LeDrew Stories: David Milne & Duncan McPherson

David Milne & Duncan McPherson

David Milne lived in Uxbridge then and I occasionally played with his son David. David's mother tried to repay some kindness showed by another schoolmate's mother by offering her one of David's oil paintings. The mother handed it back sniffing "I wouldn't hang that in the house.'

Dr. Carl and Sheila Puterbough were dear friends of our family too. Carl made the mistake of turning down an offer of a painting for some dental work from David Milne too.

Later Duncan Macpherson moved to town. My dad told me a story about sitting with Duncan and David Milne on the train to Toronto. Somewhere near Stouffville David pointed out the window and remarked what a beautiful green this haystack was.
Duncan said he was crazy that haystack was red.
Dad said he didn't say anything but that haystack sure looked yellow to him

Duncan was a wild man. He was banned for life from the Uxbridge Legion at least 3 times.

One time he took my mother to the Stouffville Sales Barn auction to buy some garden tools. Duncan bid and got a huge box of garden tools for a dollar. There was an axe, a shovel, a rake, and a hoe even. but that came with a dozen or so old cellar window screens. As they carried them to the car Mother asked Duncan what she was going to do with all the screens. Don't you know anything? says Duncan as opened the nearest car door and threw them in the back seat and walked away.

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Hi I am Gary LeDrew

And I am writing a book

I was lucky enough to be in the middle of most things in sixties and seventies and got to hang out with some of the greats and near greats and characters of that time.

I was involved in the Art scene and was friends and hung out with Jack Bush, Harold Town, Gord Rayner Robert markle, Mickey Handy, Gerry Gladstone, Gershon Iskowitz etc. etc. and I have stories about all of them.

I was in the music biz and managed a few bands like Kid Bastien and hung out with most of them. I was a close friend of Murray McLachlan for years, and hung out with Mike McDonald, Danny Marks, Praire Oyster, Irish Rebels, Downchilds, Ian Tyson, Tom Cochrane, Burton Cummins etc. etc. of course I was the Lobsterman and sang with McLean and Mclean. I hung out with Cannonball and Nat Adderly whenever they came to town.

I was Toronto's leading bootlegger for 5 years everybody came to my afterhours club from the Rolling Stones to the premier of New Brunswick. And Joanie Mitchell sang there.

I won an Actress in a poker game, Helen shaver cooked me supper and I went out with a bunch of models and actresses.

Lesley McDonnell introduced me to Leonard Cohen , Rod Steward and Paul Shaffer for a few. I hung out with Leonard for a while. I survived a night hanging out with Hunter S. Thompson (sitting with tom Waites)I basically had backstage passes to Maple Leaf Gardens and Massey hall whenever i wanted and Bonnie Rait kicked me out of her dressing room.

In the Movie biz I was friends with Mike Ironside for years and Winston Reckert, Catherine O'Hara, Michael Sarrazin,I have lain on Elizabeth Ashely's belly while she shoved coke up my nose. I showed Johnny Hart and Jack Caprio a good time. I took Howard Duff to Lunch everyday for a six weeks and was on his xmas card list until he died. I drank with Richard Burton at least a couple of times a week for 3 months and he told me everything.

I lived on a lighthouse as a kid and took off sailing in the caribbean for 15 months. I took and sold all manners of drugs and in the seventies I was The guy to know in Toronto.

I was one of the few white guys go to the Elephant walk club. If there is one thing I hope to dispel is Toronto as a dull place.

To business I am getting old and not in great health, I am living on a basic pension and I have to Hustle with my art and web sites most of the month to get by. I am afraid I might die before I get all these stories down

My friend Richard Flohil is also raising money to write his book so far over ten thousand and well deserved Richard was instrumental to the folk and blues and jazz scenes in Toronto and tells a good story too. In my own way I was too, I helped a lot of people along the way and I never really cared about money , you wouldn't believe the people that never paid their bar tabs for starters. i just might be a little more fearless in my admissions. For I am not ashamed of anything I did there is lots I wish I had never done.