Obituary: Ian Brown, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Chambers of Commerce chief started out as a police cadet

Ian Brown was a man of many talents who had a varied and interesting career. He started as a police cadet in his home town of Hawick and after leaving the force to take up a number of differing posts he retired early as chief executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.

Unfortunately, his early retirement from the helm of one of the capital’s leading business organisations was due to ill health. However, he continued to enjoy a full life for many years and was able to take an active part in his local community in Innerleithen, where he fulfilled his great desire to be of service to others.

Born in Hawick, Ian attended the local high school prior to joining the police force in 1961 as a cadet. It was only recently that he recounted to me an amusing tale of his first day at work. He was sent on an errand, having been allowed to ride a new police bicycle which had just been delivered. He parked it carefully outside the location he was visiting but on return found it was a mass of mangled steel – it had blown over and been crushed by a passing lorry.

Fortunately, a passer-by and the lorry driver, taking pity on the “speechless” young cadet, accompanied him back to the police station to explain it wasn’t his fault. As Ian recalled, the duty inspector was courteous to the two civilian visitors after getting over his initial apoplexy but said the incident would need to be reported to the chief superintendent.

Having served four years as a cadet, he qualified as a constable and was assigned to the beat in the towns of Melrose, Jedburgh and Galashiels, a role he greatly enjoyed.

Later he was appointed to patrol car duty in the Borders. However, after service of 11 years as a police officer, Ian decided that a lifetime in the force was not for him and in 1972 he was appointed road safety officer for Durham County.

After a two-year spell in that post, he returned to Scotland where he took up appointments with both the Road Haulage Association and Transport Action Scotland, the Scottish campaigning organisation of the British Road Federation.

In this role, he achieved considerable success in promoting and publicising campaigns for better road transport. These included the need for a by-pass around Edinburgh – the route that was eventually built – and in making the case for improved routes to the north to serve the expanding North Sea oil industry off Aberdeen.

Ian’s versatility, his ability to tackle different challenges and his considerable skill as an administrator and communicator equipped him well for promoting the policies and interests of different organisations. In 1985, he was appointed chief executive of the Scotch Quality Beef and Lamb Association. His duties included many promotional trade missions abroad including Europe and the Far East.

Representing the interests of business at home and abroad was also part of his remit when he was appointed chief executive of Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce and then to the same post in the Edinburgh chamber. His Edinburgh appointment in 1990 came at a time when the former Lothian Regional Council was making efforts to build bridges with business and enter into a new partnership.

Ian’s pleasant and friendly personality and his sense of humour assisted greatly in this task. “Ian was a very important element in our efforts to work with the business community,” recalls Graham Bowie, at that time chief executive of the regional council.

“I found my relationship with him very easy and effective – he was a great person to work with and to know personally.”

He also played a leading part, along with representatives of the regional council, Edinburgh City Council and Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Limited, in discussing the need for properly organised Hogmanay celebrations which were then lacking.

This work helped to lay the foundations for the development in later years of the capital’s internationally acclaimed Hogmanay street party.

After six years with the Edinburgh chamber, ill health unfortunately resulted in Ian taking early retirement in 1995 at the age of 50. However, he recovered sufficiently to use his free time to take up a wide range of interests.

These included serving on a committee of the Law Society and as a lay representative on a committee which adjudicates on complaints against NHS staff.

He contributed to local hospital radio and became an elder of Innerleithen Church, in which he also served as clerk to the congregational board and edited the church newsletter. Charity work was also among his prime interests and he never missed the opportunity to raise funds.

One of his most recent opportunities was to participate in the church’s fundraising “Wheely Good Day” in which volunteers were invited to cycle from various Peeblesshire locations using every available road with access to Innerleithen. By this time, Ian was severely restricted by mobility problems. However, not to be outdone, he travelled 25 times round the church on his motorised mobility scooter in order to run up enough miles to raise £160 from sponsorship.

Sadly, Ian was diagnosed with cancer in recent years, an illness he fought with great courage, dignity and even good humour. He frequently expressed the view that he was fortunate to have reached his stage in life when many others were experiencing worse situations than himself.

His great Christian faith was also a considerable comfort to him, as was the love and support of his wife, Moira, and family. He once described his three grandchildren – Hamish, Cameron and Finlay – as having given him “indescribable joy”.

I first met Ian in his days as a police cadet in Hawick and this formed the basis of a friendship which was to flourish in later years and continue for a lifetime.

He was one of the most loyal friends anyone could wish for. He will be sorely missed by Moira; his daughter Jacqueline; son Alistair; daughter-in-law Susan, his grandchildren, sister and brother-in law and by all his many friends.

A celebration of Ian’s life will take place at Innerleithen Church, at 10am on Monday, after which burial is at Innerleithen Cemetery.

DAVID SCOTT