Box and Fiddle
Year 11 No 03
November 1987
Price 40p
12 pages
8 month subscription £4.60
Joint Editors – Tom Clark, 55 Sutherland Crescent, Dundee, DD2 2HP or Douglas Adamson, 22 Westfield Drive, Forfar, DD8 1EQ
B&F Treasurer – Mrs Cathy Andrew, 22 Lochinver Crescent, Foxbar, Paisley Tele 2824
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
Club Subscriptions
The Association’s new Treasurer, Jim Blaneaves, wishes to remind Clubs that the annual affiliation fees are due and should be sent in by mid-December.
The Association has regular on-going expenses to meet. Events such as the Musselburgh Festival and the A.G.M. Weekend at Perth, although expected to be self=supporting, require to be funded early on before monies are recovered.
The B&F also has ongoing cashflow problems. The help of Club Secretaries is sought in order to help solve these problems. Please pay your invoices promptly and assist our Treasurer, Miss Cathy Andrew, to meet her commitments.
Perth Festival
Owing to shortage of time it has been necessary to postpone the Festival report until the next issue.
Tom Clark
Joan Blue
“Accompanist Extraordinaire”
by Norrie Williams
A fiddle rendering of the slow air “Margaret Anne Robertson” by one of the leading exponents, in typical pose with an expression of relaxed contentment, eyes loosely closed. The lilting “Balintore Fisherman” from a equally well-known accordion player, tall, lean and wiry with an enduring weather-beaten tan, his calloused fingers sporting the odd plaster, curled over the button keys of a Shand Morino.
The faltering laboured notes of a young beginner doing a spot at an Accordion Club and pressing on with dogged determination through “Scotland the Brave” and the “Rowan Tree” to breathe more easily at that welcome final chord.
All good performances, at their respective levels of competence with each giving of his or her best and most significantly each gaining a great psychological and musical lift from the sympathetic and tasteful piano accompaniment provided by a certain lady whose obvious enjoyment of the job in hand is plain to all.
Or to go back a few years and the finals of the Grampian Television talent competition “Pick of the North”. Amongst the six finalists are two young Forgandenny housewives who, as well as being next door neighbours, have also built up quite a reputation as a close harmony singing duo with one of them doubling up as accompanist on piano.
Or back still further to the early ‘50s and the very popular children’s dancing spectaculars presented annually in the City Halls by the Perth Co-operative Society. The ages of the performers, trained by Miss Nan Sutherland, range from 3 years upwards and the accompanist for the dancing, embracing every conceivable type of tune and rhythm – songs from the shows, light classical, “modern”, you name it – is supplied by a young woman at the piano.
You will no doubt have guessed by now that all the pianist mentioned in the foregoing are one and the same person – the name on the dancing spectacular programmes, Miss Joan McNeill, now Mrs Joan Blue.
Not surprisingly, Joan, a native of Perth, comes from a musical family, her grandfather a violin teacher, her father a pipe band drummer in his younger days, as well as a fiddle player, and her mum a keen singer. “Way back, her male forbearers held the post of official Perth Town Drummer”.
Joan’s mother, who liked nothing better than joining her daughter in a party piece duet of negro spirituals, was born in Muthill near Crieff. An event in her family history backs up the saying that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction. One of Mrs McNeill’s great, great aunts was Helen Gloag of Muthill who by an amazing quirk of fate in the latter half of the eighteenth century was to attain the exalted position of Empress of Morocco. Space precludes the telling of the remarkable story here, but the long and short of it was that while emigrating to South Carolina in 1769 the ship on which Helen Gloag was travelling was attacked by Salle pirates and all those on board who survived were taken to Morocco to be sold as slaves. Helen’s fresh natural beauty attracted the attention of the Sultan who became completely infatuated, made her his fourth wife and gave her the status of Empress. The full account of this remarkable incident is contained in an article by A. C. McKerracher in the July 1983 issue of the “Scots Magazine” under the title of “The Empress from Muthill”. (I see from the Internet there’s also a historical-fiction account in a bbok by Debbie Taylor call The Fourth Empress.”)
But back to Helen’s grand, grand, grand niece. Joan’s formal musical education began at the age of 10 when she started learning piano, first with Mr Edwards and latterly with a Miss McLean, both of Perth. The classical training continued for 5 years until at the age of 15 an awareness of other types of music developed – the second stage of Joan’s apprenticeship had begun and a very commendable one at that. She began to play as solo accompanist for no less than 3 Scottish Country Dance classes per week at Bankfoot, Almondbank and Tulloch, all within easy striking distance of Perth. Being too young to drive she was transported to and fro by the respective dance instructors.
The curriculum of one of these classes included “The Lancers” and to help Joan with the somewhat tricky tempo , bar and tune sequences, the assistance of one Jimmy Robertson was sought. Jimmy, a friend of Joan’s father, went up to the house, heard Joan play, was impressed and promptly invited her to play with the Cavendish Dance Band (not to be confused with the Edinburgh players of that name).
The group played for ballroom dancing and comprised saxophone, trumpet, Jimmy Robertson leading on violin and Joan on piano reading copy all the way.
Just consider for a moment, we rave about today’s young players, and justifiably so, but here quite a few years back, was a teenager being asked to join a reputable and experienced dance band – speaks volumes.
Shortly after this, Joan’s sister Margaret was playing piano accordion in the Bill Wilkie Band when a vacancy for a pianist cropped up, and Margaret persuaded Joan to go along and have a shot. It only took Bill a trice to twig that the piano technique, with right hand playing melody, was not giving the lift and depth needed to back his players, so right there and then he indoctrinated Joan into the left hand bass dunt, and the right handed chump, chump chords. The fruits of that wee impromptu lesson are there for all to hear. The intricacies of chord harmonies were passed on by another member of the band, a young painter from Auchterarder, Mickey Ainsworth.
Not infrequently on these practice evenings, held in a basement flat in Perth’s Charlotte Street, a tall, lanky young man with an insatiable thirst for accordions and accordion music came along just to listen. A hardy-looking chiel fee’d on a farm near Dunning, he quickly developed a stronger and equally enduring interest in the Wilkie Band. His name – Jimmy Blue! Jimmy in his turn got a wee band together with Joan on piano, Mick on second accordion, Malcolm Harcus on fiddle, Peter Malcolm on guitar and George Grant on drums. Although the group didn’t quite make the grade at an audition, they were very popular and were heavily booked.
But it was all change once again when Ian Powrie’s late brother Bill went to do his National Service with the R.A.F. in 1952, and Ian invited Jimmy to join him – the “Blue” ensemble was disbanded. Joan, who incidentally remained with the Bill Wilkie Band for 5 or 6 years, now became pianist with the appropriately named “Mansefield Scottish Country Dance Quartet” – appropriately because two of the players hailed from Scone, George Watson (piano accordion) and on drums the late Jimmy Miller. The fourth member of the group was fiddler Derek Auld from Perth, who later played with Tony Reid’s Glendaruel Band.
With the emphasis on Scottish Country Dance sets the quartet held weekly practices, auditioned successfully for the B.B.C. and did a broadcast in 1954 - a good sound.
When Joan became Mrs Blue in April 1955 she was still with the Wilkie Band and also with Ian Arnott’s SDB prior to its broadcasting days. Then in 1963 after a period of 8 years during with time she played intermittently with a number of different groups, Joan joined the Perth based Kinnoull Band and was to stay with them for six years, long enough to see four changes in the second accordion seat, initially Dave Forsyth, then Frank Thomson, Ian Henderson and lastly Ian Anderson. On lead accordion throughout was button key player Jimmy Lindsay of Glenalmond, on fiddle, from Scone, the leader of the band Jimmy MacFarlane and last but not least drummer Bob Doig, another well known name on the Scottish Dance Band scene.
While with the Kinnoull Joan added variety by exploiting her vocal talentsin such Beatles numbers as “When I’m Sixty Five” and “Hard Days Night”. Regrettably Joan no longer sings in public because in her post Kinnoull days her voice suddenly “went” dropping a pitch and becoming husky. Nevertheless it still sounds okay to me – Joan recently sang a couple of snippets over the phone to illustrate a point – and I was immediately struck by the pleasant quality and true pitch. She might just be persuaded some time, one never knows.
From 1966-1970 this singing ability was put to further good use as a visiting school’s music teacher covering five different establishments ranging from Goodlieburn in Perth to Milnathort in Kinross-shire. The sweet smell of success came Joan’s way at the former, when her school choir won their class at the celebrated Perth Music Festival. In 1970 the General Teaching Council stipulated formal training for school music teachers, but due to family commitments Joan was unable to undertake this and had to pull out, but it wasn’t long before she was back in harness as school secretary at Kilgaston near Bridge of Earn, a post she held for 17 years.
The job calls for considerable organisational ability, an attribute which Joan possesses in good measure and has demonstrated in many different contexts, as witness her handling of the Press and Scottish Office arrangements for the Princess Royal’s recent visit to Kilgarston, or her aforementioned training of school choirs, or how as a former member of Forgandenny W.R.I. she not only wrote but also directed pantomimes. Within a few months of starting at Kilgarston she became secretary of the newly formed Perth Accordion and Fiddle Club, a task she still performs today and ebtering her eighteenth year. Joan is also a very active member of the N.A.A.F.C. Musselburgh Festival Committee. One could go on and on. What on earth does she do with her spare time! I’m nearly out of breath just jotting it down. It would be difficult to list all Joan’s piano playing activities, but taking random examples, she was at the piano for 2 or 3 of husband Jimmy’s L.P.s recorded in 1977, played with the Ian Anderson Band, accompanied the late Bill Powrie on many occasions in Club Guest spots in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and of course has played for Ian at functions large and small; she has backed fiddler Willie Simpson of Chapelhill in Club Guest spots and to go back a bit, the Joan McNeill Trio featured in musical shows compered by the late comedian Peter Murray.
Although nowadays in public most of us see Joan involved with various branches of the “Hoochter Teuchter” scene, she has a very catholic taste in music. Always happy as a supporting player, Joan’s first love is as an accompanist for singing, whatever the idiom, however a greatly treasurer possession is a recently handed-down set of “Music Masterpieces” and “early birds” passing the Blue homestead between 6.30 and 8a.m. on weekdays will catch melodious snippets of light classical and opera, arias, music from the shows, and so on, as Joan relaxes at the piano before the day’s work. On the Sabbath, favourite radio programmes are the offerings from Richard Baker, Benny Green and Alan Dell. Not a 2/4 in sight!
Although it is a disappointment that Joan has given up vocalising, nevertheless there is a consolation in that her two daughters, Virginia and Sandra, have inherited mum’s love of singing and the talent to go with it, and mum and dad in their turn have inherited four grandchildren, 3 girls and a boy. As I said earlier, what about all this spare time!
All who have seen Joan in action at the piano must surely have been struck by the look of contentment and sincerity which reflects her enjoyment and complete mastery of the art. The home environment in Forgandenny is also conducive to a relaxed outlook, quietly and tastefully appointed, with well tended flower beds out front (not surprisingly with a resident head gardener) and “acres” of grass at the back, with a patio sporting one of the finest rustic bird tables I’ve ever seen, frequented by chaffinches, blue tits the size of blackbirds – a delightful spot.
“Margaret Anne Robertson”, “The Balintore Fishermen”, “Rowan Tree”. “Intermezzo from Cavaleria Rusticana”, yes and maybe even a 2/4, whether it be backing or solo playing, the music comes straight from the heart, full of expression – Joan Blue, nee McNeill, accompanist extraordinaire.
Musselburgh ‘88
by Norrie Williams
This is ridiculous – it seems like only a month since I wrote the preamble for Musselburgh 1987, however here we go again for Saturday, 5th March, 1988. Short time or not, things certainly have not been standing still since the last Festival, what with two new traditional classes coming up this time and changes in the musical requirements for the classical sections.
As regular listener’s to ‘Shepherd’s Fancy’ will no doubt remember, one programme a month or two back featured a couple of fiddle players from the north-East, one being former Golden Fiddle winner Judith Davidson, and the point was made that the number of competitive events catering for fiddle groups was very limited indeed, and that an increase was desireable to cope with the upsurge of interest in this activity, especially among the younger generations. Well the good news is that as a result of that heartfelt plea the next Musselburgh Festival will have a class for such groups fielding from four to seven players. I am afraid that accordions will not be allowed to feature in the ensembles, stringed instruments only are permissible, including piano and electric bass guitar. The class will be open – i.e. no age restrictions, as will be also the second new section in 1988. This has been introduced as a result of approaches made by interested parties and because of the formation during the last few months of a fairly unique but extremely healthy accordion club (and N.A.A.F.C. member) which caters primarily, although not exclusively, for the button key accordion. This is, of course, the Windygates Club in Fife.
The new class is specifically for button key accordions of the ‘sook blaw’ variety i.e. British chromatic and melodeon. Continental chromatic instruments will not be eligible, but these can, of course, compete as always in any of the other accordion classes, as can the British chromatic. The idea is to give the players of an instrument which is vastly outnumbered by other types a chance to compete on a more equal footing – like versus like. There have previously been such classes in other festivals, notable the T.S.M.A. events, but they never really took off, however with the renewed interest kindled by the likes of the Windygates club, it is hoped that a more encouraging response will result.
As reported after the last Festival there had been a disappointing drop in the classical entry. With a view to reversing this trend and based on advice from several sources including teachers, competitors and adjudicators, the set pieces have been abolished for all classes. It will now be ‘own choice’ throughout and hopefully this increased freedom will encourage more players to enter, especially those who have been practising up different test pieces for other Festivals which immediately precede Musselburgh.
In a different context, but again to give competitors greater freedom, the time limit for Trios, Bands and Junior Duets have been increased by one minute, to 5, 5 and 4 respectively.
As is our policy, we welcome some new faces to the adjudication panel for March, along with one or two of the old hands.
For the second year running the classical will be in the charge of Mr Cyril Pasby (N.A.O. & B.C.A.), who thoroughly enjoyed his day at the Brunton Halls. The fiddle sections will be dealt with by Mr Douglas Lawrence – another former Golden Fiddle winner, a pupil of the late Hector McAndrew and currently a member of the S.N.O. His partner in crime requires no introduction or comment – Mr Ian Powrie.
The judges for the traditional accordion sections will be as follows :-
Pipe Music – Mr Willie Lawrie of Kinlochleven
Straight traditional – Messrs Graeme Mitchell, Bert Shorthouse and Alastair Hunter and last but not least NAAFC Chairman Jimmy Blue for the button key class – very appropriately as he was the first winner of the Jimmy Shand Trophy at Perth 36 years ago on British chromatic.
There will, of course, be the usual Winners’ Concert in the evening, and the day will round off with a dance to the very popular band whose leader plays - dare I say it – a British chromatic, Bill Black of Stanley.
Another great day in prospect – see you there.
Readers Letters
Sir – I read in the October issue the letter sent by W. G. Cassie and I can’t get over the idea of clubs spreading their money around to keep the poor and I’ve read it several times over.
I agree with him that some Clubs are in a prime venue, with a large venue and lots of people paying to get in. Others are not so fortunate, just like us at Newtongrange, where we only have approximately 100. From that we often have 25-30 players who are free and senior citizens and juniors at a cheaper rate than £1.50 admission. We also give a pie and sandwich free to everybody but we are not grousing because everybody works to make money to keep the Club going.
If Mr Cassie doesn’t want to pay the guest artists asking price, why doesn’t he phone around until he gets something to suit him. They don’t all want big fees and there’s plenty folk desperate to do a guest spot. I know, because a lot have phoned me up looking for work at our Club. Then again, he can do as he says, and have a group of musicians just for a tune, but I think that would soon wear thin for the punters.
Surely Mr Cassie and Club members, you can do something to keep your Club going, such as a ‘guess the weight’ of a good big cake, number of sweets in a jar, a dressed doll and guess its birthday, a Christmas hamper, an extra dance during your season, or a cheese and wine evening.
We’ve tried them all and found they made money for us to pay our guest artistes, cover the costs of our Competitions in April, or anything else that may crop up. However it will not happen for you, unless your members work.
As for Balance Sheets at A.G.M., I shouldn’t think that would ever come, but if it’s passed wr wouldn’t be afraid to produce it because we are not wealthy, only enough to cover a couple of bad nights if they arise, but there’s one thing sure, after the hard work put in by our members there will certainly be no hand-outs to other Clubs.
Margaret Smith
Smeaton Farm Cottages
Dalkeith
Sir – I read with interest the letter from W. G. Cassie. I agree with his comments regards the fees some guest artistes are requesting, but Club Secretaries should put pen to paper stating within reason what they can afford to pay. In most cases they will reach a reasonable agreement, if not, one has to apologise and say we simply can’t afford you. No Club can pay out £150 if their drawings are £85 - £100. Some will say ‘put your door price up’ but remember if you do your support will suffer.
Our Club is successful. Myself, as Chairman, work hard to keep this club on top, and thankfully I have a hard working Committee, and look at our admission prices – to a supporting cast of non-players to good listeners - £1; senior citizens, children, and yes players, 50p each. Everyone gets a hot sausage roll at half time. On any given night our raffle averages 50p per person. I have a hard working core of tea committee, women who supply a set tea of sandwiches and cakes for guest artistes. They sell a cup of tea at 12p, they sell buttered pancakes at 5p and all this can amount to something like £7 on the night. At the end of the Financial Year half of this goes to the Masons for the gas.
Our Club continues throughout the summer months paying token fees to up-and-coming young artistes. We have two supper dances in the year, engaging the Jim Johnstone SDB.
W.G. Cassie says some Clubs are wealthy and some are poor. He states he knows that some Clubs have fat bank books (I wonder how he knows this), do they publicly air their Balance Sheets? Accordion Clubs are certainly not businesses to make profit, but they can remain viable, and, of course, they need some money in the bank to help in time of need, but to suggest that clubs should take their Balance Sheet to the A.G.M. for vetting, and he suggests Clubs in profit should be made to donate to Clubs in the red. Mr Cassie, this is indeed silly talk. Should a Committee like my own work hard throughout the year and finish up with a profit, be made to hand over part or donate to Clubs who are not making a success of their business?
If this happened in the business world, the feeling to make success of man’s work would decline, with the knowledge that come the end of the Financial Year deficiency will be relieved by the efficient. Surely Mr Cassie this would result in Clubs saying to Hell with it, if we’re short, come to the AGM at Perth, the Clubs who work for success will be our pay clerk.
This, come the day, the Association will have few member Clubs.
Jack Gray
Chairman, Lesmahagow A&F Club
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Dee Motel) –
Alnwick (Fleece Inn) – members only –
Armadale (Masonic Arms Hotel) – 5th Nov 87 Neil MacEachern SDB
Ayr (Gartferry Hotel) – 1st Nov 87 Alex MacArthur and Friends
Balloch (Bell Centre, Dumbarton) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 30th Nov 87 Deirdre Adamson Band
Banff & District (Royal Oak Hotel) –
Beith & District (Hotel de Croft, Dalry) – 16th Nov 87 Jim Johnstone SDB
Belford (Community Club) – 26th Nov 87 Deirdre Adamson
Biggar (Clydesdale Hotel) –
Bridge of Allan (Walmer Hotel) -
Buchan (Buchaness Hotel) –
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 12th Nov 87 Duncan McCallum
Callander (Glengarry Hotel) –
Campbeltown (Royal Hotel) –
Castle Douglas (Ernespie Hotel) – 17th Nov 87 Tommy Ford
Coupar Angus (Royal Hotel) –
Crieff & District (Drummond Arms Hotel) –
Dalriada (Royal Hotel, Lochgilphead) –
Derwentside (Working Men’s Club, Consett) –
Dingwall (venue? ) –
Dunblane (Westlands Hotel) – 17th Nov 87 Paddy Neary
Dundee (Queen’s Hotel, Nethergate) – 5th Nov 87 Muirhead Accordion Band
Dunfermline (Northern Roadhouse) –
East Kilbride (King’s Park Hotel, Rutherglen) – 26th Nov 87 Club Ceilidh Night
Edinburgh (Abbey Suite, Abbey Lane) –
Ellon (Ladbroke Hotel) –
Falkirk (Park Hotel) –
Fintry (Clachan Hotel) – 23rd Nov 87 Kerry & David Steel
Forres (Brig Motel) – 11th Nov 87 Gordon Pattullo
Fort William (Cruchan Hotel) –
Galashiels (Maxwell Hotel) –
Galston (Theo’s Restaurant, Galston) –
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel – Wooler) –
Gorebridge (Rangers FC Social Club) –
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) –
Islesteps (Driveway Inn) –
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) –
Kintore (Crown Hotel) – 4th Nov 87 Bill Douglas SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) –
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 12th Nov 87 Neil MacEachern SDB
Livingston (Golden Circle Hotel, Bathgate) 17th Nov 87 Currie Brothers
Lockerbie (Bluebell Hotel) -
Mauchline (The Jean Armour Restaurant) – 17th Nov 87 David Vernon
M.A.F.I.A. (Masonic Hall, Milngavie) –
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
New Cumnock (Crown Hotel) –
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
Newton St Boswells (Railway Hotel) –
North Cumbria (Howard Arms) (prev called Gretna Club) –
North East (Seafield Hotel, Keith) –
Oban (Park Hotel) –
Orkney ( venue?) –
Ormiston (Miners’ Welfare Social Club) – 19th Nov 87 Billy Anderson & Albany
Peebles (Countryside Inn) –
Perth (Station Hotel) – 17th Nov 87 Alastair Hunter & the Lorne SDB
Premier NI (Camlin function Rooms) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) - 5th Nov 87 Tom Clark Quartet
Shetland (venue?) -
Stranraer (Railway Club) –
Thornhill (?)
Thurso (McKay’s Hotel) –
Turriff (Royal Oak Hotel) – 5th Nov 87 Cults Club
Tynedale (The Royal Hotel, Hexham) –
Wick (McKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Ayr
3. Balloch
4. Banff & District
5. Beith & District
6. Button Key
7. Callander
8. Dingwall & District
9. Dunblane & District
10. Dundee
11. Dunoon & Cowal
12. Forres
13. Fort William
14. Galson
15. Highland
16. Kelso
17. Kintore
18. Lesmahagow
19. Livingston
20. M.A.F.I.A.
21. Newtongrange
22. North Cumbria
23. North East
24. Orkney
25. Ormiston
26. Peebles
27. Perth
28. Renfrew
29. Rothbury
30. Shetland
31. Sutherland
32. Thurso
33. Turriff & District
34. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT SEPT 1987 (Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975)
2. Alnwick A&F Club (Sept 1976)
3. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months)
4. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition)
5. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974)
11. Buchan A&F Club
12. Button Key A&F Club (
13. Callander A&F Club (
14. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
15. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980)
16. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
17. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
18. Derwentside A&F Club
19. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
20. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971)
21. Dundee & District A&F Club
22. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
23. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
24. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
25. Ellon A&F Club (
26. Fintry A&F Club
27. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
28. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
29. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
30. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
31. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
32. Highland A&F Club (Inverness)
33. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981)
34. Isle of Skye A&F Club (
35. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976)
36. Kintore A&F Club
37. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967)
38. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
39. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – per first edition)
40. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973)
41. M.A.F.I.A. (early)
42. Mauchline A&F Club (first mention 1986?)
43. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
44. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1979)
45. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
46. North Cumbria A&F Club (originally Gretna started June 1966 – had to move to a venue in the North of England and changed name – eventually changed back when they returned to the Halcrow Stadium. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
47. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971)
48. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975)
49. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978)
50. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club
51. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981)
52. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970)
53. Premier A&F Club NI (cNov 1980)
54. Rothbury Accordion Club (1987??)
55. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978)
56. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
57. Sutherland A&F Club (
58. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition)
59. Thurso A&F Club (cSept 1981)
60. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982)
61. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980)
62. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
63. Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
64. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
65. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
66. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
67. Club Accord
68. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2?)
69. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
70. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
71. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
72. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
73. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
74. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
75. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
76. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
77. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
78. Gretna A&F Club (June 1966)
79. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
80. Kinlochsheil A&F Club (
81. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
82. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
83. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
84. Newcastleton Accordion Club
85. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
86. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
87. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
88. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
89. Wellbank A&F Club
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B&F Treasurer – Mrs Cathy Andrew, 22 Lochinver Crescent, Foxbar, Paisley Tele 2824
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
Club Subscriptions
The Association’s new Treasurer, Jim Blaneaves, wishes to remind Clubs that the annual affiliation fees are due and should be sent in by mid-December.
The Association has regular on-going expenses to meet. Events such as the Musselburgh Festival and the A.G.M. Weekend at Perth, although expected to be self=supporting, require to be funded early on before monies are recovered.
The B&F also has ongoing cashflow problems. The help of Club Secretaries is sought in order to help solve these problems. Please pay your invoices promptly and assist our Treasurer, Miss Cathy Andrew, to meet her commitments.
Perth Festival
Owing to shortage of time it has been necessary to postpone the Festival report until the next issue.
Tom Clark
Joan Blue
“Accompanist Extraordinaire”
by Norrie Williams
A fiddle rendering of the slow air “Margaret Anne Robertson” by one of the leading exponents, in typical pose with an expression of relaxed contentment, eyes loosely closed. The lilting “Balintore Fisherman” from a equally well-known accordion player, tall, lean and wiry with an enduring weather-beaten tan, his calloused fingers sporting the odd plaster, curled over the button keys of a Shand Morino.
The faltering laboured notes of a young beginner doing a spot at an Accordion Club and pressing on with dogged determination through “Scotland the Brave” and the “Rowan Tree” to breathe more easily at that welcome final chord.
All good performances, at their respective levels of competence with each giving of his or her best and most significantly each gaining a great psychological and musical lift from the sympathetic and tasteful piano accompaniment provided by a certain lady whose obvious enjoyment of the job in hand is plain to all.
Or to go back a few years and the finals of the Grampian Television talent competition “Pick of the North”. Amongst the six finalists are two young Forgandenny housewives who, as well as being next door neighbours, have also built up quite a reputation as a close harmony singing duo with one of them doubling up as accompanist on piano.
Or back still further to the early ‘50s and the very popular children’s dancing spectaculars presented annually in the City Halls by the Perth Co-operative Society. The ages of the performers, trained by Miss Nan Sutherland, range from 3 years upwards and the accompanist for the dancing, embracing every conceivable type of tune and rhythm – songs from the shows, light classical, “modern”, you name it – is supplied by a young woman at the piano.
You will no doubt have guessed by now that all the pianist mentioned in the foregoing are one and the same person – the name on the dancing spectacular programmes, Miss Joan McNeill, now Mrs Joan Blue.
Not surprisingly, Joan, a native of Perth, comes from a musical family, her grandfather a violin teacher, her father a pipe band drummer in his younger days, as well as a fiddle player, and her mum a keen singer. “Way back, her male forbearers held the post of official Perth Town Drummer”.
Joan’s mother, who liked nothing better than joining her daughter in a party piece duet of negro spirituals, was born in Muthill near Crieff. An event in her family history backs up the saying that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction. One of Mrs McNeill’s great, great aunts was Helen Gloag of Muthill who by an amazing quirk of fate in the latter half of the eighteenth century was to attain the exalted position of Empress of Morocco. Space precludes the telling of the remarkable story here, but the long and short of it was that while emigrating to South Carolina in 1769 the ship on which Helen Gloag was travelling was attacked by Salle pirates and all those on board who survived were taken to Morocco to be sold as slaves. Helen’s fresh natural beauty attracted the attention of the Sultan who became completely infatuated, made her his fourth wife and gave her the status of Empress. The full account of this remarkable incident is contained in an article by A. C. McKerracher in the July 1983 issue of the “Scots Magazine” under the title of “The Empress from Muthill”. (I see from the Internet there’s also a historical-fiction account in a bbok by Debbie Taylor call The Fourth Empress.”)
But back to Helen’s grand, grand, grand niece. Joan’s formal musical education began at the age of 10 when she started learning piano, first with Mr Edwards and latterly with a Miss McLean, both of Perth. The classical training continued for 5 years until at the age of 15 an awareness of other types of music developed – the second stage of Joan’s apprenticeship had begun and a very commendable one at that. She began to play as solo accompanist for no less than 3 Scottish Country Dance classes per week at Bankfoot, Almondbank and Tulloch, all within easy striking distance of Perth. Being too young to drive she was transported to and fro by the respective dance instructors.
The curriculum of one of these classes included “The Lancers” and to help Joan with the somewhat tricky tempo , bar and tune sequences, the assistance of one Jimmy Robertson was sought. Jimmy, a friend of Joan’s father, went up to the house, heard Joan play, was impressed and promptly invited her to play with the Cavendish Dance Band (not to be confused with the Edinburgh players of that name).
The group played for ballroom dancing and comprised saxophone, trumpet, Jimmy Robertson leading on violin and Joan on piano reading copy all the way.
Just consider for a moment, we rave about today’s young players, and justifiably so, but here quite a few years back, was a teenager being asked to join a reputable and experienced dance band – speaks volumes.
Shortly after this, Joan’s sister Margaret was playing piano accordion in the Bill Wilkie Band when a vacancy for a pianist cropped up, and Margaret persuaded Joan to go along and have a shot. It only took Bill a trice to twig that the piano technique, with right hand playing melody, was not giving the lift and depth needed to back his players, so right there and then he indoctrinated Joan into the left hand bass dunt, and the right handed chump, chump chords. The fruits of that wee impromptu lesson are there for all to hear. The intricacies of chord harmonies were passed on by another member of the band, a young painter from Auchterarder, Mickey Ainsworth.
Not infrequently on these practice evenings, held in a basement flat in Perth’s Charlotte Street, a tall, lanky young man with an insatiable thirst for accordions and accordion music came along just to listen. A hardy-looking chiel fee’d on a farm near Dunning, he quickly developed a stronger and equally enduring interest in the Wilkie Band. His name – Jimmy Blue! Jimmy in his turn got a wee band together with Joan on piano, Mick on second accordion, Malcolm Harcus on fiddle, Peter Malcolm on guitar and George Grant on drums. Although the group didn’t quite make the grade at an audition, they were very popular and were heavily booked.
But it was all change once again when Ian Powrie’s late brother Bill went to do his National Service with the R.A.F. in 1952, and Ian invited Jimmy to join him – the “Blue” ensemble was disbanded. Joan, who incidentally remained with the Bill Wilkie Band for 5 or 6 years, now became pianist with the appropriately named “Mansefield Scottish Country Dance Quartet” – appropriately because two of the players hailed from Scone, George Watson (piano accordion) and on drums the late Jimmy Miller. The fourth member of the group was fiddler Derek Auld from Perth, who later played with Tony Reid’s Glendaruel Band.
With the emphasis on Scottish Country Dance sets the quartet held weekly practices, auditioned successfully for the B.B.C. and did a broadcast in 1954 - a good sound.
When Joan became Mrs Blue in April 1955 she was still with the Wilkie Band and also with Ian Arnott’s SDB prior to its broadcasting days. Then in 1963 after a period of 8 years during with time she played intermittently with a number of different groups, Joan joined the Perth based Kinnoull Band and was to stay with them for six years, long enough to see four changes in the second accordion seat, initially Dave Forsyth, then Frank Thomson, Ian Henderson and lastly Ian Anderson. On lead accordion throughout was button key player Jimmy Lindsay of Glenalmond, on fiddle, from Scone, the leader of the band Jimmy MacFarlane and last but not least drummer Bob Doig, another well known name on the Scottish Dance Band scene.
While with the Kinnoull Joan added variety by exploiting her vocal talentsin such Beatles numbers as “When I’m Sixty Five” and “Hard Days Night”. Regrettably Joan no longer sings in public because in her post Kinnoull days her voice suddenly “went” dropping a pitch and becoming husky. Nevertheless it still sounds okay to me – Joan recently sang a couple of snippets over the phone to illustrate a point – and I was immediately struck by the pleasant quality and true pitch. She might just be persuaded some time, one never knows.
From 1966-1970 this singing ability was put to further good use as a visiting school’s music teacher covering five different establishments ranging from Goodlieburn in Perth to Milnathort in Kinross-shire. The sweet smell of success came Joan’s way at the former, when her school choir won their class at the celebrated Perth Music Festival. In 1970 the General Teaching Council stipulated formal training for school music teachers, but due to family commitments Joan was unable to undertake this and had to pull out, but it wasn’t long before she was back in harness as school secretary at Kilgaston near Bridge of Earn, a post she held for 17 years.
The job calls for considerable organisational ability, an attribute which Joan possesses in good measure and has demonstrated in many different contexts, as witness her handling of the Press and Scottish Office arrangements for the Princess Royal’s recent visit to Kilgarston, or her aforementioned training of school choirs, or how as a former member of Forgandenny W.R.I. she not only wrote but also directed pantomimes. Within a few months of starting at Kilgarston she became secretary of the newly formed Perth Accordion and Fiddle Club, a task she still performs today and ebtering her eighteenth year. Joan is also a very active member of the N.A.A.F.C. Musselburgh Festival Committee. One could go on and on. What on earth does she do with her spare time! I’m nearly out of breath just jotting it down. It would be difficult to list all Joan’s piano playing activities, but taking random examples, she was at the piano for 2 or 3 of husband Jimmy’s L.P.s recorded in 1977, played with the Ian Anderson Band, accompanied the late Bill Powrie on many occasions in Club Guest spots in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and of course has played for Ian at functions large and small; she has backed fiddler Willie Simpson of Chapelhill in Club Guest spots and to go back a bit, the Joan McNeill Trio featured in musical shows compered by the late comedian Peter Murray.
Although nowadays in public most of us see Joan involved with various branches of the “Hoochter Teuchter” scene, she has a very catholic taste in music. Always happy as a supporting player, Joan’s first love is as an accompanist for singing, whatever the idiom, however a greatly treasurer possession is a recently handed-down set of “Music Masterpieces” and “early birds” passing the Blue homestead between 6.30 and 8a.m. on weekdays will catch melodious snippets of light classical and opera, arias, music from the shows, and so on, as Joan relaxes at the piano before the day’s work. On the Sabbath, favourite radio programmes are the offerings from Richard Baker, Benny Green and Alan Dell. Not a 2/4 in sight!
Although it is a disappointment that Joan has given up vocalising, nevertheless there is a consolation in that her two daughters, Virginia and Sandra, have inherited mum’s love of singing and the talent to go with it, and mum and dad in their turn have inherited four grandchildren, 3 girls and a boy. As I said earlier, what about all this spare time!
All who have seen Joan in action at the piano must surely have been struck by the look of contentment and sincerity which reflects her enjoyment and complete mastery of the art. The home environment in Forgandenny is also conducive to a relaxed outlook, quietly and tastefully appointed, with well tended flower beds out front (not surprisingly with a resident head gardener) and “acres” of grass at the back, with a patio sporting one of the finest rustic bird tables I’ve ever seen, frequented by chaffinches, blue tits the size of blackbirds – a delightful spot.
“Margaret Anne Robertson”, “The Balintore Fishermen”, “Rowan Tree”. “Intermezzo from Cavaleria Rusticana”, yes and maybe even a 2/4, whether it be backing or solo playing, the music comes straight from the heart, full of expression – Joan Blue, nee McNeill, accompanist extraordinaire.
Musselburgh ‘88
by Norrie Williams
This is ridiculous – it seems like only a month since I wrote the preamble for Musselburgh 1987, however here we go again for Saturday, 5th March, 1988. Short time or not, things certainly have not been standing still since the last Festival, what with two new traditional classes coming up this time and changes in the musical requirements for the classical sections.
As regular listener’s to ‘Shepherd’s Fancy’ will no doubt remember, one programme a month or two back featured a couple of fiddle players from the north-East, one being former Golden Fiddle winner Judith Davidson, and the point was made that the number of competitive events catering for fiddle groups was very limited indeed, and that an increase was desireable to cope with the upsurge of interest in this activity, especially among the younger generations. Well the good news is that as a result of that heartfelt plea the next Musselburgh Festival will have a class for such groups fielding from four to seven players. I am afraid that accordions will not be allowed to feature in the ensembles, stringed instruments only are permissible, including piano and electric bass guitar. The class will be open – i.e. no age restrictions, as will be also the second new section in 1988. This has been introduced as a result of approaches made by interested parties and because of the formation during the last few months of a fairly unique but extremely healthy accordion club (and N.A.A.F.C. member) which caters primarily, although not exclusively, for the button key accordion. This is, of course, the Windygates Club in Fife.
The new class is specifically for button key accordions of the ‘sook blaw’ variety i.e. British chromatic and melodeon. Continental chromatic instruments will not be eligible, but these can, of course, compete as always in any of the other accordion classes, as can the British chromatic. The idea is to give the players of an instrument which is vastly outnumbered by other types a chance to compete on a more equal footing – like versus like. There have previously been such classes in other festivals, notable the T.S.M.A. events, but they never really took off, however with the renewed interest kindled by the likes of the Windygates club, it is hoped that a more encouraging response will result.
As reported after the last Festival there had been a disappointing drop in the classical entry. With a view to reversing this trend and based on advice from several sources including teachers, competitors and adjudicators, the set pieces have been abolished for all classes. It will now be ‘own choice’ throughout and hopefully this increased freedom will encourage more players to enter, especially those who have been practising up different test pieces for other Festivals which immediately precede Musselburgh.
In a different context, but again to give competitors greater freedom, the time limit for Trios, Bands and Junior Duets have been increased by one minute, to 5, 5 and 4 respectively.
As is our policy, we welcome some new faces to the adjudication panel for March, along with one or two of the old hands.
For the second year running the classical will be in the charge of Mr Cyril Pasby (N.A.O. & B.C.A.), who thoroughly enjoyed his day at the Brunton Halls. The fiddle sections will be dealt with by Mr Douglas Lawrence – another former Golden Fiddle winner, a pupil of the late Hector McAndrew and currently a member of the S.N.O. His partner in crime requires no introduction or comment – Mr Ian Powrie.
The judges for the traditional accordion sections will be as follows :-
Pipe Music – Mr Willie Lawrie of Kinlochleven
Straight traditional – Messrs Graeme Mitchell, Bert Shorthouse and Alastair Hunter and last but not least NAAFC Chairman Jimmy Blue for the button key class – very appropriately as he was the first winner of the Jimmy Shand Trophy at Perth 36 years ago on British chromatic.
There will, of course, be the usual Winners’ Concert in the evening, and the day will round off with a dance to the very popular band whose leader plays - dare I say it – a British chromatic, Bill Black of Stanley.
Another great day in prospect – see you there.
Readers Letters
Sir – I read in the October issue the letter sent by W. G. Cassie and I can’t get over the idea of clubs spreading their money around to keep the poor and I’ve read it several times over.
I agree with him that some Clubs are in a prime venue, with a large venue and lots of people paying to get in. Others are not so fortunate, just like us at Newtongrange, where we only have approximately 100. From that we often have 25-30 players who are free and senior citizens and juniors at a cheaper rate than £1.50 admission. We also give a pie and sandwich free to everybody but we are not grousing because everybody works to make money to keep the Club going.
If Mr Cassie doesn’t want to pay the guest artists asking price, why doesn’t he phone around until he gets something to suit him. They don’t all want big fees and there’s plenty folk desperate to do a guest spot. I know, because a lot have phoned me up looking for work at our Club. Then again, he can do as he says, and have a group of musicians just for a tune, but I think that would soon wear thin for the punters.
Surely Mr Cassie and Club members, you can do something to keep your Club going, such as a ‘guess the weight’ of a good big cake, number of sweets in a jar, a dressed doll and guess its birthday, a Christmas hamper, an extra dance during your season, or a cheese and wine evening.
We’ve tried them all and found they made money for us to pay our guest artistes, cover the costs of our Competitions in April, or anything else that may crop up. However it will not happen for you, unless your members work.
As for Balance Sheets at A.G.M., I shouldn’t think that would ever come, but if it’s passed wr wouldn’t be afraid to produce it because we are not wealthy, only enough to cover a couple of bad nights if they arise, but there’s one thing sure, after the hard work put in by our members there will certainly be no hand-outs to other Clubs.
Margaret Smith
Smeaton Farm Cottages
Dalkeith
Sir – I read with interest the letter from W. G. Cassie. I agree with his comments regards the fees some guest artistes are requesting, but Club Secretaries should put pen to paper stating within reason what they can afford to pay. In most cases they will reach a reasonable agreement, if not, one has to apologise and say we simply can’t afford you. No Club can pay out £150 if their drawings are £85 - £100. Some will say ‘put your door price up’ but remember if you do your support will suffer.
Our Club is successful. Myself, as Chairman, work hard to keep this club on top, and thankfully I have a hard working Committee, and look at our admission prices – to a supporting cast of non-players to good listeners - £1; senior citizens, children, and yes players, 50p each. Everyone gets a hot sausage roll at half time. On any given night our raffle averages 50p per person. I have a hard working core of tea committee, women who supply a set tea of sandwiches and cakes for guest artistes. They sell a cup of tea at 12p, they sell buttered pancakes at 5p and all this can amount to something like £7 on the night. At the end of the Financial Year half of this goes to the Masons for the gas.
Our Club continues throughout the summer months paying token fees to up-and-coming young artistes. We have two supper dances in the year, engaging the Jim Johnstone SDB.
W.G. Cassie says some Clubs are wealthy and some are poor. He states he knows that some Clubs have fat bank books (I wonder how he knows this), do they publicly air their Balance Sheets? Accordion Clubs are certainly not businesses to make profit, but they can remain viable, and, of course, they need some money in the bank to help in time of need, but to suggest that clubs should take their Balance Sheet to the A.G.M. for vetting, and he suggests Clubs in profit should be made to donate to Clubs in the red. Mr Cassie, this is indeed silly talk. Should a Committee like my own work hard throughout the year and finish up with a profit, be made to hand over part or donate to Clubs who are not making a success of their business?
If this happened in the business world, the feeling to make success of man’s work would decline, with the knowledge that come the end of the Financial Year deficiency will be relieved by the efficient. Surely Mr Cassie this would result in Clubs saying to Hell with it, if we’re short, come to the AGM at Perth, the Clubs who work for success will be our pay clerk.
This, come the day, the Association will have few member Clubs.
Jack Gray
Chairman, Lesmahagow A&F Club
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Dee Motel) –
Alnwick (Fleece Inn) – members only –
Armadale (Masonic Arms Hotel) – 5th Nov 87 Neil MacEachern SDB
Ayr (Gartferry Hotel) – 1st Nov 87 Alex MacArthur and Friends
Balloch (Bell Centre, Dumbarton) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 30th Nov 87 Deirdre Adamson Band
Banff & District (Royal Oak Hotel) –
Beith & District (Hotel de Croft, Dalry) – 16th Nov 87 Jim Johnstone SDB
Belford (Community Club) – 26th Nov 87 Deirdre Adamson
Biggar (Clydesdale Hotel) –
Bridge of Allan (Walmer Hotel) -
Buchan (Buchaness Hotel) –
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 12th Nov 87 Duncan McCallum
Callander (Glengarry Hotel) –
Campbeltown (Royal Hotel) –
Castle Douglas (Ernespie Hotel) – 17th Nov 87 Tommy Ford
Coupar Angus (Royal Hotel) –
Crieff & District (Drummond Arms Hotel) –
Dalriada (Royal Hotel, Lochgilphead) –
Derwentside (Working Men’s Club, Consett) –
Dingwall (venue? ) –
Dunblane (Westlands Hotel) – 17th Nov 87 Paddy Neary
Dundee (Queen’s Hotel, Nethergate) – 5th Nov 87 Muirhead Accordion Band
Dunfermline (Northern Roadhouse) –
East Kilbride (King’s Park Hotel, Rutherglen) – 26th Nov 87 Club Ceilidh Night
Edinburgh (Abbey Suite, Abbey Lane) –
Ellon (Ladbroke Hotel) –
Falkirk (Park Hotel) –
Fintry (Clachan Hotel) – 23rd Nov 87 Kerry & David Steel
Forres (Brig Motel) – 11th Nov 87 Gordon Pattullo
Fort William (Cruchan Hotel) –
Galashiels (Maxwell Hotel) –
Galston (Theo’s Restaurant, Galston) –
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel – Wooler) –
Gorebridge (Rangers FC Social Club) –
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) –
Islesteps (Driveway Inn) –
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) –
Kintore (Crown Hotel) – 4th Nov 87 Bill Douglas SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) –
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 12th Nov 87 Neil MacEachern SDB
Livingston (Golden Circle Hotel, Bathgate) 17th Nov 87 Currie Brothers
Lockerbie (Bluebell Hotel) -
Mauchline (The Jean Armour Restaurant) – 17th Nov 87 David Vernon
M.A.F.I.A. (Masonic Hall, Milngavie) –
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
New Cumnock (Crown Hotel) –
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
Newton St Boswells (Railway Hotel) –
North Cumbria (Howard Arms) (prev called Gretna Club) –
North East (Seafield Hotel, Keith) –
Oban (Park Hotel) –
Orkney ( venue?) –
Ormiston (Miners’ Welfare Social Club) – 19th Nov 87 Billy Anderson & Albany
Peebles (Countryside Inn) –
Perth (Station Hotel) – 17th Nov 87 Alastair Hunter & the Lorne SDB
Premier NI (Camlin function Rooms) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) - 5th Nov 87 Tom Clark Quartet
Shetland (venue?) -
Stranraer (Railway Club) –
Thornhill (?)
Thurso (McKay’s Hotel) –
Turriff (Royal Oak Hotel) – 5th Nov 87 Cults Club
Tynedale (The Royal Hotel, Hexham) –
Wick (McKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Ayr
3. Balloch
4. Banff & District
5. Beith & District
6. Button Key
7. Callander
8. Dingwall & District
9. Dunblane & District
10. Dundee
11. Dunoon & Cowal
12. Forres
13. Fort William
14. Galson
15. Highland
16. Kelso
17. Kintore
18. Lesmahagow
19. Livingston
20. M.A.F.I.A.
21. Newtongrange
22. North Cumbria
23. North East
24. Orkney
25. Ormiston
26. Peebles
27. Perth
28. Renfrew
29. Rothbury
30. Shetland
31. Sutherland
32. Thurso
33. Turriff & District
34. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT SEPT 1987 (Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975)
2. Alnwick A&F Club (Sept 1976)
3. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months)
4. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition)
5. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974)
11. Buchan A&F Club
12. Button Key A&F Club (
13. Callander A&F Club (
14. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
15. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980)
16. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
17. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
18. Derwentside A&F Club
19. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
20. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971)
21. Dundee & District A&F Club
22. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
23. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
24. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
25. Ellon A&F Club (
26. Fintry A&F Club
27. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
28. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
29. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
30. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
31. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
32. Highland A&F Club (Inverness)
33. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981)
34. Isle of Skye A&F Club (
35. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976)
36. Kintore A&F Club
37. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967)
38. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
39. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – per first edition)
40. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973)
41. M.A.F.I.A. (early)
42. Mauchline A&F Club (first mention 1986?)
43. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
44. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1979)
45. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
46. North Cumbria A&F Club (originally Gretna started June 1966 – had to move to a venue in the North of England and changed name – eventually changed back when they returned to the Halcrow Stadium. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
47. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971)
48. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975)
49. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978)
50. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club
51. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981)
52. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970)
53. Premier A&F Club NI (cNov 1980)
54. Rothbury Accordion Club (1987??)
55. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978)
56. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
57. Sutherland A&F Club (
58. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition)
59. Thurso A&F Club (cSept 1981)
60. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982)
61. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980)
62. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
63. Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
64. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
65. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
66. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
67. Club Accord
68. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2?)
69. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
70. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
71. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
72. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
73. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
74. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
75. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
76. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
77. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
78. Gretna A&F Club (June 1966)
79. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
80. Kinlochsheil A&F Club (
81. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
82. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
83. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
84. Newcastleton Accordion Club
85. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
86. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
87. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
88. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
89. Wellbank A&F Club
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