The Doune Church, Macduff

The Doune Church, Macduff Parish Church, stands sentinel high on the Doune Hill commanding views over Macduff Harbour, the mouth of the Devron, Banff Bridge and the town of Banff. A relative newcomer amongst North East Kirks the Doune Kirk was built in 1805, originally as a chapel of ease, Macduff being in  Gamrie parish until 1864 when, with financial support from the Earl of Fife, Macduff became a parish in its own right.

The flamboyant  Bodie tombstones tower above the kirkyard dyke.

On the left the marble angel clinging dramatically to a cross commemorates the celebrated showman, the Electric Wizard, music hall star and magician, Walford  Bodie.

Born in Aberdeen in 1869, the son of a baker, Samuel Bodie spent much of his childhood in Macduff where as an adult he became a familiar mustachioed figure strutting about the town swathed in his flamboyant black cloak.  Performing on stage as Walford Bodie, he became  one of the most popular music hall entertainers of his day carrying out acts which included illusions hypnotism and  mock electrocutions. His success was phenomenal; at one point he employed Harry Lauder and is said to have inspired  Houdini, and Charlie Chaplin. The climax of his act involved him sitting in an 'electric chair' and apparently having a 30,000 volt electric current passed through his body to light up electric light bulbs which he held in his hands. Several members of his family, including his first  wife Jeannie Henry as Princess Ruby, his niece as  'Mystic Marie' and 'La Belle  Isabella' his sister,  assisted him in these performances. Brodie also claimed to have a series of qualifications including M.D., PhD. and DSc.,and to be able to carry out astonishing cures, later saying that the letters MD after his name merely stood for Merry Devil.  He was taken to court by the Medical Defence Union on account of these claims but  lost the case and his career eventually began to lose momentum.

Bust of Bodie's sister  Isabella who assisted in his performances as 'La Belle Electra'

At the height of his career Bodie was hugely popular,  he described himself as the 'Most Remarkable Man on Earth',  He amassed a vast fortune some of which he used for the benefit of the people in Banff and Macduff  where he built a public swimming pool and had a house for himself, The Manor House  designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, the architect responsible for Aberdeen Art Gallery.  In 1932 his property portfolio included two hotels, six guest houses, a further house in the London area and  a house boat on the Thames, This house boat was described as being palatial and was used to hold  lavish parties at which the guests are said to have included Edward V111 and Wallace Simpson.

Bodie collapsed  when performing at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 1939, dying a few days later on 19th October, aged 68.