Robert Martin

Published on 03/11/2022

MARTIN Robert (Bob) Arthur Wendy and family would like to thank everyone for their cards and kind messages of support following the sad loss of Bob. A special thank you to Reverend Maureen Duncan and everyone who attended the funeral at St Mary's Church Haddington. Also thank you to Gary and Team at John Bald Funeral Directors, Pixie Rose for the lovely flowers, and Malcom at Lothian Printers. We would also like to acknowledge the kind words of Davie Robertson, (songwriter and long-time Haddington Folk Club member) about Bob's music, which was an important part of Bob's life. 'Folk Clubs tend to be quieter nowadays than they were years ago at the height of their popularity. Back then Haddington Folk Club was usually crowded for its Wednesday night sessions. Some people came just to listen; some came for the company, but most came to participate. Some sang, some played, some did both, and of course the efforts of some were better than the efforts of others. It was rare to excel in all aspects, but it is no exaggeration to say that Bob Martin most certainly did. Bob had a fine voice, he was a consummate musician, and he was a supremely gifted songwriter, equally adept at tackling humorous and serious subjects. It is perhaps worth mentioning also that his general presentation helped to underline his talent, with his thick black gypsy-like hair, a jaunty broad-brimmed hat and a roguish smile. When you saw Bob Martin perform you did not forget it easily. Tragically, a serious stroke badly affected Bob's power of speech and initially affected his ability to sing. However, in spite of it all he strove bravely to recover. If he couldn't sing, he could still give a tune and I vividly remember him at the Folk Club whistling a tune to his own guitar accompaniment. Understandably, Bob was now much less often seen at Haddington. Bob continued to make progress with his recovery and sang and played his guitar every day for the remainder of his life.

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