Bob Hobkirk the Border Fiddler has died suddenly at home in Hawick on Sunday 17 November 2002. He was 81 and packed a lot into those 81 years. A self taught musician, he played at his first dance aged 15. He won the Scottish Championship 3 times in the late 1960's and early 1970's. He was also one of the founder members of the Newcastleton Folk Festival. His talent for playing fiddle got him to Russia 3 times,once for a Burns Supper!!! and also to Denmark with Alex Green the whistle player and Sheila Stewart the singer amongst others.
The recordings he made for the School of Scottish Studies were used in Dr Fred Freeman's Border Fiddler cd which was released two years ago and I know he was delighted but somewhat overwhelmed by the attention. This was not his first brush with fame, he was recorded on the Folkways label and notably by Pete Shepherd of Springtyme Records as one of the Border Fiddlers on "Tam Hughes and his Border Fiddle".
He is survied by his wife Lily, daughter Mary,son John and his grandchildren Andrew and Jane