Postmaster and community activist. An appreciation

Born: February 24, 1923;

Died: June 15, 2017

JACKIE Clark, who has died aged 94, was a kenspeckle figure and community activist in the village of Glengarnock in Ayrshire. He often spoke fondly of the heyday of the thriving industrial village, its massive steelworks which opened in 1843 and closed in 1985, its larger-than-life characters, his involvement for many years in the village YMCA, his work as village postmaster and the happy days he spent entertaining older folk on his accordion.

I recall knocking loudly on Jackie’s door at Daisybank just after his 90th birthday. I could hear the toetapping sound of accordion music filtering outside. “Oh, it’s you Donald, Come away in,” he beckoned with a wide sweep of his right arm.

Once inside he picked up his squeeze-box and resumed playing. He gave renderings of Wild Rose of the Mountain, Bonny Gallowa’, A Man’s a Man, There was a Lad and Star o’Rabbie Burns. It was a real feast of Scots music, played skilfully by a great enthusiast who was in his element entertaining his audience. Strangely enough even at the age of 94 he was still entertaining ‘the old folk’ at Haylie House in Largs until a few weeks before his death. Little did his audience of auld yins know that Jackie was the oldest of the lot.

After bidding farewell to his two guests, Jackie and I ranged over many subjects, invariably returning to Glengarnock, a village he loved with a passion. Jackie Clark, affectionately known as Mr Glengarnock, never actually worked in the steelworks, but was still acutely aware of its history and importance to the local economy. The passion was obvious as he expressed his great sorrow at its demise in 1985, because so many Garnock Valley men – proud steelworkers - never worked again.

Jackie Clark was born in 1923 above Glengarnock Post Office, which at that time was a draper’s shop owned by his father, John. Educated at Glengarnock Primary School, under the headmastership of Mr “Bunny” Law, he remembered that discipline was strict. “If you were two minutes late for school, God look down on you.” The headmaster would say: 'Just go upstairs and wait for me' and it was six of the best with the strap. I can still feel stinging hands today.”

Glengarnock was a thriving village right up until the 1960s. Jackie said: “You could get just about anything there without having to go further afield. The range and variety of shops was quite staggering. It’s sad that the village was allowed to slowly decay.”

He enthused about the shops and businesses and the folk who ran them, including the two chip shops, run by Andy Pieroni and Vick Donati, and the chemist, run by Angus McLaren who could cure you of just about any illness. Jackie also recalled the village lace works operated by Morton and Saundour with over 150 employees and its three pubs – the Railway Bar, the Station Inn and the Auchengree Inn.

Jackie was always a dedicated community activist, getting his sleeves rolled up and working hard to achieve success. He was one of the key players in delivering a new YMCA hall to the village in 1957. Over the years the hall proved to be a great asset to the village and was very well used indeed. In later years he was also responsible for saving the bell tower of Glengarnock Church when it was demolished. It is now located in gardens in Main Street as a memorial to the lost village kirk.

Most older folk will remember Jackie as the village post master with his late wife, Mattie, a Beith lass whom he married in 1948. Over the years the enigmatic Jackie gave a huge amount back to the community.

He was the founding member of Garnock Valley Sporting Gun Club in 1971. For years he actively supported North Ayrshire Disabled Club, running ceilidhs and concerts and entertaining on accordion. He was a member of Beith Accordion Club from its inception in the early 1970s and was given honorary membership of the club a few years ago, still acting as club press secretary in his 90s. He also set up the first Blair Gymkhana in 1973, even building 13 of the jumps, all still in use 35 years later.

Over the years Jackie has played in many bands including The Rhythm Ace. He was also for many years a member of Millar’s Band, who at one time were the resident musicians at Seamill Hydro.

Jackie was a man of many talents and hobbies from music, organising events, woodworking skills, shooting, fishing and golf and his garden was always top-notch. In 2006 and 2007 he held a Garden Open Day at his home in aid of Beith Cancer Support Group. Locals flocked in, raising around £1,300 on each occasion.

Few folk know that Jackie was disabled in later life and was almost blind. “My attitude is that life is here to be lived and it’s more important to put things in than take them out,” was his philosophy. A motorised scooter was his lifeline and he could be seen in summer driving along the cycle path to Lochwinnoch or whizzing along the pavement to Longbar to visit a fellow gardener friend.

He is survived by daughters, Jacqueline and Elaine, and grandchildren Susan, Jennifer, Craig and great grandson, Clark.

Jackie Clark really did live life to the full. Perhaps his proudest moment was in 1986 when accordion legend, Jim Johnstone, paid a musical tribute to him, composing Jackie Clark’s Jig, a tune regularly featured by Robbie Shepherd's show on BBC Radio. Jackie Clark is a rather special individual and few could be more deserving of being fondly remembered and immortalised in music than Mr Glengarnock.

DONALD L REID