The household of celebrated Montrose City Band chief Jim Easton have put in a memorial to the musician overlooking the city’s bandstand web site.
“Inspirational” household man and bandmaster Jim Easton died aged 91 in 2019 months after stepping down from his function on the head of the city’s brass band.
Generations of native musicians fondly keep in mind receiving classes from the cornet participant and retired joiner, who was on the coronary heart of the neighborhood group for round 40 years.
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The neighborhood raised greater than £3,500 in his reminiscence.
Grandaughter Karen Easton has been working with council officers, and bench makers David Ogilvie, because the begin of final yr on the specially-designed piece.
The household just lately put in it in Dean’s Park, overlooking the spot the place the city’s bandstand as soon as stood.
She stated: “We’re thrilled to see it there now. We requested for it to be there as a result of that’s the place the bandstand was once and years passed by he performed there.
“The bandstand isn’t there now, however there’s a trendy illustration. The bench appears throughout to that. It was fairly essential to us, as a household, that’s the place the bench be sited.”
© ? Steve MacDougall / DCT MediaThe bench options the title James Easton, the silhouette of a conductor, brass devices, musical notation and the epitaph ‘thanks for the music.’
“The primary design had musical devices on it, but it surely was extra orchestral. My grandfather would have been livid with that. He was a brass man by way of and thru,” Karen added.
She thanked all those that had donated and helped, together with the Montrose City Band and unbiased Councillor Tommy Stewart.
“The silhouette got here from the designer, however we had been taken with it as a result of it appears just like the silhouette of our Grandpa.
“It’s a picture we maintain of him, as a result of we’ve all performed within the band. It does appear to be him.”
© ? Steve MacDougall / DCT Media fJim was one of many group of tradesmen and gamers who constructed the band’s rehearsal area within the Nineteen Forties in Queens Shut, off Excessive Road.
He stated the annual band live performance, through which they might play well-known soundtracks such because the basic theme from Indiana Jones, was the spotlight of his musical yr.
However what would the outdated band chief have fabricated from the bench now devoted to his reminiscence?
Karen laughs: “My Grandpa’s phrases would have been: A bench? Lassie – you might have gotten three coronets and a euphonium for that.”
