I’m just thinking back to when I was 19. I had gone through my teenage years telling everyone I was going to be a professional musician and everyone smiled and said I would enjoy working in a record shop! I hadn’t had too many opportunities to hang out with similar minded musicians (outside the Accordion Clubs) and it wasn’t really until I was 18 when I entered the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award that I met other like minded musicians. I’m sure they were all English as well. I can’t remember any other Scots there in the first year of the competition.
I entered the BBC Radio 2 Young Traditional Award twice. I lost the first time to Rothbury accordionist Lynn Tocker but met guitarist Ian Carr so I reckon I really won! I did win the second year in 1989 (aged 19) complete with a pair of brown and tan spats shoes. I remember walking the next day with piper Becky Taylor through London with this massive brown plate (which I got for winning) thinking could they have not just given me a quaich or even better a cheque…
After this I went straight to university (I had been working for three years at Heriot Watt University) to study Physics but unfortunately my concentration was gone. I had had a taste of the music and I wanted more. I also had a little of cash in my pocket and was already buying expensive jackets… I was also about to get a phone call from Jim Sutherland to come down the new Tron pub which would change my life forever…
Simon Thoumire