No more will that beautifully thick Glaswegian accent be heard lilting from your radio.
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William ‘Scotty’ Gemmell, who devotedly hosted the ‘Beam me up, Scotty’ segment every Sunday morning on 2NVR, was named by police as the man who lost his life in the unfortunate Pacific Highway accident at Nambucca Heads on October 7.
In a case of pure irony, Scotty was known as an exemplary driver with a deep love of cars and a long career as an interstate coach driver before he settled in Nambucca Heads in 2004.
“He always used to have the best and fastest car he could afford while living in Scotland,” his cousin said.
“He also used to work for a tour company in the UK and drove a regular tour each week from London up to and around Scotland.
“Being a proud Scot he used to entertain his passengers by playing Scottish tunes when he got to Scotland.
“I believe he played a tape of Scottish music when he crossed the border into Scotland and when he left Scotland he would play ‘Will ye no come back again’.”
His two great loves were music and travel, and on radio his alter-ego was allowed to shine through.
He had a dry, wry wit and the perfect voice for radio.
- 2NVR president Steve Ryan
The local station’s presenters have been playing audio tributes to Scotty since hearing of the news of his passing.
“‘The lady in red’ [a classic Scottish tune] was his favourite song and presenters have been playing it a lot in his memory,” 2NVR’s Dallas Dent said.
The well-liked and respected 73-year-old was a passionate volunteer at the radio station, and at Community Transport (CT) where he drove three days a week for the last 4 years.
“His clients particularly liked him. He was a great conversationalist and a real gentleman,” CT volunteer driver David Jones said.
He was also on the board of the Nambucca Heads RSL Club in 2014/15.
He is remembered by those who worked with him as a gentle and selfless soul, a perennial presence at any function, and never too far from a flask of scotch.
He never married or had children which allowed him to devote himself to his community.
“He was a man in motion,” one of his closest mates, Alan Fitches said.
The pair met driving coaches and quickly became firm friends.
“The other drivers called us the odd couple—Scotty and Mildred—because he was neat as a pin, always immaculate, while I was not, and he loved to have a drink and a smoke, whereas I abstained,” Alan said.
Alan plans to honour a pact the pair made 20 years ago to sprinkle Scotty’s ashes at the foot of Eilean Donan castle in the Scottish Highlands.
But a little bit of him will always stay in Australia.
- Alan Fitches
All are welcome to attend his funeral service which will be held at Nambucca Valley Funerals at 11am on Monday, October 23.