MY MEMORIES OF TONY DALTON
by Derek Hamilton
B&F October 2014
Ronnie Easton phoned me on Thursday 7th April quite early in the morning. “I’ve got sad news my friend” he said. “ Our good friend Tony Dalton collapsed and died yesterday afternoon”. He could have recited the whole of Tam o’ Shanter and I wouldn’t have heard another word. I was absolutely dumbfounded.
I had spoken at great length to Tony on the Tuesday and we had, as we always did in our phone chats, discussed the Dance Music on Saturday night. He had his views and was prepared to share them whether good or bad. He would say it as he saw it and wouldn’t be moved if you disagreed. That was what I liked about Tony. Open and forthright. I’ve no doubt it would get him into trouble sometimes but he was honest.
His musical tastes were the same as they’d always been. From the early days as a young cop working out of Dumbarton as a traffic officer when he spent a lot of his spare time at a certain button box player’s house at Buchannan Smiddy. Did I say spare time? Any time more like. He thought the world of Dochie MacCallum and always gave credit for learning so much of ‘the pipe music’ there. 2/4s and 6/8s were the food that kept Tony alive. He collected music from anywhere he could lay hands on it. “Ye wouldna hae the music for such and such or so and so” he would say. “I heard it the ither night and it’s a cracker|”. If you were able to supply then you were ‘a topper mun. First class sir’
He joined the police because he’d seen how hard his folks had to work on the farm to make ends meet. By his own admission that was not for him. He was determined to do better than that.
By the middle seventies he’d left the police and was running Oughtons Night Spot in Dumfries with Max Houliston. I used to go quite regularly to the Scottish flavoured nights there. Tony was in his element as mine host. His police training gave him a quiet assuring confidence and he was a good looking tall handsome likeable chap. His knowledge of the accordion world helped him be a first class MC at the accordion club.
Tony move on from Oughtons and took over the Cargenholme Hotel on the outskirts of Dumfries. After getting a few months under his belt there he started the Islesteps Accordion Club and ran it for a season by himself. I seem to remember that was in the early 80s and he asked Ian Gray from Beeswing to form the club properly and it joined the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs and is still going strong today. Not in the same venue I might add. Tony sold the Hotel and moved to Lochmaben where for over 20 years he ran his beloved pub in the village.
I appeared professionally only once at Tony’s place and that was in 1983 at Cargenholme with the Dermot O’Brien Trio. Tony treated us like family, but then that’s what Tony was - a genial family man.
Sadly I lost touch with Tony all these years while he was in Lochmaben and it was only about 4 years ago I was at Lockerbie Accordion Club and in came Tony, lugging his Hohner Morino 5. It was a renewed acquaintance I was more than happy to have made.
“Mind that tune ee wrote for is a’ these years ago? Well I still canna play it!!! Ye’re a bugger mun!” It was a reel ‘Tony Dalton’ . That was it - friendship renewed!
Tony was never the best player in the world, that he admitted many times over, but in his younger day he could certainly hold his own with the best of them. I still treasure having his broadcast from Dumfries in 1976 when the BBC did a series of broadcasts from the Accordion Clubs.
Tony retired from the mine host game having had major heart surgery and got his interest in the box revitalised by going along to the odd accordion club. Ever the encouraging man he took a great interest in young Nicky McMichen’s playing and Nicky looked on Tony as a mentor and friend. Apart from the accordion the pair had a great interest in beer and whisky!!
Tony liked a dram or two and two four and six eight pipe marches. His appetite for both was enormous! They went hand in hand as far as he was concerned. He collected music for tunes as if they were going out of fashion. He was indeed passionate about his music.
In recent times Ronnie Easton, another long term friend , Tony and I would go to open days at Langholm, weekend sessions in Dumfries and even Nicky McMichen broadcasts! Laughs and drams in abundance. That was how it was with Tony.
My memories of him will last forever. He’ll be sadly missed by Margaret and all his family and, of course, Jock, his 4 year old chocolate lab.
He’ll be missed too in the wider world by musicians and friends.
‘Aye sir! Ye were a guid yin’
I had spoken at great length to Tony on the Tuesday and we had, as we always did in our phone chats, discussed the Dance Music on Saturday night. He had his views and was prepared to share them whether good or bad. He would say it as he saw it and wouldn’t be moved if you disagreed. That was what I liked about Tony. Open and forthright. I’ve no doubt it would get him into trouble sometimes but he was honest.
His musical tastes were the same as they’d always been. From the early days as a young cop working out of Dumbarton as a traffic officer when he spent a lot of his spare time at a certain button box player’s house at Buchannan Smiddy. Did I say spare time? Any time more like. He thought the world of Dochie MacCallum and always gave credit for learning so much of ‘the pipe music’ there. 2/4s and 6/8s were the food that kept Tony alive. He collected music from anywhere he could lay hands on it. “Ye wouldna hae the music for such and such or so and so” he would say. “I heard it the ither night and it’s a cracker|”. If you were able to supply then you were ‘a topper mun. First class sir’
He joined the police because he’d seen how hard his folks had to work on the farm to make ends meet. By his own admission that was not for him. He was determined to do better than that.
By the middle seventies he’d left the police and was running Oughtons Night Spot in Dumfries with Max Houliston. I used to go quite regularly to the Scottish flavoured nights there. Tony was in his element as mine host. His police training gave him a quiet assuring confidence and he was a good looking tall handsome likeable chap. His knowledge of the accordion world helped him be a first class MC at the accordion club.
Tony move on from Oughtons and took over the Cargenholme Hotel on the outskirts of Dumfries. After getting a few months under his belt there he started the Islesteps Accordion Club and ran it for a season by himself. I seem to remember that was in the early 80s and he asked Ian Gray from Beeswing to form the club properly and it joined the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs and is still going strong today. Not in the same venue I might add. Tony sold the Hotel and moved to Lochmaben where for over 20 years he ran his beloved pub in the village.
I appeared professionally only once at Tony’s place and that was in 1983 at Cargenholme with the Dermot O’Brien Trio. Tony treated us like family, but then that’s what Tony was - a genial family man.
Sadly I lost touch with Tony all these years while he was in Lochmaben and it was only about 4 years ago I was at Lockerbie Accordion Club and in came Tony, lugging his Hohner Morino 5. It was a renewed acquaintance I was more than happy to have made.
“Mind that tune ee wrote for is a’ these years ago? Well I still canna play it!!! Ye’re a bugger mun!” It was a reel ‘Tony Dalton’ . That was it - friendship renewed!
Tony was never the best player in the world, that he admitted many times over, but in his younger day he could certainly hold his own with the best of them. I still treasure having his broadcast from Dumfries in 1976 when the BBC did a series of broadcasts from the Accordion Clubs.
Tony retired from the mine host game having had major heart surgery and got his interest in the box revitalised by going along to the odd accordion club. Ever the encouraging man he took a great interest in young Nicky McMichen’s playing and Nicky looked on Tony as a mentor and friend. Apart from the accordion the pair had a great interest in beer and whisky!!
Tony liked a dram or two and two four and six eight pipe marches. His appetite for both was enormous! They went hand in hand as far as he was concerned. He collected music for tunes as if they were going out of fashion. He was indeed passionate about his music.
In recent times Ronnie Easton, another long term friend , Tony and I would go to open days at Langholm, weekend sessions in Dumfries and even Nicky McMichen broadcasts! Laughs and drams in abundance. That was how it was with Tony.
My memories of him will last forever. He’ll be sadly missed by Margaret and all his family and, of course, Jock, his 4 year old chocolate lab.
He’ll be missed too in the wider world by musicians and friends.
‘Aye sir! Ye were a guid yin’