Lesmahagow
B&F June 2005
The curtain finally came down after 26 years at the end of a memorable night's entertainment in the Masonic Hall, Lesmahagow - a night reminiscent of the way things used to be. It's a sobering thought that the number of players on the following list used to be the norm for a meeting at 'the Gow' - how time has taken it's toll!
On accordions were Jack Gray, Adam Angus, Peter Jardine, Gary Blair, Jim Paterson, Jock Robertson, George Forsyth, George Stirrat (our very first guest artiste), Agnes Hope, Pamela Gray, John Geddes, MAt Ferguson, Charlie Todd, Ian Graham, Morag Robertson, Frank and Elisabeth Morrison, David Ross, Roy Hendrie, Jimmy Divers and John Anderson.
On fiddle was Alistair Heron and on pipes Rhona Jackson.
On drums were Willie Wilson, Ian Graham and Roy Hendrie and on keyboard were George Walker, Grant Crawford and Donald McIntosh.
During the course of the evening various presentations were made in appreciation of the efforts of key individuals in the running of the Club. Chairman Jack Gray (who missed only one night in 312 meetings due to a knee operation) and Secretary Jean Gray were thanked for their unstinting efforts over the lifetime of the Club and present with a copy of a recent 270 page publication '100 Years of Hohner in Pictures' and a basket of flowers respectively. Jack, in turn, thanked his Committee and all the players and supporters present and proceeded to present flowers to our 'tea ladies' Maisie and Elsie, and to Agnes Hope, who has been in charge of the raffle for some years. Eric Gibb, our barman / hallkeeper, received a bottle of whisky (Eric has hardly missed a night either) as will local baker Matt Sneddon when he returns from holiday for supplying the pies ans sausage rolls for all those years.
It was then grand-daughter Pamela Gray's turn to present Jack with a framed copy of a tune specially written for the evening by George Stirrat entitled Jack and Jean's Waltz which George, Pam, Alastair Heron, Donald McIntosh and Ian graham played when they took to the stage to start the second half.
Sincere thanks to everyone who made it a night to remember - the players the audience and in particular the individuals who had done a lot of preparatory work in the background, namely Iain Buchanan and Mary and Pamela Gray. Thanks to Frank Morrison to standing in as photographer for the evening, in Iain Buchanan's absence. The final spot, before the stramash, went to George Stirrat and friends, just as it had all those years ago.
On accordions were Jack Gray, Adam Angus, Peter Jardine, Gary Blair, Jim Paterson, Jock Robertson, George Forsyth, George Stirrat (our very first guest artiste), Agnes Hope, Pamela Gray, John Geddes, MAt Ferguson, Charlie Todd, Ian Graham, Morag Robertson, Frank and Elisabeth Morrison, David Ross, Roy Hendrie, Jimmy Divers and John Anderson.
On fiddle was Alistair Heron and on pipes Rhona Jackson.
On drums were Willie Wilson, Ian Graham and Roy Hendrie and on keyboard were George Walker, Grant Crawford and Donald McIntosh.
During the course of the evening various presentations were made in appreciation of the efforts of key individuals in the running of the Club. Chairman Jack Gray (who missed only one night in 312 meetings due to a knee operation) and Secretary Jean Gray were thanked for their unstinting efforts over the lifetime of the Club and present with a copy of a recent 270 page publication '100 Years of Hohner in Pictures' and a basket of flowers respectively. Jack, in turn, thanked his Committee and all the players and supporters present and proceeded to present flowers to our 'tea ladies' Maisie and Elsie, and to Agnes Hope, who has been in charge of the raffle for some years. Eric Gibb, our barman / hallkeeper, received a bottle of whisky (Eric has hardly missed a night either) as will local baker Matt Sneddon when he returns from holiday for supplying the pies ans sausage rolls for all those years.
It was then grand-daughter Pamela Gray's turn to present Jack with a framed copy of a tune specially written for the evening by George Stirrat entitled Jack and Jean's Waltz which George, Pam, Alastair Heron, Donald McIntosh and Ian graham played when they took to the stage to start the second half.
Sincere thanks to everyone who made it a night to remember - the players the audience and in particular the individuals who had done a lot of preparatory work in the background, namely Iain Buchanan and Mary and Pamela Gray. Thanks to Frank Morrison to standing in as photographer for the evening, in Iain Buchanan's absence. The final spot, before the stramash, went to George Stirrat and friends, just as it had all those years ago.