B&F May 2014
I was clearing out some old files and found a copy of the last letter I wrote to members of Perth & district Accordion & Fiddle Club. This was when I resigned from the Committee, having been a founder member and Secretary for 22 years. I thought it might be of interest to readers of The B&F.
July 1992
As I write this, my last letter as Secretary, I find myself reflecting on some of the memorable nights we have had over the past 22 years at Perth Accordion and Fiddle Club. At the first meeting in September, 1970, 63 people paid for admission – and sandwiches for that number cost £4.00! By March, 1971, when a petition was handed round (to be presented to the BBC requesting the return of Scottish Dance Music to radio), 300 people put their signatures to it, in one night! In January 1972, instead of stovies, we had haggis, neeps and tatties at a cost of 25p per head – how things have changed. In May of that year, Will Starr and Angus Fitchet drew an audience of 426. In February 1973, 450 attended to hear Arthur Spink and Angus Cameron. We had two memorable visits from Dermot O’Brien, and Sean Maguire was another wonderful guest. In February 1975, the Committee entertained 344 people, the Committee at the time comprising Mickie Ainsworth, Jimmy Blue, Bill Powrie, Jim Brown, Joan Blue – and Maisie Ainsworth and June Brown who, if I remember rightly, were told they had to be strippers that night so that the whole Committee performed! The night The Hamefarers came from Shetland, we had 467 at the Club and in March, 1976, the BBC came and recorded a programme from Perth In the years that followed the numbers settled down to between 150 and 250, except for the great night we had in April 1985 when Jimmy Shand came, in person, as guest artiste and 328 came to hear him. Number shave dwindled quite a bit since these glory days but it was wonderful to have such a turnout at the 21st Birthday Party last year – that was, for me, one of the real highlights.
Joan Blue
July 1992
As I write this, my last letter as Secretary, I find myself reflecting on some of the memorable nights we have had over the past 22 years at Perth Accordion and Fiddle Club. At the first meeting in September, 1970, 63 people paid for admission – and sandwiches for that number cost £4.00! By March, 1971, when a petition was handed round (to be presented to the BBC requesting the return of Scottish Dance Music to radio), 300 people put their signatures to it, in one night! In January 1972, instead of stovies, we had haggis, neeps and tatties at a cost of 25p per head – how things have changed. In May of that year, Will Starr and Angus Fitchet drew an audience of 426. In February 1973, 450 attended to hear Arthur Spink and Angus Cameron. We had two memorable visits from Dermot O’Brien, and Sean Maguire was another wonderful guest. In February 1975, the Committee entertained 344 people, the Committee at the time comprising Mickie Ainsworth, Jimmy Blue, Bill Powrie, Jim Brown, Joan Blue – and Maisie Ainsworth and June Brown who, if I remember rightly, were told they had to be strippers that night so that the whole Committee performed! The night The Hamefarers came from Shetland, we had 467 at the Club and in March, 1976, the BBC came and recorded a programme from Perth In the years that followed the numbers settled down to between 150 and 250, except for the great night we had in April 1985 when Jimmy Shand came, in person, as guest artiste and 328 came to hear him. Number shave dwindled quite a bit since these glory days but it was wonderful to have such a turnout at the 21st Birthday Party last year – that was, for me, one of the real highlights.
Joan Blue