Alan’s life was not a trip but an adventure
Alan Johnston January 9, 1964, to July 31, 2017
As it says in Matthew’s gospel: ‘By their deeds you will know them’ as a means of judging the character of a man. Alan Johnston did many deeds and many, many people know of them and how they have affected their lives. His last deed was to orchestrate the celebration of his life on Friday August 4 at St Molios Church with the help of his two children, Claire and Calum, to ensure that the many people who attended left the church not deflated at their loss, but elated at having known Alan and recalling their own personal memories of him.
Alan was born on January 9, 1964, at Rottenrow maternity hospital, Glasgow, the second son of Eileen and Forbes Johnston. He was a year younger than big brother, Gordon. The family lived in Giffnock for Alan’s first five years and it is then that he formed his lifelong love of Queen’s Park Football Club, being taken to Hampden by his dad to watch the Spiders.
In 1970, the family made the life-transforming decision to move to Blackwaterfoot and take over the Harbour Shop. At first Forbes continued to commute each day to the mainland to work, leaving Eileen to manage the shop with the help of her sons.
Gordon and Alan fitted into island life well and Alan’s adventurous streak led to many mishaps, including falling off the roof of Shiskine school, and he was constantly in need of medical attention through his early years for the inevitable bumps and scrapes from the Shiskine boys’ rumbustious play.
Due to his prominent front teeth Alan earned the nickname ‘Plug’ at school after the Beano character. His parents tried to make adjustments to straighten his teeth by fitting a retainer, which immediately disappeared three feet below ground in the front garden at the Harbour Shop, never to be seen again. The few years of being the youngest Johnston came to an end when David arrived and Alan threw himself into the previously unknown role of big brother by leading his wee brother astray throughout his life.
At school, Alan flourished. He was popular with his fellow students, not just from Shiskine but from throughout the island. His sporting talent exceeded his academic success and he was often sports champion, representing the school and later the island at both rugby and football. With his home team, Shiskine, he enjoyed many successful seasons, winning leagues and cups but the highlight of his football career came later, in what could be described as his veteran football years, when he turned out at Hampden for Queen’s Park, which resulted in him being stretchered off late in the second half with a broken ankle.
At school, Alan met a Brodick lass Sheila Gilmore and, after leaving Arran High, Alan, Sheila and brother Gordon moved to Ayr, where his early business ventures were less than an outstanding success. Alan returned to the island to start a new venture at the Book and Card Centre. This turned into a resoundingly successful venture due, not in any small part, to Alan’s enthusiasm and personality. Nothing was too much trouble to satisfy his customers and soon the people of Arran recognised that if they wanted something, then Alan’s shop was the go to place to get it. He gathered around him a team of like-minded staff who gave the shop a welcoming atmosphere that made it a must visit attraction for locals and visitors.
In their early 20s, Alan and Sheila got married and settled down in Lynnhurst in Shiskine, soon starting a family with Claire and then Calum coming along. Alan continued to play for Shiskine at football in the guise of Alonso Jonsoni, Italian superstar and icecream maker to the hoi polloi and frequently featured in Banner reports by The Fanatic. He helped run Shiskine Valley Sports Day, organising the races for the children. It was at the sports day that he first produced bottles of Belle Noir as prizes for everything from the tug of war to the five-a-side football competitions. Many an unsuspecting ‘winner’ swallowed this sparkling wine only to immediately regret it. He became club captain at Shiskine Golf Club and organised trips away for himself and friends to football, horse racing and golf.
A trip away with Alan was not just a ‘trip’ but an ‘adventure’ – quizzes, competitions, strange drinks and fun. On a Shiskine Valley Sports Day committee outing to York, originally to attend the races, our trip coincided with people going down to London for Princess Diana’s funeral. Alan had arranged a quiz for the journey, which we all enjoyed along with the odd drink from the extensive carry-out. It was only later that we found out the ire of some of our fellow passengers who told the BBC at London that the journey had been sombre apart from a group of rowdy Scots who were drinking and doing quizzes before departing the train at York. With the races cancelled out of respect for Diana, Alan immediately arranged an alternative adventure to Flamingo Land, where the party spirit was still permitted.
As ambassadors for the Tartan Army, Alan and his cohorts were legend in spreading cheer and Scottish goodwill throughout the world, even if the national team had not made the finals. I have no personal experience of these trips but, when Alan found out that I was going to Holland the day after a Scotland game, he arranged to stay an extra day and meet up in Amsterdam. I arrived with a few tourism people in tow to be met with a, ‘How the devil are you?’ from Alan, despite Scotland being gubbed 6-0 the night before ... and a very merry day ensued.
Alan was a long serving member of Arran fire brigade. Over 29 years he served, first at Shiskine and then in Brodick where his courage, sensitivity and bravery enabled him to help people in their hour of greatest need. He was so enthusiastic to use his acquired skills that he trained with International Rescue in order to potentially help in emergency zones.
Alan and Sheila’s marriage did not last for ever, but despite Alan moving out of the family home, the happy years that the family
had spent together and the memories that they shared ensured that they remained good friends and their special partnership would continue.
After a while Alan formed a new relationship with Coral, whom he had first met as a card rep who had visited the Book and Card Centre to sell greetings cards. They enjoyed each other’s company and a relationship blossomed. Coral even persuaded Alan to set sail on a cruise ship, a new adventure for Alan which he thoroughly enjoyed.
One of Alan’s proudest moments was walking his daughter down the aisle, or up the garden, as it turned out to be, to marry Tom, with a dual celebration in Arran and Chicago. In the fullness of time, a second new edition to the Johnston clan arrived in the shape of Betty, his granddaughter. Alan doted on Betty and formed a special bond with her. With his own academic career being so limited, he was also immensely proud of both Claire and Calum’s degree success and their graduation days were special events for him, his mum Eileen, Uncle Ian and the rest of the family to celebrate Claire and Calum’s achievements.
The care and loving that he showed for his Uncle Ian as Ian’s health and mobility deteriorated were typical of Alan. He devoted time and patience to his uncle without question and his laughter and love were very important in Ian’s final days.
Almost a year ago, Alan was diagnosed with incurable cancer. On breaking the news, the doctor asked Alan if there was anything that he could get him. He responded: ‘A whisky and lemonade.’ The doctor got up and left the room and, much to Alan’s surprise, returned with a wee dram.
Outwardly, Alan did not change, it was business as usual, the same smile the same ‘bloody marvellous’ if you asked how he was. He cheered up doctors, nurses and patients alike on his visits to the hospital for his many treatments. That is why it came as such a shock to many of his friends when he died peacefully at home, with his family round him, on July 31.
The turnout at St Molios and at the Kinloch was testament to what Alan contributed to Arran over the years of his all too short life. There were no acquaintances at the celebration of Alan’s life – only friends who had shared joy and happiness as part of Alan’s journey. Alan’s life was not a trip but an adventure.