Popular Musselburgh band Yard of Ale is set to present two concerts for local good causes this autumn.

The trio will raise funds for the Hollies Day Centre for older people and Musselburgh born Tom Fairnie, a singer-songwriter, who is preparing to go the musical trip of a lifetime to the USA.

Yard of Ale was originally formed in 1972 when Ian Lawson, Alistair McDougald and Colin Mackenzie all found themselves in Musselburgh.

Alistair and Colin had married local girls and Ian had taken up a post in youth and community education. He also later married a Musselburgh girl.

All three had dabbled in folk music in the past and regularly went to the Golf Tavern in Millhill, Musselburgh, to hear local folk singers, the Amulree Trio, Chris Egan and his daughters, Lorraine and Karen.

Alistair explained: "We each would sing a few songs individually in the trio’s break. One week John Gillan, the owner of the pub, asked if we could try and fill a night when the Amulrees were unavailable.

"We had a practice, everything just clicked and Yard Of Ale was born. We played every Friday and Saturday at the Golf for three years and took our name from the yard glass which hung on the wall. We were encouraged by local comedian, Billy Nimmo (Stu Williams), to try our hand in the club cabaret scene."

Yard Of Ale then had many successful years on the pub and club circuit, winning the TV Times 'Pub Entertainers of the Year' award. The band did well on ITV's 'New Faces' and appeared on many television and radio shows including STV’s 'Thingummyjig' and BBC Radio Scotland’s 'Scottish Radio Orchestra Roadshow.' During this time they also supported, amongst others, Matt McGinn, Hamish Imlach and Billy Connolly, and enjoyed an extended run in the Edinburgh Festival with the legendary Tim Hardin.

They then went their separate ways with Alistair involved in solo cabaret work, Colin playing with the North Sea Gas folk group and Iain, the original guitarist, leading a rock band.

In 1992 the group reformed for a charity show at the Brunton Theatre with good friends The Mimics, a successful Musselburgh comedy showband who had also broken up previously, to mark the passing of their mentor Billy Nimmo. The event was so successful that the band decided to give it another go.

Since then its popularity has continued to grow and it has been in great demand for concerts, folk festivals, corporate functions, pub, hotel and club gigs all over Scotland and when on tour in Denmark and in Ireland.

Peter Gillan, nephew of the Golf’s John Gillan, then joined the band when Ian retired in 1998. Having spent many years playing solo as a singer and guitarist on the folk and country scenes, his experience added yet another dimension to the band.

Walter Mowat joined Yard Of Ale in 2015 when Colin retired. Over the years he has played in a number of folk and bluegrass bands and also plays violin in the Really Terrible Orchestra.

Ian and Colin still occasionally feature with the band as deputies or for larger concerts.

Alistair and Ian each have two sons who were brought up and educated in Musselburgh.

Alistair’s sons were both taught at the Burgh School by Susan Macintosh, Peter’s wife.

Peter started his working life at Brunton’s Wiremill and still works for Brunton Aero products as it is now. He has also become a leading light in the Musselburgh Athletic FC’s 1934 Club.

Alistair was a director for 20 years of the now defunct Musselburgh Fair Day Association which ran the annual trotting at Musselburgh racecourse. He also ran a youth club for a number of years in Northesk Church and was chairman of the Musselburgh Domino League for a few years.

In August,Yard of Ale played a fundraiser for Musselburgh Athletic Football Club to help them achieve their transition to senior football.

The fundraising concert for the Hollies Day Centre has been organised by Musselburgh and Inveresk Community Council. The sell-out event will take place on Friday at Loretto Church Hall.

The 'Get Tom To Austin Fundraising Concert' is planned for Saturday, November 3, at the Fisherrow Centre in South Street, Musselburgh. Mr Fairnie, 68, hoping to head to Texas next spring after being offered the chance to record an album of his own songs with the Grammy award winning producer Merel Bregante. formerly of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.