Long Service Members

NOTES about FORMER PUPILS

New Year’s Honours Member of the British Empire

David Reid (1956-69) MB.ChB was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year Honours in recognition of his service as chairman of the Grampian Osteoporosis Trust which was founded in 1969 to raise money for bone scanners. Having acquired two scanners the Trust went on to raise funds for research into the disease. With a genetics expert colleague he conducted wide-ranging studies to better understand the effects of the disease and how to screen for it.

David specialised in rheumatology and held various posts in the National Health Service and in Aberdeen and Edinburgh Universities before being appointed a consultant in 1986. He returned to Aberdeen University as a senior lecturer and later as a reader.

Kristin Mary Bailey née Brunt (1974-80) is now basking in the reflected glory of her husband, Bill Bailey, winning the 2020 Strictly Come Dancing series on television. Kristin met Bill in 1987 at one of his comedy gigs in Edinburgh, where she was then running a bar. He says that he was drawn to her by her wild spirit and distinctive style. He wrote to her every day for the next year and they started dating in 1988. Kristin worked as a costume designer, but now manages Bill’s business affairs.

Zoey Clark (2006-12) BSc was a member of the British Athletics contestants at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, competing in the Women’s 4 x 400 metre Relay and in the 4 x 400 metre mixed Relay. While at School she won Gold in the European Junior Championships, medalled in the Scottish Schools indoor championships and competed in the Commonwealth Youth Games. She was awarded a School Cap and the Phil Love Trophy in her 6th year at School.

After graduating in 2017 Zoey spent three years as a full-time athlete before becoming a graduate chemical engineer with a firm in Aberdeen. Zoey trains with Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club and with Thames Valley Harriers. With her coach she is now looking ahead on the road to the 2024 Olympics in Paris but before then to the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, the Europeans in Munich and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year. Having helped to set up a national record in mixed relay she will try to ensure that she is an essential part of the relay squad and also get an individual 400 metre spot.

In July 2021, Douglas Ross Harper (1944-58) attended a ceremony at Newquay Island to celebrate the restoration of his grandfather’s (Louis Harper (1881-83) suspension bridge of 1900. Douglas had advised the owners and structural engineers about the original hanger design and this they had adopted. The restoration was entered into the 2019 competition of the Institution of Structural Engineers where it won the Heritage Award and was also a finalist for the Sustainability category. Because of Covid, the ceremony was 71