Box and Fiddle
Year 40 No 09
May 2017
Price £2.70
44 Page Magazine
12 month subscription £32.40 + p&p £15.75 (UK)
Editor – Pia Walker, Cupar
B&F Treasurer – Willie Johnstone, Inverurie
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
May – and the Committee is hard at work preparing………………
Pia Walker
Davie Stewart – Lifetime Achievement Award
by Fran Biggs
Inshyra 2017
by Pia Walker
Alasdair MacLeod – Guest of Honour
by Charlie Kirkpatrick
Those of you who attend the Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival will find it difficult to believe but last October during the Festival I found a spare half hour when there was a lull in the festivities. This gave me an opportunity to sit down and have a chat with fellow islander and fellow former pupil of Oban High School, bass player Alasdair Macleod.
Alasdair was born in Tobermory on the 1 May 1953, the third of four children to Bobby and Jean Macleod. Bobby was of course the famous dance band leader and in fact one of our Association’s very first guests of honour. Along with his wife Jean they were mine hosts of the Mishnish Hotel in Tobermory, at that time a Mecca for all lovers of our music. Alasdair’s brother Robert also went on to play the accordion and front his own band whilst his other brother Duncan was a talented footballer with Southampton and Dundee United amongst other teams. His younger sister Rhoda established, and still runs, the world renowned Tobermory Chocolate Factory.
Growing up in Tobermory Alasdair describes as being “heaven”. All his spare time was spent on the sea – rowing and sailing being full time summer pursuits. He completed his secondary school education at Oban High School and while there, he represented the school twice at the National Schools Regatta at Clynder on the Clyde. At this time he would also compete annually every July along with his father in the West Highland Yachting Week, an event which is one of the highlights of the Scottish yachting calendar. Another yachting highlight in 1972 was a race from Inverness to Bergen on a 35 foot yacht with the Clyde Cruising Club, to celebrate the centenary of Bergen Yacht Club.
After leaving school, Alasdair’s work involved doing island coach tours of Mull and this included visits to Duart Castle, the seat of the Clan Maclean. On his numerous visits to the castle, he met his wife Marti who had come from South Africa to work at Saint James’ Palace in London for Lord Maclean. During the summer months, Lord Maclean and his entourage moved residence from London to Duart. In 1987 the couple moved to South Africa where their first two daughters Kirsty and Catriona were born in Port Elizabeth with a third daughter Annabel being born on their return to Tobermory in 1992. Like any parent, Alasdair is immensely proud of his family.
Driving has always been an enjoyable pursuit for Alasdair so it was natural that this would become his livelihood. He started driving coaches with a local firm on Mull in 1974 and apart from his sojourn in South Africa, where he was a professional driving instructor, he is still in the same job only today he is the Transport Manager for West Coast Motors on Mull. In fact when Alasdair later played in the Jim Johnstone band, he did all the driving and as a result Jim nicknamed him Andy Gow after the legendary driver with Jimmy Shand’s band. Also when in South Africa he competed in coach driving competitions and represented South Africa twice at World championships.
Growing up in a musical environment, as a teenager Alasdair started to play the six string guitar along with a local group and also with his father at ceilidhs and dances. He then progressed to the bass guitar playing in his father’s band, with Calum Maclean, and also with his brother Robert. The famous fiddler Pibroch Mackenzie also featured in the bands of Bobby Macleod and Calum Maclean. Gigs were mostly on Mull with the occasional sortie to Oban, Taynuilt and even Glasgow. His first LP/studio recording was with his father on “Bobby’s Kind of Music” which was recorded in Craighall Studios Edinburgh in 1969. A bass guitar was used on that recording but it was soon replaced by a double bass purchased from Archie Oliphant, Jimmy Shand’s bass player, and that was Alasdair fully committed to Scottish dance music.
In the nineteen seventies, Tobermory and in particular the Mishnish Hotel was a popular destination for all our leading dance bands. Iain Macphail first came to Mull in 1972 and after a mammoth musical session in the Mishnish, Alasdair was invited to Edinburgh for a week to play with Iain’s band which included Alan Johnston on fiddle, Drew Dalgleish on drums, Davy Flockhart on piano along with Iain on accordion. This week was a life changing experience for Alasdair because he started to play most weekends with the band – it could be Duns, Bolton, Leeds, Eastbourne or even Portsmouth. His first BBC broadcast was with this band in March 1973. He started part time coach driving in the summer of 1974 and this curtailed the playing although he still managed to play on the odd weekend and do broadcasts with Iain, Eric Goodfellow and others. Another highlight was in May 1975 when he was invited to tour Australia and New Zealand with the great Jimmy Blue band accompanying Andy Stewart.
After that summer season finished, Alasdair was having a few days break staying with Drew Dalgleish in Hawick. As Drew was playing with Jim Johnstone at the time, Alasdair went with him one night to Bobby Colgan’s bar The Chase in Bonnyrigg to hear the band. Robin Brock, who was playing bass in the band, persuaded Jim to let Alasdair play the bass and he would play second box. This resulted in Alasdair joining Jim’s band for two winters – television shows Songs of Scotland, Out and About with Robin Hall and Jimmie McGregor, live Hogmanay Show, Radio Forth broadcasts and a week at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen were just some of the many highlights.
Full time employment on Mull meant leaving Jim’s band because it restricted the amount of gigs that could be done although he still managed to do broadcasts with numerous other bands. On the subject of broadcasts, Alasdair says that he doesn’t consider the amount of broadcasts to be “notches on his gun” and as a result he has no idea how many bands or actual broadcasts or recordings he has taken part in. He treats every broadcast with the same respect and enthusiasm as his very first one and apart from his four year spell in South Africa he has been a broadcasting bass player since 1973. Over the years, Alasdair has been delighted to have been asked on many occasions by the “younger generation” to compete in the band section at the Musselburgh/Inchyra festival. He particularly remembers one young chap, Craig McCallum, who was the first band to win both band trophies at his first attempt and who later went on to become an established broadcasting band.
I have seen at first hand the respect that Alasdair Macleod is held in not only as a musician but also as a person and the National Association is delighted to welcome him to our annual Celebrity Luncheon as one of our Guests of Honour.
Musings
by Tom Orr
I recently stumbled across the Box and Fiddle Website archive. For me it was a history lesson! ………..
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
The Park Bar – 50 Years of Ceilidh Music – Various Artistes – PARK BAR01
Book Review
The Errogie Collection Vol 1 – Taigh Na Teud Music
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Robbie Shepherd (repeated on Sunday’s 13.05 – 15.00)
6th May 2017 – Leonard Brown SDB
13th May 2017 – Colin Dewar SDB
20th May 2017 – Alan Crookston SDB
27th May – Charlie Kirkpatrick SDB
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) – 30th May 2017 – Ian Thomson SDB
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms) 10th May 2017 – Alan Small & Gemma Donald
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 31st May 2017 – The Occasionals
Arbroath (Artisan Golf Club) - 7th May 2017 – Jack Delaney SDB
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 29th May 2017 – John Stuart SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 24th May 2017 – Kyle Innes Trio
Beith & District (Beith Bowling Club) –
Biggar (Biggar Bowling Club) –
Blairgowrie (Red House Hotel) - 9th May 2017 – The Occasionals
Button Key (Greig Institute, Windygates) – 11th May 2017 – Fife S&R Society 28th May – Shand Morino Day
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) - 2nd May 2017 – Alan Crookston C.B.
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) - 11th May 2017 – Iain MacPhail SDB
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 5th May 2017 – Dance to Willie McRobert SDB
Clydesdale (St Mary’s Club Rooms) - 7th May 2017 – Tom Orr SDB
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel) 4th May 2017 – James Coutts Trio
Dalriada (Argyll Inn, Lochgilphead) -
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 3rd May 2017 – Adin Graham Trio
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) –
Dunfermline (Sportsman Bar, Rosyth) – 9th May 2017 - AGM
Duns (Masonic Lodge) 15th May 2017 – Club Night
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 24th May 2017 – Dick black Band
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 28th May 2017 – Johnny Duncan
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 10th May 2017 – Brandon McPhee Trio
Fort William (Railway Club) - 2nd May 2017 – Club Night
Galashiels (Clovenfords Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Glenfarg Village Hall) - 3rd May 2017 – Craigowl SDB
Gretna (The Solway Lodge Hotel) - 5th May 2017 – Dance to Iain Anderson Trio
Highland (Waterside Hotel) – 15th May 2017 – Iain Cathcart Trio
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) - 4th May 2017 – Elizabeth MacKenzie & Ian MacDonald
Islesteps (Locharbriggs Social Club) –
Kelso (Cross Rugby Club) – 21st May 2017 – David Oswald SDB
Langholm (British Legion) –
Lewis & Harris (Caladh Inn, Stornoway) - 4th May 2017 – Club Night
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn) 16th May 2017 – Maggie Adamson & Brian Nicholson
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Macmerry (Miners Social Club) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) – 3rd May 2017 – John Stewart SDB
Newburgh (Adbie Hall) -
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 4th May 2017 – Gavin Piper
Oban (The Royal Hotel) –
Orkney (The Reel, Kirkwall) – 3rd 10th 17th 24th 31st May 2017 – Club Nights
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 16th May 2017 – Iain Cathcart SDB
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) - 4th May 2017 – Ray Carse
Seghill (Old Comrades Club) - 9th May 2017 – Alan Small & Gemma Donald
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Village Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) – 1st May 2017 – John Morgan
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 4th May 2017 – Brandon McPhee Trio
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 18th May 2017 – Blackthorne C.B.
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 16th May 2017 – Addie Harper SDB
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Alnwick
3. Annan
4. Arbroath
5. Balloch
6. Banchory
7. Banff
8. Biggar
9. Blairgowrie
10. Button Key
11. Campsie
12. Clydesdale
13. Coalburn
14. Crieff
15. Dunblane
16. Dunfermline
17. Duns
18. Forfar
19. Forres
20. Glendale
21. Gretna
22. Highland
23. Inveraray
24. Islesteps
25. Kelso
26. Langholm
27. Lewis & Harris
28. Livingston
29. Lockerbie
30. Mauchline
31. Newburgh
32. North East
33. Peebles
34. Seghill
35. Shetland
36. Stonehouse
37. Turriff
38. Tynedale
39. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2016
(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. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
10. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
11. Button Key A&F Club (
12. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
13. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
14. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
15. Clydesdale A&F Club (Sept 2016 – present)
16. Coalburn A&F Club (
17. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
18. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
19. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
20. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
21. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
22. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
23. Ellon A&F Club (
24. Forfar A&F Club (
25. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
26. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
27. Glendale A&F Club (Jan 1973 – present)
28. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
29. 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)
30. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
31. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
32. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
33. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
34. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
35. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
36. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 – present)
37. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
38 Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
39. Macmerry A&F Club (Feb 2016 – present)
40 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
41 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
42 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
43. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
44. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
45. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
46. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
47. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
48. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
49. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
50. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
51 Stonehouse A&F Club (Opened 2003 - first report June 05 – Closed April 2018)
52 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
53 Turriff A&F Club (1st April 1982 - present)
54 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
55 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
56 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?)
57. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
58. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
59. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
60. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
61. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
62. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
63. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
64. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
65. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
66. Buchan A&F Club
67. Callander A&F Club (
68. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
69. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
70. Club Accord
71. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 – cFeb 2014)
72 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
73. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
74. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
75. Cults A & F Club (
76. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
77. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
78. Derwentside A&F Club
79. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
80. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
81. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
82. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
83. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
84. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
85. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
86. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
87. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – ?)
88. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
89. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
90. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93? – left the Assoc c2013)
91. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
92. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
93. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 – 6th December 2015)
94. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
95. Kintore A&F Club (
96. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
97. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier -
98. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
99. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
100. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
101. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
102. Maine Valley A&F Club (
103. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
104. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
105. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
106. Mull A&F Club
107. Newcastleton Accordion Club
108. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded much earlier – closed April 2011 when venue closed)
109. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
110. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
111. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
112. Northern A&F Club (Sept 2011 -
113. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
114. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
115. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
116. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
117. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
118. Selkirk A&F Club (
119. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
120. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
121. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
122 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
123 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
124. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
125. Tranent A&F Club
126. Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra
127. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
128. Wellbank A&F Club
129. West Barnes (1981? - April 2016?)
130. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
Advertising rates
Back Page (colour) - £300
Full Page (colour) - £220
Full Page (b&w) - £140
Half Page (colour) - £110
Half Page (b&w) - £70
Quarter Page (colour) - £55
Quarter Page (b&w) - £35
Eighth Page - £18
Small Boxed £12
B&F Treasurer – Willie Johnstone, Inverurie
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
May – and the Committee is hard at work preparing………………
Pia Walker
Davie Stewart – Lifetime Achievement Award
by Fran Biggs
Inshyra 2017
by Pia Walker
Alasdair MacLeod – Guest of Honour
by Charlie Kirkpatrick
Those of you who attend the Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival will find it difficult to believe but last October during the Festival I found a spare half hour when there was a lull in the festivities. This gave me an opportunity to sit down and have a chat with fellow islander and fellow former pupil of Oban High School, bass player Alasdair Macleod.
Alasdair was born in Tobermory on the 1 May 1953, the third of four children to Bobby and Jean Macleod. Bobby was of course the famous dance band leader and in fact one of our Association’s very first guests of honour. Along with his wife Jean they were mine hosts of the Mishnish Hotel in Tobermory, at that time a Mecca for all lovers of our music. Alasdair’s brother Robert also went on to play the accordion and front his own band whilst his other brother Duncan was a talented footballer with Southampton and Dundee United amongst other teams. His younger sister Rhoda established, and still runs, the world renowned Tobermory Chocolate Factory.
Growing up in Tobermory Alasdair describes as being “heaven”. All his spare time was spent on the sea – rowing and sailing being full time summer pursuits. He completed his secondary school education at Oban High School and while there, he represented the school twice at the National Schools Regatta at Clynder on the Clyde. At this time he would also compete annually every July along with his father in the West Highland Yachting Week, an event which is one of the highlights of the Scottish yachting calendar. Another yachting highlight in 1972 was a race from Inverness to Bergen on a 35 foot yacht with the Clyde Cruising Club, to celebrate the centenary of Bergen Yacht Club.
After leaving school, Alasdair’s work involved doing island coach tours of Mull and this included visits to Duart Castle, the seat of the Clan Maclean. On his numerous visits to the castle, he met his wife Marti who had come from South Africa to work at Saint James’ Palace in London for Lord Maclean. During the summer months, Lord Maclean and his entourage moved residence from London to Duart. In 1987 the couple moved to South Africa where their first two daughters Kirsty and Catriona were born in Port Elizabeth with a third daughter Annabel being born on their return to Tobermory in 1992. Like any parent, Alasdair is immensely proud of his family.
Driving has always been an enjoyable pursuit for Alasdair so it was natural that this would become his livelihood. He started driving coaches with a local firm on Mull in 1974 and apart from his sojourn in South Africa, where he was a professional driving instructor, he is still in the same job only today he is the Transport Manager for West Coast Motors on Mull. In fact when Alasdair later played in the Jim Johnstone band, he did all the driving and as a result Jim nicknamed him Andy Gow after the legendary driver with Jimmy Shand’s band. Also when in South Africa he competed in coach driving competitions and represented South Africa twice at World championships.
Growing up in a musical environment, as a teenager Alasdair started to play the six string guitar along with a local group and also with his father at ceilidhs and dances. He then progressed to the bass guitar playing in his father’s band, with Calum Maclean, and also with his brother Robert. The famous fiddler Pibroch Mackenzie also featured in the bands of Bobby Macleod and Calum Maclean. Gigs were mostly on Mull with the occasional sortie to Oban, Taynuilt and even Glasgow. His first LP/studio recording was with his father on “Bobby’s Kind of Music” which was recorded in Craighall Studios Edinburgh in 1969. A bass guitar was used on that recording but it was soon replaced by a double bass purchased from Archie Oliphant, Jimmy Shand’s bass player, and that was Alasdair fully committed to Scottish dance music.
In the nineteen seventies, Tobermory and in particular the Mishnish Hotel was a popular destination for all our leading dance bands. Iain Macphail first came to Mull in 1972 and after a mammoth musical session in the Mishnish, Alasdair was invited to Edinburgh for a week to play with Iain’s band which included Alan Johnston on fiddle, Drew Dalgleish on drums, Davy Flockhart on piano along with Iain on accordion. This week was a life changing experience for Alasdair because he started to play most weekends with the band – it could be Duns, Bolton, Leeds, Eastbourne or even Portsmouth. His first BBC broadcast was with this band in March 1973. He started part time coach driving in the summer of 1974 and this curtailed the playing although he still managed to play on the odd weekend and do broadcasts with Iain, Eric Goodfellow and others. Another highlight was in May 1975 when he was invited to tour Australia and New Zealand with the great Jimmy Blue band accompanying Andy Stewart.
After that summer season finished, Alasdair was having a few days break staying with Drew Dalgleish in Hawick. As Drew was playing with Jim Johnstone at the time, Alasdair went with him one night to Bobby Colgan’s bar The Chase in Bonnyrigg to hear the band. Robin Brock, who was playing bass in the band, persuaded Jim to let Alasdair play the bass and he would play second box. This resulted in Alasdair joining Jim’s band for two winters – television shows Songs of Scotland, Out and About with Robin Hall and Jimmie McGregor, live Hogmanay Show, Radio Forth broadcasts and a week at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen were just some of the many highlights.
Full time employment on Mull meant leaving Jim’s band because it restricted the amount of gigs that could be done although he still managed to do broadcasts with numerous other bands. On the subject of broadcasts, Alasdair says that he doesn’t consider the amount of broadcasts to be “notches on his gun” and as a result he has no idea how many bands or actual broadcasts or recordings he has taken part in. He treats every broadcast with the same respect and enthusiasm as his very first one and apart from his four year spell in South Africa he has been a broadcasting bass player since 1973. Over the years, Alasdair has been delighted to have been asked on many occasions by the “younger generation” to compete in the band section at the Musselburgh/Inchyra festival. He particularly remembers one young chap, Craig McCallum, who was the first band to win both band trophies at his first attempt and who later went on to become an established broadcasting band.
I have seen at first hand the respect that Alasdair Macleod is held in not only as a musician but also as a person and the National Association is delighted to welcome him to our annual Celebrity Luncheon as one of our Guests of Honour.
Musings
by Tom Orr
I recently stumbled across the Box and Fiddle Website archive. For me it was a history lesson! ………..
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
The Park Bar – 50 Years of Ceilidh Music – Various Artistes – PARK BAR01
Book Review
The Errogie Collection Vol 1 – Taigh Na Teud Music
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Robbie Shepherd (repeated on Sunday’s 13.05 – 15.00)
6th May 2017 – Leonard Brown SDB
13th May 2017 – Colin Dewar SDB
20th May 2017 – Alan Crookston SDB
27th May – Charlie Kirkpatrick SDB
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) – 30th May 2017 – Ian Thomson SDB
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms) 10th May 2017 – Alan Small & Gemma Donald
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 31st May 2017 – The Occasionals
Arbroath (Artisan Golf Club) - 7th May 2017 – Jack Delaney SDB
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 29th May 2017 – John Stuart SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 24th May 2017 – Kyle Innes Trio
Beith & District (Beith Bowling Club) –
Biggar (Biggar Bowling Club) –
Blairgowrie (Red House Hotel) - 9th May 2017 – The Occasionals
Button Key (Greig Institute, Windygates) – 11th May 2017 – Fife S&R Society 28th May – Shand Morino Day
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) - 2nd May 2017 – Alan Crookston C.B.
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) - 11th May 2017 – Iain MacPhail SDB
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 5th May 2017 – Dance to Willie McRobert SDB
Clydesdale (St Mary’s Club Rooms) - 7th May 2017 – Tom Orr SDB
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel) 4th May 2017 – James Coutts Trio
Dalriada (Argyll Inn, Lochgilphead) -
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 3rd May 2017 – Adin Graham Trio
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) –
Dunfermline (Sportsman Bar, Rosyth) – 9th May 2017 - AGM
Duns (Masonic Lodge) 15th May 2017 – Club Night
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 24th May 2017 – Dick black Band
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 28th May 2017 – Johnny Duncan
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 10th May 2017 – Brandon McPhee Trio
Fort William (Railway Club) - 2nd May 2017 – Club Night
Galashiels (Clovenfords Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Glenfarg Village Hall) - 3rd May 2017 – Craigowl SDB
Gretna (The Solway Lodge Hotel) - 5th May 2017 – Dance to Iain Anderson Trio
Highland (Waterside Hotel) – 15th May 2017 – Iain Cathcart Trio
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) - 4th May 2017 – Elizabeth MacKenzie & Ian MacDonald
Islesteps (Locharbriggs Social Club) –
Kelso (Cross Rugby Club) – 21st May 2017 – David Oswald SDB
Langholm (British Legion) –
Lewis & Harris (Caladh Inn, Stornoway) - 4th May 2017 – Club Night
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn) 16th May 2017 – Maggie Adamson & Brian Nicholson
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Macmerry (Miners Social Club) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) – 3rd May 2017 – John Stewart SDB
Newburgh (Adbie Hall) -
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 4th May 2017 – Gavin Piper
Oban (The Royal Hotel) –
Orkney (The Reel, Kirkwall) – 3rd 10th 17th 24th 31st May 2017 – Club Nights
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 16th May 2017 – Iain Cathcart SDB
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) - 4th May 2017 – Ray Carse
Seghill (Old Comrades Club) - 9th May 2017 – Alan Small & Gemma Donald
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Village Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) – 1st May 2017 – John Morgan
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 4th May 2017 – Brandon McPhee Trio
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 18th May 2017 – Blackthorne C.B.
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 16th May 2017 – Addie Harper SDB
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Alnwick
3. Annan
4. Arbroath
5. Balloch
6. Banchory
7. Banff
8. Biggar
9. Blairgowrie
10. Button Key
11. Campsie
12. Clydesdale
13. Coalburn
14. Crieff
15. Dunblane
16. Dunfermline
17. Duns
18. Forfar
19. Forres
20. Glendale
21. Gretna
22. Highland
23. Inveraray
24. Islesteps
25. Kelso
26. Langholm
27. Lewis & Harris
28. Livingston
29. Lockerbie
30. Mauchline
31. Newburgh
32. North East
33. Peebles
34. Seghill
35. Shetland
36. Stonehouse
37. Turriff
38. Tynedale
39. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2016
(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. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
10. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
11. Button Key A&F Club (
12. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
13. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
14. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
15. Clydesdale A&F Club (Sept 2016 – present)
16. Coalburn A&F Club (
17. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
18. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
19. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
20. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
21. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
22. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
23. Ellon A&F Club (
24. Forfar A&F Club (
25. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
26. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
27. Glendale A&F Club (Jan 1973 – present)
28. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
29. 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)
30. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
31. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
32. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
33. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
34. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
35. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
36. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 – present)
37. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
38 Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
39. Macmerry A&F Club (Feb 2016 – present)
40 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
41 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
42 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
43. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
44. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
45. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
46. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
47. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
48. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
49. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
50. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
51 Stonehouse A&F Club (Opened 2003 - first report June 05 – Closed April 2018)
52 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
53 Turriff A&F Club (1st April 1982 - present)
54 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
55 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
56 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?)
57. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
58. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
59. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
60. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
61. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
62. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
63. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
64. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
65. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
66. Buchan A&F Club
67. Callander A&F Club (
68. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
69. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
70. Club Accord
71. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 – cFeb 2014)
72 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
73. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
74. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
75. Cults A & F Club (
76. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
77. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
78. Derwentside A&F Club
79. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
80. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
81. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
82. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
83. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
84. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
85. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
86. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
87. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – ?)
88. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
89. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
90. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93? – left the Assoc c2013)
91. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
92. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
93. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 – 6th December 2015)
94. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
95. Kintore A&F Club (
96. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
97. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier -
98. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
99. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
100. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
101. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
102. Maine Valley A&F Club (
103. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
104. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
105. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
106. Mull A&F Club
107. Newcastleton Accordion Club
108. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded much earlier – closed April 2011 when venue closed)
109. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
110. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
111. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
112. Northern A&F Club (Sept 2011 -
113. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
114. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
115. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
116. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
117. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
118. Selkirk A&F Club (
119. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
120. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
121. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
122 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
123 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
124. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
125. Tranent A&F Club
126. Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra
127. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
128. Wellbank A&F Club
129. West Barnes (1981? - April 2016?)
130. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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