Published: Friday, 29th January, 2010 12:09pm

Borders says fond farewell to favourite son

AN outpouring of love enveloped Hawick on Monday, as the local community joined the world of rugby to bid farewell to Bill McLaren.

British Lions veterans Ian McLauchlan and Sandy Carmichael rubbed shoulders with 2009 Lions Nathan Hines and Mike Blair, Scotland coach Andy Robinson stood alongside predecessor Frank Hadden.

While the nation's most capped player, Chris Paterson, was joined by a host of Hawick internationalists from the post-war years, all of whom had come to pay their last respects to the 86-year-old BBC commentator, teacher and family man.

Despite the sadness of the occasion, Bill's quirky sense of humour was never far from the surface.

On entering Teviot Parish Church, each of the 650 mourners was handed a Hawick Ball sweetie (Bill's trademark confection) by one of the McLarens' five grandchildren.

This, along with the family's request that club ties and colours be worn, helped transform a day of heartbreak into a heartfelt celebration of an extraordinary life.

To the strains of "Highland Cathedral", played by Piper Cameron Renwick, the coffin was borne into the church on the shoulders of six members of the current Hawick team, among them 1st XV skipper Kevin Reid.

At the front of the church sat Bill's widow Bette, flanked by daughter Linda, the couple's grandchildren, and the rest of the extended family.

Minister Neil Combe's words were relayed by loudspeaker to the hundreds of mourners gathered outside the church, and after the singing of "The Lord's My Shepherd", a magnificent tribute on behalf of the McLaren family was given by the couple's oldest grandson, Gregor Lawson.

The former Heriot's FP player told the packed congregation that the family had been overwhelmed by the level of support they had received in their time of grief, and he had a special word of thanks for staff at Hawick Community Hospital, for the care and kindness they had shown his grandfather during his final days.

Gregor concluded an affectionate, humorous and uplifting eulogy with the following words: "One of Papa's charms was that he had no perspective about the love people had for him, and the reason they had it.

"After a week of national and international tributes, thousands of messages, and a Facebook movement to re-name a stand at Murrayfield - Papa, now you know!"

Spontaneous applause rang around the church, as it did again shortly afterwards when local teacher Ian Landles had finished reciting his own glorious paean to the doyen of commentators - a quite brilliant poem, written in Hawick's distinctive dialect, in praise of "The Man That Oo Ca' Bill".

Following the hymn "How Great Thou Art", the coffin was solemnly carried from the church to the strains of "Flower Of Scotland".

The cortege then made its way to Wellogate Cemetery for the interment, its route lined every inch of the way by thousands of well-wishers, all of whom applauded as the hearse passed.

The 'Voice of Rugby' might finally have been stilled, but the praises of this remarkable man will be sung for generations to come.