Donald and Kathleen Reid

Donald L Reid was born and brought up in Dalmellington. However, he has lived in Beith for the past 25 years. He achieved his childhood ambition when he joined the Ayrshire Constabulary as a Cadet in 1967. When he retired from Strathclyde Police in 1999 he had been a Police Superintendent for 7 years, five of them spent as sub-divisional officer with responsibility for operational policing in two Glasgow City Centre sub-divisions at Cranstonhill and Stewart Street. Following the Lockerbie Air Disaster on 21 December 1988, as Chief Inspector he spent almost three weeks as part of the Incident Team.

He is married to Kathleen and his grown-up son Fraser, his wife Heather and Donald’s daughter Elaine are all holders of the bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh awards. Donald obtained a BA honours degree in politics in 1988 studying at the Open University. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1996.

A keen local historian and writer, he published Reflections of Beith and District (1994); Yesterday’s Beith – A Pictorial Guide (with Isobel Monahan 1998); Old Beith (2000 by Stenlake of Ochiltree); The Beith Supplement – The Story of Beith’s Newspaper (2000) and Old Dalmellington, Patna & Waterside which was published by Stenlake of Ochiltree in June 2001. In the Valley of Garnock – Beith, Dalry & Kilbirnie was published in November 2001. Doon Valley Memories – Dalmellington Dunaskin Patna and District – A Pictorial Reflection, were published in April 2002 and reprinted in August that year and has since sold out again.

Since then he has published Doon Valley Bygones, Beith Bygones and compiled a history of the Barrmill Jolly Beggars Burns Club for their diamond jubilee year 2004 entitled, Burns and Barrmill. Yesterday’s Patna & The Lost Villages of Doon Valley was published on 25 February 2005 and has been an enormous success selling over 700 copies in five weeks. Robert Burns’ Valley of Doon was published in October 2005 and received similar acclaim reaching readers with an interest in the Doon Valley across the globe. Stenlake Publishers published Donald Reid’s More Old Beith in October 2006. The royalties and/or author’s fee for writing all the above books have been donated to local charities.

He was a founder member of Kilbirnie Boys Club from 1971 - 1977 when he moved to Kilmarnock. He was awarded a scholarship under the auspices of the English Speaking Union in 1974 and spent one month in Canada studying youth work.

He is passionate about the poetical works of Robert Burns and Robert W Service, and has twice been president of Barrmill Jolly Beggars’ Burns Club and is their current secretary. In 2004 he wrote Barrmill and Burns, highlighting 60 years of the happiest little club in the world! He was honored in 2007 when he was appointed Honorary President for his services to the Jolly Beggars.

He delivered the Immortal Memory to Robert Service at the Kilwinning Robert Service Commemorative Society dinner in 2002. Since then he and his good friend, Iain D Shaw, have spoken to many groups and organizations about Robert W Service. He is a founder member and President of Beith Writers & Speakers Group.

A regular on the after dinner speaking circuit, particularly at Burns Suppers, St Andrew’s Dinners and club presentation of prizes, Donald has spoken at events from Inverness to Staffordshire over the last 35 years. He is a past chairman of Garnock Valley Round Table. He gives regular talks on Dr Henry Faulds, Father of Fingerprints and Robert W Service as well as on Ayrshire’s Doon Valley and Garnock Valley.

He was a leader with the Beith Open Award Group - Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for 16 years. He is particularly proud that 46 young people obtained the prestigious gold award with the group, over 80 receiving silver and over 140 receiving bronze awards.

Donald was accorded the honour of Beith Citizen of the Year in 1994 for his work in the local community. But as his pal, Iain D Shaw reminds him: “Beith’s not that big a place.” He is a member of the Consultative Committee at the Church of Scotland List ‘D’ Geilsland School in Beith and a volunteer driver for Garnock Valley Disability Group and Garnock Valley Community Transport Group which provides a transport facility for disabled people and local voluntary groups. He was a board member of the Radio City Association which delivered a state of the art Healthy Living Centre to Kilbirnie in what was formerly the derelict Radio City Cinema

A keen brass band musician in the days of his youth, Donald played trombone with the famous Dalmellington Band – and was crowned ‘the World’s worst trombone player’ by his good pal and fellow trombonist, Bert Richie, who took the runner-up accolade! He was for many years guest dress and deportment adjudicator at the West of Scotland Band Championships and the Land of Burns Competitions. He is President of the West of Scotland Brass Band Association and an executive member of the Scottish Brass Band Association.

A respected Ayrshire local historian, he is currently working on his latest local history book, The Best of Matthew Anderson – Ayrshire’s policeman-poet, and hopes to publish this in 2008. Donald was one of the speakers at the 2007 East Ayrshire Book Festival, taking as his subject: Dr Henry Faulds – Fingerprints on Trial.

He is the founder member and secretary of the Dr Henry Faulds (1843 – 1930) Society. The group raised funds and an international memorial was inaugurated in Beith on Friday, November 12 2004 by Drew Duncan, Provost of North Ayrshire and Rt Hon Brian Wilson, MP for Cunninghame North in Beith Town Centre with guests from Japan and USA in attendance.

Donald is Beith’s prolific correspondent for the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald producing two interesting newspaper pages each week. He is a former member of Beith and District Community Council. He prepared and co-ordinated the bids by Beith for the Scottish Calor Gas Community of the Year and Beith reached the finals in 2003 and 2004 and won prizes in sections dealing with community business, older people, young people and community life. An STV programme entitled, Rising to the Challenge, featured Beith as part of the awards and was broadcast on Thursday, November 4, highlighting Beith as a good place to live, work and socialise.

Donald was a presenter with Garnock Valley local radio (GVFM) in 2006 and was invited to present The History House Series looking at a variety of subjects relating to the Garnock Valley of yesterday and today. He is currently involved in their plans for further live broadcasts in February 2008, again focusing on local history – people, places and events.

That apart, Donald does not have a lot of spare time! Family is most important to this busy man, who also manages to child-mind his grandson, Taylor. His motto is: Live life, every single day, to the full.