written. It has pride of place on the house!
Kenny was also a true friend who has supported me over the years, well outwith the remit of ‘just’ being my bandleader. I am still deeply shocked and saddened that we have lost such a brilliant, talented, musician and one of the most decent, genuine people I have ever been privileged enough to consider my friend. Kenny, I thank you for the opportunity of being part of your Band for so many years. It is the end of an era and I will treasure all the recordings and memories.
Derek Hamilton
I suppose you could say I was Kenny Thomson's record producer.
I first new Kenny back in the late 60s early 70s through the Accordion Club movement and in those early days he always struck me as a 'dapper' young man. I don't think I ever saw Kenny in casual clothes – he was always very well dressed wherever he was.
That was to prove to be a measure of the man – everything polished, neat and tidy and perfect. That was Kenny and that was his music.
I got to know him properly in 1980 when, having taken over Ronnie Easton's very successful band and formed it into the Wardlaw Scottish Dance Band, he was keen to make an album. George Fleming and I had started a new record label – Ayrespin Music and Kenny and the band used the studio to practice for broadcasts for the BBC and Radio Forth. I recorded these practices and Kenny knew that I knew what sort of sound he wanted so it was quite natural that he recorded his debut album at Ayrespin. 'Double First' was the title as it was Kenny's first and it was Ayrespin's first commercial album.
I remember at the end of the session when it was all 'in the can' I chastised Kenny for not praising the guys for their superb contribution during a fairly long day. The best they got was ' Aye well I suppose it'll dae'! But Kenny explained that he was bad at lifting spirits not like Derek Lawrence who was the ultimate optimist and enthusiast. Kenny had played in that band and knew how Derek worked but just wasn't able to be anything other than how he was.
Following on from 'Double First' Kenny did at least two albums for the RSCDS and one for Sue Petyt of Dumfries and I produced a further three on the Bryansroom Label.
I can't say if he took the same attitude with the others but for the albums I produced he certainly looked for perfection in the recording. To all intents and purposes he surrounded himself with people he knew would give him a good solid performance and that left him to worry only about his own. Which he did to the point of almost destruction! When it came to things like that, Kenny had ears like a bat as well as perfect pitch. He had an obsession with correct timing for the dances. If he was a second or two out he would ask me to 'sort it' He just liked things to be right.
He never was totally pleased with anything he recorded but then I used to tell him 'That's fine Kenny – at least you've got somewhere to go next time. One you reach total perfection and satisfaction it's time to give up!'
Kenny never did give up – oh he threatened a few times but never actually got round to it I'm glad to say.
The world could do with more musicians like Kenny Thomson. He knew what he wanted and he normally got it because he knew how to get it. He was also one of the most capable musicians I have ever met.
He will be sadly missed by me and many others.
RONNIE EASTON (Lifelong friend and fellow accordionist)
The first time I came across Kenny was when we were both booked to do an old folks concert in Muirkirk. I was only 12 or 13 at the time and Kenny was just a wee boy. I realised then that he could certainly play the box a lot better than his years displayed.
Later we were both taught by the same teacher, Robert McF Adamson of Cumnock who famously composed the Triumph March.
Kenny's similar thinking to mine drew us together and he came to my house regularly to play tunes.
As the years progressed it was obvious to me that Kenny had a great talent on not only the box but on the Saxaphone which he took up as a teenager. He travelled up to Glasgow for lessons and was eventually so good at it that he was offered a professional job down south with a big band. Kenny turned that opportunity down and gave up the sax in favour of the box. As I recall this was because there were certain elements of sax playing he was failing to master and in his frustration just decided enough was enough.
That showed me what Kenny was – a total perfectionist. He really was just that in everything he did. It had to be right and he expected the same from everyone else.
Brian Griffin and I had become good friends and when the Accordion Clubs started up he and I played duets around many of them. Eventually, in 1974 or 1975 I think it was, Brian joined the Iain MacPhail Band.
I was introduced to Derek Lawrence at a concert in Ayr where Derek was accompanying a singer and, having heard me do my first spot, asked if he could play piano for me in the second half. Derek had been playing with Bobby Jack but was trying to start his own band and asked me to join. He was looking for a second box player and had some bookings so I suggested that the very man for the job was Kenny Thomson. We all had similar likes in music – great fans on the Ian Powrie Band.
'Just bring the chords you want' I said to Derek, 'and the 'wee man' will play exactly what you want'.
And Kenny did. That was another great asset he had – he gave you what you wanted musically.
When Derek left for Canada I took over the band retaining Kenny on second box – well, lead plus block chords Mickie Ainsworth style.
In 1979 I decided to go down south to get better work in the day job and left Kenny to take over the band. To replace me he brought in Ian Muir, and the Wardlaw Band was born. The rest is history as they say.
I will always remember Kenny for his absolute conviction to the music. He was a total perfectionist and it showed. I'll miss him.
Ian Muir
I first started playing with Kenny and The Wardlaw Band in 1980, playing Scottish Country dances, ceilidhs, broadcasts for the BBC, Radio Forth and West Sound. I was also involved in the Band’s first commercial recording ‘Double first’, which was first for The Wardlaw and first for Ayrespin Records, the label started by George Fleming and Derek Hamilton. I learned a lot from Kenny, being only 16 years of age when I joined the band I had a lot to learn and I remember sitting in Gordon Simpson’s house at a practice session before Ronnie Easton’s final BBC broadcast thinking to myself that I would never be able to cope! The band was in great form!
Kenny was a perfectionist in every aspect of his playing career and in everything he did in life. His professional standards were of the highest level and he expected everyone around him to aspire to the same standards, from his meticulous playing, exact musical arrangements through to dress code and equipment care and maintenance. (His cable wrapping was an art form in itself!)
I remember one of the first Box and Fiddle Clubs we did as a six-piece; it was Perth and Kanny wanted us all to be on our ‘mettle’ for it. John Gibson was playing piano at the time; he didn’t own a red shirt, so Kenny insisted on him buying one for the Perth gig. We arrived in Perth to find John already there and sporting a brand new Red shirt – probably the brightest red shirt I have ever seen! Only problem was that it was made from some kind of plasticky rubbery material and was so shiny that you could have used it as a mirror! Kenny’s face was a study – he just shook his head and muttered in his Cumnock twang “Well, ah suppose it’s rid…”
Kenny was an inspiration to many of us and will be a huge loss to our music scene. A man of many talents not least of which was his ability to scoff two whole digestive biscuits….in one go!!
Webwatch
by Bill Young
www.
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Robbie Shepherd (repeated on Sunday’s 13.05 – 15.00)
REPEATS
1st June 2013 – David Oswald SDB + Charlie Todd on B&F Archives
8th June 2013 – Ian Thomson SDB
15th June 2013 – Ewan Galloway SDB (Debut Broadcast)
22nd June 2013 – Susan MacFadyen SDB + Nicol McLaren NAAFC Awards
29th June 2013 – Ian Muir SDB - OB
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 16th June 2013 – Judith Linton Trio
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 9th June 2013 – Alasdair MacLeod Trio
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 24th June 2013 – Scott Nichol SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 26th June 2013 – Ewan Galloway Trio
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 11th June 2013 – Mark cummine SDB
Britannia (Arden House Hotel) -
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 13th June 2013 – Fife S&R Society
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) –
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Coldingham (Crosslaw Caravan Park) - 3rd June 2013 – Andy Kain Trio
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel)
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club)
Dalriada (Argyll Inn, Lochgilphead) -
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 7th June 2013 – Annual Dance
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Royal British Legion Club, Langtongate)
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 18th June 2013 – Johnny Duncan Duo
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 30th June 2013 – Alex Ross SDB
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 12th June 2013 - AGM
Fort William (Railway Club, Inverlochy) -
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 5th June 2013 – Alex McIntyre
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) -
Gretna (Athlitic & Social Club) -
Haddington (Railway Inn) -
Highland (Waterside Hotel) – 17th June 2013 - AGM
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) –
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) – 12th June 2013 - AGM
Kintore (Torryburn Arms Hotel) –
Ladybank (Ladybank Tavern) -
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 22nd June 2013 – Dance to Robert Whitehead SDB
Langholm (Eskdale Hotel) –
Lauder (Black Bull Hotel) -
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 6th June 2013 – Dochie McCallum & Friends
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Maine Valley (Ballymena) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (Adbie Hall) -
Newmill-on-Teviot / Teviotdale (Buccleugh Bowling Club)
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 4th June 2013 - AGM
Northern (Lylehill Suite, Templepatrick, N.I.) - 5th June 2013 – End of Season Special – with Special Guests
Oban (The Argyllshire Gathering) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) – 26th June 2013 – Eunice Henderson & Young Shetland Fiddlers
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) –
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) -
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) - 6th June 2013 – AGM + Gavin Piper
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Seghill (Old Comrades Club) -
Selkirk (Angus O’Malley’s) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 6th June 2013 – Johnny Duncan Duo
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 20th June 2013 – Darren Broadley Duo
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn)
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Annan
3. Arbroath
4. Biggar
5. Blairgowrie
6. Button-Key
7. Castle Douglas
8. Coalburn
9. Dingwall
10. Dunfermline
11. Duns
12. Fintry
13. Forfar
14. Forres
15. Glendale
16. Gretna
17. Highland
18. Inveraray
19. Isle of Skye
20. Kelso
21. Lewis & Harris
22. Livingston
23. Lockerbie
24. Mauchline
25. Montrose
26. Northern
27. Peebles
28. Rothbury
29. Thurso
30. Turriff
31. Tynedale
32. West Barnes
33. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2012
(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. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
11. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
12. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
13. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
14. Button Key A&F Club (
15. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
16. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
17. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
18. Coalburn A&F Club (
19. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 -
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. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
29. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
30. Ellon A&F Club (
31. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
32. Forfar A&F Club (
33. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
34. Fort William A&F Club (2009 -
35. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
36. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
37. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
38. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
39. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
40. 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)
41. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
44. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
45. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
46. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
47. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
48. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
49. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
50. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
51. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
52. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
53 Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
54 Maine Valley A&F Club (
55 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
56 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
57 Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
58 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
59. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
60. Northern A&F Club (Sept 2011 -
61. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
62. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
63. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
64. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
65. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
66. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
67. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
68. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
69. Selkirk A&F Club (
70. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
71 Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
72 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
73 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
74 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
75 Turriff A&F Club (1st April 1982 - present)
76 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
77 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
78 West Barnes ( - present)
79 Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975 - present)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
80. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
81. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
82. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
83. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
84. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
85. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
86. Buchan A&F Club
87 Callander A&F Club (
88 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
89 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
90 Club Accord
91 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
92. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
93. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
94. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
95. Derwentside A&F Club
96. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
97. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
98. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
99. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
100. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
101. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
102. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
103. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
104. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
105. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
106. Kintore A&F Club (
107. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
108. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
109. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
110. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
111. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
112. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
113. Mull A&F Club
114. Newcastleton Accordion Club
115. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded much earlier – closed April 2011 when venue closed)
116. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
117. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
118. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
119. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
120. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
121. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
122. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
123. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
124. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
125. Tranent A&F Club
126. Vancouver
127. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
128. Wellbank A&F Club
129. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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