Norrie Williams (1927 – 2015)
by Joan Blue
Norrie Williams was a gentle man, a listener, not a talker. A man who always had time for others and who, as Chairman of the Musselburgh Festival Committee, dealt with any complaints with such fairness that no-one ever left feeling ‘ill done by’. I was on the Festival Committee under the Chairmanship of Alex Little, whose enthusiasm put the Festival on the map. When Norman took on the post in 1980 I was very pleased to be asked to serve under him. He appointed Sheila, his lovely wife, as Secretary. What a team they made! Organisation? Everything just seemed to happen! The Committee got on with the job in hand, building up the number of entrants to 370 one year. The Musselburgh Festival attracted competitors from all over the country and of the highest calibre.
Norrie spent 20 years working in Bedfordshire, where he met Sheila. They were married in 1953 and both their son and daughter were born in England. As many will know, daughter Norma married button-key accordionist, Jimmy Lindsay. This certainly kept the music in the family with their son, Alexander (Sandy) growing up to carry on the button-key tradition. Forma and Jimmy’s daughter, Fiona, played piano and, more importantly, gave her grandparents great joy when she gave birth to twins.
Norrie was fanatical about traditional music and would never play a G sharp, always a G natural, such was his love of pipe music. Bobby MacLeod was his idol! Norrie once cycled from Hillside, his home near Montrose, up the Cairn o’ Mount, all the way to Tarland (4 miles above Aboyne) to see and hear Bobby MacLeod’s Band live. Cycling back through a ‘peasouper’ at 3 o’clock in the morning, he felt it had been well worth the hard slog. Norrie loved the fact that, despite never having had any formal tuition, he spent two summers teaching Scottish Traditional Music at the Stirling University Summer Schools.
Sheila was a qualified Scottish Country Dance teacher and on their return to Scotland in 1970, she taught and Norrie played for country dance classes. He only gave this up last year when Sheila became ill and needed care, which he gave unstintingly.
I have a special memory of Norrie after my husband, Jimmy, had been honoured by the NAAFC. As we left the Station Hotel and came towards the gates, there was Norrie standing playing us out with a pipe march. I can still see his unique posture, one shoulder slightly bent over the accordion. Wonderful!
Another lovely memory was when Norrie and Sheila came for lunch and the four of us went to the Vintage Agricultural Day at Scone Palace. While Jimmy and Norrie dealt lovingly over old tractors and machinery, I met an old friend who had his horse and trap on show. Our men’s faces were a study when they got the royal wave from Sheila and me as we were driven round the show ring a few times.
Norrie was a very important part of the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs and I am so, so pleased that he and Sheila were honoured by the Association last year. No-one deserved it more.
Box and Fiddle
February 2016
Norrie spent 20 years working in Bedfordshire, where he met Sheila. They were married in 1953 and both their son and daughter were born in England. As many will know, daughter Norma married button-key accordionist, Jimmy Lindsay. This certainly kept the music in the family with their son, Alexander (Sandy) growing up to carry on the button-key tradition. Forma and Jimmy’s daughter, Fiona, played piano and, more importantly, gave her grandparents great joy when she gave birth to twins.
Norrie was fanatical about traditional music and would never play a G sharp, always a G natural, such was his love of pipe music. Bobby MacLeod was his idol! Norrie once cycled from Hillside, his home near Montrose, up the Cairn o’ Mount, all the way to Tarland (4 miles above Aboyne) to see and hear Bobby MacLeod’s Band live. Cycling back through a ‘peasouper’ at 3 o’clock in the morning, he felt it had been well worth the hard slog. Norrie loved the fact that, despite never having had any formal tuition, he spent two summers teaching Scottish Traditional Music at the Stirling University Summer Schools.
Sheila was a qualified Scottish Country Dance teacher and on their return to Scotland in 1970, she taught and Norrie played for country dance classes. He only gave this up last year when Sheila became ill and needed care, which he gave unstintingly.
I have a special memory of Norrie after my husband, Jimmy, had been honoured by the NAAFC. As we left the Station Hotel and came towards the gates, there was Norrie standing playing us out with a pipe march. I can still see his unique posture, one shoulder slightly bent over the accordion. Wonderful!
Another lovely memory was when Norrie and Sheila came for lunch and the four of us went to the Vintage Agricultural Day at Scone Palace. While Jimmy and Norrie dealt lovingly over old tractors and machinery, I met an old friend who had his horse and trap on show. Our men’s faces were a study when they got the royal wave from Sheila and me as we were driven round the show ring a few times.
Norrie was a very important part of the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs and I am so, so pleased that he and Sheila were honoured by the Association last year. No-one deserved it more.
Box and Fiddle
February 2016