The North Edinburgh community said goodbye to one of the area’s most recognisable figures on Friday. Donald McDonald was a community stalwart for as long as anyone can remember, and his passing leaves the community a poorer place.
Donald was born in Pilton Crescent and lived there for almost all of his life.
He lost his mother at a young age and was brought up by his father and grandmother. Young Donald and his dad were inseparable and went everywhere together.
A shy boy, Donald did not excel at school but loved music, and the bond with his Ainslie Park music teachers Mr and Mrs McIntosh endured for many years after Donald left the local school.
He went on to work with Scottish Ominibuses, later SMT and Eastern Scottish and it was there he developed a deep love for transport, particularly buses and ferries.
He was made redundant during the Thatcher years and never worked again, but put his energy and enthusiasm to good use as a volunteer across his beloved North Edinburgh.
Donald served on a wide range of boards and management committees across North Edinburgh over many years, showing a rare commitment.
During the week, Donald would call in to visit many of his favourite projects, spending time talking to staff. He was a diligent board member, too, often turning up hours early for his own wee pre-meeeting session!
Invariably Donald would be carrying his trademark shopping bag, which was filled with a cornucopia of papers, articles, photographs and a wealth of material he was always keen to share. Sometimes during meetings he would delve into his bag and produce an item of interest; often interesting, certainly, although not always relevant to that particular meeting!
As well as being a North Edinburgh Edinburgh News board member Donald also distributed the free newspaper every month, and he often went far and beyond his own patch to share the NEN.
Weekends would see Donald attending his local Granton Parish Church, where he was a faithful member of the congregation all of his life, and also touring the length and breadth of the country, using public transport to visit far flung places to attend exhibitions, displays and shows.
Dunoon, Arbroath, Melrose, Stirling … Donald visited them all, and he made sure the North Edinburgh News was distributed in some places far outwith the Greater Pilton borders!
I remember fondly, too, his unlikely partnership with another local legend, ‘salty sea dog’ George Scammell. For some years the pair were a double act; North Edinburgh’s own Little and Large. They were doughty supporters of the campaign to save the SS Explorer, which languished, rusting and unloved, in a quite corner of Leith Docks. It took many years, but the campaign was ultimately successful,
Donald would be involved in so many campaigns and could be always be counted on to support his community when it mattered. Deputations, protests, public meetings, Donald would be there. For Donald, it was always community first.
He was an active member of many groups over the years: Granton History Group and Pilton Environment Group (PEG) are just two and in more recent years he enjoyed the debate, discussion and visits with Royston Wardieburn’s Spring Chickens and Power to the People groups.
Despite his years of commitment and dedication to his community it was absolutely no surprise that Donald was aghast when Royston Wardieburn’s management committee proposed to name a community room in his honour. Donald didn’t want any fuss, didn’t want to be in the limelight: community first.
I for one am very happy that Donald finally relented, and a plaque now bears his name in the Centre where he played such an active role and participated in so many activities over the years. I hope he was quietly proud.
Goodbye, then, dear Donald. You will be fondly remembered with great affection by all who knew you across our community.