Box and Fiddle
Year 44 No 03
November 2020
Price £3.00
3 Page Magazine
12 month subscription £33.60 + p&p £15.85 (UK)
ClickEditor – Pia Walker, Cupar
B&F Treasurer –
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
It is with great regret that I write to inform you that the NAAFC Executive Committee has taken the decision to suspend production of the B&F magazine until we see the resumption of Club meetings. We have maintained production throughout this period of disruption caused by Covid-19 in the hope that we would see some return to normality this autumn but, with recent announcements from both the Scottish and UK Governments, and further restrictions to meetings and gatherings, we feel that to continue would place the NAACF in an impossible financial position. At the start of the summer season, our forecasts predicted that a substantial loss was on the cards for the B&F, but with sterling commitment and hard work, Pia and Marie managed to keep this down to a manageable level in the short term. At that time, with Lockdown easing, and with Club sales accounting for 50% of B&F sales, we hoped that Clubs could restart in the autumn. Alas this is not to be.
The Association and B&F were set up to support and promote Accordion & Fiddle clubs, but with no Clubs likely to meet this side of Spring 2021, we have taken the tough decision to suspend production until they are permitted to reopen.
This is no reflection on our production team – editor Pia Walker and designer Marie Martin – who continue to produce an attractive, interesting and informative magazine which is, by far, the best in its field!
For our subscribers and advertisers, rest assured that you will not be forgotten, forsaken or disregarded. We hope that Accordion & Fiddle clubs will return as soon as possible – and when they do, the B&F will be back! Any outstanding issues on subscriptions will be fulfilled as will pre-paid advertisements and we will return, like Lazarus and the Phoenix, to an Accordion & Fiddle Club near you!
On another note, again as a protection against accruing imminent, unrecoverable costs, and again with great regret, the Festival Committee have decided to cancel our Festival due to be held in Grangemouth Town Hall on 6th March 2021. However, the Committee are investigating the possibility of holding a virtual on-line event on the same date. We will keep you posted.
Can I close by thanking you all for your continued support through these difficult times and we look forward to a time, hopefully I the near future, when we can get together to play, listen and dance to our music once again.
Stay safe!
Nicol McLaren
Virtually The 33rd Shetland A&F Festival
Even before the last nots of the 2019 Festival had faded away, the Committee had been working on the 2020 Festival. Of course, if we had had 2020 vision we could have saved ourselves the trouble! Once the doubts arrived and the inevitable cancellation was confirmed………
Full Text awaited from Pia
Perth Festival Results
71st All Scotland Accordion Festival 2020 (Virtual)
by
All Scotland Senior Traditional Accordion Solo (Jimmy Shand Shield & Margaret Hendry Salver for Senior Ladies)
1) Liam Stewart (Galston)
2) Tom Orr (Ellon)
3) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
Senior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Bill Black Challenge Cup)
1) Susan MacFadyen (Polmont)
2) Lynne McIver (Auchleven)
3) Bruce Peebles (Shetland)
Senior Scottish Country Dance Band (Ronnie Cooper Memorial Trophy)
1) John Burns (Kilsyth)
2) Duncan Black (Edinburgh)
3) Craig Paton (Edinburgh)
Senior Scottish Country Dance Band – Best Rhythm Section (John Gibson Memorial Trophy)
Finlay Hope (Broughton, Biggar)
Junior Scottish Trio (Alex MacArthur Memorial Quaich)
1) Jake Johnstone Trio (Crawfordjohn)
2)
3)
Own Composition (Jimmy Blue Trophy)
1) Leonard Brown (South Shields)
2) Duncan Black (Edinburgh)
3) Rhiann Matthew (Tarland)
Scottish Trio (Perth Accordion & Fiddle Club Challenge Cup)
1) Finlay Hope (Broughton, Biggar)
2) Craig Paton (Edinburgh)
3) Susie Simpson (Inverness)
Open Button Key Traditional Accordion Solo (Duncan Campbell Memorial Trophy)
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) John Weaks (Glasgow)
3)
Veterans’ Solo (40 and over) (Andrew Rankine Memorial Quaich)
1) Paul Capaldi (Galashiels)
2) John Weaks (Glasgow)
3)
10 and Under Traditional Accordion Solo (Peter Bruce Trophy)
1) Ryan Johnson (Shetland)
2) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
3) James Shand (Dyce)
Under 12 Traditional Accordion Solo (Black Isle Shield)
1) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
2) Emily Gold (Carnwath)
3) Reuben John (Annan)
Junior Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 16) (Angus Accordion College Challenge Shield) & The Jimmy Stephen Salver (Junior Girls)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Inver Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Blythe Shand (Dunfermline)
Junior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Under 16) (Charlie Cowie Memorial Cup)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Inver Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Kyle Anderson (Thornhill)
Gaelic Medley (Accordion or Fiddle) (Iain MacPhail Trophy)
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) Camilla Elder (Caithness)
3) Finlay Hope (Broughton, Biggar)
Most Promising Under 16 Accordionist (Bill Wilkie Memorial Trophy)
Alistair Adamson (Forth)
CLASSICAL CLASSES
Senior World Music Accordion Solo (Accordion World Challenge Cup)
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) Otavio Assis Brasil (Spain)
3) Archie MacKechnie (Bridge of Allan)
Senior Musette Accordion Solo
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) Paul Capaldi (Galashiels)
3) Darroch Wood (Thornhill)
Junior Musette Accordion Solo (Vic Wallace Memorial Shield)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Inver Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Blythe Shand (Dunfermline)
Junior World Music Accordion Solo (Accordion World Challenge Cup)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Blythe Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Kirsty Grant (Caithness)
Under 12 Musette Accordion Solo
1) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
2) Skye Ross (Thornhill)
3) Emily Gold (Carnwath)
Under 12 World Music Accordion Solo
1) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
2) Emily Gold (Carmwath)
3=) Reuben John (Annan) & Sorely Cavanagh (Carnwath)
FIDDLE CLASSES
Senior Fiddle Solo (16 and over) (Ian Powrie Cup)
1) Gemma Donald (Cupar)
2) Anne Mitchell (Inverurie)
3) Shona MacFadyen (Ardrossan)
Senior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (16 and over) (Pibroch MacKenzie Memorial Quaich)
1) Eilidh Anderson (Lumphanan)
2) Anne Mitchell (Inverurie)
3=) Shona MacFadyen (Ardrossan) & Emma Leask (Shetland)
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 16) (Albie Tedham Trophy)
1) Ashley Hay (Shetland)
2) Cassie Findlay (Keith)
3) Maisie Henderson (Shetland)
Junior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (Under 16) (Shelagh Rankine Memorial Trophy)
1) Ashley Hay (Shetland)
2) Maisie Henderson (Shetland)
3) Amber Thomson (Shetland)
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 12) (Jim Ritchie Challenge Cup)
1) Ellie Nicolson (Shetland)
2) Andrew Farquharson (Forfar)
3) Eva Shand (Dyce)
Junior Group
1) Deeside Loons & Quines (Tarland)
2) Shona MacFadyen (Ardrossan)
3) Buckie High School (Buckie)
Musical Memories – Part 17
by Denis Shephard
Tuesday 21st June 2005 marked a significant turning point……………..
A Look at Campbeltown
by Archie McAllister
The Campbeltown A&F Club started in February 1981 in The Argyll Hotel, Campbeltown, with Bobby MacLeod as guest artiste. Some of the people that I can remember were Sandy McMillan, owner of the Argyll, who later moved to Tighnabruich and Bob Middleton who was the Compere and Chairman of the Club at the different venues where the Club was held. He also played the button-box. Duncan McAllister and Rodger Gillespie, stalwarts of the dance and musical scene in Kintyre, were both involved and both played Accordion at the Club.
Players from the Kintyre S&R society such as Alex Irvine, Kate Bradley, Kate MacLeod and Maurice Duncan were active members. Of course, there were other fiddlers too. One of them was Bob Schoultz, who was a US Seal Commander at the Machrihanish base. I learned a lot of bluegrass fiddle from him and we would play together at the Club. He taught me tunes like Faded Love.
My brother Alex was at the very first Club playing accordion and he recalls that Bob was impressed with his playing and therefore was keen for him to go to play at the Mull Festival.
During the Club’s exciting times in 1981, I was learning the fiddle from Maurice Duncan and I remember Maurice being keen to get me under way as a fiddler. One of the popular bands that played at the Club down through the years was the Fraser McGlynn Trio. Duncan McKay on piano and Kevin McGlynn on drums were incredible and I remember their Argyll Connection broadcasts. The Wallochmor Ceilidh Band would draw huge crowds with their great, lively sound. The Colin Finlayson Band was faultless and had a great tight sound. The Club had moved to the Royal Hotel by then and I remember having a tune there with Colin and Neil McMillan in the afternoon, using their upright piano.
Other bands were those of Jim Johnstone, Bill Black, Allan MacIntosh, Neil MacEachern and Angela Smith, Craig McCallum, Jennifer Forrest, Bobby Harvey, Graeme Mitchell and Judith Davidson, George Stirrat and Jimmy Yeaman, Peter Wood, Anda Campbell, Richard Ross and Richard Hughes. Many more amazing players came to the Club, too many to mention.
The Club lasted through many great years and played an integral part in our music, exerting a great influence in Kintyre. I am not quite sure when it finished – probably around 1997. It stopped because of the decline in numbers attending, and as life moved on there was no-one to keep it going. However, things go round in circles and I am sure it might come back one day although it was quite a distance for band members to come in those days – but we enjoyed having them there. The club was always held on a Saturday, which folk enjoyed. As they had no work the following day, it would usually lead to a marathon stramash.
Memories of Thurso A&F Club
by Donald John (Eion) Steven
I was a member of the Committee of the Thurso Club for a while. I am now no longer able to go to the club. I was Secretary at some point…………
Memories Are Made of This
by James Wiseman
As the old song goes, Memories are Made of This, and in my case the North East A&F Club has created a few special memories over the years.
I started the accordion at a very early age by watching the Scottish dance music on Grampian on a Saturday evening, butting my school bag on back-to-front and joining the family pretend band. In my late teens I got a real accordion and went to Jennifer Wilson in Elgin for lessons and I have many happy memories of playing in her group in the late 1980s. During the 1990s I attended the Stirling University Summer School to learn more accordion from some great teachers like Ian Lowthian, Ivor Britton, Norrie Williams, Ian Muir and Colin Dewar, not to mention all the other players attending the courses.
Eventually, the sedentary lifestyle of accordion lessons at the Summer School took its toll and I migrated into Jessie Stuart’s old time and Scottish country dance classes at the same location. Fortunately these happened during the same week as the accordion classes and this meant I could attend the dancing during the day and then play music with friends from the accordion course without missing out on the tunes at night. The dancing stuff I learned has largely evaporated over the years, but the friendships that came from the music and dancing are still strong and I still dance. I’ve been attending the NEA&FC a bit more regularly these last three years, helping my good friend Callum Stuart with setting up the equipment. It is good fun and the guest artistes are brilliant. When the pandemic came along it did not spoil our fun because Callum spoke to KCR and they were happy to let us broadcast radio on Club nights about the usual time and thus we were able to keep the Club going. We have a good recipe; Callum picks most of the tunes, and I write most of the script. Neither of us is precious about any of it so we have a right good laugh and a healthy chat about what works and what doesn’t. The club has some great local artistes and we had help from our more illustrious Facebook friends and guest artistes who have been coming up to Keith for many years. I also had the privilege of presenting a dance programme with Jessie Stuart as part of the Keith Virtual Festival 2020.
Life during the pandemic has given us time to reflect and we started to wonder about the history of the NEA&FC.
The fiddle was invented around 1550 by Andrea Amati but nobody remembers ever seeing him at the Club! According to the Stirling summer School, the first melodeons were invented by Christian Buschmann and Cyril Damion in the 1820s but similarly nobody remembers ever seeing either of them at the Club! I was hoping for a wartime story but we finally got the right story from founder member Aly Gray!
Three musical friends – George Anderson, Ian Duncan and Aly Gray – visited Perth A&F Club where they got an idea of the format and how thy would replicate it in Keith. A meeting was arranged to gauge the level of interest amongst local musicians. Following a huge response the decision was taken to form the North East A&F Club, which opened its doors in October 1971 to a full house in the Seafield hotel, Keith with Bill Murray as MC and Jimmy Lindsay as its first guest artiste.
The Club has, since then, met on the first Tuesday of the month with some very famous guest artistes including Jim Johnstone, Bill Black, Angus Fitchet, The Hamefarers (with Willie hunter and Ronnie Cooper) and Gordon Pattullo. The Jennifer Wilson Accordion Group were guesting in May 1986! The Club musicians and members made it on to Grampian TV in the Box and Fiddle show hosted by Robbie Shepherd with the late Jimmy Shand as their guest artiste. From the start the NEA&FC has attracted and supported a huge number of young musicians such as Mo Rutherford, Graeme Mitchell, Lynne Gould, Lynne & Duncan Christie and the Winchester Brothers! As encouragement to young talent, trophies were presented annually for various achievements in categories such as the best and most improved accordionists, best and most improved fiddlers, best young musician, best composition and best march, strathspey and reel. As yet we don’t know what happened to the trophies but we are seeking information about The Fowlie Rosebowl, The KDFC Trophy, The Grant Trophy, The Chadwick Trophy, The Davidson Trophy, The Forbes Trophy, The Warrender Trophy, The Gartly Cup and The Tain Cup. Any information about these trophies would be gratefully received.
The pandemic hasn’t stopped us putting on a live show, but our Chairman Rory Smith and the Committee are keen to get us back to a live venue asap. We need to celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2021 and to continue creating more happy memories!
Mystery Solved – Whatever Happened to The Currie Brothers?
by Pia Walker
During my educational tour round old copies of the B&F, it struck me that there were bands and groups on the scene that we no longer hear about. One was The Currie Brothers. Who were they, what were they and where are they now?
I put on my deer-stalker hat and with pipe in my mouth and magnifying glass in my pocket started to look for them, which proved a little more difficult than just using Google. Thanks to Gary Blair, however, I managed to get hold of Liam Currie to ask some questions about these very popular brothers. Liam kindly answered my queries in an e-mail interview, although he thinks that not many of their audiences can remember them, as he thinks it is more than 18 years since they played in Accordion Clubs! I’m sure we will prove him wrong.
From a post online I learned that The Currie Brothers were a traditional Scottish folk / country dance accordion band from Milngavie in Scotland. They were also part of the wedding / function circuit and extremely accomplished accordion players, famous for their technical skills and accordion-centric arrangements.
They certainly were very popular in club land. As they lived in Milngavie, they were frequenting the MAFIA Club, but the first club to invite them as guests was Gretna A&F club in 1975. From then on they were on the circuit. First it was just Jim and Tom, and later the youngest, Liam, joined them.
Although their dad, who himself played the accordion and was a fan of Will Starr, wanted them to learn the accordion too, they were more interested at the time in hiding inside the accordion case. However, in 1968 they were taken to a fairground at Glasgow Green. Jim and Tom were on the carousel horses and their parents enquired who was playing the music. It was The Accordion sounds of Dermot O’Brien, and after hearing more of Dermot’s albums they all wanted to learn how to play. Other favourite accordion albums in the 1970s were those of Fintan Stanley, Jo Basile, Douglas Muir (John Ellis Band), Will Starr, Jack Emblow, Jimmy Cassidy, Marcosignori and many more.
First they had to learn to play and were given classical accordion lessons by Sylvia Wilson (twice British Champion). Sylvia wanted all her pupils to play in front of audiences, so they attended the local Accordion Clubs such as Milngavie and Balloch. They also had a few lessons from John Huband. This marked the start of 37 years of performing at concerts, weddings and dances.
In 1975, thanks to Jimmy Norman and accordionist David Bell, they were invited to be guest artistes at Gretna A&F Club. “We were still young kids (all under 14) and shared the evening with The Bon Accords, Robin and Deryn Waitt. Everyone was so kind to us. That led to other Border Clubs such as Greenhead, Rothbury and Wooler which was run by Robert Whitehead. Donald Ridley wrote a tune for us at Cumbria Accordion club. George Butler invited us to Jedburgh. Over the following years we played almost every Accordion Club around Scotland.”
Of course, they went on the competitive circuit too; Jim and Tom won All-Scotland Junior titles, including the Scottish (classical) under-8, under-10 and under-12 solos, while Jim won the under-14 solo, the Scottish Junior Traditional Championship and the Scottish Junior Classical Championship. As a duo those two played together in 1976 to win the All-Scotland Advanced Duet title at Perth and the Advanced Duet at Carlisle, Musselburgh and Straiton, as well as winning solo contests at Gretna and Blairgowrie. Jim and Tom also entered and won two of Scotland’s biggest talent hunts: The Evening times / Tennant Caledonian Starmaker and the City of Edinburgh Competition.
In 1977 Hughie Green phoned the brothers inviting them onto the TV Talent Contest Opportunity Knocks – but as they were more interested in the music rather than becoming famous, they turned it down. By then The Currie Brothers as a duo were already playing in theatres and variety shows round Scotland and entering competitions for the two older brothers was no longer an option. Liam, however, continued on the competitive circuit winning an additional 11 accordion competitions. St that time Liam was too young to join them professionally, but he told me, “At smaller venues I would wander on and off stage, disrupting their performance, to play accordion, clarinet and ukulele and to sing. I didn’t need to be good. As I was 10 years old this just amused the audience. Years later I stayed on stage playing mainly banjo and guitar.” On the same day as the Take Three album was released, Liam (aged 13) entered his last competition, winning the NAAFC Junior Traditional Championship at Musselburgh. As the B&F wrote in February 1980, “This was accordion playing at its best and the best was Liam Currie of Milngavie. Thunderous applause erupted as the results were announced. Liam was a very popular winner.”
As we normally see photos from clubs of them holding accordions, I asked if they played other instruments too? I was told that when playing outwith the Accordion Club scene they needed to be more versatile in order to entertain people. Jim began to sing a few songs and to play piano and guitar. Tom preferred to stay on accordion and played the bass lines, but occasionally he would scrape away on the fiddle. His final fiddle performance was playing one of his own compositions called The Lumberjack, where he exchanged his bow for a bushman saw. Liam believes that Fergie MacDonald has a framed photo of it on his window sill!
They recorded six albums in all starting with Hot Stuff and Take Two, produced by David Silver who wrote the lyrics for The Dark Island. Take Three was produced by Ian McCreadie of Middle of the Road. The album cover is a bit misleading as Jim plays the lead accordion on most tracks. On By Special Request a young and talented Gordon Smith joined them on drums. In 1987 The Spice of Life was recorded followed by Versatility in 1994. During their career the brothers were awarded a Scotstar for ‘Best Accordion Ensemble’ by the Scottish record industry.
They have lots of memories and I did ask for a few stories. Musicians tend to share the ones about things that went wrong, and according to Liam there were quite a few of those! “One evening we were playing at Carlisle Accordion Club. For mischief, I put on a Mexican poncho and cowboy hat and was smoking a cardboard cigar to play themes from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on accordion. Near the end. I glided my hat into the audience. It went too high and hit a glass lampshade that rattled against some others before it crashed down to the floor! Thank God, it missed everyone! Jim then said through the microphone, “What a smashing performance!” Tom followed with, “That is the only smash hit he will ever have!” Clint Currie was never seen on stage (or coach) again – unwanted, dead or alive! A rare recording of clint playing The Good, the Bad and the Ugly can be heard online at www.curriebrothers.com.
For such young people, they were incredibly busy. In the 70s they performed on Sauchiehall Street with Billy Connolly at the launch of the newly formed BBC Radio Scotland. The appeared on STV’s Thingummyjig, Grampian TV’s Welcome to the Ceilidh and in the children’s Christmas Show. In the 1980s they performed for the Queen Mother’s 80th Birthday celebrations.
Over the years, they performed in music and variety shows with Jack Milroy, Dorothy Paul, Allan Stewart, Chick Murray, Andy Stewart, Anita Harris, Lennie Bennett, Lena Martel, Jim Diamond, Lena Zavaroni, Harry worth, Kenneth McKellar, Moira Anderson, Peter Morrison, Mary Sandeman, Bill McCue, Fiona Kennedy, Callum Kennedy, Anne Lorne Gillies, Johnnie Beattie, Alastair McDonald, Alasdair gillies, Andy Cameron, The McCalmans, Anne Williamson, Bill Torrance, Jimmie McGregor, Ken Haynes, Robbie Shepherd, Art Sutter, Tom Ferrie, Scotland The What, Christian, Hector Nicol, Dean Park, The Clydesiders, Moira Kerr, John Cairney, George Duffus, The Alexander Brothers and Bill Barclay.
By the mid 90s they wanted to cut down on travelling, so they increasingly took on local weddings and dances. Jim was mostly on keyboards and vocals, Tom played lead accordion and Liam played electric guitar and banjo for the ceilidh stuff. In 2009 they decided not to take on more booking after Hogmanay 2011. There were quite a few reasons for this decision. It was time to focus on other things and they also wanted to get back to the accordion and their musical roots.
I did ask if they were intending to go back to performing on stage and was told that it seemed unlikely. “Nowadays we’re all content to remain in the background. There could possibly be some new accordion recordings – but purely just for fun, not to relaunch a musical career”.
So what are they doing now? They still have fun writing music as a pastime. They still live in milngavie, the town where they grew up, and about two miles from each other. Jim works in the field of natural health, Liam is in property management and Tom claims he’s training to be a circus ringmaster and lion-tamer. He’s still looking for a suitable lion! (one that never gets hungry!) If anyone has such a beast, please contact your Editor.
It was great finding and catching up with Liam and his brothers, albeit not face-to-face, and I for one hope that it is not the last we will hear from The Currie Brothers.
Centre Stage
Andy Mack
In Memory –
Dochie MacCallum (1923 – 2020)
by Charlie Kirkpatrick
With the passing of Dochie MacCallum our music scene has lost not only one of the finest exponents of the Shand Morino accordion but a fine person and a true gentleman in every sense of the word.
Dochie lived all his life in the Loch Lomond area and music was always important to him. He taught himself to play the button-key accordion when young and after owning several small accordions he eventually purchased his beloved Shand Morino. It was a natural progression to start playing in dance bands and in time Dochie joined and became an integral part of the Hamish Menzies SDB. Engagements all over Scotland and England followed along with many broadcasts.
With the advent of the Accordion & Fiddle Club scene, Dochie would regularly attend the MAFIA Club as well as the Balloch and Fintry Clubs. Dochie then went on to perform as a guest artiste at many Clubs along with his great musical friends – ‘the heavy team’ as he called them – Neil MacMillan, Ricky Franci and Gus Millar. In recognition of his contribution to our music, Dochie was Guest of Honour at our annual Celebrity Luncheon in June 2019 and never was an honour more richly deserved. At the luncheon, he gave a heartfelt acceptance speech and after the official part of the proceedings, in true Dochie style, he sat down and played for about two hours. The hotel staff had to move him out so they could get the place set up for the following day.
In July of this year, Dochie suffered a broken hip after a fall at home and this necessitated a lengthy spell in the Forth Valley Hospital where his health deteriorated and he passed away on 12th October 2020. An indication of the respect and esteem in which dochie was held was apparent when his death was announced on social media: “a proper gentleman”, “kind, unassuming, modest guy”, “such a lovely guy” and “although Dochie is no longer with us the tunes and the happy times will live on” are just some of the many, many tributes which were paid to him. His passing will be keenly felt not only by his sister Cathy and family but also in the MacMillan household where he was treated as one of the family. No-one could have done more for him than Neil and Fiona and this must surely be a comfort to them at this time.
Dochie, we will miss your great music and your company; but when we come to think of you, we will smile. Gus am bris an Iatha, Dochie.
In Memory –
John Crawford (1923 – 2020)
by John Carmichael
Sadly Scotland has lost another of its musical sons with the passing of John Crawford from Freuchie. John has been a stalwart of the Scottish music scene for longer than most people can remember as he lived into his mid-90s, outliving most if not all of his contemporaries.
John will be remembered not only for his musical expertise on accordions of all types and on the bagpipes, but also for his skill as a repairer and tuner of accordions and other musical instruments. John was a regular adjudicator at the Annual All-Scotland Championship in Perth as well as many other musical Festivals throughout the country.
However, despite all these talents, to me John’s biggest asset was his friendly and extremely helpful attitude. If you asked his advice about a problem with music, adjudication or an instrument he would immediately put you at your ease and tell you how to sort it, or else he would offer to do it for you. John had a great sense of humour and we had many jokes and laughs on the phone, especially about the music business.
One of nature’s gentlemen, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
From Brandon McPhee
2020 has been a bad year for everyone but the news about john Crawford’s passing made it a lot worse for me.
I first remember meeting john when I was ca. 11 years old and having problems with my accordion. Although we spoke on the phone regularly and have kept in touch all these years, I always enjoyed hearing the stories of years gone by of his exploits during the war, and of the Hohner factory in Germany.
His great knowledge and banter were incredible. When I spoke to John, who was of a different generation to me, it nevertheless felt like speaking to someone of my own age. I had the honour of recording a DVD with him and that was a really enjoyable day.
There was nothing john could not do with accordions. He was a rel inspiration. Age was just a number and I respected John more than anyone else and looked up to him. I haven’t just lost a hero of mine, I’ve lost a great friend.
RIP, John Crawford. We’ll play a tune again one day!
From Ian McCallum
The accordion scene has yet again lost one of its legendary musicians with the passing of John Crawford on 23rd September.
I first came to know him over 40 years ago through his repairing of accordions and his playing. When he started doing guest spots at Accordion clubs, I myself and the then named Jacqueline Dick were in his trio, and together we visited many clubs far and wide. Sometimes his brother Jim would also come along.
He had few equals and was renowned especially for his playing of pipe tunes. He will be sorely missed amongst the many musicians who visited him when they had a problem with their accordions.
Myself, Jean and Jackie dick were invited by the family to the funeral at Falkland Cemetery on 2nd October. The minister who took the service, Ian Wotherspoon, is a piper, and as the hearse arrived he played The Banks of Allan Water and The Bloody Fields of Flanders (both tunes are on John’s album, Piping on the Box.) He than played one of John’s compositions, Freuchies’ March to Lords, as the coffin was lowered – a fitting tribute for this great man. The service ended with a selection of tunes played by Jock the Box.
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
Leonard Brown & his All Star Band – Requested by You Vol 2
Skerryvore – Live Across Scotland – TYREE10CD
Kevin Henderson & Neil Pearlman – Burden Lake – Sungaet Records
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Gary Innes
7th Nov 2020 – Archive Session
14th Nov 2020 – Archive Session
21st Nov 2020 – Archive Session
28th Nov 2020 – Archive Session
CLUB DIARY – NB no Club meetings due to the Covid19 pandemic
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) -
Arbroath (Arbroath Artisan Golf Club) -
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) –
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) –
Beith & District (Beith Bowling Club) –
Biggar (Biggar Bowling Club) –
Blairgowrie (Red House Hotel) -
Button Key (Greig Institute, Windygates) –
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Canderside (Stonehouse Bowling Club) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Crossmichael Hall) –
Clydesdale (St Mary’s Club Rooms, Lanark) -
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Crieff & District (British Legion)
Dalriada (Argyll Inn, Lochgilphead) -
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) –
Dunfermline (Sportsman Bar, Rosyth) –
Forfar (Forfar RBL) -
Forres (Victoria Hotel) –
Fort William (Railway Club, Inverlochy) -
Galashiels (Gala YM RFC) -
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Glenfarg Village Hall) -
Gretna (The Richard Greenhow Centre) -
Highland (Waterside Hotel) –
Inveraray (Inveraray Inn) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (Locharbriggs Social Club) –
Kelso (Kelso Rugby Club) –
Langholm (Langholm Social Club) –
Lewis & Harris (Caladh Inn, Stornoway) -
Lockerbie (Mid Annandale Comrades Club)
Macmerry (Miners Social Club) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (Adbie Hall) -
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (The Royal Hotel) –
Orkney (The Reel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth & District (Salutation Hotel) –
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) -
Seghill (Old Comrades Club) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Sutherland (Rogart Village Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) –
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Dunfermline
2. Ellon (closing)
3. North East
4. Renfrew
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2019
(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. Canderside A&F Club (Stonehouse) (Feb 2019 – present)
14. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
15. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
16. Clydesdale A&F Club (Sept 2016 – present)
17. Coalburn A&F Club (
18. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
19. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
20. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
21. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
22. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
23. Forfar A&F Club (
24. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
25. Fort William A&F Club ( )
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. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
38. Macmerry A&F Club (Feb 2016 – present)
39. Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
40. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
41. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
42. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
43. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
44. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
45. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
46. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
47. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
48. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
49. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
50 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
51 Turriff A&F Club (1st April 1982 - present)
52 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
53 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
54 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?)
55. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
56. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
57. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
58. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
59. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
60. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
61. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
62. Britannia B&F Club (joined 07-08 but much older
63. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
64. Buchan A&F Club
65. Callander A&F Club (
66. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980 – 1997?)
67. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
68. Club Accord
69. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 – cFeb 2014)
70 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
71. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
72. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
73. Cults A & F Club (
74. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
75. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
76. Derwentside A&F Club
77. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
78. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
79. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
80. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
81. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
82. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – April 2020 – Covid19)
83. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
84. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
85. Ellon A&F Club (1984 – April 2020 Covid19)
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. Glasgow A&F Club (Aug 2017 – March 2018)
91. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93? – left the Assoc c2013)
92. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
93. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
94. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 – 6th December 2015)
95. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
96. Kintore A&F Club (
97. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
98. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier -
99. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
100. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
101. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
102. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – March 2020 - Covid)
103. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
104. Maine Valley A&F Club (
105. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
106. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
107. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
108. Mull A&F Club
109. Newcastleton Accordion Club
110. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded much earlier – closed April 2011 when venue closed)
111. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
112. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
113. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
114. Northern A&F Club (Sept 2011 -
115. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
116. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
117. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
118. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
119. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
120. Selkirk A&F Club (
121. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
122. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
123. Stonehouse A&F Club (Opened 2003 - first report June 05 – Closed April 2018)
124. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
125 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
126 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
127. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
128. Tranent A&F Club
129. Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra
130. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
131. Wellbank A&F Club
132. West Barnes (1981? - April 2016?)
133. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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B&F Treasurer –
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
It is with great regret that I write to inform you that the NAAFC Executive Committee has taken the decision to suspend production of the B&F magazine until we see the resumption of Club meetings. We have maintained production throughout this period of disruption caused by Covid-19 in the hope that we would see some return to normality this autumn but, with recent announcements from both the Scottish and UK Governments, and further restrictions to meetings and gatherings, we feel that to continue would place the NAACF in an impossible financial position. At the start of the summer season, our forecasts predicted that a substantial loss was on the cards for the B&F, but with sterling commitment and hard work, Pia and Marie managed to keep this down to a manageable level in the short term. At that time, with Lockdown easing, and with Club sales accounting for 50% of B&F sales, we hoped that Clubs could restart in the autumn. Alas this is not to be.
The Association and B&F were set up to support and promote Accordion & Fiddle clubs, but with no Clubs likely to meet this side of Spring 2021, we have taken the tough decision to suspend production until they are permitted to reopen.
This is no reflection on our production team – editor Pia Walker and designer Marie Martin – who continue to produce an attractive, interesting and informative magazine which is, by far, the best in its field!
For our subscribers and advertisers, rest assured that you will not be forgotten, forsaken or disregarded. We hope that Accordion & Fiddle clubs will return as soon as possible – and when they do, the B&F will be back! Any outstanding issues on subscriptions will be fulfilled as will pre-paid advertisements and we will return, like Lazarus and the Phoenix, to an Accordion & Fiddle Club near you!
On another note, again as a protection against accruing imminent, unrecoverable costs, and again with great regret, the Festival Committee have decided to cancel our Festival due to be held in Grangemouth Town Hall on 6th March 2021. However, the Committee are investigating the possibility of holding a virtual on-line event on the same date. We will keep you posted.
Can I close by thanking you all for your continued support through these difficult times and we look forward to a time, hopefully I the near future, when we can get together to play, listen and dance to our music once again.
Stay safe!
Nicol McLaren
Virtually The 33rd Shetland A&F Festival
Even before the last nots of the 2019 Festival had faded away, the Committee had been working on the 2020 Festival. Of course, if we had had 2020 vision we could have saved ourselves the trouble! Once the doubts arrived and the inevitable cancellation was confirmed………
Full Text awaited from Pia
Perth Festival Results
71st All Scotland Accordion Festival 2020 (Virtual)
by
All Scotland Senior Traditional Accordion Solo (Jimmy Shand Shield & Margaret Hendry Salver for Senior Ladies)
1) Liam Stewart (Galston)
2) Tom Orr (Ellon)
3) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
Senior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Bill Black Challenge Cup)
1) Susan MacFadyen (Polmont)
2) Lynne McIver (Auchleven)
3) Bruce Peebles (Shetland)
Senior Scottish Country Dance Band (Ronnie Cooper Memorial Trophy)
1) John Burns (Kilsyth)
2) Duncan Black (Edinburgh)
3) Craig Paton (Edinburgh)
Senior Scottish Country Dance Band – Best Rhythm Section (John Gibson Memorial Trophy)
Finlay Hope (Broughton, Biggar)
Junior Scottish Trio (Alex MacArthur Memorial Quaich)
1) Jake Johnstone Trio (Crawfordjohn)
2)
3)
Own Composition (Jimmy Blue Trophy)
1) Leonard Brown (South Shields)
2) Duncan Black (Edinburgh)
3) Rhiann Matthew (Tarland)
Scottish Trio (Perth Accordion & Fiddle Club Challenge Cup)
1) Finlay Hope (Broughton, Biggar)
2) Craig Paton (Edinburgh)
3) Susie Simpson (Inverness)
Open Button Key Traditional Accordion Solo (Duncan Campbell Memorial Trophy)
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) John Weaks (Glasgow)
3)
Veterans’ Solo (40 and over) (Andrew Rankine Memorial Quaich)
1) Paul Capaldi (Galashiels)
2) John Weaks (Glasgow)
3)
10 and Under Traditional Accordion Solo (Peter Bruce Trophy)
1) Ryan Johnson (Shetland)
2) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
3) James Shand (Dyce)
Under 12 Traditional Accordion Solo (Black Isle Shield)
1) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
2) Emily Gold (Carnwath)
3) Reuben John (Annan)
Junior Traditional Accordion Solo (Under 16) (Angus Accordion College Challenge Shield) & The Jimmy Stephen Salver (Junior Girls)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Inver Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Blythe Shand (Dunfermline)
Junior Accordion Solo for Traditional Pipe Music (Under 16) (Charlie Cowie Memorial Cup)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Inver Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Kyle Anderson (Thornhill)
Gaelic Medley (Accordion or Fiddle) (Iain MacPhail Trophy)
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) Camilla Elder (Caithness)
3) Finlay Hope (Broughton, Biggar)
Most Promising Under 16 Accordionist (Bill Wilkie Memorial Trophy)
Alistair Adamson (Forth)
CLASSICAL CLASSES
Senior World Music Accordion Solo (Accordion World Challenge Cup)
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) Otavio Assis Brasil (Spain)
3) Archie MacKechnie (Bridge of Allan)
Senior Musette Accordion Solo
1) Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul (Glasgow)
2) Paul Capaldi (Galashiels)
3) Darroch Wood (Thornhill)
Junior Musette Accordion Solo (Vic Wallace Memorial Shield)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Inver Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Blythe Shand (Dunfermline)
Junior World Music Accordion Solo (Accordion World Challenge Cup)
1) Clelland Shand (Dunfermline)
2) Blythe Shand (Dunfermline)
3) Kirsty Grant (Caithness)
Under 12 Musette Accordion Solo
1) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
2) Skye Ross (Thornhill)
3) Emily Gold (Carnwath)
Under 12 World Music Accordion Solo
1) Alistair Adamson (Forth)
2) Emily Gold (Carmwath)
3=) Reuben John (Annan) & Sorely Cavanagh (Carnwath)
FIDDLE CLASSES
Senior Fiddle Solo (16 and over) (Ian Powrie Cup)
1) Gemma Donald (Cupar)
2) Anne Mitchell (Inverurie)
3) Shona MacFadyen (Ardrossan)
Senior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (16 and over) (Pibroch MacKenzie Memorial Quaich)
1) Eilidh Anderson (Lumphanan)
2) Anne Mitchell (Inverurie)
3=) Shona MacFadyen (Ardrossan) & Emma Leask (Shetland)
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 16) (Albie Tedham Trophy)
1) Ashley Hay (Shetland)
2) Cassie Findlay (Keith)
3) Maisie Henderson (Shetland)
Junior Fiddle Solo Slow Air (Under 16) (Shelagh Rankine Memorial Trophy)
1) Ashley Hay (Shetland)
2) Maisie Henderson (Shetland)
3) Amber Thomson (Shetland)
Junior Fiddle Solo (Under 12) (Jim Ritchie Challenge Cup)
1) Ellie Nicolson (Shetland)
2) Andrew Farquharson (Forfar)
3) Eva Shand (Dyce)
Junior Group
1) Deeside Loons & Quines (Tarland)
2) Shona MacFadyen (Ardrossan)
3) Buckie High School (Buckie)
Musical Memories – Part 17
by Denis Shephard
Tuesday 21st June 2005 marked a significant turning point……………..
A Look at Campbeltown
by Archie McAllister
The Campbeltown A&F Club started in February 1981 in The Argyll Hotel, Campbeltown, with Bobby MacLeod as guest artiste. Some of the people that I can remember were Sandy McMillan, owner of the Argyll, who later moved to Tighnabruich and Bob Middleton who was the Compere and Chairman of the Club at the different venues where the Club was held. He also played the button-box. Duncan McAllister and Rodger Gillespie, stalwarts of the dance and musical scene in Kintyre, were both involved and both played Accordion at the Club.
Players from the Kintyre S&R society such as Alex Irvine, Kate Bradley, Kate MacLeod and Maurice Duncan were active members. Of course, there were other fiddlers too. One of them was Bob Schoultz, who was a US Seal Commander at the Machrihanish base. I learned a lot of bluegrass fiddle from him and we would play together at the Club. He taught me tunes like Faded Love.
My brother Alex was at the very first Club playing accordion and he recalls that Bob was impressed with his playing and therefore was keen for him to go to play at the Mull Festival.
During the Club’s exciting times in 1981, I was learning the fiddle from Maurice Duncan and I remember Maurice being keen to get me under way as a fiddler. One of the popular bands that played at the Club down through the years was the Fraser McGlynn Trio. Duncan McKay on piano and Kevin McGlynn on drums were incredible and I remember their Argyll Connection broadcasts. The Wallochmor Ceilidh Band would draw huge crowds with their great, lively sound. The Colin Finlayson Band was faultless and had a great tight sound. The Club had moved to the Royal Hotel by then and I remember having a tune there with Colin and Neil McMillan in the afternoon, using their upright piano.
Other bands were those of Jim Johnstone, Bill Black, Allan MacIntosh, Neil MacEachern and Angela Smith, Craig McCallum, Jennifer Forrest, Bobby Harvey, Graeme Mitchell and Judith Davidson, George Stirrat and Jimmy Yeaman, Peter Wood, Anda Campbell, Richard Ross and Richard Hughes. Many more amazing players came to the Club, too many to mention.
The Club lasted through many great years and played an integral part in our music, exerting a great influence in Kintyre. I am not quite sure when it finished – probably around 1997. It stopped because of the decline in numbers attending, and as life moved on there was no-one to keep it going. However, things go round in circles and I am sure it might come back one day although it was quite a distance for band members to come in those days – but we enjoyed having them there. The club was always held on a Saturday, which folk enjoyed. As they had no work the following day, it would usually lead to a marathon stramash.
Memories of Thurso A&F Club
by Donald John (Eion) Steven
I was a member of the Committee of the Thurso Club for a while. I am now no longer able to go to the club. I was Secretary at some point…………
Memories Are Made of This
by James Wiseman
As the old song goes, Memories are Made of This, and in my case the North East A&F Club has created a few special memories over the years.
I started the accordion at a very early age by watching the Scottish dance music on Grampian on a Saturday evening, butting my school bag on back-to-front and joining the family pretend band. In my late teens I got a real accordion and went to Jennifer Wilson in Elgin for lessons and I have many happy memories of playing in her group in the late 1980s. During the 1990s I attended the Stirling University Summer School to learn more accordion from some great teachers like Ian Lowthian, Ivor Britton, Norrie Williams, Ian Muir and Colin Dewar, not to mention all the other players attending the courses.
Eventually, the sedentary lifestyle of accordion lessons at the Summer School took its toll and I migrated into Jessie Stuart’s old time and Scottish country dance classes at the same location. Fortunately these happened during the same week as the accordion classes and this meant I could attend the dancing during the day and then play music with friends from the accordion course without missing out on the tunes at night. The dancing stuff I learned has largely evaporated over the years, but the friendships that came from the music and dancing are still strong and I still dance. I’ve been attending the NEA&FC a bit more regularly these last three years, helping my good friend Callum Stuart with setting up the equipment. It is good fun and the guest artistes are brilliant. When the pandemic came along it did not spoil our fun because Callum spoke to KCR and they were happy to let us broadcast radio on Club nights about the usual time and thus we were able to keep the Club going. We have a good recipe; Callum picks most of the tunes, and I write most of the script. Neither of us is precious about any of it so we have a right good laugh and a healthy chat about what works and what doesn’t. The club has some great local artistes and we had help from our more illustrious Facebook friends and guest artistes who have been coming up to Keith for many years. I also had the privilege of presenting a dance programme with Jessie Stuart as part of the Keith Virtual Festival 2020.
Life during the pandemic has given us time to reflect and we started to wonder about the history of the NEA&FC.
The fiddle was invented around 1550 by Andrea Amati but nobody remembers ever seeing him at the Club! According to the Stirling summer School, the first melodeons were invented by Christian Buschmann and Cyril Damion in the 1820s but similarly nobody remembers ever seeing either of them at the Club! I was hoping for a wartime story but we finally got the right story from founder member Aly Gray!
Three musical friends – George Anderson, Ian Duncan and Aly Gray – visited Perth A&F Club where they got an idea of the format and how thy would replicate it in Keith. A meeting was arranged to gauge the level of interest amongst local musicians. Following a huge response the decision was taken to form the North East A&F Club, which opened its doors in October 1971 to a full house in the Seafield hotel, Keith with Bill Murray as MC and Jimmy Lindsay as its first guest artiste.
The Club has, since then, met on the first Tuesday of the month with some very famous guest artistes including Jim Johnstone, Bill Black, Angus Fitchet, The Hamefarers (with Willie hunter and Ronnie Cooper) and Gordon Pattullo. The Jennifer Wilson Accordion Group were guesting in May 1986! The Club musicians and members made it on to Grampian TV in the Box and Fiddle show hosted by Robbie Shepherd with the late Jimmy Shand as their guest artiste. From the start the NEA&FC has attracted and supported a huge number of young musicians such as Mo Rutherford, Graeme Mitchell, Lynne Gould, Lynne & Duncan Christie and the Winchester Brothers! As encouragement to young talent, trophies were presented annually for various achievements in categories such as the best and most improved accordionists, best and most improved fiddlers, best young musician, best composition and best march, strathspey and reel. As yet we don’t know what happened to the trophies but we are seeking information about The Fowlie Rosebowl, The KDFC Trophy, The Grant Trophy, The Chadwick Trophy, The Davidson Trophy, The Forbes Trophy, The Warrender Trophy, The Gartly Cup and The Tain Cup. Any information about these trophies would be gratefully received.
The pandemic hasn’t stopped us putting on a live show, but our Chairman Rory Smith and the Committee are keen to get us back to a live venue asap. We need to celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2021 and to continue creating more happy memories!
Mystery Solved – Whatever Happened to The Currie Brothers?
by Pia Walker
During my educational tour round old copies of the B&F, it struck me that there were bands and groups on the scene that we no longer hear about. One was The Currie Brothers. Who were they, what were they and where are they now?
I put on my deer-stalker hat and with pipe in my mouth and magnifying glass in my pocket started to look for them, which proved a little more difficult than just using Google. Thanks to Gary Blair, however, I managed to get hold of Liam Currie to ask some questions about these very popular brothers. Liam kindly answered my queries in an e-mail interview, although he thinks that not many of their audiences can remember them, as he thinks it is more than 18 years since they played in Accordion Clubs! I’m sure we will prove him wrong.
From a post online I learned that The Currie Brothers were a traditional Scottish folk / country dance accordion band from Milngavie in Scotland. They were also part of the wedding / function circuit and extremely accomplished accordion players, famous for their technical skills and accordion-centric arrangements.
They certainly were very popular in club land. As they lived in Milngavie, they were frequenting the MAFIA Club, but the first club to invite them as guests was Gretna A&F club in 1975. From then on they were on the circuit. First it was just Jim and Tom, and later the youngest, Liam, joined them.
Although their dad, who himself played the accordion and was a fan of Will Starr, wanted them to learn the accordion too, they were more interested at the time in hiding inside the accordion case. However, in 1968 they were taken to a fairground at Glasgow Green. Jim and Tom were on the carousel horses and their parents enquired who was playing the music. It was The Accordion sounds of Dermot O’Brien, and after hearing more of Dermot’s albums they all wanted to learn how to play. Other favourite accordion albums in the 1970s were those of Fintan Stanley, Jo Basile, Douglas Muir (John Ellis Band), Will Starr, Jack Emblow, Jimmy Cassidy, Marcosignori and many more.
First they had to learn to play and were given classical accordion lessons by Sylvia Wilson (twice British Champion). Sylvia wanted all her pupils to play in front of audiences, so they attended the local Accordion Clubs such as Milngavie and Balloch. They also had a few lessons from John Huband. This marked the start of 37 years of performing at concerts, weddings and dances.
In 1975, thanks to Jimmy Norman and accordionist David Bell, they were invited to be guest artistes at Gretna A&F Club. “We were still young kids (all under 14) and shared the evening with The Bon Accords, Robin and Deryn Waitt. Everyone was so kind to us. That led to other Border Clubs such as Greenhead, Rothbury and Wooler which was run by Robert Whitehead. Donald Ridley wrote a tune for us at Cumbria Accordion club. George Butler invited us to Jedburgh. Over the following years we played almost every Accordion Club around Scotland.”
Of course, they went on the competitive circuit too; Jim and Tom won All-Scotland Junior titles, including the Scottish (classical) under-8, under-10 and under-12 solos, while Jim won the under-14 solo, the Scottish Junior Traditional Championship and the Scottish Junior Classical Championship. As a duo those two played together in 1976 to win the All-Scotland Advanced Duet title at Perth and the Advanced Duet at Carlisle, Musselburgh and Straiton, as well as winning solo contests at Gretna and Blairgowrie. Jim and Tom also entered and won two of Scotland’s biggest talent hunts: The Evening times / Tennant Caledonian Starmaker and the City of Edinburgh Competition.
In 1977 Hughie Green phoned the brothers inviting them onto the TV Talent Contest Opportunity Knocks – but as they were more interested in the music rather than becoming famous, they turned it down. By then The Currie Brothers as a duo were already playing in theatres and variety shows round Scotland and entering competitions for the two older brothers was no longer an option. Liam, however, continued on the competitive circuit winning an additional 11 accordion competitions. St that time Liam was too young to join them professionally, but he told me, “At smaller venues I would wander on and off stage, disrupting their performance, to play accordion, clarinet and ukulele and to sing. I didn’t need to be good. As I was 10 years old this just amused the audience. Years later I stayed on stage playing mainly banjo and guitar.” On the same day as the Take Three album was released, Liam (aged 13) entered his last competition, winning the NAAFC Junior Traditional Championship at Musselburgh. As the B&F wrote in February 1980, “This was accordion playing at its best and the best was Liam Currie of Milngavie. Thunderous applause erupted as the results were announced. Liam was a very popular winner.”
As we normally see photos from clubs of them holding accordions, I asked if they played other instruments too? I was told that when playing outwith the Accordion Club scene they needed to be more versatile in order to entertain people. Jim began to sing a few songs and to play piano and guitar. Tom preferred to stay on accordion and played the bass lines, but occasionally he would scrape away on the fiddle. His final fiddle performance was playing one of his own compositions called The Lumberjack, where he exchanged his bow for a bushman saw. Liam believes that Fergie MacDonald has a framed photo of it on his window sill!
They recorded six albums in all starting with Hot Stuff and Take Two, produced by David Silver who wrote the lyrics for The Dark Island. Take Three was produced by Ian McCreadie of Middle of the Road. The album cover is a bit misleading as Jim plays the lead accordion on most tracks. On By Special Request a young and talented Gordon Smith joined them on drums. In 1987 The Spice of Life was recorded followed by Versatility in 1994. During their career the brothers were awarded a Scotstar for ‘Best Accordion Ensemble’ by the Scottish record industry.
They have lots of memories and I did ask for a few stories. Musicians tend to share the ones about things that went wrong, and according to Liam there were quite a few of those! “One evening we were playing at Carlisle Accordion Club. For mischief, I put on a Mexican poncho and cowboy hat and was smoking a cardboard cigar to play themes from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on accordion. Near the end. I glided my hat into the audience. It went too high and hit a glass lampshade that rattled against some others before it crashed down to the floor! Thank God, it missed everyone! Jim then said through the microphone, “What a smashing performance!” Tom followed with, “That is the only smash hit he will ever have!” Clint Currie was never seen on stage (or coach) again – unwanted, dead or alive! A rare recording of clint playing The Good, the Bad and the Ugly can be heard online at www.curriebrothers.com.
For such young people, they were incredibly busy. In the 70s they performed on Sauchiehall Street with Billy Connolly at the launch of the newly formed BBC Radio Scotland. The appeared on STV’s Thingummyjig, Grampian TV’s Welcome to the Ceilidh and in the children’s Christmas Show. In the 1980s they performed for the Queen Mother’s 80th Birthday celebrations.
Over the years, they performed in music and variety shows with Jack Milroy, Dorothy Paul, Allan Stewart, Chick Murray, Andy Stewart, Anita Harris, Lennie Bennett, Lena Martel, Jim Diamond, Lena Zavaroni, Harry worth, Kenneth McKellar, Moira Anderson, Peter Morrison, Mary Sandeman, Bill McCue, Fiona Kennedy, Callum Kennedy, Anne Lorne Gillies, Johnnie Beattie, Alastair McDonald, Alasdair gillies, Andy Cameron, The McCalmans, Anne Williamson, Bill Torrance, Jimmie McGregor, Ken Haynes, Robbie Shepherd, Art Sutter, Tom Ferrie, Scotland The What, Christian, Hector Nicol, Dean Park, The Clydesiders, Moira Kerr, John Cairney, George Duffus, The Alexander Brothers and Bill Barclay.
By the mid 90s they wanted to cut down on travelling, so they increasingly took on local weddings and dances. Jim was mostly on keyboards and vocals, Tom played lead accordion and Liam played electric guitar and banjo for the ceilidh stuff. In 2009 they decided not to take on more booking after Hogmanay 2011. There were quite a few reasons for this decision. It was time to focus on other things and they also wanted to get back to the accordion and their musical roots.
I did ask if they were intending to go back to performing on stage and was told that it seemed unlikely. “Nowadays we’re all content to remain in the background. There could possibly be some new accordion recordings – but purely just for fun, not to relaunch a musical career”.
So what are they doing now? They still have fun writing music as a pastime. They still live in milngavie, the town where they grew up, and about two miles from each other. Jim works in the field of natural health, Liam is in property management and Tom claims he’s training to be a circus ringmaster and lion-tamer. He’s still looking for a suitable lion! (one that never gets hungry!) If anyone has such a beast, please contact your Editor.
It was great finding and catching up with Liam and his brothers, albeit not face-to-face, and I for one hope that it is not the last we will hear from The Currie Brothers.
Centre Stage
Andy Mack
In Memory –
Dochie MacCallum (1923 – 2020)
by Charlie Kirkpatrick
With the passing of Dochie MacCallum our music scene has lost not only one of the finest exponents of the Shand Morino accordion but a fine person and a true gentleman in every sense of the word.
Dochie lived all his life in the Loch Lomond area and music was always important to him. He taught himself to play the button-key accordion when young and after owning several small accordions he eventually purchased his beloved Shand Morino. It was a natural progression to start playing in dance bands and in time Dochie joined and became an integral part of the Hamish Menzies SDB. Engagements all over Scotland and England followed along with many broadcasts.
With the advent of the Accordion & Fiddle Club scene, Dochie would regularly attend the MAFIA Club as well as the Balloch and Fintry Clubs. Dochie then went on to perform as a guest artiste at many Clubs along with his great musical friends – ‘the heavy team’ as he called them – Neil MacMillan, Ricky Franci and Gus Millar. In recognition of his contribution to our music, Dochie was Guest of Honour at our annual Celebrity Luncheon in June 2019 and never was an honour more richly deserved. At the luncheon, he gave a heartfelt acceptance speech and after the official part of the proceedings, in true Dochie style, he sat down and played for about two hours. The hotel staff had to move him out so they could get the place set up for the following day.
In July of this year, Dochie suffered a broken hip after a fall at home and this necessitated a lengthy spell in the Forth Valley Hospital where his health deteriorated and he passed away on 12th October 2020. An indication of the respect and esteem in which dochie was held was apparent when his death was announced on social media: “a proper gentleman”, “kind, unassuming, modest guy”, “such a lovely guy” and “although Dochie is no longer with us the tunes and the happy times will live on” are just some of the many, many tributes which were paid to him. His passing will be keenly felt not only by his sister Cathy and family but also in the MacMillan household where he was treated as one of the family. No-one could have done more for him than Neil and Fiona and this must surely be a comfort to them at this time.
Dochie, we will miss your great music and your company; but when we come to think of you, we will smile. Gus am bris an Iatha, Dochie.
In Memory –
John Crawford (1923 – 2020)
by John Carmichael
Sadly Scotland has lost another of its musical sons with the passing of John Crawford from Freuchie. John has been a stalwart of the Scottish music scene for longer than most people can remember as he lived into his mid-90s, outliving most if not all of his contemporaries.
John will be remembered not only for his musical expertise on accordions of all types and on the bagpipes, but also for his skill as a repairer and tuner of accordions and other musical instruments. John was a regular adjudicator at the Annual All-Scotland Championship in Perth as well as many other musical Festivals throughout the country.
However, despite all these talents, to me John’s biggest asset was his friendly and extremely helpful attitude. If you asked his advice about a problem with music, adjudication or an instrument he would immediately put you at your ease and tell you how to sort it, or else he would offer to do it for you. John had a great sense of humour and we had many jokes and laughs on the phone, especially about the music business.
One of nature’s gentlemen, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
From Brandon McPhee
2020 has been a bad year for everyone but the news about john Crawford’s passing made it a lot worse for me.
I first remember meeting john when I was ca. 11 years old and having problems with my accordion. Although we spoke on the phone regularly and have kept in touch all these years, I always enjoyed hearing the stories of years gone by of his exploits during the war, and of the Hohner factory in Germany.
His great knowledge and banter were incredible. When I spoke to John, who was of a different generation to me, it nevertheless felt like speaking to someone of my own age. I had the honour of recording a DVD with him and that was a really enjoyable day.
There was nothing john could not do with accordions. He was a rel inspiration. Age was just a number and I respected John more than anyone else and looked up to him. I haven’t just lost a hero of mine, I’ve lost a great friend.
RIP, John Crawford. We’ll play a tune again one day!
From Ian McCallum
The accordion scene has yet again lost one of its legendary musicians with the passing of John Crawford on 23rd September.
I first came to know him over 40 years ago through his repairing of accordions and his playing. When he started doing guest spots at Accordion clubs, I myself and the then named Jacqueline Dick were in his trio, and together we visited many clubs far and wide. Sometimes his brother Jim would also come along.
He had few equals and was renowned especially for his playing of pipe tunes. He will be sorely missed amongst the many musicians who visited him when they had a problem with their accordions.
Myself, Jean and Jackie dick were invited by the family to the funeral at Falkland Cemetery on 2nd October. The minister who took the service, Ian Wotherspoon, is a piper, and as the hearse arrived he played The Banks of Allan Water and The Bloody Fields of Flanders (both tunes are on John’s album, Piping on the Box.) He than played one of John’s compositions, Freuchies’ March to Lords, as the coffin was lowered – a fitting tribute for this great man. The service ended with a selection of tunes played by Jock the Box.
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
Leonard Brown & his All Star Band – Requested by You Vol 2
Skerryvore – Live Across Scotland – TYREE10CD
Kevin Henderson & Neil Pearlman – Burden Lake – Sungaet Records
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Gary Innes
7th Nov 2020 – Archive Session
14th Nov 2020 – Archive Session
21st Nov 2020 – Archive Session
28th Nov 2020 – Archive Session
CLUB DIARY – NB no Club meetings due to the Covid19 pandemic
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) -
Arbroath (Arbroath Artisan Golf Club) -
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) –
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) –
Beith & District (Beith Bowling Club) –
Biggar (Biggar Bowling Club) –
Blairgowrie (Red House Hotel) -
Button Key (Greig Institute, Windygates) –
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Canderside (Stonehouse Bowling Club) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Crossmichael Hall) –
Clydesdale (St Mary’s Club Rooms, Lanark) -
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Crieff & District (British Legion)
Dalriada (Argyll Inn, Lochgilphead) -
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) –
Dunfermline (Sportsman Bar, Rosyth) –
Forfar (Forfar RBL) -
Forres (Victoria Hotel) –
Fort William (Railway Club, Inverlochy) -
Galashiels (Gala YM RFC) -
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Glenfarg Village Hall) -
Gretna (The Richard Greenhow Centre) -
Highland (Waterside Hotel) –
Inveraray (Inveraray Inn) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (Locharbriggs Social Club) –
Kelso (Kelso Rugby Club) –
Langholm (Langholm Social Club) –
Lewis & Harris (Caladh Inn, Stornoway) -
Lockerbie (Mid Annandale Comrades Club)
Macmerry (Miners Social Club) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (Adbie Hall) -
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (The Royal Hotel) –
Orkney (The Reel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth & District (Salutation Hotel) –
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) -
Seghill (Old Comrades Club) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Sutherland (Rogart Village Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) –
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Dunfermline
2. Ellon (closing)
3. North East
4. Renfrew
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2019
(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. Canderside A&F Club (Stonehouse) (Feb 2019 – present)
14. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
15. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
16. Clydesdale A&F Club (Sept 2016 – present)
17. Coalburn A&F Club (
18. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
19. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
20. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
21. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
22. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
23. Forfar A&F Club (
24. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
25. Fort William A&F Club ( )
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. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
38. Macmerry A&F Club (Feb 2016 – present)
39. Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
40. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
41. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
42. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
43. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
44. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
45. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
46. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
47. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
48. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
49. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
50 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
51 Turriff A&F Club (1st April 1982 - present)
52 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
53 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
54 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?)
55. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
56. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
57. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
58. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
59. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
60. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
61. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
62. Britannia B&F Club (joined 07-08 but much older
63. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
64. Buchan A&F Club
65. Callander A&F Club (
66. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980 – 1997?)
67. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
68. Club Accord
69. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 – cFeb 2014)
70 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
71. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
72. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
73. Cults A & F Club (
74. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
75. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
76. Derwentside A&F Club
77. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
78. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
79. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
80. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
81. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
82. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – April 2020 – Covid19)
83. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
84. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
85. Ellon A&F Club (1984 – April 2020 Covid19)
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. Glasgow A&F Club (Aug 2017 – March 2018)
91. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93? – left the Assoc c2013)
92. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
93. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
94. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 – 6th December 2015)
95. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
96. Kintore A&F Club (
97. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
98. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier -
99. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
100. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
101. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
102. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – March 2020 - Covid)
103. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
104. Maine Valley A&F Club (
105. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
106. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
107. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
108. Mull A&F Club
109. Newcastleton Accordion Club
110. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded much earlier – closed April 2011 when venue closed)
111. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
112. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
113. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
114. Northern A&F Club (Sept 2011 -
115. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
116. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
117. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
118. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
119. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
120. Selkirk A&F Club (
121. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
122. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
123. Stonehouse A&F Club (Opened 2003 - first report June 05 – Closed April 2018)
124. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
125 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
126 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
127. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
128. Tranent A&F Club
129. Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra
130. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
131. Wellbank A&F Club
132. West Barnes (1981? - April 2016?)
133. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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