CHAPTER 4: Dulcimers in the British Isles since 1800 > Dulcimers in Scotland

"I could sell my own brushes"

JIMMY COOPER - interviewed by Alan Ward - 9 of 11

(After the War) I done a bit of tanker work, roadspraying... then I was playing at the dancing at the time and it was too much doing the two so I looked for a job with the Betterwear Brushes - you've heard of them... to get a light job to be able to play at nights as well... I was sometimes playing seven nights a week... I've seen me leaving- going away to Kinloch Leven from Airdrie and playing from 8 o'clock to 4 in the morning, coming back from there, then going to work.. In fact you've no idea how many's all died that played along with me... Oh yes... it cuts you short.

Well, I was doing quite well selling brushes, then I decided I could sell my own brushes and I started my own business; and it went on from brushes right on to drapery, then from drapery we had a greengrocers, and I had a credit drapery running - Coatbridge, Glenmaris, Glenboig, and all round the countryside. Had that going, and I used to do the carting of instruments as well, playing at dances away up to Peebles, Edinburgh, away up the Highlands playing at these hunt balls, y'know, with foxes and everything lying on the platform - I done a lot o' that. I threw the dulcimer away, I got bored with the dulcimer then y'see.