Sorry, I am no Marilyn Munro (you have to be of a certain age to get the reference) but since Bill Menzies, President of Strathaven Choral Society celebrates his ninetieth birthday on 22nd January, I thought it only right that we devote a few words to celebrating this milestone. So read on to learn a bit more about a most interesting and varied life.
Bill was born on 22 January 1936 and lived in Ardrishaig with his parents and younger sister Margaret. His parents were both pharmacists and owned the chemist shop in the village.
He attended Keil School in Dumbarton as a boarder and joined William Denny & Bros. Shipbuilders, Dumbarton as an apprentice engineer. In 1958 he joined the British India Steam Navigation Company, where he served for 3 years as a Junior Engineer Officer sailing between the Indian sub-continent and the Far East.
Bill left the navy in 1961 and joined Rolls Royce, East Kilbride he worked there for a decade only leaving when they went into receivership. He later rejoined Rolls Royce in 1979 as Assistant Repair Project Engineer, a post which regularly involved overseas travel. He became Manager of the department in 1992, retiring in 1995.
Music played a big part from an early age. Piano lessons in Ardrishaig and he won prizes for piano playing and singing and was in Ardrishaig Junior Gaelic Choir.
While living in East Kilbride he was the founder conductor of EK Gaelic Choir in 1969 and he set up the Junior Gaelic Choir in 1970. He also conducted Kilmarnock Gaelic Choir and Ayr Junio Singers, taking both to compete in the Mod.
He moved from East Kilbride to Clydebank in 1982 when he married a ‘bankie’ and that began his long association with Radnor Park Church where he was organist and choirmaster from 1987 until 2015.
He had a long association with the Glasgow Highland Club and for a number of years conducted a small Gaelic Choir made up of those pipers who also wanted to sing.
He and his late wife, used to attend Strathaven Choral Society concerts and after he was widowed he joined the choir at the start of 2014. He was later ‘persuaded’ to join the committee as tenor/bass rep and became President in 2023 after 3 years as Vice President.
Bill was married to Linda (who has been with the choir for 52 years) in 2015, they moved to Chapelton that same year. Bill has 2 adoring step children (Keith and Julia) and 5 wonderful grandchildren (Callum, Leo, Fraser, Elsie & Erica).