| It is with great affection I recall my days working
with English Sewing, then with a move to Newton Mearns as part of
the Coats establishment. It was then that golf took off for both
hardened golfers and new novices alike
I worked under the management of Ian Hardcastle; Purchasing Manager
who brought a fresh and dynamic style of purchasing that made suppliers
who were well established shake in their boots. Along with Ian came his love of golf and with Stephen Wright, they
secured a company membership at Caldwell Golf Club, this allowed
employees to have the odd round of golf for free, very soon they
had set up company tournaments and an annual golf golf outing soon
followed
Obviously to make a successful golf outing you require a few details
to be in place such as people to take part, preferably good weather,
a supper provided and prizes for the few that either practiced more
than others or indeed remarkably played well under the handicaps
they had fought so much to justify... no names mentioned risk of
libel. Ian and Stephen used their organisational skills to ensure
no detail was left to choice.
No one was excluded from these outings whether they were hockey
players or only played once a year - we just made sure they were
last out - you know who you are! Getting prizes for the outings
was made easier as mentioned earlier wit most suppliers only too
willing to submit something, and Ian, Stephen along with Ian Macmillan
made sure that there was always enough to go round.
On arrival the prizes were laid out for all to see, golf bags for
the most prodigious players and various putters, with everyone trying
them to see which one they wanted to win. In most golf outings you
would normally only see the people who performed particularly well
on the day, or those who achieved nearest the pin or the longest
drive walking about with their newly acquired piece of equipment.
however such were the prizes amassed that you would have that that
everyone taking the part had actually won the tournament. I have
it on good authority that people actually brought an additional
bag to get all their prizes home in one piece.
Of course after the golf, the sob stories arrived with the tiddler
they had missed or the drive that went askew which cost them the
putter they had earmarked. Then the bargaining started with the
person who had won "their putter!", in the hope of a swap or a deal.
The night followed with ample drinking sessions and the speeches
or stories people wanted to tell only to be ended when everyone
filed on to the bus(I do not think we ever lost anybody, but I am
sure it must have been close on occasions!). Once the bus had headed
for home and we had finished all the available drink to be availed
and everyone had sung their own rendition of their favorite song,
at last there again rained peace, apart from the odd heavy snore.
The success of the first golf outing and the available prizes on offer, along with new staff arriving to the company such as Malcolm Mathieson and Douglas Bisset, not two of the best golfers you have ever seen, but they were keen and along with Gordon Fraser fought a hard battle every year not to end up last. However in hindsight ending up last often brought as many prizes as the winner, maybe ... No I wont go there!
There was a good mix of senior management with names I remember
such as Ron Edgar, Malcolm Mathieson, Ian Macmillan, Ian Hardcastle,
Sam Aaron, Gordon fraser, David Mains and Douglas Bisset: Middle
management with names such as Bill McGuire, Frank Donachie, John
Wilson, Steven Hall, Jim Calderwood, Alan Noble and Alan Scott;
Grafters such as Eddie Cathcart, John Docherty, Big Doc, Jim anderson,
Bob Anderson, Bob Currie, Nigel Stevens, Tam Finnegan, Eddie Donachie,
and of course others in which since i an now over 40 and the memory
is a bit iffy, now only allows me to produce first names such as
John (Johns Son), Alan, Hendry... anyway enough of that and sincere apologies for those I have forgot to mention as the memory is a bit iffy(or have I said that already!)
Obviously since leaving coats over ten years ago there are many
more names to add to the above list and the subsequent outings.
The golf outings carried on from strength to strength and the banter
I remember with much fondness in ribbing the senior management by
the Donachies and Mcquires helped build a better and more approachable
working environment for we through the game of golf had broken down
many of the barriers you still see in some work places. Since I
left Coats and have been employed with various organisation's, I
have yet to see the camaraderie and excellence once enjoyed at the
Coats Golf Outings.
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