The wife of George Menzies, former Falkland hotelier and host to the famous, has paid tribute to her husband following his death aged 75.
He welcomed US stars Johnny Cash and Andy Williams to The Covenanter, Princess Diana’s mother was a regular, Rev Ian Paisley stayed and former Aberdeen and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson dined there.
George’s wife, Margaret, said the hotel also hosted some permanent residents; ghosts which would walk through walls and rumple newly-made beds.
She called their married life “amazing”, full of “work, play and parties”.
The couple ran The Covenanter for 22 years before moving into property renovations and lettings.
George was born in the Hillfoots village of Alva in 1948 to Robert Menzies, a mining engineer, and his wife, Helen Miller of Rhodders Farm, Alva. He was the youngest of four boys.
In 1931 his father founded Tillicoultry Quarries which today is run by Wallace Menzies.
Margaret said he could remember the sound of millworkers’ clogs as they made their way to the weaving plants.
George enjoyed his years at Dollar Academy where he made lifelong friends and joined the school army corps.
He left school at 17 and joined the Merchant Navy as a navigation officer cadet with Clan Line where he remained for six years before working on Esso’s super tankers for 10 years.
Marriage
George had his first date with Margaret, a food and nutrition graduate, in Glasgow in 1975. He proposed at a Stirling rugby barn dance and the couple married in July 1976.
For the last four-and-a-half years of his career at sea, he was joined by Margaret.
She said: “We saw many exotic countries, but an awful lot of oil terminals. We were in Iran when the Shah was overthrown.”
In January 1980, George and Margaret bought The Covenanter Hotel and five months later their son Alisdair was born, followed by Graham in October of the following year.
The hotel had a cocktail bar, public bar and restaurant but no letting rooms. George, proved a natural host and foreign guests were thrilled to see him wear his Menzies tartan kilt.
The couple introduced a bistro, lettings rooms and self-contained apartments but soon became aware they were not the only occupants in The Covenanter.
Margaret said: “These were our two very friendly ghosts. Our cat wouldn’t go near two of the rooms.
“Voices could be heard and shadows walked through the walls. One regular to our bistro came with his very young daughter who always asked for a place set for her ‘friend’.
“The parents assumed it was an imaginary friend until one night when the friend joined them. I don’t think our excellent staff were too keen on the ghosts either because they liked to rumple newly-made beds.”
Stars came calling
Margaret said Johnny cash was “exceptionally nice and a very gentle giant” but she was not taken with Andy Williams who came on one visit with Johnny to film a show at Falkland Palace.
“Frances Shand Kydd (mother of Princess Diana) was a regular either for dinner or just a drink and a chat, in fact she stayed with us when moving to her house in Falkland.
“Reverend Ian Paisley visited in our first year and Alex Ferguson, Alex McLeish, Walter Smith and Craig Brown all dined with us, not at the same time. ”
In 2002, after 22 years in charge during which time they made the premises non-smoking, the couple sold The Covenanter and moved into the property business.
Away from work, George had a share in a yacht and cherished sailing around the Western and Northern Isles of Scotland.
“We had an amazing life together, we always worked, played and partied together all our married life,” Margaret said.
“George’s passing has left a hole in my life but we were blessed with two wonderful sons, five amazing grandchildren and the fantastic memories of a life lived to the full.”
You can read the family’s announcement here.
Conversation