Tributes after Fleetwood folk musician dies at 66

Jim Slater, of Duddon Avenue, was a member of Fleetwood Folk Club and taught himself to play whistles although he could not read music.

He joined forces with singer-guitarist Ian Brandwood to create a limited edition CD which earned £500 for the Blue Skies Hospitals Fund at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he was treated for cancer during the past three years.

Jim’s wife Sandra, a folk music fan herself, said: “I bought a whistle and an instruction book but I was hopeless so Jim decided to teach himself and he mastered it.

“After he became ill he wanted to give something back for the care he received.”

Ian Brandwood said: “We started playing together at Fleetwood Folk Club and it always worked really well.

“Jim was an emotive player and it’s good that his work was captured forever on the CD.”

Jim and Sandra’s love of folk music encouraged their son Martin who won Young Musician of the Year at the Fylde Folk Festival which used to be held in Fleetwood.

He is now an army musician with the rank of sergeant and plays the clarinet.

Away from music, Fleetwood-born Jim trained as a toolmaker in the engineering world and became an Inspector at British Aerospace, Warton.

He also loved angling and had been a member of the Alkali Angling Club in Preesall since he was a boy.

He will be remembered at the club by a special memorial plaque. to denote his lengthy membership there.

Jim is survived by Sandra, Martin, two grandchildren, a sister and two brothers.

His funeral will be at Carleton Crematorium on Wednesday, August 4 and the following day Fleetwood Folk Club is due to open again after lockdown with a new home at the Mount Hotel, Fleetwood.