‘It was a big, big thing as a woman to go into a convicted murderer's house and clean for him’

How an unlikely friendship with one of Scotland’s most notorious killers changed the course of one woman’s life

“I was terrified,” Lyeona Anderson says, recalling her first meeting with Hugh Collins.

Then aged in his sixties, Collins’ reputation preceded him. A shadow of the young man who had stabbed gangland rival Willie Mooney to death in a bar on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street in 1977, everyone still knew of his violent past, and the murder conviction for which he served sixteen years in HMP Barlinnie.

Just as well known was the artistic career he subsequently developed in Edinburgh. While imprisoned at Barlinnie, Collins had enrolled in a rehabilitation programme which encouraged violent offenders to express themselves through art.

After his release in 1993, Collins would develop a reputation as a sculptor, encouraged and supported by successful artist Caroline McNairn - who Collins would go on to marry - and her friend Andrew Brown, owner of Edinburgh’s 369 Gallery.

After McNairn’s passing in 2010, Collins lived alone and as he aged, he needed support with household tasks like cleaning and shopping. This is when Lyeona entered the picture: “it was a big, big thing as a woman, on my own, to actually go into a convicted murderer's home and clean his house.” 

An unexpected friendship

Despite her misgivings, Lyeona found her attitude towards Collins soon began to shift. “I just got the feeling that he was deep down a good person,” she said.

Finding herself able to look beyond his past, and the idiosyncrasies he developed with age, she found a genuine connection with the former inmate. 

Lyeona fondly tells stories of Collins’ insistence that she had inadvertently vacuumed his wife’s ashes whilst cleaning, delivering the tale with the same comedic tone as her recollection of his preference for thirteen sugars in his coffee. “I'm not going to forget that. He said: ‘I've cut down from 17.’” Over the years they spent together, the two grew to become close with Lyeona saying: “He was more like a family member.”

On August 4th 2021, Lyeona arrived at Collins’ home in the Borders to find him asleep in bed, not an unusual situation. She says: “I made his tea and I left him a little note saying, ‘I put it in the fridge, all you need to do is stick it in the microwave, and I'll see you tomorrow.’” The next day, Lyeona returned to find that “he was in exactly the same position.” With the vision of hindsight she says “I think he was probably dying while I was there and I just didn't realise.”

She was not to know it at the time, but it was a day that would turn out to change the course of Lyeona’s life.  

Collins’ autobiography became a best-seller.

A personal tribute

Following Collins’ passing just weeks after his 70th birthday, Lyeona was asked to work with Humanist Celebrant Tim Maguire in preparation for the funeral. As one of the people closest to him in his later years she played a central role in preparing the main speech in tribute to the man she had known.

Tim, happy with Lyeona’s speech, suggested that she deliver it on the day herself. With some trepidation, she agreed, and her words were well received.

The following year she found herself sitting across a table from Tim again in the saddest of circumstances following the passing of her own mother. The two worked together again with Tim leading the ceremony and Lyeona delivering a speech.

Impressed with Lyeona’s work again, Tim later approached Lyeona to see whether she would be interested in becoming a Humanist Celebrant. She welcomed the challenge and soon found herself embarking on a new career.

Our new rituals?

Life’s milestones are often celebrated through faith with weddings and funerals being inextricably linked with organised religion. However, recent polling data has shown that Scots are becoming increasingly secular with a report in 2019 showing that Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland marriages accounted for only 13% of that year’s ceremonies. Although Scotland’s Christian celebrations have waned in popularity, the number of Humanist celebrations in the country have been on an upward trend since their legalisation in 2005. 

A similar trend in funerals can be seen in a UK-wide survey published in June of last year, finding that 65% of those polled would prefer to have a non-religious funeral and 61% of those polled wished to have a Celebrant lead their funeral service. 

Humanism, as a philosophical principle, has existed since ancient Greece, but its modern formulation has its roots in the Enlightenment values of human reason above all else. Humanists are not opposed to the existence of religion, but those who call themselves Humanists often rally for secular policies, with Humanist Society Scotland advocating for students to opt out of religious services in schools without parental consent back in 2016. 

“I've never been somebody who would call themselves religious… I always thought, you know, treat people like you want to be treated. Hopefully they'll do the same.” says Lyeona, who is a business owner, mother of three and junior rugby referee, as well as a fully trained Humanist Celebrant. A Humanist Celebrant is a legally trained and sanctioned individual who offers a secular alternative to religious celebrations. Although primarily focused on weddings and funerals, Humanist Celebrants can bring a personal touch to any milestone in a person’s life. 

Humanist weddings give the couple-to-be an opportunity to write their own vows and include personal details about each other. Likewise, Humanist funerals allow loved ones to work with officiators to give a personal send off to the deceased. “No two ceremonies are the same. None of my funerals have ever been the same… It should be unique and individual… it's about them.” says Lyeona. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Speaking about her funeral work in relation to the loss of her mother and other family members, Lyeona says “it's been really cathartic for my grief… if you can give somebody a really good send off, that's quite special.” In helping others deal with their loss, Lyeona has found a new purpose in her life. “I feel like I'm part of something now,” she adds.

Lyeona is a part of a wider organisation called Celebrate People Scotland, a network of Humanist Celebrants founded by Gerrie and Susan Douglas-Scott, who, in 2014, were the first women to be married in Scotland. The organisation provides both legal and community support for Celebrants across Scotland. Speaking of the group’s yearly meet ups, Lyeona says “There's always somebody that's been there and done it, so it's great to have that support network.”

While Lyeona has never considered herself a religious person, the community and closure that being a Humanist Celebrant has given her has fulfilled a role that the Church may have done in the past. In our increasingly secular society, there is still a need to celebrate the lives of the loved ones we have lost. 

New Beginnings 

Lyeona is now embarking on a new challenge. After conducting several funeral services since the completion of her Celebrant training in 2022, she is marrying her first couple this month and she shows no signs of slowing down. “I've got four more weddings booked, two more for this year and two for next year.” She says. 

For Celebrants in Scotland, the future looks bright with record numbers of Humanist celebrations taking place across the country. Whether or not we necessarily believe our loved ones are looking down on us after their passing, funerals remain as culturally relevant as ever.