A DJ who worked at Aberdeen’s Marcliffe Hotel for 35 years has paid tribute to Stewart Spence. He was a “people person” is just two words Ian Macindoe would use to describe Aberdeen hotelier Mr Spence. The former Marcliffe Hotel owner died last week after a career spanning more than 55 years in hospitality.
Ian spent more than three decades working as his resident DJ and has many fond memories of their time spent together. The former Kittybrewster Primary headteacher first met Mr Spence when he was working as a part-time student barman at the Queen’s Hotel in 1975. ‘He valued people’ Little did he know at the time just how big an influence Mr Spence would play on his DJ career.
The grandad-of-four, , said: “My first contact with Mr Spence was when I was a part-time student barman at the Queen’s Hotel in 1975 but my first gig for Mr Spence was in the Marcliffe in 1978. “And just through a lot of quirks of fate, I got the residency at the new Marcliffe. “I moved with them when it relocated to the Marcliffe at Pitfodels.
“He valued people. To me he was a people person.” Ian, who is married to Morag, combined his DJ career with being a full-time primary teacher, including a spell as headteacher at Kittybrewster School from January 2006 to July 2014.
There’s one particular story he’ll never forget when it comes to Mr Spence and his kindness. “My primary sevens wanted to have a prom and my first thought was no as I thought proms were for sixth years. �.