'She had a presence wherever she went' – Highland husband pays tribute to late wife
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A husband has paid a loving tribute to his late wife, after she sadly passed away last month.
Alison Piccoli – fondly known as The Contessa – was with Willie Cameron for almost 49 years and passed away at the age of 90 after a battle with terminal cancer.
Born in Midlothian in 1933, Alison went on to become a top hairstylist at Gilmour and Brown in Edinburgh, where she married Bill Beveridge, but was left a widow at aged 22, after he tragically died of Hodgkin's Disease.
Alison decided to pursue her love of the Italian language after a previous family holiday to Italy, and she moved to Milan to work for the high-profile Italian family the Bassettis – one of the largest linen manufacturers in the country.
There she met Ladislo Picolli, who she married and set up an import-export business in fashion and shoes from Finland. The pair lived in Edinburgh when she became a mother to Michele and Marco.
The family then returned to Italy, where Alison took a large part in their next business by marketing the selling of swimming pools all over Europe.
Adventurous Alison, travelled the world, attending opera in Odessa when Khrushchev was in power, driving a Mercedes across the Armenian desert, and visiting Beirut in its hey day.
Willie said: "Sadly her marriage broke up and Alison returned to Scotland with the help of her brother Alex who took her belongings including her Karmann Ghia car in the back of his horsebox.
"She worked for Alex in Inverness and Glenurquhart Lodge in Drumnadrochit.
"Whilst I attended an evening party at The Douglas in 1975, I met Alison – and as they say the rest is history.
"Although she was 18 years my senior, and all said it wouldn't last, I think we both did not too bad – having nearly 49 years together."
In Drumnadrochit, Alison opened her own hairdressing salon, Headline, which she ran for many years.
There was no stopping Alison once she retired, as she did many wee jobs including, reception at Drumnadrochit Hotel, teaching Italian and becoming the Italian representative for the judiciary in the Highlands.
Willie said: "She was a stylish, elegant lady with high principles who carried a presence wherever she went.
"She was a woman of the world, well travelled to 44 countries.
"She loved her lunches at The Station Hotel and The Priory and her dinners at The Clansman.
"She loved her sunglasses, and her handbags which she had hundreds of.
"She loved the words of and songs of Robert Burns.
"She took no prisoners, she had a strong faith, she had no fear.
"The last three years had been tough on Alison, but she saw them through with fortitude and resilience and a pragmatism for the inevitable that could only come for her.
"She certainly was an inspiration to all."
