THE
ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHML MAGAZINE
ABERDEEN forlite Former Pupils' Club atilie University Press Volume 89
June 1986
111
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 102nd year No. 224 (New Series 91st year No. 215)
JUNE 1986
Vol. 89
The Magazine is published under the auspices of The Former Pupils' Club in June each year
General Editor
David K. Yule, M.A., 11 Kinkell Road, Aberdeen AB1 8HQ
Editor of Notes,
Alan G. Campbell, LL.B.. 22 Rosebery Street, Aberdeen AB2 4LL
Obituaries and
Marriages Secretary of the F.P. Club
John F. Hendry, LL.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 1987. Please note, that for the June 1987 issue the Notes Editor will be Derek A. Harley. t4 A.. ¶7 Mile End Avenue. Aberdeen AB2 4PU.
Printed for The Former Pupils' Club at The University Press Aberdeen
CONTENTS General Section— Rector's Message . . President's Report Experiences in Antarctica . . . . . The Golden Oldies Rugby Festival . The Wanderer: William (Gordon) Stables (1852-54) . . Legal Action Recollected in Tranquility . . . Early Aberdeen Golf Gavin Turreff . . . .
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3 5 6 13 16 20 24 25
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28 29 31
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School Section— School Office Bearers . Combined Cadet Force. Ian T. Stephen .
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Former Pupils' Club Section— Club Office-Bearers . Annual General Meeting Annual Dinner 1985 . Our President . . Sporting Sections. . . Centre Reports . Notes about Former Pupils Marriages . . . . Obituaries . . Accounts .
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34 36 37 40 42 48 52 65 67 79
Illustrations— The Fire in the School . . . . . Aberdeen Strollers: London 1985 . . . . . The Wanderer . . . . . . . Annual Summer Camp 6-13 July 1985—RAF Finningley . F.P. Club Presentation to Ian (Twinks) Stephen . . . . . . Our President . .
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4 14 17 30 32 40
Rector's Message The full significance of the dispute which has bedevilled Scottish Education during the past eighteen months is only now beginning to be apparent to politicians and senior civil servants respons►ble for Education. As well as being a year of low morale in the teaching profession, a year of frustration, and a year in which there has been a moratorium on all development work, 1986 will go down in history as a watershed in Scottish Education. The authorities at top level are reluctantly beginning to realise that the exciting new programmes for 16-18 year old pupils and the new Standard Grade Certif►cates, which have been generally welcomed by educationalists, parents and employers alike cannot be implemented without the enthusiastic co-operation and goodwill of all teachers. For the new developments to be successful, two things are essential. First, the morale and confidence of the teaching profession have to be restored and the profession made more attractive to young well-qualified graduates. Secondly, the authorities and more particularly, the politicians must realise that the money required for extra staff and resources will have to be found. All this has been said may times before but there is still evident a reluctance at top level to accept that you get what you pay for! The past session ►n the school has been to some extent unremarkable because of the curtailment of extra-curricular acitivities. Nevertheless, we can look back with quiet satisfaction on a year of sound academic achievements. Results in the S.C.E. were 5% better than the previous year, this in spite of interruption and the increase in the number of presentations due to the influx of pupils over the past three years. The number of candidates for this year shows a further increase to something in the region of 680. Because of the very large numbers in SIV, V and VI this year, the pressure on staff and pupils alike has been considerable, and it remains to be seen whether the success rate in the .S.C.E. examinations will be maintained. Once again, Total Oil very generously invited 2 senior pupils to spend a week in Paris and two other pupils were the guests of the F.P. London Section for a week in June. Both these events are due to be repeated this summer. Also worthy of mention here is the fact that for the first time the Head Boy and Head Girl were guests at the Parent Dinner in Aberdeen and at the Glasgow and Edinburgh Dinners. Over-shadowing all else, however, was the fire which, on the morning of 13 February 1986, destroyed part of the Science Block. Since that date, four Laboratories have been out of commission and we can only hope that the work of restoring them will go ahead with all speed. The way ahead is uncertain. Much will depend on the findings of the recently established review body and the extent to which its recommendations arc implemented, but as long as the School and the F.P. Club continue to cooperate and maintain their close links, we can go forward confident that both will continue to flourish. ROBERT D. GILL 3
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
The Fire in the School
The Rector (right) and the Deputy Rector, Mr. Arthur McCombie (centre) inspect the damage to Laboratory 2 on the ground floor of the Science Block on the night of 12/13 February 1986.
President's Report It is with some regret that I write this report since it means that my term of office as F.P. President is at an end. It has been an honour and a privilege not only to have had the opportunity to serve the Club as its President, but also to have taken part in the Club's activities over many years. My year in office has given me a great deal of pleasure. All the Club's dinners have been well attended and the opportunity they provided of meeting old friends and making new acquaintances has been a great delight. When one meets F.P.s living in all parts of the country, one realises how strong our Club tradition really is, and how close the bond is between the Club and the School. Our dinners are all different in character. Yorkshire is small in number, friendly, and this year captivated by a lady F.P. The Aberdeen dinner, was a most enjoyable evening, well organized by Jim Clark and enhanced by a wonderful maiden speech from Dr. Lesley Fraser. Yes, ladies, I'm sure you'll be in great demand to speak at future dinners. Glasgow has re-emerged successfully as an active Centre, thanks to the efforts of Basil Emslie and Andy McLarcn. Their dinner at the R. S. A .C. Club was a great success and Andy can justifiably look for even more support from Glasgow-based F.P.s. The next dinner in the F. P. circuit was London, once again a most enjoyable affair well conducted by the Centre's new President, Ian Duguid, who also found time to be awarded L'Ordre National de Albite, a great honour for both Ian and our Club. The well merited election of Andrei./ Noble to the Presidency of our Club should be a great stimulus to the London Centre and I offer him my congratulations and best wishes. The last of this year's dinners was in Edinburgh, and, as I said in my speech, it was the Mor Brown Show. Over a hundred people attended, which was marvellous, and with Scotland beating England the day after, a memorable weekend was assured. The Annual Ball this year was up to its normal high standard. It was well attended, and the food this year was exceptionally good. Again the Club is indebted to Jim Clark for his efforts in organising such a successful evening. My opportunities to visit the School have been thwarted somewhat by the teachers' dispute during my term in office. However, I was fortunate enough to attend the Christmas Carol service and a very pleasant occasion it was. The quality of the singing and the orchestral accompaniment was a great credit to the School teaching staff and to the pupils. After attending events like the Carol Service, I am amazed that we have so many pessimists in our ranks regarding our School at present. In my view our School and its pupils are a source of justifiable pride, and we need have no fear about the future of our Club with the quality of intake we can expect from the School. My thanks go to the Rector and his staff for their hard work and dedication, and for their support of the F.P. Club. The F.P. Club is served by excellent officials, and during my term of office I have received tremendous support from them all, especially Jock Hendry. We owe them all our gratitude for keeping our Club running so smoothly. To conclude on a slightly sour note, I have to express my disappointment at the lack of support of our Club Centre from many F.P.s. Out-of-town members, when visiting Aberdeen, expect to be able to go to our Club House and meet old School chums. The chances of their success at present are regrettably slight. So how about it fellow F.P.s?—come to our Club more often, and bring your friends. It is a Club Centre that is the envy of Clubs throughout Scotland, and it deserves your support. DOUGLAS N. GEORGESON (1929-40) 5
Experiences in Antarctica At the Editor's request, Dr. Ronald I. Lewis Smith has contributed the following article on his experiences as a scientist in the Antarctic. In particularly seeking this article, the Editor was not motivated solely by the intrinsic interest of an account of strange and distant places and of the topicality of the resources of the Antarctic and the recent Falklands campaign. It was also in the Editor's mind that F.P.s have played a significant part in polar exploration from its earliest days. In the Magazine of November 1921, Theodore Watt, in an article on James W. S. "Scout" Man-, the best known of the School's polar explorers, wrote, "There have been few important Arctic or Antarctic expeditions within the last three decades that have not included an F.P. of the School; such names as James Boyd Adams (1893-94), Robert S. Clark (1894-1901), W. Clark Souter (1893-98) and, amongst the younger men, Percy C. B. Shirreffs (1913-16) rise immediately to one's mind." (Souter wrote in the June 1909 Magazine about his and Adams' travels with Scott and Shackleton.) In more recent years, the distinction of several F.P.s in gaining the British Polar Medal has been recorded from time to time in the Magazine, and Dr. Ron Lewis Smith is currently the most active of those F.P.s in the field of Antarctic research. After I returned from the Antarctic in 1967, Brian Crockshanks, who was then Secretary of the F.P. Club, invited me to write an article about my experiences in the far south. I willingly agreed but could give no assurance of when this would be achieved. I did succeed in publishing an account in the Aberdeen University Review but, despite repeated reminders, it was to be twenty years before I finally kept my promise to the Magazine; perhaps just as well because there is more to write about now than then! In this article I shall endeavour to give an impression of my involvement and activities in the south polar regions in relation to what Antarctica has to offer mankind. An an undergraduate student reading Botany at Aberdeen University I had no clear idea of what I intended to do when I graduated; after all, botanists are not in great demand these days. A deep and intimate interest since my earliest childhood in all aspects of natural history combined with active participation in many outdoor pursuits, notably hill walking, camping, scouting, skiing and other sports were perhaps not ideal qualifications for a highly remunerative professional career. Just before I sat my final examinations in 1964 I attended a recruitment lecture given by a member of an organisation called the British Antarctic Survey (B.A.S.). Since I would shortly be looking for a job but had nothing in mind, I thought the talk might be of interest. After seeing a stunning series of photographs, hearing fascinating tales of this unique part of the world and learning that B.A.S. actually wanted a plant ecologist (which I professed to be), I showed immediate enthusiasm. I had never contemplated the possibility of getting to the Antarctic, let alone working there, although I had for a long time had a yearning to explore the Attic—after all it is just like the Cairngorms but a bit larger. However, I had maintained a certain curiosity in that austral region of the world ever since hearing and speaking with two renowned Aberdonians. One was Dr. Alec Macklin, the doctor on Sir Ernest Shackleton's famous Endurance and Quest Expeditions of 1914 and 1921, and the other was Dr. James Marr ("Scout" Marr of the 1st Aberdeen Grammar School Scout Troop, and in whose footsteps I followed), who was also on Shackleton's ill-fated Quest Expedition, and who later became an eminent marine zoologist with the Discovery II Expeditions of the late 1920s and 1930s in the Southern Ocean. It was they who sparked off this latent curiosity. So I seized the opportunity to talk with the speaker, found myself invited to an interview at 6
Experiences in Antarctica
7
London HQ and, before I had time to think what I was letting myself in for, was offered the job. Then, after three months' training and designing a field and laboratory research programme and acquiring equipment to investigate the plant ecology of Signy Island in the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica, I was off on a long sea voyage to commence what has turned out to be my lifelong career.
I
The Antarctic Continent
Antarctica is the most recently discovered, explored and exploited continent; it is also the coldest, highest and most inhospitable of all land masses. The almost circular continent is centred on the South Pole (unlike the Arctic which is mostly ocean surrounded by a fringe of land) and has an area one and a half times that of the U.S.A. Only 2 per cent becomes ice-free in summer; the average ice thickness is about 2000 m and reaches a maximum of 4800 m in East Antarctica; the highest mountain, Mt. Vinson rises to 5140 m. The climate is unparalleled on Earth with average summer temperatures ranging from — 35°C in the interior to 1 °C in northerly coastal areas; corresponding winter temperatures range from - 70° to - 15°C, with the world record - 89.6°C recorded at the Russian station, Vostok. Claims to the Antarctic continent have been based on discovery, occupation, the raising of flags, the issuing of decrees and the printing of postage stamps. It is unique in being the only major land mass that has not been taken by conquest and is also the only continent to possess large tracts of unclaimed land. With increasing interest in scientific research and resources in Antarctica the Antarctic Treaty was formulated and ratified in 1961, and applies to everywhere south of 60°S. This treaty established that the continent would be used only for peaceful scientific purposes, and would not become the object of political conflict or the theatre of military activity. All national claims have been waived, for the present at least, and any nation may become a signatory to the Treaty and establish a research station anywhere in the Treaty area, but all information must be freely available to all other operative countries, and exchange of personnel is welcomed. This has proved the most effective and forward-thinking peace treaty yet implemented by Man, and it is to be hoped that it will continue as successfully after 1991 when the Treaty is to be reviewed. But what is the interest in Antarctica and why is it increasingly in the news? Geologically it has a vast potential in mineral resources, including coal and oil, and it also holds the key to how the other continents were formed from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwanaland. Glaciologically it holds 90 per cent of the world's freshwater locked up in ice, and possesses in this ice a climatic record of the world's changing weather over tens of thousands of years. Its meteorology and upper atmosphere activity have a major controlling influence on world climate. Biologically the Antarctic Ocean contains the richest stocks of marine life in the world, and there is currently a large international research programme to assess these stocks and determine how they can best be managed before the rapidly growing fishing industry of many nations in these waters unwittingly overexploits this vital resource. On land the simple systems provide a unique natural laboratory to examine biological processes and test ecological hypotheses. It is in this last category and in the development of conservation management policies that I am involved. The first major scientific expedition to Antarctica was the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-04 which established the first station in the South Orkney Islands. Sadly the British government of the day refused to fund the expedition and after its completion the base was offered to the government to continue as a meteorological station. This offer was rejected and the base
8
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
was handed over to the Argentines, who had given considerable help to the expedition. It has remained an Argentine station since 1904—the longest continuously occupied habitation in Antarctica and, unfortunately, provides the basis of her continued disputes with Great Britain over Antarctic territory. Development of British scientific activities in Antarctica owes much to the late James Marr. During the Second World War the activities of German commerce raiders posed a major threat in the South Atlantic and around South America, and political developments with Argentina made it highly undesirable that that country should control the region south of Tierra del Fuego. The Admirality sent a small military force, under the code name of Operation Tabarin, to establish a base on Deception Island (which has a magnificent natural harbour in the caldera of a volcano), in the South Shetland Islands, and another on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was Commander Marr who took charge of this venture and many of the fourteen servicemen recruited for the task were also qualified to undertake scientific projects.
II
The British Antarctic Survey
Over the next two decades the number of British bases increased and extensive geological, glaciological, mapping and biological surveys formed the basis of what became, after the war, the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. Then, in 1961, this became the British Antarctic Survey. By the mid-1960s research was organised into much more sophisticated programmes and the stations were provided with custom-built and well equipped laboratories. At home the scientific sections of B.A.S. were scattered around the country in various university departments, with the administrative nerve centre in London. As our involvement in Antarctic affairs was increasing rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s and the quality of our science and organisation was second to none, B.A.S. became the model for all Antarctic logistic operations and research programmes. As a result, all the B.A.S. sections were brought together in 1975 in a newly built institute in Cambridge. We are a component body within the Natural Environment Research Council funded through the Science Vote by the Department of Education and Science. We operate five research stations (one on South Georgia and four in the Antarctic) with from eight to forty people on each in summer and somewhat less in winter, two ships and three twin-engined aircraft; our total staff is around 400 and the annual budget is 4'10 million. Prior to 1982 our budget was only half as much, but, as an outcome of the Falklands conflict, the Prime Minister wanted B.A.S. to have a greater involvement in Antarctica, especially in applied sciences such as marine living resources and mineral resources and, much to the envy of all other British research organisations, who were being faced with severe financial constraints and staff reductions, we were suddenly confronted with a phase of expansion. So, for the meantime at least, we arc one of the country's major scientific institutes undertaking multidisciplinary research in geology, geophysics, glaciology, upper atmosphere physics meteorology, oceanography and 'biology at sea and on land. What has my involvement in B.A.S. been? My first assignment in 1964 was on Signy Island in the South Orkney Islands, about 25 km from where the Scotia Expedition was based sixty years earlier. Here I spent two years carrying out detailed ecological and physiological investigations on the unique vegetation consisting almost entirely of mosses and lichens. Signy Island is a small mountainous island with spectacular scenery, glaciers, ice cap, lakes and vast numbers of seals, penguins and other seabirds. Summer temperatures occasionally rise above freezing point but in winter they drop as low as
Experiences in Antarctica
9
- 40°C. It lies just south of the much larger, higher and almost entirely iceclad Coronation Island. The research station on Signy is involved principally in biological studies. During my two years I have worked briefly at other stations in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and in the Falkland Islands. I returned to Aberdeen University in 1967 to write up my work for my Ph.D. which was awarded in the following year. By 1969 my fiveyear contract was shortly to terminate and I had begun applying for new employment, but while I was waiting expectantly for some positive results I was asked if I would be prepared to continue with B.A.S. and help to establish a new station and lead a research group at South Georgia. I accepted the offer, since the rest of the world wasn't showing too much interest in me, and so I spent the next two seasons on this incredibly spectacular sub-Antarctic island with its alpine topography. It had been the centre of the Southern Hemisphere whaling industry during the earlier part of the century, and I had witnessed some of the last whales to be brought ashore and processed there in the mid-1960s. B.A.S. took over the former Falkland Islands government settlement near Grytviken, the largest of the six abandoned whaling stations on the island, and converted it into a biological research station. So, with a budget of .f 3000 I had to establish a research programme and design and fully equip laboratories for four scientists in a building only 200 m from where Jimmy Marr had worked during the Discovery II Expeditions in the 1930s. The main emphasis of my work was part of a much wider international programme investigating aspects of biological productivity, decomposition and nutrient cycling processes in tundra regions. Although lying between the latitudes of Nottingham and Newcastle, South Georgia has a somewhat colder climate with summer temperatures seldom above 5°C. Huge glaciers enter the sea around the island and there arc no trees or bushes, only a few herbs. It has a wealth of wildlife although there arc no native animals larger than insects. There is, however, a population of reindeer, introduced by the Norwegian whalers in 1911; these have increased from the original couple of dozen to about 4000 animals. They thrive on the luxuriant tussock grass and one of my many research projects is a study of the damage to the vegetation caused by these deer, and its recovery when grazing is prevented. After helping to establish the B.A.S. station at South Georgia I became a permanent member of the B.A.S. staff and, in 1974, was appointed head of the plant biology section. I have returned to the island on several occasions, but in recent years work has concentrated on a long-term programme at Signy Island to investigate the processes of colonisation and development of biological systems and the adaptive strategies of individual organisms. Such research is much easier to conduct and the results easier to interpret in the simple systems of Antarctica than in the much more complex systems elsewhere in the world. Sadly, in 1982 we lost control of our station at South Georgia as a result of the Argentine invasion and ensuing Falklands war; it has been occupied since the recapture of the island by a British army garrison and the Foreign Office is not keen, for the present at least, to have a civilian presence there. But, we do still maintain a small base for bird and seal studies at the northern end of the island. During the conflict, eleven B.A.S. personnel were taken prisoner by the Argentines, but were released three weeks later. In fact, B.A.S. played an important role in providing the Foreign Office with information which helped in the retaking of both South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. One of the benefits of being a senior member of an organisation like B.A.S. (although it requires a lot of hard work and sleepless nights), is attending international conferences around the world to present papers on the results of one's research efforts. In one year recently I managed to get to South Africa,
10
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Japan, Chile and the United States. Earlier this year, at the invitation of the Australian Antarctic Division in Tasmania, I spent three months working at Casey Station situated diametrically opposite the British stations on the other side of the Antarctic continent. In 1970 I married, ironically, a North Orcadian, whose understanding and tolerance of my work and the long periods of separation from her and our two sons, have allowed me to fulfil so many ambitions and achieve so much exciting scientific research.
III
The Call of the Wild
What is the attraction of this frozen wilderness? It certainly wouldn't appeal to many people, especially, if they crave their home comforts and the lifestyle that modern civilisations inflicts upon us. However, to anyone with a spirit of adventure, a passion for life and dedication to his work (and a tolerance of cold!), together with an ability to get on easily with small numbers of people similarly motivated, but from all walks of life, an acceptance of others' faults and a willingness to help them with their weaknesses, to work hard and play fair—in other words to live by the principles of Rudyard Kipling's marvellous poem "If . . .", Antarctica and the Antarctic community is a very wonderful experience. I can recall very vividly almost every incident I have experienced there, but I shall recount only a few of the more memorable ones here. My introduction to the Antarctic was when four of us were dumped ashore (more correctly offshore as we had to wade waist-deep onto the beach on a large mountainous ice-clad island in a blizzard) with instructions to carry out a biological and geological survey. Our camp was amidst a huge menagerie of seals and penguins. Particularly memorable, however, were the first ascents of several mountains, not high ones but involving dangerous crevasse manoeuvres, scaling 50° polished ice slopes several hundred metres high, traversing ice arrEtes only inches wide with a 200 m drop on either side, then standing on the rime-encrusted summits looking over a sea of cloud towards other unclimbed peaks in the crystal clear distance. I had never even worn crampons or used an ice axe before then! On Signy Island I once decided to spend a night in the depth of winter on the summit of the highest hill, only 300 m high, and so I set off with a double sleeping bag and climbed to the top by the light of a full moon; the view was incredible with every detail of the neighbouring islands illuminated in the moonlight over at least 30 km. The temperature was quite warm, only — 15°C and, fortified with a few drams of vintage cognac I settled down in the open air. At dawn I awoke to find myself shrouded in thick cloud and coated with beautiful ice crystals five centimetres long. Another brandy put me back to sleep and when I awoke again I was in brilliant sunshine with the cloud ceiling about 30 m below me and a breathtaking view across this layer of cotton wool to the icy peaks of Coronation Island to the north. The air was unbelievably still and I was most reluctant to head home for breakfast. An activity I frequently indulged in during winter, when I had to visit field sites and when the wind was from the appropriate direction, was to travel on skis using a parachute to propel me. This technique was, at that time, quite popular in place of ski tows in the Cairngorms, but I had no one to collide with except the occasional seal or group of bewildered penguins. One marvellous ski run I made was a solo descent of Wave Peak on Coronation Island from its 1100 m summit onto the sea ice several kilometres away; a few weeks later a 20 m wide and equally deep crevasse opened up across the route I had taken.
Experiences in Antarctica IV
11
Close Encounters with the Familiar and the Unknown
On several occasions I had unusual meetings with people. When I first visited Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands I attended a cocktail party given by the governor, Sir Cosmo Haskard, and it was there that I met the F.P. Club Consult for the colony, Dr. Robert Stewart Slessor (1927-29) whose obituary, regrettably, appears later in this Magazine. Although he had served in the Antarctic and had been in the Falklands for many years, I think I was the first visiting F.P. to contact him. Then there was the occasion when I had been landed alone on a small island to look at its vegetation; I was sitting atop a small hill when someone approached me. I knew there was a hydrographic party from HMS Protector using shore stations in the area. As this character approached me he greeted me in a familiar dialect. After a long chat it transpired he came from Mastrick. A similar experience happened some years later at South Georgia. only this time the stranger was the son of the Dons' secretary. Perhaps the most unlikely meeting was on the sea ice during the relief of Signy in December 1966. The ship had to unload its cargo onto the ice and it was then sledged to the station. I was already living at the station, but two newcomers met me on the ice. They were Jim Conroy (1959-62) and Graeme Smith (1954-57), both ex-Aberdeen Grammar School. As we shook hands and exchanged reminiscences I remarked that this must be one of the strangest settings for an F.P. reunion! Jim Conroy is now a zoologist with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology at Banchory, and Graeme Smith is a geologist working in Edinburgh. Then there were unforgettable experiences with the wildlife. Once, off the southern end of the Antarctic Peninsula, we were unloading cargo onto the sea ice, since the ship could not approach closer than about 15 km from the station. Two twin-engined Otter aircraft were landing beside the ship and transferring the cargo to the station. During a brief lull in the activities in bright sunshine around 2 a.m. I was watching a group of penguins jumping in and out of a tiny pool where the ice had broken. Suddenly, they all shot from the hole like a salvo of Polaris missiles, and stood around squawking deliriously. The next moment, only a few metres from where I was standing, the huge black and white head of a killer whale broke through the hole, reared up about two metres revealing a set of gleaming white teeth and a twinkling eye, then slid back into the icy depths. It was like a scene fromfaws! Penguins arc endearing creatures and I have spent many hours watching their antics. But to gaze across a hillside covered by a clamouring mass of a million of these birds is quite awe-inspiring. A few years ago I spent a couple of weeks on a fascinating tiny island south of the Falkland Islands, carrying out a biological survey. Here was the world's largest colony of albatrosses, 170,00D pairs tightly packed together, sharing the same nesting site with almost half a million pairs of penguins. Here tno was probably the largest concentration of a very rare and beautiful eagle-like predator; however, despite their vicious talons and beaks, they are incredibly tame, as is all wildlife in these regions. On one occasion I fell asleep while observing penguin behaviour and was awakened by one of these large caracaras pecking my boot; 35 others were looking hungrily at me from a few metres away. Seals are also fascinating animals, especially when they have their pups, whether they are single families of smiling Weddell seals on the winter sea ice, large groups of lumbering and rather hideous looking elephant seals on the beaches, or massive colonies of aggressive fur seals on the slopes above the South Georgia beaches. It is the inquisitive and occasionally aggressive leopard seal which causes most concern as it has a nasty habit of rearing out of the water onto the side of small boats; one summer at Grytviken our divers were
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continually harassed by a rogue leopard which also destroyed two inflatable boats with its teeth. Perhaps the most rewarding experiences, however, have occurred when I have found something new, something I intuitively knew had not been discovered before. I have made several such discoveries ranging from the first fossil beds known in the South Orkney Islands to several plant and invertebrate animal species new to science. One of my new spiders currently adorns the Falkland Islands £1 postage stamp. A few months ago I witnessed a new experience. I had driven inland from the Australian Casey Station about 25 km onto the polar plateau at about 300 m altitude in white-out conditions. Standing on these snowy wastes in absolute calm there was absolutely nothing visible beyond my feet (save for the vehicle)—no ground, no sky, no horizon, no shadows, no sound, total nothingness! I returned some days later in brilliant sunshine and gazed towards the South Pole 2500 km beyond. Not a mountain or rock exposed in between, nor for that matter for 2000 km beyond that, only pristine ice. The surface of the ice was covered with freshly formed frost crystals which reflected the sunshine in a kaleidoscope of flashing lights of every conceivable colour, diminishing in brilliance until they were extinguished in the far distance. Later, as we sailed north, the ship weaved around an incredible array of densely packed icebergs. In the light of the setting sun these magnificent 70 m high floating edifices of ice were sculpted by wind and waves into undescribable shapes, each totally different and illuminated in every pastel shade of pink, blue and green, with deep fissures glowing irridescent azure blue and malachite green. These experiences expressed a peace and tranquillity that I have not encountered anywhere else, not even in my favourite tramping grounds in the Cairngorms.
V
Escape to Hard Work
I do not want to give the impression that working in Antarctica is all spectacle and pleasure. It is hard. work. Because of the isolation from the outside world and all that it has to offer, work is normally about 15 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year; there are no holidays, although the odd day off is taken from time to time. There are no strikes and few arguments, and if anyone fails to accomplish his duties for which he is responsible in the day-to-day running of the station, then everyone will suffer the consequences. You quickly develop a deep trust and understanding of your companions on whom you rely for your survival, just as they rely on you. Perhaps that sounds a little romantic, but that is what living in the Antarctic is all about. Some would suggest that it is escapism and certainly it can be very satisfying not to know of all the atrocities and problems going on around the world. So long as you can be reassured from time to time that the family at home is well and surviving in your absence for a few months, Antarctica offers a unique and wonderful environment in which to live and work, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. RONALD I. LEWIS SMITH (1946-60)
The Golden Oldies Rugby Festival 1985
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een
My eyes open but refuse to focus. Where am I? Who am I? Why am I reminded of Ray Milland in the film Lost Weekend? My vision clears sufficiently to reveal a tiny double bedroom, in size and temperature more akin to a sauna. With a huge effort of will I pan left, attracted by the gentle snoring of my room mate. He resides on the tidy side of the room and is, when not drinking gins and tonic, a distinguished professor of law who takes great delight in telling anyone handy of his previous trip to London to pick up ac BE from the Queen. How did I get stuck with him? London . . . that's it—we're in London. I pan right. The windows are wide open but provide no ventilation due partly to the humid heat outside but mainly because the window-sills arc heaped with unwashed rugby kit left there in the forlorn hope that it may dry before the next match. Match . . . rugby . . . of course . . . I'm in London in late September 1985 as a member of the Aberdeen Strollers over 40s rugby team, taking part in the 4th International Golden Oldies Rugby Festival, and we are the sole representatives of Scotland. While statistics can often be boring, the facts and figures relating to the 1985 4th international festival are quite staggering: there were 176 teams totalling nearly 7000 rugby players and supporters; 20 playing fields were used at the nine host clubs; 264 sixty-minute games were played over the three playing days; over 100 referees were required to control games during the festival; 39 hotels were used to accommodate the visitors who travelled in 141 buses to the various social activities during the festival; 56 of the teams entered for the festival were from the U.K. and Ireland, while 120 teams from 17 countries arrived in London to take part in the festival. An army of over 200 volunteers were on duty during the festival to make sure everything ran smoothly. The welcome cocktail reception and final night function were held in specially adapted storage sheds by the London docks which were converted for the festival at a cost of over 4'90,000 to create an environment fit for the world's largest Rugby functions. Aberdeen Strollers rugby team was born out of "Comber's Golden Oldies", a team of locally-based senile fanatics who played unofficial summertime games against village teams around Aberdeenshire. Ron Comber arranged the games, picked the team, provided the strips and transport, and even supplied after-match eats at the home games. His efforts however, may 13
Aberdeen Strollers: London 1985
Aberdeen GrammarSchoolMagazine
Standing left to right: B. Grassick, J. Andrews, J. Milne, D. Georgeson, M. Humphries, H. Thomas, G. Hutcheon, B. Harper, W. Low, P. Love, R. Cradock. R. Comber, D. McDonald (Social Secretary). Kneeling left to right: 1. McRae, T. Pawson, W. Howitt, F. Patterson, M. Williamson, A. Dissel.
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Game 3 Aberdeen Strollers-20, Tasmanian Old Devils-4 By his stage of the tournament our meagre squad was so reduced that we were forced to field two English friends of F. Patterson, but after a quick course in 'och aye' and 'fit like the noo' they were accepted by the party. The Tasmanians caused the thorny problems of professionalism in rugby to be raised when it was discovered that their outstanding player, an Aborigine shell diver, had had his fare paid by the less distinguished but better off members of the team. R. Cradock made the mistake of tackling this manmountain in full flight and may have been concussed in the collision, but it's very hard to tell in Dick's case. A special mention must be made of the contribution made by 1. (Spiv) McRae throughout the tournament. He was without doubt the outstanding player in the three games played, a tribute to his dedication to fitness and sport, and in his roles of team captain and committee member he was unstinting in effort. By common consent, it was a totally successful tour, which forged a bond of friendship in the whole party to the extent that a similar venture will almost certainly take place, when in 1989 the Golden Oldies Rugby Festival will be held in Canada. JAMES G. ANDREWS (1948-62)
The Wanderer: William (Gordon) Stables (1852-54) Four years ago the Caravan Club celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary. In 1907, when the organisation started, it offered a vice presidency to an F.P.—Dr. William Gordon Stables. In his day he was nationally famous—an author of boys' adventure stories, a writer of improving books for children, a prolific adviser on child health care answering readers letters as well as writing texts, an expert in the care of domestic pets, a self-confessed and cured drug addict, a late Victorian eccentric well known in the south of England in his green Gordon tartan kilt and dirk (the caricature Scot before Harry Lauder) and the man who provided the example and inspiration of respectable caravanning for the middle class as opposed to the suspect mobility of gypsy or tinker life. Though the date of his birth is uncertain (his birth certificate indicated 1837, but the Dictionary of National Biography states 1840, Stables was born in Aberchirder, the son of a wine merchant, who, while Stables was a schoolboy, was the first proprietor of the Four Mile House on the Skene Road. The family seems to have been sufficiently prosperous to send him to school at the Grammar and then on to Marischal College which he entered in 1854. He was intended by his parent for the ministry, but by the third year of his Arts curriculum, he convinced them that he was unsuited to that vocation and transferred to medicine. He graduated in 1862. Even at this stage Stables betrayed a sense of adventure and latent eccentricity in that while at university he volunteered to join the crew on a whaling expedition to Greenland in 1859 (or 1857) when he was nineteen. The experience was clearly sufficiently enjoyable and profitable for him to repeat it a few seasons later, when (as a fourth year medical student) he was in medical charge of the ship.
The Wanderer
deng/Mir 41 .9q.1
— -
An illustration of the interior and exterior of William Gordon Stables' famous caravan, including Hurricane Bob (or Theodore Nero 11), his champion Newfoundland dog, and Polly, his white cockatoo.
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The association with the sea continued after obtaining his degree, as in 1863 Stables was commissioned as an assistant surgeon in the Royal Navy. He was posted to the Cape of Good Hope station where he was involved in the suppression of the slave trade along the Mozambique coast. Home postings followed at Devonport and Sheerness as well as a period in the Mediterranean. In 1871 he was invalided out of the Royal Navy on half pay pension, the result of rheumatic and jungle fevers. Yet even now Stables could not give up the sea and served on different merchant vessels around the world until he finally came ashore for the last time and settled in the south of England in 1875. It might have been expected that Stables would now adapt to the comfortable routine of a late-nineteenth-century general practictioner—a man of regular income and habits, one who had seen the world and had his collection of scrimshaw work, tribal masks, weapons and other memorabilia to reflect his travels and who now wished the financial and material security his qualifications could bring. Surprisingly this did not happen. Stables chose to earn his income from another source—writing. Why did he opt for this uncertain career? In fact his own early writings give us an indication in that he describes how, while acting as a locum in the early 1870s, he found his judgement so seriously affected by his dependence on chloral that patients were placed at near fatal risk. Though he overcame his addiction, it is possible that he never completely overcame his consciousness of his nearness to personal and professional disaster. No evidence has been found of a juvenile literary talent in the form of literary attempts from Stables' schooldays, but in later life Stables did write with affection of Professor Sir William Geddes, "Rector of the quaint old Grammar School" as an inspiriation to him in his literary career. Sir William Geddes, of course, moved on from the Grammar School to be Principal of the University of Aberdeen for the last fifteen years of the nineteenth century, and throughout these years Stables presented copies of his books as they were published to the University, where they continue to occupy several shelves of stack in the University Library. Stables began writing at a time when there was an explosion in the demand for popular fiction. The public wanted stories of adventure, travel, historical novels where virtues of honour, reliability and manliness were emphasised. Calling upon his memories of his own experiences and the places he had visited Stables produced a series of novels, on average four a year over thirty years, with titles such as Wild Adventures in Wild Places, Hermit Hunter of the Wild, Kidnapped by Cannibals, In Regions of Perpetual Snow. Through these writings Stables became one of the most popular and widely read authors of his day. About a hundred of the adventure stories were written for boys and many of these first appeared as serials in The Boys' Own Paper, to which Stables regularly contributed from the first number. Though packed with exciting incident (mainly) in foreign parts, the code of patriotism and overt moral tone that it is assumed the reader will share with the author in these works is probably sufficient reason for their relatively undisturbed rest during the 1980s on the shelves of the University Library. Stables, of course, was writing for his own generation and the extent to which he pleased a contemporary public can be judged not only by the sale of his prodigious literary output, but also by the evidence of a BOP poll in 1899, in which the readers voted for Stables as their favourite contributor to the paper above other rather better known names such as Jules Verne and G. A. Henty. A lifelong interest in animals encouraged Stables to write a number of animal stories, Sable and White and Shireen (about dogs and a Persian cat
The Wanderer
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respectively) were among the most popular, and no doubt these would conform more with present literary taste, if any reader is disposed to sample Stables' writing. In 1886 Stables discovered and then popularised caravanning. In 1885 he had commissioned the Bristol Waggon Company, the makers of Pullman carriages, to construct a road caravan to his own designs. In 1886 it was complete—two tons of mahogany and maple. It was named the Wanderer. A contemporary, struck by the novelty of the vehicle left a discription of this unique land craft: The carriage from stern to stern, measures about 20 feet by 7 feet. You pass through the after cabin first, which does duty as a pantry, kitchen and spare bedroom. It is most complete and is separated from the main saloon by folded doors. The saloon itself puts one in mind of the interior of a houseboat . . . but can be turned in five minutes into a charming bedroom. The veranda is broad and wide and at night is closed by canvas—a third bedroom usually occupied by a large and beautiful dog. Into this caravan Stables installed, as well as conventional furniture and fittings, a small harmonium, a modest library, a marble washstand, etc. He also took with him a Newfoundland dog, a cockatoo, a violin and a guitar plus a flute for evening entertainment once the two horses had been unhitched and the caravan made secure for the night. Stables did not travel alone. As a gentleman he required the services of a coachman to direct and care for the horses and a valet to cook and serve the meals and pedal ahead of the caravan on a tricycle to warn other road users of the Wanderer's approach, discover the least hilly routes and find a suitable stop-over point at the end of each day's journey. However, even in the apparently relaxed atmosphere of the summer caravanning expedition, the stratified hierarchy of social position was maintained. The coachman was expected to sleep under the carriage while both men were aware that they were domestic servants irrespective of their conditions or place of employment. While there arrangements may seem quaint today, for their time they were not unusual—they were a reflection of the natural order of society. What was unusual was the romance, the sense of freedom and the hint of adventure which Stables brought to his writings on caravanning in books such as Cruise of the Land Yacht 'Wanderer' and Leaves from the Log of a Gentleman Gypsy. Stables communicated his own enthusiasm to a growing and increasingly appreciative public. Caravanning, he maintained, offered an escape from the cities, an alternative to the boredom of the coast or the spa. It was an opportunity to rediscover the charm of the countryside and the beauty of nature. It was health giving and an apparent cure for specified ills such as "Dyspepsia, Hysteria, Insomnia, Debility and enfeeblement of health from overwork or from worry or grief, Vertigo, Tendency to Embonpoint, Threatened Kidney Mischief, Failure of Brain power". It was adventurous—new routes, new places and just a tinge of excitement in the need Stables apparently felt to carry his revolver and naval sword in order to discourage unfriendly or unduly inquisitive natives, although he did reveal that his own violin rendition of God Save the Queen had been sufficient in the past to drive the rustics back into the undergrowth. To his wide readership this combination was almost irresistible and caravanning was about to begin. Today few people read any of Stables' novels, and, while it was influential at the time, fewer today would heed his medical advice. However the influence of this F.P. was paramount in the start of caravanning as a popular form of relaxation.
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Next time we hitch the caravan to the towbar at the start of the summer, or sit behind a caravan eternally awaiting the opportunity to overtake, we can offer our thanks, or otherwise, to William Gordon Stables. ALAN C. Morn (1961 -66)
Legal Action Recollected in Tranquility Earlier this year, the Editor had drawn to his attention a series f articles entitled "Retrospect", which had appeared above the pseudonym o_o f Raven in The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland throughout 1984. These represented the recollections of the author's legal career, begun in Aberdeen but pursuedfor the most part in Edinburgh, and, on investigation, proved to make interesting and entertaining reading. It was discovered, futhermore. that Raven was less of a shady bird than a rara avis—an F.P. who was a reliable and frequent contributor to the Magazine! With Raven's permission and that of the Editor of The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland the following extracts (only a small proportion of the whole series) are reproduced here, in order that readers outwith the legal profession may have the opportunity to enjoy them. Student Apprenticeship Fifty years ago the practice of law was an occupation for a gentleman—leisurely, dignified, profitable. A firm of unassuming size and pretensions might expect to divide f5.000 between two partners; and if that appears a derisory ambition, it should be remembered that the senior member of staff would count himself lucky if he drew a stipend of 5 per cent of that amount. In a well-managed firm the partners would come in at ten, go for lunch at tweleve-thirty, return at a quarter to three, and depart at five. By six-thirty, in the blessed hour before dinner, they would be fondling their obedient and admiring offspring brought down by Nanny for the occasion. Evening was the time for somnolent reflection and uninterrupted rumination on the grand strategy of the firm from which the tactics of the following days would be derived. At the other end of the scale was the apprentice—the lowest form of judicial life—scorned by typists, bullied by clerks of court, and harried by his masters—if the last-named condescended to notice him at all. It was a strenuous and unrewarding vocation. To begin with there was the unaccustomed tyranny of office hours—prolonged by the classes with which the day began and ended: Constitutional Law nine to ten; Roman Law five to six. And of course Saturday morning, previously dedicated to recuperation from Friday's late night hop, was brutally diverted from its proper use to grudging and bleary-eyed attendance at the office. And in addition the law had an unchallengeable lien over week-day evenings. Gone were the idling days in Arts when a week before class exams and three—even two—before degrees was thought to be a generous provision for preparation. Gone too, as no longer serviceable, were the subtly cultivated techniques by which one adapted the questions to correspond with the limited stock of available answers. For a start the whole savour and flavour of lectures was different. Roman Law, for example, though afterwards cherished for its pithy Brocards, was the
Legal Action Recollected in Tranquility
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symbol of a new and painfully . rigorous regime. Lectures were no longer luminous commentaries on civilised textbooks. There were no textbooks. There was, instead, dictation packed with facts and potent with principles (if you could discover them) delivered word for word as it had been for decades. If you ventured to follow the argument it was impossible to take legible—far less intelligible—notes. So you settled for undiluted dictation, developing over a period a schizophrenic faculty for writing down what was said while simultaneously thinking of something quite different. It was impossible to detect the slightest connection between classes and what went on in the office, and this dichotomy was even further exemplified by Jurisprudence and Forensic Medicine—the one a baffling cloud of philosophical nebulosities, the other a detailed representation of the varieties of original sin, the more distasteful since it took place at eight in the morning, an hour of day with which many of us were wholly unfamiliar. Rape, at any time a disagreeable subject for contemplation, reaches its nadir in the early hours of the morning; while a catalogue of poisons—and poisoners—does little to whet the appetite for breakfast. Fortunately there was an identical answer to 75 per cent of the questions which might be set: I remember it still—nausea, vomiting, bloody stools and death—an all-purpose prognosis which was, I suppose still is, as useful to the examinee as it must be disagreeable to the victim. There were times when the sheer immensity and scope of Scots Law seemed to overwhelm us, notwithstanding the guiding hands of Professors Gloag and Henderson; and the infinite subtleties and arcane mysteries of Conveyancing seemed to burst the bonds even of the large Burns. But of all the classes calculated to reduce the student to insensibility, Procedure and Evidence towered above its fellows. There we were in Aberdeen—many in offices which considered sheriff court work beneath the professional salt. One hundred and forty miles away was the Court of Session of which a strong minority had never heard and which a majority had never seen. And within a term we must master the intricacies of both. It was as if we were expected simultaneously to learn the opening pages of the street and telephone directories. Our mentor was James Hastie, most genial of men, but known as Hasty Jimmy as a mark of the velocity with which he could pour forth what appeared to be undiluted gibberish. This agglomeration seemed at the time to comprise variations upon a theme of Rolls without number—Short Rolls, Long Rolls, Procedure Rolls, Motion Rolls, Summary Rolls—if indeed he had added Morning Rolls we would faithfully have sought to record them without a shadow of scepticism. After a few weeks we came to accept this late-afternoon penance, devoid of system and rationality, to be dealt with on its own terms. Clearly the permutation of possible questions must be limited. But it would be, as it always was in law, imprudent to rely on 'Spotters'. The only feasible approach was to commit to memory answers to all the Degree and Resit papers, for, say seven years, breaking down each answer into eight or even ten sections. Two of us collaborated in the bizarre exercise, rehearsing each other by rote until we were both word perfect. It worked. For the only time in our lives we broke ninety. In a week's time we remembered—nothing.
Criminal Practice The time it now the late 1940s, and the author, after war service, holds the position of junior partner in an Edinburgh firm. A charge of murder introduced me to criminal practice and I shall never forget it. It was, on the face of it, a pretty squalid run-of-the-mill affair—seaman strangles wife on morning after drunken escapade.
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I came into it through a telephone call from Gully Taylor, a solicitor in Aberdeen with whom I had taken classes before the war. Alas, he is now dead, but I shall have more to say of him in due course. Meantime it is enough to mention that he was at the time an agent for the poor: this case had landed on his plate, and he had not the remotest idea how or where to begin. Could I help? I confessed to equal ignorance, but promised to find out the procedure and put him on to counsel and agents knowledgeable in such matters. The Clerk of justiciary was benevolently eager that I should have his way. Yes, he knew of the case. Yes, there were counsel agents for the poor. No, they were new to the job. Counsel had never been in a criminal court in his life. The agent was equally young and inexperienced. Would it not be wiser to get on with it myself . . . ? Somewhat ruefully and with more than a few misgivings, I rang Gully and told him the facts. Was I prepared to go on? I would do my best, but first of all I would get hold of experienced counsel to get me on the right track. But could I have some flesh to put on the bones of the case? Gully said he would send me down a full statement, but meantime to put me in the picture, he told me that his client, though in comparatively humble circumstances, was a man with a good educational background who had unwisely married a lady of easy vice in the forlorn expectation that he could woo her from her ignominious profession, and, before he had last put to sea, cherished the hope that he was succeeding. They had never set up house together. On his return to port he had made an assignation to meet her in the evening. Eagerly he had turned up much before the appointed time. Thereafter they had gone on a drunken frolic. As to what actually happened, the accused's recollection was apparently shrouded in an alcoholic mist. What was certain was that there had been a quarrel, the police had intervened, and they had gone to their respective homes. When the accused (let us call him Adamson) woke up, he knew that things had gone terribly wrong. But how had he got involved with the police in the small hours? Anxious and bewildered he hurried across town to his wife's home. What had gone wrong? he asked. What had the quarrel been about? How did the police come into it? Then came the brazen answer angrily spat out: "You turned up too soon and prevented me from getting another man." Outraged and horrified, Adamson took her by the throat and killed her. Then he called the police. Perhaps at this point I ought to say something more about Gully. After university he made for the Far East as so many Aberdonians have done before and since. At the time of which I am writing, a few years after the war, he had returned to Aberdeen and must, I suppose, have been in his early forties with a magnificent physique which years in a Japanese prison-camp might have impaired but could not destroy. He rarely spoke of this episode in his life; but those who had been prisoners with him spoke of his heroism—how he would prowl around the camp foraging for food, not for himself but for weaker prisoners who might otherwise have gone under. Though he would have been the first to disown it, he was looked on as a kind of secular saint—always on the side of the underdog. After his release he had come back to this country, had a year's experience in a law firm in Edinburgh, and had then set up his plate on the front door of his home at Bridge of Don and launched himself into practice. I made my way to Parliament House and sought out Murray Scobie, one of the advocates' clerks, and told him my story. Had he anyone in his stable who could make bricks with the minimum of straw? Yes, he had the very man—a junior who now adorns the bench in the Court of Session. He led me to the
Legal Action Recollected in Tranquility
23
corridor and introduced me, and I gave counsel the information recounted above. He told me he would make inquiries at the Crown Office, always most ready to help on these occasions—particularly if the accused had no means—to see what further details could be gleaned. Next day he met me again. The Crown had let me see the statements and medical reports, of which one just possibly might be of particular significance. This indicated that from time to time Adamson presented symptoms of hypoglycaemia, or, more intelligibly, a low sugar content in the blood. Could I get expert advice as to whether this might be a relevant consideration? I sought out Leslie, a young and rising doctor, specialising in diabetes and kindred ailments. Yes, he said, this might be of critical importance. If at the time of the crime the accused was in an acute phase of this deficiency, his mind might well be clouded and confused so that he wou ld not be fully responsible for his actions. Counsel advised me to have Adamson medically examined by an independent physician. Leslie, we agreed could make the preliminary investigation, and if the result should be positive we could bring in heavier guns. When he returned from Aberdeen, Leslie told us that although there was a distinct element of doubt, his inquiries showed that given Adamson's eating and drinking pattern in the twelve hours before the crime, a degree of derangement might be indicated—brought about by hypoglycaemia. Counsel's view was that provided Adamson consented we should offer a plea of culpable homicide to the Crown. This was no mere formality. For all this was in the hanging days and Adamson's life was at stake. Ringing in our ears were the terrible words with which John Inglis opened his address to the jury a hundred years before in the Madeleine Smith case: The charge against the prisoner is murder, and the penalty of murder is death. And that simple statement is sufficient to suggest the awful solemnity of the occasion which brings you and me face to face. The Crown refused to accept the plea. Adamson must go to trial. Our dilemma was acute. The fact that Adamson had killed his victim was not in doubt. He admitted it and had himself called the police. There were only two possible lines of defence—either that Adamson had been provoked beyond endurance by the most insulting and humiliating words which a wife could utter to her husband, or his mind was so darkened and confused by his physical state that he could not be held responsible for his actions. Both presented formidable difficulties. Provocation may be a defence, but the reaction must be related to the provocation, and words alone had never been accepted as a justification for murder. Alternatively, we could lean on diminished responsiblity. But the evidence for this was scarcely more than statable. We could have one defence or the other—each decidedly tenuous. We could not have both. For if Adamson's judgement was impaired by hypoglycaemia, it necessarily followed that he would not recall precisely what his wife had said to him, and of these words he was the only living witness. We brought in Harald Leslie, QC (as the late Lord Birsay then was) and had a consultation with Sir Derrick Dunlop—the outstanding authority in this field of medicine—to have his view on the evidence for diminshed responsibility. Sadly he shook his head. It fell far short of being convincing. Medical evidence based on this proposition was almost hopelessly vulnerable. All we could do was to wait anxiously and hope. It is difficult now when capital punishment has been abolished, and murders seem to be scarcely newsworthy, to recapture the atmosphere of nearanguish which used to be the lot of all concerned in a charge of murder—most
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
of all, of course, the accused if he was innocent—but embracing judge and jury, Crown and defence. Had something been forgotten? Was there some line of inquiry which ought to have been followed up? Or had something been mishandled which in the future might emerge to haunt the imagination? As a humble participant in this case I can testify to almost unbearable anxiety. And then quite suddenly the clouds lifted. The Crown accepted the plea. Was it because looking at the matter as a whole it was felt that this was nor a case for the scaffold? Was it the euphoria following the General Election which shed its benign influence and so tipped the balance? These things we shall never know, nor did we even begin to speculate upon them. There had been for us, a dent ex machina into whose precise workings we did not attempt to inquire. When after nine years or so Adamson emerged from prison, he could be found decorating new offices in Adelphi, off Union Street, Aberdeen. Characteristically, Gully had given him a job. RAVEN (1925-30)
Early Aberdeen Golf In 1985 a limited edition of about 450 copies of a delightful little book entitled Early Aberdeen Golf and written by David Hamilton made its appearance, and, on the initiative of the Secretary of the Club, two copies were purchased for the School Library and the Club Centre. The purpose of such expenditure was not to enhance F.P.s' prospects of retaining the HAR Trophy by reviving lost techniques of the seventeenth century, but rather to make available to the School and Club extracts from and comments upon a remarkable work by David Wedderburn, master of Aberdeen Grammar School. David Wedderburn, (as Mr Hamilton reminds us) was a Latin scholar of some distinction, who published three textbooks of Latin instruction in the 1630s. The first two, A Short Introduction to Grammar and Institutiones Grammatkae, while, no doubt, justifying the author's claim to academic distinction, must be presumed to be sufficiently conventional to merit little attention in a publication with such a general readership as the Magazine. The third, however, seems very unusual even to those of us who benefited (or failed to benefit) from the classical education which the School has continued to provide until the twentieth century. This was Wedderburn's Vocabula, which was intended (rather in the manner of a modern holiday phrase-book) to ease the burden of enforced conversation in Latin on his young charges by listing Latin words equivalent to common English or Scottish expressions. At the time of the publication of the Vocabula, Grammar School boys were not permitted to speak in English. The Vocabula includes a chapter on sport—football, archery and bowls make their appearance as well as golf—but it is on the section on golf that Mr Hamilton concentrates his attention. By attending to the words and phrases found in the Vocabula, Mr Hamilton tells us, it is possible to gain some insight into the social life of the times, but its particular value, Mr Hamilton claims, is for the golf historian, who wishes to trace the origins of golf, because of detailed evidence (brought to light in this book for the first time) about the pattern of play in the 1630s. However, for the lay reader (who is not even a golfer, let alone a golf historian) Mr Hamilton's book is interesting because of its comments on Aberdeen and the Grammar School in the seventeenth century, and not only
Gavin Turreff (1813-18)
25
interesting but mildly amusing in its presentation in Latin and in translation of the whole of Wedderburn's section on golf. It would be pleasing to imagine that on the next F.P. Golf Outing, when one of that band of erudite scholars sank his ball in a bog, he would mildly exclaim, "Immissa est in paludem", and that all will heed the advice, "Percute pliant baculo—nimis curtasti hunt Miff UM "-" Hit through the ball with the club—this is too short a stroke." All interested readers (and especially those who are anxious to improve their golfing language) are invited to consult Early Aberdeen Golfby David Hamilton in the Club Centre or the School Library.
Gavin Turreff (1813- 18) "As you come from Aberdeen, I think you will find this book quite interesting," said my life-long friend who had retired from the Foreign Service and taken up, on a partly commercial basis, his hobby of collecting and selling old books and prints. "Furthermore," he went on, "the provenance of this particular volume is quite unusual." I looked at the book entitled Antiquarian Gleanings by Gavin Turreff, published in 1859 by George and Robert King, Aberdeen, and printed at the Herald office. The fly-leaf had a faded dedication, "to H.R.H. Prince Alfred from the Author, 3rd. June 1863 (through Dr. Robertson, Balmoral)." On the outside cover was a fine book plate with the royal Coat of Arms and a catalogue number from the Coburg Castle library. The recipient of this volume was the second son of Queen Victoria. After a distinguished career in the British Navy he succeeded to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg on the death of his uncle in 1893, his elder brother, the Prince of Wales and later Edward VII, having renounced his right to the succession. Coburg is now in East Germany. One must assume that the library was plundered at the end of the War in 1945 and that this book found its way, by various means, on to the shelves of a book dealer in Western Australia. The foreword to the book indicates that the author lived in Old Aberdeen and he explains that his intention is to ac9uaint the readers with the publications of the Spalding Club, Kennedy s Annals of Aberdeen, the Aberdeen Journal down to the 1850s, and Robertson's Book of Bon-Accord. Many of the chapters had appeared as articles in the Aberdeen Herald. My curiosity was therefore aroused sufficiently to try to find out something about the author. The Librarian at King's College has kindly supplied me with the following details: Gavin Turreff, antiquary and author, was born in Aberdeen in 1803. He was educated at the Grammar School of which he was the Dux in 1818. He then proceeded to the University and graduated M.A. at Marischal College in 1822. For forty years he worked for the Aberdeen Bank and the Union Bank of Scotland. He was a Sunday School teacher at the Episcopalian Church of St. Paul's and a strong advocate of temperance. He died in 1878, having lived for many years at 104 King Street. As might be expected, quite a few of the extracts made from the annals and records studied by Turreff relate to the Grammar School. Under the year 1580 it was recorded that ". . . in the year 1580, it was found requisite to pass an Act of Council ordering the scholars at the Aberdeen Grammar School, on their entry, to find caution, under the penalty of (10, for their good behaviour, and for paying due obedience to the Magistrates and to their masters".
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Turreff also tells us, "In the year 1612, the pupils (many of whom were the sons or relatives of the gentry in the country), repining at the severity of the Rector's discipline, became mutinous, and determined to resent it at their own hands. Having armed themselves with hagbuts, pistols, and other offensive weapons, they took possession of the Song School, and were threatening to commit acts of outrage, when the Magistrates were obliged to interpose their authority to prevent it. The ringleaders of this juvenile insurrection were apprehended and sent to prison; and twenty-one of the most prominent insurgents were expelled, under the direction of the Magistrates, not only from the Grammar School, but from all other schools in the town. This exertion of authority speedily quelled the insurrection, and restored tranquility to the School." This description of riotous behaviour in school has a familiar ring to our ears though it does appear that sixteenth-century authority was rather less sympathetic to the cause of rebellious pupils, however justified their discontent might be. An incident reported in the Council Register of the Town of Aberdeen relates that on 27 November 1523, "Master Johne Merschel, master of the gramar skull of Abirden, grantit in jugment that he offendit to his masteris of the towne, and besoucht tham to pardone him, and confessit (halm that he haid the schoull of thame, and suld hald the samyn ilk as his predicessouris haid downe in tyme bigane; and the prouest, in nayme of the haile toune, ressauit him thankfully, permittand to be him a gud master in tyme cuming, he being than a gud scruand, as accordis him to do." A footnote explains that the first indication at Aberdeen of the new opinions manifested itself in Mr. John Marshall, Master of the Grammar School, about the year 1521. He was summoned to appear before the Provost to answer for his contempt of the Church, for being deficient in due subordination to it, and for the doctrines which he promulgated. Marshall, with the boldness of Knox and his colleagues, scrupled not to tell the Provost, that he held the School of the Magistrates, was ready to contribute his services to the citizens, and zealous to promote the education of their children; but that he did not consider himself amenable to the Court of Rome, whose authority be contemned. For these spiritual errors and other transgressions against the Church, he found it necessary, however, two years afterwards, to express to the Magistrates his contrition, which probably saved him from the dreadful punishment which generally awaited its enemies. It would seem that racism and not religion can be the present-day cause of friction between a Headmaster and the Education Authority. The passions aroused are nevertheless just as intense. The rebellion of 1745 split opinion in the major cities of Scotland and the magistrates were often apprehensive when they had to receive with full honours the Young Pretender on his way south into England and later in 1745 on his return march pursued by the Duke of Cumberland. The Jacobite forces were in Aberdeen at the beginning of 1746. By 27 February the Duke of Cumberland was in the city where he stayed for six weeks, billeted, free of charge, on a Mr. Thomson, Advocate, Marischal College having been found "unfit for his accommodation". The Rev. ohn Bisset, a minister in the city, kept a diary of events during these eventful months and records that, "The Masters of the Grammar School now continue praying nominatim for King George, excepting the old doctor, who was lately, in his own conceited opinion, on the road to heaven with such full assurance. I hear he has been bullying some of the rest, as a man not to be put out of his measures. Whatever be the issue of matters presently in dependence, I shall not expect to see good days unless the churches and schools be purged of such miscreants." The staff room in my day at the Grammar was reputed to be the scene of many passionate debates on politics, usually with a strong left-wing flavour.
Gavin Turreff (1813-18)
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The teaching profession, I suppose, has always felt itself to be close to the political scene and conscious of their power to influence young minds. The rival education establishment in the city merits only two brief references. An extract from the Aberdeen Journal records that, "On Tuesday last (1750), Robert Gordon's Hospital was opened in presence of a Committee of the Managers, when fourteen boys were received, genteelly clothed, and are to be educated in terms of the Mortification. In a short time the number of boys is to be completed." However, four years prior to this the buildings had been fortified with ramparts and palisades to make a strong point for the defence of the city against the Jacobites. The same journal for the year 1756 carries the following warning: "King's College, Old Aberdeen. . . . The Masters of the said College do earnestly recommend to parents, that their money expended on their sons at the College may pass through the hands either of one of the Masters or of some other discreet person in town, so as the Masters may have access to see the account of their expense. And, to prevent any imposition on parents or others as to the expense of education at the said College, it is hereby notified, that the whole necessary expense of a student during the session of seven months, exclusive of clothes, books, and pocket-money, amounts to between t**9 and £10 at the second table, and £11 and £12 at the first." Costs in the Halls of Residence have risen somewhat in the last 230 years! These extracts give something of the flavour of this excellent book which touches on many interesting facets of the commercial and sociological history of the North East of Scotland as reflected in the writings of diarists and in the municipal and kirk session records going back in some instances over five hundred years. Comments on national events as viewed through the eyes of the magistrates in Aberdeen on such occasions as the battle of Flodden bring history alive in a manner which so many textbooks fail to do. It is interesting to reflect that the study and interpretation of history by research into state and municipal archives were largely initiated by the great Victorian historians. They broke away from the earlier traditions of mediaeval chroniclers whose works had for centuries provided the basis of accepted historical development. They also repudiated the philosophical interpretation of history as exemplified by David Hume. They sought to interpret history and historical developments by studying original source material. This approach is of course very much the vogue today with specialisation on historic events and trends characterised by the flood of scholarly books on sometimes rather obscure and recondite subjects, of interest, alas, only to other scholars. The Victorians did not have this passion for specialisation but they emphasised the importance of original source material. I suggest that, as an amateur historian, Gavin Turreff was very much a man of his generation seeking to show his fellow Scots how much of their own local history they could enjoy and perhaps re-interpret by a study of original documentary material available in their own towns and cities, and showing that they did not need to be scholars to achieve this. R. A. E. MENME (1924-36)
School Section School Office Bearers Prefects
Head Boy: TIMOTHY ROLFE Head Girl: SAIIYANNE HUTCHISON Deputy Head Boy: TIMOTHY PHILPOT Deputy Head Girl: KIRSTEN PoNT JANET ADAMS RICHARD ADAMS MEI•LIN AH-SEE MICHAEL BISSETT DAVID BLACKLAWS JUDITH BLASDALE SUSAN BLASDALE ELAINE CRAIG SARAH DRUMMOND TADG FARRINGTON ALLAN FIDDES PETER FLEMING JUDITH GRIEVE KEVIN LEIGH I AIN MCCOMBIE MORAG MACDONALD SHONA MACDONALD SHIRLEY MCGILL RHONA MACLENNAN
DIANNE MAIR STEPHEN MASON JUDITH MILLER GRANT MILNE LOUISE MOWATT THERESA PATERSON LAIN RALSTON ANDREW RAMSAY PAULINE REID CRAIG RITCHIE JENNIFFER ROBB TRACEY ROBB JEREMY SEAGER RODERICK SMITH MICHAEL SUTHERLAND BRUCE WILLOX CHRISTOPHER WIISON JULIE WILSON RUTH WILSON Sports Captains
Rugby: KEVIN LEIGH
Hockey (Boys): PETER FLEMING Badminton: KIRSTEN PONT Literary and Debating Society
President: GREIG MORRISON Vice-President: ADAM Mm.
Secretary: AWN GRAVES Treasurer: SALLYANNE HUTCHISON Combined Cadet Force
FiSgt: ANDREW RAMSAY
F/Sgt: TIMOTHY ROLFE
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Combined Cadet Force It is with considerable regret that we have to report that the Army Section of the School's Combined Cadet Force was disbanded in January 1986. Following the teachers' dispute the Army Section was unable to continue its parades in September 1984, and although the Section was allowed a period of time 'on ice' pending developments in the dispute, this period of time proved to be insufficient, and it became necessary to wind up the affairs of the Section in September 1985. One sad aspect of the disbandment of the Army Section was that it had been in a particulary healthy state in recent years with a good cadet roll. Another consequence of this loss was that it was not possible for girls in the Army Section to continue their cadet training by transferring to the R.A.F. Section. On a brighter note, we can report that the R.A.F. Section has continued to operate and flourish. Over the past two years, the R.A.F. Section Cadet Roll has remained constant at a strength of 55 cadets. 23 cadets enrolled in September 1985 and those recruits matched our losses from the upper years. The new Commanding Officer of the R.A.F. Section, Flying Officer R. J. Nugent, was promoted to the acting, paid rank of Flight Lieutenant in November 1984 following the resignation of Flight Lieutenant P. W. Scott. Mr. Scott served the Section with great diligence over his nine years as Commanding Officer. Our continued existence depended to a great extent on his efforts, especially in 1976, when the C.C.F. suffered an earlier crisis in its long struggle for survival. Pilot Officer G. Morrison was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer in September 1985. At the beginning of the 1985/86 session, we were fortunate to obtain the services of Mr. G. Rolfe, who is a helicopter pilot with Bristow Helicopters Ltd. Mr. Rolfe, who was a Squadron Leader in the R.A.F., has given invaluable assistance to the R.A.F. Section as an instructor of Navigation. For the first time in many years we were in a position to prepare seven cadets for the Advanced Navigation Examination in March 1986. We hope that Mr. Rolfe will be in a position to help the Section in the years to come. Further help with the training programme was obtained from W.O. Ross, 22CTT, who dealt with the Shooting/Safety Training of Proficiency I Cadets. In addition, Flight Sergeant J. Clarkson, the Liaison NCO based at R.A.F. Turnhouse, visited the school every fortnight and helped in various stages of the C.C.F./R.A.F. Syllabus. We are undoubtedly indebted to all the adult personnel for their help and encouragement. In December, the Rector of the School inspected the R.A.F. Section and presented Proficiency Certificates. A number of cadets were promoted in rank: Sergeants T. Rolfe and A. Ramsay were each promoted to the rank of Staff Flight Sergeant; Corporals E. Faskin, and M. Cameron were promoted to Sergeants; Junior Corporals I. Ralston, K. Truscott, G. Milne, K. Ramsay and M. Rhind were all promoted to the rank of full Corporal. Also, five Junior Corporals were appointed. Later in the session, Junior Corporal P. Mellor and Cadet.l. Booth were each promoted to full Corporal. The teaching of the C.C.F./R.A.F. Section Syllabus has continued with little difficulty over the past session. Six cadets have passed the Advanced Stage of Training, four cadets have passed Proficiency III and four cadets have passed Proficiency II. There were fourteen passes at Proficiency I. Next session, the Proficiency Syllabus will be altered to accommodate new subjects and to revise other subjects: 'Air Navigation' and 'Meteorology' have each been revised, 'Engines' has been replaced by the subject of 'Propulsion' and a new subject entitled 'Aircraft Knowledge' has been introduced into Proficiency III. Over the past session, groups of cadets attended Air Experience Flying 29
Annual Summer Camp 6-13 July 1985—R.A.F. Finningley
0
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Back Row: W. O. G. Crookshanks, J/Cp/. K. Ramsay, Sgt. T. Philpot, Sgt. T. Rolfe, Cpl. M. Cameron, Cpl. E. Faskin, F. S. Smith (SLNCO) Front Row: J/Cpl. M. Rhind, J/Cp/. G. Milne, Cdt. A. Paterson. Cdt. I. Bennett, J/Cp/. T. Taylor, Flt. Lt. R. J. Nugent.
Ian T. Stephen
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No. 12 at R.A.F. Turnhouse, Edinburgh for flying in Chipmunks. We are pleased to report that almost all R.A.F. Section cadets eligible to fly have received at least 25 minutes A.E.F. this year despite the variable weather conditions. From time to time, it was possible to supplement our flying programme with Air Experience Flying at R.A.F. Kinloss and R.A.F. Lossiemouth in Nimrods and Shackletons. In the 1984 / 85 session, a considerable number of cadets visited the Air/Sea Rescue Detachments at R.A.F. Lossiemouth and R.A.F. Leuchars for survival training. The R.A.F. Section visited R.A.F. Lossiemouth on a field day in December 1985. The cadets were shown around the various squadrons and units based at this station, one popular visit being the display given by the R.A.F. Regiment Guard Dogs, Small groups of cadets have visited the installations at R.A.F. Buchan throughout the session. Furthermore, thirty cadets visited the Survival Unit at RGIT, where they were shown the safety drills currently adopted on Helicopters and Offshore Oil Installations. During the Wings Appeal Week of the Royal Air Forces Association, 30 cadets collected over f 1800. This sum of money by far exceeded any sum collected by the local ATC Squadrons, and so for the first time, our C.C.F./R.A.F. Section won the Wings' Appeal Trophy. On the first Sunday of October, the R.A.F. Section travelled to Douneside House, Tarland to be inspected by the Administrator of the MacRobert Trust, Air Vice-Marshal Dodd, who has recently retired from this post. Last year the Annual Summer Camp was at R.A.F. Finningley (11 cadets) and R.A.F. Stafford (23 cadets). This year there will be thirty cadets travelling to R.A.F. Swanton Morley in Norfolk at the beginning of July for Summer Camp. Attendance at Annual Camp is highly recommended for all cadets as it affords a period of intensive training not possible in school. A great deal of useful work can be accomplished at camp besides the enjoyment of being away from home! The Annual Inspection will take place on Friday 20 June 1986. The Inspecting Officer will be Air Vice-Marshal Brook, Air Officer Commanding Scotland and Northern Ireland. One of the main activities which the R.A.F. Section will demonstrate at the Inspection will be the operation of the Primary Sailplane Glider at Rubislaw Field.
Ian T. Stephen The Grammar School in Aberdeen has been fortunate over the years to have many members of staff who have given practically a whole life-time's teaching to it. On the last day of term in summer 1985, Ian Stephen joined that distinguished band after thirty-seven years of loyal and devoted service in the school. There have been some who have served longer—like Samuel Pope, the first Art Master, who retired reluctantly after 45 years service, in his seventy-fifth year—but it is safe to say that no-one has given himself more enthusiastically to the School in practically every conceivable way. It is difficult, if not impossible to imagine Ian undertaking anything into which he put less than 110 per cent effort. Generations of boys and more recently, girls, have enjoyed the benefits of his enthusiastic involvement in the teaching of Maths. His apprenticeship was served under Gray and then he became one of the major personalities along with John Flett, in a formidable Maths department under Archie Baxter, David Houston and Mike Wilson. But if Maths was his main and lasting academic commitment, class-room activity absorbed only a fraction of his energy and joie de vivre. He had an enormous interest in and concern for all the pupils who came within his orbit both during the time they were in School
F.P. Club Presentation to Ian (Twinks) Stephen
Mr. Stephen (right) receives a quaich from the President of the Club, Douglas N. Georgeson, to mark his service as Staff representative on the F.P. Club Executive on the occasion of his tetirement from teaching. Others in the picture are A. Keith Campbell (left), then Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Eric Craig (centre right), then Chairman of the Executive Committee.
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!an T. Stephen
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and after they had left. How many have found that this interest, combined with an encyclopaedic memory, solved the problem, "Who was so-and-so and what is he (or she) doing now?" Knowledge of this sort and this concern, combined to tempt him into the new fields of "Guidance" and he became one of the first Principal Teachers of Guidance. Experience there was followed by promotion to the rank of Assistant Rector with special responsibility for Careers, where he quickly made himself expert in all matters involving employment and further education. As a member of the Board of Studies, he ensured that all plans or proposals which were put into operation had to pass a very critical examination before acceptance. But this is just a small part of the story. Ian involved himself with every aspect of school life. In his younger days, he coached and refereed rugby, and umpired cricket, and he continued to take a very active supporter's view of the games in School at all levels. He was a keen supporter of F.P.s through thick and thin. It does not seem so long since he was taking part with Peter Pan gusto in the annual Masters v. Boys Cricket match, in the badminton matches in the staff club and against the pupils. When the new craze of jogging began, one of its most enthusiastic participants was Ian with unexpectedly unfortunate results. When he became increasingly handicapped by the complications of an old injury, how many shook their heads with regret and wondered how he would cope with enforced idleness? No more days on the hills, no more badminton, no longer a leading light at school dances and junior parties! 0 ye of little faith! After what seemed an interminable wait, Ian disappeared off to Stracathro and with a hip replaced, back he came, almost literally leaping about to confound and amaze us all. What an advertisement for replacement surgery. as he returned to the badminton court, to the dance floor and to the hills! No activity in the school owed more to him than hill walking and it is not surprising that for long this must have been one of the most actively supported extra-curricular activities in the school. He organised, participated, kept up the flagging interests of the veterans and enlisted the enthusiasm of the new members of staff. Through him and his colleagues, this activity thrived and his experience and foresight helped to make this potentially hazardous pursuit safe and enjoyable for staff and pupils of all ages. One could go on and on, for nothing in the School seemed to happen which did not enjoy Ian's support. School sports, sales of work, school concerts in the Music Hall, carol concerts at St. Machar's, the Film Society, there seemed no end to his willingness to attend and help. It is hard to do justice to his interests but one should certainly not forget his representation of the staff on F.P. bodies and his support for the F.P. Centre. Every pupil and colleague will have his own special memories of "Twinks". Ian's sense of humour, his generosity, his explosions and eruptions and his supportive friendship for anyone in trouble and stress are only some. And yet, beyond all this, there was an alter ego. As a son of Buckie, he would go into retreat to the Blackpool of the north from time to time and he always appeared to act as honorary consul and hospital visitor for those from that area who came to Aberdeen. It is not surprising that in his retirement, he has returned to his home town where we would all join in wishing him a long and happy retirement. But even so, what a pleasure it still is to see him return to see us, his infectious interest, curiosity and enthusiasm unabated in all people and things connected with the school. His inclusion in the long line of Pope, Legge, Morrison, Middleton, McLeod, Mackie, Hay, Henry, Lynch, Paterson, Milne, Walker, McLeod is well merited. It was a happy thought by the Rector to make Ian's last official school duty the honour of presenting the prizes at the annual prize giving.
Former Pupils' Club Section (Club Founded 11 September 1893)
Club Office-Bearers, 1986-87 Honorary President: ROBERT DOUGLAS GILL. M A
(Rector) Honorary Vice-Presidents: IAN G. MCPHERSON (1910-17). (President, 1965 -66) EDWARDJ. WOOD (1908-21), M.A. (President, 1966-67) JOSEPH R. CARRY (1918-30), M.B.E.. T.D.. D.C.. F B C.O. (President, 1967-68) ERIC Rosthluarr (1920-22), C.A. (President, 1968-69) ALLAN C. FRASER (1925-30), M.A.. LLB.. w.s. (President, 1970-71) JOHN V. SKINNER. M A.. M LITT . DIP.ED., J.P. (Rector, 1959-72) AIR MARSHAL SIR LESLIE MAYOR (1923-33), K.C.B.. A.F.C..
F R Ar S R.A.F. (President 1972 - 73) GEORGE E. C. BARYON (1923-26), M.A. (President, 1973-74) THE VERY REVD. J. FRASER MCLUSKEY (1920-31), M.C.. D D. (President, 1974-75) ALAN C. R. WATT' (1925-37), M.A., U..B. (President, 1975-76) ROBERT A. E. MENNIE (1924-36), M.A.. F INST. PET. (President, 1976-77) JOHN W. CRADOCK (1941-46), C.A. (President, 1977-78) WILLIAM L. CONNON (1930-40), B.L. (President, 1979-1980) T. GORDON Courrs (1938-49, 1950-51), Q.C . u_.e. (President, 1980-81) NEIL I. W. MELDRUM (1925-37), M.A.. LL 8 (President, 1981-82) JAMES A. N. WATT (1927 - 39), C.A. (President, 1982-83) BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46), T.D , M.A.. U.B. (President, 1983-84) ERIC D. WArr (1937-50), BED (President, 1984-85) MAURICE CRAMB (1916-29), M.A . LL.B.. LL D. ALAN J. PETERS (1920-30), C. A . IAN LEWIS SMITH (1918-30) DOUGLAS N. GEORGESON (1929-40) (President, 1985-86)
President: ANDREWS. NOBLE(1939-52). M A .FC M A .FI M A Vice-President of Club and Chairman of Executive: A. KEITH CAMPBELL (1944-53), T.ENG.(CEI). MINST. Al A Secretary: JOHN F. HENDRY (1951-65), LL B
36 Albyn Place. Aberdeen AB9 IYU Treasurer: COLIN C. ALLAN (1936-45), C.A .
63 Gray Street, Aberdeen ABI 6JD General Editor of Magazine: DAviD K. YULE (1951-65). M A. 11 Kinkel' Road, Aberdeen AB1 8HQ
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Secretaries of Centres Club Centre—JOHN A. MACRAE. AGSFP Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen ABI 6YQ. Edinburgh—NIGEL G. M. WATT (1963-69). w.s.. 11 Athol! Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 8HE. GlasgowJ. PETER CAIRNS (1943-57). Dellglenan, 3 John Street Lane. Helensburgh, G84 9NA. London—LAIN A. REID (1951-63), c/o Richard Ellis plc. Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1X 6AN. Tel. 01-629 6290. Yorkshire—A. J. M. MILLER (1942-55), M.A.. C.A.. 13 Wenlock Drive, Escrick, York. Ireland—ANDREW M. M. STEVEN (1936-50), M.A.. LL.B.. DIP.ED.. 5 Beechill Avenue, Saintfield Road. Belfast BT8 4NS. Secretaries of Sections Cricket—DEREK A. HARLEY (1974-80), 57 Mile End Avenue, Aberdeen AB2 4PU. Curling—BRUCE S. A UAN (1953-58), A.R.I.A.S.. 55 Carden Place, Aberdeen ABI 1UN. Golf—PETER M. ROBERTSON (1967-73), LL.B.. 33 Northburn Avenue, Aberdeen AB2 6AH. Hockey—DENis N. YULE (1960-66), u..B.. 14 Lochside Road, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen AB2 8AE. Photographic—NEIL). G. LAWRIE (1961-74), 9 Braeside Terrace, Aberdeen ABI 7TS. Ruby—MicHnu G. H. GIBB (1942-46), 25 Viewfield Road, Aberdeen ABI 7XL. Swimming—ROGER D. HOUGHTON (1959-63), 19 Richmondhill Gardens, Aberdeen AB2 4LW. Women's Hockey—LESLEY S. CARSON (1981-85), 116 Ashgrove Road West, Aberdeen AB2 5BD. Executive Committee The Vice-President of the Club. Chairman MELVILLE F. WATSON (1943-56). Vice-Chairman The Secretary, the Treasurer and the General Editor of the Magazine, ex officiis The Rector of the School, ex officio ALAN G. CAMPBELL (1959-65) IAIN S. HOPKIN (1962-68) ANDREW M. CAMPBELL (1916-27) FIONA M. A. McComBIE (1975-81) JAMES M. CLARK (1947-59) CALUM J. MCDONALD (1973-79) JOHN P. DRUMMOND (1947-58) ROBERT H. R. MACIUE (1970) DOUGLAS G. FOWUE (1950-64) W. DOUGLAS MITCHELL (1946-61) LESLEY D. FRASER (1974-80) JEREMY D. MOIR (1969-75) JOHN GARVIE (1976-81) HARVEY E. MORRISON (1951-65) RONALD W. GRANT (1948-61) G. FRASER WEBSTER (1949-62) Section Representatives Club Centre—H. ALAN S. HAMILTON (1943-56) Cricket—DEREK A. HARLEY (1974-80) Curling—BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58) Golf—IAN F. CRESWELL (1946-49) Hockey JOHN A. SmrrH (1966-72) Rugby—IAN H. McLEco (1951-55) Staff—RussELL GRAY (1951-65) Swimming—PETER M. ROBERTSON (1967-73) Auditors Messrs. BOWER & SMITH. C.A. Club Consuls Australia—DR. FORBES SMITH (1945-57), 8 Narrung Road. Mount Eliza 3930, Victoria, Australia. Canada—G. DOUGLAS MENZIES (1934-44), 15414 74th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5R 2Y4. Canada—GORDON B. SINGER (1949-50), 103 Lake Mead Drive, Calgary, Canada 72P 327. Malawi—ALASDAIR H. McLEoo (1938-61), P.O. Box 30045, Lilongwe 3. Republic of Malawi, Central Africa. New Zealand—MICHAEL B. THOMSON (1938-51), 39 Jubilee Road, Khandallah, Wellington 4, New Zealand. United States—MICHAEL G. KING (1951-60), 42 Richard Road, Edison. New Jersey 08817. West Africa—BRIAN S. GRAY (1943-49), World Bank, Abidjan, Ivory Coast. West Africa.
Annual General Meeting The Eighty-fourth Annual General Meeting of the Club was held at the Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen on Monday, 31 March 1986.
Executive Report The following are extracts from the Executive Report submitted by the Chairman, Mr. Eric Craig. Deaths of Members The untimely death of Dr. Robin A. Craig had shocked the many F.P.s who knew him, and would be a very substantial loss to the Club in Aberdeen. The Executive had also noted with sadness the death of Mr. D. P. Cochran, the senior Vice-President of the Club, who had maintained his interest in the affairs of the Club throughout his life. School Mr. Gill had intimated his intention to retire from his appointment as Rector of the School at the end of the year, and, during the past year of the teachers' dispute. the Club had even more than customary cause to thank him for his untiring efforts to maintain the links between the School and the Club. The sum of f800 had been allocated for disbursement from the Amenities Fund in support of School extra-curricular ventures, though because of the reduction of activity in this area in the past year, the application of the grants was proving difficult. The London visit in 1985 had allowed Lorna Murray and Christopher Howie to have an enjoyable and profitable week as guests of the London Centre. Membership It was encouraging that Club membership had increased slightly from 1,978 to 1,992. Magazine The hundredth anniversary issue of the Magazine had been widely agreed to have been a great success. It was appropriate, in view of his decision to retire from the post of Notes Editor after the 1986 issue, to congratulate Alan Campbell on his key contribution to the Magazine over fourteen years. Honours to F.P.s Mr. W. L. Connon, an honorary Vice-President of the Club, had been appointed Junior Vice-President of the Scottish Rugby Union, Mr. Ian M. Duguid, the recently appointed President of the London Centre had been awarded L'Ordre National de Merite for services to French ophthalmology, and shortly before the AGM, the appointment had been announced of Mr. Denys Henderson as Chairman of I.C.I. Social During the year Mr. Alan Hamilton had resigned as Entertainments Secretary and had been replaced by Mr. James M. Clark. The Executive was grateful to Mr. Hamilton for the success he had achieved in his service to Entertainments, and wished him similar success in his new appointment as Chairman of the Club Centre. Mr. Clark also deserved congratulations on his organisation of a splendid Dinner (distinguished by being the first Dinner addressed by a lady F.P., Dr. Lesley Fraser) and of an enjoyable Ball attended by 363 F.P.s and guests. Mr. Jeremy Moir also deserved the Club's thanks for his organisation of the Ball raffle, which had produced a net surplus of f528. The Centres of the Club continued to flourish, with Edinburgh perhaps the most conspicuous success, attracting an attendance of 102 to its annual dinner on the eve of the Scotland v. England rugby international. 36
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General Business Reports on the year's activities were submitted by representatives of the Club's Sections. Similar reports appear in this Magazine. The Club's accounts for the year were submitted and approved. An abstract of the accounts is printed at the end of this Magazine and the full Statement of Account may be obtained on request to the Secretary. Office-bearers for the year 1986-87 were elected in accordance with the lists contained elsewhere in this Magazine.
Annual Dinner 1985 Reports of the Dinner in recent years have been characterised on occasions by the recollection of past pleasures tinged with a degree of concern that they may not be capable of repetition in the not too distant future. This concern has arisen neither because of the writer's great age, nor through some half-formed intention to "take the pledge", but because of an awareness that the Dinner's continuation in its traditional form could not be guaranteed, if young F.P.s were not attracted in greater numbers. Happily, the attendance of younger members took an upturn at the 1984 Dinner, and after 1985, when there was a splendid attendance of relatively recent school-leavers, all of whom appeared to enjoy themselves thoroughly, there can be every confidence that the Dinner will go from strength to strength. In all, there were 133 F.P.s and guests present at the New Marcliffe Hotel on Friday, 25 October 1985, and the names of the F.P.s present may be read at the end of this report. The renewed interest of the youth of the Club in the Annual Dinner must be attributed in considerable measure to the perseverance showed by that remarkable group of lady F.P.s, who first attended the Dinner in 1980, and who have supported it devotedly ever since. Their continued presence has at last given encouragement to their juniors at School, whose attendance at the 1985 Dinner was warmly welcomed by the Club as a whole. Female involvement in the Dinner has grown prodigiously since the first ladies attended in 1980. In 1983 the Dinner was addressed by its first lady principal speaker, and at the 1985 Dinner, not only were there sixteen lady F.P.s in attendance, but for the first time an F.P. Centre (Yorkshire) was officially represented by a lady, Shona Marshall. But this is not all, Dr. Lesley Fraser (incidentally the first lady F.P. to graduate in Medicine, and one of the leaders of the pioneering group of 1980) became the first lady to propose the toast to the guests. This she did to the huge entertainment of the company and in a manner fully as acceptable as the delightful presence of the lady F.P.s itself. In other respects, the Dinner largely followed its traditional and longfavoured lines. The principal toast to "The School and the Club" was proposed by Mr. Ron McLeod, who has become one of the most popular speakers at F.P. functions in recent years. In a wide ranging speech, taking the company from the "Shakin' Briggie" to the Alps and quoting from sources as diverse as Sophocles and the cleaner in Room 6, he did not disappoint the company's high expectations of his ability to instruct and amuse them. Before commencing his reply to the toast, Mr. R. D. Gill, the Rector, drew attention to the innovative decision of the F.P. Club Executive to invite the School's Head Boy and Girl to the Annual Dinner, and Tim Rolfe and SallyAnn Hutchinson were warmly applauded by the company. Mr. Gill's report of the difficulties which the School had been facing was sympathetically received. During the teachers' dispute the School had been
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targeted, he had to assume, because of its prestige, but more disturbing than the lost days of teaching was the damage that had been done to the "hidden curriculum". All, however, was not gloom and despondency. Despite the loss of teaching time, the level of S.C.E. results had improved by between 5 and 6 per cent, and certain extramural activities had been sustained throughout the disruption: the Debating Society had continued to flourish, the popular Duke of Edinburgh Award programme had been maintained, hockey and rugby fixtures had been fulfilled, pupils had benefited from continental visits, and two pupils had been the guests of the London Centre of the Club, and had profited from the experience of visiting the capital's legal, financial, medical and commercial centres. Mr. Gill did express his concern, however, about the continuing prosperity of sporting activities within schools even after the current dispute had been settled, and urged the F.P. Club to contemplate the formation of junior teams to seek to ensure the future supply of skilled games players to the senior ranks, especially in rugby and hockey. After reporting on the major refurbishment of the School Library, Mr. Gill ended his speech by referring to two familiar School institutions. The Shanghai Clock, he reported, had lost its hands, and they would cost (1400 to replace. Were there any offers? There was a much warmer and readier response, when, on behalf of the company, he wished Mr. Ian Stephen a long and happy retirement after his devoted service to the School, spanning about thirty-eight years. In his reply to the principal toast, Mr. Doug Georgeson reported with pleasure that the Club's Sports Sections and Centres continued to thrive, and were operating well. The Club Centre, he said, was an establishment of which the Club could be justifiably proud, and it deserved greater support from local F.P.s, particularly so that it might properly perform the function of a rendezvous for F.P.s returning from furth of Aberdeen. The increasing involvement of lady F.P.s in the activities of the Club was very gratifying, and it was to be hoped that the ladies would now begin to form their own sports sections. Favourable mention has already been made of Dr. Fraser's toast to the guests, and the warm reception it was accorded. Mr. Ron Fraser replied in a manner which also amused the company. Finally, Mr. Eric Craig, as Chairman of Executive, proprosed a deserved vote of thanks to the Chairman (the President, Doug Georgeson) in a speech which displayed his customary but unparalleled ability to strike exactly the right note in addressing an F.P. audience. In summary, the 1985 Dinner confounded the adage about "new wine in old bottles". It was indeed a heady mixture of minor but significant innovation within a long-established framework, but a mixture, which, far from threatening the essential structure of the Dinner, rather strengthened it, and gave hopeful promise of securing its longterm future. The following F.P.s were present at the 1985 Annual Dinner: R. J. Aitken (1934-44), B. S. Allan (1953-58), C. C. Allan (1936-45), L. Anderson (1979-85), D. N. Annand (1938-51), M. A. Batchelor (1959-65), J. Blacklaws (1979-84), B. Brown, W. M. Brown (1933-46), A. H. Cairns (1943-56), A. G. Campbell (1959-65), A. K. Campbell (1943-53), D. Campbell (1978-83).J. R. Carry (1918-30), Miss L. S. Carson (1981-85), J. M. Clark (1947-59). Miss C. Cormack (1978-83), T. G. Coutts (1938-51), R. H. Cradock (1940-41, 1944-51), E. Craig (1934-46), B. K. Crookshanks (1934-46), I. Davidson (1980-85), J. P. Drummond (1947-58), I. M. Duguid (1938-48), F. Dunphy (1975-80), B. D. D. Emslie (1929-35),
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Miss A. Findlay (1979-85), Miss F. Forrest (1978-83), Dr. D. G. Fowlie (1950-64), Dr. L. D. Fraser (1974-80), P. Galloway, D. N. Georgeson (1929-40). Miss C. Gordon (1979-85), R. Gray (1951-65), Miss P. Gunn, (1979-85), H. A. S. Hamilton (1943-56), H. A. B. Harper (1950-57), J. F. Hendry (1951-65), A. Herrera (1979-85), A. Howie (1978-83), Miss). Ingram (1978-83), Dr. J. R. S. Innes (1923-35), J. M. Jeffrey (1942-47, 1952-57), K. Jones (1957-66). D. King (1979-84). A. J. Kinghom (1974-79), H. K. S. Kinghom (1943-56), I. Kennaway (1943-57), Prof. P. N. Love (1952-58).J. C. Lyon (1953-59), Dr. D. McAllister (1961-74), R. P. M. McIntosh (1947-53), A. M. McLaren (1926-39). I. H. McLeod (1951-55), H. McPherson (1947-53). Mrs. S. Marshall (Milne) (1979-82), G. C. Massie (1926-38), R. A. E. Mennie (1924-36), W. A. Milne (1948-53), J. D. Moir (1969-75). H. E. Morrison (1951-65), Miss M. J. Moser (1975-80), Miss S. J. Mutch (1974-79), J. Ogilvie (1944-47), C. Ritchie (1945-51), I. G. Shinnie (1918-28), C. Smith (1978-83), Miss K. Smith (1979-85), R. Smith (1978-83), Miss S. E. Smith (1974-80), T. G. Smith (1936-43). Miss M. Sutherland (1978-83), Miss A. E. Taylor (1974-80), Dr. M. G. Walker (1949-57), 1. Wallace (1978-83), D. Wallis (1979-85), D. M. Watson (1979-85), M. F. Watson (1943-56), M. S. Watson (1979-83), A. C. R. Watt (1925-37), G. F. Webster (1949-62). D. K. Yule (1951-65). D. N. Yule (1960-66), and T. Rolfe (Head Boy) and Miss S.-A. Hutchison (Head Girl).
Our President
Andrew Stephen Noble (1939-52) When the Editor asked me to write a profile of the new Club President, I replied that, of couse, I would very willingly do so, but that I felt somewhat at a disadvantage since our respective debuts in the Infants Department were separated by an interval of fifteen years. I am unable, therefore, to regale readers with tales of daring escapades in class or adventurous happenings at Scout camps in which Andrew may have been involved and which his contemporaries would recall with relish or Schadenfreude. Indeed, my only recollection of Andrew during his schooldays is of one afternoon in 1940, when on a visit to Aberdeen on Army leave I met his distinguished father, Sir Peter Noble (at that time Professor of Humanity at King's), leading him by the hand to catch the bus back to school for the afternoon session in Junior Infants A. Thirteen years later, Andrew crowned an outstanding school career when he was Dux and School Captain for 1952. He played for the 1st XV for three years, in the last of these as Captain of what he confidently asserts was the most successful team (ever?). "We won all our matches and the points scored against us hardly reached double figures." From school, Andrew went on to study for four years at St. Andrews where he gained a First Class Honours degree in Mathematics-Applied Mathematics and was Guthrie Scholar in 1956. He played rugby for the University 1st XV from 1953-55 and for the Scottish Universities XV in 1954. He went on to St. John's College Cambridge and took Part Il of the Economics Tripos in 1958, gaining a Diploma in Mathematical Statistics in 1959. While at St. Andrews, Andrew met a young Arts undergraduate from Anstruther, Margaret Rayne. They married and have three of a family, a daughter (Alison) and two sons (Michael and Peter.) They have all followed academic careers, at St. Andrews, Edinburgh and Leicester Universities respectively. Andrew left the groves of academe in 1959 to make a career in industry. His impressive qualifications found ready recognition by Imperial Chemical Industries. From 1959 for the next ten years he had a number of appointments with the Agricultural Division in the North of England and Cheshire, moving 40
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to the Head Office in London in 1969, where he was ultimately advisor and secretary to the Planning and Control Sub-Committee of the Main Board. In 1973 he left I.C.I. to join Debenhams as Corporate Planning Officer. He joined the Board in 1976 and became a Managing Director in 1979. He is a member of a number of important associations connected with the retail trade. His great knowledge of statistics and market research is reflected in his involvement with the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants, the Operational Research Society, and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications to name but a few of the Societies with which he is actively associated. Indeed I wonder how he finds time to play squash and golf on both of which he says "he is very keen". As many readers will be aware, Debenhams was taken over at the end of 1985 by Burtons despite a hard fought battle by the Board of Debenhams. Andrew did not feel that he wanted to stay on and so by a curious quirk of fate he embarks upon his Presidential year of office uncommitted to an employer but not by any means unemployed. He tells me that he is rather attracted to the idea of being self employed and being able to determine one's own work priorities. He will decide in the course of the next few months what new career he will embark upon at the age of 52. Andrew's staunch support of the London Centre began in 1969 when he moved south to London from Cheshire. His regular attendance at all the Centre's functions and meetings testifies to his great loyalty and affection for the School and the Club. He was for a number of years London Centre Secretary and served thereafter for four years as President until April 1984. Visiting guests from Aberdeen over the past years will have pleasant recollections of his hospitality at the informal lunch parties which preceded the Annual Dinners in November. It is fitting recognition, therefore, that the Club has elected as President for 1986-7 one who has had a distinguished career in scholarship and sport at School and University, and who, despite the many prior claims on the time and energies of a busy top executive, has been for sixteen years a loyal and enthusiastic member of the London Centre. R. A. E. M. (1924-36)
0
Sporting Sections Women's Hockey At last it has been achieved! Now all former pupil hockey players of the fairer sex, young and old alike, have the opportunity to continue to play for their Old School. The long awaited formation of a Women's Hockey Section of the Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' Club was approved by the Executive Committee in March this year. The Section aims primarily to further the sport of Women's Hockey and, in particular, to maintain the name of Aberdeen Grammar School in this sporting field. It also aims to provide a medium for the continuation of friendships formed during days at school with both fellow F.P.s and contemporaries from other schools. The overall intention of the Section is to combine exercise, companionship and enjoyment. It is proposed to field a 1st and 2nd Hockey XI to compete in the leagues organised by the North District Women's Hockey Association, but the achievement of this aim will depend on the amount of interest shown. Membership of the Section, is open to former pupils of all ages and abilities, school pupils in SIV, SV and SVI and, in addition, a proportion of non-former pupils. At present several fund-raising activities are being undertaken by members in order to meet the large expenditure required to establish a sports section. A publicity and recruitment campaign is also in operation. With the wealth of hockey talent which Aberdeen Grammar School has produced previously and will doubtless continue to provide in the future, the success of the F.P. Women's Hockey Section should be assured. A cordial invitation to participate is extended to all interested persons. Further information can be obtained by contacting either the President, Carol Cormack, 9 Harcourt Road, Aberdeen (319479) or the Secretary, Lesley Carson, 116 Ashgrove Road West, Aberdeen (681810). Cricket The following officials have been elected for 1986: 1st XI Captain J. M. Eagles; Lit XI Vice-Captain J. D. Moir; 2nd X1 Captain I. S. Hopkin; 3rd XI Captain 1. Davidson; Fixtures Secretary J. D. Moir; Team Secretary P. A. Redhead; Secretary D. A. Harley; Treasurer J. D. Moir. Strathmore X1
Ordinary is the only possible way to characterise the 1985 season for the Section's 1st XI. Despite ending up third in the league and thus maintaining a long run of relative success, the summer's appalling weather meant that only half of all the competitive fixtures could be fulfilled. Perhaps as a consequence of the lack of continuity, there were few outstanding individual performances which will live in the memory, in sharp contrast to previous years. Englishman Nick Johnson opened his one year term of captaincy on 5 May at Montrose, but the resulting lack-lustre draw against technically inferior opposition epitomised much of what was to follow. Not that there was much to follow, for the weather claimed at least one weekend in June, July and August, and also cut short several other matches with F.P.s in a strong position. Two victory highlights, however, came with the almost inevitable "double" over our old chums across the road at Seafield. Firstly, a fine team display 42
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scuttled Gordonians out for 93 at Rubislaw, a target reached in 25 overs. Veteran pace-bowler Frank Robertson returned to the Gordonians side a month later to add some venom to a traditionally soft attack, but the Gordonians batting had already crumbled to 79 all out, more than half of that score coming from opener Ian Rettie. Robertson took five wickets and an upset looked possible, but Peter Redhead emulated his opposite number and steered F.P.s home with a solid 45. One other enjoyable win saw our less close friends from Mannofield beaten off the final ball, with rugby F.P. Mike Smith the unfortunate bowler for the Shire second string. It was the final match of the season, played at Mannofield on 8 September. F.P.s with all four bowlers successful, had restricted a powerful county second XI to 143 for 9 in their allotted avers. The Rubislaw assault on that total was led by schoolboy Patrick Begg, an all rounder for the future, who made 35, and with everyone chipping in, bowler Alan Redhead smashed Mike Smith for a four to clinch 20 points with nothing to spare. The final tally for 1985 read: Played 12, Won 7, Drawn 3, Lost 2. John Eagles, skipper elect for the current session, topped both batting and bowling averages for the year, and the wily old bird was duly elected captain to replace the southbound Johnson. Jerry Moir had a disappointing season by his own admission, but carries on as vice-skipper and will be as dangerous as ever if motivated. Among the batsmen, only Eagles and Peter Redhead played consistently to anything like their potential, although there were occasional contributions of a sizeable nature from Robin Howe and Neil Armour. Alan Redhead, likely to be an absentee from the present side, worked hard on his bowling last year and reaped the benefits with a greatly improved average. Chris Brandon, Richard Ferro, newcomer Roger Witcomb and Ian Souter all provided useful wickets, but the 1st XI are still short of truly penetrating bowlers. Fielding, too, is an area where an increased practice rate or deftly concealed adhesive patches on one or two hands would make the batmen's job easier. On then, to 1986, with a familiar nucleus requiring a few more capable bodies to mount a championship challenge. And please, powers that be, let us have a dryish summer . . . . Grade X1 Season 1985 will be primarily remembered for the horrendous weather which prevailed for much of the so-called summer and which caused no fewer than fourteen games to be postoned or abandoned: since all of those had to be replayed, considerable problems of administration resulted. Ironically, the finest weather was reserved for our final fixture, on 29 September at Sheddocksley of all places. Our record for the season, Played 17, Won 6, Drawn 5, Lost 6 (one match was left outstanding since it had no bearing on promotion or relegation), and our final position of fifth in Grade II disguises the fact that we entered the last weekend of September as one of six clubs still in danger of relegation along with the already doomed Bon Accord. In the event two convincing wins over Lads' Club and Anchorians rocketed us from ninth place to the top half of the table and consigned Fraserburgh to Grade III in 1986. The Grade XI's main problem was availability of players. The period of greatest availability unfortunately fell during the worst of the weather, only one game being completed between 8 June and 10 August; three other fixtures commenced, only to be abandoned when we were clearly in command. Two creditable victories over Balmoral were achieved in May. while the highlight of the season was probably Harry Salter's innings of 96 not out at Rubislaw on 13 July in a
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three-wicket win against Anchorians achieved from a seemingly hopeless position. The best partnership of the season was between Robin Howe (a career-best 88) and Peter Redhead (69') at Fraserburgh on 1 June. Our batting tended to be erratic. Ian Hopkin and David Robertson played some typical innings in their contrasting styles, and Roland Knudson was particularly effective in our two matches against St. Ronald. Skipper John Fraser often batted interminably. sometimes in rearguard actions such as his 32 not out at Crathie and his 17 not out in a total of 53 all out against Lads Club at Woodside. Patrick Begg looked impressive, but seldom fulfilled his potential, and Doug Smith also disappointed his fans after his outstanding season in 1984. Ally MacLean finished as top wicket-taker, although his aggregate of 24 wickets was slightly disappointing. Brian Proctor found the wet pitches unhelpful to his spin bowling and suffered even more than usual from dropped catches, although on three occasions he took 5 wickets in an innings, Lawrence Anderson's figures did not flatter him and he was also unlucky with injury; his accuracy and competitiveness arc bound to pay dividends eventually. A number of new recruits performed promisingly, if not regularly, notably Roger Whitcombe, John Gorringe and Feroze Variaga; we hope to hear more of them in 1986. The various trophies were won by John Fraser (Proctor Batting Cup for highest aggregate). Ally MacLean (Hopkin Bowling Cup for most wickets) and Harry Salter (AllRound Trophy). Reserve Grade XI As a result of the adverse weather conditions throughout the summer of 1985. only six matches were played in all. Of these, two were won, three lost and one drawn, with Grammar finishing about middle position in Reserve Grade Division II. The season opened with a fine win over Stoneywood at Rubislaw, when the experienced Ian Souter led the batting with a sturdy 47. Schoolboy Grant Milne was in top form that day, skittling out seven of the opposition batsmen for 32 runs, to secure victory for F.P.s. Our only other triumph was the final match of the season against Lads' Club at Woodside. Accurate bowling by Simon Kirton (5 for 16) and Gavin Milne (3 for 2), backed up by some acrobatic fielding, reduced our opponents to the meagre total of 19 all out. An earlier encounter with Lads' Club at Sheddocksley saw Grammar firmly in the driving seat at 107 for 2, when rain prevented any further play. Graeme Davie, with a swashbuckling 73 not out, was looking well on the way to a maiden century at the close. The captain topped the batting averages for the second year running, but it was perhaps a measure of the overall weakness of our batting that no player scored more than 50 runs in total during the season. The team's bowling attack was spearheaded by Simon Kirton (9 wickets) and Grant Milne (8 wickets). Gavin Milne also made his mark, notching up seven victims at very low cost. Fielding was in general below par, but Simon Kirton and Scott Munro produced a number of impressive catches. The side is still on the lookout for a consistent wicketkeeper. The team was somewhat lacking in commitment both on and off the field during the season, but it is hoped that a more favourable summer coupled with a regular pool of players will produce the sort of results necessary to make a serious challenge for the League title.
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Curling This year's play ended in a triumphant double for Douglas Mitchell who has won both the F.P. Club League and Knock-out Cup this season with able help from his supporting players gleaned from a squad composed of Colin Allan, Jim Andrews, Alan Gray, Roy Hudghton and Jim Leask. The League was hard fought and was only resolved in the last four games with the rinks of Dick Cradock and Donald Mackie being in close contention right up to the end. The Knock-out Cup had Doug's rink facing the strength of the Fraser Webster rink in the final. Fraser also skipped a rink in the "North East Province League" of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, and managed to achieve third place. This series of games and the whole year's play were marred by the very tragic and untimely death of Robin Craig who, with his laconic, acid wit, will be sadly missed on the ice. The seventh Annual Dinner was held in the Cults Hotel on Saturday 27 April 1985 with the current president Donald Mackie in the chair but, in accordance with tradition, prohibited from making any speeches. The evening was enjoyed by all the members present, if appearances are to be believed. Despite changes of personnel, numbers remain at about forty with capacity for more beginners or experienced curlers who may wish to join us. The Section is in great heart, and members look forward to the new season in the hope that it will be as friendly and enjoyable as the last.
Golf Last year's wet summer played havoc with the Golf Section's fixture list. Three outings had to be cancelled and we were unable to have our annual matches against Gordonians for the H.A.R. and Challenge Trophies because of the adverse weather conditions. We had outings at Braemar in June, Huntly in July and Brechin in August, and subscriptions were paid by 30 members. We entered the Queen Elizabeth Coronation Schools Tournament held at Barnton in Edinburgh in September but we scratched from the Tournament due to the tragic death of team member Robin Craig days before the start of the Competition. The Annual Dinner was held at the Atholl Hotel, a new venue for the function, and the speakers were). A. G. Mearns, I. F. Creswell (the Captain), A. K. Campbell and J. L. Parslow. A Kissogram Girl was organised to interrupt the Captain's speech, an event which was televised by B.B.C. in their Children in Need programme. Because of the Section's relative inactivity during the year it was decided that Ian Creswell and Keith Campbell remain Captain and Vice-Captain respectively with Peter Robertson continuing as Secretary/Treasurer.
Rugby After the success of season 1984-85 when the 1st XV was pushing for promotion for much of the time and the 2nd XV won the Midlands 2nd XV League, hopes were high in September that session 1985-86 would be even more successful. Unfortunately this has not proved to be the case. The 1st XV struggled through their pre-championship games in September and then lost 6 out of 8 championship matches in the autumn. Excuses can always be produced such as a crop of injuries, but all clubs suffer from these and it must be stated that the performances against Hutcheson's G.S.F.P., Edinburgh University, and Madras were very disappointing indeed. At the turn of the year things looked very black indeed and the prospect of relegation loomed ominously. However, after some encouraging results in December and
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the return of several injured players, a new air of confidence seemed to run through the team. This was very much due to the enthusiasm of captain Alan Mekie and coach Brian Clark, neither of whom had allowed themselves to be upset by the run of defeats. An unlucky defeat by Highland at Inverness was followed by three successive wins against Kirkcaldy away, Cambuslang and Dalziel at home, and also a win by 20-6 over Gordonians in a friendly(!) match. During this period the team showed tremendous character. Against Kirkcaldy (who had cleared their pitch of 3 inches of snow) the match was won in the last minute by a push-over try after trailing for the whole game. Against Cambuslang and Dalziel at Rubislaw, playing uphill and against strong winds in the second half they not only held on to very small leads by magnificent defence but showed the discipline not to give away one kickable penalty. These last results kept the club in Division 3 for another season. The 2nd XV had a moderate season. They started off well but faded, but they also managed to defeat Gordonians for the first time for many seasons. A little more attention to training by the players might have helped. The 3rd XV had a very successful season clinching the Aberdeen and District League in the final game against Huntly. The competition in this league is very high and the team's championship achievement was an excellent performance. Unfortunately a narrow defeat by 3rd Gordonians when the side was under strength eliminated them from the new League Cup. 3rd Gordonians had been beaten in the League. A 4th XV turned out on a few occasions but there were barely enough players to support this side when the Club was suffering from injuries, and unfortunately a number of players had to do without their games and lost interest. This was very sad. No player was chosen for the North-Midlands XV but M. Smith, D. Hay and A. Wilson were chosen for the successful North-Midlands under 21 team. The Kyle excursion was run again in August, but was not quite as successful financially as usual. Readers in Aberdeen and District who have never experienced this unique trip are asked to support next year's venture which will probably take place on Saturday 23 August 1986. The 1985-86 team records were as follows: P W L D 1st XV 24 12 12 0 2nd XV 20 11 9 0 3rd XV 16 13 3 0 In addition, however, the Section achieved notable success somewhat late in the season, when on Saturday 12 April two teams brought back a trophy to the Club Centre. The principal achievement was the winning of the Lauder Cup, the Highland "sevens" trophy, which F.P.s last won in the 1950s, but it was also highly creditable that the Section's "second" seven-a-side team won the Mackie "sevens" in Stonehaven on the same day. It is to be hoped that next season will begin on the same high note as that on which the past season ended.
Hockey The Hockey Section remains in good heart despite a fairly disappointing season caused to some extent by the adverse weather conditions which resulted in many cancellations and meant that teams were frequently short of regular match practice. The 1st XI under the captaincy of Barry Scott for the major part of the season has been fielding a very young side, whose lack of experience has
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sometimes been evident, but youth and inexperience are all matters which will become less important if the side is able to remain a settled one for future seasons. The team was unfortunate to lose Graham Davie owing to a serious hand injury early in the season and is now fighting to avoid relegation from National League Division I. Robin Howe has attained full Scottish honours as a goalkeeper. and Graham Davie, having been in the full National Squad, would probably have obtained honours had he not been injured. Chris Howie and Alan Campbell, two of the younger members of the side, arc also to be congratulated on their selection for the Scottish Under 21 side. The 2nd XI, under the captaincy of Brian Cockburn, are faring reasonably well in District League Division I, but have no League Championship aspirations this season. In the District Cup they had two good wins against Forfar and Inverleith A before falling to the relatively unknown Penicuik. The 3rd XI captained by Ben Johnston have not been able to maintain their performance of last season, and, although they remain in District League Division I, expect to end up about the middle of the League. In common with most of the other lower XIs, they have had difficulty in maintaining a settled team throughout the season and this has been reflected in the results. The 4th XI, captained by Tom Fraser have performed disappointingly in District League Division II, and are now locked in a relegation battle with RAF Kinloss for the drop to District League Division III. The 4th XI, however, does have a reputation for playing better in the second half of the season and it is to be hoped that they can pull out the stops and retain their District League Division II status. In the Reserve Cup they went out in the first round narrowly beaten by Hazlehead "B", but this was no disgrace in view of the fact that Hazlehead subsequently made it to the final. The fact that there are schoolboys coming up to play for the Section even at this level augurs well for the future. One bright spot on the horizon is the excellent performance by Grammarians both in District League Division II and in the Reserve Cup where they just failed to make it to the quarter-finals. They are in a strong position to win promotion to District League Division I next season under the captaincy of Peter Donald. Lack of experience of course has never been a problem with Grammarians! The continued support from L & C Estates Limited by way of sponsorship has to be gratefully acknowledged by the Section. Thanks to L & C's generous support the cost of hockey to section members can be kept within reasonable bounds. Not content with relying upon sponsorship money, the Section is mounting a major, fund-raising event of its own in the close season by organising a party to attend the "world premiere" of the Scotland The What show at His Majesty's Theatre on 23 June. Finally, the Section was very happy to be asked to assist in the formation of a women's hockey section, which has now been formed officially and about which there will no doubt be other information contained in this Magazine. The "men's" section (as I suppose we will now have to be called) offers congratulations to the women's section upon their formation and wishes them well for the future.
Centre Reports Club Centre The Club continues to trade adequately although an increase in membership and consequent income would be welcomed. The year saw the repayment of the major loan taken out when the Club started in 1969 and it also saw the appointment of Richard Mackie as Assistant Steward. This appointment has been welcomed and Richard Mackie has already, in a few months, shown great commitment to his task, not only in the capacity of Assistant Steward but also in how he has taken on board all aspects of catering within the Club. The catering facilities, although limited, are quite excellent and members are encouraged to sample what is available. Richard Mackie is keen to develop this aspect of the Club's affairs and would welcome bookings for all kinds of functions. Members were particularly pleased when Bill Mackie, our Steward, returned after illness and he continues to oversee all aspects of the Club's running in a most acceptable fashion. The Centre boasts a wide variety of facilities to accommodate most if not all, tastes and readers of the Magazine, who do not frequent the Club, are urged to take the opportunity to make use what is provided. The Club Centre continues to foster great fellowship involving those of young years—at the annual fireworks party, through the School St. Valentine's Disco, the School leavers' night and beyond to the recently formed petanque section in the Club grounds. In addition the Club provides a meeting and eating place for members and their families, for parties small and large and excellent hospitality to visiting sporting sides in rugby, hockey, cricket, curling and golf. Regular barbecues are held during the summer months and in the winter season events like the Burns lunch are very popular. A Club is only as strong as its membership and in the years since inception the strength has certainly been present, but there is always room for the addition of new members, and readers are encouraged, to avail themselves of the excellent facilities at 86 Queen's Road. If you are not already a member there is an application form enclosed in this Magazine. The Committee is always receptive to ideas for the further improvement of the premises or for the expansion of the facilities, and suggestions are welcomed.
Edinburgh The Centre held its Annual Dinner on Friday, 14 February 1986 in the newly refurbished Carlton Highland Hotel, Edinburgh, when President, W. Morrison Brown welcomed a record attendance of one hundred and two members and guests including Douglas N. Georgeson, President of the Parent Club, Robert D. Gill, The Rector, Eric Craig, Chairman of the Parent Club Executive and lain Rennie, representing Edinburgh Gordonians. It was particularly pleasing that the company included seventy-seven F.P.s showing that the Centre is in excellent heart. As usual, the Annual General Meeting of the Centre was held during the Dinner and in the usual speedy fashion our President was re-elected for his seventh year in office and David L. Cowie and Nigel G. M. Watt were re-elected Vice-President and Hon. Secretary respectively. New committee members are David G. Kilgour and Ronald G. C. Smith (most unfortunate initials !). Dr Eric H. Cruickshank former Captain of both the Cricket and Rugby Sections of the Club and an immediate past President of London Scottish R.F.C. proposed the principal toast of "The School and the Club" and replies were made by the Rector and the Parent Club President. It was noted that this would be the last Edinburgh Centre Dinner that the Rector would attend in an 48
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official capacity and the Centre President wished him a happy retirement and thanked him sincerely for his regular attendance over the years. The Toast of "The Guests" was proposed by Eric Craig and the Rev. Thomas C. Cuthell replied. In early May at Killermont in Glasgow the Centre defeated the Glasgow Centre by four matches to nil in their annual challenge match. This year's match will take place at Bruntsfield in May. The annual golf outing was held at Bruntsfield in August and the Trophy was won by Derek Reekie with a Stableford score of thirty-seven points. Fifteen members participated and an excellent high tea was taken in the Clubhouse afterwards. A Cheese and Wine Party was again held in the Caledonian Club in November with twenty-four F.P.s, wives and guests attending. This is a most pleasant informal evening and all members of the Edinburgh Centre are encouraged to attend. Next year's Dinner will be held in the Carlton Highland Hotel on Friday 20 March 1987, the eve of the Scotland v Wales Rugby International at Murrayfield. Any reader who has recently come to the Edinburgh area and has not received any communication from the Secretary is invited to contact him at 11 Athol! Crescent, Edinburgh (031 229 8851). The following F.P.s attended the Annual Dinner: C. C. Allan (1936-45). A. M. Beattie (1944-57). F. C. B. Black (1914-17), Dr. N. M. Borthwick (1952-65), D. A. Brittain (1943-49), W. M. Brown (1933-46), E. G. Byiers (1963-69), A. H. Cairns (1943-56), J. P. Cairns (1943-57), N. A. Cameron (1961-67), A. K. Campbell (1944-53). A. M. Campbell (1916-27), Miss L. S. Carson (1981-85), T. G. Coutts (1938-51), D. L. Cowie (1942-44), J. W. Cradock (1941-46), R. H. Cradock (1940-41, 44-51), E. Craig (1934-46), B. K. Crookshanks (1934-46), G. K. Crookshanks (1980-85), Dr. E. H. Cruickshank (1940-49), W. G. Downs (1950-63), J. P. Drummond (1947-58), I. M. Duguid (1938-43), F. Dunphy (1975-80), B. D. D. Emslie (1929-35). D. J. Fettes (1953-59), J. S. Fowlie (1935-42), J. E. Fraser (1936-49), Dr. L. D. Fraser (1974-80). D. N. Georgeson (1929-40), M. G. H. Gibb (1942 -46), R. D. Gill (Rector), H. A. S. Hamilton (1943-56), J. F. Hendry (1951-65), H. D. Jamieson (1921-34), L. G. Johnston (1932-45). Dr. N. R. Johnston (1943-53), D. G. Kilgour (1938-50). A. J. Kinghom (1974-79). Rev. Dr. J. F. Kirk (1937-47). Prof. P. N. Love (1952-58), J. C. Lyon (1953-59), Dr. D. McAllister (1961-74), A. M. McLaren (1926 -39). R. MacLeod (Staff), R. McPherson (1946-52), Miss M. Macrae-Gibson (1977-82), K. I. Masson (1959-72). N. I. W. Meldrum (1925-37), J. D. Moir (1969-75), A. J. K. Monro (1933-38, 40-46), H. E. Morrison (1951-65), W. A. Morrison Gill (1923-26), Miss M. J. Moser (1976-80), Miss S. A. Mutch (1974-79), Dr. A. E. Philip (1943-56), D. Reich (1924-35), J. B. Rennie (1947-53), R. S. Rilley (1947-55), S. A. C. Robertson (1939-51), Miss A. M. Ruxton (1977-82), Rev. G. B. C. Sangster (1928-37). R. G. C. Smith (1926-37). Miss S. E. Smith (1974-80), W. A. Steele (1945-51), D. J. Stephen (1946-52), Miss A. E. Taylor (1974-80), Dr. P. A. Walker (1946-59), W. D. D. Wallace (1946-51), D. M. Watson (1979-85), M. F. Watson (1943-56), M. S. Watson (1979-83), A. C. R. Watt (1925-37), J. A. N. Watt (1927-39), N. G. M. Watt (1963-69) and R. A. Williamson (1928-36).
Glasgow We regret that despite the high hopes of a home win, the golf match against Edinburgh at Killermont in Glasgow was a white-wash in favour of the away team.
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Due to delays in arranging a venue, the joint function with the Glasgow Centres of Gordonians and High School F.P.s was not held, but the High School F.P.s have booked Ross Priory for a Barbecue on Friday 20 June 1986 and we hope to see a good turn out. The third Annual General Meeting and Dinner was held in the Royal Scottish Automobile Club. when Andrew McLaren was elected President and the Committee of Basil Emslie, David Allan, Garry Allan and Ian Watt were re-elected as was the Secretary and Treasurer, Peter Cairns. The Principal speaker at the dinner was Jimmy Reid with replies from the Rector and the Club President Doug Georgeson. The toast to the guests was proposed by Professor Gordon S. Cowie with a reply from Jack Webster, President of the Gordonians Glasgow Centre. For the first time we were able to welcome a lady guest, Mrs. W. G. Uren. The dinner for 1986 is to be held on 7 November at a venue to be announced later. Any F.P.s not on our lists, or who are moving into the area will be made most welcome, and are encouraged to contact the Secretary, whose address appears in the list of office-bearers elsewhere in this Magazine. Members of the Glasgow Centre attending the 1985 dinner were as follows: Garry Allan, David Allan. Peter Cairns, Professor G. S. Cowie, Basil Emslie, Ian Ferguson, Mike Auld, Robert Howie, K. MacKie, R. 1. Malcolm, J. Mill, Andrew McLaren, Canon Penny, W. G. Uren. Ian Watt and Bob Williamson.
London The Annual General Meeting of the London Centre was held in the Caledonian Club in London on 17 May 1985. At this meeting, new officials of the Centre were elected as follows: President Ian Duguid, Secretary lain Reid, and Treasurer Roddy Anderson. The Centre recorded its gratitude to Andrew Noble. Robert Mennie and Douglas Robbie, the previous incumbents, for their considerable efforts which have seen the Club in London prosper in recent years. The London Centre receives a constant stream of new members and is keen to involve as many as possible in social events. The annual dinner was held also in the Caledonian Club on 8 November and attracted a large and lively attendance. We were pleased to welcome D. Georgeson as President of the Parent Club, E. Craig, the Chairman of the Executive Committee and R. Gill, the Rector of the School, as well as representatives of Gordonians, Glasgow High School and London Heriots. The presence of W. Morrison Brown, the only representative of other F.P. Centres able to attend, was much appreciated. We were honoured to have Professor Philip Love as the principal speaker of the evening, and he gave a most interesting and entertaining speech, as did the other guests from Aberdeen. The dinner was chaired, of course, by our President, Ian Duguid. The other F.P.s in the London Centre who attended the dinner, along with spouses and other guests, were the following R. S. Anderson, J. G. C. Brown, Wing Cdr. R. D. Bruce. I. M. Carry, P. N. Clarke, E. Cohen, Dr. P. M. Collier, R. H. Cradock, J. B. Davidson, E. H. Cruickshank, R. Falconer, A. D. R. Fiddes, W. W. Georgeson, I. A. Glendinning, W. Jack, D. A. Lamont, M. Lyall, C. N. Mearns, Dr. W. J. G. Meldrum, R. A. E. Mennie. S. J. Mitchell, A. Nicol, A. S. Noble, I. A. Reid, J. D. Reid, D. S. Robbie, N. K. B. Robson, Lieut. Col. R. D. L. Smarr, Dr. D. W. C. Smith. Sir lain Sutherland, I. B. Taylor, Dr. J. L. S. Thomson, M. J. Wagrel and G. S. Williams.
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The other major event of the year in the London Centre has become the visit of two sixth form pupils from the School and a separate report upon this follows. Ian Carry has not only prepared the report but has also organised the event for the last two years. The London Centre is very grateful to Ian for his smooth and efficient organisation which has been much appreciated by all involved.
London Liaison For the second year the London Centre hosted two pupils from the School in June. The purpose of the programme is to enable the pupils to visit former pupils who arc working in London, and thereby give them an "inside look" into a wide variety of jobs. Lorna Murray and Christopher Howie spent five days on visits which included retail stores, New Scotland Yard, a Harley Street clinic, Rolls Royce Motors and the financial and property world. No significance should be attached to the fact that Christopher and Lorna finished their week with a visit to the Old Bailey! It is planned to repeat the programme in 1986.
Yorkshire The annual reunion dinner of the Yorkshire Centre was held on 27 September 1985 at the Dower House Hotel, Knaresborough. The Centre President, John Alexander, gave a warm welcome to the President of the Parent Club, Doug Georgeson, to the Rector, Mr. Robert Gill, to Morrison Brown, the President of the Edinburgh F.P. Centre, and to Keith Campbell, Vice-Chairman of the Executive. As always, the Centre greatly appreciates the support it has from Aberdeen and it is a great pleasure to see F.P.s from other Centres; the presence of our guests added to the enjoyment of the evening and members were very grateful for the trouble they had taken to attend. The presence of a lady member, for the first time at a Yorkshire Centre Dinner, was noteworthy and it is hoped that this will be an encouragement to other members and a developing trend in the future! After hearing from the Rector of the latest changes in the School, in its pupils, staff and activities, and from the President with news of the Club and of its members, the proceedings were rounded off by the traditional "Birse Cup" and more reminiscences. Those present at the Dinner were: Douglas N. Georgeson (1929-40), President, of the Parent Club. Robert D. Gill, Rector, W. Morrison Brown (1933-46), President, Edinburgh Centre, A. Keith Campbell (1944-53), Vice•Chairman, Executive Committee, W. Johnstone Alexander (1931-43), President of the Centre, David R. Cormack (1963-67), William Scott Gilchrist (1929-36), Douglas McAllister (1961-74), A. Wilson McIntosh (1932-45), Mrs. Shona Marshall (1979-82). Alistair J. M. Miller (1942-55), Secretary ofthe Centre, I. Nicol Reid (1954-6311965-67), Richard F. Tyson (1944-49), James A. N. Watt (1927-39), Norman R. Wishart (1927-40), and Ian Carry from the London Centre who was able CO join the parry for the latter part of the evening. The 1986 Dinner is to be held at the Dower House Hotel, Knaresborough, on Friday, 26 September, and all members of the Club who are within reach of Knaresborough that day will be most welcome and should contact the Secretary of the Centre, Alistair J. M. Miller, 13 Wenlock Drive, Escrick, York. Telephone 0904-87-480.
It was feared that the exhaustive coverage given to distinguished former pu ils in last year's celebratory edition (following lengthy scrutiny ofthe pages ofWho's Who) wouldmake the compilation ofthis year's list difficult andthe result an anti-climax. The Editor shouldhave hadgreaterfaith in the wealth of F.P. talent! These notes include the appointment of a former pupil as Chairman-designate of I.C.I., arguably the most important industrial appointment in the UnitedKingdom. Despite their regret, F.P.s can also take pride in the obituary of a former pupil who played in the first Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfiela' ani , coincidentally, also held a senior position with It should not be assumed from the foregoing that the Notes Editor is only interested in information about chairmen of multi-national companies and sporting internationalists. As always he looks forward to, and requires, information about your life and career and invites you, after persual of this section, to complete and return the pink slip.
GaryJ. G. Allan (1963-76), u. B.. former Head Boy and All Round Trophy winner has been assumed as a partner in the Glasgow law firm of Hughes, Dowdall & Co. Gordon G. Benton (1946-50), 0 B.E., R I B.A . is senior partner of a regionally-based architectural practice in Singapore. He is a leading light in the Singapore St. Andrew's Society and is anxious to encourage commercial links between Scotland and Singapore. He is at present collecting information for a book he plans to write on the Scots' influence in the development of Singapore since its foundation as a commercial centre by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. He indicates that, from the start, Scots were to the fore, and that now more than sixty Scottish companies, including a number with connections with the North-East of Scotland, operate in Singapore. Stuart A. Beveridge (1971-72) has been appointed manager of a new division of Carronhall Engineering, Stonehaven, concerned with shot-blasting and protective coatings for the offshore oil industry. A graduate of R.G.I.T. Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in quantity surveying, he has been in the corrosion-control industry for the past seven years. R. Halsey G. Bradford (1951-65), B Sc. is a Data Processing Director in the Manufacturer's Life Insurance Co. of Toronto where he is responsible for providing analytical and programming services to the Company's Canadian pension operation. He comments to those who remember him as a rugby player, that he is now a referee with about the same level of incompetence as in his playing days. He has provided the information contained in this Magazine about a number of F.P.s now based in Canada and, accordingly, actions of defamation arising therefrom should be directed to him. Raymond Brown (1962-68) has been installed as president of Junior Chamber Aberdeen for 1986-87. He has been secretary of Junior Chamber, a convener of its business affairs committee and project manager of their Champion Street competition (a schoolboy football contest). He is a partner in an Aberdeen contract cleaning company, Carefree Cleaning. 52
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Colin F. Caie (1959-65), M.A., is an Assistant Vice-President with the Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. of Toronto. He is responsible for providing strategic direction to the company in the ever-increasing turmoil of the financial services industry. To all who remember him as Aberdeen's premier moaner, little has changed (see R.G.H.B. above). Leslie T. Carnegie (1925-38), C.B.E., BL.. retired as Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council in August 1985 on reaching the statutory retiral age and completing forty-six years of local government service. After leaving school he studied law at Aberdeen University, graduating as a Bachelor of Law and enrolled as a solicitor. Specialising in local government law and administration he served his apprenticeship with the Town Clerk of Aberdeen before spending six years with East Lothian County Council, where he became Depute County Clerk. At the age of 33 he was appointed County Clerk of Dumfries, a position he held for twenty-one years until, on the reorganisation of local government, some ten years ago, he was appointed Regional Chief Executive. He received the C.B. E. in the 1980 Birthday Honours List and is an Honorary Sheriff and Justice of the Peace. He is also Clerk to the Dumfries Lieutenancy. His wartime service was mainly in North Africa and the Middle East. Michael Clark (1974-75), continues to astound the world of Dance as the enfant terrible of British choreography. The following are extracts from a review in The Times of his latest production: "Where Clark differs from them (other choreographers) is that they all kept their ballets and their light entertainments separate. Clark mixes them into one production. This latest and most extreme example, Our caca phoney H., had at least as much dancing in it as any long one-act ballet. Very good dancing it is, too, swift, daring, original, imaginatively contrived and brilliantly executed. . . . Humour, not always of the subtlest genre, is a large element in the production as a whole—but the company is dancing more boldly and brightly than ever." He appeared at his Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen with his own company in 1985—the first time he had danced there since a childhood performance in
The Nutcracker. Charles M. G. Cormack (1957-63), retired at the end of the 1985 season from umpiring senior cricket matches. During a career spanning 25 years he stood in over 1200 matches, including 150 Scottish County matches, and umpired matches involving over 100 English County players and more that 70 Test match players. Charlie enjoyed a short playing career with F.P.s from 1958-60 before a hand injury led to his taking up umpiring Strathmore Union matches for the Rubislaw side the following year, aged 16. During the mid-60s he started umpiring Aberdeenshire friendly matches and was appointed as a Scottish County umpire in 1969. In 1974 Charlie qualified as a coach, and three years later on passing the umpires' exam he won the coveted Sims Award for the best oral and written results worldwide. He travelled to London to receive the award in the Long Room at Lords. Charlie umpired a total of seven internationals, starting with Wales in 1976, and saw Scotland take on Denmark, New Zealand, West Indies, M.C.C., Surrey, Worcester and Kent. Among the famous names to appear in matches umpired by Charlie are West Indies quartet Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Viv Richards and Malcolm Marshall, New Zealand all-rounder Richard Hadlee and ex-England wicketkeeper Alan Knott. Due to a recurring leg problem, Charlie decided to hang up his white cap and coat at the close of the 1985 season, but he hopes that he will still be able to assist the game in some capacity relating to umpiring. To mark the occasion
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
of his retirement a match between an Aberdeenshire Select and a 40 Club side was held at Mannofield at the end of the 1985 season with many well-known figures from Scottish cricket taking part. Margery Courts (1975-81), was Captain of the Scottish 'B' Team in the women's hockey international tournament at Old Trafford, Manchester in February 1986. Lawson D. Davidson (1934-40), M.B.. ChB.. retired in February 1986. He graduated in Medicine at Aberdeen University in 1945 and then spent two years in the R.A.F., after which he joined the children's hospital and thoracic unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as an anaesthetist. He was President of the North-East of Scotland Society of Anaesthetists in 1966 and Scottish President in 1979. From 1970 to 1978 he was warden of St. John's Nursing Home in Aberdeen. William J. Dewar (1959-65), has been appointed Assistant Manager of the Banchory branch of the Clydesdale Bank. He has been with the Clydesdale Bank for 20 years and is also Secretary of Junior Chamber, Aberdeen. Scin, Ldr. Geoffrey Andrew Douglas (1960-65), Ch.B graduated in Medicine at Aberdeen University in 1971 and after two years at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary doing pre-registration house posts and a senior house officer (anaesthetics) post, moved to Somerset with the R.A.F. as a Station Medical Officer. He was then posted to Germany initially as medical officer at Rheindahlen, later as anaesthetist at R.A.F. Hospital Wegberg. He obtained the Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists (Royal College of Surgeons of England) in 1978 and returned to the U.K. that year firstly to Princess Mary's R.A.F. Hospital Halton in Bucks and then to Freuchay Hospital, Bristol. In 1981 he was appointed Consultant in Anaesthetics Royal Air Force, detached to the Falkland Island 1983 (see the June 1985 Magazine for an award he received for skill and dedication) and thereafter posted to R.A.F. Hospital Ely, Cambs as Consultant in charge of the anaesthetic department, and has now taken up that post at Halton. He reports that the posting to the Falklands was memorable for many reasons, but particularly the reunion with an F.P. of the same year, Michael Smith (1960-66), both of them veterans of the school orchestra (French horn and violin respectively) and of the very first School visit to Regensburg. Many recollections were exchanged in the unique surroundings of Government House, Port Stanley. He further reports that he met another former classmate Alan Wallace (1957-66) at a meeting in Leicester of the Association of Anaesthetists. A fellow anaesthetist, he is based in Australia. Stewart Duff (1923-34), M.B., Ch.B., has been retired since 1982 and is living in Grimsby. He graduated in Medicine at Aberdeen University in 1939 followed by a year's experience at Woolmanhill and Foresterhill in Aberdeen. He then served for more than five years as a medical officer in the R.A.F. In 1949 he moved to Grimsby and was in general practice there until retirement. Ian M. Duguid (1938-43), M D . M.B.. Ch.B., FR.C.S., D.O.. is senior ophthalmic surgeon at Westminster and Charing Cross Hospitals and at Moorfields Eye Hospital. High Holborn, London. Earlier this year he was awarded the "Ordre National de Merite" for his services to French ophthalmology. This top French award was presented to him in London by the Scientific Counsellor at the French Embassy. His professional association with France began in 1955 when he was awarded a scholarship by the Medical Research Council for a year's study in Paris. Mr. Duvid was one of a number of experts whose work on parasitic eye infection was internationally recognised
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Austin Hunter (1965-71) has returned to Aberdeen to rake over as Manager of TSB Scotland's Union Terrace Branch. He was previously Executive Officer Mortgages (East) with TSB's Meadowside Branch in Dundee. John R. Inglis (1957-66), B.Sc., Ph.D.. is currently managing editor of Elsevier Publications, Cambridge with special responsibility for the monthly review and current affairs journals, Immunology Today. Parasitology Today and Pharmacy International. He is also a freelance journalist, writing on biomedical science for The Guardian and New Scientist. Keith A. Jamieson (1981-82), a third-year student at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen, had one of his drawings accepted for hanging at the 1985 Royal Academy summer exhibition. It is believed that this is the first time that work by one of the Scott Sutherland School's architectural students has been selected for this honour. Andrew T. Laing (1968-74) was appointed in 1985 as Sub-Leader of the BBC Radio Orchestra in London. In November 1985 he returned to Aberdeen to give a violin recital at the Cowdray Hall. John W. Lamont (1961-74), B.Sc.(Eng.), M.I.C.E., graduated with an honours degree in engineering at Aberdeen University in 1978 and then worked in London with Kellog International Corporation as a petrochemical construction engineer. Since then he has worked in the Transportation Engineering Division of W. S. Atkins & Partners as a bridge design engineer. They are one of the largest engineering consultants in the U.K. and amongst the projects he has been involved with are the M25, the London Docklands Light Railway and a new section of the M20. Whilst at school he developed an interest in running, which he has now resumed with a best time for the marathon of 2 hours 23 minutes. He has represented Middlesex on several occasions with his best performance being twelfth in the Inter-Counties 20 Mile Championship in 1983. During a holiday in Aberdeen in 1985 he won a race from Braemar [o Aviemore through the Lairig Ghru in a time of 3 hours 45 minutes. Norman Law (1962-67) was elected to membership of the Stock Exchange at the end of 1985, becoming the first new member in Aberdeen since 1978. He has been with Parsons & Co., Stockbrokers in Aberdeen, since leaving School. Professor Philip N. Love (1952-58), C.B.E., M.A., LL.B., to whom unflattering but not kindly reference is made in Jim Andrews' article on Golden Oldies rugby earlier in this Magazine, has been appointed one of the three VicePrincipals of the University of Aberdeen. The University's Senior VicePrincipal is Professor Roy D. Weir (1932-44), M.D.. D.P.H., F.F.C.M.. F.R.C.P., of the Department of Community Medicine, Professor Love was, at the beginning of 1986, appointed a part-time member of the Scottish Law Commission. A former President of the Law Society of Scotland, he is Professor of Conveyancing and Professional Practice of Law at Aberdeen University and a consultant with the Aberdeen firm of Campbell Connon & Co., Solicitors. Douglas McAllister (1961-74), B.Sc(Eng.) Ph.D.. a former Head Boy, has transferred within the I.C.I. Plastics Division, and is now based at Darwen in Lancashire. He is a regular at the Yorkshire Dinner. Alexander Edward Mcilwain (1945-51), C.B.E., M.A., II.B , S.S.C.. former President of the Law Society of Scotland, and senior partner in the Hamilton law firm of Leonards, is the first elected chairman of the Legal Aid Central Committee for Scotland. He was unanimously elected to office at the end of 1985 by the sixteen-member committee, who arc responsible for the administration of legal aid in Scotland. Eric B. MacKay (1930-40), M.A., the eleventh editor of The Scotsman in its
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168 years' history retired at the end of November 1985 after thirteen years in the Editor's chair. He has earned for himself a reputation not just as a survivor (which is always a matter for respect in the footloose world of newspapers) but also as a considerable figure in the landscape of British journalists. His reputation as a journalist of courage, integrity and some daring was acquired by his regarding The Scotsman as a person and as a servant of its community. He was prepared to take commercial risks and did so in launching the colour magazine seven years ago, but it paid off and contributed to a thirty per cent increase in the paper's circulation under his editorship. He was always keen to identify and foster young journalistic talent and among his protégés is Harry Reid (1952-61), now Deputy Editor of the Glasgow Herald. Doug McKenzie (1960-66), B.&.. was appointed, in January 1986, to the new post of Development Officer (Multiple Deprivation) for Grampian Regional Council in Aberdeen. His function is to develop a comprehensive strategy to tackle deprivation in Grampian Region, reviewing the Council's services to designated areas and co-ordinating the use of urban programme funding. On leaving School he worked locally until 1968 and then went to London where he worked in computing. He also worked in Edinburgh where he took a degree in social sciences. In 1975 he returned to Aberdeen and went to sea on anchor handling tugs, serving the Frigg Field. From 1977 until 1979 he returned to computing with the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board and then took a post-graduate course in community work at Aberdeen College of Education. From 1980 to 1982 he was a community education worker in the Seaton area of Aberdeen and from 1982 to 1985 was consultant and adviser to various projects in Aberdeen and Suffolk. He retired from playing hockey after his University days and reveals that his consuming passion now is salmon fishing, although, while in Suffolk, he took to duck shooting as a substitute but felt he was always on the duck's side! Neil Mackie (1963-66) one of Britain's leading tenors made his New York debut in November, 1985 singing in the American premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies' The Lighthouse. He is to be recording with Sir David Wilcocks and is due to perform Brittcn's Spring Symphony at the 1986 Aldeburgh Festival. Ian A. S. MacPhail (1933-40), who has made an important contribution to wildlife conservation, and who has held senior positions with the World Wildlife Fund, was the subject of a letter in The Times in March 1986, from the President of the Peruvian Geological Society. In his eulogy the President paid tribute to Ian MacPhail and the World Wildlife Fund for their help in saving the vicuna from extinction—"this gentle member of the cameloid family lives in the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. It produces the finest wool in the world, but unfortunately its golden fleece makes it an attractive prey to the poacher. Acting on Ian MacPhail's advice, reserves were established, guard-posts were constructed and what followed is one of the greatest conservation success stories in the last fifty years. The vicuna population in Peru was increased to 100,000 and total population within the habitat range is now something like 140,000. It is hoped that in the not too distant future cloth woven from sheared live vicuna bearing proper identification marks will be legally on sale on the luxury markets of Europe, thus benefiting both the vicuna and the local peasant." Last year the President of Peru conferred the highest Peruvian honour—the Orden del Sol del Peru—on Ian MacPhail for his services to conservation in Peru over the past twenty-three years. He is the first naturalist ever to receive it.
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Peter G. M. MacPhee (1929-41) retired at the end of October 1985 as Production Director at Readers Digest after 30 years with the magazine. Prior to that he spent 5 years at Amalgamated Press. In his retirement he proposes to ' play golf and do some gardening, reading and travelling". He is a former office bearer in the London Centre of the Club. Alex N. Main (1954-60), M.A., Ph.D., F.I.T.D., E.R.S.A., is at present Adviser on Educational Methods to the University of Strathclyde. Amongst his responsibilities are the co-ordination of academic staff training at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde, and the provision of study counselling to undergraduate and postgraduate students. He is released on a part-time basis to act as Educational Adviser to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and has been centrally involved in the re-design of both recruit and C.I.D. training since 1979. He is at present leading a team in the revision of development and management training for police officers. Dr Main is an Honorary Lecturer in Education at the University of Glasgow, and Visiting Fellow at Murdoch University, Western Australia. He was formerly training co-ordinating officer to the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals. Shona Marshall (nee Milne) (1979-82) was one of five women to make up the first Scottish Ladies Down-the-Line Clay Pigeon Team in 1985; she also became Scottish Ladies Champion in that discipline. Now living in North Yorkshire, Shona is married and gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in November 1984. She was the first lady former pupil to join the company at the Yorkshire Dinner with her attendance in 1985. Aileen Masson (1975-81), M.A., graduated with honours in Psychology at Aberdeen University in July, 1985 and is currently taking a post-graduate secretarial course at Aberdeen College of Commerce. Her sporting activities include being Captain of the F.P. Netball team between 1983 and 1985 and Captain of the University Netball team in session 1984-85. Keith I. Masson (1959-72) has been appointed area sales executive by a data-communication company, Timeplex. He was previously with Motorola Information Systems. He lives in Edinburgh where he is well known in sporting circles as player/manager of Meadowbank Thistle Football Club. Robert A. E. Mennic (1924-36), M.A., F.Inst. Pet., Club President in 1976 / 77, is currently President of the Aberdeen University Club in London. In October 1985 he presented to the Aberdeen University Librarian Minute Books documenting the 101-year history of the University's London Graduates' Club. This presentation fulfilled the century-old wish expressed by the Club's Committee that the records of their meetings and dinners should be preserved for posterity in the library of their alma mater. Charles A. Michie (1946-60) has been appointed a member of the Scottish Regional Committee of the chemists' supply co-operative, UniChem. He is a partner in his family-owned business, a director of a consortium-run health centre/pharmacy and of two other businesses, a field sports outfitters and perfume manufacturers, Ingasetter, in Banchory. He has been involved with UniChem for twenty years. They supply medicine and toiletries from eleven warehouses to 5000 members' shops in Scotland, England and Wales. Forbes M. Mitchell (1960-73) has been appointed head teacher of Bridgend Primary School, Alness, having previously been head teacher at Kyleakin Primary School, Isle of Skye. Dallas G. Moir (1969-75), who enjoyed considerable success playing firstclass cricket for Derbyshire between 1981 and 1985, has returned to the Aberdeen area and is currently working for a local sports retailer.
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A left-arm spinner, he topped the bowling averages for Derbyshire in 1982 in only his second season with the English county side, taking 75 wickets at 26.53 runs apiece. In 1984 he featured prominently in a stand of 105 runs in a ninth-wicket partnership. The following season he was awarded his county ca Dallas was recently selected to take part in Scotland's Benson and Hedges warm-up matches against Essex and Derbyshire, and in the 1986 season he plans to turn out for the Aberdeenshire county side and F.P.s' Strathmore Union XI. He is now a member of the Club Centre Management Committee. Jeremy D. Moir (1965-75), twin brother of Dallas, is Treasurer of the Club Centre and remarkable for the number of raffle tickets he sells at F.P. Balls. Harvey E. Morrison (1951-65), a B.. C A , has been elected Hon. President of the Cricket Section, and at the age of 39 is believed to be the youngest holder of presidential office in any of the Club's Sections or Centres, at least in recent history. Despite his comparative youth, Harvey has contributed more than sufficient service to the Cricket Section to justify his distinguished office both as a player and captain of the Section and as Cricket Section Treasurer for eleven years. He also gave doughty service to the Club Centre as its Treasurer for several years, and has contrived to retain the opportunity to disagree with Colin Allan by taking a particular interest in the Club's financial affairs through his membership of the Club's Executive Committee. Harold Bean Pearson (1928-36) retired in November 1985 as Chairman of Davidson Radcliffe, Paper and Board Manufacturers. His studies at Aberdeen University were interrupted by the war and he did not return to them. During the war he served in France, North Africa and Italy with the 75th Highland Field Regiment, being demobbed with the rank of major. Heimmediately joined C. Davidson & Sons as a management trainee and stayed with them for about two years before leaving to work with a paint company in London and Glasgow. He returned to Mugiemoss Mills in 1958, initially as Secretary and then becoming Commercial Manager. In 1965, when the Davidson Radcliffe Group was formed, Mr Pearson was placed in charge of the Board Division. In 1969 he was appointed Managing Director of the Group and Chairman in 1975. The Davidson Radcliffe Group, controlled from Aberdeen, comprises nine companies with manufacturing and support facilities at seventeen locations in the United Kingdom. George McCartney Phillips (1950-552, M.A.. M. &, Ph.D., Reader in Numerical Analysis at St Andrew's University, undertook a lecture tour at the end of 1985 to China, Singapore and Malaysia. He was discussing research in numerical analysis and approximation theory prompted by the translation into Chinese of his book Theory and Applications of Numerical Analysis written in conjunction with Dr. Peter Taylor of Stirling University. Group Captain William Rae (1946-58) in October 1985 was appointed Commanding Officer of R.A.F. Finningley, near Doncaster. He was involved in a special dedication service at St Clements Danes, London, central church of the R.A.F., in February this year when a carved slate plaque depicting the badge of No. 6 Flying Training School based at Finningley was dedicated. William was commissioned in the General Duties (Navigation) Branch, R.A.F. in 1958, promoted to Squadron Leader in 1970, and commanded a basic navigation squadron at No. 6 Flying School. In 1981 he joined the personal briefing staff of the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Lewin, and in 1982 became Group Captain and Assistant Director in the Defence Policy Staff.
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I, Nicol Reid (1954-63, 65-67, B . Ch.B., M.R C Path., is now a full-time pathologist at York having worked at Northallerton and York for the past five years as consultant pathologist. He is a regular at the Yorkshire Dinner. Douglas Reith (1924-35), Q.C., was the subject of a note in last year's Magazine after responding to an invitation from the Editor to recall his earlier life. In the course of this he referred to himself as "not a bad singer". A contemporary, W. Scott Gilchrist (1929-36), B.L., has written—"Douglas's description of himself as "not a bad singer" is a gross underestimate of his prowess as a boy soprano. His voice was one of superb tonal quality, pitch and clarity, coupled to superb diction. At the annual school concert in the Music Hall in 1930, he gave a splendid rendition of "O for the Wings of a Dove", and I would rate his ability as equal to, even surpassing, that of the young gentleman who recently made a record with Placido Domingo. Our musical mentor, the late Gavin Falconer, generated great excitement amongst the boys by taking Douglas to Edinburgh to make a record, possibly unheard of in those days for one of such youthful years. As a boy soprano myself, I appeared on the same bill and sang a song called 'Slumber'. So far as I recall, it failed to send the audience into a deep sleep, as I sang it the only way I knew, namely fortissimo! Further excitement was generated by our names actually appearing in the report of the concert in The Press and Journal the following day. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's musical tastes) my voice was 'cracking' in 1931, and I had to decline Mr. Falconer's invitation to sing again," Kevin R. Rennie (1964-70) has been appointed a partner in Deloitte Haskins and Sells, Chartered Accountants based in their Edinburgh Office where he is responsible for corporate tax services. He joined that firm in 1975 and is an honours graduate of Aberdeen University and holds a masters degree from Glasgow University. Graham John Russell (1967-73) is now living in San Juan, Puerto Rico, having been transferred there by his company, NCR Corporation, in the capacity of finance manager. This followed four years with the firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in Kingston, Jamaica. His marriage is recorded elsewhere in this Magazine. Alexander (Sandy) F. Shearer (1959-65), M.B.. Ch.B., graduated in medicine at Aberdeen University in 1971. He travelled extensively in Asia, South America and Africa before settling down in Vancouver B.C. where he is in medical practice. He retains his connection with Aberdeen and returns frequently (to drink the Notes Editor's whisky). Charles P. Skene (1940-47) is Chairman, Industry Year 1986, for the Grampian Region, a post to which he was appointed by the C.B.I. Industry Year was launched by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, President of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. The objective of Industry Year is to increase public awareness of the role of industry and its importance for our prosperity. Charles Skene is therefore encouraging industries and companies throughout the Grampian Region to link up with secondary and primary schools. School children are visiting businesses and teachers arc to be seconded to industry, so that pupils can be made more aware of the importance of industry. He is a partner in the family photographic firm of Studio Morgan and chairman of the Skene Group of Companies which are involved in property development and are currently undertaking a large project near Banchory which involves comprehensive provision of sheltered housing, retirement and nursing home with the title Inchmarlo Continuing Care Community. A former president of Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, he is a Director of
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the Aberdeen and North East Society for the Deaf, a Governor of Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology and an Industrial Consultant to the Scottish Education / Industry Committee. Alistair G. Smith (1936-48) is manager of Scotland Zurich Insurance based in Glasgow. He is currently President of the Glasgow Insurance and Actuarial Society and lives in Tillicoultry. Deborah A. Smith (1977-81) was appointed to the post of sales executive for the Huntly Hotel (now the Copthorne Hotel), Aberdeen, following its take-over by Caledonian Hotel Management—part of the British Caledonian Group. Her responsibilities include promotion of the accommodation, banqueting and conference facilities to the local business community. She joined the Huntly as a receptionist and was later promoted to the post of head receptionist. Her interests include swimming and cycling. D. W. C. (Doug) Smith (1930-41), O.B.E., M.B., Ch.B., a former rugby international and British Lions manager was appointed senior vice-president of the Scottish Rugby Union for season 1985-86. Another F.P., W. L. Connon (1930-40), B.L.. an Aberdeen lawyer, with long administrative experience in the Union, held the office of junior vice-president for 1985-86. Charles Ritchie (1945-51) was a North District representative on the Union during the past season. Jeffrey N. F. Smith (1963-69), a graduate of the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture, has returned to Aberdeen to run the newly-opened office of the Robert Hurd Partnership, a Scottish architectural firm. Since qualifying he has worked in Edinburgh with this firm which now has five offices in Scotland. Michael Jonathan Smith (1978-84) was invited in April 1986 to join the 13-strong Scotland cricket squad for their Benson and Hedges warm-up matches against Essex at Chelmsford and Derbyshire at Derby. A regular member of the Aberdeenshire team, Mike recently returned from a successful trial with English county side Nottinghamshire. He has also played for the Scotland 'B' team. In the close season he plays regularly for the Rugby Section 1st XV. Stanley D. B. Smith (1953-60) has been appointed president and director general of V.G. Systems, a newly formed subsidiary of the American company of V.G. Systems Incorporated. He was previously managing director of the U.K. company and lives in Surrey. Clement A. Stewart (1952-59), M.A.. M.Ed., is to be the first Rector of the new 750-pupil Portlethen Academy. He is at present Head Teacher at Lochgilphead High School, Argyll. The new school is due to open in the Spring of 1987. An arts graduate of Aberdeen University in 1962, he began his teaching career at the School in 1963 and taught there until 1970. He has also served as principal teacher of mathematics, assistant rector and depute director of Dunoon Grammar School. He took up his present post at Lochgilphead eight years ago. Peter M. Smith (1976-82) was recently presented with an award by the Royal Humane Society for rescuing a man from the River Dee in Aberdeen. Warwick B. Strange (1966-72) has been appointed general manager of the Shetland Hotel, the three-star, 64-bedroom hotel in Lerwick owned by Lerwick Harbour Trust. He trained at Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology and has worked for fourteen years in the hotel industry, latterly as general manager of the Earls Court Hotel, Aberdeen. Norman Stronach (1968-74), former School first XV representative, is currently playing in the first XV for Hull and East Riding; he played in a recent
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match in Hanover against the West German National Select which Hull and East Riding won comfortably 36 - 9. Sir Iain Sutherland (1933-41), K.C.M.G.. M A . U.D.. retired in June 1985 from the post of British Ambassador to the Soviet Union and the following month received an honorary Doctor of laws degree from Aberdeen University. He is regarded as one of Aberdeen University's most distinguished graduates in the British diplomatic service which he joined in 1950. Sir lain held posts in Moscow, Belgrade, Havana, Washington and Jakarta, was head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1969 to 1973 and then assistant Under-Secretary of State there for 2 years from 1976. Before taking up his role in Russia he was Ambassador to Greece between 1978 and 1982. He is currently on the Committee of Aberdeen University's Development Trust. Gerald Kilvington Townshend (1941-45), B.Sc., is responsible for market development and public relations for the Lawson Mardon Group, some 30 companies in the U.K. producing packaging materials. He is based in Bristol and lives in Weston-Super-Mare. He was previously with Procter & Gamble holding posts in Geneva, the United States and Belgium. He is actively engaged in hockey and until recently was chairman of the County of Avon Hockey Umpires Association and a Weston Counties Umpire. While at school he was captain of the 1st Hockey XI and Modern Dux. Ian C. Urquhart (1962-68), known to his contemporaries as "Huck", is a teacher of Geography and Economics at Eastern High School of Commerce, Toronto. He recently retired after many illustrious years as prop forward for the Toronto Barbarians, one of the Province's top teams. A one-time regular returner to Aberdeen he has for long eschewed the city since (according to R.H.G.B. above) constant disparaging remarks were made about his figure on his last visit. David A. C. Walker (1950-55), B.A., M.Phil., has had published, in Zimbabwe where he works, a biography of the Rev. Canon Edward Paterson, an eminently successful Aberdonian clergyman and caricaturist. The work is entitled Paterson of Cyrene. George C. Warrack (1924-1937), B.Sc.(For.), reports that it is now forty years since he arrived in Canada as a landed immigrant from India (ex-Indian Army). He has found these to be wonderful years full of challenging activities as a forester with the British Columbia Forest Service. He retired in 1978 as Director of the Research Branch, Ministry of Forests, British Columbia. He now lives in the small town of Comox on Vancouver and looks forward to receiving many more issues of the Magazine at his new address. G. Fraser Webster (1949-62), who has worked in the insurance industry since leaving School, has been appointed a life and pensions consultant with Aberdeen Insurance Brokers, Collins, Halden & Burnett. Grahame S. Whyte (1975-81), D.S.D., is currently working as a teacher of Drama and Media Studies at Inverurie Academy. He recently raised over £300 for the Aberdeen Special Nursery Appeal in a sponsored parachute jump. John Cowie Whyte (1931-41), tk{ B . Ch.B., graduated in Medicine from Aberdeen University in 1947, and then spent two years in the Royal Navy. He entered general practice in 1950 in Fraserburgh with Dr. R. Slessor, father of Robert Stewart Slessor (1927-29) one time club consul in the Falkland Islands, whose death is recorded in this issue. In 1964 he emigrated to Australia as "a refugee from the National Health Service" and since then has been in general practice in the Castle Hill area of Sydney. He has a nephew, Dr. G. G. Whyte (1944-54) who is in general practice in Hobart, Tasmania.
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On occasion he sees 1. C. McLean (1930-43) who played for the 1947-48 F.P. 1st XV and who was also in practice in Fraserburgh and emigrated to Australia in the 1960's I. C. McLean is in general practice in Brisbane. Michael Young (1962-65) a one-time trialist for Nottingham Forest, is still active in Toronto soccer circles. In his spare time he is head of data-processing for Colgate-Palmolive. Colin J. Youngson (1960-66), M.A.. finished second in the City of Aberdeen Milk Marathon in September 1985 in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes 58 seconds, some 64 seconds behind the winner. It was his 44th marathon and it is to be hoped that he will become the first local runner to win this event. The following former pupils completed the course: Ashley Jermieson (1963-67) 3:01:30, James A. Banks (1957-63) 3:11:59, Norman G. Mart (1949-55) 4:12:30. Colin Youngson also finished second in the recent Scottish National Marathon Championships in Edinburgh in which championships he has, over the years, collected 3 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals. He was also first in the Dundee Marathon in April 1986.
Marriages Anderson (1959-72).—At Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh on 6 September 1985, Keith Manson Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Anderson, 36 Victoria Street, Aberdeen to Sally Ann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Sanderson, Greenhead, Reston, Berwickshire. Bain (1974-80).—At St. Margaret's Church, Greenock on 29 March 1986, Norman John Bain, third son of Mr. and Mrs. L. Bain, I Diamond Place, Aberdeen to Yvonne Catherine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Black, 15 Curlew Crescent, Greenock. Black (1972-76).—At Bellie Parish Church, Fochabers on 30 August 1985, Martyn William Black, only son of Mr. and Mrs. William D. Black, 20 Belgrave Terrace to Angela Mary Sheila, elder daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Donald J. C. Cameron, 7 Duncan Avenue, Fochabers. Bruce (1974-79).—At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 21 June 1985, Peter Marshall Bruce, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Bruce. 15 Morgan Road, Aberdeen to Alison Frances, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Buchan, 3 Morningsidc Avenue, Aberdeen. Calder (1973-79).—At St. Mary's Church, King Street, Aberdeen on 19 October 1985, David Will, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Will, 199 Johnston Gardens North, Peterculter to Karen Calder, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Calder, 12 Beechgrove Gardens, Aberdeen. Charles (1973-76).—At St. Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen on 8 August 1985, Stanley Robert Charles, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Charles, 30 Rosebery Street, Aberdeen to Ann. daughter of Mrs. I. Masson, Dyce, Aberdeen. Copeland (1975 80).—At the Kirk of St. Nicholas, Aberdeen on 10 August 1985, Gary James Copeland, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Copeland, 51 Springfield Road, Aberdeen to Anne, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. V. Strachan, 28 Kincorth Place, Aberdeen. Craigmyle (1975-80).—At Melville Carden Place Church, Aberdeen on 10 August 1985, Alexander Stewart Noble, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Noble, 19 Summerhill Terrace, Aberdeen to Morag Jayne Craigmyle, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Craigmyle, 29 Belvidere Street, Aberdeen. Davidson (1974-80).—At Greyfriars Church, Aberdeen on 27 July 1985, Ian Barclay, only son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Barclay, 25 Collieston Circle,
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Aberdeen to Alison Helen Davidson, only daughtcr of Mr. and Mrs. A. Davidson, 27 Raeburn Place, Aberdeen. Dick (1974-79).—At Cults West Church, Aberdeen on 16 August 1985, Gregor McIntosh Dick, son of W. Dick, Sunderland, and Mrs. E. M. Dick, 9 Springfield Gardens, Aberdeen to Fiona Norma, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Alexander, 72 Kirk Brae, Cults, Aberdeen. Houston (1975-81) and Falconer (1975-80).-At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 12 October 1985, Henry Stewart Houston, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Houston, 4 Ruthrieston Gardens, Aberdeen to Julie Kay Falconer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy S. Falconer, 77 King's Gate, Aberdeen. Lynch (1972-78).—At Newlands South Church, Glasgow on 11 October 1985, Stephen John Lynch, elder son of Dr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Lynch, 14 Gladstone Place, Aberdeen to Dorothy, daughter of Professor and Mrs. Flint, Glasgow. Mackay (1974-79).—At St. Ninian's Parish Church, Aberdeen on 30 August 1985, Mark Will, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. C. Will, 117 South Anderson Drive, Aberdeen to Alison Mackay, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Mackay, 261 Mid Stocket Road, Aberdeen. McDonald (1963-76).—At Mannofield Church, Aberdeen on 28 June 1985, Callum Anderson McDonald, son of Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm McDonald, 57 Springhill Road, Aberdeen to Fiona, daugther of Mr. and Mrs. G. I. Walker, 28 Viewfield Gardens, Aberdeen. Meston (1975-80).—At King's College Chapel, Old Aberdeen on 15 March 1986, John Monro Meston, younger son of Professor and Mrs, Michael C. Meston, 4 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen to Sandra, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Shepherd, Ardmair, Sanquhar Terrace, Forres. Milne (1976-80).—At Skene Parish Church, Aberdeenshire on 10 August 1985, Colin David Milne, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Milne, 17 Hilton Drive, Aberdeen to Karen Lesley, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Budd, 68 Eastside Drive, Westhill, Aberdeenshire. Morrice (1972-78).—At King's College Chapel, Old Aberdeen on 27 April 1985, lain Duncan Morrice, only son of Dr. and Mrs. J. K. W. Morrice, 30 Carnegie Crescent, Aberdeen to Karen Anne, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Allan, 19 Leggart Terrace, Abcrdccn. Naughton (1975-81).—At St. Mary's Cathedral, Abredeen on 6 July 1985, Sean Kehoe, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Kehoe, 3 Meadow Road, Burton-onTrent to Francesca Mairi Monica Naugton, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael O. Naughton, 29 Ferryhill Place, Aberdeen. Pirie (1973-78).—At King's College Chapel, Old Aberdeen on 6 September 1985, Calum John Murray, only son of Dr. and Mrs. Campbell Murray, 10 Oakhill Road, Aberdeen to Morag Pirie, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Pirie, 21 Station Road, Findochty. Riley (1977 -83).—At the Kirk of St. Nicholas, Aberdeen on 3 August 1985, Keith Brian Knight, son of Mrs. Jean Knight, 3 Ashlands Court, Northallerton and the late Mr. Brian Knight to Elaine Elizabeth Riley, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Riley, 15 View Terrace, Aberdeen. Robertson (1974-80).—At King's College Chapel, Old Aberdeen on 10 August 1985, Ernest Robertson, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Robertson, 41 Richmondhill Road, Aberdeen to Karen, eldest daughtcr of Mr. and Mrs. J. Douglas, 8 Kincorth Place, Aberdeen. Rodger (1976-79).—At Greyfriars Church, Aberdeen on 31 August 1985, Allan Heron Cruickshank, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. George Cruickshank, Crochdane, Aulton Road, Cruden Bay to Arlene Rodger, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Rodger, 18 Primroschill Drive, Aberdeen. Sharp (1973-79).—At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 1 June 1985, J.
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Scoutmaster both 1st and 9th Grammar Troops (and that dual duty undertaken during the emergency of First World War—itself a noble effort). Captain of F.P. Hockey Section and International Trialist. Member of 1st F.P. Rugby Section and awarded full colours. Secretary of the Section for seven years. Captain of the F.P. Tennis Section. Vice-President of F.P. Club. Secretary of London Section of F.P. Club for several years. Area Secretary, Treasurer and Selector of Scottish Midlands District Rugby Union for over three years. President of Aberdeen Exiles Rugby Football Club, etc. When Doug, left Aberdeen for London in 1937, one newspaper recorded: "No one has done more to foster relations between north Rugby Clubs and well-known Rugby Clubs in the south. It is directly due to his persistent friendly efforts that in the Grammar F.P.s fixture list such Clubs as Hillhcad, Watsonians, Allan Glen's and Cambridge Vandals are included." His efforts were, however, by no means confined to the administrative side of sport. As previously indicated, he was an active member of the Rugby and Hockey Sections, and at various times of other athletic Sections of the Club. What has endeared Doug to us all was not only his capacity for doing the job, but the enthusiasm with which he did it. In this he was assisted by not only a very good sense of humour but the genuine desire at all time to help any friend or support any good cause. His mottoes were always, in business "if the job is worth doing, do it well" and, in the field of sport "never give up till the final whistle whatever the odds".
Even in retirement he continued to take an active interest in a wide variety of sports and it was suggested that he was Dundee's most versatile sportsman. He was Secretary and Treasurer of the Midland District Rugby Union, President of the Games Tennis Club, member of the Royal Tay Yacht Club and Broughty Ferry Tennis Club. He was also elected the first honorary life member of the Forthill Sports Club. He lived in West Ferry and continued even into his last years to take a keen interest in matters pertaining to the School and Club including an interest in tracing Malaysian contemporaries who attended the School before the First World War. His younger brothers George (Dod) Murray Cochran (1909-22) and Duncan Scott Cochran (1914-24) also attended the School. Andrew James Cooper (1924-30) died on 24 October 1985 in his seventyfourth year. On leaving School he went into banking and in 1940 he joined the R.A.F. and trained as a pilot. For most of the war he was in Ferry Command, Middle East, who were involved in flying aircraft from North-West Africa across the Sahara to Egypt and the Middle East. After the war he resumed his career in banking and, in addition, acted as accountant officer for 612 Squadron based at Dyce. He was in the George Street branch of the Bank of Scotland for many years and had a particular rapport with the many former customers of that branch. He retired on reaching 60 and went to live in Ferndown near Bournemouth, where he died. A life-long rugby enthusiast, he played for Aberdeenshire before and after the war and continued as selector and spectator long after his playing days were over. He was a vice-president of that club. Robin A. Craig (1952-63), M B . Ch B . died as a result of a heart attack at the age of 40 on 23 September 1985. Though it was generally known his health
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had been insecure, the death of so vital a person as Robin at such a young age shocked the wide circle of those who knew and admired him. His school career could rarely be paralleled outside boys' fiction. In 1962-63 he was not only the captain of an unbeaten School Rugby XV, but he was also Senior Prefect, captain of athletics, captain of cricket, and the first Grammar boy to be picked for the Scottish Schoolboys Rugby XV, that last distinction having been emulated only once since 1963. Academically he was also very able, taking first place in his class regularly until his later years at School. As a member of the 9th Scout Group he won the Queen's Scout Badge, and, apart from his principal sporting activities, he could also perform at a high level in soccer, tennis, and apparently any game he chose to attempt. It scarcely needs to be added, that, of course, he won the All-Round Trophy and was the hero of his younger contemporaries. The adulation that he attracted at School had its source not merely in his success itself, but in the impression he conveyed of effortless ease and of caring little for the wins he chalked up and for the distinctions he achieved. The extent to which this impression may have been false can by judged from the history of one of Robin's many prizes, the David Irvine-Fortescue Memorial Prize. This was a prize in the form of a watch, which used to be awarded annually to a Primary 4 boy on the vote of his eight-year-old classmates. Robin only stopped wearing his David Irvine-Fortescue watch shortly before his death, when it was irreparably damaged in an accident. After leaving School to take up medical studies at Aberdeen, it was natural that Robin should successfully pursue his sporting career with F.P.s, and indeed he contributed substantially to the Cricket Section and more particularly to the Rugby Section, of which he was the captain. He was selected several times to play rugby for North-Midlands, but many observers of the game believed he would have been capable of even higher honours, if he had not suffered so often and so long from injuries, and perhaps even if there had been a greater recognition of his habit of producing a special performance for the big game. Robin's preparation for his career as a general practitioner was indicative of his very personal approach to the profession of medicine, in that he undertook a year's training in psychiatry at a time when that branch of medicine was much less commonly regarded as an important preparation for general practice. A colleague of Robin's believes that in this, as in other ways associated with Robin's individualistic approach to Medicine, he was beginning to make a unique contribution to general practice in Aberdeen, not least by the values he instilled in medical students and G.P. trainees attached to his practice. He was intellectually and emotionally equipped to deal with all kinds of ethical situations, and he was renowned for offering his patients support and guidance well beyond the requirements of standard medical consultation. His individual approach (and it has to be said that in all things Robin was very much "his own man") also benefited Aberdeen general practice, when very largely by his own effort he succeeded in having established the "extended rota" system, which, by combining the resources of many practices, took some of the heavy burden of on-call duty from hard-pressed G.P.s in small practices. Robin remained a stalwart member of the F.P. Club until the very end as an active and (inevitably) leading member of the Golf and Curling Sections. But he was also a devoted family man, and the Club has expressed its deep sympathy to his wife, Lynda, and their children Laura and Marc. Through the sense of loss that many of us feel, Robin's character seems almost too elusive to capture in words: endowed with immense talent, which
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he apparently deployed without effort, but in reality worked hard to refine; outwardly confident in his own opinions sometimes to the extent of appearing to relish the creation of controversy, but possessing a genuine and active concern for the care of others; above all, exuding through his smile a charismatic quality which defied analysis, but commanded liking and admiration. Perhaps the best attempt to do Robin justice was the address given by the Rev. A. Scott Hutchison at Robin's funeral, part of which is reproduced below: Robin was good at most things—a bit of a perfectionist. And sometimes that in itself could make him a bit remote and difficult to know. Yet they wanted to get near. He was a man's man, and universally respected for integrity in all matters. In spite of his above average ability he could be a slightly insecure person—would he be good enough for this or that? Well, of course, we know he was indeed good enough for all the challenges life threw up. Robin faced many pressures in his life, in his work situation, but also no doubt from his feelings that life for him on earth might not be long—he had a severe heart attack three years ago, you will remember. We will never quite know how this affected him, for he kept this and other things to himself, often bottling up his stresses instead of unburdening them to others. Stress or no stress, he was a smiling person and that, for many of you, will be your abiding memory of him. Ronald Craig (1940-52) died on 16 July 1985 in hospital in Aberdeen. He was in his fifty-first year. He entered the fish trade after National Service which he spent with the R.A.F. in Aden. He was a director in the long-established firm of Craig's Stores. That business was sold to British United Trawlers in the 1970s but he continued to run Aberdeen fish merchants, D. T. Bruce, until he took ill. A rugby player for F.P.s, he was a member of Deeside and Banchory Golf Clubs. David Mitchell Cooke Donald (1926-32), w.s.. died on 14 September 1985 at the age of 71. On leaving School, at which he was a third-generation pupil (his father was James J. Donald (1885-87)) he studied law at Aberdeen University and while there was president of the Students Conservative Association. He graduated in 1935 and joined the Edinburgh law firm of Shepherd & Wedderburn in 1937. During the war he was adjutant of a Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment and served in Europe. In 1947 he was assumed as a partner in Shepherd & Wedderburn, w.s., and, specialising in investment, he was appointed director of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London Trust in 1955 and Aberdeen Investors the following year. In 1960 he was invited to join Robert Fleming and Co., the London merchant bankers where he remained until his retiral shortly before his death. He was chairman of various investment trusts, a director of the Prudential Assurance Company and chairman of the Mercantile and General Reinsurance Company. He was honorary treasurer of the King George's Fund for Sailors. Apart from his work his special love was pictures and while at Flemings, which had its origins in Dundee, he built up a very fine collection of paintings almost all of which had Scottish connotations and many were by young Scottish artists. His guiding principle was that these pictures were never bought as an investment but as an aesthetic amenity for the banks. His services to Scottish art and artists was recognised shortly before his death by his appointment as an Honorary R.S.A.—an honour which gave him very great pleasure.
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Robin Hutton Duguid (1918-23), B Com., c A , died on 18 April 1982 aged 74. For many years he served with Duncan Bros. and Company, merchants in Calcutta and was chairman and managing director when he retired from India in 1957. Thereafter he held a position in Canada in the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal before returning to Aberdeen. During the war he was a Lieutenant in the Calcutta Scottish. He was chairman of the Bengal Centre of the Club and, on behalf of that Centre, presented the gift of a lectern to the School at a ceremony in the School Hall in October 1946. (A photograph and account of the proceedings appears on page 9 of the December 1946 Magazine.) His sons Robert W. Duguid (1951-56 and 62-63) and John H. Duguid (1962-67) attended the School. John Stewart Dunnett (1922-28) died on 12 January 1985 at the age of 72. The minister at the funeral service spoke of Jock Dunnett in the following terms: Jock Dunnett was born on Speyside, amid its loveliness and its grandeur. He never forgot that he was a son of the Manse, and that his father's calling and his father's kirk always held a special place in his loyalty and his affection. From Aberdeen Grammar School he entered the world of banking, beginning at Cruder) Bay but moving as a young man to the great Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in which he was to serve for the rest of his professional life with diligence and distinction in Hong Kong, New York, Manila and San Francisco. John Dunnett belonged to the generation of men caught up in World War II. He chose to serve in the Royal Navy, and saw service with the Russian and Atlantic convoys. He was part of that force which should have gone to retake the Far East had the Japanese not surrendered. All of us, who knew Jock and were privileged to be his friends, found a man of high principles, of firm loyalties, a joyous man, beloved and loving, and a man who lived always for the things that were true and honest and of good report, and a man always impatient and intolerant of what was mean or sordid or unkind or cruel. In his Gullane years he enjoyed to the full all that life had to give, friends, tavel, home, family, golf, all the richness and enhancement of life which retirement brings. Eric James Galloway (1908-18) died at Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen on 9 May 1984 at the age of 81. He started in the family business of Galloway and Sykes, cabinetmakers, at the age of 15 and was actively involved in the business in Union Street and latterly Justice Mill Lane until retiring at the age of 79. He took over the management of the business from his father and ran it with his brother, the late Harold William Galloway (1905-16), specialising in reproduction and contemporary household furniture. The business continues guided by Harold's son John Harold Galloway (1941-55). His long association with the family concern was interrupted only by the Second World War when he was attached to the RAF intelligence service. His war service took him to Germany and Egypt and he reached the rank of squadron leader, was twice mentioned in despatches and was awarded the American Bronze Star. A keen gardener and golfer he was also a long-serving member of the Aberdeen Rotary Club. Stanley Noel Grant (1902-13), M.A., B.C,om died on 21 March 1986 aged 91 years.
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
He was a pupil at the School throughout his schooldays and was eldest and last surviving son of the late John Grant (co-founder of Watt and Grant). A private in the 4th Battalion, Gordon Highlands, he served in France during the First World War. He graduated in Arts at Edinburgh University in 1919 and two years later gained the degree of Bachelor of Commerce. Before his retiral he ran the branch office of James Jaffray & Co. Accountants in Huntly. Latterly he lived in Leeds. Charles Simpson Knowles (1933-46) died suddenly at Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen on 30 November 1985 at the age of 57. He worked in the South of Scotland for a number of years before returning to Aberdeen in 1957 where he opened a fruit shop in George Street. In doing this he was following in the footsteps of his father the late Charles Robert Knowles (1912-14). In 1960 he joined the Mannofield School of Motoring but two years later he struck out on his own operating the Grosvenor School from his home in Grosvenor Place. In 1968 he was a joint winner of the Scottish Police Civilians Roadcraft Competition and he was a former chairman of the Motor Schools Association, Aberdeen Scottish branch and a member of Aberdeen City District Council's accident prevention committee. He was a past president of the Aberdeen FRS Club. His son, Roy N. E. H. Knowles (1961-73) is also an F.P. Douglas Laing (1960-66) died on 26 June 1985 as the result of a road accident. He was 37. On leaving School he worked for Royal Insurance for several years before joining the Aberdeen office of loss adjusters, Toplis and Harding. Latterly he was a director of loss adjusters, Arnold and Golding in Aberdeen. He was captain of the 1st Skene Boys' Brigade Company, senior convenor of Aberdeen Battalion, an elder of Skene Parish Church and a member of Westhill and District Round Table. David Lefevre (1960-66), B.Sc.. died suddenly after a short illness on 30 September 1985. He was 37. In 1969 he graduated B.Sc. at Aberdeen University and embarked as a management trainee with Wiggins Tcapc at Stoneywood Mill, Dyce. He qualified as a work study officer and in 1975 joined the Wood Group as projects manager. In 1977 he was appointed general manager of John Wood Group Offshore in Aberdeen and was heavily involved in the successful development of Aberdeen as a service base centre. He was also at the head of the Wood Group's logistics support development at Aberdeen harbour, in aviation support services at Dyce, and he instigated the Wood Group's involvement ►n Great Yarmouth. Mr Ian Wood, chairman of the Wood Group paid the following tribute: "David's very sad and untimely death, after a short illness borne with great courage is not only a great loss to our company but to the oil-support industry in the United Kingdom. His keen intellect, great dedication and integrity brought him not only to success but wide popularity and respect, and he will be sadly missed by his colleagues, and his many friends in the offshore industry". He is survived by his wife and two children. Ernest Hutcheon Lyon (1902-07) died on 21 August 1985 aged 94. He was gold medallist at School in 1907 at the age of 16 and then entered the civil service. The Roll of Pupils 1863-1919 records that he "passed the Government boy clerks' examination in 1907 and the second division examination in 1910". After a short time at the Board of Education and the office of the Secretary, G.P.O., Edinburgh, he transferred to the Board of
Obituaries
73
Agriculture for Scotland. He spent the rest of his career with that Department and retired in 1953 having attained the rank of Assistant Secretary. He retired to Nethybridge and, latterly, Haddington. Donald David McAndrew Ma (1952-66) died at Dundee Royal Infirmary on 29 December 1985. On leaving school he worked as a scientific assistant with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries at the marine laboratory in Torry and then took a HND in Agriculture. He worked for a spell with the Pig Improvement Company, Oxford and as an agricultural technician at Clinterty Agricultural College. In 1978 he joined the Agricultural Training Board and at the time of his death was training adviser for Perthshire. A school contemporary writes— The year 1985 ended on a very sad note with the news that Donald Mair had passed away on 29 December aged just 38. Donald had finally lost his battle against ill health, a battle that spanned almost two decades and had seen him undergo four major operations. I first met Donald when he was just 5 years old and was attending Aberdeen Grammar School. His most memorable qualities were that he was exceptionally cheerful, very likeable and had an avid interest in animals. These were qualities that were never to leave him, and his zest and enthusiasm for life, despite his troubles, won him many friends. His keen interest in the animal kingdom was reflected in his career. Donald was laid to rest in the beautiful grounds of Logie Kirk in the Perthshire countryside beside Bridge of Allan where only two and a half years previously he had married his wife Maureen. If there were more people like Donald in the world, it would be a much happier place. For myself and many others, life will never be the same without the colourful contributions of this much loved character. Roderick Ross Forrest Maclennan (1909-18) died on 2 January 1986 at the age of 82. He played in the first Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield in March 1925. On leaving Grammar he went to the Merchant Taylors' School, London, and while there won the public schools' middleweight boxing championship. A talented and all-round sportsman he played rugby for Old Merchant Taylors and in 1925 was capped for England, playing as a forward against Ireland and France in addition to turning out in that historic Calcutta Cup. He was, so far as is known, the first former pupil to have played rugby for England but he was not the first F.P. rugby internationalist. That distinction went to George A. Ledingham (1894-1905) who played for Scotland against France in 1913. R. R. F. MacLennan joined I.C.I. in 1929 and held appointments in Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Bradford. In 1960 he was appointed area manager of I.C.I. in Northern Ireland where he established himself as one of the best known business figures. While there he was one of the founder members of Northern Ireland Centre of the Club. Before the war he also read for the Bar and during the war was commissioned in the Intelligence Corps. Returning in 1965, first to Croy, Inverness-shire and then Nairn, he continued to take a keen interest in the Club and School through the Magazine which he always enjoyed. He had two brothers, who attended the School. lain Donald MacLennan (1908 -15) was killed in action in France in 1917 while serving with the Gordon Highlanders and Hamish Forrest MacLennan (1908-15), F.S.A , the first manager of the Edinburgh Festival and the Scottish Tourist Board died in 1964.
74
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Lewis Middleton (1919-32), B.Sc., died suddenly at his home in Aberdeen on 3 May 1985 at the age of 70. He is remembered as a public works contractor and particularly as a very prominent golfer from the 1930s to the 1950s. In F.P. circles he was a member of the F.P. Rugby XV of 1947/48. On leaving school he went to Aberdeen University and graduated in civil engineering in 1936. After a brief spell with William Tawsc Ltd in Aberdeen he went to India as a civil engineer with the Defence Department. During the war he served with the Royal Engineers in Iran and Iraq attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1943. In 1946 he returned to Aberdeen and ,three years later he set up in business on his own and built up the firm to a business employing 100 men. In the 1960s the firm merged with other North-East contractors to create Aberdeen Construction Group and Lewis Middleton was one of their original directors. In 1972 he was appointed director with responsibility for contracts with Hunter Construction and four years later he retired from business. As a sportsman his career was long and distinguished. The year after he left school, 1933, he won the Scottish Universities Golf Championships and was awarded a Blue. Over the next twenty years he figured prominently in the local golf scene and won a host of competitions as a member of the Royal Aberdeen and Cruden Bay clubs. He held a scratch handicap for many years, won the Jaffray cup on three occasions and proudly held the then record for being on the winning side most often in the Maitland Cup. Always very competitive and someone who worked as his game, he probably gained greatest pleasure from the award he received in 1953 recognising him as the leading North-East amateur player. Lewis Middleton continued to take a close interest in sport right into his retirement and became an enthusiast for and expert in that recondite art, croquet. He was a member of the British Croquet Association and a regular participant in their championships. He was the son of Lewis A. L. Middleton, cattle salesman, who attended the school from 1888-94. William Maitland Miller (1918-28) died on 23 June 1985 after a long illness. He was 77. On leaving School at the age of 15 he joined the firm of C. Bruce Miller, founded by his father in 1900, and went on to become Director and Chairman of the Union Street based retailer of musical instruments, electrical goods and books. During the Second World War he served with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. A keen golfer, he was a member of the Royal Aberdeen Club. William Guthrie Milne (1921-32), )4 A., U.B., B.A., died on 13 September 1985 aged 71. A graduate of Aberdeen University in Arts (1935) and Law (1939) he was admitted as a solicitor in that latter year. In his final year at Aberdeen University he shared the prize for the most Distinguished Graduate in Law with John Hector Gray (1917-29), M.A., U.B. Guthrie Milne served in the RAF from 1941 to 1946 and after the War studied at Oxford for two years and gained the degree of B.A. In 1948 he also became a partner in the firm of Milne & Reid, Advocates in Aberdeen and remained with them until his retirement. The firm had been established in 1917 by his father Alfred Edward Milne (1893-94), Advocate in Aberdeen, and an authority on the bagpipes. Malcolm James Mitchell (1935-47), M.B.. Ch.B.. died on 27 January 1985 at the age of 54. He graduated in medicine at Aberdeen University in 1953 and trained at
Obituaries
75
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the City Hospital. From 1954 to 1956 he was in the Royal Air Force and later in 1956 he took up an appointment as a general practitioner in Crieff. He continued in practice there until the time of his death. The June 1979 Magazine contains a lengthy list at page 61 of F.P.s who, with Jimmy Mitchell, were part of the Aberdeen University Medical Class of 1953. James Glegg Moir (1928-34), M.B., Ch.B., died very suddenly at his home in Ballater on 10 September 1985 at the age of 68. He graduated in medicine at Aberdeen University in 1939 and was a tennis blue and captain of the University team. During the Second World War he served as a medical officer in the RAMC in India and Burma. In 1947 he started in medical practice in Ballater and went on to serve that community well until his retirement in 1977. He was a former captain of Ballater Golf Club and an enthusiastic curler. James Lawson Mowat (1915-16), M.A, Ph.D., died in Geneva in 1984 at the age of 85. He graduated in Arts at Aberdeen University in 1922 and five years later gained his doctorate. In 1928 he was appointed a translator-interpreter with the International Labour Office in Geneva and remained in that post until 1946 apart from the war years when he served with the Intelligence Corps in the Directorate of Military Intelligence at the War Office attaining the rank of major. In 1946 he was appointed chief of the Maritime Division of the 1.L.O. and thereafter was successively in charge of the Technical Assistance Division in 1952, the Special Research Division in 1954 and the Official Relations Division from 1958 until his retirement in 1964. His retirement was spent in Geneva, and for several years he was Club Consul in that city. Simpson Shepherd (1931-41) died suddenly at his home in Aberdeen on 9 November 1985. He was 59. A publican for many years, he had run the Ferryhill Tavern since 1979 and was previously proprietor of two other Aberdeen public houses, Royal's Bar and The Moorings. Before entering the licensed trade he served as a captain in the Indian Army during the partition of India and Pakistan. An unattributed feature in the Magazine of December 1947, "Glimpses of an Army Officer's Life—A letter from Pakistan", was, in fact, a letter from him describing the difficulties in keeping order and maintaining services during the period of misery and desolation in the Punjab. Robert Stewart Slessor (1927-29), O.B.E., M.B., Ch.B., died suddenly at Braemar on 8 July 1985. He was on holiday from his home in Spain and had been hillwalking when he was taken ill. He was 72. The son of Robert Alexander Slessor (1887-92), M.A., M.B., Ch.B.. D.P.H., he was a pupil at Frascrburgh Academy before attending the Grammar for his final years of schooling. In 1935 he graduated in medicine at Aberdeen University and for a spell before the war was assistant master at the Rotunda, Dublin, one of the world's leading gynaecological hospitals. During the war he served in the Royal Navy attaining the rank of surgeon lieutenant-commander and was mentioned in despatches for amputating a seaman's leg during a storm. He also served as a physician surgeon in a WRNS hospital. In 1945 he joined the staff of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and three years later he was appointed Senior Medical Officer of the Falkland Islands. Dr Slessor was on two Polar expeditions at the Antarctic, one as surgeon and one as leader, and became one of the few people to hold the illustrious Polar
76
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Medal, the only medal attached to a pure white ribbon. (The School is extremely well-represented in this roll of honour with medals having been presented to Robin Arthur Smart (1913-31) C.B.E.. M.B., Ch.B., Ronald Ian Lewis Smith (1946-60) B.Sc., Ph. D. and the legendary J. W. (Scout) Marr (1913-19), who accompanied Sir Ernest Shackleton to the Antarctic in 1921.) Dr. Slessor was stationed in Port Stanley for 22 years and received the Coronation medal and O.B.E. in recognition of his services. He retired to Spain but returned regularly to Scotland and was a keen hillwalker. John Harley Shirres Soutter (1925, 1933 -35) died on holiday in Ibiza, Spain on 16 June 1985. He was 65. After leaving school he served his apprenticeship with the engineering company, John M. Henderson, before serving with the Royal Navy during the Second World War. After the war he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy for three years and while there studied and qualified as a teacher. He taught in Schools in New Zealand until 1958 when he entered the hotel industry there. He returned to Scotland in 1961 to work for Allied Hotels, becoming manager of the Royal Hotel, Oban, for ten years. He then managed the Douglas Hotel, Aberdeen, for twelve years and the Gloucester Hotel in the city for a further two years before retiring at the end of 1984. John Redford Stevenson (1913-19) died on 9 March 1985 in Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, Toronto at the age of 81. He emigrated to Canada after leaving School in 1919 and spent his entire working life of forty-three years with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. He retired in 1963 having been a branch manager for twenty-six years. In 1965, while on a European holiday, he visited Aberdeen and became a life member of the Club. His widow reports that he greatly enjoyed the Magazine and read it enthusiastically. Colin )effcoat Stewart (1914-24) died at his home in Stevenage, Hertfordshire on 4 July 1985 at the age of 79. He had been ill for some time. His first appointment was with Woodall Duckham, Vertical Retort and Coke Ovens Ltd., and from 1939 until his retirement in 1968 he was in the engineering department of Imperial Chemical Industries, latterly in charge of central services in Plastics Division at Welwyn Garden City. In the 1920s he was a prominent member of the F.P. hockey team as was his brother William Neilson Stewart (1912 and 1919). A third brother, Hubert James Stewart (1906-12), died in July 1981. His widow, in a letter to the Editor, records that "the School and all connected with it were always important to him." F. Floyd Stott (1918-30) died suddenly on 25 May 1985 in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He was 73. In his early days he was very interested in Scouting and in 1930, when Cubmaster of the 1st Aberdeen Troop, was awarded the Cub Wood Badge by Baden Powell. Always a keen motorist he, in company with Eric Stott, entered the first ever Scottish Rally organised by the RSAC in July 1932. He was a member of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club and a most enthusiastic member of Osborne Lawn Tennis Club. In 1946 he and Andrew R. Abercromby joined forces and Abercromby & Stott, Stockbrokers came into being, incorporating his own business and that of David C. Gibson and Gray & Laing, which in due course became Parsons & Co. In 1971, two years after moving from Aberdeen to Crathes, he retired to
Abstract of Accounts for year ended 31 December 1985 Club Centre INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT 1984 £39,368 10,110 18,800 2,433 70,711
Gross Profit on Bar (Sales £98.152(I984 -1100,417)) Annual Subscriptions Gaming Machine Revenue (Net) Other Income
£23.400 10.957 8.621 444 8,974 4,213 1,516 1.191 1,196 2,800 7,303 730
Wages and National Insurance Rates and Insurance Heating and Lighting Telephone Repairs and Maintenance Donation to FP Club Other Donations and Interest Administration Expenses Stewards Pension Scheme Honoraria Miscellaneous Expenses, Cleaning. etc. Depreciation
£71.345 8( 634)
(DEFICIT)rSURPLUS FOR YEAR
67.186 £2,294
£ 5.175
FIXED ASSETS Furniture, Fittings and Equipment—At cost less depreciation
£4,400
£89.408 6,623 4,386 250
CURRENT ASSETS Loan Account —AGSFP Club Stock in Hand Sundry Debtors Cash in Hand
£69,480
CURRENT LIABILITIES Sundry Creditors Subscriptions in Advance Bank Overdraft
f26,431 3,945 10,861 £41,237
#45,634 £55,264 £60,439 6,000
58,818 (63.218 6.300
LESS: LONG TERMS LOANS
£56.918
£54,439
O0,372 44,067
£19,863 14,185 8.696 293 5.399 3.000 2.124 1.396 1.196 3.000 7.259 775
£89,408 7,580 2,817 250 £100,055
£100,898 £25,967 4,861 14,806
838.417 9.384 19.933 1.748
Reprelentea' by: CAPITAL ACCOUNT—Appeal Fund and Other Donations SURPLUSES
810,557 46,361 £56,918
£54,439
79
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
80
F.P. Club INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
1984 f2,526 1,330 742 924 4.213
282 162 £10,399 3,679
1,682 506 425 926
3.782 —
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 Working Expenses, including Honoria Loan interest School and Trophy Medals Capitation Grants Expenses of Visits to other Centres Magazine—Cost of Printing and Postages Corporation Tax
f2.220 1,622 744 1,873 3,000 409 168 f10,036 O.973 — 235 450 832 4.226 330
£11,000 £(
601)
£15,893 12,073 1,832 1,220 6,128 4,276 41,422 f3,493 1,304 £4.797
(DEFICIT) FOR YEAR TRANSFERRED TO CAPITAL ACCOUNT BALANCE SHEET HERITABLE PROPERTY—At cost less loans INVESTMENTS—At cost ROBERT G. WILSON BEQUEST MRS. ISABELLA GRANT BEQUEST SUNDRY DEBTORS CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND
Less: SUNDRY CREDITORS ORDINARY SUBSCRIPTIONS PAID IN ADVANCE
10,046 £( 10)
£16,123 14,470 1,860 1,013 4,846 2,565 £40,877 f3.298 1,105 4.403 36,474
£36,623
Represented by: £14,099 17,774 1,832
1,220 1,700 36,625
LIFE MEMBER CAPITAL FUND CAPITAL ACCOUNT ROBERT G. WILSON BEQUEST MRS. ISABELLA GRANT BEQUEST OTHER FUNDS
£14,140 17.761 1.860 1,013 1.700 (36.474
Amenities Fund INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
1984 £738 200 —
938 £904 25 £929
Interest from Investments (Gross) Donation 1984 Grants refunded
O36 200 85 f1,021
Grants made Honorarium to Treasurer
£800 25 825 .£196
£6,609 90 6.699
BALANCE SHEET INVESTMENTS-At Cost CASH AT BANK
£6,609 286 £6.895
Represented by: £6,609 90 £6,699
CAPITAL ACCOUNT REVENUE ACCOUNT
(6.609 286 £6,895
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