Please publish this draft of my story.

To Adele and Willie’s kin, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

I first met Willie in 1998 in his wonderful shop Blackfriars Music, and after he had locked up a small entourage headed for a beer. He was great company and it was clear we shared the same views on many things and from that day our friendship was cemented.

Willie helped many people over the years and for me, I will always be grateful that in 1999 he gave me a part-time job working on the internet version of his popular publication The Scottish Folk Directory. That mighty wee booklet's content then created a fantastic website and that in turn launched me into a whole new career as a web designer. Cheers, Willie.

Myself, Neil Palmer and many folks had fun working on an array of projects over the years, that all flowed from a mind that was continually bursting with ideas, the big one, of course, was his dream of having an Irish festival in Edinburgh, which finally got of the ground in 2011 with the establishment of the Edinburgh's Festival of Ireland.
The festival is a great achievement and long may it continue.

Well, when we get back to whatever normal will be, winding down on a Friday teatime will not be the same in Sandy Bell's without his company. The craic with friends and putting the world to rights through shared politics and culture.... but not football ;-)

As we all know Willie was a brilliant concertina player and we will all miss hearing him in the sessions in Bell's, I know it brought him a lot of joy and it was great to hear him lift the music above the hub bub of the pub.
That will be my memory of him. In his element.

Thanks, Willie.
A friends eye is a good mirror.