Dundee dairy boss Iain Kerr died a proud man.
Not because he thought of himself highly. He didn’t.
The well-earned pride came entirely from his hard work and determination, and because there’s now a fifth generation of Kerrs producing and delivering milk across the North of Scotland.
In light of his death age 89, we look back over the life of a man who built a successful business, secretly played football and whose claim to fame was teaching Jimmy Shand how to dance.
Hard working roots
John Alexander Kerr was born on September 18, 1922. Always called Iain – he was the son of Agnes and John Kerr – and hailed from Dundee.
Iain’s grandfather Sandy started Kerr’s Dairy in the early 1900s. Initially called Balfield Farm Dairy then John Kerr and Son Dairymen Ltd, when Iain’s dad took over, hard work was in his DNA.
“My dad was out delivering milk using his own barrow when he was just seven or eight. The farm was near the Glens scheme in Dundee, now St John’s Secondary School, and dad would go door-to-door,” said Kelvin Kerr Snr, Iain’s son.
Furtive footballer
Iain, along with his sisters Joyce and Dorothy, attended Rockwell Primary School.
He then went to Harris Academy where he developed a love of sport.
Though golf was a lifelong love – Iain remained a member of Downfield Golf Club for 80 years – football became a passion too. He played with junior side Dundee Violet FC and brought home a Scottish Cup medal for Ashvale.
However, being footie mad wasn’t straight forward with a dad who was “all work and no play”. Iain joined teams without his father knowing and got away with it thanks to changing his name to Bobby, in case his dad saw match reports in the newspaper.
Modernising the business
From 1952 to 1955 Iain completed National Service. A wireless operator with the RAF, he was based in Tangmere, West Sussex. On his return he rejoined the family business.
The old Balfield Dairy, where the family lived was replaced in 1959 with a purpose built facility on Clepington Road. Comprising a new dairy, office and house, it marked the modernisation of the business.
“The old Balfield Farm was hard graft for my dad and grandfather,” said Kelvin Snr.
“The milk came in on churns on the back of railway cars. They would have to take all the cans off the trains, unload them into vats and pasteurise the milk. I can’t emphasise enough how hard working they were.”
Family man
In 1957 Iain met Anne Kerr, from Dundee, in the JM Ballroom.
Their romance led to marriage and on February 29 1960 – a leap year – they tied the knot in St David’s North Parish Church. They honeymooned at Peebles Hydro and settled into their first home in Lintrathen Gardens, just a few hundred yards from the dairy.
Iain continued working full time and Anne also came on board as bookkeeper.
In 1960 John Kelvin – named after his dad and the golfer Kelvin Nagle, was born.
Brenda came along in 1963.
Like their dad before them, both of Iain’s kids helped out in the dairy from a young age.
Jimmy Shand
Throughout Iain’s life he enjoyed Scottish country dancing. The family hosted ceilidhs in their barn and a regular guest was accordion legend Jimmy Shand.
Shand – whose signature tune was the Bluebell Polka – may have been knowing for playing music to jig to, but his dancing skills could be attributed to Iain.
“My dad’s claim to fame was that he was the man who taught Jimmy Shand to dance. Apparently, while he knew all the tunes and was sought after at ceilidhs and dances, he didn’t actually know the steps until my dad showed him how to do it,” said Kelvin.
Dairy legacy
At the time of Iain’s death on February 6, the family business is the biggest it has ever been. In 2020, Kelvin Kerr Junior expanded the firm, by opening up a new site in Bridge of Don, with plans to extend further into a purpose built depot at Blackdog Heights in Aberdeen.
“My dad was so proud of all we’ve accomplished. We have 19,000 doorstep customers and we send out 70,000 glass bottles a week. But I hope he’ll also be remembered for being someone who really cared about the people he took on. For many years there were hundreds and hundreds of young lads from the schemes of Dundee working as milk boys at Kerrs.
“He really was some man.”
Retirement
Iain and Anne retired in 1998. They bought a house with an acre of land in Birkhill, Dundee, where Iain spent his time cultivating his garden.
Though he had opportunity to travel the world his first love was Scotland. He was a member of Dundee Ramblers Club and continued to play golf.
Iain passed away on Monday February 6 in Ninewells Hospital surrounded by family.
A celebration of his life will take place on March 1 in Dundee Crematorium.
He is survived by his wife Anne and their children. He was a devoted dad to Kelvin Snr and his wife Avril, and his daughter Brenda and was a beloved grandad to Kelvin Jnr, Rhys and Cameron, and his five great-grandchildren.
Conversation