The family of Oldmeldrum artist Lindsay Allardyce have paid tribute to the “beautiful, brave, hilarious and feisty” mum-of-three.
The painter – known for her Nordic folk art, stone painting and sculpture work- died aged 50 after a five-year journey with bowel cancer.
“She was the very best. It doesn’t seem fair,” said husband, Keith.
Lindsay was born March 18 1974 at Vale of Leven Hospital, Alexandria, Dunbartonshire. The youngest of Irene and Willie Taylor’s three children, she was baby sister to Gillian and Ewan.
“Feisty from the get-go,” the adventurous tot and her family moved to Inverurie aged three when her dad found a job in the burgeoning oil and gas sector.
After six months, the Taylors moved to Newburgh where Lindsay and her siblings attended Newburgh Mathers school.
On to Ellon Academy for tomboy Lindsay
Always very sporty, Lindsay enjoyed combining her love of the Dons with playing football with the boys at school. A big fan of Jim Leighton, she would stand behind the goal in case she got the chance to hand him back the ball.
“Lindsay was the ultimate wee sister. As a child, she was a tomboy. Great at football, covered in bruises, cheeky, funny as hell and full of mischief,” said Ewan. “And nobody – absolutely nobody could make us laugh like Lindsay could.”
For a year during their childhood, the Taylors moved to Brazil, and on their return, Lindsay followed her brother and sister to Ellon Academy. Forever refusing to wear her uniform, she always had a unique style of her own.
Incredibly artistic from a young age, she moved on to Edinburgh’s Napier University, channeling her creativity into graphic design and publishing.
‘I knew I would see Lindsay again… she had my socks!’
On her return to Aberdeen, while working in Our Price, life would change for Lindsay on June 21 1996.
The night of the summer solstice, in Ma Cameron’s pub, she met musician Keith Allardyce, known to friends as Beefy.
“We had a drink and got talking. Then we talked some more and we ended up down at the beach. Before I knew it, we had talked all night.
“It was really cold but because it was summer Lindsay had on her trademark Birkenstock sandals. I offered her my kilt socks, and to my surprise, she accepted.
“We managed to scrape together enough between us to get her a taxi home. I knew I would see her again – not least because she went home wearing my socks!” Keith laughed.
‘We fell in love so easily. I knew she was special,’ Keith said
Keith, who was in a band called The Lorelei, knew Lindsay was special immediately.
“We fell in love so easily. We really didn’t know how lucky we were. I found her to be incredibly strong in her attitude to life. When I met her, she was quite unsure about what she wanted to do with her life.
“I wish she could have seen what I saw. I knew I’d hit the jackpot.”
They quickly became a “strong team” and on a freezing January 2 1999, in Bourtie Church, Aberdeenshire, the couple tied the knot.
Their first home was in Justice Street, then Urquhart Road in Aberdeen. Keith began teacher training, and Lindsay began working for Aberdeen University’s newspaper, The Gaudie.
Typsetting, designing and branding Freshers’ Week events, she was incredibly proud of her contribution. So much so she’d send her brother each new edition then call him to converse in Doric about the contents, so his London colleagues couldn’t understand.
Motherhood was artist Lindsay’s greatest gift
However, it wasn’t long before Lindsay began excelling in her greatest role in life: being a mum.
The first of their three daughters, Beth, was born in 2000, followed by Daisy in 2003.
After Daisy arrived, the family of four moved to their forever home in Oldmeldrum, with third daughter Peggy coming along in 2006.
“We shared a love of music, outdoors and the mutual determination of building a life together, creating a family and home based in love,” Keith added.
And that’s just what they did.
Bundling the girls into the back of their vintage VW Camper the Allardyces loved to tour Scotland, making annual pilgrimage to Belladrum Festival.
Lindsay’s Trademark work began at daughter’s birthday party
It was also when the girls were young that Lindsay really “came into her own” as an artist.
“She started painting little wooden hearts to put in party bags when the girls had birthdays. Then other mums would ask if she could make some for them, and it went from there,” Keith said. “She was so fantastic, so exact and precise in her art.”
Inspired by vintage, folk and Nordic designs, Lindsay began using reclaimed wood painted with acrylics to create unique pieces.
Lindsay made her mark on north-east sculptures
She created album covers, graphic illustrations, textile collages and ceramics, working under the name “daisyglaisy”.
“We had many a night where I would be down the bottom of the garden in the studio turning wood, and Lindsay would be in here painting,” said Keith.
Lindsay’s art extended to the popular sculpture trails now common across the north-east.
She painted “The Parting Song”, placed in Lerwick Harbour as part of Friends of Anchor’s sculpture trail and a penguin entitled “Fair Isla” for Maggie’s. Lindsay also did a lighthouse for CLAN, which was in Cruickshank Botanic Gardens, called Archie – Mr Lighthouse, and a hare in CLAN’s Big Hop trail called Jack O’Hare.
She also created “Floo’er Wullie” for Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail in aid of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital, Glasgow Children’s Hospital and the Archie Foundation.
“We can’t really put a figure on it, but we think Lindsay will have raised north of £60,000 over the years for various charities.
“Ironically, most of them cancer charities.”
Shock cancer diagnosis was ‘hardest thing’ for Allardyce family
Lindsay – who was known for her fitness and healthy lifestyle – was diagnosed with cancer “out of the blue” five years ago.
She had become ill with what was thought to be Crohn’s Disease and was booked in for surgery.
“It was the pandemic, so I had to drop her off, and she went in on her own. But that meant when she phoned me later, she had to break the news that the surgeon had discovered cancer.
“Two weeks earlier, she had run her fastest ever 10k. We couldn’t believe it,” said Keith, now deputy head teacher of Manor Park School.
“There’s no question that these last five years have been the hardest thing we have ever done as a family. It just seems so unfair this happened; it’s something we will never understand.”
‘We never asked for a timeline’
Lindsay bravely endured her treatment, with doctors confident it would all be “mopped up”, but later scans revealed more lesions elsewhere in her body so scores more chemotherapy sessions followed.
“The care we got was exceptional – I’d like that to be noted because Lindsay really felt that. Everyone from doctors, nurses… everyone was phenomenal.
“If you add our amazing friends and family, Lindsay was surrounded by the best possible care and attention.”
The couple never asked for a timeline but remained honest with their girls so when Lindsay started feeling increasingly unwell last summer, they all understood what it could mean.
One more trip to Belladrum…
Following a hospital stay Keith managed to “break Lindsay free” in order to have a night at Belladrum surrounded by friends and their three girls who went up ahead of them.
“It was just a brilliant 24 hours or so.
“But not long after that, Lindsay started slowing down. And by slowing down, I mean she was still trying to go cold water swimming – and coaxing everyone else to do it too, even if they didn’t want to.
“She had an uncanny way of doing that,” Keith smiled. “She had me running a marathon once!”
‘There were a lot of difficult conversations,’ said Keith
Towards the end of the year, despite increasing pain, the family managed one last Christmas at home, as was their tradition, and one last anniversary away together too. Over the years, the family spent numerous breaks in Sandend and Portsoy, and the festivities of 2024 were no different.
“We started having many more difficult conversations. The kind we really didn’t want to have but knew we needed to. Lindsay always put all of us before herself. She had sorted books out for the girls. Nothing was left unsaid. ”
Lindsay, who worked as communications manager for Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action, was still painting and still passionately interested in politics – she and her sister started Quines for Independence.
‘Huddle together like penguins,’ that’s what she said
In January this year Lindsay’s care shifted to Roxburghe House.
After just three weeks, with her husband, brother and sister by her side, she passed away peacefully on February 16.
“The last thing she said to me was to be brave… and when needed, to huddle together like penguins,” said Keith. “That was Lindsay. She was the best person I have ever known.
“She said to me, ‘We’re so lucky to have friends and family that love you and the girls Beefy.  They will want to take care of you four. Please let them.’
“‘And if someone is really struggling, get them into the middle until they are ready to let someone else in the middle, just like penguins.'”
‘Let’s remember Lindsay in happiness,’ said her brother
A celebration of Lindsay’s life took place on Thursday March 6 at Baldarroch Crematorium.
Her brother Ewan delivered the eulogy. In memory of his activist sister who was “always campaigning and protesting injustice”, he said: “Grief is non-negotiable.
“But I say let’s choose happiness as an act of defiance. Because there’s so much to happiness to remember from Lindsay’s life. Try to remember the immeasurable joy she brought.”
A selection of her favourite songs, including The Man Who Sold The World by David Bowie and Caledonia by Dougie Maclean, were played.
Up The Beach by her favourite band, Jane’s Addiction, was also included.
Lindsay’s greatest legacy is her three beautiful girls
Keith said: “Hundreds of people turned up. It was a beautiful day so when the doors were opened to let more people in it didn’t matter.
“We were all so touched but shouldn’t have been surprised.
“She was elegant, very funny, intelligent, direct, dignified, talented, beautiful and fiercely loyal to her family and friends whether you liked it or not.
“But of everything we have done and achieved together, there is nothing that can compare to Beth, Daisy and Peggy. Truly their mother’s daughters.
“The world has lost the presence of an incredibly strong human spirit in Lindsay. A terrible loss to us all, but what a privilege to have known her.”
‘Life will never be the same without Lindsay’
Donations for Kayleigh’s Wee Stars were taken at Lindsay’s funeral, amounting to £1431.31.
Keith added: “Life for us Allardyces will never be the same without Lindsay, but I know that if we ever don’t know what to do, we just have to think, what would Lindsay do? And then crack on!”
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