One of Lanarkshire's 'weel kent' faces sadly passed away recently at the age of 86 after a short illness.

Jimmy Munro was known to many farmers in the North Lanarkshire as their NFU group secretary for nearly 30 years, but he had quite a number of strings to his bow, which made him popular in many fields, not all agricultural.

Before joining the NFU, he served his time as an armature winder and as an electrician with Jeffreys, in Wishaw, and Phillips Electrical. He installed the first TV in Arran and Dumfriesshire and wired the first flood lights at Fir Park, where he was a life-long Motherwell supporter, with claret and amber flowers at his funeral.

With the NFU, he was instrumental in setting up the 'School Shields' competition to help educate youngsters in the towns about farming and continued this as a RHET representative, taking young people around the likes of the Royal Highland Show in his retirement. He founded The Farmers Union Choir with his great friend, Willie Moffat, and never missed a Highland from well before if moved to Ingliston.

His pranks and stories are things of legend and anyone who spent time with him will remember one of Jimmy's 'stories', most of which were experiences he had over the years and could always see the funny side of a situation.

He was an officer in 1st Morningside Boys Brigade and organised their annual camps - fortunately, health and safety and food hygiene were not issues in those days and all of the boys survived the experience.

Jimmy became an elder of the Church of Scotland at 24 years old and remained one until his death.

His work in the church was important to him and he took over the cleaning team on a Monday, fixing the Dyson and floor polishers, replacing bulbs, making the tea and, of course, telling stories.

He was married to Rita, his rock and best friend, for 56 years and, their children, Fiona, Colin and Hazel, were regularly instructed 'your mother doesn't need to know' if he tipped the quad over, bought more wood at the implement sale, where the Christmas tree for the house and the church had come from, or if a child had inadvertently been left on the roof!

His home life was spent in the shed fixing or making something, or breeding his banties with his grandchildren, Allan, David, Kirsty and James, and selling (or, more usually, giving away) the eggs.

He even offered half a dozen eggs to the ambulance drivers the day he left Winterhill, near Allanton, Shotts, for the last time.

That was the house his father had built and he had been born and lived in his whole life.

He was fortunate to have a long and happy retirement and touched the lives of many neighbours, friends and family in his lifetime.

If treasures in this world are being collected to spend in the next, Jimmy Munro will have quite a number of credits to spend!