David Blair, one of the creative team behind some of Britain’s best-loved boys’ publications, has died aged 90.
He was a sub editor on DC Thomson’s Hotspur, Wizard and Warlord during their time of mass circulation from the 1950s onwards.
David was also an able and committed golfer who had held a season ticket at Carnoustie from the age of eight until the day he died.
He had been a finalist in the Scottish Boys’ Championship of 1951 and was then lucky enough to do his National Service in north-west England where he was able to play Royal Lytham.
Publishing career
David was a Carnoustie man through and through and only took the job at DC Thomson when he learnt he would be able to get the train home for lunch.
He was born in the family home at 134 Dundee Street, Carnoustie, in April 1933 to butcher Charles Blair and his wife, Mabel, a housewife and guesthouse proprietor.
From his years at primary school in Carnoustie and secondary education at Arbroath High School, golf was David’s passion.
He got his first season ticket for the Burnside when he was still at primary school and went on to have a successful junior career.
When he left school he went almost immediately into National Service with the RAF, first in Hereford then within teeing distance of Lytham St Annes.
After he returned to civilian life, David secured a job as a sub editor with DC Thomson, interpreting adventure stories and compressing them into comic strip form, then liaising with art and typesetting departments.
Marriage
He met his future wife, Sheila, when she was stayed at his mother’s guest house with her family.
Kathleen, David’s daughter, said: “George and Jean Moir, from Edinburgh, and their daughter Sheila, came to Carnoustie for their annual holiday and, courtesy of an advert in the Edinburgh Evening News, chose to stay at Charles and Mabel Blair’s guest house.
“Dad was instantly smitten with Sheila and by the end of the holiday had plucked up the courage to ask her out. Luckily she said yes.
“They married in Colinton Mains Parish Church, Edinburgh, mum’s home church, on March 13 1961. Mum swapped the capital for Carnoustie and they soon settled down to married life.”
Son, Andrew, was born in 1969 and Kathleen completed the family in 1970.
After many years working on boys’ papers at DC Thomson’s Meadowside headquarters, David joined the staff of My Weekly, one of Britain’s best-selling magazines, at the Kingsway East offices and printing plant.
He later returned to the city centre to work in the central fiction department and was part of the team editing novels and articles for use in different DC Thomson publications.
Detective stories
Editing the Dixon Hawke detective stories and working with the contributors was one of of the highlights of his time there.
Kathleen said: “Dad saw a lot of changes during his time at DC Thomson. When he began it was pen, paper and typing pools and by the time he retired computers were being introduced.
“Until the early 1970s employees were required to work a Saturday morning and Christmas day was just another day. There were no office telephones; if you needed to contact home you had to use public phones next door at the Post Office. He enjoyed it all and I know felt part of a wider family.”
David retired aged 62 and was able to spent more time golfing. He was a member at Carnoustie and Carnoustie Caledonia Golf Club and played in Carnoustie Winter League. He also became a member of Carnoustie Bowling Club but golf remained his sport of choice.
Church magazine editor
He had been an elder of Carnoustie Parish Church since 1986 and soon after retirement took on the additional role of editor of Contact, the church magazine, which remained a big part of his life well into his 80s.
David, who lost Sheila in September 2019, was a past chairman of Carnoustie 41 Club and Carnoustie Probus Club.
Kathleen said: “He learnt many of life’s lessons on the golf course, patience, humility, loyalty, respect, generosity, passion and determination. He lived a full and contented life, devoted to his family with golf coming a close second.”