by Colin MacIntyre / Mull Historical Society
For some time I’d had the ambition to bring my worlds of music and writing together. To me, when making albums and books, the songs and stories feel like they come from the same place. I’ve always written everything myself on my songs, and so I fancied the creative challenge to collaborate using somebody else’s words: to discover how Elton works with Bernie? And then an invite arrived… informing me my grandparent’s home of 40-plus years on Tobermory seafront, was – unbelievably – going to become a recording studio! It almost knocked me onto the London Underground floor. My grandfather was the Scottish poet, and bank manager of Mull, Angus Macintyre. Many of you will remember he was a unique character; he remains my biggest inspiration. He lived in the flat above the (as-was) Clydesdale Bank on Tob Main Street with my grandmother, Betty, and latterly, with my great-grandmother, ‘Tait’, who was bedridden. She was a sweet soul, who was 20 when the Titanic went down and remembered Butch Cassidy and Queen Victoria. “Living above the shop”, it was not always evident when my grandfather was banking or writing! He might be the only bank manager who chaired ceilidhs and went on speaking tours. I’m proud he was known as ‘The Bard of Mull’ and the bank: ‘Angie’s Bank’… more in the printed issue

Photo of Colin by Gordon MacLean