Edywn Collins, the ‘Dem School’ and me.
1968 Demonstration School , Dundee
I grew up in Dundee in the early 1960s, and my nearest primary to The Law, where we lived, was the Demonstration School on Park Place in Dundee. I was there up to Primary 5 in 1968, when I had to move on as my parents left the city for the countryside of Angus.
The school was set up to give an alternative form of education, within the state sector. I wasn’t aware of this at the time, and in hindsight, it was certainly different.
It attracted the children of the local creatives, artists, architects and the likes, so the class had some interesting personalities in it. I recall great friendship at that time with Edwyn Collins and another great pal Davy Ellis. I would be invited to go to Edwyn’s family home on Bingham Terrace, an very artistic environment, and probably the first time I saw a professional artist’s studio.
I’m on the back row, third from the right, and my pal Edwyn Collins stands in the next row in front, also third from the right.
After I was moved to a different local school, I lost touch with my pals, who also moved to different local senior schools. Unbeknownst to me, Edywn’s family moved on to Glasgow and I really lost touch then.
Postcard from Edwyn Collins to Kevin Macleod, sent 1969.
This lovely postcard appeared a few years ago amongst family memorabilia, sent from Helmsdale, where I think Edwyn’s grandfather hailed from.
Sometime later, my father once commented that I had been at school with a ‘pop star’! I had no idea that Edwyn had gone onto create the famous Glasgow based band Orange Juice, and ran Postcard Records in the 1980s. I didn’t know that he was musical, but obviously he was very creative.
Orange Juice
Edwyn went on to great heights as a solo artist, and had a massive global hit with his trademark son ‘A Girl Like You’.
One Hogmanay in 1995, he played at the Ross Bandstand stage, and that was the first time I had seen him in person, live, since 1968! I attempted to say hello at the back door of the venue and was politely told by a big bouncer to ‘eff off’!
Sometime after I did managed to see him and have a wee chat in the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, and then a much better catch up at another gig in the Assembly rooms, when his son kindly took us backstage for a proper catch up. It was special indeed to meet my old pal, who had such a torrid time healthwise in his late 40’s. It was brilliant to see him performing his great songs, and we had a good laugh recalling the Dem School days.
Grace Maxwell and Edwyn Collins at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, 25th Aug 2015
Edwyn Collins and Kevin Macleod, Edinburgh Assembly Rooms, Edwyn Collins gig 23rd January 2020