On April 9th, friends and colleagues from Black's richly varied life and interests joined his family for a memorial in Queen's Hall, Edinburgh – a fitting location and in its own way a memorial to David, since he had been key to saving the redundant church from the bulldozers, and transforming it into the music venue it remains. This was just one landmark in David's over half-a-century as a leader in Edinburgh Conservation – only one of his overlapping and parallel careers.
Born during WW2 in Edinburgh's Craigmillar housing estate, a scholarship paved his way to further education. His interests in historic architecture first jelled around restoring a 17th C. Laird's house at Smailholm in the Borders, where his sons were raised. But it was when they moved back to the city that his involvements and contacts expanded.
With readings from selected favourites and his own writing, interspersed with performances of folk, classical and jazz music, the afternoon was a modern recreation of the traditional ‘soiree' so central to historical Edinburgh accounts of Hume, Smith, Burns, Scott et al.
But within that, his sons talked about their absent brother, whose severe ME prevented his being there. The resistance to recognition of ME and to developing research and treatment had been lucidly presented in articles David contributed to Scottish Legal News, based on the issues faced by his son and all he and the family read, trying to find any help.
From the Queen's Hall stage, DecodeME's Professor Chris Pointing and ME patient Jennifer Wilcox presented the reality of suffering from this insidious illness, and the need for growing the momentum of research and treatment, and a collection was taken among the audience on behalf of the ME Association.
MEA Comment
We are grateful that, in line with his sons’ wishes, an in-memoriam page for David is available for donations to support the ME Association.
Hugh, James and Adam are grateful to all those who've already donated and given so generously.
To give in David’s memory, please go to the Just Giving page (below). All funds raised will be added to the ring-fence Ramsay Research Fund to fund research into ME/CFS:
Further Information
- The Queens Hall: Watch David J Black's memorial service │ April 9, 2026
- The ME Association: Obituary: The clear, reasoned voice of Scottish campaigner David Black sadly silenced │ March 24, 2026