I have just learned the news that Hugh Mateer has sadly passed away on Saturday 21st November.
Hughie, who was in his 90th year, was a fireman at the North-West Fire Station in Glasgow and was fondly remembered by all who knew him.
Growing up in the North-West Fire Station, I along with countless other children of fireman always knew him as Uncle Hughie, the organiser of the Christmas parties and dances held in the station’s drill hall.
Hugh was an exceptional character and one of the most well liked individuals ever to have worn a Glasgow Fire Service uniform. He was also a wonderful ambassador for the Fire Service and always had a kind word to say to everyone. Hugh Mateer will be long remembered and sadly missed.
Bob Wright.
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On hearing the sad news of Hugh pasing away on Saturday 21stNovember, the Antonine Day Centre felt that they would like to pay their respects by putting together a few words that summed up Hugh over the years.
Hugh attended the Antonine Day Centre for 13 years, he was a true gentleman who loved to share his stories about his days in the fire service. He was always full of good spirit, good chat and always enjoyed a bit of banter about the Glasgow Rangers. We all enjoyed his competitive nature, he gave 100 pecent at everything wither it be dominoes, shufleboard as he liked to win.
Hugh will be sadly missed by all his friends and “girls” at the Antonine as he was a man of character and a character of a man.
This must be an extremely sad time for you and your family but you can take comfort in that people viewing your comments will agree with everything you have said and I’m sure it will bring back many happy memories of your father’s long association with the Glasgow Fire Service and in particular, the North-West Fire Station.
You mention about the telegram and the whistle. I can remember him doing his ‘act’ with these and for me this also brought back memories of the parties in the North West that my sister Irene and I both attended. He used to wind us up so much waiting for Santa to appear it was a wonder his eardrums never popped with the noise of all these kids singing Jingle Bells at the tops of their voices! Apart from Sundays it was the only time of the year you seen the rest of your pals scrubbed and dressed!
When I joined the Glasgow Fire Service your Dad was still there and it was always a pleasure when detached to the North West when he was on duty or when Hugh was detached to my station, the North.
He was indeed a remarkable man.
Jimmy Rexter phoned me to tell me about your blog. I was nearly crying reading it. It was lovely reading what you said about my Dad. He, of course was so dearly loved by myself, my Husband Stewart my Sister Jacquie and both our families. He was Dad to us, Grandfather to Stewart and Alan, my boys and Jacquie’s daughter Dawn, Sons William and Ross and Great Grandfather to my son’s daughter Megan and son Josh.
Your bit about the parties in the fire station was so true, Jacquie and I went for all these years to the parties each year, thought it was always the best one, and I took my boys in their own right and they used to get so excited when Santa was coming, sing louder, he can’t hear you was the cry. I didn’t realise when younger that the parents bought the presents we were always convinced it was Santa and then when my boys went of course I found out the truth!!!!!!! We always got to go on the engine unless it was out on a call, of course, it was great and I always wish I had the gumption to go down the pole – my sister did, I think, me I chickened out.
I was looking through some stuff the other day at my Dad’s and found the telegram that Santa sent to him and the famous whistle is still there too. As we were trying to look for a photograph of him there were the photos of my boys at the party so what you wrote is so true.
He was involved with so many kid’s things, Captain of the Boys Brigade, Superintendent of the Sunday School in Johnstone’s Church in Springburn. Even out here in Cumbernauld, where he and my Mum later moved to he used to be Santa to the kids in the local school and playgroup every year. My boys, when small, could never work out how Santa always sounded like grandpa and because he did it for so long the consistency was there so everybody believed in him.
It was sad latterly to watch such a vibrant man with the big personality get weaker and become so frail at the end but so many people have gave us words of comfort and memories of him.
He is still in our hearts forever, my DAD,HUGH MATEER.
Thanks so much.