“DAVID McCLYMONT, MBA, was one of the world’s nicest and most genuine people. A real professional of the old school who knew all his trade customers personally and helped thousands of licensed traders and company colleagues in his long career with Tennent Caledonian Breweries rising to Sales Director. Nobody knew more about the licensed trade than David.
David was born in the Ibrox district of Glasgow and attended Bellahouston Academy. After school he worked in the engineering industry but in 1973 he joined Tennent Caledonian Breweries as a Salesman. He served the next 33 years of his working life in Tennents working his way up the ladder rising to Sales Director for the West of Scotland. David excelled in everything he did including later in his career graduating in his spare time as a Master of Business Administration at Strathclyde University. A remarkable achievement of which he was very proud, although he always said this was surpassed when his daughter Lorraine and son David also graduated from university.
David in his career was a Director of the Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland and head (i.e. Visitor) of the Incorporation of Maltmen of the Incorporated Trades of Glasgow. David famously had a pawky sense of humour and was fun to be with. For example, after induction and presentation of the Visitor’s splendid chain of office he chaired that evening’s dinner. After various speeches and formal toasts, the Incorporation has a tradition of those present inviting various guests and sections of the assembled company to join in numerous toasts. David invited sections ‘on my left’, ‘on my right’ and ‘anyone who from time to time enjoys a pint of Tennent’s Lager’. The entire company in the Trades Hall stood to join David in his toast with the exception of the Scottish Brewers Ltd table – hilarious !! That evening David broke with tradition to inject further fun into the proceedings and invited as one of his top table guests the famous folksinger and composer Adam McNaughtan to give the “Toast to Glasgow”—but in song. Adam got a standing ovation for singing his classics “The Jeely Piece Song”, “The Glasgow I used to know” and his Glaswegian’s hilarious tribute to Shakespeare “Oor Hamlet” !!
David had a number of hobbies and leisure passions—world travel with his beloved wife Margaret, cooking, wines and beers, jazz, theatre, rugby, DIY and many other talents, but especially salmon fishing. He fished all of Scotland’s great rivers including his regular beat on the River Teith where his ashes will be scattered.
Aged only 67 yrs, he put up an unbelievable fight against lung cancer after he was told he had a year to live in Sept 2014. He was in good form at our reunion lunch last November and optimistic he was winning against the odds. It wasn’t to be and he passed away on 18 January 2016. David truly deserves his place in the Tennents Hall of Fame and will never be forgotten by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts are with Margaret and family at this most sad time.
Angus Meldrum