AGS Magazine June 1981

THE

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHC3DL MAGAZINE

ABERDEEN

prinad for The Former Pupils' C11.413 at Volume 84

University Press June 1981

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 97th year No, 219 (New Series 86th year No. 210)

JUNE 1981

Vol. 84

The Magazine is published under the auspices of The Former Pupils' Club in June each year General Editor

David K. Yule, M.A., 11 Kinkel! Road, Aberdeen AB1 8HQ

Editor of the School Section

William D. Hall, M.A., 45 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen AB2 4AX

Editor of Notes, Obituaries and Marriages

Alan G. Campbell, LL.B., 22 Roseberv Street, Aberdeen AB2 4LL

Secretary of the F.P. Club

John F. Hendry, t.L.B., 36 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB9 1YU

The General Editor and Notes Editor are happy to receive contributions for the next issue of the Magazine at any time before mid-April 1982.

Printed for The Former Pupils' Club at The University Press Aberdeen

CONTENTS General Section— Rector's Message . .

One President's Year . . . .

Chairman's Report .

Aberdeen Amateur Drama . . . . .

Taiwan—Some First Impressions of an Ordinary Foreigner "To Kyle in Style" . . . . . . . . .

Arctic Norway: the B.S.E.S. 1980 Expedition .

Combined Cadet Force: Forty Years On .

School Prizes (Stobie Prize) . . . . .

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School Section— School Office-Bearers . . .

Random Notes .

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Prefects' Notes . . . . .

Margery Coutts . . . . .

School Sporting Activities . . .

Staff Changes. . . . . .

Music Notes . . . .

Combined Cadet Force . . . .

Fund Raising: The School Mini-Bus . . .

"Pull Out Supplement": Entertainments, Notes . .

Clubs and Societies. . . . . .

"Androcles and the Lion" .

Grampian Schools Science Competitions . .

Total Award: Paris Trip June 1980 Two Unexpected Awards . . .

Burns Supper . . . . .

Byron Players: "Ali Baba" . . . .

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Former Pupils' Section— Club Office-Bearers . . .

Annual General Meeting . . .

• Club Subscriptions . . . . . . .

Our President . . . . .

Club Centre .

Annual Dinner 1980: Hinds at a Stag Night Centre Reports . . . .

Section Reports . .

Reunion of Class 1951.65 .

Notes about Former Pupils .

Obituaries . . . . .

Marriages . . . . .

Accounts .

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Illustrations— . . .

Club Jersey .

Aberdeen Amateur Drama . .

CCF Anniversary Photographs . .

Head Girl and Head Boy 1980-81 .

Scottish Schoolgirls' Hockey Captain. .

Boys' Hockey 1st XI 1980-81 .

Netball Presentation . . .

Science Prize-Winners . . .

Club Presidents 1980-81 and 1981.82

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Rector's Message In my reply to the toast at the Annual Dinner of the Parent Former Pupils' Club last October, I reminded those present of the more significant events involving Aberdeen Grammar School in the past decade, which included the phasing out of the old Primary Department, the transformation of the school to a Six Year Comprehensive School for boys and girls, the restoration of the School's name in 1977 and the presence of girl F.P.s for the first time at the Annual Dinner in October.

These historical events have been amply recorded in the annual issues of the Former Pupils' Magazine and I have no doubt, as I look ahead, that the events of the next decade will make just as interesting reading. Certification for all in the Fourth Year, with Foundation, General and Credit levels to replace the present 'O' Grade examination, the impending introduction of the Parents' Charter allowing parents greater freedom of choice of school for their families, the tendency for more pupils to remain at school beyond the statutory leaving age because of difficulty in finding suitable employment, and the problem of developing appropriate courses for them at a time of restriction on staffing—these are three important issues which will undoubtedly feature in future reports.

These comments arc written at Easter and it is therefore not possible to give a complete report on the current session. All the signs arc, however, that we shall look back on 1980/81 with considerable satisfaction. This year there will be 2322 presentations at 'O' Grade and 829 at Higher Grade of the S.C.E. examinations and we arc confident that the same high degree of success will be achieved this year as in the past. There is a lot more to a school, however, than mere academic achievements. Aberdeen Grammar School has a long tradition of involvement in extra-curricular and sporting activities and already this year some notable achievements have been recorded. Aberdeen Grammar School was awarded the Trident Swimming Trophy for 1980; our boys' 1st XI hockey team won the District Cup and the District League; our girls won the local seven-a-side hockey tournament; three girls and three boys were selected to play for the Scottish Schoolgirls' and Schoolboys' Hockey Teams respectively and Margery Courts was appointed Captain of the girls' team; our senior and junior netball teams won the League Trophies for the third year running; we reached the final of the Press andJournal Debating Competition; two of our pupils in the Second and Third Years won the junior Speech-Making Competition organised by the Aberdeen Toastmistresses' Club; four out of six awards, including the first prize, in the British Petroleum Essay Competition came to Aberdeen Grammar School and just before Easter, our school won the Agecroft Trophy presented by the Institute of Electrical Engineering.

In spite of the difficulties and frustrations which beset Education these days, Aberdeen Grammar School is in good heart. We move into the uncertain years of the 80s confident that we shall continue to provide all our pupils with an academic and social training that will stand them in good stead when they leave us.

Finally may I again express my personal satisfaction at the continuing close links between the School and the Former Pupils. We value the help provided by the Club and appreciate the genuine interest shown by former pupils in the welfare of the School.

R. D. Gra

3

One President's Year A happy convention of the F.P. Club is that every alternate year those who have held south provide a president. What in fact this means is that some fortunate expatriate has an easy and agreeable year renewing old acquaintances in various parts of the land, in return, of course, for remaining sufficiently compos mortis for the greater part of several dinners: while Brian Crookshanks does all the work and has to consume various repasts in Aberdeen.

For me this has meant a number of visits. Yorkshire—which like Tristan da Cunha, contains the purest strain of ex-Grammarian: unaffected by local politics, changes of name, advent of females or even, one suspects, the abolition of fees. There one has the pure stock. Edinburgh hardly counts for a denizen thereof but there too one still finds the genuine M.C.F.P. London has long admitted spouses to their dinner, but then we have always regarded that place as swinging far ahead and above the rest of the country.

The historic change, now confirmed by a recent election to the Executive Committee, was at my return to Aberdeen where several Former Grammariennes were at our dinner for the first time. Can't say that they made much difference to the normal high tone of that august function but it is clear that the old order has changed and for ever. Perhaps even Yorkshire, in another fifty years or so, will follow either London or Aberdeen's example.

I can only hope that those who did not recognise their president from last year's introduction by one S.A.C.R. are now reconciled to the facts. I can only wait and hope that the opportunity arises to respond appropriately. To my friends at school who made a special effort to attend a function to renew acquaintance I am most grateful. We are all older, richer and fatter but still I suspect the same slobs beneath it all.

To my successor I leave a very flourishing club. No thanks to me but to our tireless office bearers. To all F.P.s I would only reiterate the truism: "wha's like us". May Neil Meldrum have as enjoyable a year in office as I have had.

T. GORDON Corms (1938-49, 1950-51)

Chairman's Report I believe that if there is nothing to be said then nothing need, or indeed should, be said. For this reason, and for no other of which I am aware, a Chairman's Report is not a regular feature of our Magazine. This may be taken to imply that in 1981 there is something of moment to be said.

We arc accustomed now to learning that each year is dedicated to some cause or interest or another, with attention being repeatedly focused on the particular subject throughout the year. If there is a parallel in the affairs of the Former Pupils' Club, then it must be said, looking back, that 1980 was the Year of the Jersey.

For several years the possibility of having an official Club Pullover has been discussed, but always, until now, the matter has been shelved for one reason or another. A major imagined difficulty was that of obtaining agreement amongst the various interested groups of colour, style and badge. In the Spring of 1980 yet another attempt was made to resolve this problem, and the task of exploring the various possibilities was entrusted to Fraser Webster, in consultation with a committee of our principal officials and representatives of the Sports Sections. To Fraser must go the credit for enquiries among possible suppliers, the production of samples and, most crucial of all, the preparation 4

Aberdeen Amateur Drama of an accurate badge. On all counts he was successful, and the result is the handsome grey lambswool pullover, bearing the official club badge in its exact matriculated detail, now retailing through the Club Centre at a very reasonable price. It is gratifying to know that the reactions of a wide range of members have been favourable, and that the garment has met with general acceptance.

The year just ended is, of course, memorable for another reason. As is no doubt recorded elsewhere in this Magazine, another male bastion was stormed last October when a small group of ladies attended the Annual Dinner. The ladies concerned say that, despite their initial apprehension, they thoroughly enjoyed the occasion, and there are promises of their return in larger numbers.

They did not have any noticeably inhibiting effect on speakers, or on anyone else for that matter. Entirely unconnected with this new development, it is pleasing to report a marked increase in the number attending the Dinner, and it is very• much to be hoped that this will be maintained, if not further improved upon. The Dinner Secretary and his committee obviously cannot guarantee that every speaker will be a model of all that an after-dinner speaker ought to be, but our track record in keeping speakers brief and to the point is good and improving, so that ample opportunity is afforded for socialising. The Ball continues to be the success we have come to expect, not least in terms of the excellent financial return from the Raffle which has been a feature in recent years.

We can control our social functions and do something to ensure their success. Not so amenable to control by committees are the success-rates of our Sports Sections, and despite their efforts and enthusiasm, winning form can be elusive. Recruitment from the School has sometimes been a problem in recent years in certain sports, most notably in Rugby, but Sections are being encouraged by the Executive to establish closer contacts with their potential recruits at School with a view to attracting them into Former Pupils' Sections.

At the Annual General Meeting in March, Marie Moser became the first of her sex to win election to the Executive. Shc had already served some sort of apprenticeship (under the same Chairman, as it happens) as a pupil representative on the School Council, and we look forward to hearing the feminine view on the varied matters which will come before us for decision.

It's maybe a good thing that last year was the Year of the Jersey!

BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46)

Chairman of Executive

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Aberdeen Amateur Drama

The following article squeezed from the unwilling pen of Roddy Begg represents a personal view of amateur drama in Aberdeen drawn from a career in the amateur theatre spanning, to his great chagrin, some quarter of a century—and this while maintaining a part-time occupation in university administration! The Editor's eventual success in securing this favour of a contribution has encouraged his ever-optimistic hope that seeds he has sown in the minds of other noted F. P. stage performers may ultimately blossom into the pages of the Magazine.

Norman King has a lot to answer for. I was a shy fourth year when he stopped me on the way out of a history class to say something to the effect of "You want to be in the school play, don't you, Begg? Why don't you come

Club Jersey

G. Fraser Webster (1949.62) "modelling" the official Club jersey, which was finally agreed thanks to his Kissinger-like diplomacy.

F.P.s in Amateur Drama

Quentin Cramb (left), Roddy Begg (second left) and Harry Hill (right) from a caricature drawn by Alexander M. Cheyne (1951-53) for the Students' Show, "Rage of Kings", in 1961.

Aberdeen Amateur Drama

7

along to the auditions at 4 p.m. to-night?" The play was Henry IV Part I, and I can't remember what part I wound up playing—Prince Hal was played by one Quentin Cramb (later on the staff and for a time the producer of the school play), and he was nearly as badly bitten as I by the experience, as it continued through school to University . . . but I digress. The effect, however, was to suck me into the shadowy half-world of amateur drama from which I have never really re-emerged.

Norman King ('Tabby' to his flock—for his addiction to the weed, not cats) had arrived in school from parts unknown sometime in the mid 1950s, and had been somehow 'volunteered' to take over the Dram Soc. (Henry IV Part 1 may well have been one of his first productions.) He was last seen leaving Aberdeen for parts even less known in Canada some time in the late 1960s. But for me and others like me, Quentin and Harry Hill, for example, it was too late.

Of course, he wasn't solely to blame. Tom Murdoch, Daphne Penny, and the Drama and Poetry section of the Aberdeen Music Festival had to accept their share, having earlier stimulated my interest in the spoken word. But it was the first night of Henry IV Part I and that first 'smell of the greasepaint' —the crowd was quite subdued on that occasion, as I recall—that hooked me.

The remaining school years served merely to consolidate the hold that had already been established, culminating in a horrendous performance in Thomas Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday when I had to struggle through nearly half of the play in a poor attempt at a broken German accent—acting, I hasten to protest, as the playwright had demanded that the young hero be disguised as a German shoemaker.

In 1959 when school became University, and I and (it seemed) the whole of my class moved as a social group 'up the road' into the Union at the corner of Broad Street, the noose was finally tightened—within a few minutes of the start of term. What is now 'Freshers Week' was then a fifteen-minute chat from Sir Tom Taylor, followed by 'Societies Morning' and a dance, traditionally infiltrated by the Rugby Club and other roughnecks trying to spot the Fresher talent early. Dram Soc (Univeristy style) had a table at the Societies Morning just inside the entrance to the Mitchell Hall, at which half a dozen extremely mature and worldly nineteen and twenty-year-olds talked in an offhand way about performing at the Edinburgh Festival, Students Show—then nearly indistinguishable from Dram Soc—and its take over of four weeks of your life at Easter . . . and we were off. Not that it was necessary, as we were by this time already rehearsing for the winter term production, but the final seal on our fate was placed when Harry and I were elected as first-year representatives on the Dram Soc committee.

Harry and I, and Quentin from the year above us, were breaking new ground for that time. Dram Soc was controlled by Gordonians, and the previous decade of our lives had been dominated by mistrust of anything blue and gold. Charles Barron—now head of the Drama Department at the College of Education—had just graduated after four years as the leading student actor/producer. The new leaders were Derck Brechin and David Buchan; all three had been at the "other place". But they were all friendly and seemed only too ready to put such differences behind us.

There followed five rather carefree years revolving round five or six productions a year and a series of brinkmanship exercises with University degree exams each June (the main worry being that resits tended to fall during the Edinburgh Festival).

The University dramatic societies—there were three—tended to be the allconsuming interest of a handful of students. A really determined masochist could appear in the Freshers Revue—borrowed Students Show material

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

performed as a cabaret at the Freshers Dance—the winter term production in November, the Mermaid Society play—usually an original student-written play rehearsed over the Christmas holidays and performed in the first week of the spring term—the spring term production, the Students Show—rehearsed over the Easter vacation and performed in Charities Week—and, finally, the visit to the Edinburgh Festival—which filled the gap between the June degree exams and the start of the new session.

There were memorable moments, not always concerned with what was happening on-stage. I recall the time I fell and suffered what appeared to be concussion on the eve of a dress rehearsal; I woke up with a clear head on the morning of the first night and went on stage in ignorance of the fact that Jimmy Morrison—also a Gordonian—had learned my not inconsiderable part in 24 hours in anticipation of standing in for me! (I wonder if he has forgiven me yet?) Or cancelling a performance of Volpone at the Edinburgh Festival because Harry was unwell, and anyway there were only four people in the audience at the time the curtain was due to go up!

But the memories that endure best are the longer-running shows like the Students Show of 1961—Rage of King's, that featured Harry and June Imray as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, with such memorable lines as "Oot, oot, damn spot. Oot, oot, I said. (pause) Wid ye pit that damn spot oot?" The Edinburgh Festivals also. I may be the only person ever to write to my first employer to say "Thanks for the job, but would you mind if I started on September 1st rather than August 1st, as I'd like to take a part in a play at the Edinburgh Festival?" I received the answer I richly deserved.

Returning to Aberdeen in 1966, after two years' exile in an English backwater—the University of East Africa, Norwich, was a common misaddress—I had to assess the amateur drama scene in Aberdeen from a different perspective. With the typical arrogance of a student I had assumed that little of merit was going on outside the theatre in the Students Union. Aberdeen by the mid 1960s had acquired its now cherished Arts Centre in King Street. The College of Education was planning its new building at Hilton—and its Principal had ensured that the "main hall" was a well-designed and equipped theatre as well as an assembly and examination hall. Over the past decade these two theatres have become the main centres for amateur theatre in Aberdeen. While the amateur musical societies have ventured with varying degrees of success into the His Majesty's Theatre—the notable success story of these being Scotland the What? and its successors—the drama groups have contented themselves with these small theatres (even these are rarely more than half-full).

I owe my first non-student dramatic opportunity to James Scotland—then a newcomer to Aberdeen—who invited me to play Sir Andrew Aguecheek in what was supposed to be an all staff and student College of Education show. Greatly enjoying the company of this group, I have remained an honorary member of staff of the College for acting purposes over the past fifteen years, missing only two or three November shows and playing parts ranging from Macbeth and Hamlet to Tranio in The Taming ofthe Shrew and Orsino last November—when the wheel turned its full circle and Twelfth Night came round again.

But the 'Scotland Shakespearcs' —not that they have always been by Shakespeare—were once a year and that was not enough for a lunatic with my masochistic tendencies. I returned briefly to the Attic Theatre Company with which I had acted in my student days—in between the six shows a year with Dram Soc. But it was showing a musical bent and, having embarrassed even my mother by my tuneless rendering of If I once start looking behind me as Timothy in Salad Days, I had vowed never to sing on stage again.

Eventually, in 1971, I was instrumental in forming Studio Theatre Group.

The Group has tried over the decade to avoid the obvious—often to the extent

Taiwan—Some First Impressions of an Ordinary Foreigner

9

of baffling even its most dedicated followers. But working out what a play means before deciding how to perform it has become for me a lot of the pleasure of acting. The Group's over rate has maintained a steady minimum of four a year—it wasn't until someone decided to produce a list of past performances to pad out a page of the programme for Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle, our first show in H.M. Theatre, that we noticed that we had passed forty without realising it. Beckett, Brecht, Pinter are the better known names to appear on the Group's list of victims. I cherish The Ride across Lake Constance by Peter Handke as my personal favourite—a play about neither riding nor Switzerland, (but neither had Handke's more famous film The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty anything to do with football!)—this was perhaps the Group's most successful venture on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Group's visits to Edinburgh started, in the topsyturvy way these things do, when a student of my acquaint came in to my office to say, "I've just been offered a hall at the Festival. Would STG like to share it? . . . and, by the way, could you do the organising?" The hall turned out to be wellplaced—opposite the Lyceum Theatre—and quite suitable for conversion into a temporary theatre. For five years the Group made the annual pilgrimage, initially with a revue only, STG75R (no, not a car numberplate, but shorthand for 'The Studio Theatre Group 1975 Revue') and STG76; later with both revue and play(s); and finally with a play only. The use of the hall became more and more intensive as it became increasingly difficult to cover costs.

Indeed by 1979, the last year of the five, 'The Hall'—by then two theatres and a gallery—was putting on fourteen performances a day, totalling over 300 in the three-week Festival period. An increasing number of small Aberdeen drama groups came to share the space; in 1979 six separate Aberdeen companies took part in the Festival, all in the same theatre. It became too much to organise eventually, and the hall is no longer available as it has been taken over by the Lyceum to replace the soon-to-be demolished 'Little Lyceum'. But it was great fun—in retrospect, if not at the time.

Amateur theatre in Aberdeen has a rare opportunity at the moment. H.M. Theatre is closed for two years at least, and not many professional theatre shows are opting to come to the Arts Centre or the Capitol Cinema, as they are too small and too large respectively. Whether or not the amateur groups are able to divert these theatregoers to their many worthwhile productions while the ' professional opposition' is turned off has still to be seen—but surely these 2000 theatregoers per week must be doing something, other than watching the telly?

N. R. D. BEGG(195I.59)

Taiwan—Some First Impressions of an Ordinary Foreigner (The writer, after ministries in Dundonnell, Ross-shire, and Pollokshields, Glasgow, was appointed by the Church of Scotland Overseas Council in 1977 to serve in Taiwan, where he teaches at Yu Shan Theological College. He lives with his wife and three children in Hualien on the east coast.)

"Sye sye ni," I said to the taxi-driver as I got out of the car. The words mean "Thank you" and they were the only ones I had uttered since getting in and handing him the card with my destination printed on it.

He beamed. "What excellent Chinese you speak, sir! Not many foreigners speak it so well! You must have lived a long time in Taiwan!" I had only been in the country a few weeks and had not even begun formal language study. It seemed such a rich harvest of praise for so meagre a sprinkling of words that I

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

interpreted it as a none-too-subtle way of encouraging me to give a handsome tip. I was mistaken, as many subsequent experiences were to prove.

The Taiwan taxi-driver can be many things: a lunatic at the wheel (invariably); an ex-convict (not infrequently); a homicidal maniac, a rapist, a thief, an extortioner (occasionally): but he is almost always the soul of politeness to the foreigner, and insists on complimenting him on his wonderful Chinese.

At first the new arrival finds this flattering and encouraging; he may even believe it; until he gradually realises that he is going to be told this every time he opens his month, however good or bad his Chinese may be—all this notwithstanding the fact that the Chinese also have a proverb (tactfully introduced very late on in Book Two of the course used by the Taipei Language Institute): "Tyan bu pa, di bu pa, jyou pa yanggwcidz shwo Junggwo hwa." ("I fear neither heaven nor earth, but only the way a foreigner speaks Chinese.")

One morning, sitting by a swimming pool I met a Chinese with whom I struck up a pleasant conversation, at the end of which he said, 'If you have free time, please come to my house and enjoy yourself," and walked away, supplying neither name nor address. Later I learned that this is another of the standard courtesies, conveying good-will rather than an invitation.

This illustrates but one aspect of the politeness traditionally associated with the orient, a politeness which perhaps veils as much as it reveals of the Chinese character.

Fifty years ago the founding father of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun YatScn, wrote in his Three Principles of the People: " A few moments' contact with our people enables foreigners to discover our defects, while our merits cannot be appreciated except through long contact or by such great philosophers as Bertrand Russell. This is why ordinary foreigners call us barbarians. ' ' He then goes on to deplore the Chinese neglect of brushing the teeth, and of letting the nails grow long, and tells of the minister (professional bias compels me to assume he was a Minister of State rather than a man of the cloth) who saw nothing untoward in spitting on the carpet. He also tells of the Chinese guest who, attending a great dinner in an expensive restaurant, "let forth some gas" causing the foreign guests to leave in disgust, and the management to refuse admission to Chinese thereafter.

I certainly would not call the Chinese barbarians; in many ways they arc a beautiful and dignified race; yet, paradoxically, it is easy to form the impression that little seems to have changed since Sun Yat-Sen wrote.

The first time I heard a taxi-driver clear his throat I thought he had stripped the synchro-mesh on his gears, and the subsequent mighty expectoration took no account of the face or feelings of an overtaking motor-cyclist. Soupslurping, tooth-picking, nose-picking, earhole excavation, and post-prandial belching on a Krakatoa scale I now take for granted. To stand at the counter of a bank or post-office is to risk having an ear dislodged by a pass-book thrust from behind; when I board a bus I often find myself wishing I had played for the 1st Rugby XV rather than the 1st Hockey XI; and seventeen million people crammed into a space the size of the south of England are definitely not going to waste breath saying "Sorry" when they accidentally knock you into the gutter.

There is nothing unduly heinous or, indeed, surprising in all this, but, encountered on a fairly broad front, it can leave one with the faint suspicion that the famed oriental politeness, if not quite a figment of the foreigner's imagination, is somehow an elaborate, purpose-built facade reserved for people who "matter", however briefly, at the particular moment of

11 Taiwan—Some First Impressions of an Ordinary Foreigner * encounter—whether it be because they are employer, customer, friend, friend of a friend, official, V.I.P., or what have you, and not simply because they are fellow human beings.

This, to be sure, is not exclusively true of Chinese culture. Our own innocuous "how-do-you-do-ism" bears examination (notice the look of bewilderment on your enquirer's face when you actually begin to tell him how you do do. . .). The instant "call-me John" bonhomie of many Americans, too, is very un-Chinese, and rather un-British, yet, I suspect, equally superficial. But I suppose I can only write as a somewhat introverted Scot with his own cultural blind spot.

First impressions can be very sharp and embed themselves deeply: but that is not to say that they are accurate impressions. And Sun Yat-Sen was undoubtedly right—it does take a long time to come even halfway to understanding the fascinating Chinese people, legatees of a five thousand year old culture.

One sometimes feels that the day of understanding will never actually arrive. The traditional ''inscrutability" of the Chinese is not altogether an illusion—though it can vanish like the morning mist when, for example, a TV starlet is informed by a booking clerk that she has been "bumped" off her flight to Tokyo. It is something of a breakthrough when for the first time a Chinese friend lays aside the formal courtesies and really speaks his mind. It was a moment of joyous humiliation for me when one of my classes spontaneously expressed their opinion in my presence.

Earlier in the term I had introduced them to the use of the word "Rubbish!" as an expletive. A day came when 1 was reading them a piece of dictation which ran as follows: "I have been living in Taiwan for a year now and after diligent study can speak Chinese very well—" My voice was drowned out by a gleeful roar of "Rubbish!" It was a peculiarly touching moment. . . .

And then there is the rewarding experience of coming across delightful characters like Mr. Wang, when the conviction is born that a true communication is, after all, possible. Ah memorable Mr. Wang!—who, caught gambling at Mah Jong spent the week-end in a police cell ("don't tell a soul-1 would lose face"); who resigned from a previous position after literally kicking an American pupil in the teeth; whose eyes opened in horrified disbelief when I described a fellow student as unique ("You mean—like the—Ethiopian?" "No, no, Mr. Wang, unique, unique. . . ."); who was himself unique in that he was the only Chinese I ever heard dismiss a Government statement as cow's dung (though that's not quite what he said); who refused the offer of a better job because it meant becoming a member of the KMT (Kuomintang-Nationalist Party); who (not least) made the best "jyandz" I have ever tasted; a mainlander who said he wouldn't greatly care if the Communists took over the island: "They might send me back to Peking," he confided, with a little emotion, "it's the only way I'll ever get there."

It is difficult for me to imagine what it must be like not to have seen one's native place for thirty years or more: But it is obvious that in the hearts of many there is a deep longing, and a hope which is perhaps cruelly fostered by the Government's insistent claim that it will one day recover the mainland.

Sun Yat-Sen would have been astonished, and no doubt gratified, to see some of the dramatic changes which have taken place in Taiwan in the last twenty years. It is now a thoroughly modern state with an economy which has shifted from the agricultural to tile industrial, ranking third in south-east Asia. Strikes, significantly, are unheard of. The Nationalist government has carried through its Ten Development Projects (including the construction of motorways, electrified railways, harbours, nuclear power plants, shipyards,

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

and a new international airport)—an impressive achievement by any standards—and has announced plans for another twelve projects.

Taiwan (or Formosa as it was then called) is the "island bastion" to which Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek retreated with his forces after the Second World War, still claiming to be the instrument of legitimate government of the whole of China. The imposition of that rule (not without bloodshed) upon the Taiwanese, themselves the descendants of sixteenth-century emigrants from the mainland, has left uneasy tensions. While both Peking and Taipei are dedicated to the "one-China" policy—every official communication of the Nationalist Government, for example, refers to Taiwan not as the Rupublic of China, but as a province of the Republic of China—there is another viewpoint, viz. that the people of Taiwan should be allowed to determine their own future and elect a new, truly repesentative government.

Though it is hard, and perhaps unwise, to estimate the numerical strength of the supporters of this viewpoint, outside Taiwan (particularly in the U.S.A.) it is not inconsiderable among expatriates. Inside Taiwan the advocacy of independence is regarded by the KMT as, at best, misguided heresy, at worst, a trick of the Communists to bring the nation to disaster.

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT), with which I work, has been a courageous but cautious spokesman, through its General Assembly, and is currently under some pressure. Because of my own Presbyterian label I have myself found officials to be occasionally troublesome. The recent imprisonment of Dr. C. M. Kao, its General Secretary and a former Moderator, is but one indication of how the Nationalist Government sees this viewpoint as a threat to its own security. Others associated with the church have been imprisoned. Anti-Presbyterian propaganda has been disseminated, I understand, even at school level. The church is the oldest of the Protestant denominations—and the largest—on the island, with over a thousand churches. In this context it is rather difficult to give meaning to the "Free" of "Free China" except on the somewhat dubious principle of /ucus a non

lucendo.

My own work, at Yu Shan Theological College, is exclusively with tribal students, often called aborigines or mountain people. These arc in fact the original inhabitants of Taiwan, being of Malayo—Polynesian origin, but only number around two hundred thousand; they are, if truth be told, still regarded by many of the Chinese as second-class citizens. Although their great grandfathers were head-hunters, the acids of modernity have eroded their culture deeply and they are to be found everywhere, dressed in T-shirts and blue jeans, riding their motor-cycles, playing guitars. carrying their transistor radios, and forming part of the work force in the factories of the western plain.

Nor are they without ability; most of the nationals on the teaching faculty at Yu Shan are tribal men, one at present pursuing post-graduate studies at Princeton.

Space does not permit of expansive treatment of other interesting facets of the culture. 'Piracy on the high seas' may have shifted away from the Straits of Formosa but has turned up in a different form in the market place. Books records, tapes, industrial products, particularly of foreign origin, are 'pirated', i.e. identical and for the most part inferior copies are made of them and sold at greatly reduced prices. The government are taking steps to stamp this out, as Hong Kong already claims to have done.

The Chinese are very gifted at copying, one way or another—a skill developed perhaps at the cost of creativity. I think it was Arthur Waley who described them as essentially, both physically and intellectually, "mainlanders" whose imagination did not gladly venture upon unknown seas. This I have found to be true. It is very difficult to get classes or individuals

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14

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

the season. No better idea being forthcoming, however, the president was instructed to form a sub-committee, book a train, make all necessary arrangements and report back when the outing had been a success.

The first trip demonstrated only too clearly how fools rush in where angels fear to tread. The task of feeding and watering three hundred persons for a whole day is easy in theory, but difficult in practice. In addition, despite clear publicity of the facilities, many passengers could not believe that this could be true and brought their own supplies. As a result, the cost of catering could have brought disaster, but thanks to a noble effort at the bar by a party from the Northfield Ladies Bowling Club and a very generous donation from Peter Tawse, the day ended with (in those days) a substantial profit. It also ended in much hard work in the return to Aberdeen. The committee had grossly overestimated the alcoholic consumption of the average citizen and about twothirds of the supplies had to be unloaded on return.

As fat as the writer was concerned, that was that, but the following year, the committee, being gluttons for punishment (both their own and other people's,) decided to run the trip again. With the experience gained, the second run was far more successful, and so it has continued ever since with numbers of pasengers increasing every year, reaching a peak in 1979 when 453 were carried-, fed and watered throughout the long day from 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m., all from equipment set up in a brake van.

At first the catering was fairly simple, packed meals being bought ready prepared from caterers. In addition the section's generator supplied electricity for a coffee urn and a microwave cooker for hot pies and similar snacks. As time went on, the organisers became more ambitious and hot meals were provided by means of calor gas cookers. It is now generally agreed that anyone who has not been present in an old brake van, travelling at speed with three calor gas cookers blasting away at full power, ovens full of shepherd's pie and pans of peas boiling on the rings, has not really lived. Mercifully, a scout group which shall be numberless that had tried to copy the idea managed to set fire to their train, and from then on the railway authorities banned this somewhat crazy exercise. Then the only answer to the cooking problems was to load a larger generator on to the train and, thanks to kind assistance from the president of the section, Richard Cradock, this was arranged. The equipment carried now normally consists of two coffee urns, two microwave cookers and a pizza machine supplying quite a wide variety of dishes.

The success of the excursion has really been quite remarkable. Many people come back year after year and one or two have never missed from the start. The farming community from the Garioch especially have been very great supporters. Many are the characters who regularly appear in singles and in parties. No trip, for example, would be really complete without the Insch postie and his watch.

Although it is a very hard day's work for all concerned, players, officials, wives and girl friends, there is always tremendous fun. It is a real team effort as at least forty men and women are required to run the train properly.

Nothing is perfect and in an organisation such as this something always goes wrong. Some of these happenings have been quite traumatic, but have somehow been survived. One remembers the first run when three passengers were left in Kyle; the occasion when half the working members were left in Kyle rejoining the train at Strome ferry; the time the train failed to stop in Huntly and the writer had the pleasure of pulling the communication cord without the risk of a fine; the occasion when B.R. supplied the stock late and wrong so that a carefully prepared reservation plan had to be altered and a new one improvised on the platform at each station where the train stopped. One could go on indefinitely but it is pleasing to reflect that somehow all the difficulties have been

Arctic Norway: the B.S.E.S. 1980 Expedition

15

overcome each year and several hundred happy passengers are brought home with a great deal of money raised for the section.

Tribute must be paid to the large number of people who yearly provide goods or services free of charge or at reduced cost and also to the British Rail officials at Aberdeen whose co-operation and willingness to comply with somewhat unusual requests for assistance go a long way to ensure the success of the venture.

The financial success is largely due to those many gifts of goods and services and, while the donors are too numerous to mention individually, it would be unfair not to mention Ian McLeod of Mitchell's Car Hire, who, from the inception, has supplied a van free of charge for all the preparatory work and the clearing up afterwards.

This year it is hoped that British Rail will allow us to repeat the run on Saturday 22 August and, in conclusion, dear reader, we look forward to seeing you on platform 6, Aberdeen Joint Station at 8.20 a.m. on that day.

NEIL I. W. MELDRUM (1925-37)

President F.P. Club and King of Kyle!

Arctic Norway: the B.S.E.S. 1980 Expedition The British Schools Exploring Society was founded in 1932 by Surgeon Commander G. Murray Levick in order to develop and encourage self-reliance and an adventurous spirit in the young men taking part. The 1980 expedition witnessed a major change in that girls were allowed to participate for the first time. Of the seventy expeditioners, aged between seventeen and nineteen and selected from schools nationwide, only twelve were from Scotland and only twenty were girls: four of the Scots and four of the girls, were from Aberdeen Grammar School Janet Dutch, Sheila Hart, Pamela Rannie and Patricia Rannic.

In order to pay for travel and for specialist equipment, each expeditioner was expected to pay f800—excluding personal gear. Raising this sum was a daunting task, and in the end most had to come from the girls' parents, although each took part-time work and obtained some sponsorship. The Grammar School contingent were very grateful for a donation from the school, and also for a most generous contribution from the F.P. Club. Throughout, the enthusiastic encouragement of Mrs. Downie, Assistant Rector, and her husband, a Council Member of B.S.E.S. proved invaluable.

The money raised and the equipment bought, we flew from Stansted on 28 July for Bodo in Arctic Norway. Surprisingly enough we were greeted there, sixty miles North of the Arctic Circle, by a blazing sun that was to accompany the expedition for most of its six weeks' duration. This astonishment at the weather was coupled with surprise at the amount of ice cover that had disappeared since our maps had been drawn up—about forty years ago.

The first day in Norway proved for many to be the most arduous of the entire expedition as it took some time for many members to get used to their heavy rucksacks and a temperature that soared to over 100*F. Then we had to walk sixteen miles uphill to the base camp site, set picturesquely amid high grey mountains and having as its backcloth the glacier where much scientific work was to be carried out. It was at base camp during the first days that we were split up into the groups which were to carry out specific scientific projects for the first three weeks. Thereafter, the second half of the expedition was to be spent in mini-expeditions, planned and organised by members. The two periods were separated by a short period of training on the glacier.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

The scientific groups covered a large spectrum of work. Groups were involved in Geomorphology, Survey, and Geology work, with ecological groups studying Entomology, Ornithology and Botany. For several groups, their studies entailed their staying within a restricted area, and this meant the establishing of comfortable camps; one group even built a large dry-stone hut.

The Survey and Geology groups were both making maps of their respective areas, and it was the botanists who had to wander far afield to collect specimens. Afterwards all of the information amassed was to be of use to both Trondheim and Stirling Universities. These scientific camps, away from the relative comforts of base camp, forced groups to act as teams in all their activities, this being essential to the wellbeing of the group, and it was during these weeks especially that many good friends were made.

Each science group had a few days working on the Blaamandsisen. Here we learned how to climb vertical ice walls, using ice axes, crampons and ropes, and how to rescue someone from the bottom of twenty-foot crevasses. We were taught abseiling and general ice techniques. These few days were arguably the most enjoyable days of the expedition: the exhilarating mixture of fear and achievement was memorable.

After our scientific work was completed, we split up into groups of our own choosing, in which we planned our own mini-expeditions, which were to be completely independent of "adult" supervision. These mini-expeditions varied widely in their ambition and success. One group trekked into Sweden and climbed a high peak. Other groups crossed the ice cap, while others dropped into valleys where they saw trees for the first time in a month. Many of the expeditions were less ambitious, but all involved found the freedom to plan their own activities a valuable experience.

All that remained when these trips were over was to tidy up the base camp, pack up, and leave for Civilisation. The quiet little village we had set off from six weeks before seemed noisy and bustling now; and when we visited the coastal town on the last afternoon, the fresh bread, milk and cheese we bought seemed like manna after six weeks of dehydrated drudgery. Once back in this country, we said many sad farewells to the firm friends we had made.

In retrospect it seems that this expedition taught everyone invaluable lessons. We learned to live with people from widely different locations and backgrounds, and the testing conditions faced brought everyone together as a unit. The scientific work taught us to observe our environment more closely.

Less seriously, the close-knit nature of camp life produced it own distinct brand of humour, and "in" jokes abounded; camp life itself fostered initiative, not least in cooking to relieve the boredom of the diet. Rolls and doughnuts (fried in tinned margarine) were made from dried bread mix, and trifles and birthday cakes were made from jelly and tubed cheese in our washing-up bowls; but dried prunes defeated our ingenuity.

It is hard to convey on paper what the experience was really like. Many will not understand why living six weeks in a tent on a diet of dried food, bathing in glacier-fed rivers and lakes, and enduring a total lack of comfortable toilet facilities should be such fun. But fun it was, apart from many other things; we would gladly do it all over again.

JANET DUTCH

PATRICIA RANNIE

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C.C.F. Anniversary

C.C.F. contingent with Mr. McCombie, Deputy Rector and Mr. John Lynch, former Deputy Rector and first officer commanding the ATC squadron on the 40th anniversary of ATC Squadron 1299 (26 February 1981)

Presentation of a shooting trophy for R.A.F. cadets to Cpl. James Urquhart (IV). Others photographed from left to right arc Flying Officer P. W. Scott, Pilot Officer R. Nugent, Squadron Leader R. McLeod and Captain R. Gray, contingent commander.

Combined Cadet Force

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younger Cadets—"hoc imperat natura potens"—what could be a more natural ancillary? To further these aims, Arduous (later renamed Adventurous) Training was introduced in 1959 as an Easter scheme in the terms of which a small party of boys with two Officers and with their own transport and rations (compo) did exercises in some mountainous area for a week. Sometimes, dependent on the weather and the incidence of snow, it lived up to its name and the present Easter camp is a relic of this, albeit less strenuous. The previous year had seen a major event in the Air Section with the acquisition of the Grasshopper Primary Glider which was to grace Rublislaw's classic sward (the cricket square excepted) in the summer term, particularly on Inspection days, until the middle seventies when it was eventually withdrawn. Many Cadets went on to do a full course at R.A.F. Gliding Schools with three solo launches (and landings!) from 1,000 feet usually on Sedbergs or Mark IIls. By this time the Flying Scholarship had been introduced by the terms of which Cadets went through the aircrew preselection board at historic Biggin Hill and, if successful, carried on at a civilian Flying School for a month during the following summer learning to fly light aircraft. The school took its quota in this and so reliable was the selection technique that we had no failures. It is of interest to recall that when the Royal Navy came into the Flying Scholarship Scheme they offered a limited number to C.C.F.s without Naval Sections and two of our Army Cadets won their flying badges in 1963, one of whom, Neil Forrest, actually went into the Royal Navy as a pilot. By this time the Air Experience Flights with their Chipmunks were well established and all Cadets had an opportunity to fly dual on these, either at Summer Camp or with 12 A.E.F. at Turnhouse, where some who boldly asked their instructor for acrobatics later regretted their rash option as they reached for the brown paper bags. Another innovation then, since fallen into desuetude, was the Star Camp where selected Cadets went off on their own for a week to work in the section of their choice, Air Traffic, Electronics, Fire Fighting etc. In the later sixties came the Easter Camps in R.A.F. Germany for small numbers of Cadets. As these came round only every third year, it was a possibility just once during one's term in the Air Section. There were two valuable Officers in the Section at this time both with flying experience, Eric Brooks, and David Murray. They followed in the footsteps of Ivor Sutherland, who himself was an ex-Cadet from the other section. In 1969 Russell Gray, a former Pipe Band stalwart, joined the Army Section, which was further strengthened some time later by the addition of Harry Hopkins and George Lawrence, who continued to give valuable service after he left the staff.

The Army side during the sixties and seventies was given a boost by the introduction of the Cadet Training team. Camps were limited in venue and the Contingent Commander made so many trips to the most popular one that he felt he had qualified for a Cultybraggan star. However there were two selfhelp camps at Stromness, two in Germany, Minden and Nienburg, and an excellent one at Chilwell near Nottingham where Brigadier J. J. G. Smith, an F.P., who had inspected the Contingent the previous year, hosted us admirably. Perhaps the most memorable occasion in that period was in 1972 when the school's most distinguished airman, Air Marshal Sir Leslie Mayor, inspected us on the afternoon of Prize-giving.

However, a crisis was approaching when the school became comprehensive.

Could it, or indeed ought it to, have a C.C.F.? There were some in high places on the Service side who thought that the writing was on the wall, especially as Anno Domini was fast catching up with the Contingent Commander, whose commission was shortly to expire, and the Air Force side would be left completely naked. Headquarters Air Cadets viewed with grave concern the possible liquidation of a team from its Premier League and offered increased

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

help as a reinforcement, while Highland Area also became entrenched in a desperate bid to prop up the tottering edifice. In a veritable sword of Damocles situation the Contingent was finally granted a moratorium in which to regroup. Patrick Scott and later Raymond Nugent, both without service experience, came into the lists and gallantly rallied round the R.A.F. ensign, and not only was the day saved but the Contingent went from strength to strength, so much so that at last year's Annual Inspection it was highly commended as a model of efficiency, all this following the fitful fever of the later seventies.

As these annals grind to a close with less than Sallustian brevity, the future seems assured as the Contingent is at present firmly established on a sound and thriving basis. However, the crystal ball might show one possible innovation in the not too remote future, the appearance of khaki-clad girls on parade on the front lawn some sunny June.

How shall our talc be ended? Perhaps I should best be guided by the advice of the victor of Waterloo to a tiro-M.P: "Don't quote Latin! Say what you have to say and sit down!"

R. MCLEOD

School Prizes Some little time ago the Rector drew the attention of the Club Executive Committee to the difficulty which the School was facing both in finding sufficient revenue to service established prizes in traditional subject areas and in providing awards for achievements in areas not previously endowed with prizes. The Club has already made a small but significant contribution to matching new areas of School achievement by the provision of appropriate awards—for example, in the establishment of prizes for girls' all-round prowess; but the gap between meritorious performance by boys and girls across the breadth of a developing school curriculum and the availability of prize funds remains substantial. A group of School and Club representatives will shortly be meeting to investigate the matter and, it is hoped. recommend at least a partial solution.

Stobie Prize The full resolution of the problem, however, (as in so many cases) is likely to be dependent on additional money, and, in this connection, it was particularly pleasing for the Rector to report the donation by the Rev. Charles I. G. Stobie (1924-27), M.A., of an annual prize of k20 "to the best girl pupil in the class of Latin in the fifth year". In a letter to the Rector Mr. Stobie states that his intention in donating the prize is, "in the first place to express my personal gratitude to the Grammar School for the great benefits conferred upon me during my all too short pupillage and also upon my father, the late Major John Francis Stobie (1910-12), in the second place, to do a little homage to the great classical tradition of Dr. Melvin and other (distinguished) Latinists, who so notably adorned the staff, and, in the third place to offer a little tribute and encouragement to your girl pupils, whose general deportment and neatness of attire (during term time at least!) seem to me to do much to preserve and enhance the reputation of the school".

After completing his school education in Fife, Mr. Stobic graduated M.A. in French and Latin from the University of St. Andrews in 1942 and in the same year was ordained to the parish of Uyeasound, Unst by the Presbytery of Shetland. He has since been minister of churches in Paisley, Auchtergaven and Newfoundland and also held lecturing and librarian posts in Newfoundland from 1968 to 1974. Since 1975 he has been minister of Fyvic Parish Church, and in pursuit of a long-standing interest in organ music (his performances have been broadcast on Canadian radio), has given recitals in and around Aberdeen in recent years.

School Office-Bearers Prefects

Head Boy: TIMOTHY E. McKAY Head Girl: FIONA M. A. McComniE Deputy Head Boy: DOUGLAS C. MACRAE-GIBSON Deputy Head Girl: MARGERY G. COUTTS GIWAN E. H. AUSOP

MICHAEL S. KENNEDY

MICHAEL A. D. BRANDS STEVEN R. CHRISTIE MARTIN W. CORMACK SUSAN J. CUNNINGHAM

SUSAN E. LEITH SUE J. MACKENZIE AILEEN MASSON CHARLES G. MITCHELL PAMELA G. MURRAY

GRAHAM J. DAVIE

GILLIAN M. HAY

CAROL G. SARGENT MICHAEL M. SCOTT JOHN M. STEELE LINDA WALLACE

ALASTAIR .). HOULDING WENDY E. HUTCHISON

ROSALAND J. WILSON

IAN S. DUTHIE BRIAN I. FITZPATRICK DAVID A. GALLOWAY

CAROLINE M. WILKIE

Sports Captains

Rugby: TIMOTHY E. McKAY

Soccer: RICHARD P.

Hockey (boys): BRIAN I. FITZPATRICK

Hockey (girls): MARGERY G.

NICHOLSON COUTTS

Netball,' FIONA GILLANDERS Literary and Debating Society

President: FIONA M. A. McCOMBIE Vice-President: DAVID M. HALL Secretary: M. FRANCESCA %NAUGHTON Treasurer: BRIAN I. FITZPARTICK Dramatic Society

President: ALASTAIR W. BRIDGES Combined Cadet Force

Warrant Officer: KENNETH M. LAING Editors of School Section FIONA M. A. McCOMBIE

AILEEN MASSON

21

TIMOTHY E. McKAY

Random Notes This has been a session of much pageantry and ceremony really. Down in far-off Edinburgh the School was given the Trident Trophy, appropriately sponsored by Coca Cola, for its collective ability to stay inflated, afloat and in the swim; Grampian Regional Council. always ones to surprise, awarded us the Keep Grampian Beautiful Award for the tidiest secondary school campus in the Nor' East, though some ingrates felt this said more about the situation elsewhere than about our own ecological fastidiousness; most spectacular of all was the birthday parade of the C.C.F. before the wise old eyes of inspecting-officer Mr. McLeod, resplendent in best blues and R.F.C. medals. *

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Which reminds us: Eamonn Andrews still has not kept a scheduled appearance at Room 6. Not daunted, The Disciples, led by the intrepid Forbes, student of accountancy and bookmaking, laid on a fitting End-of-Term-H substitute: this was a vivid and more or less accurate version of The Life that Eamonn himself would not have eschewed. *

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Liveliest soccer fixture of the school season was the return "friendly" shoot-out between the School's two soccer sides. Strong men turned pale—even hearing about it!

Till then B. Fitzpatrick and his Phalanx had been considering a challenge to Margery Courts and her Squad. Mature reflection on the G.B.H. that might be done them led the fellas to cancel, fearing (and that's the word) a miss-match.

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In view of which, it's little wonder that the privilege of corporal punishment has been extended, in theory anyway, to include the Stronger Sex. As well as the boys, that is.

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The term "Head Boy" took on fresh meaning after Timothy's cranial contusions at Crieff. Concussed in mind and cracked of jaw, Tim couldn't raise a smile, it seems: no sense of humour! Actually, Competition extramurally may be getting out of hand.

Consider debating, where often winning seems all. There's summat to be said for the good old friendly debate, the pointless exercise, as some might see it, of arguing for argument's sake.

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Consider, for instance, those true amateurs, the School's Cross-Country Sections, whose love of the sport is boundless if often unnoticed and always unrewarded. Caked in Hazlehead mud and horse droppings, swept by sleet and harried by criticism, they have "come away" admirably this winter. Not all clubs have been as fervent, we hear: Rowing must pull together, Railway has to get back on the rails, and Bridge is sagging following the decision of its most aggressive member to buy softer shoes. Effort, chaps! *

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It simply is not true that Mr. May gets 10 per cent on all those Science Awards. Or that the School News-sheet has been the object of a take-over bid by the Aberdeen Opera Company. But it is true that the Staff Panto rewrite of Snow White is bigger and better than the original: like, say, Snow White and the Eight Dwarfs? *

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Prefects' Notes

23

The Sixth Year Common Room were thrilled to read in The Press andJournal that the Rector's right to issue sherry in school has been vindicated by Woodhill House. They now await an invitation. *

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After Androcles, admiring fans agreed that Alastair Grant's attempts to gild the lily and improve Shaw's original lines had been a marked success! Although a certain elegance of idiom was shed in this Stanislavsky-style interpretation, there was a notable gain in contemporary forcefulness.

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Some sensitive palates say these Notes taste a little acid. As they have these many years! To rectify this recipe, here's a concluding comment from Anne Giron, a pleasant mademoiselle who has been with us in S IV during '80-'81. Her views on Aberdeen Grammar School gratify and maybe surprise. We wish the author well and reproduce an extract: "The rules of the Grammar School also rather disturbed me. In France you don't have to wear a uniform, you're always with the same pupils, you can go out during free periods, you may smoke. Nevertheless I liked the relationship between the teachers and the pupils, they try to communicate and to mix (social dance), in France they just contempt each other. Really, I'll miss a bit Scotland. Anyway one day I'll come back and perhaps I will be an assistant in the school. In France we say, 'Far from the eyes, far from the heart.' Not for me: I won't forget anything of my life here."

Prefects' Notes Timothy E. McKay. Head Boy this year, Tim is captain of rugby. Serious injury confirmed him as a head case, but with Fiona doctoring him, he'll soon be back doing handstands on the table. The influence of Woman has subdued him, but not tamed him. Will Jordanhill be able to cope?

"Seven of diamonds! Did you see that?"

"Oi, Gibson, Rosemount news-sheets, now!"

Fiona M. A. McCombie. It seems the thing now for Head Girls to become doctors, and Fiona has really taken her Duke of Edinburgh first aid course to heart. Coping with The Howff. Tim, the Bursary Comp, and Scottish Hockey Trials would reduce many girls to shivering wrecks, but she seems to thrive on punishment. If she doesn't make it in medicine, The Howff are sure she'll get employ as a "cleaning wifie".

Douglas C. Macrae-Gibson. Oxford missed out here: "Deputy Doug" is still developing. Not everyone can boast they got a computer from Santa. Renowned for his generosity as for his intelligence, he shares his lunch with the whole dining hall and his mathematical insights with the world at large.

"You haven't paid your 20p!"

Margery G. Coutts. Our own Bionic Woman, Marg, not content with ruling A.G.S. hockey, proceeded to captain Scottish Schoolgirls as well. If she does join the police force, criminals will have to be quick on their feet. A girl of many talents, Margery passed her interview on Grampian TV with flying colours—and her driving test first time.

Gillian E. H. Allsopp. Gillian doesn't say much, but maybe that's just as well: the odds are she wouldn't speak in English. She does, however, manage to forget her Latin,

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Russian and German when she debates, and then she achieves eloquence. She's lucky in being able to seek refuge in the Library at lunchtime from Life's hurly-burly.

Michael A. D. Brands. A man of noise, Mike is a trumpet virtuoso and a poor man's Percy Edwards in his manifold impressions. When he got his badge, some thought the Howff door-frame might need elevating, but he manages to duck his way in. "MAD" are his initials, and not by accident!

Steven R. Christie. Large, friendly, rugby-playing, yes—but the pressures show in that eroding hairline. His craze for unusual footwear offputs some, and even his mother objects to his proposal that she stock vampire bats in her pet shop. But friendly he is for all that.

Martin W. Cormack. A star-gazer, literally, is our Martin: he's going to be an astronomer. When not doing Tim's maths homework, he's out rowing or singing for Mrs. Brown. Wee but wiry, he came good in house rugby, tackling anything that moved, friend or foe.

Susan J. Cunningham. Susie's study of Italian and the Renaissance is the nearest the Prefecture come to culture. A denizen of the Library, she switches off (on?) before TV, of which she has a detailed knowledge: Wimbledon's her scene and Dan Maskell her man!

Graham J. Davie. A quiet youth, Graham's energy is channelled into running the tuckshop and organising Brian's hockey team. Remedying Brian's mistakes and reminding him who plays where has put Graham in line for the hockey job next year. Yet another who has found Romance in the Tuck Shop!

Ian S. Duthie. Another of Brian's Team, Ian follows family tradition in playing hockey and arriving (late) in Prefectdom. Duthie by name, but Duckie by nature, he loves amassing money, and his proclaimed ambition is to get four flashing brown dogs!

Brian I. Fitzpatrick. A ladies' man. Brian has boosted tuck shop sales by drawing hundreds of female devotees to behold his saturnine good looks and stylish hair-do.

Dashing on and off the hockey field, Brian has vowed off purchasing any more of Freddie Lawson's sticks, having broken them in extravagant quantities.

David A. Galloway. Big Dave is Tim's star kicker: size twelve boots must be a help. He does a great job, too. as Sue's bodyguard. in which he benefits from his rugby training and his Russian connections via Dad. Gillian M. Hay. Gillian helped at Beechwood on Wednesday afternoons, and this admirable training fitted her well for coping with some of our domestic strains: the dinner queue rowdies, even Tim himself, seemed to ruffle her little.

Alastair). Houlding. As versatile as he is comely to behold, Alastair is another Howff hockeyist. He is a man of words as well as of action. however, and enjoys proposing to Lasses and explaining policy on nuclear power stations. Yet "The Beano" is still read avidly.

Wendy E. Hutchison. Wendy put up with Brian for long enough, but by Christmas she'd wearied of him and left school. The truth will out! A Cordon Bleu cook, a lover of Art. by some impenetrable logic she intends to study agriculture. Too much hockey too young?

Prefects' Notes

25

Michael S. Kennedy. Witty, subtle, amusing, Michael is popular with everyone—especially Susan and himself. Michael's a car-driver and does a great job delivering Fitzpatrick to school of a morning. Finds it hard having his wee sister keeping an eye on him all the time in school.

"Gee, you paid for that!"

Susan E. Leith. Tall, blonde and rather terrifying till you get to know her, Susan is quite a gentle soul. She pacifies M.K. most effectively: perhaps it's her way with words that keeps him in order (and which makes her a debater of promise).

Susan). Mackenzie. Not tall and not terrifying, Sue's patience restrains her when under threat from the first-year terror squads. Her determination shows in persuading people to write for the Pupils' Mag. and in her interest in obscure maths and physics. And she has her own penthouse flat!

Aileen Masson. Aileen's an all-round all-rounder; but the diet definitely worked! Keen on debating, hooked on swimming, netball and hockey, she even finds time for English and History. A hardy girl!

"Two ounces of cheese and raisins, Three times a day."

Charles G. Mitchell. Charlie has problems: problems with rugby, zips, and physics projects. Perhaps if he were taller and he could see what was happening on the bench?

An expert, however, on birthday presents of the more exotic kind. . . .

Pamela G. Murray. Pam's had a problem too: her bass-playing commitments have encroached on her knitting time and quite upset the pattern of her days. A welltravelled wench, she long wanted to go to Australia: Edinburgh's nearer, however, and she's settled for the capital instead.

Carol A. Sargent. An international hockey trialist, Carol also plays netball, skis and sails. And yet she doesn't look the rugged, outdoor type. Or didn't in a certain photograph which an anonymous "friend" (by the name of Susan) affixed to the Howff notice-board.

Michael M. Scott. Absent from the prefects' photograph and often absent from the Howff. Michael adds greatly to the stature of the prefects when he's about the place.

Greatly missed from the rugby team when he retired prematurely in mid-season, he filled the soccer goal thereafter. And who better to do it?!

John M. Steele. Always neat and tidy, a regular attender of school functions and a competent projectionist, diligent and quiet, a perfect prefect—there has to be a flaw.

Teams of researchers are investigating and checking him out.

Linda Wallace. Busy, busy, busy: Geography trips, Geology trips, Brownies, Guides, Gang Shows and Scouts. Linda handles people and situations with charm; so how that greenish-blue nose? Not, of course, a permanent feature.

Caroline E. M. Wilkie. A glamour girl, she drives young men dotty by her spotty tights and dizzy heights. Often to be seen reading up the "Aeneid", more often now that she's abandoned Chemistry and taken up Tutorials—which, like the rest of us, she spends in the Howff, working very, very hard.

Rosalind J. Wilson. Roz was brought up in Peru. Perhaps a relic of her infancy is her habit of impaling her ears with small spears: that apart she's more or less normal. One of numerous sisters, she's calm and assured, but capable of intense effort in a time of crisis.

Cf. her SYS English dissertation!

Scottish Schoolgirls Hockey Captain

Margery Courts (1975-81)

Head Girl and Head Boy 1980-1981 . c•

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A tIgh, Fiona M. A. McCombie and Timothy E. McKay

Margery Coutts (1975-1981) Margery Courts began her distinguished hockey career in Aberdeen Grammar School as a left inner. Hcr early intuitive feeling for the game made her realise that this was not her real forte. With the approval of the Staff she. moved to left half. When still in Third Year she played a vital midfield role in the School 1st Xl. In her Fourth Year she was selected to play for the North District Schoolgirls' XI and for the Scottish Schoolgirls' XI at left back. Left back for Scotland has been Margery'sprerogative since then. This year, to add to her catalogue of successes in the field of physical education, Margery was elected captain of the Scottish Schoolgirls' XI. In their first game, under her captaincy, Scotland beat Wales 2-1.

In modern sport many players get to the top either through a bit of luck, through pushing themselves, or through being pushed. Margery got there on sheer merit.

In years to come, Margery will become a statistic, the first Aberdeen Grammar Schoolgirl to captain the Scottish Schoolgirls' Xl. Such a statistic will tell future generations little about the real Margery. She has brought honour to the school without doubt; but what the statistic will conceal is that she got to the top while putting her team's interests before her own and while devoting as much time to helping younger players as to developing her own skills.

In playing ability, captaincy, dedication and selflessness Margery has set an example of which Aberdeen Grammar School can be proud and which the best of her successors can only seek to emulate.

J.W. School Sporting Activities Rugby

This season proved more successful for the 1st XV than have those of recent years, as has been apparent in terms of standards of play more than in the actual tally of wins and losses. The attitude and spirit of the players never faltered, while Mr. Welsh's pre-season coaching and subsequent advice and encouragement were invaluable.

The season started with a comfortable win against Banff Academy, but then the next two matches, against George Heriot's and Dundee High, were lost, by 3-14 and 3-9 respectively. Although lost, these games were close, exciting affairs as the results indicate. Our visit to Glasgow Academy was as enjoyable as ever; though defeated, the team was not discredited, the last ten minutes settling the issue. There followed a narrow victory over Gordonstoun, the game being finally settled in our favour by an opportunist try from scrum-half Mitchell. This was a result that gave particular satisfaction as the School had suffered a heavy defeat at our opponents' hands last season.

Bad weather took its usual toll of matches in November and December. The occasion when we did manage to play saw a 6-6 draw in Dundee with Morgan Academy. Despite, or maybe because of, the long lay-off, we started the Spring term in good heart, running up a 53-6 win versus Mackie Academy, followed by a 21-0 win against the I.R.A. (i.e. Inverness Royal Academy!).

Unfortunately throughout the season we didn't travel well: our "away" form was below par, and we suffered three defeats at the redoubtable hands of Stewart's Melville and Dollar, and in the return game with Dundee High School.

The most exciting encounters of the season were predictably the traditional fixtures against Robert Gordon's College, this year a very strong side. Having

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

gone down 6-16 at Rubislaw in our first meeting, the side was in resolute mood for the return at Seafield. After fighting back from an early setback, the School were trailing by only four points for most of the second half. An upset was on the cards until the last five minutes when R.G.C. ran in two excellent tries to make the final score 21-9 in their favour. Though Gordon's well merited victory, the result certainly did not do justice to Grammar's tenacity and effort.

We were generally fortunate in our lack of serious injuries over the season but the team-captain, T. McKay, did sustain a heavy knock at Morrison's towards the end of the season. This saw him touchlined thereafter. C. Mitchell took over his duties with assurance.

The season ended on a high note with a school seven reaching the final of the Aboyne R.F.C. seven-a-side tournament, only to lose 10-18 to a useful Aberdeenshire Colts side. By that stage the pitches were partially under water: the sight of John Stevenson aquaplaning over the line for an attempted try was certainly a moment to remember!

MI team members would like to thank the P.E. staff for their support at all times, and a special word of thanks is also due to Mr. Allan and Mr. Miller at Rubislaw for keeping the field in pristine and first-rate condition.

The 1st XV was normally selected from the following: T. McKay (capt.), C. Mitchell, A. Allan, K. Anderson, P. Armstrong, S. Christie, D. Galloway, J. Garvie, B. Hardy, H. Houston, J. Reid, G. Smith, J. Stevenson, G. Urquhart, N. Young.

2nd XV The Seconds, under the guidance of Mr. Jones and Mr. Welsh, had a season of mixed fortunes. At the start of the season the only time the team showed its ability was in defeating Gordonstoun 20-10: there followed a run of seven postponed games just when our form appeared to have been found. In our first outing after this enforced break, D. Cowie produced the individual performance of the year when he ran in four tries against Inverness R.A.—and then later repeated the feat against Hazlehead!

Following recent custom we narrowly lost both our games against the Auld Enemy, R.G.C., though in both fixtures the team responded to the occasion with gritty displays.

Although the season was disjointed by weather and the calls of the First XV, there is potential among our Fourth Year players which could augur well for the future.

Team pool: C. Michic (caps.), D. Jack, P. Aiken, J. Barclay, P. Brown, D. Cowie, B. Daniel, M. Daniel, M. Dillon, M. Forsyth, N. Glass, A. Hogg, M. Kennedy, J. Laidlaw, E. Leigh, G. Lovie, J. McKenzie, K. McLaren, C. Millar, N. Milne, G. Quirie, H. Reid, R. Simmonds, P. Smith, J. Steele, A. Walker, C. Wrigg.

Colts The side had a fairly successful season with a record of 9 wins, 1 draw and 7 defeats.

The most creditable performances were against Gordonstoun (16-14), Hazlehead Academy (26-8), Inverness Royal Academy (17.4) and Hutcheson's G.S. (4-4).

A sign of the improving forward skills and general team spirit over the course of the season was a hard fought 8-6 victory at Banff in March, reversing an early-season defeat at Rubislaw by the same opponents.

The two games against Gordon's inevitably proved hard fought encounters, leading to a certain amount of dressing-room despair following 12.7 and 6-0 defeats.

One of the lighter moments of the season occurred during our pounding of Morgan Academy (24-0) in Dundee. Having accepted more than his share of "bad ball", Grammar School Hankers, and his stand-off's verbal abuse, the young Morgan scrumhalf promptly walked off the pitch—we wondered what fate befell him the following Monday morning. . . .

School Sporting Activities

29

Team squad: K. Alisop (capt.), N. Alexander, T. Azalbert, T. Bruce, A. Couper, I. Glennie, R. Haywood, D. King, A. Moir, C. McClean. G. Ritchie, T. Ross, I. Sluyter, M. Smith, N. Steele, K. Taylor, N. Thompson, G. Thomson, M. Tytler, A. Wilson.

Juniors With the season interrupted by bad weather and with team coaching made difficult because of two Games sessions, it is hardly surprising that this team experienced mixed fortunes. When well prepared teams from the South were encountered, our shortcomings were sometimes made obvious. However. it was an enjoyable season for all concerned: most of our fixtures were played away from home as it befell, and our travels took us to Glasgow. Inverness, Dundee. Elgin and Crieff. Apart from a heavy defeat by a much stronger Glasgow Academy team, we usually gave as much as we got, and there was a specially commendable win over Morrison's Academy.

The strength of the side lay in the pack, well led by the captain, Douglas Watson, who was well supported by Derek Ritchie, Gordon Smith and Paul Davis. The backs seldom achieved their potential. Stephen Cheung continued to be out main pointsscorer and our defensive pillar; Alan Wight became a very dependable goal-kicker and full back; Alex Herrera was converted to a promising wing. All these boys were selected for a Gordon's/Grammar team to play the rest of the South Grampian Region.

Others to play were Andrew Hutchison, Alan Drummond, David Peddie. David Thompson, Rupert Seager, Tony Kerr, Andrew Greig, George Seivwright, Scott Reith, Kelvin Hay, Russell Borthwick, Roberto Moretti and Colin Matthews.

Minors Whatever success can be claimed for the First Year in terms of performance, success in terms of participation cannot be gainsaid. It was quite remarkable to discover that more than half the roll of First Year boys were prepared to turn out on Saturday mornings to play in either school games or house games, or even hastily-arranged friendly fixtures.

The fact is that the School could turn out four teams comfortably, and the only inhibition to their playing every Saturday was a lack of schools to play. We hope to remedy this next year.

Mind you, we ought to be equally pleased with our results. Those teams who played other schools (and there were many) won as many games as they lost, and bearing in mind that, unlike many of their opponents, they were introduced to Rugby only in September, this was good. But the main thing, of course, was that from every game something new was learned—and that really is the name of the game.

It would be quite inappropriate to single out anyone as outstanding—indeed nobody was. All played hard, all were sporting in victory and philosophical in defeat. Above all, every player thoroughly enjoyed this, his first season of Rugby.

Boys' Hockey A very successful season for the 1st X1 began unpromisingly: no fewer than eight new players had to be found to make up a squad to embark on our first season in the North District Schools League. Fortunately some quality players emerged to form a team well knitted by Mr Swanson's purposeful coaching.

At sweeper Graham Davie started the season as he was to continue, leaving Mark Reith little to do in goal for much of the time. In fact during the run-up to Christmas the back five, also including Colin Stephen, Stuart Nicoll and Alastair Houlding, managed to keep the goals against tally down to four, by dint of tight marking and solid tackling. Up front David Hutchison's stickwork on the wing provided many chances for advancing players to score, and these chances were taken at a steady rate by a strong midfield of Gavin Michie, Ian Sutherland, Brian Fitzpatrick and the much-improved Ian Duthie. Short

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corners were confidently converted by the hard-hitting Davie, which established a set short corner format throughout the season.

The team went from strength to strength in league games and reached the final of the District Cup against Peterhead Academy after a satisfying 3-0 win over Robert Gordon's in the semi-final. The chance to acquire some silverware for the hockey section mantelpiece was decisively taken in a final where unfortunately the main loser was hockey itself.

We restarted in January with our eyes on the Scottish Cup. After a tussle with Kincorth, when Ronald Smith justified the first team-change of the season, we travelled to meet Marr College, Troon in the quarter-finals. After conceding an early goal, we pulled back a late short-corner equaliser only to lose 3.4 on penalties after an extra half-hour.

Against boarding-schools we also fared rather badly in the face of their speed and fitness: a last-minute penalty flick gained a draw with Gordonstoun, but we twice lost to Abbey School, each time by 1-2, and went down 1-3 to Strathallan in our toughest game of the season. In all these games the greater age and experience of the opposition was a factor.

The season ended with three matches that would settle the League. Another narrow win over Kincorth was the crucial result; comfortable victories over Linksfield and Robert Gordon's "B" saw us win the title outright, having dropped only one point in a frustrating 1-1 draw against the runners-up, Peterhead Academy.

Five of the team were selected for representative hockey. Graham Davie and Brian Fitzpatrick were selected for North District Schoolboys (under-19), and David Hutchison, Stuart Nicoll and Ian Sutherland were picked for Scottish Schoolboys at under-16 level, which augurs well for next season.

Good hockey requires a good playing surface, and we are appreciative of Mr. Allan's efforts in providing the best surface we played on all season.

The 1st XI pool was the following: M. Reich, A. Houlding, S. Nicoll, C. Stephen, I. Duthie, G. Michie, I. Sutherland, B. Fitzpatrick (capt.), C. Smith, R. Smith, D. Hutchison, G. Davie, P. Henry, B. Allan.

2nd XI

This year the 2nd XI entered the District League along with the 1st Xl. The team was almost entirely made up of Fourth Year boys, with occasional help from SIII, and so it often had to compete against teams with older players. Thus, the success of the team would appear to have been limited, but the experience will help greatly next year, and victories were recorded against Linksfield and Inverurie, by 3-1 and 4-3 respectively.

In friendlies against other 2nd Xls the ream achieved greater success, drawing 0-0 and 2.2 with Abbey, and beating a Strathallan team 3.1.

William Darer had a very successful season on the left wing, showing fine ball control, and Brian Allan was also a prominent figure at centre forward. This pair scored the majority of the team's goals. Alexander Innes played very well at centre-half, showing promising stickwork, Charles and Ronald Smith also made valuable contributions before being promoted to the first team. In defence, Malcolm White was very consistent in his play, and David Campbell has developed into a fine goalkeeper in his first season in that position.

2nd Xl Team players: R. Webster (capt.), D. Campbell. E. Reid, M. White, I. Wallace,). Deighan, A. Innes, R. Smith, C. Smith, A. Howie, B. Allan, W. Darer, K. Coutts.

3rd Xl

Having just started playing hockey, the boys from SIII were thrust in at the deep end by playing in the local junior league. This meant that most weeks they were playing

Boys' Hockey 1st XI 1980-81

Back row 1. to r.: D. Hutchison, G. Davie, G. Michic, A. Houlding, I. Duthie Front row 1. to r.: R. Smith, C. Stephen, M. Reith, B. Fitzpatrick (capt.), I. Sutherland, S. Nicoll, C. Smith.

Netball Presentation

The senior and junior Netball teams are presented with the winners' trophies for their respective Aberdeen league. Making the presentation in the School Hall is Mr. J. C. Hunter, director of Physical Education, and former School Games Master.

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against boys who had already played for two years and initially this had some bearing on the results.

Nevertheless, a steady progress was maintained throughout the year and the team recorded two victories in league matches and one in a friendly against Torry Academy.

Overall the team played with great enthusiasm and an ever-improving level of skill, and generally were best served by Alan Brown and James Blacklaws, the latter proving an able and helpful captain.

3rd XI Team Players: J. Blacklaws (Capt.), A. Fowlie, J. MacDonald, N. Ochia, S. Copland, T. Sutherland, A. Cowie, A. Brown, J. Bridges, J. Addison, S. Ellis, D. Reid, C. Smith.

Netball For the third year running the Netball Club has had a successful season in the Aberdeen leagues. Both the senior and the junior teams have won their respective sections. The senior team, captained by Fiona Gillanders, was undefeated in the league, while the junior team, captained by Anne Watt, lost one match.

Two First Year teams, coached by Fiona Gillanders, Aileen Masson and Margery C,outts, were entered in the S.I. tournament held at Northfield Academy in March. Both teams played well, and the "A" team actually went on to win the tournament. The Second Years also enjoyed their tournament held the following week.

The senior team entered the Scottish Cup. Several practice matches were played against Aberdeen University, during the term, in preparation for the competition. As it happened, the team managed to reach the quarterfinals—without playing a game! Unfortunately, although the team played well, they were then beaten in this round, by St. Columba's High School.

All Netball Club members would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Ramsey for her help and encouragement throughout the season. We hope that the Club will continue its present success in the years to come.

Swimming The standard of swimming in School this year has been very high. In the South Grampian Championships the Second Year showed themselves especially competent: Ian Cameron won both the boys 100 m breaststroke and the 100 m freestyle, Zandra McRobb won the girls 100 m breaststroke, and Elspeth Chisholm came third in the girls 100 m freestyle after a closely-fought race. In addition the Second Year girls relay team won the 4 x 50 m freestyle.

The Third Year girls swam well for a third place in the freestyle relay, as did the senior girls, who managed second place—no mean feat at these championships! Craig Miller and Gillian Mutch added to the general success with a second place in the senior boys 100 m breaststroke and a third in the senior girls 100 m freestyle.

The outstanding achievement of the year, however, was that of Ian Cameron in winning the breaststroke event for his age-group in the Scottish Swimming Championships.

In our own School Swimming gala, the following won Year Titles: 5.1—Mark Fraser and Joyce Murray; S.II—Ian Cameron and Elspeth Chisholm; S.III—Neil Alexander and Emily Hass/Deborah Leslie; S.IV—Craig Miller and Gillian Mutch; S.V /VI— David Jack and Eunice Alexander.

Girls' Hockey This season Grammar School, fielding three, and occasionally four, senior teams, had an excellent fixture list.

The 1st XI started off in great style with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen University 1st XI and a 2-0 win over Perth High School. At the St. Leonard's invitation tournament, after disposing of Bell Baxter School, Harris Academy, Malvern College (an English entry), and Madras College, they lost 1-0 to Dundee High School in the final. After a 2-1 defeat by George Watson's the team quickly redeemed themselves through a good 4-0 win over Morrison's Academy. A spell of bad weather and cancelled fixtures followed. During this period, when Margery Coutts and six other players were absent on district duties, Gillian McCready led a 1st XI with only four regular 1st XI players to a 6-0 away win over Inverness Royal Academy 1st XI. As an encore, with a squad which included three fourth years, she won the Kincorth seven-a-side tournament.

In the North District Schools' Senior Tournament in February the full 1st XI, who had not played as a team since November, were beaten 1-0 in the semi-final by Cults Academy, the eventual winners. After this lapse the 1st XI finished the season with a flourish beating Greenock Academy 2-0 and Dunfermline College of Physical Education 2nd XI 2-0.

The 2nd XI, captained by Rhona Farquhar, were unbeaten throughout the whole season and defeated several 1st XIs from other schools. They demonstrated the School's depth of talent by reaching the other semi-final in the North District Schools' Senior Tournament.

Considering the quality of the opposition, the 3rd XI, captained by Linda Wallace, had a very successful season. Competing in the senior league, which consists almost entirely of 1st Xis, they finished half-way up the league.

The Third and Second Year hockey teams suffered more than most from the bad weather. In the case of both Years, the North District Tournaments were cancelled and attempts to rearrange them were unsuccessful. The Third Year B team did well to finish high up in the junior league, but the A team's season was wrecked by cancellation after cancellation. On the few occasions when the weather did permit Second Year teams to turn out, they produced some good results. This promises well for the future.

Three First Year teams have regularly attended Saturday practice. Their efforts have been rewarded in that all three teams did well in the North District First Year Tournament, the A team sharing the trophy with Cults.

The teams wish to thank Mrs. Webster, and all the staff and umpires who have helped them throughout the year.

Girls' Representative Hockey The School has been well represented again in the two North District teams.

The players involved were Margery Coutts, Amanda Guthrie, Wendy Hutchison, Fiona McCombie (VI) and Zoe Barclay, Chloe Barclay, Carol Sargent (V).

The North first team was unlucky not to reach the final, which was eventually won by West. The second team had a good season, enjoying hard fought matches.

This year, three school players were given Scottish Trials: Margery Coutts, Fiona McCombie and Carol Sargent, Margery being chosen for the third successive year to play in the team. Margery captained the team that beat Wales 1-0 in Wales. She is also captaining the team travelling to Ireland to play in the Home Countries Tournament in Cork. Then the team crosses to Belgium to play in the European Invitation Tournament against Holland, West Germany and Belgium.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Girls' Indoor Hockey

The School's senior indoor squad thoroughly enjoyed and greatly benefited from their weekly training sessions culminating in the North Schools Indoor Tournament in January, which they were unlucky to lose on goal average to Kincorth Academy. Seven players were chosen for the North District squad and played in the Scottish Schoolgirls Indoor Tournament—Margery Coutts, Fiona McCombie, Gillian McCready (VI) and Chloe Barclay, Zoe Barclay, Carol Sargent, Ailsa Webster (V).

Immediately after the North Tournament, a training session began for Fourth Year in preparation for next season. All pupils involved wish to thank Mr. Swanson for his skilled help and encouragement, from which they all benefited.

Rowing School rowing survives, but its hold on life is tenuous. In 1980 three senior boys combined with an incomer from Hazlehead Academy to achieve a creditable record under the banner of the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association.

An early-season fourth place in the Aberdeen "Head of the River" event, only nine seconds adrift of the winning University crew, was followed by successes in the summer regatta season in Glasgow and Aberdeen. Thrice the Aberdeen rowers finished second to a strong Heriot's crew; then at the Scottish Championships in June at Strathclyde Park misfortune struck: at the start of the race an inexperienced cox let his boat be pushed by the wind into "our" lane, resulting in a clash of blades. Nevertheless the impeded Aberdonians finished second; the winning Heriot's crew sportingly offered a re-row, but this was not possible under the rules of the competition.

Two members only still "survive" from that crew; they, with two young recruits from Hazlehead, have again made an encouraging start, with a win in local competition against older opposition.

There exists, however, a rival Aberdeen Grammar School Rowing Club, which functions on the Dee every Sunday morning. The Club presently comprises mainly females, and one all-girl crew, with a year's experience behind them, has so far succeeded in coming fourth of four teams in a twomile race. More recruits, especially of the masculine gender, would be welcomed for this all-year-round sport; the P.E. Department will make the appropriate arrangements. Our correspondent suggests the formation of a Fourth Year boys' crew.

Badminton After promotion to the First Division last season, the team was much weakened when four of that squad left school. This, along with the stronger opposition, has led to a hard struggle to avoid instant relegation. At the end of the season, with eight games played, the team's record stood at two wins, two draws and four defeats. This should be enough to ensure another season in the senior league.

In trying to find a winning blend, team selection varied from game to game, but regular team members were Wendy Nicoll, Susan Oliphant, Fiona Pont, Pauline Reid, and David Hutchison, Malcolm MacLean and Gavin Michic.

Congratulations are due to Susan Oliphant and Fiona Pont on winning the South Grampian under-I6 doubles in an exciting final. Thanks arc due CO Mrs. Shand, who has given a lot of time to coaching First Year pupils and running a competition, won by Pauline Reid.

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Tennis School tennis tended unfortunately to be the monopoly of 140 girl members in 1980: boys take note! But a lively season was enjoyed.

In inter-school tournaments, Grammar School won the District Section of the Scottish Cup, but were then beaten by Dundee High School, the eventual cu winners. In the North-East Schools Championships, Wendy Nicoll defeated Carol Sargent to win the Senior Singles, with Marie Milne being the Junior runner-up; in the Aberdeen Schools Tournament, Gillian McCready was Senior runner-up, in both singles and doubles, while Wendy Nicoll was one of the Senior Doubles winning pair.

Domestically, Melvin won the Inter-House title, while individual titles went as follows: Senior Singles (III to V)—Wendy Nicoll; Senior Doubles—Gillian McCready and Gillian Crookshanks; Junior Singles (I and Il)—Fiona Pont; Junior Doubles—Fiona Pont and Susan Oliphant. A new event was the Senior Mixed Doubles: in a final that lasted for two hours, Gillian McCready and John Meston beat Natalie Knaggs and Peter Smith 5-6, 6-5, 6-4.

Table Tennis The past season was most notable for its lack of success. The senior "A" team, very much weakened by the departure of four key players from the previous year's championship winning side, found that its young replacements could not match their undoubted skill with coolness in the face of adversity, and ended up fourth in the local schools' league, division I. The "B" team finished third in league II. Despite the poorer than usual performances of the older players, the future of the club seems secure because of the large numbers and exceptionally high standard of play, of the present crop of First Year members.

However, the lady players in the school have kept us on the T.T. map as they won both junior and senior events in the local schools championships.

Pauline Reid (I) won the junior event, though still a relative novice; and Diane Jeffrey (III) graduated from junior to senior champion in one year. Indeed, along with Rachael Petrie (II), Diane reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish championships.

Soccer In retrospect it is clear that the 1st XI's year fell into two distinct parts. It is better to be positive and look at the good things—most of which happened during 1981. A brief statement of the Autumn term's results tells its dismal story: 8 matches played, 1 point gained.

By January, however, the sinking ship had steadied itself. The defence grew in confidence, which allowed skipper Richard Nicholson to get forward more from the deep position he had been forced into, and steady goalkeeping from Heintze and Scott gave scorelines a respectable look they had earlier lacked. By the final game we had a couple of wins in the bag and a great improvement in the standard of play. Nicholson, Mark Melling and Neil Macpherson ended the season as strong as any midfield in the League; they provided the drive in the team and quite a few of its goals. Mark Barnett, even in the bad times, proved our most effective defender, while David Gair's goals were of value.

Loyal reserves, like Kevin Davidson, Colin Inch, Athol Craigmile and Alan Pedelty, turned up faithfully to help out as required: a great support.

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This kind of team spirit was our strongest asset, and the team was better than its league position indicates; but points were dropped in games where our return should have been greater. Ian Middleton's winner against Bankhead "A" was our goal of the season, though Melling's opening score against Cults marked the best team effort.

Luck finally came the team's way in the game with the Staff that finished the Easter term. Initial frivolity had given way to a hard-fought encounter till, with the score locked at 2-2, an injudicious goalkick two minutes from time handed the day to the First Eleven—and led to mild allegations of corruption, the Staff goalkeeper happening to be the First Eleven supremo and coach, A. Smith, Esq.!

2nd Xl The well-meant attempt to run two competitive School sides, involving more boys and increasing experience, left each team with a weekly struggle on its hands. Neither team could quite cope adequately, and yet one saw the possibilities of a joint side.

The "A" team, comprising players from Fourth Year, ended up in a comfortable mid-League position and was comprehensively beaten only once. But the pool of talent was limited: the loss of a big midfield player at Christmas could not be made good, and the lack of old heads and physical maturity was often apparent.

And yet the younger boys could turn it on. Barry Irvine represented Aberdeen Schools (under-18) and is a player of distinct class, though inclined to attempt too much himself in the absence of his equals. Up front Cameron Murray scored lots of goals, and spectacular ones at that, while at the back Paul Davidson was a skilful defender and Murray Hall a solid sweeper. The departure of Cameron Sim at Christmas was a blow. but later Mark Cormack emerged as a lively centre. Had the 1st XI's midline been welded into this team, then a very useful outfit would have taken the field.

The best opposition produced the best performances, Torry were beaten 4-3, but the games to remember were a League defeat. 3-5 at Bankhead Academy (from 0.4 after 15 minutes) and an epic cup draw, 3-3, at Bridge of Don where the League match had been lost 2-10! Typically of a young side, the replay was lost 2-7 after Grammar had played a fine first-half to lead 2-1. Youth's a fickle thing.

The usual team pool was Martin, Brennan. Tough, Hall, Davidson, Sim, Seivwright, Irvine (capt.), Whyte, Murray, Cormack, Freeland, Stables, Nicholson and Styles.

Girls' Athletics Last year the School's athletics club attracted a large number of pupils, many of whom participated in the sport purely for enjoyment. It was very pleasing that well over a hundred pupils took part in the AAA star award schemes.

A big disappointment came when the Grampian Regional Sports were cancelled; but the School Sports Day was very successful with many pupils participating. The overall year winners were: Kim Smith (I), Anne Watt (II), and Danielle Grieve (III).

Aberdeen played host to the Scottish Schoolgirls' Pentathlon Championships, and five of our club entered, Anne Watt doing exceptionally well to come fifth in her age group. For the first time a relay team from our school qualified for each of the four age groups in the Scottish Schoolgirls Athletics Championships, the youngest team performing particularly well to come in third in the final of their event.

Amongst those in individual events, Jayne Dick competed well in a tough section in the hurdles and 200 m. For the first time competitors from our

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school received medals. Anne Watt led the way with an outstanding performance in the high jump to win her a well deserved first place; Kim Smith ran a fast 100 m on a very wet track to gain her second place in this event and was later selected to run in the Scottish relay team in her age group.

Nora Garvie also gained a very creditable fourth place in the shot putt.

We would like to thank Mrs. Miller for giving up so much of her time to run the club and for bringing on so many young athletes. As a result of her work quite a large number of pupils have joined the Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club and have benefited greatly from the additional coaching and competition. These include Anne Watt and Nora Garvie, who were selected to attend a national coaching session for high jump and long jump respectively.

Colour Awards 1980- 81 Rugby Full Colours: Half Colours:

Hockey (boys) Full Colours: Half Colours:

Soccer Full Colours: Hockey (Girls) Full Colours:

Half Colours: Netball Full Colours: Swimming Full Colours: Half Colours:

Timothy McKay Kenneth Anderson Steven Christie Kenneth Anderson Graham Smith John Stevenson

Brian Fitzpatrick Ian Duthie Gavin Michie Alistair Houlding

Charles Mitchell John Garvie Nigel Young Bruce Hardie George Urquhart

Graham Davie David Hutchison Stuart Nicol

Richard Nicholson

Chloe Barclay Zoc Barclay Amanda Guthrie Angela Kidd

Carol Sargent Ailsa Webster

Jacqueline Laing Carol Sargent

Aileen Masson

Eunice Alexander Chloe Barclay Gillian Mutch

Zoe Barclay Rosalind Wilson

Staff Changes In a large school and large staff a surprising number of changes take place in the teaching personnel over a session. This year has been no exception: no "permanent" members of staff left the scene, the School looks much as it has ever done, and yet many valued colleagues and friends have moved elsewhere and been duly replaced.

Departures Miss Agnes Marshall of the Maths Department moved to Grantown Grammar School, where her love of the hills will find ready outlet. ''Transfers" brought about by staffing rationalisations saw Mrs. Eileen Dora transposed to the Home Economics Department at Hazlehead, and Mrs. Margaret Udall attached to the Modern Languages Department at Bridge of Don Academy. The Technical Department felt most impact of transfers, with Mr. Warren Wattie joining Dyce Academy and Mr. Neil Milton, shortly after joining us from Cults, moving to Ellon Academy. George Walker, the long-serving and popular Workshop Technician, took up a similar post with the Forestry Department at University.

Mr Drew Tulloch, Assistant Principal in the Music Department, became Principal Teacher of Music at St. Margaret's School. Drew contributed much to the musical and extra-mural life of Grammar School during his years here. His teaching expertise was supplemented by the professionalism of his work with the Madrigal Choir and as accompanist at numerous musical and theatrical events. St. Margaret's gain is our loss: we hope he is not "deaved" by the resonant ranks of recorders at St. Meg's and wish him well there.

The retirement of Mr. Jimmy Tinto from the English Department left a distinct gap in the human community that makes up a school and staff. James Ferguson Tinto was a late entrant to teaching: in all he taught for "only" seventeen years, the last twelve years at Grammar School, the last five as Assistant Principal Teacher of English; yet in that time he became not only a school character, but a figure well known in teaching circles in Aberdeen and nationally through his service to the Educational Institute of Scotland and his championing of teachers' interests. Those who know him best know also his intellectual acumen, and the keen sensitivity expressed in a lifelong and participatory interest in drama. Jimmy Tinto inherited his mental gifts, and developed his warm humanity in the hard school of Life. Pupils miss his colour and his idiosyncrasies; his colleagues miss his advice and leadership in many professional issues. All wish him a happy and fulfilling retirement.

Arrivals As Nature abhors a vacuum, so institutions fill vacancies. Newcomers include Mr. Douglas Ritchie, formerly Assistant Principal Teacher of English at Frascrburgh Academy, who has joined the English Department in Mr. Tinto's stead and is already immersed in the development of the new courses, C.S.E. and others, that impend. Mrs. Margaret McDonald came to the Maths Department from Bankhead Academy, and Mrs. Isobel McCoig has joined the Art Department. Messrs. Noel Hughson and Edmund Norrie have taken up posts in the Technical Department, and the new Workshop Technician is Mr. Donald McGregor.

To all we extend a warm welcome!

Music Notes Bright and early at 6 a.m. on Saturday, 21 June, 1980 a party of pupils and staff boarded a bus at the Byron Statue and set off to renew friendship with the Werner Von Siemens Gymnasium in Regensburg. We were received warmly into the homes of our German hosts, and many sightseeing trips were made.

The highlight was the concert given in the school. A Scottish programme delighted the German audience, who joined enthusiastically in "Auld Lang Syne". The party then moved on to Bonn and visited Beethoven's house; the last evening was spent cruising on the Rhine.

Returned to school in August, we started preparations for the Christmas Carol Concert, held in St. Machar's Cathedral on Thursday, 18 December.

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Regensburg 1980

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This was well attended and the congregation, choir and brass ensemble made the rafters ring with carols old and new. The choir sang extracts from "Navidad Nuestra", a Latin American Nativity by Ramirez; all who attended will long remember the beautiful rendering of "El Nacimiento" sung by Gillian Taylor.

The Easter Term saw changes in the Music Department with the departure of Drew Tulloch to be Principal Teacher of Music at St. Margaret's. We wish him well in his new appointment and thank him for all his work with the Madrigal Choir, his "unashamed" accompanying, and his unfailing good humour. Miss Laura Anderson joined the Department to be plunged into the School Concert in March at the Music Hall with only two weeks' rehearsal, but appears to have survived unscathed.

The theme of the Concert was the music of Austria, which opened the doors for Haydn, Schubert, folk music and, of course, Strauss. The evening began with the lively Radetzky March, and the Primary Choirs entertained us with Austrian folksongs. The Senior Choir gave a sensitive performance of Schubert's "The Lord is my Shepherd", and the Serenade for Alto and Choir was performed; Isabel Gill joined us as soloist and her singing was greatly appreciated. Michael Brands was the soloist in the Haydn Trumpet Concerto, and gave a sparkling account of the last movement. To add a lighter touch we presented the Toy Symphony by Haydn, and a host of weel-kent faces took the platform to show their musical prowess: Mr. Gill (triangle), Mr. Allan (nightingale), Mr. Tulloch and Mrs Houlding (cuckoos), Mr. Dillon (quail), Mr. McLeod (trumpet), Mr. Galloway (drum), and, not least, the brilliant rattle-playing of Messrs. McCombie and Adey. The second half of the programme contained the Pizzicato Polka (tackled with appropriate pluck) and the Thunder and Lightning Polka, while choirs and orchestra combined for "Blue Danube", a happy finale to an enjoyable evening.

Looking ahead, we congratulate Gillian Taylor on her gaining the Mary D. Adams Scholarship to study singing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow, and wish her all success. To end as we started, with the German Connection, in June it will be our turn to welcome a group of musicians from the Werner Von Siemens Gymnasium and to return their hospitality.

Regensburg 1980 Last June a party of choir and orchestra members, and five staff, made a return visit to Regensburg as guests of the Werner Von Siemens Gymnasium. We broke our journey at Koblenz, where a thunderstorm and the unusual youth hostel, part of a centuries old fort high on a hill overlooking the city, combined to assure us of a night none of us will ever forget. We spent ten days in Regensburg where, staying with our hosts, we had ample free time in which to sample German family life. Our varied programme of activities included visits to some of the city's historic monuments, including the Town Hall, where the genuine torture chamber captured a few imaginations, and the Roman wall, as well as day trips to Munich, the ancient town of Landshut, and a boat trip along the Danube to the monastery at Kelheim. The highlight of this part of the trip was a visit to the fairytale castle of Ncuschwanstcin, the home of the eccentric King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who decorated the castle in as sumptuous a manner as possible with pictures of scenes from Wagner's operas, and also installed an ingenious system of plumbing, operated by the high waterfall behind the castle.

We also spent considerable time rehearsing for the concert of Scottish song, music and dance which we presented on our penultimate night in Regensburg.

Next we spent a weekend in the excellent youth hostel in Bonn, and enjoyed visits to the Beethovenhaus and an open-air market, and took an unforgettable evening cruise on the Rhine. between wooded hills studded with gleaming white castles.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

We all had a marvellous time and would like to take this opportunity of thanking Mrs. Brown, Mr. Tulloch, and everyone else who made this wonderful trip possible.

Combined Cadet Force At the end of June 1980 we had one of our most successful inspections of recent years. It was carried out by the Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets in the United Kingdom—Air Commodore K. Goodwin, C.B.E., A .F.C. , R. A .F. In his report he described our contingent as being "a model example of what should be hoped for within the C.C.F. as a whole".

This is a tribute to all concerned, but obviously most of all to the cadets.

Great enthusiasm has been shown by many of them, and after August last year we took in more equally interested Second Year pupils. Our total numbers arc now in excess of our establishment, which is always a healthy sign, and it appears likely that this trend will continue.

As reported elsewhere in this issue, February 1981 saw the fortieth Anniversary of the formation of a section at the school, and we were delighted that in attendance on the day of our special anniversary parade we had with us Mr. J. Lynch, the founding officer and latterly Deputy Rector of the school.

His presence made the occasion a very memorable one and we thank him very much for attending. Such an occasion is made more significant when one realises that we are one of only two comprehensive schools in Scotland still to have a C.C.F.—the other being Knox Academy, Haddington (there arc many other contingents in Scotland, but none come under the State/comprehensive system of schooling).

Apart from the special parade day the two sections have carried out the normal training schedules as reported below. The training of the sections carries on in the capable hands of both sets of section officers and also of the training and liaison staff, both locally and from as far away as Turnhousc, Edinburgh. Sincere thanks go as usual to all those concerned.

It was with regret that we learned at the end of 1980 of the death of Group Captain Hunter at R.A.F. Turnhousc. He had been directly involved with cadets for many years until his retiral a couple of years ago. He gave our contingent a great deal of time and support during his period in office and showed a very keen interest at all levels of the cadet movement, in his own quiet, efficient and gentlemanly way. The respect he gained will never be lost or forgotten.

We also said goodbye in April to Wing Commander Lane from the Territorial Army Headquarters in Dundee. He retired after many years' service, during the latter part as the Association Secretary in charge of our central administration.

We wish him and his wife health and happiness in his retirement.

The National Forces' moratorium did have its effects in some ways, but thankfully it has not meant the suspension or cancellation of too many activities during the cadet year. We can only hope that current cutbacks may be lifted and that this happens before we begin to feel the pinch too much.

Congratulations go to Pilot Officer R. Nugent on his promotion to Flying Officer, and to Flying Officer P. Scott on his pending promotion to Flight Lieutenant.

In conclusion, may I say that I hope the next forty years are as successful as the last, because after the parade in February several ex-cadets who saw the report in the local newspaper have commented on how much they enjoyed being in the contingent. This is proof in itself that, as with all clubs in the school, if the members put something into it, then they can get a great deal out of it. We are not a recruiting organisation by any means. The aim of the

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contingent is to afford the cadets, whether Army or R.A.F., the opportunity to be involved in many different activities, under the one heading of C.C.F., which they can enjoy and which will be worthwhile for them both during and after their time in the school.

Army Section This year again we have had a young section, made up mostly of recruits. This has, however, worked out quite well because it has allowed some of the older N.C.O.'s to show initiative and take a more active part in running the section training.

The usual activities have been undertaken, with shooting proving to be ever popular and drill less so. The 22 Cadet Training Team from the Regular Army have worked very hard this year with the cadets, and have always been willing to lay on a variety of training for the boys. They have been a great help and a welcome improvement on the uncertain state of involvement of the team in the last couple of years.

Circumstances seem to have prevailed against camps in the last twelve months, with the 1980 summer camp being cancelled for a variety of reasons. The Easter 1981 skiing camp, which was due in the first week in April, had belatedly to be put off because of unusual uncertainty about the sufficiency of snow. However, plans are almost complete for our Summer 1981 Camp, which is to be held at that well known venue, Cultybraggan—that name must conjure up a lot of memories for some ex-cadets.

We have been fortunate this session to have hosted two excellent visits by members of the Regular Army Mobile Display Teams. In October the Royal Army Ordnance Corps came and gave an interesting talk and film about their role—setting off a loud explosion in the middle of their presentation, which is after all one way to guarantee your audience stays awake. In March the Royal Corps of Transport were with us and the display which they gave covered all aspects of the R.C.T., including airborne lifts which catered ideally for the interests of the R.A.F. cadets present.

With no formal Inspection this year, the summer term can thus be fully utilised, and with the better weather in May and June various periods on battlccraft, mapwork and range practices in the open will be carried out.

Another retiral this year from the local A.C.F. Battalion was Major F.V.D. Mon—a well liked and respected liaison officer between the two cadet organisations. He carried out his duties in a most thorough and involved manner, and although most of our cadets never came in contact with him, he did play a significant part in all cadet matters in the North-East. His retiral will, we hope, be enjoyable, and we send him and his wife our kindest regards.

R.A.F. Section We are pleased to report that our cadet roll of fifty is now the largest it has been for many years. Sixteen recruits were enrolled from the Second Year at the beginning of the session, and only a relatively small number of cadets left the Section from IV, V and VI Years.

During the session, a number of cadets have been promoted in rank. These include Flight Sergcnt Kenneth Laing, who is now a Staff Cadet Warrant Officer, Sergeant Ian Duthie, who is now a Flight Sergeant, and Corporals Barnett, McIntosh, Nicholson and Kennedy, who are now all promoted to Sergeant.

Nineteen cadets are currently working towards a Proficiency I pass in the General Service Training Programme, which includes subjects such as Foot Drill, Dress, Discipline, Map Reading and Shooting/Safety. Proficiency I cadets are continuously assessed over the session and we arc hopeful that they will all gain their Proficiency ! Certificate at the end of the current year. Seventeen cadets have been studying the Proficiency 11 Syllabus, which includes subjects such as the Principles of Flight, Gliding, Aircraft Operations and the Helicopter. Five cadets are working through the Proficiencey III Syllabus, which includes subjects such as Meteorology, Air Navigation and Engines.

Over the year groups of cadets attended Air Experience Hying at R.A.F. Turnhouse, Edinburgh, where they were flown in Chipmunks. Small groups of cadets also visited

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

R.A.F. Buchan on a number of occasions and were shown around the various installations based there. Owing to the Government spending cuts and the defence moratorium, cadets have nor been given the opportunity to fly in Nimrods and Shackletons based at R.A.F. Kinloss and R.A.F. Lossiemouth. It is hoped that cadets will be able to receive this type of Air Experience Flying in the future in a more favourable economic climate!

Twenty seven cadets and three officers attended the annual summer camp last year at R.A.F. College, Cranwell. The officers stayed at College Hall Officers' Mess while the cadets had less commodious quarters in tented accommodation. The weather was very poor throughout the week, but this did not seem to deter the cadets from enjoying the various activities of the camp. The cadets were each given about twenty minutes' air experience flying in Chipmunks and Flight Sergeant Duthie was given the special treat of flying in a Jet Provost.

A number of outdoor exercises were organised over the session. In October, the Section visited Kirkhill Forest South for an orienteering exercise. In December, a very successful night exercise took place at Newburgh which involved 'SAS' and 'KGB' agents hunting for 'secret equipment' in a 'remote put of Finland'! A practical map reading exercise was organised near Collieston in which a group of cadets succeeded in getting themselves lost for a few hours. In addition, a number of initiative type exercises were done by cadets in the safer environment of the School Garden.

Near the beginning of the session, most of the R.A.F. cadets were given a course of instruction on Morse Code and Radio Communication. Mr. Hately from R.G.I.T. was invited to talk to cadets on the subject of Amateur Radio Communication. To supplement the programme, cadets were given a lecture on knot tying by Mr. W. McKenzie, a retired retailer; cadets, we hope, will now be in a better position to construct the various items of equipment in Initiative Exercises. Part of the Section visited the Heliport at Aberdeen Airport where they were shown around the headquarters and the various helicopters and later in the session the Section visited the Survival Training Unit at R.G.I.T. On 26 February, there was a special parade in the School grounds to mark the 40th Anniversary of the formation of the Air Training Corps Squadron 1299 of the school. The first commanding officer, Mr. John Lynch, attended the parade. Squadron Leader R. McLeod, a former Contingent Commander, took the salute and inspected the parade. Mr. A. McCombie, deputy Rector; Captain R. Gray, Contingent Commander; Hying Officer P. W. Scott, Officer Commanding the R.A.F. Section, and Flying Officer R.J. Nugent were also present at the parade. After the inspection, Corporal James Urquhart and Corporal Wolfgang Gorner were each presented with a trophy for 0.22 shooting.

The annual summer camp is to be held during the last week of the summer term.

Unfortunately, the Section will be split up. Twenty cadets will attend R.A.F. Leuchars with Flying Officer R.J. Nugent. and fifteen cadets will attend R.A.F. Lossiemouth with Flying Officer P. W. Scott.

Fund Raising: The School Mini-Bus The year 1980 in Aberdeen Grammar School can be described as "the year of fund raising". It had become obvious that our mini-bus was in urgent need of replacement, and several of the ingeniously varied projects to raise funds to that end were reported in last year's Magazine.

The final venture was a sponsored walk along the old Deeside railway line. The entire school, staff and pupils participated and a total of £3024 was raised.

As a result of the success of the many ventures and of the generous donations, the School was able to order a new mini-bus inJune 1980 and there was great excitement in December when it was finally delivered. The surplus from the fund raising activities has been placed in a special investment fund to give a start towards the next mini-bus, which we hope will not be required for many years.

The school is very grateful to all former pupils, parents, friends and pupils who made such great efforts to ensure that the necessary money was raised as quickly as possible.

A.G.S.F.P. Club Annual Ball

43

A.G.S.F.P. CLUB ANNUAL DINNER The Annual Dinner will be held in The Royal Darroch Hotel, Cults, Aberdeen on Friday, 30 October, 1981 at 7 for 7.30 p.m., when the President of the Club, N. I. W. Meldrum, will be in the Chair.

The cost of the Dinner will be f8.50 but for members of the Club under 23 years of age the cost will be restricted to £4.25, Members intending to be present are requested to complete and send the form overleaf, together with remittance, to H. Alan Hamilton, R.I.B.A., A.R.I.A.S., 1 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen, without delay, and in any case not later than Friday, 23 October, 1981. Tickets will not be issued, but members should indicate if they wish an acknowledgment of their remittance.

Every member of the Club may nominate one or more guests, provided that no gentleman may invite a lady and vice - versa, but, in accordance with the Constitution of the Club, a Former Pupil who is not a member of the Club cannot be invited as a guest. Applications should be made on the form overleaf.

Seating at the Dinner will be at tables of eight, ten, twelve and sixteen and, if members will give Mr. Hamilton an indication of the composition of their parties, every endeavour will be made to arrange that such parties are seated together.

A bus will be available for the transport of members from the Club Centre to the Royal Darroch Hotel and for the return journey. Further details and tickets will be available from the Steward of the Club Centre nearer the date of the Dinner.

Dress — Dinner Jacket. (If Under 23—Optional.)

A.G.S.F.P. CLUB ANNUAL BALL The Ball will be held in the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen, on Tuesday 29 December 1981, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Tickets (exclusive of Wines) will be priced at #9.50 each (single). A Buffet will be provided from 10 p.m. to 12.30 a.m.

If you intend to be present, kindly complete and send the form overleaf, together with remittance, to H. Alan Hamilton, R.I.B.A., A.R.I.A.S., 1 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen, without delay, and not later than Friday 18 December, 1981. A formal card of Invitation and Admission will then be sent for yourself and guest(s), if any. A member may nominate more than one guest (lady or gentleman) but in accordance with the Constitution of the Club a Former Pupil who is not a member of the Club cannot be invited as a guest.

Dress — Evening Dress or Dinner Jacket.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

A.G.S.F.P. CLUB ANNUAL DINNER 30 OCTOBER 1981 To H. ALAN HAMILTON, I West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen: phone office 28277

home 33439 Name (block letters) Address Date

DEAR SIR I Intend to be present at the F.P. Club Annual Dinner in The Royal Dafroch Hotel, Cults on 30 October 1981, along with

as my guests. I wish to reserve places for a party of whom appear on a separate sheet. I enclose acknowledgment is required.

Yours faithfully,

Member's signature

f

in number, the names of in payment. No

School years

Age if under 23

A.G.S.F.P. CLUB ANNUAL BALL 29 DECEMBER 1981 To H. ALAN HAMILTON, 1 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen: phone office 28277

home 33439 Name (block letters) Address Date

DEAR SIR I Intend to be present at the F.P. Club Annual Ball, in the Beach Ballroom, on 29 December 1981, along with

as my guests. I enclose f Yours faithfully,

Member's signature

in payment. Please send me my tickets.

Information for Notes Section

45

Information for Notes Section Your cooperation is essential to achieve the spread of coverage which is the aim of the Notes about Former Pupils, Marriages and Obituaries. Please make a point of passing information about yourself or other F.P.s to the Notes Editor, Alan G. Campbell, 22 Rosebery Street, Aberdeen AB2 4LL using, if you wish, this page of the Magazine. Such contributions will be gratefully received.

I. Name of F.P.(s)

2. Years at School (if known)

3. Correspondent's address (and name, if different from 1)

(continued overleaf)

Clubs and Societies Chess Club The present session has seen a steady enthusiasm for the game among most of the school's age range, with particular keenness among SI and SII. A new trophy, kindly presented to the Club, has been established for the best player from SI and SII, and this was won by Michael Dohan (SI), who swept aside all opposition without dropping even half a point.

The First Year in particular have shown themselves CO be able and promising players, reaching a higher standard then the present Second Year, though both First and Second Year teams have risen to the top of their sections in the Aberdeen leagues and arc awaiting the play-offs against Cults Academy, winners of the other sections.

The senior teams, too, have played well. At the time of writing, the School "A" team (Philip Brown (VI), Donald McLean (V), David Imrie (VI), Richard Smith (V), David Craigmile (V)) have still one fixture to complete in the Grampian League, Div. 1, and, if the result is favourable, we will share the same points total as Robert Gordon's College at the top of the division, though having won fewer games we cannot now reach first place.

The "B" team, playing in Division 2, have played less steadily and have to be content with a safe placing in the middle of the division. It is hoped that next session they will be able to capitalise on their experience of this year's matches and produce a stronger performance.

Dramatic Society This has been a successful and active year for the "Dram Soc". Several theatre visits were arranged. including a trip to the new Pitlochry Festival Theatre; all provided insight into the staging of plays.

Ross Parsons and George Tweedie gained places on the National Youth Theatre summer programme. It is hoped to draw on such invaluable experience by mounting an "all pupils" production this summer.

This season's main event, however, was the School Play, an ambitious production of Shaw's Androcles and the Lion, reviewed elsewhere in this issue. It was encouraging to see many younger members involved while older members remained to provide experience and continuity.

Electronics Club "How long will it be before a pupil tries to build his own microcomputer?" A question posed last year. No one has yet, but one club member has brought in his newly acquired Sinclair ZX80 and demonstrated its powers to his fellow club members.

At the other end of the scale, the younger members of the club have been learning the rudiments of electronics: including soldering, component identification and simple circuit construction. They were considerably intrigued by a light flashing circuit having at its heart a simple silicon chip.

Film Society This was the Society's first full season since the great improvements made to the sound and projection equipment. This season also saw the successful introduction of a new system for selection of films: at the end of last session, representatives were elected from the first three years to the committee. The views that they canvassed from members 47

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of these years. who after all constitute a majority of the Society's members, formed the major basis for the selection of the following films. There was also a strong vote from the Society's senior members for The Graduate; because of this film's AA rating, an extra film was booked for the First and Second Years only.

The full programme was: Rollerball, Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Graduate, Shout at the Devil. The Medusa Touch and Black Sunday.

All these films were extremely well supported, and it was generally agreed that the season's best film was The Medusa Touch, a gripping, psychological thriller starring Richard Burton. This year's committee was: Brian Fitzpatrick, Douglas Macrae-Gibson, Timothy McKay (projectionist) and William Daser, Graham Thomson and Colin Masson (year representatives). Thanks to Mr. Garrow and Mr. Will for all their help over the year; thanks also to the janitors.

Hill Walking Club The Hill Walking Club, with its large band of followers, covered many a happy kilometre this session. Thanks to Mr. Montgomery and some fellow members of staff, the Club completed no fewer than six day-excursions.

In all but one trip, the Club achieved what it set out to do. Unfortunately, the September trip to Lochnagar was marred by inclement weather which prohibited the walkers from reaching the summit, but undeterred they conquered Mcikle Pap instead.

In October, the Club scaled Glas Tulaichan, while in November, the walkers moved further along the road to the Glenshee car park and ascended Glas Maol and Creag Leageach. After the Christmas break, the refreshed adventurers travelled to the Inverurie area to climb the shapely hill of Benachic. February saw the group tackling Kerloch in almost continuous driving snow, but the sun made the ascent of Ben Rinnes in March a trip to remember with some hikers acquiring a tan as a result. All in all, the day excursions were enjoyed by everyone concerned and, no doubt, the fitness of the group improved as a result.

Back in June 1980, under the leadership of Mr. Montgomery and Mrs. Blaikie, the senior hillw•alking group travelled in the school minibus for a weekend of climbing around the Loch Ossian area. As is customary at this time of year, the walkers decided to spend the nights under canvas. The camp site, however, was infiltrated by a team of ravenous horses intent on plundering the hillwalkers' food supply: a situation which was not aided by a certain girl (who shall remain nameless) hand feeding the invaders!

Despite the sleepless nights and inclement weather, the group ascended all the Munros in the Ben Alder range.

Literary and Debating Society This has been a particularly busy and successful year for the Society. All meetings were well attended, both these "at home" and those hosted by other schools. We are pleased to have recruited many junior pupils as members, which bodes well for the future. There was a welcome improvement in the number of volunteer speakers, and so we didn't always have to rely on "the same old speakers".

Two guest speakers added diversity to our programme. Dr. Rory Watson, himself an F.P. and a lecturer in English at the University of Stirling, talked on "Bicycles", being co-author of a recent definitive Penguin book on that subject. Miss May Thomson, formerly of the Public Library, fascinated her audience with a talk on local lore and legends. The Staff Debate, on the not unfamiliar motion "That schooldays are the happiest days of your life", was lighthearted and entertaining as Messrs. Bruce, Hall, Ritchie and Thomson wooed us with anecdote and argument.

The School took part in a variety of competitions: the Conoco /E.S.U. Public Speaking and Debating Competitions, the U.N.A. Speechmaking Contest, and the "P. & J." / Aberdeen University Debater Competition. Fiona McCombie, our President, and Alastair Bridges did well in reaching the final of this last-named competition.

Clubs and Societies

49

Modern Dance Club The Modern Dance Club, now in its fourth year, has approximately sixty members meeting on Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes and after school on Wednesday. The club, run by Mrs. Whyte, has built up a very good reputation, especially this year, when one success has been followed by another.

In September five members: Angela Hendry, Jill Hutchison, Jennifer Ingram, Laura Knaggs and Carol Simpson, were chosen to dance in the Grampian Schools' Production, A Sharp Note of Class. This was good experience for these dancers and all who came to see the show in H.M. Theatre, highly praised it.

The culmination of the dance year is in February when we take part in the Day of Dance, at the College of Education, along with other Aberdeen Schools. This year we presented five dances: two from the Senior section, two from the Junior club, and finally a combined effort from both groups. Only a few weeks later all the dances performed at the Day ofDance were taped on video for the Teachers' Resource Centre in Aberdeen as they wished to have a tape on modern educational dance in schools. We all enjoyed seeing ourselves on a television screen as we had never before seen how we performed in dances.

1981 has seen the introduction of the Inter-House Dance Trophy. On 1 April a panel of impartial judges had the difficult task of assessing four dances from the Seniors and four dances from the Junior Club. All the dances performed were of an extremely high standard—each one choreographed by the girls themselves. In the end "Clockwork Companion" and "Checkmate" from Keith House won by a very small margin.

"An Evening of Dance" was also held in early April in the Main Hall. The audience of parents and friends were well entertained by fourteen contrasting dances.

And for the future . . . ? Several members are hoping to travel to Edinburgh to audition for the Fringe Festival and we hope that some of our work will be accepted.

Lastly, all members of the Dance Club would like to thank Mrs. Whyte for her encouragement and the many dances she choreographs.

Orienteering Club The departure of several enthusiastic orienteerers last summer ushered in a quiet season; with our parent club, "Gramp", deeply involved in organising the Scottish Schools Championships at Crashes, few events were held. Moreover the majority of our members are now in S.V and so younger members must come forward to ensure the Club's survival.

Owing to our close links with the Robert Gordon's College club we have been able to travel to six events this session, in which various minor placings were gained. In addition, club members held a Street Event at Craigicbuckler, organised and competed in a combined event with R.G.C., and ran an event for our own R.A.F. cadets in Kirkhill South Forest. Alastair Moulding was selected for the North East squad.

Photographic Club The Photography Club meets every Thursday in the dark room at Rosemount.

Because of the dark room's limited size, the number of members able to use it at any one time is limited. Accordingly a rota system is in force to allow members reasonable access to the equipment: the main activities of the Club, besides the actual taking of photographs, are techniques including the developing, printing and enlarging of film.

Miss Mackenzie of the Art Department gives much time and effort to instructing members in these skills, and the members would record their gratitude to her.

Schools' Scientific Society This has been another successful year for the Schools' Scientific Society which had a total membership of 354 pupils from all the Secondary Schools in Grampian Region.

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Membership of Aberdeen Grammar School pupils was around ten pupils, which is on a par with that of other city schools. Oddly the vast majority of the members are pupils from schools outwith the city of Aberdeen.

The programme of lectures for the past session covered a wide range of scientific topics. The first lecture took place in October at Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology where Dr. H. Ellington gave an illustrated talk on the subject of astronomy.

Dr. Ellington conducted us on a "guided tour" of the universe from our own "backyard" in space. the solar system, to the most distant galaxies at the edge of the observable universe. In November, Dr. Williamson of Shell Exploration gave an informative talk, in the Grammar School Hall, on the role of the environmental scientist in oil exploration.

The Christmas lecture was held jointly with the Aberdeen University Chemical Society at the Chemistry Department, King's College. Mr. W. Moser, who now teaches Physics and General Science at Powis Academy, captivated the attention of all present with his lecture on the chemistry• of the colourful element Iodine. He performed many fascinating experiments and demonstrations, which included an iodine-based solution which oscillated in colour change from clear to black many times during a ten minute interval.

The first lecture of 1981 was presented by Dr. Sugden from the Geography Department of Aberdeen University. He gave a very amusing account of his experiences while on a scientific Antarctic expedition illustrating his lecture with a fair number of coloured slides. In February, Dr. Flook of Aberdeen University gave a lecture entitled "The Workings of Human Lungs" at the Anatomy Lecture theatre, Marischal College, Aberdeen. To complete the programme of lectures, Dr. Mitchell of the Department of Medical Physics, Foresterhill, Aberdeen lectured on the medical uses of Physics.

Scripture Union This session has probably been the most successful for a very long time for the S.U. in School, with a marked increase in membership. The number of younger pupils made it possible at the beginning of the school year to form both a junior group and a senior group which met separately as well as together, with obvious advantages. The programme of joint meetings included a beach barbecue, a pizza party and a Christmas party, as well as more spiritual events like a performance by Footsteps, a young Christian acting group; an outing to see the film "The Cross and the Switchblade"; and a very successful weekend at Kilravock Castle near Nairn, notable for its enjoyment and fellowship.

Weekly meetings for seniors, as well as Bible study and worship, featured a series of people from the professions (a policeman, a solicitor, a doctor and others) talking on being a Christian at their particular job. The junior group enjoyed a series of films and quizzes, and studied the character of Stephen in the New Testament.

We continue to support a boy in the Dominican Republic through the Tear Fund, and hope to organise a fund-raising event on his behalf in the summer term.

Ski Club Although the mild winter pleased many people, it proved to be one of the worst in recent years for skiers. After a promising start in January, conditions soon deteriorated. giving no skiing in February and only two weekends in March. Despite this, the school Ski Club continues to go from strength to strength. Since the end of last season, with the aid of money from the endowments and amenities funds and from a sponsored ski, the club has purchased nine pairs of skis and ten pairs of boots.

For the first time the school has organised its own overseas excursion. This departs on Friday, 3 April, returns one week later, and will be centred on Fai in Northern Italy. The party will consist of forty pupils and five members of staff. Many thanks are due to all members of staff who have helped with skiing during the past season.

"Androcles and the lion"

51

Stamp Club The Stamp Club met every Thursday after school in the winter term, and will resume its activities next session after the October break. Most of our members have been from the upper years, but it is hoped to involve more of the younger pupils next session.

Activities comprise the usual swapping and buying of stamps, talks about collections, and advice for beginners on the essentials of philately.

Wargaming Club The Wargaming Club has been suffering badly under the present "recession" both in funds and membership, but a certain dogged enthusiasm remains. Less has been achieved than was perhaps hoped, but life is still kicking, and hope with it.

There has, however, been an increase in interest in micro-wargaming (or simply "micro"). This involves the use of very small metal models, which as well as allowing more realistic numbers to be employed, is also a good deal cheaper—a serious consideration!

Next session we hope to expand in this region, and to have another try at raising interest in campaign wargaming, or at least to link together individual battles into some framework.

"Androcles and the Lion" Under the guidance of Mrs. Pat Wood the School Dramatic Society has pursued an ambitious production policy, having in recent years presented plays by Shakespeare, Wilde and the Capek Brothers. The principal 1981 production, Shaw's At:diodes and the Lion, showed the same ambition. It is not the easiest of plays to sustain on stage, and it is to the credit of the young players that they made such a good fist of it.

Shaw's fable-play, first staged in 1913, treats the familiar tale of how an act of kindness to a lion distressed by a thorn repays an hundred fold the benefactor, the Christian tailor Androcles: when that good man finds himself in the Roman arena, an intended victim of leonine voracity, he is recognised by the very lion he succoured, is spared by lion and Caesar, and becomes lion-keeper at the local zoo. This slender narrative thread supports much weighty disputation between the Christian captives and their pagan captors, and the audience is encouraged to consider not only the nature of religious experience and morality, but the still wider conflict between Freedom of Conscience and Authority. Shaw's Preface, not unusually, outguns the play. The present critic, indeed, has reservations about the efficacy on stage of several of Shaw's plays, though none about their readability, and certainly the dialogue is extremely taxing of an actor's capacity for delivery: his clarity, pacing, and general control.

The cast in this respect coped very well, none better than Donna Cranston as the highborn Lavinia, who spoke and moved elegantly. Of her Christian brothers and sisters, Alistair Grant has the physical presence to make an impressively "powerful and violent" Ferrovius, even if not all his words were as in Shaw's original text, while George Tweedie made a telling cameo of Spintho, that "wreck of a good-looking man gone hopelessly to the bad" who falls fatally into the lion's cage and jaws. Of the Romans, Grahame Whyte coped confidently, as Captain of the Guard, in the intricate arguments with Lavinia on the awkward moral imperatives of Christianity. Peter Montgomery needed a little more pomp and circumstance to seem as wholly imperial as a Caesar, but Messrs.

Bridges and Friend were suitably smooth as the young Roman sophisticates, Lentulus and Metellus. A host of supporting players, Christian captives and Roman courtiers, added to the visual impact of the production, which was given a cracking start by Ross Parsons and Donna Canals, as Androcles and his shrewish wife, Megaera, meeting in the jungle with the troubled Lion (Sharon Montgomery): all showed a keen sense of comedy, and Donna especially had great impact in an all-too-brief appearance.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

The text of the play is not long, but it is demanding and Mrs. Wood had worked hard to achieve the pace of the performance and to equip her cast with a sense of the play's arguments as well as with the mere words. A large number of pupils and staff made their contribution backstage; even if on this occasion the production was kept deliberately plain, emphasising the central issues, the teamwork offstage was apparent though not blatant.

All in all, then, this was a lively and creditable show. Perhaps the next venture might be a comedy, however. One feels the forte of the Society, as with most young players of talent, lies in the provision of laughter—and in Androdes this element seems lost a little in the allegorising and implicit debate.

Grampian Schools Science Competitions Esso Competition, 1981 Schoolchildren from Grampian Region were invited to take part in an Esso-sponsored competition about the Oil Industry in Britain. In the Senior Section, pupils were asked to produce a project describing what impact Oil has had on their community in the twentieth century. Pupils of twelve years and under had to design a series of posters showing the story of oil.

In January, over 200 children and their teachers from the six schools rated best in the contest attended a ceremony at Grampian Regional Council H.Q. in Aberdeen. They were shown a film about Esso's North Sea activity, presented with prizes by Mr. Douglas MacNaughton, Chief Executive of Grampian Regional Council, and treated to tea.

Senior prizewinners from A.G.S. were Jill Hutchison (1st), Peter Montgomery and Edward Reid (2nd eq.), and Donald Wetherick (3rd). Junior winners from Grammar School were Tara Epstein, Jennifer Jenkin, Morag MacDonald and Shona MacDonald (all 2nd eq.) and Fiona Craigmile and Theresa Paterson (4th eq.).

The February issue of ECIO Newsline featured the winning posters, and an article on the competition spoke of "an astonishingly high awareness of what is going on in the North Sea".

B.P. Schools' Essay Competition 1980/81 The B.P. Schools' Essay Competition is organised in association with the B.P. Schools' Lecture, which was held this session in September at the MacRoben Hall, Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, Aberdeen. The Essay Competition provides an opportunity for young people to exercise their imagination on the implications of scientific developments of today.

A large number of pupils from schools throughout the whole of the North of Scotland attended the lecture given by Mr. Trevor Philpott and twenty pupils from Aberdeen Grammar School were amongst this large audience. Mr. Philpott, the well-known broadcaster and writer, who has produced many full-length B.B.C. television documentaries, the latest of which was "The Philpott File", gave a talk on how his degree in Mechanical Engineering helped him in his career as a Science Correspondent.

The subject of this year's B.P. Essay Competition was "How can the General Public be kept better informed of Developments in the World of Science and Industry?" All those who attended the B.P. Lecture were asked to submit their entries by November, 1980.

In February. 1981, the Rector was very pleased to learn that four of the six prizes for this Competition had been won by pupils of Aberdeen Grammar School. Senior staff at B.P. Petroleum Development, Dyce, marked the entries and praised the entrants on their scientific awareness, their originality and on the general quality of their work.

The A.G.S. winners (all from S.IV) were: First Prize, Sandy Kydd; Second Prize, Kathleen Ewen; while James Laidlaw and Peter Montgomery received consolation prizes.

Power Station Game

Winners of the Agecroft Trophy L. to r.: A. McDowall, E. Cruickshank, M. Barnett. Y. Thomaneck, A. Houlding, A. Webster.

B.P. Schools' Essay Competition

Back: Peter Montgomery (IV), fourth prize.

Front I. to r.: James Laidlaw (IV) fifth prize, Kathleen Ewen (IV), second prize, Sandy Kydd (IV), first prize.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Power Station Game From afternoon on 1 April 1981 till lunchtime on 3 April 1981, a team of pupils from Aberdeen Grammar School competed for and finally won the Agecroft Trophy, presented by the Central Electricity Generating Board. They competed against teams from Inverurie Academy and Linksfield Academy. The game was a special feature of an Educational Conference taking place at RGIT. The members of the successful Grammar School team were: Eileen Cruickshank, Yasmin Thomaneck, Ailsa Webster, Mark Barnett, Alastair Houlding and Alan McDowall, all of S.V. The game was based on the assumption that a decision had been reached to build a 2000 mw. Power Station in a certain area, the object of the game being to determine which type of power station (coal, oil, or nuclear) to build, and where to site it. The teams drew lots to determine which type of power station each would work on. The game reached its climax when the three teams met to present and defend their cases in front of an audience of conference delegates.

The winning team was decided by a vote of the conference delegates after this plenary session.

Total Award: Paris Trip June 1980 Annually, Total Oil Marine Ltd. arranges for two Sixth Year pupils—one studying science, the other studying modern languages—to goon a week's all-expenses-paid trip to Paris and the Total plant. This generous gesture is in recognition of the help the company receives from Grammar School by way of a school building, Westfield Lodge, and other facilities for the children of the Total employees.

This year Lesley Fraser and Derek Harley were the fortunate winners of the Total awards and, accompanied by Mr. Gill and by Mrs. Cowie of the French department, we set off for a most exciting and eventful time in "Europe's capital".

We stayed in a quiet but elegant hotel in a fairly busy area of the city, a stone's throw from the River Seine and about fifteen minutes' walk from the Eiffel Tower. The general policy of the holiday was late to bed and early to rise—the only way possible to cram in as much as we could of what Paris has to offer in the time available.

Our principal sightseeing tours included visits to the most popular places of tourist interest—the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysies, Notre-Dame. the Madeleine, the Latin Quarter, Versailles and Malmaison, Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower; and also to some of the not-so-famous places of interest—the Trocadero, the Boulevard St. Michel, the Military Academy, the Place de la Concorde, Montmartre and Montparnasse.

For me the most impressive of these were Versailles Palace and Les Invalides. Indeed, a visit to Versailles Palace with its two thousand magnificently decorated and ornamented rooms and its beautiful fountains in the extensive gardens. is one outing every holiday to the Paris area should include. Perhaps less grandiose, but all the same an architectural masterpiece, is Les Invalides, where the body of France's most famous military hero— Napoleon Bonaparte—lies in a splendid tomb in the serenity of this impressive marble edifice.

One's impressions of the best-known Parisian landmarks take on a new dimension when one is confronted with the buildings in reality. And perhaps of none is this more true than of Europe's most famous monument—the Eiffel Tower. It is certainly a thrilling experience standing over one thousand feet above the streets of Paris, and the panoramic view from the top can only be described as breathtaking (although the weather was generally very warm and sunny, it rained on one occasion during our stay—for about ten minutes only; but at the time we happened to be right at the top of the Eiffel Tower and got distinctly wet.)

Of course, we made a point of finding time to fit in one or two shopping trips in the city centre, where we soon realised that Aberdeen's House of Fraser and Boots would look like corner-shops when contrasted with the numerous, massive Parisian department stores, like Printemps.

Burns Supper

55

The majority of our tours were of educational value in the purely cultural sense, but three visits could be described as educational in the academic sense. The first of these was a tour of the Total Oil Marine office centre in Paris, where we saw how a large company such as this carries out its projects from its main base; this was followed later in the week by a tour of the Total refinery in Normandy, which included a talk (in French) on the process of distilling oil, and seeing the largest combustion chamber in the world at work; and on the penultimate day of the trip, we had a most interesting and informative visit to Orly Airport, where we found out all about Total operations there.

We also saw inside Air France's prototype Concorde, which has now been turned into a museum piece.

An important and enjoyable aspect of the trip, for me in particular, was the food. In my opinion French cuisine certainly has the edge over traditional Scottish fare—in quality and quantity. The French take their food seriously, and this was evident on many occasions.

The highlight of the entire holiday for me was the evening trip along the Seine on the popular, brightly-lit "Bateau Mouche". We devoured a six-course dinner and viewed the sights of Paris by night all along the river, while we listened to traditional French accordion music and singing; all in all a unique experience.

DEREK A. HARLEY

Two Unexpected Awards In October of last year the Keep Grampian Beautiful Campaign Committee adjudged Aberdeen Grammar School to be the best kept school not only in Aberdeen District but in the Region as a whole and the award was presented by the Convener of the Education Committee at morning assembly on 29 October. The second award was that of the Trident Trophy which was presented to the school on 7 February at the Commonwealth Swimming Pool in Edinburgh. The award, which is one of the top awards in Scottish Swimming, is made to the school achieving the highest number of passes at the various levels of survival and distance swimming. The work involved was performed entirely by Miss C. Lefevre, who was temporarily a member of the P.E. Department, and she merits our congratulations.

Burns Supper A very successful Burns Supper for 175 staff and senior pupils was held in the School Hall on 29 January, 1981. By rights such a function, intended as biennial, should have been held in 1980, but a School Inspection at the time proved a sufficient distraction to the organisers.

The event followed traditional lines. After haggis, neeps and whatever, Mr. Ian Milne, eschewing French for the occasion, proposed "The Immortal Memory" with zeal and conviction; "The Lasses" and its reply were neatly handled by Alastair Houlding and Fiona McCombie; "Tam O'Shanter", and later "To a Louse", were recited in effortless and masterly fashion by a guest for the evening, Mr. James Dickson, an Ayrshire man now resident in Aberdeen.

There followed in the second half of the evening a lively programme of entertainment: Florence Simpson and Craig Michie piped; Mrs. Gill and Gillian Taylor sang; a Staff Male Voice Quartet (Messrs. Galloway, Hall, McLeod and Will) performed with youthful gusto; the School Strathspey and Reel Group played most elegantly; two pupils with S.W. links—Valerie Paton and Colin Noble—recited the Bard; the company danced Scots dances; and Drew Tulloch, on his final evening as a member of staff, held all together at the piano.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Byron Players: "Ali Baba"

This year we knew to expect it and we knew what to expect, Cinderella having been such a success. Pupils and staff alike were hardly able to contain themselves until 8, 9 and 10 December (the staff having been encouraged to attempt three, instead of two, performances), when Ali Baba appeared finally on stage.

The panto having been chosen (democratically), it was Pat Wood who piloted the "flying carpet" of the production to another success: the "magic lamp" of hard work and long rehearsals created from the stage a robbers' cave, an Eastern market, a becushioned and be-satined diningroom; and from the staff, by means of fezzes, yashmaks and harem pants. were conjured robbers, merchants and delightful slave girls, whose bare midriffs inspired unfulfilled hopes of a Dance of the Seven Veils. Nevertheless the outstanding Jeanette Shaw, as the resourceful Margiana, did almost make our wildest dreams realities as she brought about the downfall of Al Raschoun (Jack Thomson, all but unrecognisable in a dark wig and villainous moustache). He provided a dastardly focus for the audience's hatred, having them quivering almost as much as his robbers.

Among these, conspicuous by their bumbling villainy, were Smashem and Grabbem (Neil Montgomery and Bob Duncan). They provided the audience with a lot of amusement and a little regret, since they perhaps did not figure as prominently as could have been wished.

The "professional" talents of Eva Cowie and Ian Galloway were once more in evidence, and Catherine Reid, in a splendid costume, was marvellously awful as the superior, complaining Nella. This year, moreover, new talent could be seen in the slave girls, Rossetti and Goggetri (Lilian Paterson and Shirley Emslie), who were, much to the audience's approval, transformed at one point into St. Trinian-style schoolgirls; in the roles of Cassim and Kemal (Brian Anderson and John Jackson); and in the underexploited double act of Mustapha Dubbuhn and Mustapha Nutta (Grant Bruce and Brendan Adey).

This year's chorus line was at one point a chorus line with a difference when the traditional line-up was followed on stage, to accompanying howls of shock and delight. by hip-swinging, yashmak-wearing, scantily-clad males. And if these slave girls were a little rugged, the robbers were occasionally surprisingly effeminate (perhaps Women's Lib has reached Arabia!). But what the robbers lacked in number and muscle power, they made up for in gusto.

Ali Baba, like Cinderella, features a "Name the Member of Staff Spot". In robber garb, Derek Morris, Mary Dutch, Lawrence Murray and others popped out of jars momentarily to writhe in agony. Perhaps the moment of agony could have been extended for the enjoyment of the audience (the pupils especially!) and to enable the victim's identity to have been guessed more readily.

Norman Constable seemed a veritable genie, summoning up from nowhere at the last minute a set of scimitars, and creating with his marvellous sets an Arabian fantasy land, an illusion reinforced by the costumes created by the staff under the expert cyc of Enid Blaikie. Musical magic was performed by Tom Henderson and Drew Tulloch at back-toback pianos, and the sorcery of Ruth Howard (aided by Ron McLeod's trumpet) made a formidable snake appear from a bazaar basket. Indeed she and Jenny Watson were indefatigable in their search for props. Pupils, as stage crew, lighting crew, sound crew and make-up artists, provided the necessary support for the staff's efforts.

The production, which raised £500 (£250 for the Drama Department, £125 for School Funds and £125 for OAPs) was an undoubted success; clearly the Byron Players are going from strength to strength. Indeed next year's panto has already been chosen and no doubt rehearsals will soon be underway.

Former Pupils' Club Section (Club Founded 11 September 1893)

Club Office-Bearers, 1981-82 Honorary President: ROBERT DOUGLAS Gill, M.A.

(Rector) Honorary Vice-presidents: ARTHUR J. ADAMS (1919- 30), B.sc.(ver.), M.R.C.V.S. GEORGE E. C. BARTON (1923-26), M.A. ERIC Ros &Run' (1920.22), C.A. JOSEPH R. CARRY (1918-30), M.B.E., T.D., D.L., F.B.C.O. DOUGLAS P. COCHRAN (1906- 15), F.A.I.B WILLIAM L. CONNON (1930-40), B.L. T. GORDON COUTTS (1938-49, 1950-51), Q.C., M.A., LL.B. JOHN W. CRADOCK (1941-46), C.A. ALFRED J. M. EDWARDS (1908-21), M.A., B. COM. ALLAN C. FRAZER (1925 -30), M.A., LL.B., W.S. ALEXANDER GRAY (1910-22), M.A., LL.B. THE HON. LORD JOHNSTON (1913-26).

JOHN A. LILLIE (1893-1903), Q.C., M.A., LL.B.. HON. LL.D. J. FRASER MCLUSKEY (1920- 31), M.C.. D.D. IAN G. MCPHERSON (1910.17).

AIR MARSHAL SIR LESLIE MAYOR (1923- 33), K.C.B., A.F.C.. D.L., F.R.AC.S. ROBERT A. E. MENNIE (1924 - 36), M.A., F. INST. PET. THE RT. HON. LORD MESTON (1901-02).

JAMES S. G. MUNRO (1922-28), M.H.E., T.D., J.P., D.L., B.L. J. LENNOX RIDDELL (1907 -16).

JOHN V. SKINNER, M.A., M.LITT., Drp.ED.. J.P. (Rector, 1959-72).

ALAN C. R. WATT (1925- 37), M.A. LL.B. EDWARD J. WOOD (1908- 21), M.A.

President: NEIL 1. W. MELDRUM (1925.37), M.A., LL.B.

Vice-President of Club and Chairman of Executive: BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934.46), T.D., M.A., U.B.

Secretary: JOHN F. HENDRY (1951-65), LL.B.

36 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB9 1YU Treasurer: COLIN C. ALLAN (1936 -45), C.A.

63 Gray Street, Aberdeen AB1 6JD

General Editor of Magazine: DAVID K. YULE (1951-65), M.A.

11 Kinkell Road, Aberdeen AB1 8HQ 57

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Secretaries of Centres Edinburgh—NicEL G. M. WATT (1963-69), W.S., 10 Atholl Crescent. Edinburgh EH3 8HE. London—ROBERT A. E. MENNIE (1924-36k M.A., F. INST. PET Rookery Cottage, Norton End, Wendens Ambo, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4JS. Yorkshire—A. J. M. MILLER (1942.55), M A.. C.A.. 13 Wenlock Drive, Escrick, York.

B., DIP ED . 5 Beechill Avenue, Ireland—ANDREW M. M. STEVEN (1936.50), M.A..

Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 4NS. Seaetaries of Sections Cricket—DR W. AUSTAIR STEWART (1939-47), 56 Forbesfield Road, Aberdeen AB1 6PA. Curling—ALAYrAiR C. MAITLAND (1943-52), 1 Harlaw Terrace, Aberdeen AB1 6Y11.

Golf—ALEXANDER J. SIMPSON (1954-60), 426 Clifton Road, Aberdeen AB2 2EJ. Hockey—DENis N. YULE (1960.66), u B . 14 Lochside Road, Bridge of Don. Aberdeen AB2 SAE. Photographic—HUNTER A. B. Wiu (1948-62), 132 South Anderson Drive, Aberdeen ABI 6LU. Rugby—MICHAEL G. H. GIBB (1942.46), 25 Vievrtleld Road, Aberdeen AB1 7XL. Swimming—ROGER D. HOUGHTON (1959.63), 31 Woodburn Crescent, Aberdeen AB1 13JX. Executive Committee The Vice-President of the Club, Chairman PROF. PHILIP N. LOVE (1952-58), Vice-Chairman The Secretary, the Treasurer and the General Editor of the Magazine, ex officifir The Rector of the School, ex officio ALAN G. CAMPBELL (1959-65) RONALD R. COMBER (1947-53) JOHN P. DRUMMOND (1947-58) H. ALAN S. HAMILTON (1943.56) DEREK HARLEY (1974-80) DENNIS W. INKSON (1960-66) JAMES C. LYON (1953-59)

DOUGLAS MCALLISTER (1961-74) W. DOUGLAS MITCHELL (1946.61) JEREMY D. MOIR (1969-75) MARIE). MosER (1976-80) DR. W. A. STEWART (1939-47) G. FRASER WEBSTER (1949-62) DENTS N. Yule (1960-66)

Section Representatives Club Centre—RICHARD H. W. CRADOCK (1940-41, 44-51) Cricket—IAN P. SourER (1947.61) Curling—ALASTAIR C. MAMAND (1943-52) Golf—BRIAN). HADDEN (1951.54) Hockey JOHN A. SMITH (1966-72) Rugby—IAN M. GILBERT (1969-72) Staff—IAN T. STEPHEN Swimming—H. A. BARRIE HARPER (1950.57) Auditors Messrs. BOWER & SMITH, C .A .

Club Consuls Australia—JAmEs GREG (1937-42), 24 Chicquita Avenue, Seaford, Victoria 3198, Australia.

Canada—G. DOUGLAS MENZIES (1934.44), 15414 74th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5R 2Y4.

Malawi—ALASDAIR H. Mawr) (1947-61), P.O. Box 30045, Lilongwe 3, Republic of Malawi, Central Africa.

United States—BRIAN S. GRAY (1943-49), 8113 Fenway Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20034.

United States—MICHAEL G. KING (1951-60), 42 Richard Road, Edison, New jersey 08817.

Annual General Meeting The Seventy-ninth Annual General Meeting of the Club was held in the Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen on Monday, 30 March 1981.

Executive Report The following are extracts from the Executive Report submitted to the meeting by the Chairman.

Finance and Membership Membership had continued its steady rise to a figure of 2189 and it was particularly pleasing to note the number of ladies among the new entrants to the Club.

The Club's running costs were continuing to rise with inflation, and the Executive remained concerned, in particular, with the cost of the Magazine. The Committee was resolved, however, that, in the meantime, the Magazine should continue in its traditional way, and it was fitting that mention be made of the contribution to the defrayment of Magazine costs by the efforts of Mr. Ainslie Mitchell in organising advertisements for the 1980 issue. An advertising "manager" had also been appointed for the 1981 issue, and it was hoped that last year's position would be maintained, if not improved upon.

School The traditional liaison with the School continued to be fostered on both sides, but, in particular, the Executive had been encouraging closer contact between the Club's sporting Sections and the School with a view to improving recruitment to the Club's sporting activities.

Social The Annual Dinner on 30 October 1980 had attracted the attendance of 148 members and guests, a gratifying increase over the numbers of recent years, and a fitting reward for Alan Hamilton's unruffled administration in the face of some confusion about the final venue for the function in his first year as Entertainments Secretary. Both the Dinner and the Ball (which was held in the Beach Ballroom on Boxing Night and was attended by 463 members and guests) were considerable successes.

Centres The Centres in Edinburgh, London and Yorkshire remained active and had held their usual functions during the year. It was understood that efforts to revive the Glasgow Centre were likely to result in a meeting in the near future, and there were grounds for hope that the Centre might be re-established on a regular basis.

Pullover After much (and arguably disproportionately lengthy) debate, agreement had finally been reached on the recognition ofan official F.P. jersey bearing the badge of the Club. Its introduction had been welcomed by members, and the jersey was available for purchase from the Club Centre steward.

General Business Reports on the year's activities were submitted by representatives of the Club's Sections and the Club Centre. Similar reports appear later in this Magazine.

The accounts for the year were approved. An abstract of the accounts is published at the end of this Magazine, and the full statement of accounts is available from the Secretary.

Office-bearers for the year 1981-82 were elected in accordance with the list immediately preceding this report. The re-election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman for a third year was an exception to the customary term of two years, but one which had the meeting's unanimous approval in view ofProfessor Love's inability to stand as Chairman until his year ofoffice as President of the Law Society of Scotland had been completed. Miss Marie Moser became the first lady member to be elected to the Executive Committee.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Club Subscriptions

It will be observed from the above report, that the Chairman was obliged to draw the attention of the 1981 Annual General Meeting to the Executive's concern at the rising running costs of the Club. In this connection, and in anticipation of any measures that the Executive may have to recommend in a year's time, the Treasurer has asked that readers of the Magazine be reminded of the current rates of subscription for membership of the F.P. Club. These arc as follows: Life—.(50; Junior—f2 p.a.; Ordinary—f4 p.a.

School-leaver—f3 (including balance of year leaving school and the two following years).

Our President Neil Ian Wilson Meldrum (1925-1937), M.A., LL.B. Words are like leaves, and where they most abound, Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.

So quoted our new President in this Magazine over forty years ago in commenting upon one of his distinguished predecessors.

Mmph?

Well!, there are of course exceptions.

If the qualification required for a President of our Club is long, loyal, enthusiastic and devoted service to both School and Club, then no more apt choice could have been made than that of our new President, Neil Ian Wilson Meldrum. There is, however, much more to Neil than just that, for he is indeed a man of many parts.

Presidents come and go. some may be different, some are long remembered and others soon forgotten. What is quite certain however, is that our new President it different, and most certainly he will be remembered for he is not one who can be overlooked or whose presence in any company can pass by unnot iced .

Neil spent his entire School life at the Grammar, being in his final year a School Prefect, President of the literary and Debating Society and ViceCaptain of the 1st XV. In addition, he performed the possibly unique feat of winning every track event from 100 yards to the mile with the exception of the 440 yards in the 1937 Annual Sports. Outside School he was a keen Boys Brigade Member.

On departure from School he at once joined the F.P. Rugby Section, and so thus early began an active membership, which as player, Secretary (never to be forgotten), President (his father though not a F.P. was an ardent supporter of F.P. Rugby, a fact which was properly recognised by his being appointed for a term as president), referee, pundit and all seeing and all knowing critic. Who can forget how after his playing career was prematurely terminated by a war wound he determinedly "ran the line", usually accompanied by his dog, and wearing of course the same green pork-pie hat that had endured some years before a traumatically drenching experience at a certain hotel in Musselburgh?

Neil entered Aberdeen University with the object of obtaining a degree in Divinity and becoming a minister of the Church of Scotland, an objective he later abandoned, thus causing one to reflect upon what certain congregations so unwittingly missed.

On the outbreak of War in 1939 he at once volunteered for the Gordon Highlanders, and was granted a commission. His Battalion was posted to

Club President 1981-82

Neil I. W. Meldrum (1925-37), M.A., LL.B.

Club President 1980-81

T. Gordon Coutts (1938-49, 50-51), Q.C., M.A., U.B.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Egypt along with the 51st Highland Division, and first saw action in the Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, when Neil was severely wounded in the leg, thus causing his repatriation and several years of repeated hospitalisation and operations. Any lesser man would have lost his leg at an early stage, but not Neil who was fully determined that no such thing should happen to him, and by sheer grit and courage he made sure it did not! That he has made the recovery he has was, he once told me, in no small measure due to the encouragement, care and attention when in hospital of a Sister Ivy Williamson, whom some years later he was to marry, and whose untimely death last year was keenly felt by the wide circle of friends fortunate enough to enjoy her quiet charm, humour and endless tolerance.

Discharged from the Army on medical grounds Neil returned to Aberdeen University (where he served as Convener of the Charities Campaign in 1946), and, now resolved upon a career in Law, duly graduated M.A. LL.B. After a brief spell as a legal assistant he set up business in Aberdeen on his own account, and just recently he was joined in partnership by his only child, Gillian.

In 1945, no longer being able to play Rugby, he became Secretary of the Section, a post he filled for many years. However his greatest achievement for that Section must be the "To Kyle in Style" rail excursion he conceived and superbly organised in 1973, and has, with outstanding success, run each year since, thereby raising hundreds of pounds for the Rugby Section. He also contributed to North rugby through his refereeing, having served as Chairman of the Aberdeen and District Referees' Society, and as President of the North District Rugby Union from 1976 to 1978.

Neil's interests have also extended to his Church activities—Elder of Cults West and Presbytery Elder and sometime Commissioner to the General Assembly, to the Church of Scotland Girls Home, and to the British Legion. A sight worth seeing each year at Hazlehead was the Church Parade of the British Legion with Neil as Officer Commanding the Parade—head held high, chin up, kilt and arms swinging, fearlessly striding out behind the band and ahead of his men, doggedly maintaining his own step, and contemptuously ignoring the plaudits of his several admirers at the roadside. An important activity in Neil s business routine is drinking morning coffee at a well known city restaurant, where he holds his audience spellbound and dumbstruck, whilst he puts the world to rights.

Yes—Neil is different—he is a "character" in the best sense of that word, and he thoroughly deserves the honour the Club has done him. May he enjoy his year of office as much as so many have enjoyed his enthusiasm for the School and Club for so many years.

J.S.G.M. (1922-28)

Club Centre The Club Centre has had another very successful year with a record membership of 1103. This includes a number of young lady F.P.s who appear to enjoy using the facilities available and we hope to welcome many more in the coming years.

Financially the Club Centre is in a very sound position and the Treasurer was able to announce a healthy surplus for the year largely because, for once, there had been no capital expenditure. The surplus will help repay some of the loans still outstanding on the property, but the Management Committee would also welcome suggestions from members for any improvements to the Club Centre.

This year also marked the retiral through business commitments of the Secretary, George Robb. George was Secretary for seven years and the Management Committee thank him for all his hard work and wish him well for

Annual Dinner 1980: Hinds at a Stag Night

63

the future. Dennis Inkson has taken over from George and has already settled in to his post.

Dick Cradock continued as Chairman in his usual enthusiastic and cheerful manner and received excellent support from the Management Committee and officials.

Finally, as always we thank Bill and Mrs. Mackie and their staff whose diligence and friendly manner help make the Club Centre a pleasant place to visit.

Annual Dinner 1980: Hinds at a Stag Night 1973 saw admittance of girls to Aberdeen Grammar School for the first time in its history. As they arc now Former Pupils in their own right, the question arose of whether they would be able to attend the Annual Dinner for Former Pupils of the School.

Being a staunch supporter of female chauvinism I could see no reason why the fair sex should not take their places at the Royal Darroch Hotel, the venue for the 1980 Dinner, on 31 October. The powers that be must have shared our sentiment for no objection was raised when we requested that we be allowed to attend.

And so the aforementioned evening duly arrived . . . and so did our nervousness for the first time! Being a mere six in number we were slightly outnumbered by males! In fact, looking through the doors of the hotel all we could see was a mass of black evening suits, a sight which forced us to take refuge in the "Ladies" until the female chauvinistic spirit once more exerted itself!

However our fears were totally unjustified as a most warm welcome was extended towards us by the Office Bearers of the F. P. Club Executive Committee, and better was to come when we found four bottles of wine on our table with the compliments of the F.P. Club.

Whether our table was strategically placed, or whether it was pure coincidence that we were positioned in the centre of the room, we could not fail to be noticed and this would help to dispel any impressions formed by certain male F.P.s who had enquired earlier in the evening, whether or not we had come to the right place!

Our presence was again acknowledged by Mr. Gill and Mr. Allan in their speeches. Indeed Mr. Allan admitted he now knew what was lacking at Robert Gordon's College!

The formalities over, we were again welcomed by several more F.P.s who were (unaccountably!) drawn to our sides while we were propping up the bar. We now began to believe that, while our presence may have been treated somewhat sceptically by the more traditional of our fellow F.P.s, few, if any, would not welcome our return next year (perhaps at least until they received the drinks bill!)

Finally I would like to thank all those people who helped to make the evening such a memorable experience for us all. I would also encourage any lady member of the F.P. Club who may not have had the courage to join us at the Dinner this year to come next year—unfortunately I think we shall have to supply our own drink!

LESLEY FRASER (1974-1980) In defence of the slight imputation ofmale chauvinism on the part of the Executive Committee, the Editorfeels bound to make it clear that it has always been open to female members ofthe Club to attendthe AnnualDinners'', the same way as their male colleagues, providedthat allmembers invite as guests only those ofthe same sex as themselves. This is not to detractfrom the heroism so enchantingly displayedby the sacladies in question on 31 October 1980. Indeed, even the Editor has been known to tremble as he beholds that "mass ofblack evening suits" andpresages the ordeals before him in the hours ahead. It hadnot occurred to him, however, to take refuge in the "Ladies". . . .

Centre Reports Edinburgh The Centre continues to flourish and attendances were good at the three functions organised during the year.

The Annual Golf Outing was attended by 15 F.P.s who enjoyed good weather and friendly rivalry—James Craig won the outing closely followed by the Secretary and the ever young Frank Black. Mor Brown, the Centre's President, has kindly donated a Trophy for competition at this annual event and all F.P.s are very cordially invited to participate. This year's outing will take place at Bruntsfield on Wednesday 24 June at 3 p.m.

In November a Cheese and Wine Party was held in the Royal Over-Seas League at which F.P.s and their wives enjoyed an informal gathering.

On the eve of the Scotland v. Wales International at Murrayfield the Annual Dinner was held again in the Carlton Hotel with forty-seven F.P.s and guests attending. Although the attendance was slightly down on the record number of the year before, the Dinner was undoubtedly successful and the standard of speaking very good. The principal guest was David C. Louden, the Convener of the "Balls and Implements" Committee of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, St. Andrews and he proposed the Toast of "The School and The Club" in most excellent fashion. Suitable replies were made by the Club President, our own T. Gordon Coutts, and the Rector, Robert D. Gill.

A successful evening was assured by the Chairman Mor Brown, and a measure of the esteem in which he is held by the rest of the Centre is that he was re-elected as our President for a further year. The new Vice-President is David L. Cowie and the Secretary, Nigel Watt, continues in office.

Members of the Edinburgh Centre are always delighted to hear from F.P.s who work in or around the Capital. If any reader falls into that category, why not contact the Edinburgh Centre Secretary, Nigel Watt, by ringing 031-229-8851 (Office), or by writing to 10 Atholl Crescent. Edinburgh?

The F.P.s who attended the Annual Dinner were as follows: F. C. B. Black. W. Morrison Brown. M. H. Byres. T. Gordon Courts. D. L. Cowie, B. K. Crookshanks, T. Davidson, Robert D. Gill (Rector), J. F. Hendry, J. F. Kirk, P. N. Love, N. I. W. Meldrum, H. E. Morrison, J. B. Rennie, P. M. Robertson, L. D. Scorgie, A. B. Shewan, R. G. C. Smith, M. B. Thomson, W. D. D. Wallace, A. C. R. Watt, N. G. M. Watt, R. A. Williamson.

London The Centre held its Annual Dinner on Friday, 14 November 1980, in the Smeaton Vaults, Chiswell Street in the City of London, foregoing, for the first time in many years, a venue in the West End. Our President, Dr. John Jones, welcomed the company of sixty members and guests, who included T. G. Coutts, Q.C., President of the Parent Club, Brian Crookshanks, Chairman of the Club Executive and Robert Gill, the Rector. The London Centres of Glasgow High, Heriots, Dollar Academy and Gordonians were represented by their Presidents.

Ian Duguid (1933.43), the eminent eye specialist, proposed the toast of the School and the Club, to which the Rector and the Parent Club President suitably responded.

The following is the list of Former Pupils who attended the Dinner: W. Georgeson (1911-23), W/Cmdr. D. Bruce (1913.22), J. R. W. Catto (1923.36), A. Walker (1923-25), R. A. E. Mennie (1924-36), A. W. C. Lobban (1925-35), J. Brown (1930-42), I. G. Johnston (1932-45), J. G. W. Jones (1937.47), A. M. Noble (1939-52), K. Courts (1944-50), R. Falconer (1944-58), J. B. Davidson (1947-60), J. W. Clark (1949-51), R. S. Anderson (1959-65), I. M. Carry (1960-73), I. M. Duguid (1933-43), 64

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I. B. Taylor (1933-40), M. Lyall (1935-48), J. Baird (1936-46). D. Robbic (1936-48), A. Nicol (1962-71), D. Norrie.

The Secretary of the London Centre is very anxious to contact young Former Pupils who come to London and who may wish to attend the Centre's activities.

For the record, the Centre will be holding their 1981 Dinner on Friday, 13 November, at the Smeaton Vaults, Chiswell Street, London, E.C.2.

Yorkshire In May 1980, Martyn Batchelor again organised a most enjoyable theatre evening and supper in York, attended by a small number of members and their wives.

The Annual Dinner in September 1980 was as usual held at the Dower House Hotel, Knaresborough, in the company of the President and VicePresident of the Parent Club, and the Rector, who has so loyally supported our little Centre since he took office.

The informal gathering was saddened by the death only a few weeks earlier of the Centre President Leslie Boyd (1918-29) who is very much missed.

In his place, W. J. Alexander (1931-43) was elected President. A. J. M. Miller (1942-55) was appointed honorary Secretary to succeed J. A. N. Watt (1927-39) who in 1981 will be retiring and moving further north.

Those present at the Dinner were: T. Gordon Courts (1938-49), President of the Parent Club, Brian K. Crookshanks (1934.46), Vice-President of the Parent Club, R. D. Gill Mt .A. Rector, W. J. Alexander (1931-43), President of the Centre, A. J. Adams (1920-30), J. A. N. Watt (1927-39), D. G. Joss (1947-54), R. W. Glashan (1938-51), A. J. M. Miller (1942-55), Secretary of the Centre, M. A. Batchelor (1959-65).

The 1981 Dinner will be held in the Dower House Hotel, Knaresborough on Friday, 2 October 1981, and all members of the Club who are within reach of this venue will be welcome.

Any member of the Club coming to live in or near Yorkshire is invited to contact the Secretary of the Centre. A. J. M. Miller, 13 Wenlock Drive, Escrick, York, Telephone 0904-87-480.

Section Reports Cricket The following officials have been elected for 1981: 1st XI Captain: R. S. T. Ferro; 1st XI Vice-Captain: K. G. D. Thomas; 2nd XI Captain: I. S. Hopkin; 2nd .3,3 ViceCaptain: G. Welsh; 3rd XI Captain: D. A. Harley; 3rd XI Vice-Captain: R. P. Stephen; Fixtures Secretary: J. D. Moir; Match Secretary: I. P. Souter, 10 Cliff Park. Cults (tel.

867000); Secretary: Dr. W. A. Stewart; Treasurer: H. E. Morrison.

Strathmore XI

Of the nineteen matches played in the Strathmore Union, 12 were won, 2 lost and 5 drawn. The team finished a creditable third behind Meigle and Strathmore.

Fine victories were recorded against Meigle by 8 wickets, John Pickard taking 8 for 32; against Arbroath by 5 wickets when Ian Souter took 5 for 10 and against Dundee High School F.P.s by 72 runs when Jeremy Moir on one of his few appearances scored 98 not out and took 6 for 28.

The batting on the whole was considerably steadier than in 1979 with John Rennie again setting a fine example of consistency and watchfulness and ending the season as second highest amateur in the Strathmore averages.

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Duncan Thomas, Dave Thornton and Oliver Will all contributed several hard hitting innings.

Penetration in the bowling attack relied heavily on John Pickard who with unflagging energy amassed a total of 47 wickets. Mike Hart's offspin was an effective variation to the battery of steady medium pace from Mike Budge, Ian Souter, Duncan Thomas and Oliver Will.

The season's success was also due to the generally high standard of catching in the outfield and particularly behind the stumps by Dave Thornton and Callum Macdonald.

In the Three Counties Cup both Gordonians and the Grade Select XI were beaten by rather less than a comfortable margin—Dallas Moir scoring a brilliant 99 against the latter. In the semi-final, however, the team fell 20 runs short of Meigle's moderate total to lose a disappointing match.

With substantially the same pool of players the Strathmore XI should again challenge for the higher league positions if the consistency in batting and catching can be maintained and additional penetration in the bowling attack found.

Grade XI 1980 proved to be a somewhat disappointing season for the Grade XI in its return to Grade I after a quarter of a century in lower divisions. After a bright start during which the side remained unbeaten for the first six matches, form slumped with eight defeats in the last twelve games, and a final position of ninth in the league, narrowly behind Stoneywood, resulted in the Grade XI being relegated to Grade II along with bottom club Artisans.

Victories were recorded over Stoneywood at Rubislaw and Westburn at Duthie Park, while a most exciting tic of 181 runs each was fought out at Stoneywood, the final eventful over of the match containing 15 runs for F.P.s, 2 no-balls and a run out! Ironically enough the Grade XI was undefeated at Rubislaw but did not have sufficient resources to turn draws into wins.

The Grade XI's regular bowling attack was, not unexpectedly, weaker than that of most Grade I sides, but Martin Webster generally bowled steadily and Brian Proctor trapped 35 victims, though at considerably higher cost than in 1979. The batting, however, proved surprisingly brittle, with only John Fraser and Ray Sinner showing reasonable consistency. David Kilgore shone briefly with a dashing half-century against Saracens at Rubislaw, but was cruelly struck down by a knee injury and missed most of the season.

Perhaps the best performance of 1980 came in the victory over Saracens in the second round of the Aberdeenshire Cup. F.P.s scored 140 for 6, with Stan Rae notching 61 not out, and then Brian Proctor and Robbie Lawrie, aided by some first-class fielding, shared all ten wickets as Saracens were reduced from 79 for 0 to 120 all out. F.P.s lost the semi-final to eventual winners Stoneywood.

It is to be hoped that, inspired by the successes of the Reserve XI, the Grade XI can consolidate its position in what is expected to be a highly competitive Grade Il in 1981. The experiences of 1980 demonstrate that greater all-round strength and resolution is necessary if a successful challenge for promotion is to be maintained.

Reserve Grade XI Season 1980 saw a considerable step forward for the Cricket Section with the setting up of a Reserve Grade XI. In what was a wholly experimental season, F. P.s finished in a respectable third position in the table behind Ellon and Cults, the team's full league record reading: played 14, won 8, drawn 1, lost 5.

While much of the XI's success was due to teamwork, mention must be made of certain individual performances: Kenneth Stephen was our most consistent batsman, whose scores included 76 against Lads' Club and 66 not out

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against Artisans. Kenneth ended the season with an average of 37.14, which earned him the Reserve Grade Batting Cup; Graham Davie also collected a piece of silverware, winning the Under-18 Batting Cup with an average of 23.11. Graham's best performance was against Balmoral when, on a waterlogged pitch, he hit a memorable 96. Both players, it would seem, are good investments for the future; on a number of occasions when runs looked hard to come by John Meston came to the rescue as a middle-order batsman and boosted our total with a swift half-century. John finished the season as runnerup in the Under-18 Batting Cup with an average of 22.90.

On the bowling front Gordon Fraser spearheaded the attack, collecting 27 wickets at 7 apiece, while Kenneth Stephen took 22 wickets at an average of 13. The former was runner-up in the Under-18 Bowling Cup for all Grades.

Two other bowlers made notable contributions during the season: Martin Webster was in fine form against Stonehaven, snatching six wickets for five runs in an exciting fightback by F.P.s; and Robbie Lawrie, on his only appearance for the 3rd XI, took eight wickets (including a hat-trick) at a cost of only two runs as Anchorians were dismissed for 10.

The Reserve Grade side represents a breeding ground for potential firstteam players, where younger members can improve their playing ability and develop a more positive attitude to the game before stepping up a grade and entering a more competitive atmosphere.

We look forward to the 1981 season with confidence, our aim being to maintain a position in the upper regions of the league. What with the enthusiasm shown throughout the season by the team and with the recent revival of School cricket, the future of F.P. cricket looks assured.

Curling The office bearers for 1980/81 were: President Alan Hamilton; Vice-President G. Fraser Webster; Secretary Alastair C. Maitland; Treasurer Colin C. Allan.

The Section is nearing the end of another season and as these notes are written just before our Annual Dinner and A.G.M. some of the information given is out of date by the time the Magazine is published.

The MacDonald Cup for the winners of our internal league competition has been won by "Rink D" skipped by Douglas Mitchell. Douglas and his men also completed the double by winning our knock-out competition. While skill undoubtedly played a major part in those victories, Messrs. Cameron, Cradock (R.H.), Hendry, Mackie, Maitland and Mitchell arc to be congratulated on their ability to turn up to curl at the times allocated to them. Too many games were spoiled for the other players by the non-appearance of one member of a rink. Not only is it annoying for the players but it also means that the rink of the offender loses the match by default. It is hoped to introduce more strict measures next season to ensure that this absenteeism does not continue.

Our second Annual Dinner was held in the Crescent Hotel on Friday 2 May 1980, when, as at our Inaugural Dinner in 1979, Ronnie and Joan Comber did us proud with a splendid meal, and encouraged us to enjoy ourselves by giving us the use of their Bier Keller to finish the evening off.

Golf Once again an enjoyable and successful season was had by the members of the Section with outings at Braemar, Ballater and Turriff. Attendances were up on the previous year, averaging thirty-five per outing and some scores were returned in the upper fifties.

We had the better of the Gordonian Golf Section in two out of three encounters, beating them in the H.A.R. Trophy and the Challenge Cup but unfortunately we succumbed to them in the Queen Elizabeth Tournament at Barnton in September.

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At the Annual General Meeting held after the Ballater outing in October, C. C. Allan was elected Captain for the season 1980/81 with J. C. Lyon as his deputy.

The Annual Dinner of the section was held, as usual, at the Crescent Hotel in November. The main speaker was T. I. Morrison, past president of the Scottish Hockey Association and previous captain of the Cricket Section, who proposed the toast to the Section, and the reply was given by the Captain, J. M. Clark. The Toast to the guests was proposed by D. Inkson and the reply by J. MacRae, who stepped into the breach at the last moment owing to the Gordonian representative's inability to attend.

Trophy winners for 1979/80 were: W. D. Mitchell Allison Fowlie Trophy A. J. Simpson Russell Henderson Cup G. F. Webster R. H. Cradock Carry Cup C. C. Allan Trophy D. Inkson Maitland Rose Bowl D. G. Dempster Walker Cup R. Mackie A. C. Maitland Craig Spoon Jeffrey Mug G. Craig Gibb Thow Trophy

Rugby The playing record of the Section in 1980/81 was as follows:

Points 1st XV 2st XV 3st XV

P 24 23 20

W 7 9 20

L 15 12 0

D 2 2 0

F 242 280 633

A 342 317 120

This was a disappointing season for the 1st XV, who, having gained promotion to Division 3 only in 1980, found themselves once again relegated to Division 4.

There can perhaps be some excuses for relegation—injuries, unavailability and several away games in succession. The main reasons however, were the lack of application towards training and the failure of the players to achieve any sort of a team performance. There were some reasonable individual performances, and congratulations go toJohn Murray for his continued selection as North Midlands hooker, and also to Julian Scott who played in the under-21 trial.

The 2nd XV struggled on manfully, rarely having a settled team, and managed to stay in the top division of the Midland 2nd XV League. They suffered badly from calls from above and below, and we shall have to spend more time helping this team to provide good reserves for the 1st XV if we want any continuity in the Club.

The 3rd XV results speak for themselves and Ron Comber and his team are to be congratulated on winning the Aberdeen and District League for the first time. The side went from strength to strength, ending up by beating Garioch in the championship decider at Rubislaw, unfortunately without Ron Comber, who had been stitched up at Huntly.

Once again all F.P.s who are interested in the Club are asked to be on the lookout for players to join the Section and for any non-players who would be interested in helping in the Section's administrative and selection functions.

Photographic The Photographic Section has had a moderately successful year. The dark room, which is regularly used, has benefited from the acquisition of a new Durst enlarger. Although this enlarger has a colour head, finance has not been available to equip the dark room fully for processing colour films, but this remains an objective for the future. The Section has maintained a healthy total of around fifteen members but would welcome one or two new members The Section ran four social evenings last year, two featuring colour slide competitions and one a most interesting talk and slide show given by Mr James

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Will. The A.G.M. was held on 25th March 1980, and at it the black and white print competition was judged. The winner was again Richard McKenzie.

This year we hope to run social evenings with slide competitions as the established pattern and to hold one or more outings to places of interest. Dates of these will be intimated on the Club Centre notice-board and non-members are cordially invited. We are also prepared to run lectures for beginners if there is any demand, and all those interested arc invited to contact the Secretary, Hunter A. B. Will, whose address appears in the list of Club officials Swimming Swimming Section membership now stands at seventy including ten associate and three female members. The Section's popularity during the past year has increased and the facilities are being fully utilised. Members are reminded that the session 6.30-7.30 p.m. is for family use and also that no children should be left unattended at any time. Children should be out of the pool by 7.30 as the next hour until 8.30 is given over to recreational swimming and the time thereafter until 9.30 is free. For example, members may wish to improve their swimming technique or just generally while away the rest of the evening up to their neck in it!

Thanks arc again extended to the ianitor for his good work during the past year and the Section can look forward. to 1981-82 with optimism. The relative 9plication for continued use of the facilities next year has been lodged by the .

Secretary.

Any former pupil or potential associate of either sex is welcome any Tuesday during School term to come along when the Secretary, Roger D. Houghton, Treasurer, Norman G. Marr, and various Committee members are usually in attendance.

Hockey At the time of writing there is still one weekend of the present season left and the competitiveness of the leagues is such that it will not be until the final whistle is blown that we shall know which leagues our 1st and 2nd XIs will be playing in next season. Outwith National League • hockey the 1st XI have enjoyed considerable success winning the local ' sixes" and reaching the final of the local cup when they were only narrowly beaten by Hazlehead, at present one of Scotland's leading teams. In the National League, however, a lack of consistency and failure to convert chances into goals has cost us dear and the team are fighting to avoid relegation to Division 3—a win or even a draw in the final game will almost certainly ensure their survival in Division 2.

Our 2nd XI have high hopes of promotion to the 1st Division of the local league although they may have to rely on the assistance of the 3rd XI who are in the same league and have yet to play another of the promotion challengers.

The 3rd XI have had a good season under the captaincy of Jim Lyon who came out of "retirement" with Grammarians for this season to help the younger members of the Club. This team have only narrowly missed promotion and it would have been a tremendous boost to the Club if both our 2nd and 3rd XIs could have moved up to Division I next season. At the beginning of the season it was decided to start a 4th XI on an experimental basis and it is a particular pleasure to report not only their success in completing their league programme unbeaten and gaining immediate promotion to Division 2, but also their helpful overall contribution to the Club and smart appearance on the field.

Grammarians have enjoyed some excellent games and results against good opposition but have sometimes struggled against lesser teams. Nevertheless they continue to win more games than they lose and take an active interest in all Club activities.

Schoolboy representative honours have been won by Steve Rennie, David Hutchison, Ian Sutherland and Stuart Nicol who have all played for F.P. teams this year. Also Murray Bisset has been selected for training with a young

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Scottish squad and Fred Lawson added another District selection to his long list of honours.

John Drummond and Ian Middleton continue to umpire at National level but arc always willing to assist by umpiring inter-club matches when they arc available. John Drummond also keeps his "eye in" by playing for North District Veterans and on occasions for Grammarians. Our thanks are due to both Mr. D. Swanson, head of P.E. at the school and Bill Allan, groundsman at Rubislaw for their ready assistance during the season.

The Graham Fraser Trophy for the most improved young player of the year was awarded to Steve Rennie.

Elected officials for next season are Mike Murray (Club Captain), Stuart McLean (1st XI Captain), Murray Bisset (1st XI Vice Captain), Gavin Fraser (2nd XI Captain), David Leighton (3rd XI Captain), Sandy Thomson (Grammarians' Captain). The fourth team captain will be decided at the beginning of next season.

Reunion of Class 1951-65 Readers of the Magazine may be pardoned a yawn if their immediate reaction to the above title is that it is no time since they read an article with the same heading. To many of those who met in the Station Hotel on 29 December 1980, it seemed much less than five years since the first reunion of those who had been members of the class which progressed through the School from 1951 to 1965.

Though the attendance at our second reunion on the fifteenth anniversary of our leaving School was smaller than at our first function, the total of forty-four former pupils was more than sufficient both to mark the occasion in a fitting manner and to ensure a convivial evening; indeed many must have felt that the numbers were too large to permit sufficient conversation with all of those whose acquaintance they wished to renew, but a further opportunity for renascent fellowship was provided by the lunchtime get-together in the Club Centre on the following day. when it was gratifying to observe not only the ease with which previously strange families struck up new friendships, but also the splendid resilience of the "masters of the house''' in surviving the rigours of the previous evening.

It had been intended that the successful format of the 1975 reunion should be followed in every detail and, indeed, the company was chaired, as before, by Harry• Millar, the Senior Prefect in 1964-65 and was honoured and entertained again by the presence and speech of Mt. J. V. Skinner, Rector when the year left school. It proved impossible, however, for Donald A. Lamont (1951.65), Deputy Senior Prefect in 1964-65, to secure his release from the Moscow Embassy in time to act as our third speaker again, though by not inconsiderable effort, he succeeded in reaching the Club Centre for our lunchtime gathering the following day. In Donald's absence, the company was agreeably addressed by Jock Hendry.

The reader must wonder why it is that this particular School year takes such pleasure in holding and attending reunions, when such activities have become so thoroughly unfashionable. No fewer than thirty-one of those attending had been undeterred by the 1975 reunion and were present for the second time. Is there some special type of homo sapiens which has a particular taste for this outmoded custom?

In seeking a solution to that problem, one glib reply might be that solitary beings with no established family grouping might feel the need to renew old acquaintanceships. Perhaps we are all bachelors? On the contrary, thirty-three of the forty-four attending are married, and most of these with families. Can it be argued, then, that we are all desperate for any excuse to get out of the house?

And no significant correlation seems to exist between reunion attendance and place of residence. While seventeen came from far afield to meet their fellows, twenty-seven are still resident in Aberdeen or the surrounding area, though a number of those have returned to Aberdeen after a sojourn elsewhere. Occupation is also varied, though one

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71

wonders whether there may be any special import in the fact that almost one quarter of the group (ten) are teachers or lecturers in further education. But there are also four doctors (one in the army), four solicitors (and one lawyer in local government administration), three accountants (one of whom is also a publican), six in oil or oilrelated services, three in banking, two engineers, two scientific researchers, two in family businesses, and one each in the BBC, insurance broking, personnel management, the armed services, chartered surveying, and University administration.

One significant factor may be the relatively high proportion of F.P. Club officials at the reunion: the Club Secretary (Jock Hendry), the General Editor (David Yule), the Notes Editor (Alan Campbell) and arguably the most powerful official in the Club hierarchy(!), the Club Centre Treasurer (Harvey Morrison) were all in attendance.

No common personality trait is discernible from the biographical notes supplied to the Editor. They suggest, for example, that Neil Borthwick is an apostate ("after six years' staunch support in Cardiff Arms Park am now considered an honorary Welshman"), that Forbes McCallum remains unshakeably true to the Liberal Party despite his ordeals as a District Councillor since 1977 and having served a sentence as Parliamentary Liberal Candidate for North Aberdeen from 1970 to 1974, that Richard Shirreffs, too, remains true to his "Munros" acting as Secretary of the Cairngorm Club since 1972, that Dave Pyle claims a fleeting acquaintance with Idi Amin, while Alisdair MacKenzie constantly renews his acquaintance with his saxophone and Norman Edwards with his snooker cue spreading his reputation from Burroughs and Watts to Dalgety Bay, but that Peter Collier "previously a marathon runner, cross-country skier and squash player, slipped a disc water-skiing in Barbados and now enjoys bridge and sailing his boat in the physiotherapy pool".

If pressed for a reason for our favour of class reunions we would probably all agree that we share a keen recognition and appreciation of good company, but with equal justification would concede that a major influence on our attendance is the zeal and efficiency with which our organiser, Jock Hendry, promotes the function.

Perhaps one final editorial observation may be permitted. In the Random Notes of the June 1965 Magazine, it was reported that the editors of the School Section had fled the wrath of their readers to remote corners of the world. Donald Lamont, it was said, was "attempting to flog Mercedes-Benz cars to illiterate Russian peasants". Near the beginning of this report, it was indicated that Donald's place of business was currently the Moscow Embassy, where one of his principal responsibilities is trade and the promotion of the interests of British companies. While the British taxpayer will earnestly desire him to put his best efforts into the marketing of British Leyland products, one cannot help speculating that it might be a less arduous task to sell a Mercedes or two. . . . Can this have been another unrecognised scoop for the Magazine? We shall ask him in 1985.

Those who attended the reunion were as follows: Neil M. Borthwick (1952-65), Alan G. Campbell (1959-65), Peter M. Collier (1960-65), Hugh S. Clark (1951.65), Cyril G. Clements (1959.65), Michael B. Colvin (1951-65), George H. Cowie (1952-65), Bruce M. Drummond (1959-65), Murray Dunlop (1952-65), Norman K. B. Edwards (1959-64), Steven J. C. Esson (1952-64), Alan A. Gray (1959-62), Russell Gray (1952-65), Alan A. Hatrick (1959-65), Gordon W. Hay (1951-65), John F. Hendry (1951-65), David Hyland (1959.65), Alistair K. G. Lamont (1952-65), William Leiper (1959-65), Forbes McCallum (1959-65), Alisdair G. MacKenzie (1952-65), Gordon R. MacNay (1951.65), John Main (1961-63), Douglas Marr (1959-65), Henry R. Millar (1952-65), Brian R. Morgan (1952.65), Harvey E. Morrison (1951-65), Ronald J. Neave (1959-64), Hamish T. E. Norbrook (1959-65), David Pyle (1959-65), lan I. Quigley (1959-64), Richard B. Rae (1959-65), James A. Reid (1963-65), James D. Reid (1954-65), Murdoch J. Shirreffs (1951-64), Richard C. Shirreffs (1951-65), Brian A. M. Smith (1959-63), Ian A. Souter (1952.65), David W. Smith (1952.65), Ronald A. Stables (1959-65), Lawrence M. Tough (1959.64), Derek J. Walker (1959-65), H. Oliver Will (1959-65) and David K. Yule (1951-65).

Martyn A. Batchelor (1959-65), M.A., Dip. L.D., A.L.I., A.Inst. P.R.A., was in December 1980 elected to associate membership of the Institute of Park and Recreation Administration. In May 1981 he was appointed Assistant Chief Planning Officer in charge of landscape design with the City of Glasgow District Council.

Richard Alexander Bisset (1959-65), B.Sc., has been appointed Depute Rector/Principal Teacher of Guidance at Kemnay Academy. He was previously Assistant Rector at Banchory Academy.

Robert (Roy) Brown (1932-43), M.B., Ch.B., has retired from the post of Medical Director at the Regional Psychiatric Centre, Ontario. In 1976, after twenty-four years with the Canadian Armed Forces, he retired as a LieutenantColonel and then began work with the Psychiatric Centre.

He went to Canada in 1944 to complete his flying training and served as a fighter pilot in the Pacific and was demobilized in 1946. He returned to Aberdeen and took his degree in Medicine in 1951, gaining a Rowing Blue in that year and being a founder member of the University Boat Club.

In 1952 he emigrated to Canada where he specialised in psychiatry, gaining his Fellowship in Psychiatry in 1967 at the University of Ottawa. From 1968 to 1975 he was Chief of Psychiatry at the Canadian Forces Hospital in Kingston.

In 1976 he was Senior Medical Officer afloat in charge of the medical rescue teams for the Sailing Olympics and was selected as one of the Olympic flame bearers at the age of fifty. On retirement he hopes to devote more time to his hobbies of golf, curling, swimming and gardening and hopes to be involved, as a Consultant, in the planning of the Federal Health Service.

Gordon A. Buchan (1965-71), LL.B., who is a partner in the Aberdeen Law firm of Paull and Williamsons, and who was captain of Elgin City Football Club in season 1980/81 has recently announced his retiral from football.

Gordon Henry Buchan (1959-72) and Andrew Douglas Laing (1968-74), who both studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London are members of the Locrian String Quartet and travel throughout the United Kingdom giving public concerts and recitals. In 1980 they played in a concert at Aberdeen University.

Andrew M. Campbell (1916-27) writes that his son, Andrew M. Campbell (1942-53), has taken up an appointment with the Grampian Health Board as Area linen Service Manager at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill. He previously held a similar post with the Newcastle Area Health Board.

His son David and daughter Jacqueline are at present pupils at the School making the fourth generation of the Campbell family to be educated there.

John Campbell (1894-96) and William Thomson Campbell (1894-95) were uncles of Andrew M. Campbell Sen. Leslie T. Carnegie (1925-38), c.B.E., B.L., was appointed a Commander of the British Empire in the 1980 Birthday Honours List. He has been Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council since its inception on the reorganisation of Local Government in 1974/75, prior to which he was County Clerk of Dumfries for 20 years. He is an Honorary Sheriff, Justice of 72

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the Peace and Clerk to the lieutenancy of Dumfries. A solicitor and graduate in law of Aberdeen University he started his Local Government career with Aberdeen Town Council before proceeding to East Lothian County Council, where he became Depute County Clerk.

Richard Cowling (1959-65). B.E., has been in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia for the past six years where he is Manager of the Mining Research Section of the major employer in the area, Mount Isa Mines. Copper and silver-lead-zinc ore have been mined there since 1931.

In 1978 he presented two papers at the twelfth Canadian Rock Mechanics Symposium in Ontario.

Enc Hugh Cruickshank (1940-49), B.Sc., Ph.D., the 1949 school all-round trophy winner, has been elected President of the London Scottish Football Club—the first F.P. to hold this position. )ohn W. Curran (1963-69), a partner in the Aberdeen legal firm of Edmonds and Ledingham, was a member of Keith Football Club's squad which won the Highland League Championship in season 1980/81. His marriage is recorded elsewhere in this Magazine.

James Gordon Dawson (1921-34). C.B.E., B.Sc.(Eng.), was appointed a Commander of the British Empire in the New Year's Honours List. He is a prominent figure in engineering circles, a past President of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the author of the Dawson Report on Engineering.

He graduated at Aberdeen University in 1937 and joined Rolls Royce where he subsequently became aero engine development test engineer. From there he moved to Shell and was promoted to Chief Engineer at their Thornhill Research Centre. In 1955 he was appointed Manager of the Experimental Department at F. Perkins Ltd. the Peterborough Diesel Engine Company.

Robert Petrie Ganunie (1912-18), M.B., Ch.B., who is retired from Medical Practice and is living at Girton, Cambridge has written to the Editor recording his pleasure in a recent visit to Aberdeen. He was a House Physician at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Woolmanhill in 1923/24 and was much impressed by the continued development at Foresterhill. He continues "As a boy living in Rosebery Street, the whole area was nursery and farmland, our Rector Dr. Morland Simpson, lived at Foresterhill House, and I well remember him emerging on Midstocket Road at the head of his small number of boarders, a tall austere figure walking by Mile-End down Craigie Loanings to the School.

From Foresterhill House presumably he came through the nurseries in all weathers, and all on foot—an object lesson to those bus parties of the present day. During the First World War the School shared the building with the Central School (then a War Hospital) and school started at 8 a.m. till lunchtime, so the fortitude of a worthy Rector can be imagined.

Within the past year here I had the pleasure of meeting two other F.P.s, Professor Ralph Spence Walker (1910-22), M.A., formerly Professor of English and German at McGill University, Montreal, who is now living at Hasling.field, near Cambridge and Charles McLeod (1929-41), M.B., Ch.B., son of the legendary master 'Towdy', also retired and living south of London. The School and our early years as Boy Scouts made a happy evening of reminiscence."

Graham Good (1962-68), who has been with Grampian Television since 1975, was recently appointed as the Company's Financial Controller. He is also a Director and Company Secretary of Glenburnie Properties Ltd., a Grampian subsidiary.

Richard E. G. Grannum (1962-74) has extended his contract with the Voluntary Service Organisation and will remain in Ghana fora further year.

He has been teaching carpentry in St. Paul's Technical School in Kukurantem and spending his holidays carrying out construction and maintenance work on a Salvation Army Clinic.

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John Hay (1913-19) has written to the Editor from Ibipora, Brazil where he has been on his coffee plantation and cattle breeding farm for many years. He keeps in touch with James Irvine Melville (1917-21), a former Club Counsul, who resides in Sao Paulo, and a further class companion, James Ogilvy Rae (1913-21), who now lives near Moniaive, Dumfriesshire.

Gordon Frederick Hendry (1928-39), C.B.E., M.A., was created a Commander of the British Empire in the Birthday Honours List in 1980. He is an Assistant Secretary with the Scottish Development Department.

James B. Herd (1950-63), A.R.i.c.S., has been appointed to the post of Technical Director of Barratt Development (Preston) Ltd. after three years as the Chief Quantity Surveyor in their Aberdeen Office. He served his apprenticeship with Alexander Hall & Son (Builders) Ltd. before qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor with McLeod & Aitken, Aberdeen. Before moving to Barratts he was in charge of the Surveying Department of Hugh MacRae & Company (Builders) Ltd in Aberdeen.

Peter William Howie (1944-51), M.B., Ch.B., has been appointed to the Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dundee University. He completed his schooling at Glasgow High School, is a graduate of Glasgow University, has held posts in various Glasgow Hospitals and has been a Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow.

William Watt Hutchison (1940-53), B.Sc., has been appointed DirectorGeneral of the Geological Survey of Canada. He is the fifteenth DirectorGeneral in the history of the Survey and takes over the management of one of Canada's oldest scientific research centres and the second oldest geological institution in the world. He graduated at Aberdeen University in 1957, gamed his doctorate at Toronto University in 1962 and then joined the staff of the Geological Survey. He was appointed President of the Geological Association of Canada in 1973 and has served as Secretary-General of the International Union of Geological Sciences. While at Aberdeen University he was a founder member of the University Ski Club.

Dennis Wright Inkson (1960-66), B.Sc., returned from Dubai last year where he held the position of Roads Engineer with Dubai Municipality. During that time he was presented to Her Majesty the Queen during her visit to the Middle East. Recently he was appointed Secretary of the Club Centre.

Allan )ermieson (1959-65), who went out to a teaching appointment in Zambia in 1979 has now moved to Selebi, Pikwe in Botswana. Prior to that Graeme Ross (1954.67) had been the only F.P. in this bush mine town in the previous five years.

John L. Kilgour (1936-41), M.B., Ch.B., F.F.C.M., has now spent two years on secondment to the World Health Organisation in Geneva as Director of Coordination. He describes the work as "fascinatingly different and very satisfying". He was previously Chief Medical Adviser and Under Secretary for the Ministry of Overseas Development and the Department of Health and Social Services.

Bruce Philips Lenman (1946-56), M.A., who graduated with First Class Honours in History at Aberdeen University has been a member of the Modern History Department as St. Andrew's University since 1972. His latest book Jacobite Risings in Britain 1689-1746 has received a book award from the Arts Council as did his previous work An Economic History of Modern Scotland 1660.1976. His next project is to be a detailed study of West Highland Clan Chiefs.

Lawrence Lawson McAllister (1959), C.A.. a partner in the Aberdeen firm of Williamson & Dunn is the youngest member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and has a particular interest in their Education Syllabus Review Committee.

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Duncan Herdman McDougall (1921-34), C.A., retired in April 1981 from the Aberdeen office of Deloitte and Sells, Chartered Accountants. He was assumed a partner in James A. Jeffrey & Company, in Aberdeen in 1952 and became a partner in Meston and Co. when they amalgamated with Jeffreys in 1970.

He has been honorary auditor of Club Section accounts for a long number of years and has provided a valuable service.

Lord John Mackie (1924.26) was one of fifteen life peers created in April 1981. A member of one of the North-east's best known farming and political families he now lives in Nazeing, Essex but still makes regular trips back to the area where he is Managing Director of The Bent, Laurencekirk, now farmed by his son. In 1959 he was elected Labour member of Parliament for Enfield East and was joint Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture from 1964 to 1970. He retired from Parliament in 1974 when his constituency was merged with two others. He has remained active in public lift and was Chairman of the Forestry• Commission for three years from 1976.

He will join his brother, George Yule Mackie (1933-35), Lord Mackie of Benshie, in the Lords. Their brother, Maitland Mackie (1926-28), B.Sc., F.E.1.S., C.B.E , who is Lord Lieutenant of the County of Aberdeen received the Press andJournal Shield and the Royal Northern Agricultural Society's Award at a dinner in his honour in Aberdeen in November 1980 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to North-East agriculture.

Malcolm MacPhail (1934-40, 1942-47) is now Procurator Fiscal at Perth, having been Procurator Fiscal at Stonehaven for the past seven years. He joined the Fiscal Service in 1962 after a spell with the Town Clerk's Department of Aberdeen Corporation.

Dennis Trevor Llewellyn Marr (1930, 1936-42), o.B.E., has retired, after more than thirty years, from business in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He has also resigned as Honorary British Vice-Consul there, a post which he has held since 1951. He has now taken up residence in Marco Island which lies just off the south western coast of Florida but still maintains his ties with Venezuela. In the 1979 Birthday Honours List he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Douglas Mart (1959-65), M.A., Dip. Ed., has been appointed Assistant Head Teacher at Kemnay Academy. He was previously Principal Teacher of History at Hilton Academy.

Ralph Marshall (1915-25) has, in recent years, been living near St. Andrews.

On leaving school he served a pupillage with Henderson and Nicol where in his last years he remembers the late Nigel Smart Cowan (1924-28) whose death is recorded elsewhere in this edition of the Magazine. Following his pupillage Ralph Marshall was appointed to the Burma Service of Engineers and subsequently served with Huntingdon County Council and briefly in the Royal Engineers. He was, at one time, in touch with Godfrey Roy Symmers (1912-24) who graduated B.Sc , in Civil Engineering and was in the Engineers department of L.N.E.R. Edinburgh and later York. Subsequently he was working in Sheffield. The Notes Editor would welcome any up-to-date information.

Air Marshal Sir Leslie Mayor (1923-33), K.C.B., A.F.C., D.L., F.R.Ac.S., a Past President of the Club, has been appointed by the Home Secretary to the post of Civil Defence Co-ordinator. The Air Marshal is at present Principal of the Home Defence College at Easingwold, North Yorkshire. The creation of this new post is part of a major review of the Government's attitude towards Civil Defence.

Stuart). Mitchell (1948-61), B.Sc., Ph. D.. was appointed Deputy Head of the Atomic Co-ordinating Office in the British Embassy, Washing-ton, D.C. in September 1980. He was previously on the defence scientific staff in London.

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Dallas G. Moir (1969-75) has joined Derbyshire Cricket Club on a three year contract. He was Scottish Cricket Union "Young Cricketer of the Year" in 1978 and is primarily a left-arm spin bowler although he is also known for his big hitting. At 6ft Tin he is an impressive figure on the field. He represented Scotland against the West Indies last year and was a mainstay in Aberdeenshire's County championship and knock out tournament successes.

John Thomas Montgomery (1969-73), who graduated at Gray's School of Art, has combined with four other artists in Aberdeen to form the Arts Centre Group whose aim is to provide fellowship and encouragement to Christian artists. The Group held an exhibition in Aberdeen in March 1981.

Colin Roy Munro (1954-67), 11.B., a graduate of Aberdeen University, has been promoted to senior lecturer in law at Essex University.

Niel Murray (1953-62), B.Sc., has been appointed Director of Music of St. Mary s Music School, Edinburgh, having been a violin teacher at that school since 1973 and in charge of the orchestral and chamber training there since 1976. He became an associate of the Royal College of Music in 1962 and in 1976 graduated with a B.Sc. in Psychology at Edinburgh University.

Dennis G. Nothe (1946-52) has recently returned to this Country from Gothenburg, Sweden where he was the British Vice-Consul. He then took up an appointment with a leading Company of fund-raising consultants as an Appeal Director. In a note to the Editor he states that his next assignment will take him back to Scotland where he hopes to settle permanently. He adds that it was pleasant to see familiar faces at the 1980 London Centre Dinner.

Stephen A. Pacitti (1947-56), M.A., B.D., who works as a Missionary in Taiwan has been on leave in Aberdeen. An article contributed by him appears in this Magazine. He is on the staff of the Faculty of Yu Shan Theological College in Taiwan and, while in Aberdeen, he gave a series of lectures and sermons in city schools and churches.

Kenneth Jamieson Peters (1929-41), C.B.E., M.A., has been appointed Chairman of Aberdeen Journals Limited, having been the Managing Director of the Company for the past twenty-one years. He is a member of the Scottish and National Committees of the National Council for the training of journalists, Films of Scotland Committee and the Scottish Advisory Committee of the British Council. He has twice been President of the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society and was a member of the Press Council. He is a Director of Thomson Regional Newspapers and Highland Printers Limited, Inverness.

James M. Rae (1964-71), M.A., has been appointed Small Business Development Officer for the Lothian Area with the Scottish Development Agency. He was previously Business Development Officer with the North East of Scotland Development Authority in Aberdeen, having worked for a time with Seaforth Maritime and Grampian Regional Council's Department of Architectural Services on energy conservation.

Harold Reid Rankin (1965-70), was part of a seven-man team, the first Britons, to climb the 24,000 ft Baltoro Khangri (the Golden Throne) in the Himalayas. The expedition had a fourteen day walk to their base camp before taking ten days to climb to the summit. They were forced because of weather conditions to shelter in an ice cave for three days before the final ascent to the summit. Since completing the expedition he has been in New Zealand.

Henry (Harry) W. Reid (1952-61), B.A.. who was employed by The Scotsman in various capacities since 1970, most recently as their Features Editor, has now taken up an appointment with the new Sunday Standard as Sports and Leisure Editor. He married Miss Julie Davidson, also of The Scotsman, at a ceremony in Maryculter House Hotel on 24 May 1980.

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Malcolm F. Rennie (1952-65) is to take the part of Hairy Hogg, shoemaker and Provost of Segget in the BBC television production of Cloud Howe, the second part of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's trilogy, A Scots Quair.

George B. C. Sangster (1928-37), D.Sc., M.A., B.D., is now Minister at St. Andrew's Church, P.O. Box 41282, Nairobi, Kenya and would be very happy to hear from any F.P.s in the vicinity. He was President of the Edinburgh Centre in 1976.

Robert C. Shand (1962-75), M.A., who graduated in arts at Aberdeen University and worked as a television cameraman at the Aberdeen University TV Service after a spell of van driving, is now a cameraman with Yorkshire Television in Leeds.

Marischal Sindair (1955-61), has been appointed Assistant Cashier at the Head Office of the Royal Bank of Scotland. On leaving School he joined the Royal Bank in Aberdeen and spent seven years at their Central Branch. From 1971 to 1977 he was accountant at the Newtongrange Branch before returning to Head Office.

Brian Stewart Smith (1962-66), M.A., has been appointed Managing Director of Leyland Vehicles (Ireland) and will be in charge of the truck, bus and tractor division of the Company. He has been with Leyland Vehicles since 1976 holding a number of sales and marketing positions and prior to that was six years with the Ford Motor Company.

Douglas Harkess Smith (1968-74), LL.B., has been assumed a partner in the Edinburgh legal firm of Bonar MacKenzie, w.s.

Ian Alexander Sourer (1962-65), was co-author of a book published in 1980 on the Aberdeen Suburban Tramway Company.

William Stevenson (1948-59), M.A., who ►s organist at Dundee Parish Church, recently returned to Aberdeen to give a recital in St. Machar's Cathedral.

Clement A. Stewart ( 1952-59), M.A.. M.Ed., has, since 1976, been Head Teacher of Loch Gilphead High School, a Six Year School serving the Mid Argyll area. After seven years' service in the Mathematics Department of the School he moved to Dunoon Grammar School as Principal Teacher of Mathematics and later became Assistant Head Teacher and Depute Head Teacher.

Scott C. Styles (1972-78), a former editor of the pupils' magazine which circulated in the School, was awarded the Henry prize in moral philosophy in Session 1979/80 at Aberdeen University.

David James Stephen (1960-66), LLB., has taken up a post of Senior Solicitor in the Department of Law and Administration of Grampian Regional Council based in Aberdeen. He was previously in private practice in Edinburgh and thereafter with Fife Regional Council in Glenrothes. His brother, John Stephen (1963-69), graduated at Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology and is now in private practice as a chartered surveyor in Dingwall.

Douglas C. H. Sutherland (1935-36), M.C., prolific author, has recently had published The Colonel's Cook Book being a selection of his own recipes ' from a lifetime's interest in cookery".

Arthur James Watson (1963-69), who graduated at Gray's School of Art, founded the Peacock Printmakers Workshop in The Castlegate, Aberdeen in 1974 and is now Director of the Workshop and recognised nationally as a leading artist in the field of printmaking.

Robert Alexander Watt (1946-49), has had a selection of his verses published under the heading of "The Gailley Loon" which has been favourably reviewed for "its mature grasp of the native vernacular". His working life has been as a Scientific Assistant at Torry Research Station from 1949-53 and at the Torry Marine Laboratory since 1956. He has also been a

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popular contributor to BBC radio programmes since 1962. Interestingly, he recalls that his first stage appearance was in a minor role with lain Cuthbertson (1946-48) and Stephen A. C. Robertson (1939-51).

In response to an enquiry from the Editor who wished to update his records on the Club's Honorary Vice-Presidents the following information was obtained from the three under-mentioned, all lawyers as it happens, who modestly felt that it was unnecessary to record the following information: Alec Gray (1910-22), M.A., LLB.. President of the Club for 1962-63 and distinguished Francophile, was nominated Chevalier de L'ordre National du Write in December 1978.

Allan Cameron Frazer (1925-30), M.A., LLB., W.S.. President of the Club for 1969-70, has been made a Chevalier in the order of Oranje Nassau by the Queen of the Netherlands in recognition of his service as Netherlands Consul in Edinburgh.

William Lewis Connon (1930-40), B.L . President of the Club for 1979-80, is one of the Scottish Rugby Union's two representatives on the International Rugby Football Board. The Board comprises two members from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and France.

Notes about Former Pupils If, having perused this section of the Magazine, you feel that inadequate regard has been paid to the activities or achievements of your School contemporaries, please redress the balance by referring to the "Information for Notes Section" on the centre pages.

Obituaries James Edward Bothwell (1915-23), M.B.E., M.A., LL.B.. died on 14 November 1980 at the age of 75.

He graduated in law at Aberdeen University in 1929 and was from 1936 until just before his death, sole partner of the firm of McQueen and Findlater, Advocates, Aberdeen. During the Second World War he served with the 1st Lothian and Border Yeomanry. In 1966 he succeeded another F.P., the late Norman John Jamieson Walker (1893.1902) as Secretary of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen, a post from which he only retired in February 1980.

In the 1950 New Year Honours List he was awarded the M.B.E. in recognition of his service as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Aberdeen Branch of the Forces Health Society and Lord Robert's Workshop. From 1933 to 1940 he was Honorary Secretary of the Aberdeen District of the Scottish Youth Hostels Association. He was a lifelong enthusiast for hill walking and most weekends found him in some part of the Cairngorms. He was a former Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Cairngorm Club, of which he was also a Past President and an Honorary Life Member.

Leslie George Boyd (1918-29), M.B . Ch .B . died on 27 August 1980 at Northallerton, Yorkshire, after a short illness. He was 68 years of age.

A graduate of Aberdeen University he went into medical practice in Buckie.

During his time in Aberdeen he was active in the Scout movement and was Secretary of Aberdeenshire Rugby Football Club for four years.

During the Second World War, as a surgeon lieutenant-commander he served on H.M.S. Valiant, one of two ships to be blown up in Alexandria harbour by an Italian mini-submarine, and then on H.M.S. Belfast.

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After the War he moved to Northallerton where he practised until his retirement in 1977. For many years a stalwart of the Yorkshire Centre, and former Centre President, he will be sadly missed in the fellowship of F.P.s in that Centre.

Brigadier Nigel Smart Cowan (1924-28), O.B.E., B.Sc.(Eng.), died in Stoke Mandeville Hospital on 2 April 1980 at the age of 69.

On leaving School be began a pupillage in Aberdeen with Henderson and Nicol, Chartered Civil Engineers, but before its completion, embarked instead on the degree course at Aberdeen University in Civil Engineering in which he graduated. He thereafter was commissioned in the Royal Engineers seeing service in North Africa and the South West Pacific where he took part in the American landing in Dutch New Guinea in 1944. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1946, at which time he was Lieutenant-Colonel on the staff of the Commander in Chief, South East Asia Command. After the war he was in Berlin attached to the Transport Division of the Allied Control Commission for Germany where he was to become Director of Movements with the British Army of the Rhine. He subsequently took up duty as an administrative officer at Waddisdon Manor, a National Trust property near Aylesbury, Bucks.

David R. C. Falconer (1974-79) died on 24 April 1980 at the age of 19. He had suffered from a heart condition since birth but his death was sudden and followed a period of good health.

He was a student of business management at Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology.

George MacNaughton Rae Duffus (1920-25), M.B.E.. T.D., M.B., Ch.B.. died on 27 January 1981 at the age of 72.

Born in Auchinblae he received his early education at Mackie Academy, Stonehaven, before entering the Middle School in the second year. He graduated M.B., Ch.B., at Aberdeen University in 1931 and after a post at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary commenced in general practice in the town prior to the war.

When war broke out he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and was captured at St. Valery in 1940. The Magazine of January 1946 records—"Along with another doctor, Major Duffus was put in charge of the hospital at a prison camp at Marienburg, East Prussia. When the Russians captured that famous town he did magnificent work in organizing hospitals behind the Russian lines for released prisoners who were sick or otherwise inca acitated." He was made M.B.E. in 1946.

After the War he continued to practise in Aberdeen and was senior partner in a practice until he retired in 1978.

Sidney Frederick Hardie (1905-15), M.B.E., died on 9 August 1980 in Aberdeen. He was 80 years of age.

He served in the Royal Navy Service in France during World War I. He then went on to succeed his father in the photographic business of S. F. Hardie in Union Street and Justice Mill Lane, Aberdeen. In 1938 he joined the Aberdeen City Auxiliary Fire Service, and was appointed Divisional Officer in 1939. In 1942 he became Principal Administrative Officer of the National Fire Service for the North-Eastern Area of Scotland and was awarded the M.B.E. in the King's Birthday Honours in 1942. After the war he was Chief Administrative Officer for Aberdeen Fire Service between 1948 and 1965.

Douglas Logan Jackson (1919-30) died on 13 May 1979 in Aberdeen at the age of 65 having been in poor health for a number of years.

After completion of his apprenticeship with John Lewis and Sons Limited, Shipbuilders, Aberdeen he served with the Hogarth and the Brocklebank Shipping Lines as an engineer. The breakdown in his health necessitated his

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giving up the sea as a career and he thereafter served as an engineer for a period with Aberdeen Harbour Commissioners.

He is survived by his brother Sydney Hart Jackson (1924-35).

Michael Henry Keith (1944-48) died at his home in Ellon on 21 February 1981 at the age of 48.

On leaving school he entered banking but took over Mains of Tarty Farm when his father died in 1955. At the time of his death he farmed that farm and Ellis of Dumbreck, Udny in partnership with his brother.

He served on many Councils and Clubs in the Ellon area and was a member of the old Ellon District Council before Local Government reorganisation in 1975. He was a past president of Ythanside Farmers Club, a member of Ellon Rotary Club and a member of Ythan Community Council.

Man Alexander Mackie (1954-60) died on 5 September 1980 at the age of 38. His death in a road accident also claimed the lives of his wife and two children.

On leaving school he became a Commercial Trainee at Mugiemoss Paper Mill and then embarked on a career in the Police. At the time of his death he was a constable in the Grampian Force (Traffic Division). In his off-duty time he took an active part in Community work in Bucksburn.

Peter MacPherson (1965-69), died in an industrial accident in Abu Dhabi on the Persian Gulf in September 1980. He was 27 years of age.

He had been a derrick man all his working life and at the time of his death was employed by the National Drilling Company of Saudi Arabia on oil drilling operations.

James Godsman Mearns (1913-20), B.Sc., died on 13 February 1980 at the age of 77. The following tribute has been received.

"One of three brothers who attended the Grammar, he was very proud of his old school as was his late father James G. Mearns (1864-65) before him. After graduating B.Sc in Agriculture at Aberdeen University he went to Malaya in 1923 to take up a planting career. He was a prisoner of war in Singapore until 1945. In 1946 he returned to Malaya but was invalided home in 1947. Since that time he had lived quietly at Strachan as he was never able to pursue his career again. His brother William John Mearns (1916-20) died in 1962, his younger brother Robert Spotiswood Means (1917-21) died in 1921 while still at school.

The Magazine meant a great deal to him over the years when he was out of contact with many of his friends."

Frederick David Morgan (1927-33), died in hospital at Inverness at the end of April 1981, at the age of 65.

On leaving school he joined the staff of the North of Scotland Bank and served as a territorial officer with the 4th Bn. Gordon Highlanders and went to France with the British Expeditionary Force after the outbreak of war in 1939.

He was a prisoner of war in Germany from 1940 to 1945.

On demobilisation he rejoined the North of Scotland Bank and was on the staff of several branches before moving to Forres as Accountant. In 1964 he became manager of the Clydesdale Bank in Dingwall. Well known in Rossshire farming circles, he was treasurer of Dingwall Rotary Club. He retired from the bank five years ago.

Ellis Edward Paul Murray (1925-30), B.Sc., M.B.Ch.B., F.R.C.S.Ed., died on 7 April 1981 at the age of 68.

A graduate of Aberdeen University he became house physician at Royal Portsmouth Hospital, Hampshire in 1937 and remained there until his retirement from the post of Consultant Surgeon ten years ago.

Lawrence Ogilvie (1907-16), ?..4. A., M.Sc., died on 16 August 1980 at the age of 81.

He gained his arts degree at Aberdeen in 1921 and went on to Emmanuel

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College, Cambridge where he gained an m sc Throughout his life he was engaged in research in plant pathology, first in Bermuda, where he specialised in the diseases of the Easter Lily; and later at the Long Ashton Research Station near Bristol where he became a leading authority on the diseases of cereals and vegetables writing prolific contributions to scientific journals. Besides his work, his abiding interests were in the arts, and in creating, together with his wife, a most beautiful wild garden at Dundry, Bristol.

Richard Reginald Maitland Porter (1895-1906), M.C., M.A., M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.S.(Ed.), K. St. J., died on 24 July 1979 at the age of 90.

In the course of a distinguished career at Aberdeen University he graduated in Arts in 1908 and in Medicine four years later winning many prizes and distinctions. He passed top in the entrance examination for the Indian Medical Service in 1913 and served with the Indian Army in the First World War in France, on the Indian Frontier and in Southern Persia. He was awarded the Military Cross. In 1918/19 he was besieged in Shiraz in Persia which was not relieved until some time in 1919—long after the Armistice in November 1918.

As a result of disease contracted in Persia he was invalided out of the Army in 1928 and entered general practice in Lancashire, retiring in 1951. After retirement he came to live in Aberdeen and did locum work in surgeries in Aberdeen and throughout the North of Scotland. He also served on the Board of Management of Aberdeen General Hospitals.

Throughout his life he was interested in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and about two years before his death was created a Knight of the Order.

Hamish Rutherford (1920-23), M.A., L. 2s L., died on 28 April 1980 in Wicken, Buckinghamshire, at the age of 74. A brief announcement appeared in the last Magazine.

After graduating at Aberdeen University he taught at Aston Clinton School and subsequently at Pangbourne before leaving for France where he enjoyed a distinguished academic career at Montpellier University and subsequently at Clermont Ferrand University, where he was awarded a Doctorate of Literature.

Before the War he returned to the United Kingdom and taught successively at Abbotsholm School, Tonbridgc School and Stowe from whence he retired in 1965. He worked right up to the time of his death preparing girls and boys at Wicken Park School for common entrance examinations.

A tribute which has been received reads: "To all he was a man of boundless warmth and humanity. One may ask, what were the gifts which won him such respect and affection? For those who knew him they were obvious enough; apart from an unfailing sympathy, an unending readiness to listen, a generosity which seldom condemned, his impish humour, a masterly facility in conversation and a comparably puckish wit never failed to delight".

Wallace Troup (1907-12), M.D., C.M., died in Ottawa on 15 December 1980 at the age of 86. He emigrated to Canada in 1913 and returned to Britain in the Canadian Army in 1915. He served in the Siberian Expeditionary Force and was mentioned in Vladivostock. He graduated in medicine from Queen's University, Kingston in 1924. After internship he entered the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and was its Medical Director until 1962.

His contributions to the field of public health included helping to found the Canadian Diabetic Association and assisting in changing Canadian law to enhance highway safety. He was Commissioner of the Ottawa Boy Scouts, a freemason, for fifty years an elder of Knox Church and served on the Boards of Queen's University and Knox College in Toronto.

In a letter to the Editor his son writes: "Whatever contribution my father was able to make, and I think in many respects his contributions were considerable, he always gave credit first to the Aberdeen Grammar School. He felt, throughout his life, that the educational

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opportunity that he received there was the best possible preparation for the life of challenges that lay ahead of him.

My father came to Canada with a sound education and a desire to succeed.

To the day of his death he was grateful to his teachers at the Grammar School who had prepared him in the right way to take maximum advantage of his capabilities. He always hoped that the same standard of excellence would motivate the school of which he was so proud."

Edward William Murray Watt (1918-31), M.A.. died in hospital at Inverness on 20 November 1980 at the age of 67.

Senior prefect in 1930/31 he was the son of Edward William Watt (1883-94), a former Lord Provost of Aberdeen and a former President of the Club, who died in 1955, and the grandson of the late William Watt (1858-59). He graduated in political economy at Aberdeen University and after studying for the colonial service at Oxford became colonial administrator in Sierra Leone. In 1952 he returned to Britain and moved to Inverness where he became Secretary and Treasurer of Inverness Hospitals' Board of Management, retiring in 1978. A keen golfer, he became Secretary of the North District of the Scottish Golf Union in 1969 and a year later was appointed to the Scottish Executive. He was also Secretary of the Inverness Branch of the Liberal Party for seventeen years.

Robert Petrie Wishart (1919-31), died on 31 January 1981 at Ashbank, Carradale. He was 68.

Before and after the War he managed the family business of the Union Supply Co. in conjunction with his brother Norman Robertson Wishart (1927-40). He then set up a tufting mill in Inverbervie and was manager of Fraser's of Arbroath, textile manufacturers while resident in Friockheim.

After several years in the textile industry in various appointments, he retired some years ago to Carradale, Argyll.

During the War he was a Flight Sergeant in the R.A.F. engaged in radar defences, latterly on the south coast of England.

One of the band of Former Pupils who turned out before and after the War for F.P. teams he was an enthusiastic member of the Hockey Club and played for various sides in the 1930s. After the War he resumed his goalkeeping with the Hockey Section 1st XI and remained a player until the early 1950s. He was, for a time, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of that Section.

Marriages Addis (1972-78) and Watt (1973-78).—At Greyfriars Church, Aberdeen on 7 June 1980, Stuart Addis, only son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Addis, 18 Morningside Crescent, Aberdeen to Susan Watt, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Watt, 20 Seaton Walk, Aberdeen.

Cockburn (1965-71).—At St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Aberdeen on 5 July 1980, Brian Cockburn, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Cockburn, 10 Strathmore Drive, Aberdeen to Alison, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Reid, 52 Woodburn Gardens, Aberdeen.

Cradock (1962-75).—At Ferryhill South Church, Aberdeen on 25 July 1980, Alan Irvin Cradodc, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Cradock, 100 King's Gate, Aberdeen to Lindsey, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. G. Cook, 20 Caledonian Place, Aberdeen.

Crerar (I969-75).—At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 14 March 1981, Fraser Donald Crerar, only son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Crerar, 6 View Terrace, Aberdeen to Lesley, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Skene, 10 Abbey Square, Aberdeen.

Marriages

83

Curran (1963-69).—At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 30 May 1980, John William Curran, only son of John Curran, 178 Kincorth Circle, Aberdeen and Mrs. Eleanor Stillman, 187 Bracewell Drive, Pentilton, B.C., to Janis, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Thomson, 5f Loirston Place, Torry, Aberdeen.

Deans (1968-74).—At High Church Hilton, Aberdeen on 28 June 1980, Graham Kemp Deans, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Deans, 57 Denburn Court, Aberdeen to Katherine Susan Thomas, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Granville Davies, 58 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen.

Fleming (1968-74).—At Aberdeen Registry Office on 29 November 1980, Douglas McColl Fleming, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. N. Fleming, 14 Edgehill Terrace, Aberdeen to Margaret, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. Smith, 14 Portland Court, Aberdeen.

Fraser (1963-76).—At Keil Church, Morvern, Oban on 2 August 1980, Keith Alexander Fraser, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Fraser, 94 Burnieboozle Crescent, Aberdeen to Alison, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Grime, Mine Park, Morvern, Oban.

Higgins (1975-76).—At St. Joseph's, Woodside, Aberdeen on 28_June 1980 Paul Higgins, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Ian Higgins, 118 Clifton Road, Aberdeen to Carol, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Greig, 15 Caperstown Crescent, Aberdeen.

Jones (1963-72).—At New York on 31 October 1980, Irving Noyes Jones, younger son of Mrs. S. V. Jones, 52 Airyhall Drive, Aberdeen and the late Mr. S. Jones to Terry Lee, youngest daughter of Mrs. A. Tinthoff and the late Mr. F. S. Tinthoff of Rossmoor, California.

Kiltie (1963-69).—At Dornoch Cathedral on 2 August 1980, Samuel Martin Kiltie, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. John Kiltie, 28 Sanday Road, Aberdeen to Fiona, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Shy-anon, Tamaing, Dornoch.

Lynch (1959-74).—At Melville-Carden Place Church, Aberdeen on 19 July 1980 Michael James Lynch, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. James Lynch, The Flat, Cordiners Garage, Girdleness Road, Aberdeen to Alison Mary, third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William S. Imrie, 21 Westfield Terrace, Aberdeen.

Mackie (1972-76).—At Rubislaw Parish Church, Queen's Cross, Aberdeen on 26 July 1980, Richard W. G. Mackie, younger son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Mackie, 1 Bayview Road, Aberdeen to Angela Mary, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. McNolty, 28 Jesmond Avenue, Bride of Don. McPherson (1910-17).—At Aberdeen on 17 July 1980, Ian Gowanlock McPherson, Devanha House, 14 Devanha Gardens, Aberdeen to Mrs. Isla von Berg, elder daugher of the late Mrs. George Knox, Aberdeen.

Masson (1959-72).—At Fairmilehead Parish Church, Edinburgh on 18 October 1980, Keith Ian Masson, only son of Mr. and Mrs. F. S. Q. Masson, 88 Burnieboozle Crescent, Aberdeen to Jill McDonald, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. Buchan, 25 Swanston Drive, Fairmilehead, Edinburgh.

Milne (1961-73).—At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 28 February 1981, Ramsay George Robert Milne, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Milne, 14 Hillview Terrace, Cults to Alison Doreen, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Gordon, 5 Burnieboozle Crescent, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen.

Rae (1968-74).—At Ruthrieston South Church, Aberdeen on 29 December 1980, Stanley Forbes Rae, younger son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Rae, 17 Broomhill Avenue, Aberdeen to Lorraine, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy, Back Wynd, Oldmeldrum.

Reekie (1962-75).—At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 10 May 1980, Derek Ross Reekie, younger son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. A. Reekie, 29 Sanday Road, Aberdeen to Lucinda Mary, youngest daughter of Dr. H. Balch, 4 Lyne Grove, Dunfermline and the late Mrs. Balch.

84

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Reid (1954-65).—At Uxbridge on 6 September 1980, James Dures Reid, only son of Mr. and Mrs. James T. Rcid, 6 Queen's Avenue, Aberdeen to Angela, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Rutland of Eastcotc, Pinner, Middlesex.

Robinson (1969-75).—At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 25 July 1980, Jeremy Robinson, younger son of Dr. and Mrs. K. Robinson, The Old Rectory, Folla Rule, by Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire to Hilary McDonald, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. K. S. D. Laing, 38 Forest Avenue, Aberdeen.

Sang (1970-74).—At High Hilton Church, Aberdeen on 20 December 1980, Victor William Sang, only son of Mr. and Mrs. V. Sang, Boat Inn, Aboyne to Lorna, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Bruce, 12 Hilton Avenue, Aberdeen.

Simpson (1954-60).—At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 19 December, 1980, Alexander Joseph Simpson, only son of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Simpson, 426 Clifton Road, Aberdeen to Morag, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. F. C. McBain, 27 Albyn Grove, Aberdeen.

Sutherland (1966-71).—At Dornoch Cathedral on 9 August 1980, Stanley James Sutherland, only son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Sutherland, 96 Cadenhead Road, Aberdeen to Kathleen, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. Durrand, Netherwood, Dornoch.

Whyte (1962-68).—At the Treetops Hotel, Aberdeen on 26 September 1980, David Clark Whyte, younger son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Whyte, 42 Bedford Place, Aberdeen to Lynne, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Philip, 12 Kincorth Place, Aberdeen.

Wood (1964-70).—At Rubislaw Parish Church, Aberdeen, on 15 August 1980, Nigel Roderick Wood, nephew of Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Kinnaird, 152 Garthdee Road, Aberdeen to Susan Fiona, daughter of Squadron Leader and Mrs. G. Robinson, 2 Ward Avenue, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Abstracts of Accounts

85

Abstracts of Accounts for year ended 31st December 1980 F.P. Club INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT 1979 £1,216 666 747 481 3,650 345 7 £7,112

Subscriptions Revenue from Investments (Gross) Transfer from Life Member Capital Fund at 5% Magazine Sales and Advertising Revenue Donation from Club Centre Entertainments Account Surplus Miscellaneous Income

£7,214 1,875 135 223 317 1,670

Working Expenses. including Honoraria Loan Interest School and Trophy Medals Capitation Grants Expense of Visits to Other Centres Magazine—Cost of Printing and Postages

11,565 1,090 734 744 4.325 407 72 18.937 12.516 2,325 156 225 614 2.439

£6,436 £676 SURPLUS FOR YEAR TRANS. TO CAPITAL ACCOUNT

8,275 1662

BALANCE SHEET .f7,570 9,838 1,368 1,122 8,007 4,770 1,123

HERITABLE PROPERTY—At cost less loans INVESTMENTS—At cost ROBERT G. WILSON BEQUEST MRS. ISABELLA GRANT BEQUEST LIFE ASSURANCE POLICY—Premiums paid SUNDRY DEBTORS CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND

16,454 10,443 1,668 1,248 8.673 5,526 1,296

133.798

135,308

Len: £3,188 SUNDRY CREDITORS 969 ORDINARY SUBSCRIPTIONS PAID IN ADVANCE

13,620 1,213

£4,137 £29,641

£14,204 12,747 1,368 1,122 200

4,833 130.475 Represented by: LIFE MEMBER CAPITAL FUND CAPITAL ACCOUNT ROBERT G. WILSON BEQUEST FUND MRS. ISABELLA GRANT BEQUEST FUND OTHER FUNDS

113,950 13,409 1,668 1,248 200

£29,641

130,475

Amenities Fund INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT 1979 £465 Interest from Investments (Net) 100 Donation 209 Income Tax Recoverable £774 1599 Grants made 23 Honorarium and Administration Expenses £624 £150 Surplus carried to Balance Sheet

1502 150 202 1854 1904 25 929 1(75),

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

86

BALANCE SHEET £6,240 INVESTMENTS—At cost 160 SUNDRY DEBTORS 312 CASH AT BANK

f6,609 101 2

£6.712

(6.712

Represented by: £6,609 CAPITAL ACCOUNT 78 REVENUE ACCOUNT 25 SUNDRY CREDITOR

£6,609 3 100

£6.712

f6.712

Club Centre INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT 1979 £23,418 6,055 17,693 1,697 £48,863 £16,148 5,874 3.799 314 9,201 3,650 2,813 698 729 1,700 2,770 867 448,563 £300

£28,922 6,239 24,531 2.338 f62,030

Gross Profit on Bar (Sales (74,316 (1979-161,958) Annual Subscriptions Gaming Machine Revenue (Net) Other Income Wages and National Insurance Rates. Insurance and Feuduty Heating and Lighting Telephone Repairs and Maintenance Donation to F.P. Club Other Donations and Interest Administration Expenses Stewards Pension Scheme Honoraria Miscellaneous Expenses, Cleaning, etc.

Depreciation

£17,491 7,204 5,761 343 5,048 4,325 3,569 1,264 1,196 2,000 2,955 740 51,896 £10,134

SURPLUS FOR YEAR

BALANCE SHEET FIXED ASSETS £4,900 Furniture, Fittings and Equipment—At cost less depreciation £82.635 4,391 1,718 702 £89,446 £16,885 3,642 21,688 £42,215 £47,231 £52,131 11,200 £40,931

CURRENT ASSETS Loan Account—A.G.S.F.P. Club Stock in Hand Sundry Debtors Cash in Hand

CURRENT LIABILITIES Sundry Creditors Subscriptions in Advance Bank Overdraft

Less: LONG TERM LOANS

Represented by: f8.072 CAPITAL ACCOUNT—Appeal Fund and Other Donations 32,859 SURPLUSES £40,931

(4.160

f84,077 5,361 2,587 873 £92,898 £18,003 4,155 14,260 f36.418 56,480 £60,640 9,000 £51.640 f8,647 42.993 £51,640

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