John Mathers

 

Honorary Member of ‘Let it Blaw’

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Born 26th March 1936 in Netherly, Kincardineshire

Died 26th May 2022 in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, aged 86

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Proposer of the Toast  “The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns”  1975

Proposer of the Toast  “Let it Blaw – the Balerno Burns Club”  1976

Proposer of the Toast  “The Lasses”  1981

Recited the Address  “To a Haggis”  1982, 2015

Proposer of the Toast  “The Landlord – Landlady”  1983,  1987

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George “John” Mathers was born on 26th March 1936 in the village of Netherley near Stonehaven, son of John Mathers, a shepherd, and his wife Edith Mackie. There’s a story of him being taken to his Christening at Netherley Kirk in an orange box strapped to the back of his Edith’s bike. Perhaps that first bumpy journey was the reason that John took against the Church in later life; who knows?

Like nearly all agricultural workers in those days, the family moved from farm to farm. As a result, John spent much of his early years in various parts of  Buchan north of Aberdeen where his parents originated. When looking in John’s wallet after he died, his daughter Brenda found a piece of folded paper that he had obviously carried around with him for years. It’s thought it may have been written by his mother; it’s obvious that the sentiments were held dear by John:

The tide runs deep at Buchan Ness
And strong at Rattray Head
Like hungry whales the great seas rise
Impatient to be fed

Built fair and square o’ granite red
Washed by the ocean spray
Here firmly stands old Peterhead
And makes her earth survey

With wild north seas on either hand
Where billows fiercely run
The East-most town in all the land
Is first to greet the sun

And like her own hard granite rock
Right hardy sons has she
They dare the rudest tempest shock
And violence of the sea

Although she stands so bleak and bare
Wherever we may roam
There’s nothing can with her compare
Our own red granite home

And now my friends like our good town
Alike in breeze and gale
Be firmly built on solid rock
On one that cannot fail

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When John was 15 years of age, he headed for Balerno to start an apprenticeship as a joiner with Thompsons at the foot of Deanpark Brae. He soon spotted a local lass heading to school and used to chase her, and pull her pigtails; that was Jean Shand, later to become his wife.

He continued his apprenticeship until National Service took him to serve with the RAF down in Staffordshire. There he learned his skills in sewing by making and repairing parachutes, which needed a keen eye and nimble fingers. Many times over the years, he used his skill with a sewing machine to alter curtains, make cushions, mend clothes and turn up his own troosers!

Playing football for the RAF, he was scouted by Crewe Alexandra football club and offered a semi-professional contract as a goalkeeper. In the end, he turned this down, partly to go home to Jean, but also because in those days he could earn more money as a joiner than a footballer!

Back in Balerno, John and Jean were married at Currie Kirk in 1958, in a service conducted by his old Boys Brigade Captain, the Reverend Swan. They went on to stay first in Currie, then in Balerno, raising a family of four.

In January 1959, John was walking from Deanpark to the village accompanied by his father-in-law Willie Shand . Willie was heading for ‘Let it Blaw’ where he was the Club Piper. John had been dispatched by his wife and mother-in-law to get three fish suppers for their evening meal. In the Main Street, they met Club President Bertie Tennant who told them there had been a call-off creating a vacant place at the Supper. John was asked if he would like it. He duly ran to the fish shop, bought only two fish suppers, ran home with them for the ladies, then ran back to the Malleny Arms in time for the 1959 Supper. That was the start of John’s lifetime passion with Robert Burns, his life and his work.

In 1963, John formed the Pentland Building Co, providing many local jobs and apprenticeships over the years. Branching out into the licensed trade, in 1973 John built and opened the ‘Kestrel Roadhouse’ in the housing area now known as Harlaw Bank.  Under John’s management, the ‘Kestrel’ became a famed venue for dinner dances, Scottish nights, cabaret evenings, professional darts tournaments, Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations and more. In particular, it hosted many local weddings – sometimes two a day – with all John’s family roped in to help with the cooking, serving, and cleaning up. Also built in this period was the clubhouse of Currie Bowling Club. John also converted an old warehouse in Morrison Street, Edinburgh, into the ‘Spider’s Web’ public house, which he later sold on. Today (2022/23) it;s still operating as the “Jolly Botanist”.

John’s other great passion in life was politics, being a very active campaigner and organiser for the SNP having been introduced to the Party by Carl John in 1969.

In the early 1970s, when the Club was at it’s lowest point with hardly any members left, together with late President Eddie McCue and the never to be forgotten Willie Shanks BEM, John helped bring the Club slowly back to life, later seeing it flourish to where it is today with often 100 cronies attending the annual supper.

Moving on from the ‘Kestrel’, in 1979 John bought Johnsburn House in Balerno, an imposing Scots Baronial mansion that he turned into a bar and restaurant on the ground floor, with the family living above and enjoying the extensive grounds. Again, it was a popular and successful venue for pints, dinners and all kinds of special celebrations.

As if the construction and licensed trades wren’t enough, John branched out into the beauty business with the help of his daughter Sandra, opening ‘Jesters’ the hairdressers on Balerno’s Main Street, where he also owned the butchers shop. As much as anything, John’s entrepreneurship stemmed from a desire to employ local people and if possible help them to make something of their own lives.

John’s passion for the poetry of Robert Burns was such that he became well-known for performing at Burns Suppers at home and as far afield as Australia and even Benidorm. There, together with Eddie McCue, John founded Spain’s first ever Burns Club. His particular speciality was performing ‘To a Mouse’ with help of a live mouse that sat on the poetry book or scampered up his arms or around his shoulders. Every year a new “Rabbie the Moose” appeared in the Mathers family home for about two weeks while he did the rounds of suppers. After the performance schedule was complete, Rabbie would be returned to the pet shop, much to the disappointment of John’s children.

John and Jean retired to North Berwick where they stayed with their daughter Brenda and son-in-law Roy but sadly, Jean passed away after only 10 months. John quickly integrated into North Berwick life, adapting and changing after his many happy years in Balerno, but still following his great passions in life.

He soon became involved with the North Berwick branch of the SNP. He volunteered to have meetings in his house and his organisational skills were such that he soon knew every street in and around North Berwick and the local villages, and which ones were worth canvassing. He was always proud to devote countless hours to help organise canvassing, high street stalls, polling station duties and all the rest. His garage was always bulging with SNP merchandise, leaflets, A-boards and banners.

John maintained connections with his many friends in Balerno returning to ‘Let it Blaw’ periodically as a guest.  His renditions of “To a Mouse” continued with the latest reincarnation of “Rabbie the Moose”; it’s hard to guess how often he’s given this oration at our Supper because he did it year after year in the 1970s and 1980s into the 90s, usually without it being recorded on the programme; it might be reasonable to guess 30+ occasions.

At the 2019 Supper, President Iain McSporran KC gave the company a review of John’s 60 year association with ‘Let it Blaw’ and called for a show of hands in support for the anniversary being marked by John being granted Honorary Membership. It was unanimously approved.

Late in April 2022 in North Berwick, John was again helping to set up an SNP display. He stood back to check how it looked and fell over. He sustained a head injury and was admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Despite initially showing signs of some progress, John passed away on 26th May 2022

To quote the lines of Burns recited by John’s daughter Yvonne at his funeral:

An honest man here lies at rest
As e’er God with his image blest.
The friend o’ man, the friend o’ truth
The friend o’ age and guide to youth.
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d
Few heads with knowledge so informed.
If there’s another world he lives in bliss
If there’s none he made the best o’ this

 

Following John’s funeral at Currie Kirkyard, the company adjourned to the “Grey Horse Inn”, once “Henderson’s Inn” where ‘Let it Blaw’ was founded many years before.