By Prue McLaughlin, Vice Chair, Lothiansound TN.
with assistance from James B Stewart MBE (former technical adviser, ASTN)
December 2024
I report with sadness, the death of Janelle Scotland, in October, after a short illness. Janelle joined Lothiansound Talking Newspaper, initially as a reader, in April 1991 when the TN was only 3 years old. Committee work in various roles beckoned very quickly, leading in due course to the office of Chair which she held for 14 years, thereafter stepping back slightly to carry out backroom admin support work, following our Covid shutdown period, and finally retiring in November 2023. Those 32 years were filled with her quite extraordinary devotion to the cause of talking newspapers, not just her own, but to the widespread 60+ TNs around Scotland.
In addition to being the one person who knew every inch (with expertise and high standards) of her own talking newspaper’s operations (Lothiansound), Janelle was the core which held together The Association of Scottish Talking Newspapers (ASTN). She brought renewed life to ASTN when she joined its Council in 2002, becoming Chair in 2003 in what became a 17 year tenure in that office. Janelle master-minded the hugely enjoyable annual conference and AGM, directing the event with a professional smoothness, whilst remembering the names of all the delegates with ease, as well as taking the Chair, often without the aid of a Secretary. Sensing that she was viewed as “permanent Chair”, she decided to force the issue by stepping down (after giving generous notice of this intention, to the Association and to her faithful Council colleagues). It became apparent that it was not possible to fill those shoes and the ASTN quietly folded in November 2021, with considerable regret for those involved in making that decision. However, during its existence, ASTN encouraged and helped TNs of all sizes, some in quite remote areas, to develop and grow through on-site advice and technical assistance, where Janelle was always the motivator.
The talking newspaper community had its greatest ambassador in Janelle Scotland. Wearing her two hats simultaneously (Lothiansound and ASTN), she regularly attended consultative cross-party groups at Holyrood. A special moment in Lothiansound’s history was 19 February 2013 when Jim Eadie (SNP MSP) formally recorded a motion, congratulating our Talking Newspaper on its 25th Anniversary, with other MSPs joining in. A large group of Lothiansound’s volunteers attended the reception which followed. [Scottish Parliament archives: S4M-04877]. Janelle was truly, the Doyenne of Talking Newspapers in Scotland.