Well-known Stonehouse businessman passes away

Jan 13 2011 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

VILLAGERS in Stonehouse were shocked to learn that popular local man Jim Simpson had died suddenly last Wednesday morning, aged 79.

Jim, who died peacefully in his sleep, had suffered a heart attack.

Jim was a popular figure in the area, particularly in the farming and bowling communities.

For many years he was the secretary of the Stonehouse Agricultural Society; he had previously worked as a sales representative for an agricultural company and knew the industry in Scotland well.

Jim attended Larkhall Academy and Hutcheson Grammar in Glasgow. He then went on to study at Auchincruive Agricultural College, Ayrshire.

In 1953 Jim was offered a position as agricultural officer with the British Colonial Agricultural Service based in Kano, northern Nigeria.

He was part of the inauguration of the groundnut scheme (monkey nuts), which became very successful.

He was then seconded to Lagos, western Nigeria and took charge of Agege Farm, the first dairy farm to produce in that area.

He ran the farm, training Nigerian workers from basic farming to supervisory positions.

He came back in 1955 to marry his wife Aileen, then they moved back to Nigeria where their first daughter Ann was born in 1957.

The family moved back to the Stonehouse area in 1959, where Jim took his position in the Simpson’s family business that had been running since his great grand-father’s time.

He opened Simpson’s Agricultural Chemist, developed as part of Simpson’s Pharmacy, Larkhall.

He took over the business after his grandfather died and his younger brother Hugh took over the family opticians in Larkhall.

Storerooms at the back of the shops were later converted into the Coachhouse Restaurant and Coffee Shop in the 1960s to mid 1970s.

He then sold the business and became a sales manager for Unilever Agricultural Suppliers, and travelled throughout Scotland until he retired when he was 68-years-old.

Jim was a proud member of Stonehouse Bowling Club and was the club President in 1993 and 1994, and was also bar convenor for many years until the last AGM, where he stepped down.

He had been well suited to that job having worked in the licensed trade at the Coachhouse.

He is survived by wife Aileen, two daughters Ann (54) and Liz (47) and a son Stewart (40). all married, and younger brother Hugh.