Prestwick singer set to release tribute song for victims of Great Fire of Ayr

Daily Record

12-06-2025

'Forever Sisters' honours 29 lives lost in the tragic fire at Templeton's Carpet Factory in 1876.
Prestwick singer Debbie Campbell is set to release a tribute song for victims of Templeton's Carpet Factory fire.
A very destructive fire occurred in the Ayr factory in 1876, and claimed the lives of 29 people - 28 women and one man - with the youngest victim being only 11-years-old.
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Debbie, together with her partner and songwriter Robert Neil and fellow musician Scott Nicol, recorded a brand new single, 'Forever Sisters', to tell the sad tale.
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'Forever Sisters' will be released on Monday, June 16 to mark 149 anniversary since the tragedy took place.
Robert said: "I first heard the story of this tragedy from a service user when I was a mental health support worker.
"I decided to write the song after I went looking for a plaque near Fort Street but there was none.
"Forever Sisters started as a poem but then I thought it could work as a ballad.
"Debbie and Scott worked on the melody then Sam Gallagher at EssGee Productions in Cambuslang did a great job with the production."I have always been drawn to songs with a narrative, especially when they tell a true story."
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Debbie said: "Next year it will be the 150th anniversary of this tragedy.
"It took Robert about a year to finish off as he kept going back to the words. He was very conscious of how he wanted the words to reflect the level of tenderness and sensitivity needed for such a story.
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"When Robert passed me the lyrics I took them straight away to Scott Nicol and we worked on the melody fairly quickly.
"I knew what sort of sound I wanted for it, a nod to the old folk songs of the past, telling of tales long gone."
Debbie added: "What struck me most was the ages of the young women. The youngest was just 11-years-old.
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"The line in the song 'Innocence had no place to hide' was sung by one of Scott's students, 12-year-old Mithian Perry.
"We felt that was a lovely tribute and Maggie Mitchell who is mentioned in the song, was only 12-years-old too, and she was the great, great, great, great aunt of Tracey Struthers.
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"We would like to give thanks to Ken Nairn, a local historian, who I got in touch with to see what he knew about the Great Fire of Ayr, and he told me all about Tracey, who had done a lot of research on the subject."
While working on the song, Debbie, Robert and Scott were "surprised" by the lack of unawareness of the tragedy and the fact that there is no plaque to remember those who tragically died in the fire.
For the past few months it has been a mission to get a plaque up on the former site. Tracey, whose ancestor died in the fire, had been contacting both the council and the Fire Brigade Union about a plaque.
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The Fire Brigade Union are now on board and assisting to make this happen.
Debbie added: "During Robert's research into the story, he found out about another group of people who had done some work on the Great Fire of Ayr too, The Time Team, based at Lochside Community Centre.
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"The Time Team had been asking the council too about putting something up on the former building, and they are over the moon to hear that it is finally going to happen."
Debbie and Robert are also members of the Senior Screen Time, a club run by Eddy Gemmell from TV Ayrshire.
The duo thought the story of the Great Fire of Ayr would be perfect for the social history documentary they were doing.
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Debbie said: "It's a Senior Screen Team project and is produced by the crew, of which myself and my partner Robert are part of.
"This will be part of the examples for Screen Scotland along with other films we have produced."
A documentary was recorded at the former site, as well as at Holmston Road Cemetery where the two coffins with the remains of 28 victims were placed.
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Debbie said: "I believe the whole town of Ayr came out on the day of the funeral and followed the two coffins all the way up to Holmston Road to the cemetery.
"We know that a 16-year-old Catherine McKinnon jumped from the third floor and died hours later from her injuries. She is the only one who is buried elsewhere in the town."
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While working on a documentary, Debbie and Robert also interviewed Tracey on her vast knowledge of the incident. Both Debbie and Robert said it not only helped with the documentary but it allowed them to complete the lyrics.
Tracey said: "Finding out at 13-years-old that my ancestor Maggie Mitchell had perished in the fire at 12-years-old in her place of work was difficult to understand. I lived two streets away just around the corner and walked through the car park right next to the site of the fire every day to get the bus to school.
"There was nothing marking the area to let anyone know that 29 poor souls had died. When I told people at school and my history teacher they had no idea.
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"Those who died in 1876 had simply been forgotten. It was difficult enough conditions for adults working in mills and factories. I can not imagine an 11 or 12-year-old having to take on adult responsibilities in a workplace."
She added: "I was overwhelmed when Debbie contacted me to say she was recording a song about the fire, I welcome any highlighting of this tragedy, so that for many more generations those who suffered in the Great Fire of Ayr will always be remembered."
"Forever Sisters" will be released on Monday, June 16. A teaser for Debbie's new single is now available here.