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Ewen Bain

The loss of Ewen Bain to all Scotland cannot be measured, except that all of us have lost a main source of laughter based on a humour without any malice. Ewen was a modern commentator but in his cartoon’s famous character Angus Og he also observed the essential qualities of the Scots’ failings and virtues. There was of course a Highland bias Ewen after all was a Gaelic-speaking Glaswegian hailing from Skye. Quite a lot of fun was poked but more against authority than against the individual, No offence was given or taken. His following was enormous and Angus was a household figure in all Scotland from Shetland to Wigtown.

In 19501 was the best maid at the wedding of Ewen to my life-long friend of school days Sheila Hunter, a fellow-artist whom Ewen met at the Glasgow School of Art. Even then the humour was renowned, He and a fellow-student used to give illustrated slide-show lectures. One I recall was entitled "The Impact of the Internal Combustion Engine on Stained Glass Windows." By coincidence Ewen was in the same class at Woodside School as my husband Stewart and so there was a double friendship.

There was of course a stress in meeting the ceaseless cartoon deadlines but he always found his material by looking around him at events of the day.

Ewen was very supportive of the ‘Scots Independent’ and helped many SNP candidates in their election material. I remember one for me two chaps looking at opinion polls about Bannockburn and saying "Ah wish Ah hadny come - this latest poll says we’re goin’ tae lose."

When I spoke with my friend Sheila after his unexpected death with flu she said "Well, I had him for forty years." This was a truly happy marriage which radiated happiness to all the Bain’s circle of friends. For Sheila and his daughter Rhona and for all us life will never be the same again.

Winnie Ewing
From the SI of February 1990

January 20 1968June 1 1968

June 8 1968August 24 1968

March 13 1969April 12 1969

July 5 1969August 30 1969

November 15 1969

 

 


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