By Susan Dalgety
He was a Broomhouse legend, where he lived for most of his life until a recent move to Musselburgh. A fervent music fan, he supported Edinburgh鈥檚 Jazz & Blues festival for decades. A bookbinder by trade, he loved books, particularly crime fiction which he devoured, especially Ian Rankin鈥檚 work. But above all, he loved Janice, his wife of more than 55 years, and their small, tight-knit family of two children and four grandkids, not forgetting Bonny, their Westie. Frank was a quiet man. His main job on the council was heading up the city鈥檚 personnel committee during Labour鈥檚 heyday in the 1990s and early noughties. Unlike some of his contemporaries, he didn鈥檛 seek the headlines. Most of his work was in the backroom. A lifelong trade unionist, he was also a fair boss. He was rigorous in ensuring that the city鈥檚 workforce had the best conditions, but at the same time delivered for Edinburgh鈥檚 citizens. And for many years, he was chair of the council鈥檚 Labour group, a tough task given that he had to manage some rather large egos and more than a few eccentric personalities. It is not an exaggeration to say that Frank鈥檚 often low-key, but always wise, approach to Labour鈥檚 internal politics probably averted a few disasters for the administration. And he was a mentor to many young politicians, myself included. He didn鈥檛 see new kids on the block as a threat, as many ambitious politicians do. Instead, he and Janice 鈥 a brilliant local campaigner 鈥 took them under their wing, always quick to offer the best advice. As the Scottish Secretary of State, Ian Murray, said in the wake of Frank鈥檚 death last Monday, it was Frank who encouraged him to go into formal politics. 鈥淚t was always traditional, after [Labour party] AGMs, to go and have a few pints,鈥 he wrote on Facebook. 鈥淚 went to the Sighthill Hotel鈥nd after six pints of cider, Frank Russell said to me 鈥榙o you fancy standing for election?鈥 And I stupidly said yes. I won the council seat. The rest is history, really.鈥 Ian also echoed many others when he said that Frank had the best political instincts. And that is because he embodied Labour鈥檚 true values of community, public service, fairness and aspiration. Labour leaders came and went, in the city council as well as in the country, but Frank held true to his principles. He entered politics, not because he adhered to a rigid dogma, but because he wanted to help build a better community, city and country for everyone, regardless of their background. Frank was a huge Beatles fan 鈥 he was in the audience when they played at Edinburgh鈥檚 ABC cinema in 1964. He preferred the melodic genius of Paul McCartney to the more eccentric grit of John Lennon, but there is only one song going through my head when I think of Frank. A working class hero is something to be, wrote Lennon in 1970. Frank Russell was that working class hero.