STEWART Taylor who is in his 90th year, has the honour of lighting Biggar’s Hogmanay Bonfire for 2023.

He is a well known business man in town as the owner of world renowned Taylors Ices.

Coming to Biggar at the age of five, Stewart attended both Biggar Primary and Biggar High before leaving to take up an apprenticeship at age 15 with Ross the joiner whose premises were where the Taylor Ices factory is now.

National Service then called and Stewart served in Egypt before returning to work again with Ross.

It was around this time that he met Nita (whose maiden name was also Taylor) who would become his wife in 1962 (now approaching 62 years of marriage!)

Looking for a change of career he was successful in an interview with Hoover and spent three years in the Clydesdale area selling and servicing what was then the latest house cleaning product.

Returning to work in Biggar and with Nita expecting, Stewart took over the milk run owned by John Morton of Howslack.

One of his customers was the family Ricci who owned the Townhead Cafe and made ice cream. Following Mr Ricci’s death, Stewart helped the family load the ice cream machine which made 12 gallons of ice cream at a time.

He then gradually became more involved in the actual ice cream making process and when the family decided to sell up in 1968 Stewart was successful in purchasing the Townhead Cafe and the rest, as they say, is history.

One of Stewarts earliest Bonfire related memories is of the first Bonfire to be organised after the war in 1945.

The Burnbraes was the venue at that time as the famous fountain sat where the present site is. He remembers gathering wood from various locations to help build the fire and then watching as the Home Guard lit the fire on Hogmanay.

Stewart is delighted to have been asked to light this year’s fire and wishes everyone a very prosperous New Year and good luck in 2024.