2025 Obit: Bob ‘Buff’ Wilson

Subject: Obit: Bob ‘Buff’ Wilson
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jul 25 - 09:35 AM

The song maker behind ‘Alexander’s Threshing Mill’, ‘The Time o Year for Dipping Sheep’ and dozens of other agriculturally themed songs in the bothy mould, Bob ‘Buff’ Wilson has passed away.

Obit copied from Girvan Festival Facebook page.

We're saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Ayrshire bothy balladeer Bob ‘Buff’ Wilson.

Growing up on Meadowhead farm near Irvine and a regular attendee at Irvine Folk Club in the 1960s, young Buff would compose a new song for each visit to the club. His songs drew on his experiences of the traditional farming practices still followed at Meadowhead farm.

Although Buff sang at the Irvine Club and at Marymass Festival his songs were picked up by his friend Gus Russell who travelled more extensively around the Scottish clubs and festivals at this time. From these beginnings the songs organically entered the folk tradition. Willie Scott the Border Shepherd adopted 'Sheep Dipping Day' while 'Alexander's Threshing Mill' – recounting the hire of farming machinery from the nearby "city of Dalry" – became a standard of the bothy repertoire of North East Scotland.

When Meadowhead farm was sold, Buff moved away from Scotland and stopped writing and performing, eventually settling and raising a family in South Shields where he worked for many years as a chemical engineer. The demands of family life and work meant that Bob was perhaps not fully aware of the currency his songs were gaining back in Scotland.

Renewed interest in Bob’s songs was lead by Living Tradition magazine proprietor Pete Heywood and in November 2021 Dalry Burns Club enticed Buff – now known as Bob – from his folk retirement. An online celebration of Bob’s life and songs was arranged due to the lockdown restrictions in place at the time. A recording of this gathering can still be enjoyed on the Club’s YouTube channel — www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa2DoLEFd_Y

In 2024, Girvan Traditional Folk Festival were honoured to welcome Bob to sing at the Bobby Robb Memorial Concert and to launch a memoire of his life and songs 'Goodbye Meadowhead' which contains dozens of songs every bit as good as his best known work. The book launch at the 49th Girvan Festival featured Bob in fine voice backed by members of North Ayrshire ceilidh institution Chanty Dyke. Hearing Bob return to sing after over 50 years away from the stage was a moment we’ll never forget. If he felt the slightest tremor of nerves it certainly didn't show!

Following the completion of Goodbye Meadowhead, Bob had begun working on a series of other creative projects but unfortunately fell ill in early 2025 and passed away in July.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

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Subject: RE: 2025 Obit: Bob ‘Buff’ Wilson
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 31 Jul 25 - 11:38 AM

Sadly Bob is no longer with us having died in July this year (2025). I send my condolences to all those who know and love him and his music and have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread. RIP Bob.

Subject: RE: 2025 Obit: Bob ‘Buff’ Wilson
From: Johnny J
Date: 02 Aug 25 - 06:50 AM

Sad news.

I hadn't realised that 'Alexander's Threshing Mill' was a recent song but, yes, it's very popular among bothy ballad singers and the like.

I also remember Gus Russell on the folk scene during the eighties. He was a regular at Newcastleton, Girvan, and many other festivals.

Subject: RE: 2025 Obit: Bob ‘Buff’ Wilson
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 06 Aug 25 - 05:53 AM

I'd never heard of this man, but had to introduce him on the Bobby Robb memorial concert at Girvan festioval in 2024. My pre- concert chat painted a picture of a fascinating man, with a special story to tell!   


I'd heard Buff's 'Alexander's Mill' song many times sung by Scott Gardiner & Scott, & always thought it was an east coast bothy ballad . Scott, who was on the same concert, was even more delighted to hear it, as he said, 'sung properly' by its actual writer in his native Ayrshire.
    To hear he'd spent many years in my home town, South Shields came as a surprise too

I came away feeling privileged to have met the man & with a copy of 'Goodbye Meadowhead' and his songs will live on through that excellent story of his life & its ccollection of songs.

   One meeting, but great memories!                  RIP Buff