Tributes paid to ex-editor Arthur

Jul 31 2008 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

Tributes paid to ex-editor Arthur

MORE than 100 people last Thursday attended the funeral of former newspaper editor Arthur Nicol at Coltness Memorial Church, Newmains.

Arthur, who was 82, died at Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen, after a short illness.

Arthur Nicol was cultured, erudite and generous with his time and had many talents.

As a newspaper man, he paid careful attention to the use of the English language.

Arthur was an accomplished artist and pianist and loved music and drama, a founder member of Motherwell and Wishaw Operatic Society who directed the company's first 10 shows.

He was also involved with Carluke Amateur Operatic Society, Shotts Drama Guild, the Kirkton Players, Allanton Drama Group, and Shotts 37 Burns Club.

Arthur had attended Drama School in Glasgow and even after retirement continued to use his musical talent and played the piano at Bonkle Day Care Centre and at a residential home for the elderly in Glasgow.

Arthur loved Chinese food and he became acquainted with a number of Chinese people. He gave them a lot of help with form filling and educational matters. In fact, two Chinese friends named their children after Arthur and there is now an Arthur Lee in Glasgow and an Arthur Wong in Aberdeen.

He travelled widely, visiting Malaysia and Taiwan and he was particularly pleased to go to New Zealand to visit his only remaining brother, John and his wife Shirley.

Arthur was born in Glasgow, the youngest son of Peter and Helen Nicol. The family moved to Newmains when Arthur was seven and this was Arthurs home until he moved to care homes in Wishaw and later Aberdeen.

Arthur was educated at Newmains Public School and Wishaw High School. His first job was as a junior commercial artist in Glasgow and then a clerk in an accountants office.

He began his national service in 1944 as a bombardier with the Royal Artillery. After basic training in Edinburgh and Salisbury Plains, he was shipped out to Greece, Italy and Germany.

On his return he went back to his job in the accountants office, and then took up a post as a commercial artist before moving to work with a fireclay company in Morningside. It was at this time that Arthur's career in journalism began.

He became the Newmains correspondent for the Advertiser's sister paper, the Wishaw Press, and in 1958 joined the staff as a reporter. He was appointed editor in 1971.

He transferred to the Hamilton Advertiser in 1977 to take charge of the Larkhall edition and then became production editor.

Arthur didn't suffer fools gladly and he had his own way of dealing with them. One such occasion arose at Wishaw when the paper carried a story about a bus conductress ejecting an elderly man from her bus in the pouring rain when he did not have enough money for the fare, an event witnessed by one of Arthur's staff.

A union official called at the office to defend the conductress saying that she was a good person. Arthur replied: "She may have to fold her wings in the morning to put on her coat, but she didn't treat this old man with respect."

Arthur, along with other members of the Nicol family, had been involved with the Boys Brigade in Newmains and it was fitting that his funeral service included Will your anchor hold?

He would have enjoyed the singing.