Band says Goodbye to stalwart member Ian
Members and friends of Bo'ness & Carriden Band gathered on Monday along with his family to say their goodbyes at the funeral of Ian Kay.
Ian passed away on Saturday, 23 June after a brave fight over the past year with cancer.
Ian was well known in his home town of Bo'ness as a good friend to many people but possibly best known as a member of Bo'ness & Carriden Band.
Joining the Junior Band at nine years old under the tuteledge of the legendary Jimmy 'Jiler' Sneddon. Ian's progress on cornet was so great he became a player in the Senior Band while still a pupil at Grange Primary School. After a few years he was sitting assistant principal cornet to Joe Hempstead who was one of Carriden Bands greatest players. An accident while cycling to band practice one night caused damage to his teeth and probably robbed Ian of becoming one of Scotland's top cornet players.
However this setback only spurred Ian on and he moved to the larger mouthpiece of the trombone and studied under another Bo'ness legend, namely John Kirkwood at Kinneil Band. He gained a great reputation as bass trombone at the very successful Kinneil Band of the 1960's. He returned to his beloved Bo'ness & Carriden Band and played any position in the Band that needed filling.
Ian left Bo'ness Academy and served an apprenticeship as a plumber with local firm Jas. Dymock & Sons. He then joined the Petro Chemical industry at BP Grangemouth moving on to work on Das Island in the United Arab Emirates. He returned to work on the Magnus Rig in the North Sea. A family man, married to Maria for 48 years, proud father of David and Moira, the family lived for a few years in Ythanbank, Aberdeenshire. While there Ian continued his band involvement playing with Aberdeen City Band. Returning to Bo'ness he of course took up where he left of with Carriden.
While he was receiving treatment at Forth Valley Hospital Oncology Department, Ian was playing on E Flat Bass at last November's Scottish Open at Perth Concert Hall. In early March this year Ian sat on second cornet in a Concert the Band played in Polmont and thoroughly enjoyed himself. This unfortunately proved to be his last appearance with the Band.
Ian will be remembered as a very professional bandsman, always immaculate in his appearance and playing, an inspiration to younger and older colleagues.
After a service of thanksgiving for a life well led at St Andrews Church on Monday, 2nd July, Ian, who was aged 68, was laid to rest at the new Carriden Cemetery where his beloved Bo'ness & Carriden Band played a favourite arrangement of Leonard Ballantines Mid All the Traffic, a tribute to a much loved bandsman and friend.
Our thoughts are with Maria, David and Moira and his beloved grandchildren, Euan and Madi.
He will be fondly remebered by all at Bo'ness & Carriden Band for many, many years to come.
Rest in peace Ian.
Robert Burns
Bo'ness & Carriden Band
