The miller's tales, loved by children

Published on Wednesday 5 December 2007 11:52

Miller and church stalwart Lawrence Walker, of Dean Village, is remembered.

LAWRENCE WALKER, who died recently, was remembered last weekend by children at the Sunday school where he taught for more than half a century.

Dean Parish Church, of which 79-year-old Lawrence was a member for more than 60 years, is having its new Sunday school hymn books - used for the first time last Sunday - inscribed with his name. A sum of 1500 has also been raised from his funeral for Fresh Start, a charity close to his heart which supports the resettlement of homeless people.

Born in Colinton at Bogs Mill in 1928, Lawrence, who died on September 10, was the last miller in Dean Village and a devoted member of the parish church.

He moved to Dean Village aged four and attended Stewart's Melville, where he played rugby and cricket, before he was called up into the Royal Artillery at the end of the war.

After he was demobbed he returned to Bell's Mills in Dean Village where he took his place in the family business of milling wood flour.

He met his wife Margaret through the church and it was there, naturally, that the pair married in September 1958. The father-of-four was badly burned in an explosion at Bell's Mills in 1971 and attributed his survival to a miracle.

He often talked to children at the Sunday school of his mill experiences and the explosion which changed his life.

Following the explosion, Lawrence worked at Redhall Mill until his retirement, after which he worked part-time at Lamb's Mill in Bonnington. His expertise in milling was highly regarded.

He was a member of the steering committee which became the Dean Village Association in 1971 and he enjoyed giving local tours and talks on the history of the area.

He was also involved in the Water of Leith Conservation Trust and is included in a video presentation at the trust's centre on Lanark Road.

The Rev Mark Foster, of Dean Parish Church, described Lawrence as a kind and thoughtful man who would be sadly missed by generations of church-goers.

He recalled how, on leaving church after service on a cold, wet day, he would often find Lawrence had warmed his coat on the radiator for him, without being asked.

The minister also highlighted Lawrence's remarkable contributions over the years to the ecumenical charity Fresh Start, which provides starter kits for homeless people resettling.

He said: "Lawrence was a church elder for 35 years and taught in the Sunday school for 56 years. He only stepped down because one of his longstanding friends had stepped down the previous year and he didn't want to break her record of service.

"Generations have known him, particularly those who went to Sunday school. He related so well to the children and told them stories of the mill. He is hugely missed."

Lawrence's daughter Helen died in 1995, followed by his wife Margaret the following year. His son Roderick died last year. He is survived by his daughters Anne and Jane, his brother Allan and his six grandchildren.