What awfully sad news!

I met Iain but once, at a Marske Folk Club near Redcar - I was doing a world tour of floor spots prior to leaving the Navy and Iain was the guest.

I had had a really bad experience the night before in Sunderland with a drunken club organiser who delighted in telling me how crap I was and I told Iain I was on the verge of knocking it on the head and going home.

He listened to my 'floor spot' and (as we were both staying at the hotel where the club was based) afterwards in the bar he told me that (in his opinion) I had wowed the audience that night and he was worried about following my 'spot' as I'd played & sang so well.

A fortnight later I was booked to play at the Redcar Folk Festival and had one or two calls from club organisers in the North on Iain's recommendation.

I never got to see him again due to him being around Scotland & the North Of England and me being in Southampton but I treasured the man's wit, charm and advice and am deeply saddened at this news.

If anyone is in touch with Iain's family, please pass on my sincerest condolences and heartfelt gratitude for such a lovely, warm and kind human being - One of nature's gentlemen

Geordie Wilson