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Born 1st August 1942 in Edinburgh
Died 6th July 2024 in Balerno
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Proposer of the Toast “Our Hosts” or “The Landlord – Landlady” 1992
Proposer of the Toast “The Lasses” 1996
Proposer of the Toast “Let it Blaw – the Balerno Burns Club” 2001
Proposer of the Toast “New Members & Guests” 2009
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Robin was born in 1942, the only child of Billy, a rep for Burtons biscuit company, and his mother Molly who was a hairdresser.
On leaving school, he secured a job as an apprentice electronics engineer at Ferranti, rising through the ranks until retirement. He met his ‘wife to be’ Maureen in 1961 and they married in 1966.
Robin and Maureen rented a flat in Leith for about six months before buying their first house in Viewforth. From there, they moved to Kingsknowe Road North before buying their home for the next fifty years in Marchbank Gardens, Balerno. Robin and Maureen had two children, Neil and Kirsten, and six grandchildren.
Robin was a bit of a hoarder, rarely throwing anything away as, with his engineering mind and way of looking at objects, he would always find a use for most things. For instance, Maureen’s first car was a Hillman Avenger which were notorious for rust. Maureen’s car was no different, in fact, you could see the road passing under you if you sat in the passenger’s seat. Robin put his skills and knowledge to work when he took the shell of an old broken twin-tub washing machine and welded it into the floor space which would save anyone from falling through the hole. They could honestly say they had the fastest twin-tub in the country.
Robin became a member of ‘Let it Blaw‘ in 1985 and was father of Club Member Neil Murdoch. Robin was an ever-present at the Club’s annual suppers and, as can be seen above, always ready to lend a hand when a speaker was required. Robin was in his 40th year of membership when he passed away.
On retirement in 1992, Robin concentrated on his ‘hobby’, archaeology. He particular loved glass and all things about it. Neil and Kirstin fondly recall visiting the bottle dump at Kirkliston on many occasions looking for interesting bottles. They were usually successful and amassed quite a collection gathered in the attic.
Robin was friendly with a couple of other archaeologists and, in 1971, they formed the Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society. It didn’t matter that there were only three members, it was something they all loved doing and it felt ‘official’ once they were a ‘Society’. Robin became aware that nobody was specialising in the field of glass so, in true Robin Murdoch fashion, he decided that he would make himself the expert that everyone else would turn to.
He loved excavating sites with his favourites being the Cramond bathhouse, one of the best preserved Roman buildings in Scotland, and Fast Castle near Eyemouth. As time went on, the digs became too much for him but that allowed him time to concentrate on analysing glass. He could examine a piece of glass, tell how old it was, identify the constituent parts, and also what the original shape had been.
His archaeological experience once resulted in him being invited to dig on an episode of the TV programme Time Team with Tony Robinson. He was also invited to lecture at many universities and you could see how happy he was to be sharing his love of glass with everyone present.
Robin was a member of the Balerno Folk Club for many years serving as Treasurer for a lengthy spell. He also loved golf and was a member of Lothianburn Golf Club for nearly 60 years. He was involved with setting up of Youth Vision, and the rebuilding of Threipmuir Farm Steading in the Pentlands for children who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to experience the countryside and basic living. He loved the great outdoors and being able to share this enthusiasm gave him many happy memories.
Robin at Threipmuir Farm Steading
When Robin’s illness progressed to the stage where he was struggling to get around, he continually tried to do as much for himself as he could. Following a discussion with his hospital consultant when it became apparent his medical conditions were terminal, the doctors asked if he would prefer to have quantity of life or quality. Unfortunately he couldn’t have both. He asked how long if he went for quality, and when the reply came that it would be a few short months at the most, he said he would opt for the quality as he still had three glass reports to complete by August!
Robin passed away at home in Marchbank Gardens, Balerno in the company of family members on 6th July 2024.
When asked to sum Robin up in a few words, family and friends agree that he was
“a character never afraid to express an opinion.”
