THE news of club member David Hamill’s passing aged 95 was sad, but we were not surprised to hear that ‘Auld Davie’ as he was affectionately known to one and all, had walked to and from church that day.
Seeking a new challenge, Davie took up hillwalking aged 71, completing all the Munros by 76 and then moving on to the Corbetts, which were completed by the time he reached 80, ably assisted by his right-hand man Jim King. Davie went on to complete half of the Grahams, climb all the hills above 3000ft in England, Ireland and Wales and was, until a few years ago when even he had to admit his hillwalking days were beyond him, a regular on the fortnightly bus trips with Blantyre Hillwalking Club.
For someone who had been active all his life Davie loved the outdoors and when not in the hills was often seen ‘out for a walk’ which could be anywhere in the Blantyre area as he regularly just wandered off from the house to wherever took his fancy. Davie was Blantyre Hillwalking Club’s first Honorary Life Member. A man of few words but always quick with a one-liner and a witty quip.
Davie was good company and told stories of a different world from his time on the farm, working down the pit, engineering and, when a young man, of cycling from Blantyre to Dundee for the dancing!
My first encounter with Davie was on a club weekend to Kintail, when a group of us were tackling the South Cluanie ridge, consisting of 9 Munros and an 11.5hr day. Needless to say Davie never missed a beat and walked the route with no bother at all.
The packed Livingstone Memorial Church, South Lanarkshire Crematorium and Blantyre Bowling Club were testament to this lovely man. As Davie would say “Life is for living – live it to the full”, and without doubt our ‘Auld Davie’ was true to his word.
Stuart Anderson
Secretary and friend
Blantyre Hillwalking Club
