Women's History Month - Nora Devine

Whether selling wool from her haberdashery shop on Linlithgow High Street or the driving force behind the Linlithgow Folk Club, Nora Devine was a well-known face in the town of Linlithgow.

Many of you may remember her babysitting for you when you were younger, or visiting her shop, where Low Port Records are today.  For all those knitters, cross-stitchers, and embroiderers, Nora’s shop had everything you could think of to create your crafty masterpiece.  I remember Nora, probably from when my nana purchased wool at the shop or latterly when I ventured briefly into the world of cross-stitching.  She always gave a warm welcome and had a sparkle in her eye.

However, it is her work with the Linlithgow Folk Club for which Nora is fondly remembered.  Not only did the Linlithgow Folk Club attract some big names from the traditional music world such as Aly Bain and Barbara Dickson but they were known for giving younger musicians an early opportunity to play before moving onto bigger things.

In recognition of her dedication supporting Scottish traditional music, Nora was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2020 in their Services to Community category recognising individuals that work tirelessly to help their community and enrich the lives of others through selfless service or charitable work.

Murdoch Kennedy’s article in the Black Bitch (Issue 76, August 2020) and entry for the Hall of Fame outlines Nora’s contribution to the folk music scene in Linlithgow beautifully, particularly the words from Ian Walker (a popular Scottish traditional music artist) who was heavily involved in the Linlithgow Folk Club in his earlier days, suffice to say, according to Ian, “Nora Devine was the warm hearted, unassuming host at Linlithgow Folk Club. In fact, Nora was Linlithgow Folk Club and Linlithgow Folk Club was Nora.”  You can read the full entry here.

Ian Walker also dedicated a song to Nora after her passing and you can listen to it here.

Nora also supported the establishment of the Linlithgow Folk Festival Association but sadly passed away a few weeks before the first festival was held.  The festival became a popular and annual event on Linlithgow’s social calendar.  Funding from the annual Matt McGinn night (created by Murdoch Kennedy), funded the Nora Devine stage that was used during the Linlithgow Folk Festival and Ian Walker’s song launched the event each year.

Knowing that many people knew Nora, this article probably doesn’t do her justice, but we hope that by celebrating her contribution to Linlithgow and its traditional folk music heritage, that her legacy lives on, and continues to inspire people.

This is our last in the series for Women in History month, but we will be back next year with more, so please do get in touch if you have any suggestions.

Sources:

·       Facebook (The Real Linlithgow Page)

·       Local knowledge

·       Black Bitch (Issue 76, August 2020)

·       Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame

Guitar image courtesy of Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Disclaimer: This article was written under the understanding that the sources of information are correct, but we apologise if that may not be the case; no offence is intended, we merely wish to share and celebrate the achievements of the individual.

Women's History Month - Mary-Louise Coulouris (1939-2011)

Mary-Louise Colouris was a printmaker, painter, and muralist, who, along with her husband, moved to Linlithgow in 1976 and opened her art studio on Strawberry Bank.  Mary-Louise made an indelible mark on Linlithgow with her mural reflecting the heart and soul of Linlithgow Marches at Linlithgow train station in bold and vibrant colour, a trademark of Mary-Louise’s work. It can still be seen as you make your way up to Platform 1.

Mary-Louise was born in New York but spent her early years in Los Angeles where her father, George Coulouris, was a Hollywood actor of Greek descent.  The Greek aspect of her heritage, through the rich colours of the Mediterranean, inspired her palette and widened her subject matter.  She held several Greek government scholarships and held her last four exhibitions there.

She then taught for eight years in various locations in the UK including Scotland, and also Greece while she established herself as an artist.

From the 1980s, Mary-Louise won many prizes, scholarships, and residencies, including public art murals here in Linlithgow, the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and designed rugs for the new Scottish Poetry Library, a tapestry for Yale College, and watercolours for the House of Lords.

A prolific artist, Mary-Louise held many solo exhibitions in cities such as Athens, London, Edinburgh and Perth and her work can be found in public and private collections across the world including the Ashmolean Museum, New York Public Library, and the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.

Mary-Louise initially studied at the Chelsea School of Fine Art, completing her three-year diploma at the Slade School of Fine Art.  She went on to spent two years in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts after winning a French scholarship, and at Atelier 17 studied under master printmaker, Stanley William Hayter.

Mary Louise herself said “I am enthusiastic about people and what they achieve every day and what they have the potential to achieve.  People figure strongly in my work, as they did in the European tradition, from Mantegna to Leger.  Colour is essential to my way of working, as it communicates the emotional impact I want to achieve.”  This is certainly true in the Marches mural here in Linlithgow.

Sources:

• ·       www.colouris.net

• ·       Wikipedia

• ·       Guardian Obituary

 Images by Kayleigh Hirst.

Disclaimer: This article was written under the understanding that the sources of information are correct, but we apologise if that may not be the case; no offence is intended, we merely wish to share and celebrate the achievements of the individual.