David Hendry Morton Lindsay

A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of retired potato merchant and storage firm director, Hendry Lindsay, will be held at Perth’s St Leonards in the Fields Church on Monday, January 30.

Hendry died suddenly recently at the family home in Druids Park, Murthly. He was 82. Monday's service starts at 2pm, following a private cremation.

Hendry was a well-known figure in agricultural circles in Scotland and beyond after joining his father in the family firm David Lindsay (Potato Merchants).

He served as president of the Scottish Potato Trade Association from 1979-81 and for many years was an industry representative on the London-based Potato Marketing Board. Also, he had continued as a director with David Lindsay Self Storage, which had developed interests across Scotland.

After leaving school in 1957, he began working with his father following a short spell training as a commercial bookkeeper.

His father, David, had been an area supervisor for the Potato Marketing Board before joining the ranks of Perthshire’s seed potato growers and merchants.

Hendry played an integral role in the expansion of the business, which rented acreage from farmers throughout Perth and Kinross to grow seed potatoes, largely for the English market. In an era of seven-year crop rotation, the Lindsays would work with the same farmers for decades, moving from field-to-field each year.

Before the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, rail halts throughout the county were used to transport around 3500 tons of Lindsay-grown seed potatoes to areas including Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Essex, Herefordshire and Lancashire.

The firm would also buy seed potatoes from farmers in other areas, like the Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, and the Black Isle, who grew their own crop.

With the demise of the rural rail links, in the heyday of the business lorries would transport around 10,000 tonnes of produce over the Border by road handled by David Lindsay Perth.

With an eye on the future, in his late 30s Hendry built storage sheds which are still being used by businesses on the Fair City's Inveralmond Industrial Estate.

He was brought up by parents David and Marion in the city and attended Perth Junior Academy – now Viewlands Primary – and Perth Academy.

In his youth, Hendry was a keen member of the 10th Perthshire Perth Academy Scout troop. He was awarded the Queen’s Scout Award and went on to serve as the Scout Master.

He met Morayshire farmer’s daughter, Linzee Duncan, of Begrow Farm, in Duffus, through their membership of Perth Young Farmers, after she had taken up a role as PE teacher at Perth Academy. They married at Duffus Parish Church in 1966 and went on to have children David and Suzanne.

Hendry was a lifelong member of St Leonards in the Fields Church and an elder for more than half a century. He also played an active role in community life as a member of Perth St John’s Rotary Club and later he was a member of the Tay Probus Club.

He was a director of the Perth Indigent Old Mens Society for many years and was a proud member of the Society of High Constables of the City of Perth, receiving honorary membership last year after being presented with a baton to mark 25 years' service in 2015.

For more than 50 years he was a keen member of the Blairgowrie Golf Club, where the flag has been flown at half-mast as a mark of respect.

Hendry is survived by his wife, Linzee; son David; daughter Suzanne; and grandchildren Ryan, Fern and Charlie.