Legacy of Tom’s kindness will endure
His friendly face became as synonymous with Edinburgh as the capital’s famous castle.
And since the war veteran-turned charity collector Tom Gilzean passed away aged 99 last November, there has been something missing in the city.
However, that will soon change with a new statue of Tom finished and ready to grace the streets in his memory.
Tom was regularly seen with his collecting tin and trademark tartan trousers on Princes Street and the Royal Mile.
He passed away in veterans’ hospital Erskine House following a series of small strokes. Mr Gilzean was honoured with an Oor Wullie statue in his image, as part of the Bucket Trail. But he was outbid when the
statue went up for auction. However, a local taxi firm stepped in to commission another sculpture – and now it’s ready and waiting to be placed in the city.
Tom’s son, Douglas, said: “It is so nice to know dad’s legacy will live on in the streets of Edinburgh.
“Dad was so well known and so loved, the city would be a strange place without him.”
Douglas, of Livingston, added: “At the funeral, we just couldn’t believe the amount of people who came to pay their respects. We didn’t realise just how much people thought of him. We knew he was doing collections every day but just took it for granted.
“He started collecting when mum died in 2000, so he did it for about 19 years. It gave him a new lease of life.
“It started as such a small thing. We didn’t realise just how much it meant to people until he started being put forward for awards.
“Dad loved it. In fact, he lived for collecting. All he cared about was collecting for the charities. It really was his whole life.”
Artist Chris Rutterford, who made both Tom statues, as well as a small replica for the family which they donated to the Royal Hospital for Sick Kids, Edinburgh, said: “Tom is a local legend and it was important that he – and his kind soul – live on in Edinburgh.”