A memorial bench on the Esplanade, in a park or by the river, wouldn’t have worked for Aberdeen’s Ronnie Reid.
Only one place was fit to have his name on it, and that was his regular seat in St Machar Bar.
As part of our Place to Remember series uncovering the hidden stories of Aberdeen’s memorial benches we visited the 118-year-old drinking spot to find out the story behind “Ronnie’s seat.”
A regular face
Right in the heart of Old Aberdeen, St Machar’s is a pub renowned as being “a university bar since 1904.” But alongside a steady flow of students and Buster the house bulldog, a small band of regulars congregated each day for more than a decade.
Former blacksmith Ronnie Reid, originally from Forres, began drinking in the High Street bar when he moved into nearby Bede House Court.
Darren Murray started working at the pub shortly after Ronnie passed away.
“Ronnie died about four years ago. He was a known regular who came in most days and sat in the same seat each day. He ordered a Guinness and liked to switch the telly to his quiz shows.
“If sports were on he apparently had a moan about that. But he was certainly well-loved. It was a previous member of staff who organised to have a plaque placed over Ronnie’s seat.”
Memories shared
John, also a regular at St Machar’s, was a neighbour of Ronnie’s.
“Ronnie had originally lived in Torry though he had come from up north. He was a blacksmith and then later was into welding. In his older years, he moved to the housing complex just near here [St Machar’s Bar] and we got to know each other.
“He was quite a character. Liked a laugh, liked to watch his quizzes, but he did get annoyed with the students coming in with their backpacks on. ‘Sherpas’ is what he’d call them. This bar is too narrow to have bags bumping into things and Ronnie would tell them as much.”
Lasting tribute
Following his death, a previous barmaid drew a picture of Ronnie. It was framed alongside an image of a Guinness and placed above his regular seat.
Mark, another of the regulars who knew Ronnie, said not having him in St Machar’s Bar is a big miss.
“He was a good man, was Ronnie. Regular faces are what you come to rely on in places like this.
“The last time we all saw Ronnie was a Saturday night. He came in for a drink and some food to take home, and the next morning he just didn’t wake up.
“Ronnie’s daughter came into the pub to let people know, and I was sent a text. It was a sad day. His funeral took place at the Crematorium in Hazlehead. He was in his early 70s I think. Aye we a’ still miss him.”
- You can read more memorial bench articles here. Or email lindsay.bruce@ajl.co.uk to share your own stories connected to Aberdeen’s many memorials.
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