Appreciation by Alister Hadden on behalf of Wallyford Community Council

WALLYFORD has sadly lost one of its finest stalwarts in Janet Bourhill.

Janet, who died peacefully at home surrounded by family on Wednesday, April 13, after being diagnosed with cancer over two years ago, fought it bravely to the end.

Janet, aged 54, was married to Gary and was mother to Sarah and Kirsty.

Apart from being a working mother and housewife, she was a member of Wallyford Community Council for more than 20 years, serving as secretary.

She volunteered her valuable time to the community of Wallyford and also grew up in St Clement's Church through Sunday school as a member and teacher.

She took part in the church’s young people’s groups and was a stalwart in their theatre and pantomime productions.

Janet became an elder of the church in 2002, and, until her illness, was an enthusiastic worker there, even latterly her faith sustained her through the hardest times.

The community of Wallyford wish to take this opportunity to express their sincere condolences to her family and are indebted to Janet for all her dedication of many years she gave for the greater good of Wallyford village with the community council, St Clement's Church and other organisations.

As a Millennium project in 2000, Janet played a key role in producing a booklet, The History of Wallyford – the brainwave of Peter Baxter and Alex Stevenson.

She edited the book, which was printed and delivered to every house in the village.

Janet, an enthusiastic member of Wallyford Community Council, played a major role, along with other members, in having commemoration plaques made and installed in Wallyford Community Centre to commemorate prominent Wallyfordonians: Willie Park Snr, the first ever open golf champion; Charles Dury, Pastor at Wallyford Mission for over 60 years; Jock Wallace, the first man to be manager of Glasgow Rangers twice; reunions for former Wallyford Miners and the Wallyford branch of Musselburgh & Fisherrow Co-op members.

She had great pride in reading out her poem, A Wallyford Miner, at the unveiling of the Wallyford mining memorial stone in 2010.

Her poem is engraved on a plaque and can be seen mounted on the replica coal mining hutch situated on the paved quadrant at the foot of the road leading to Wallyford Industrial Estate.

The poem pays tribute to the 38 miners who lost their lives in Wallyford collieries from 1857 to 1914 and is a fitting tribute to those miners. Nearby is a local information board depicting Wallyford’s history collated by Janet, her family and friend Angus N Bathgate, a local historian.

At a time when Janet was not feeling at her best in 2015 due to her ongoing medical treatment, she strived with her friend Yvonne Robertson in fundraising to have a tree situated behind the coal mining hutch bearing her poem and decorated with Christmas lights to brighten up the village over the festive season.

It was Janet’s wish, as with Yvonne’s and Wallyford Memories', to eventually raise enough funds to decorate more trees along Salters Road to brighten up the village for all to enjoy.

The Wallyford torchlight procession in December gave great joy for Janet witnessing the village community gathering around the mining stone at St Clement's and singing Christmas carols prior to the switching on of the Christmas tree lights for the festive season.

Janet was delighted in thanking everyone on behalf of Wallyford Community Council and to Santa for handing out treats Janet was instrumental, along with her close friend Yvonne Robertson, in creating the Facebook page Wallyford Memories that has now grown in magnitude to become a worldwide following.

Many tributes have been paid to Janet on the sad news of her passing. Certainly she would have been proud, yet humble, to receive the world-wide tributes on her Wallyford Memories page.

Janet Bourhill has not only left a lasting legacy to the Wallyford village she dearly loved, but an inspiration to many at home and abroad who share their memories and connections with Wallyford.