AGS Magazine September 1994

THE

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHGDL MAGAZINE

Volume 97

September 1994

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels opened in 1993 atter mak ulous planning to recreate the luxurious atmosphere of the original mansion.

Though fully designed to create the perfect balance between business and pleasure, the Marcliffe offers a range of facilities and services that represent the very best in Scottish hospitality.

The Marcliffe banqueting facilities are among the most elegant in Aberdeen. The fully air conditioned reception rooms may be used independently or in a variety of combinations. The Marcliffe can thus host every occasion imaginative from a cocktail party to dinner for 400 in the grand ballroom.

Located close to the the thriving commerce and industry of oil capital Aberdeen, yet designed to feel a million miles from work, this magnificent hotel makes business a real pleasure.

The 45 bedrooms offer 4 star luxury with a 5 star sense of hospitality. In keeping with our philosophy that little things matter, in each of the stylishly decorated rooms, a welcoming decanter of sherry awaits your arrival. As you would expect, there are also Satelite TV, radio, mini bar, tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer, trouser press and stationery. And because we don't like anything to get in the way of your enjoyment, most of them are tucked away unobtrusively.

You will find the same refreshing attention to detail in our Conservatory Restaurant too. No effort is spared by our chef and his team to provide the highest standards of presentation and service. The restaurant offers an excellent and varied range of menus designed to cater for all tastes, with outdoor dining on the patio a special feature at Pitfodels.

Complementing the restaurant is the library cocktail lounge which serves an appetising range of sandwiches and canapes—the ideal venue for pre dinner drinks or simply an informal get together.

From the beautiful landscaped grounds to the airy interiors with their generous windows, everything in this beautifully designed hotel evokes a feeling of relaxation.

Designed to give some indication of how the rooms might be used, this guide also provides essential technical information.

No brochure can however, illustrate the lengths to which the staff at the Marcliffe will go to accommodate your wishes.

0224 861000 or Fax 0224 868860

The Country Hotel in the City Owners: Stewart and Sheila Spence and Fundy.

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Atholl Hotel 54 King's Gate • Aberdeen AB9 2YN Tel: 0224 323505 • Fax: 0224 321555

T

HE Atholl Hotel situated in Aberdeen's residential West End has retained with its loyal clientele a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

All 35 bedrooms have private bathrooms and have recently been extensively refurbished to provide the highest standard of comfort.

The stylish Oakhill and Beechgrove Suites cater for all types of functions and conferences up to 60 guests.

The Hotel has a reputation for fine cuisine and excellent friendly service, and the personal ownership with an eye for detail and high standards, ensures your stay is one to remember.

Scottish Tourist Board 4 Crown Highly Commended Award

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IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU - We offer a 24 hour

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In addition we would be pleased to advise on any alterations to any of your existing services, utilising our years of experience in these fields to your advantage.

Don't throw this advertisement away, it costs you nothing to pin it to the wall — it can save you money.

For complete satisfaction — Combined Services.'

HEATING, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING

IV 'RICHARD IRVIN'

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THE PRINCE -

REGENT HOTEL

Privately owned city centre hotel with large car park.

Byrons Restaurant Bar serving meals and snacks throughout the day including breakfasts, morning coffees, lunches, afternoon teas, bar suppers and A la carte dinners. Sunday lunches. Children welcome. Evening meals begin at 5.00 p.m. (Sundays 6.30 p.m.)

Regent Room caters for seminars and small functions up to 30 covers.

Weekend breaks - Room rates substantially discounted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

A warm welcome awaits you.

20/22 Waverley Place, (Off Albyn Place) Aberdeen AB1 1XP Tel. (0224) 645071 Fax (0224) 648157.

SETTING THE DATE

Jafflkson Tarrty Jewellers in Aberdeen since 1733 142 Union Street. Aberdeen AB91GF Telephone 0224 641219

INSURANCE right here,

ADVICE in Aberdeen's Bon Accord Square,

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GLOBAL provides insurance and risk management advice

CLIENTS to industry, commerce and the professions

Bowring Contact Colin G. Taylor, Bowring Marsh & McLennan Ltd, 13 Bon Accord Square, Aberdeen AB1 2DJ Telephone 0224 577800

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"WITH EASTONS EVERY COMPANY IS A VIP"

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for iniertion

- LONDON, ' EDINBCJIIG GLASGOW, ANv ALL NEWSPAPERS. ' PROVLNOLkl. fur Iniertlou to the js. AL

oncsa also received 042111'1'X IIDII4B1.110311 D )LXH2T LONDON

Aberdeen.

very large A. . &MOOT. --4. School took ADVIDIVE GHAIIIi6 Grammar the cf pupils . a club old purpose of forinimy. gl‘thering of night for the School.

Mr Marlene' the intimated with place in connectionreotor. presided. and briefly' re, impson. the the club. IS was onanimonaly embody aU the interests the objects of °tub should ot work, the distinctions that solved under the ffi ceThe following o 'of the schoolfellows Morland in terconrse. :—President—Mr ames, end social elected ; bearers were University Scott Riddell; aboveeuromittee—from Sinipson; sice-president—Dr Findlay i Chrietle, and G. O. Gauld ; tary, Dr W. Mitchell, E.• Rae; J. Anthony •.I. —Messrs Kelly, Rev. Sleigh ; from senior nonAjniversity—Dr W. Me ;Harry L'inbitrgla ; and. A. Walker, .1: Bain, and bor—Siebers H. Sleigh ; elm officiate — Captain ; Gould O. footballG. ; Shin I tressuter, Christie, J. G. GilSeoretary, A. Bennet Liebbrandt, J. cominittee--J. Thomson.

Landers, and S..

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THE ADVERTISING AGENCY

1993 mEAFINs WALL Advertising • Design • Corporate Communications 7 CARDEN PLACE, ABERDEEN AB9 1PP TELEPHONE: (0224) 646311 FAX: (0224) 631882

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There are few certainties in life.

Your uniqueness is one of them.

Your well-being however, is not.

All the more reason to take the best possible care of yourself.

With pnvate care. managing vutir health can be as simple as managing your time. At St John Hospital. m Aberdeen, we're expert at both.

At St John Hospital we also have many leading specialists working with the most advanced medical technology available.

We offer a side and caned spectrum. of specialities from Gynaecology and Orthopaedics to PEISIK Surgery On top of this we understand that people need prompt individual attention and we ensure we have the means. the level of staff and the expertise to provide it There are few certainties in life.

Fortunately. one of them 6 the care of St John.

PRIVATE

Health Care FOR YOUR personal WELL-BEING

St John Hospital 21-24 Ally, Place Abates) 4B9 1RJ Telephone (0224) 596993 Fax (0224) 584797

Michael C. Hastie CHARTERED QUANTITY SURVEYORS, CONSTRUCTION COST CONSULTANTS

567A GT. WESTERN ROAD ABERDEEN AB1 7PA TELEPHONE: 0224 325000 FAX. 0224 312596 [

CAMPBELL CONNON Solicitors and Estate Agents 36 ALBYN PLACE, ABERDEEN AB9 IYU Telephone 0224-585585 Fax 0224-580766 We are an efficient go-ahead, modem firm of experienced solicitors who believe in putting our clients' interests first always and who will happily deal with Estate Agency, Conveyancing, Trusts and Executives, Civil and Criminal Court Work, Company, Commercial and licensing Law, Debt Collection, Estate and Property Factoring and Wills.

If you require any of these services (or other legal assistance), please contact any of John Hendry, David Morrison, Hamish Mitchell, Alan Smith (Partners), Frank Connon, Rae Barton and Margaret Ross (Consultants) who will be happy to assist you.

CAMPBELL CONNON Also at THE HALL, CHARLESTON ROAD, ABOYNE, ABERDEENSHIRE, AB34 5EJ Telephone 03398-86732 Fax 03398-87303

SANGS (BANFF) LTD. CAN OFFER A FULL RANGE OF BEERS, LAGERS AND CIDERS AT COMPETITIVE PRICES IN ADDITION TO SUPPLIES OF QUALITY SOFT DRINKS DELIVERIES THROUGHOUT THE NORTH EAST. IF REQUIRED - SAME DAY DELIVERY IN ABERDEEN AREA LET OUR SERVICE BE THE riKEY l'ITO YOUR SUCCESS FOR FURTHER DETAILS PHONE US NOW AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING 22 ST MACHAR ROAD. ABERDEEN. TEL: (0224) 276699 FAX: (0224) 276100

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SERVICE & PARTS DEPT. .41 Pillage Garage it e have the uery latest in technically advanced equipment. to maintain your ear to optimum performance levels.

Contact our service manager hell book vou in and if you need a loan car. he will help there too.

inane Garage Ltd. 352 North Deeside Road. Cults.

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A MEMBER OF THE JOHN CLANK MOM OF GOMM

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COLLINS HALDEN & BURNETT LIMITED Aberdeen's longest established locally owned broking house We transact all classes of insurance business including commercial and personal lines Our Associate Company

McHARDY & BURNETT (Financial Services) LIMITED is registered as an independent financial adviser and can attend to all your Life Assurance, Pension or Investment requirements

only at 6/7 BON ACCORD CRESCENT, ABERDEEN AB1 2DN Tel: (0224) 595014 Fax: (0224) 573583 Directors: A. Roy Burnett, ABIBB; J. R. McHardy, ACII, FBIIBA; Associate Director: A. A. McVey

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TOP MARKS AGAIN! As Scotland's leading independent builders' merchant and electrical distributor, we can look back on the last term with a great deal of satisfaction.

•

£200,000 extension at our Altens base

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Having done all our homework, we're sure our customers will agree that we're now in a class of our own!

William Wilson and Company (Aberdeen)Ltd. Builders' Merchants and Electrical Distributors Hareness Road, Altens Industrial Estate, Aberdeen AB9 2QA. Tel: (0224) 877522 Unit 4, Miller Street. Aberdeen AB2 1AN. 5 7 1 6 6 6 ( 0 2 2 4 ) Tel:

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• home visits available • bus routes to the door

185 George Street, Aberdeen ABTINX Tel. 0224 585774

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 110th. year No. 232 (New .Siries 99th_ year No. 223,1 September 1994

Vol 97

The Magazine is published under the auspices of The Fortner Pupils' Club each year General Editor

Derek A. Harley, M.A., Dip 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen AB1 6YQ

Editor of Notes, Obituaries and Marriages

Brian K. Crookshanks, 99 Fountainhall Road, Aberdeen AB2 4EB

Secretary of the FP Club

John F. Hendry, LL.B. 36 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB9 1Y12

Treasurer of the FP Club

John D. Murray, 11-B., C.A., 78 Forbesfield Road, Aberdeen AB1 6PA

LL.B.,

The General Editor and Notes Editor are happy to receive contributions for the next issue of the Magazine at any time before mid-May 1995 In order to assist the distribution of the Magazine, members of the Former Pupils' Club are requested to advise the Secretary promptly of any change of address.

Printed for The Former Pupils' Club at BPC-AUP Aberdeen Ltd

CONTENTS School Section— Rector's Report . .

School Office Bearers.

Extra-Curricular Activities School Prizes 1993-94

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FP Section— An Old Boys' Club . .

A Ten Years' Diary . . .

Out of Africa . . . .

Twenty Years in Diplomacy .

G.R.E.A.S.E. to St Kilda—June 93' A Career in Journalism . .

More Memories of Fifty Years Ago Former Pupils' Club Office Bearers Annual General Meeting . .

President's Report . .

Presidential Profile . . .

The Centenary Dinner .

The Centenary. Ball . . .

The Centenary Draw . . .

Boarding House Reunion . .

Reunion of School Leavers 1947-49

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Centre Reports— Club Centre, London Yorkshire . .

Canada . .

Edinburgh .

Highland . .

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Section Reports— Cricket . . . .

Football . . . .

Golf, Curling . . .

Hockey . . . .

Petanque, Rugby . .

Swimming, Women's Hockey

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Notes on Former Pupils.

Marriages . . .

Obituaries . . .

Abstract of Accounts .

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64 66 67 68 69 70 71 76 76 86

Illustrations— Centenary Photograph . . .

Head Girl and Head Boy . . .

School Prefects . . . .

School Musical Grease . . .

School Musical . . . . .

Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth British Youth Science Fair . . .

Mary Glasgow Language Trust Award New President is Installed . . .

Centenary Dinner Top Table . .

Presentation to Dick Cradock .

School Leavers 1947-1949 . . .

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Rector's Report As 1 review the past year of Aberdeen Grammar School's long history, I am glad to confirm that the picture is one of continuing educational success, being managed in a national climate of change.

After the wave of relief, gratitude and admiration for rebuilt parts of the school, one local disappointment has centred on the Language Block which houses 14 classrooms sadly neglected in terms of basic services, decoration and provision of equipment. Despite the occasional nostalgic comment from touring former pupils that this area is a "real school", much work has to be done, and its priority becomes more acute as time goes on. I am greatly encouraged by the prospect of this project being completed during the course of the current session, hopefully becoming tangible good news for next year's magazine.

Beyond the issue of accommodation, developments abound in education and I can honestly report our commitment to careful management of these, ensuring the success of current pupils as well as planning for the future. Standard Grade is now well established in S3 and S4, as is our inclusion of Work Experience and associated Careers education programme. National 5-14 strategies are being adopted on a phased basis and we had already been moving in the direction of changes proposed for S5 and S6 before the publication of "Higher Still". Our expanded pupil reporting system now operates throughout all stages and this is coordinated with Regional preparations for Profiling and Records of Achievement. Our first Records of Achievement were awarded this year to pupils leaving S4 and eventually will be presented to all leavers. For those leaving school, the annual Leavers' Ball was as successful and significant as ever. The Yearbook produced by our senior pupils has also now attained a high level of sophistication and status.

As the pupil roll has stabilised in recent years, the rate of staff change has diminished and we now have a normal equilibrium with changes occasioned by promotion and retirals, rather than by transfers. Sadly, we will be losing Mr. Allan, Assistant Rector, and Mr. Gelly, Principal Teacher of Geography, both of whom are retiring after many years of loyal service to the school. Earlier in the session, Mr. Hall replaced Mrs Brown as Principal Teacher of Music and several members of staff were appointed to promoted posts elsewhere.

The immediate agenda includes several all-pervading initiatives like Devolved Education Management and Staff Appraisal. As indicated in last year's Report however, changes and constants have to be carefully balanced. In terms of ethos, commitment and relationships between people, I am very proud of both staff and pupils. I very much appreciate all that is contributed to course work, examination attainment and to the wide range of extra-curricular activities which so enrich the educational experience. We look to the future with a confidence made more secure through the interest shown in the School by its former pupils, an interest so clearly expressed throughout the F.P. centenary year.

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School Section School Office-Bearers Prefects I-lead Girl. NIcoLA Fox Depute Head Girl- GILLIAN NISBF:r

Head Boy NEIL THORNTON Depute Head Boy: BARRY SHEPHERD S6 Prefects COLIN G. BALLANTYNE CAMERON G. M. BUTLER LAN J. CAMPBELL. ALISTAIR J. FOWLIE GRANT A. HAMILTON PHILIP F. HENDRY ERNEST E. HULLEY MATTHEW J. JEFFERS A. Ross METHVEN FERGUS C. SMALL $Corr R. Swat PETER STILL KEITH R. WILDRIDGE

SUSAN J. BARC1AY ROSEMARY A. COUTTS CHRISTINE A. FRASER All FFN B. GORDON IARISSA GORDON SUSAN T. GRANT ALISoN M. HALL SUSAN R. 1NKsoN FIONA LUMSDEN LINDSEY F. MASSON MICHELLE. MORRICE. LUCY J. PROCTOR ELIZABETH A. Ross SUSAN L. WEBSTER MORAG WISELY

S5 Prefects MICHAEL J. ARMSTRONG NICHOLAS FAIR CHRISTOPHER MCDERMOTT" STEPHEN F. PARRY STEVEN PORTER NEIL C. RENNIE NICHOLAS 1. SMITH THEO W. TRAYHURN

SARAH R. CLARKE KATHERINE. B. DOVE RUTH E. DUKES SUZANNE E. HARKINS YVONNE. R. HUDDART JENNY 1NGLIS ANTTA R. KoRUTH LoRNA L MASSON NAOMI TIIOMANECK

Colours Awards December 1993 Half colours: Football Hockey

Full colours: Half colours:

KENNETH McLAucHuN GAVIN HENDRY

ANDREW MILNE

ALISTAIR FOWLIE N woLA Fox THEO TRAYHURN CRAIG HOWIE

CHRISTINE. FRASER MORAG WISELY NEIL. RENNIE FloNA ROBERTSON

Rugby

Full colours:

BARRY SHEPHERD KEITH WITDRIIXTE

Ross METHVEN

Cricket

Half colours:

BARRY SHEPHERD

ANDREW WILSON

NICHOLAS SMITH MARTYN ANGUS

Ross MACKIE

March 1994 Halfcolours: Football

6

School Section Hockey

Rugby

School cap: Fa/ colours: Half colours:

NICOLA Fox NICOLA REID STEPHEN PARRY SIMON EARL ANGELA MATTHEWS ANNA ROACH

Full colours:

COON BALANTYNE

GRANT HAMILTON

FERGUS SMAIL CAMERON BUTLER NICHOLAS FAIR ANDREW FROST STUART PETRIE. NEIL THORNTON

STEPHEN DURHAM JAMIE FLEIT MATTHEW jEFFERS MICHAEL MASKEW ALISTAIR FOWLIF.

Half colours:

Swimming

7

Habr colours:

MARK EWAN Rum DUKES LEIGH-ANN ADAMS

CRIGHTON BAIN Junior Colours

Rugby Hockey

JAMES Gi I .C HRIST XAVIER MARSZAL jILLIAN BAIN PAMELA MCKAY

STEPHEN MURPHY FIONA CAMERON

Football

PATRICK °DRISCOLL

KEVIN STUART

Head Girl and Head Boy 1993-94

Nicola Fox and Neil Thornton

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Fourth row: Philip F. Hendry, Keith R. Wildridge. A. Ross Methven, Nicholas I. Smith, Ernest E. Hulley, Suzanne E. Harkins, Peter Still, Theo W. Trayhum, Ian J. Campbell, Nicholas A. Fair

Third row: Sarah R. Clarke, Ruth E. Dukes, Alison M. Hall, Michael J. Armstrong, Christine A. Fraser, Larissa Gordon, Anita R. Koruth, Christopher McDermott, Susan T. Grant, Katherine B. Dove, Steven Porter

Second row: Lucy J. Proctor, Lindsey F. Masson, Naomi M. Thomaneck, Aileen B. Gordon, Elizabeth A. Ross, Fiona Lumsden, Jenny Inglis, Susan J. Barclay, Susan L Webster

Front row: Morag C. Wisely, Susie R. lnkson, Michelle M. Morrice, Gillian A. Nisbet (Deplete I-lead Girl), Neil G. Thornton (Head Bei), Mr. W. J. Johnston (Rector), Nicola M. Fox (Head Girl), Barry J. Shepherd (Depute Head Boy), Lorna L. Masson, Rosemary A. Courts, Yvonne R. Huddart

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Extra-Curricular Activities Girls' Hockey The girls' 1st XI hockey team this year consisted of 12 dedicated players of which five were sixth year, these being Christine Fraser (Captain), Nicola Fox (IleeCaptain), Morag Wisely (Secretary), Nicola Reid and Fiona Robertson. These girls and all the team members contributed towards the Grammar's most successful team ever.

They celebrated a year of successful matches winning all trophies in local competition. In the North Senior Tournament final beating Gordon's "A" 2—0, and in the long campaign of the North Knock-Out Cup, everyone contributed to the results with an overall victory over Albyn in the final of 6-0. In a close competition in the indoor final, two well fought goals resulted in a triumph over Gordon's.

These local successes found the team representing North in both the Scottish outdoor and indoor finals. In the outdoor cup, Grammar lost to George Heriot's but beat Strathallan and Marr College to gain a semi-final spot, where they faced Glasgow High. After a closely fought 30 minutes the scoreline was 2-2 resulting in a penalty shoot-out. Unfortunately Grammar lost and Glasgow High went on to become the eventual winners.

In the indoor finals the Grammar team just missed a place in the semi-finals after a closely fought section in which we drew with Penicuik, beat Rannoch and narrowly lost to Glasgow High.

These results reveal that the 1994 girls' 1st XI were one of the top teams in Scotland both indoor and outdoor, a credit to their hard work and determination.

Girls representing North District at U-18 level were Christine Fraser, Nicola Fox and Morag Wisely. Nicola Fox achieving further honours by being selected to play for the Scottish U-18 side and with Christine Fraser on stand-by for the squad.

The following girls were also selected to play for North District U-16 team: Leigh-Ann Adams, Emma Kidd, Sari Johnston, Jenny McFadyen, Angela Matthews and Anna Roach. Angela Matthews was also selected to attend a Scottish Trial.

Thanks go to the dedication of the team members, to Rhona McLennan for umpiring and a special thanks to the coach Mrs C. Welsh. I would also like to wish future teams all the best of luck.

Boys' Hockey First XI The season began in September with a league fixture against Gordon's "A". The result was a 1—0 defeat but the potential for the rest of the season could be seen.

The team contained a healthy mixture of young and senior players, and as the season progressed, these players began to get together. A number of very good performances resulted in league victories over Westhill (twice), A.G.S. 2nd XI (twice) and lastly M.B.C. "A".

The victory over M.B.C. "A" was particularly memorable as this was the first defeat M.B.C. had suffered for four seasons. Goals from Alistair Fowlie and Simon Earl ensured a 2—0 victory. The team produced some fine performances during the season with particular credit going to the younger members of the side. The league programme was incomplete however, but a satisfactory set of results was achieved: P W D A L F Pts 12 8 6 0 2 15 6 A.G.S. 1st XI The last part of the season consisted of a series of games against public schools.

These were not so successful as our league games but a 4-1 victory over Edinburgh 9

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Aberdeen Grammar ,School Magazine

Academy finished the season off well. Good performances in the early part of the season ensured that Alan Thornton and Peter Williams played in the Inter-District U-16 Tournament representing the North District. Outstanding performances also ensured that Neil Thornton and Alistair Fowlie played for the successful North U18 team in the Inter-District Tournament. These performances merited an inclusion in the Scottish U-18 Squad. The season finished with Alistair Fowlie top scorer with 13 goals (12 more than last year) and quite a few players managing to appear on the score sheet.

The team for next season looks to be promising with Theo Trayhum, Craig Howie and Neil Rennie being able to use their wealth of experience to the team's advantage. They will be ably backed up by a number of promising players including Stephen Parry, the Guyan twins and especially the incredible pint-sized Mark Ewan.

Thanks go to Mr. Swanson for his hard work and encouragement throughout the season and also Mr. Gaiter's helpful advice at training.

Good luck for next year.

Second XI For the new season the second team got a new look in the form of a set of new tops. This improved the team's looks and made us look like a team, if not playing like one! We then bought training tops which completed the look. I would have liked the season to start as well and to an extent it did. We started with a defeat which we did not mind too much as the first month of getting the teams together are always hard. It took about four weeks to settle the team down to a regular 14 boys, and even then there was swapping of players with the first team, which cannot be avoided. The boys played well, all trying hard to achieve a first team place and to some better results. They played well as a team, with some outstanding team results all season. One sweet victory for us came in the run up to Christmas with a superb 4-1 victory over Gordon's "B". This game was played in the heaviest rain I have ever played in, and we all came off the field soaked to the skin and very cold, but thoroughly happy with the result. This was a game that, for me, showed the best of how the team could play together, with brilliant performances from many of the players resulting in a number of boys going to play in the first team.

The season was a very• enjoyable one, and perhaps the team did not win that many games, but we were usually very happy coming off the field as we had done our very best on the field, and as long as they continue with this attitude the team will not be downtrodden for a long time. The team spirit was brilliant.

I would like to say that all of the players played well, and it would be unfair of me to single out one or two players, so what I will do is to list the team below: Sean Riorden, David Coutts, Paul Craig, Michael Niel, Andrew Patullo, Stuart Duthie, Darren Pinto, Rupert Daly, Philip Hendry, Euan Pirie (Captain), Darren Rose, Douglas Carnegie, Niall Pirie, Martin Guyan, David Guyan, Andrew Terry, Scott Smith and Jody Hall. I apologise if I have missed anybody.

Rugby 1st XV Thanks to Mr. Adey's efforts, the school senior side participated in competitive rugby for the first time in a number of years, this season.

We started gently, with a couple of easy victories over Mintlaw and Mackie, but took on more earnest opponents later on in the season. These opponents came in the form of fifteen human battering rams, or Kingussie High School as they are known. Thanks to an excellent first half performance in this North School Cup quarter final tie, we came out victors 22-14.

The team knew it had escaped defeat, and we were very• happy indeed to have

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won. Our semi-final tie would be even harder—Nairn Academy. On a wet and windy Wednesday afternoon Grammar were victorious. Thanks to some resolute defending, penetrative midfield attacks and a drop goal, we qualified for the final with a 15-9 scoreline.

Before preparation began for the North Cup final against Millburn Academy from Inverness, we had a meeting with Glasgow's finest, the ubiquitous St. Aloysius.

This game was for a place in the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup, which was a big incentive for the team. Unfortunately, we were defeated, but our pride remained intact with a Cameron Butler try under the posts. The final score was 31-7, but we can take comfort in the fact that St. Aloysius were eventual runners-up in the competition.

So to Elgin Academy, the neutral venue for the North of Scotland Schools Cup final. We took a busload of supporters with us—a real inspiration to the side.

Countless training sessions headed by Mr. Adey were hopefully about to pay off.

Against the wind in the first half, we were 12—0 up thanks to tries by Fowlie and Butler, with one conversion from Methven.

The second half was a real rampage, which saw Grammar run in tries from Thornton (2), Fowlie, Butler, Shepherd, Small and Hamilton, which were all converted by Methven. Try of the game was most definitely Fergus Small's. The ball was taken on by the backs, and then held up in the midfield. The forwards were quick to the breakdown, and recycled quickly where it was taken on again and again by the pack, culminating in Fergus's dive for the line.

Thanks must go to Mr. Adey as without all his time, effort, dedication and persistency, the team wouldn't have won anything, never mind the 15-a-side and 7-a-side double. So, for old time's sake, what do practice and preparation prevent?

Squad Members: Colin Ballantyne, Fergus Small, Andrew Frost, Jamie Flett, Euan McFarlane, Stephen Durham, Keith Wildridge ( Vice-Captain), Barry Shepherd, Nick Fair, Ross Methven (Captain), Michael Maskew, Neil Thornton, Ali Fowlie, Grant Hamilton, Stuart Petrie, Antoine Armond, Michael Armstrong, Euan Davidson, Matthew Jeffers, David Tate and Ernest Hulley.

Minors Rugby Before Saturday 28 August 1993 only four of the new first year had experienced rugby football. The Former Pupils run games and practices on a Sunday at Rubislaw giving boys from 5-14 years the opportunity to play this marvellous game, and gain valuable playing experience. With the help of these experienced players we began a series of games and practices to organise the fifty hopefuls into three teams to represent the school. All these boys played for the school through to the Christmas break. The first and second teams played on until the end of the season.

The season got off to a good start with the first team returning successful from a long trip to Nairn Academy. Many hours of effort by the players and Mr. Adey managed to maintain this winning standard all through the season. One of the most memorable games was beating Robert Gordon's playing up hill with the half-time score 7—0 to them. Another highlight of the season was winning the North of Scotland Schools Seven-a-Side Tournament without conceding a single point.

All of these victories would not have been possible without the effort of Mr. Adey. Thank you. The players in training and practice generated an amazing team spirit which we all enjoyed and can look back on with pride.

Players who represented the first team: Simon Small (Captain), James Walshe, Keith Moir, Jonathan Booth, Dermot Cameron, Jonathan Martin, Chris West, John Greet, Tim Wraight, Callum Graham, Kieran Symons, William McCrae, Andrew McCurrach, Denis Conway, Mark Calderwood, Peter Torrance, Peter Chilton, Neil Cockhead, Iain McKenzie, James Cochran-Barnett, Steven Scott, Euan Hosie, Christopher Ogboke, Rory Proctor, Robert Arthur (Vice-Captain), Calum Morrison, Ross Harper, David Brown, Ewan Rossiter, David A. Brown, Iain Wylie, David McCurrach, Scott Goldie.

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Aberdeen Grammar Srhool Maga#ne

The Senior Football Team After the success of the year before there were high hopes that we could emulate the previous year's team. The first game didn't go to plan. We dominated the whole of our first game against Kincorth, but failed to score. So we ended up rather disappointed with the 0-0 draw.

In our second game we defeated St. Machar, the eventual winners of the league, by four goals to one.

Throughout the season the only team that got in our way was Northfield. They managed to knock us out of the Scottish Cup in the First Round, then defeated us in the Quarter-Final of the President's Trophy and also ended any chance of us claiming the league title by beating us 2—0.

We did save at least a little pride by defeating St. Machar in the Semi-Final of the Regional Trophy by four goals to three in what was by far our best performance of the season with goals from Callum Fraser, Barry Shepherd and Gerry O'Driscoll (2). That set up a final meeting with Banff High School. We thought that we could maybe take something out of our season by winning at least one trophy.

We managed to open the scoring only to be pulled back by a goal minutes later.

Banff then took the lead early in the second half. With approximately 10 minutes left we managed to score the equaliser through Gerry O'Driscoll. We had given ourselves a very good chance of winning. But, those hopes were soon quashed when Banff scored a third goal, to make the final score 3-2.

We may not have managed to win anything this year but we have high hopes of doing great things next season as most of this year's team will almost certainly be staying on at school.

The squad was: A. Wilson, A. Fates, N. Smith, R. Mackay, S. Fowlie, I. Hodgins, R. Methven, M. Angus, J. O'Driscoll, A. Milne, G. Hendry, B. Gracie, B. Shepherd, C. Fraser.

Charities Group It seems appropriate that the year that has seen the wheel turn a full circle should be a record year for the Charities Group. What I mean by that is that we have been in existence for six years now and this sixth year saw us donate a record total to different charities, local, national and international.

It does not seem that long ago that this year's Office Bearers, Gillian Nisbet, Ruth Dukes, Aileen Gordon and Nicola Reid, turned up to our early meetings full of ideas and enthusiasm. These fine stalwarts progressed over the years to be the driving force of our movement through to this year's record year.

One in particular, Gillian Nisbet, was very forthright. The Fashion Show, a new venture for us which raised over £857 for Bamardos', was Gillian's idea. A couple of us "stick in the muds" voted against the idea when first mooted. But meetings are democratic if nothing else. Plans went ahead. Those of us initially sceptical were right about the work—there was a lot involved but no one can dispute what an excellent evening and resounding success the show was. Gillian rallied local traders, staff, pupils, models, costume suppliers, to such stunning effect. In the face of such determination, as ideas bubbled throughout the rest of the year, I learned to keep my mouth shut!

It sounds glib and bland to report how we run Discos and a Tuck Shop at intervals and on other occasions. To say so casually does not reflect the hard work that goes into providing a confectionary service for the school community. A lot of people, and on occasions the same few people, have been very loyal and diligent in this part of our activity. This year, with advice and support from Mrs Sutherland of the Home Economics' department, we branched out into the healthy eating market with our expanded range of lines on sale.

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A major initiative this year has been the school's sponsorship of Oumou Cessay in the Gambia, Subarea in India, Sunday James in Uganda, Kyamana Nyami in Kenya, Ilerlinda in Peru, and Aijaz in Pakistan.

Staff and pupils have responded magnificently to the four-year sponsorship scheme which is organised and managed by the Charities Group. At the moment, from year one we have excess revenue to cover the months when there is no collection such as holiday times. Some pupils have written to the child their year group is sponsoring. At the time of writing, over £1400 has been collected in sponsorship donations. Some classes have responded with phenomenal generosity.

We are grateful to them and hope it continues.

The A.G.M. elected the following Office Bearers to continue our work in 199495: Ruth Dukes, 5/5, Chair Jane Paterson, 5/1, Vice Chair Anne Duffty, 5/5, Thai-firer Nicholas Fair, 5/2, Secretary.

They can assuredly rely on the continued support of the dependable Mrs Arthur of the Geography department and many more of the teaching staff. Ron Foulger and his excellent Janitorial Tcam are also to be commended.

So farewell to Gillian and the rest of your contemporaries who have given six solid years to our Fund raising. We wish you well.

Donations: £300 Grampian Behavioural Modification Scheme £300 Scottish Bosnia Appeal £150 Instant Neighbour £150 Aberdeen Association for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals £300 Lepra £424.20 National Children's Home £200 Cornerstone Community Care £400 Oxfam £105.58 British Heart Foundation £857.09 Bamardos' Combined Cadet Force Sqn. Ldr. R. J. Nugent, B.Sc., RAFVR(T) This year's report must start with a tribute to the work of Sqn. Ldr. Nugent. It was a great blow to the cadets that he had to resign as a result of being transferred to another school. Over the years, 16 to be exact, he has worked very hard to provide a programme of activity for many children at the school at the same time allowing an insight to the work of the armed forces. Without his efforts those children would not have had the opportunity to gain such an experience. As a result of his encouragement cadets from the school have gone on to join the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force which is a fitting tribute to the work he put in. His long service was recognised by the award of the Cadet Forces Medal. All the officers and cadets wish him well in his new surroundings and hope he will continue to be a regular visitor to the cadet hut.

Report of the past year With the departure of Sqn. Ldr. Nugent there has been some degree of shuffling amongst the appointments of the adult staff. Flt. Lt. David Wallis has taken over as the Contingent Commander, Fig. Off. Harvey Pole is the officer commanding the R.A.F. Section. Lt. Barry Fraser is the officer commanding the Army Section.

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Aberdeen Grammar &boat Magazine

The other commissioned officer on the staff is Flg. Off. Tim Rolfe who at the moment is taking a year out as his work has taken him to the Falkland Islands. The section also continues to enjoy the help of civilian instructors.

A varied programme continues to be provided by the section officers. Some notable points are as follows.

Both sections took part in a day's weapon training at Black Dog ranges. As a result several cadets gained various shooting badges.

A mixed team took part in the Captain Park memorial trophy at Bridge of Don Barracks, where they came a creditable third. The competition involved various tactical and adventurous activities.

Some cadets had hoped to go ski-ing earlier in the year in preparation for a competition but this was called off due to a lack of snow.

Four cadets went to R.A.F. camp at R.A.F. Cranwell during the Easter holidays, where they took part in an exciting programme of activities including work experience with different R.A.F. branches. They also had the opportunity to fly in Chipmunk aircraft at R.A.F. Newton.

Flg. Off. Pole took six cadets for a weekend of activities at Rhynie. They were accompanied by a member of the Cadet Training Team from Bridge of Don Barracks.

A small group of officers and cadets went to join with cadets from other units for a weekend near Banff. Again they were accompanied by the Cadet Training Team.

Looking ahead, both the Army and R.A.F. sections have summer camps arranged for the first week in July. The Army are going to Cultybraggan and the R.A.F. are going to R.A.F. Lyneham.

Community Work Experience With "care in the community" being a topical issue when we began sixth year, it seemed appropriate that we should be given an opportunity to see what this meant and if indeed we could become involved. Mr. Gaiter informed us that there were two establishments, near to the Grammar School run by Cornerstone, which cares for people with learning difficulties. We therefore decided that with Games not being compulsory in sixth year, those pupils who wished could spend Wednesday afternoons in the company of the residents from either Westfield or Stevenson Court.

Our initial visit to Westfield comprised of an introductory discussion with a member of staff, regarding ways in which we could spend these afternoons. Following this we met Bob, Jimmy and John, residents with whom we were to befriend.

The twelve afternoons which we spent at Westfield found ourselves doing a range of different activities. It was soon discovered that colouring was Jimmy's favourite past time, while John preferred to paint. Bob however was more content to sit and chat to us about his interest in Hollywood film stars. Walks to the park, watching television and craft work proved to be enjoyable activities, although baking truffles on the last day was probably the most enjoyable of them all—especially the end product!

We both feel that this has been an invaluable opportunity to integrate with people whom we otherwise would never have met. Not only have our communicative and caring skills been developed, but we have also made three new friends. In conclusion therefore, we would recommend that any sixth years to come, if given the chance should become involved in this venture, which will hopefully continue to flourish, as everybody involved stands to gain from this experience.

Lucy Proctor Susan Webster

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Computer Club The Computing Club meet every Thursday in the Computing Department from 3.35 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. The club has around 20 members from both first and second years although we do have a few members from the present third year.

The activities the pupils have been involved in consist of firstly designing and producing Advent calendars using a Desk Top Publishing package. Other activities involved using graphics packages such as Draw, Paint and Revelation to design Christmas cards and pictures. More recently the club have been working together on a game called Crystal Maze which is based on the popular series on Channel 4.

This game encourages team work and ensures that they use their initiative to the utmost The third years have been working on using the Smart boxes which are used to control various sensors. By programming the computer the third years have been able to control objects such as light, sound and pressure sensors in all kinds of different ways.

The aim of the Computing Club is to let the younger pupils gain more access to the computers in a fun but educational way.

Face the Music—Musical Production In a fascinating contrast to last year's production of Smike, set in an English public school, it was concluded by the Junior Dramatic Society now renamed "Face the Music", that this year's school musical would be Grease, by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, a story of teenage love, cars and Coca-Cola set in an American High School. Frock-coats, canes and real ale were moved off the props table to be replaced by leather jackets, baseball bats and Budweiser .

It was easy in Smik.e for the talented young group of actors to look bored, unhappy, and orphan-like, yet it was soon realised that acting wholesome, happy and full of American vigour was not quite the same thing! Another motivating factor was that there is a quite well known film based on Grease, and people had something with which to compare this production.

Of course, the cast overcame such worries, and by the opening night, it was almost as if real American teenagers were on stage. Angela McBain (S5), in the female lead, was infinitely superior to Olivia Newton John in her portrayal of Sandy, the shy swot, turned teenage temptress, and Grant Davidson (S5) was far betterlooking than John Travolta as the chiselled-cheekboned Danny, the Burger Palace boys' gang leader. The Pink Ladies: Rizzo, Nicola Fox (S6); Jan, Emma MacAuley (S5); Marty, Clare Fraser (S5) and Frenchy, Louise Baird (S5) were both nonchalant, poignant, and funny in their roles whilst The Burger Palace Boys: Kenickie, Colin Ballantyne (S6); Sonny, Ross Methven (S6); Doody, Kevin Crombie (S4) and Roger, Fergus Smail (S6) managed to combine brawn and Adonis-like good looks with admirable comic timing.

Of course, the rest of the cast made the show with their all-singing, all-dancing, all-smiling characterisations, which set off all the leads and added an air of authentic (almost) Americana to the proceedings.

The stage crew, mainly made up of sixth year pupils, and the lighting and sound crews, were all magnificently marshalled by Mr. Brian Gordon and Mr. Les Hutton, the wardrobe was astutely assembled by Mrs Sheilagh Belford and Miss Fran Tomlinson, Mrs Moya Cromar was again in charge of props and Ms Mary Allard took care of the cash.

Above all else, thanks must go to Shonagh Dunbar (S4) who managed to juggle choreographing the show whilst also playing the role of Patty, Miss Julia Fowlie as musical director whose band made up of pupils and Stephen Branston, a returning former pupil, were inspiring every night and last, but by no means least, Miss Janet Adams without whom none of the above could ever have happened.

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.•lberdeen Grammar .klinol Magazine

School musical Orate, March 1994

"The Burger Palace Boys" Fergus Smail, Kevin Crombie, Ross Methvcn, Grant Davidson, Colin Ballanivne

F.:xtra-CularAgritifier

"We Go Together"

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Aberdeen Grammar livid Alaga#ne Senior Dramatic Society Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off

This year's Senior Dramsoc production revolved around a satirical view of an historical period. May ,Queen of Scott Got Her Head Chopped Off by Liz Lochhead, portrayed the events of the sixteenth century, spanning the reign of Queen Elizabeth the first and exposing the intense rivalry between her and her infamous cousin Mary (Queen of Scots) for the right of succession.

This production was especially enjoyed by the sixth year contingent; not just because it was the last Dramsoc show for those involved, more due to the relationship cultivated between the cast and Mrs Wood throughout the previous year's rehearsals and production of Blood Ireekkag. As a result, the cast were all familiar with one another and with the director's way of working—making it easier for everyone to get on with one another—and also making it possible for the principal actors/actresses to develop their acting skills over the years. It was, therefore, with a degree of sentimentality that we ended our years as members of Dramsoc—all, however, agreeing that "Mary etc" had been an excellent play with which to conclude our time with Dramsoc.

Due to the episodic style in which the play was written, it relied heavily on the

Lisa Clift (left) as Mary Queen of Scots, Susie Inkson (►ight) as Queen FIi,aheth. principal characters (played by Susan Webster, Lisa Clift, Susie Inkson, Louis Murray, Peter Still, Euan Pirie)—all members of sixth year. Character switches were effectively handled—helping to express the humour of the play. In order to avoid confusion over the rapid scene/character changes, Liz Lochhead made the use of a narrator to fluently balance the story. Susan Webster, who played the part of La Corbie managed to hold the play together while juxtaposing the comical element with the often harsh portrayal of the crow. The play continued to contrast the elements of humour and darkness; such as through the scenes between Knox and Mary (played by Peter Still and Lisa Clift) compared with the company's unanimous favourite, "Rumplefyke" in which the farcical relationship between Bothwell and Bessie (played by Louis Murray and Susie Inkson) is portrayed.

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These abrupt scene changes were enhanced by the versatile and creative costumes, for which we are deeply indebted to Mrs Nicholson, Julie Brown and Pauline MacLeod. Despite the chorus' incessant complaints about the many parts to their costume, which they blamed for making them late for many scenes (although we know otherwise), we feel it was the simplicity of their costume—to which tabards and capes could be added—that enabled them to take on new characters so easily.

Special thanks are also due to Rebecca Currie for her excellent designs and creation of the costumes for La Corbie and Queen Elizabeth—for whom versatility had to be considered in order for the character changes. Unfortunately, the "ingenious" use of hat pins to convert Elizabeth to a child or maid—by pinning up the skirt— caused Susie no small amount of grief. Other than the obvious problem of them falling out on stage (when not in use) and being retrieved by "helpful" senior citizens—numerous minor lacerations developed on her legs over the week of the show. After days of perplexed musing, Susie realised just how unclever an idea it really was. (Despite this, she is still grateful to the costume department.)

Hand in hand with costume comes make-up, which due to the historical setting was very important. A professional job was done by Rebecca Currie, Rosemary Coutts and especially Elizabeth Ross for her "award-winning" Queen Elizabeth make-up job.

Th... props were sublime and symbolic and were the result of Pat Wood's imaginative and innovative directing. One of the most effective props was the daisy which was ritualistically decapitated at the end of every performance to symbolise Mary's execution. These props were, once again, expertly crafted by Mrs Cromar, ably assisted by Miss Ramsay. Again, they were essential to the development of the play as they helped to enhance the mood that was being portrayed, such as the humorous utilisation of many of the props by Lindsay Masson in "the mummers" scene, or to aid its geographical setting.

Also imperative to mood and setting were sound and music, which were deftly handled by sixth year pupils Andrew Moore, Simon Fogiel and Aaron Fyffe—who was also responsible for the slide projection. Responsible for the three follow spots were Rebecca Currie, Elizabeth Ross and Susan Grant—who deserves a special mention for the professional handling of the situation on the second night of the performance when the other two spotlights blew.

Somewhat dubious praise goes to Ernest Hulley, who was a fantastic prompter— when he was not needed—and vice versa, especially when he let a full minute lapse before bothering to prompt. In fact, no--he did not bother to prompt at all.

Despite his general uselessness, we are all grateful for the hours he put in—and for giving us many hours of laughter. Only joking Ernest, "yon wis great".

We mustn't forget the work that went on outside the show, such as Maxine Petrie's business management, Susan Grant's programme and poster design, the somewhat reluctant front-of-house from Aaron Fyffe and the filming by Neil McElhinney and former pupil Paul F. Savage. Finally the production was bound together by the slickness of the stage manager—Stephen Clark—who deftly dealt with the pram and tarot cards (much to La Corbie's relief).

Of course, none of this etc etc . . . the staff and especially Mrs Wood to whom we are eternally grateful for her lively and imaginative concept of the play. Due, perhaps, to the small cast, we found the play a pleasure to work on—especially towards the end, and often found ourselves rehearsing particular scenes just for the fun of it. We also found that working on the play helped to draw together people from various social groups within sixth year, resulting in camaraderie within the cast and crew. As a result, the sixth years involved clubbed together to buy Mrs Wood a crystal ashtray as a token of our respect and gratitude for her tireless energy and devotion towards creating a production which we—in our final year of school— will remember with fondness and pride.

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.-lbrrdem Grammar.School Maxatme

Stagecrew and Actors of Senior Dramatic Society

Bark row (left to right): Euan Pine, Selena Fuller, Susie Inkson, Susan Webster, Lisa Chit, Louis Murray, Peter Still.

Seated Lee-Ann Stephen, Caroline Begg, Hamish Webster, Emma Blwydden, Stephen Clark, Kevin Land, Francesca Graham, Donna-Marie Gilmour, Ernest Hulley and Mr. Johnston (Rector, giving some encouraging words.)

Music Department Despite diminishing budgets the music department has managed to retain an enthusiastic team of instructors teaching brass, strings, woodwind, percussion, piano, guitar and recorder. Classes also have access to an Atari computer with music software, and a multi-track tape recording system.

Courses running from 1994-95 will include modules in Sound Recording for pupils in S5 and S6. These courses can lead to degree courses which combine for example music with physics, maths and computing and prepare students for careers in the music industry. Music is no longer only for orchestral musicians and in fact they have the greatest struggle of all for job prospects.

We are currently building towards our next public performance, scheduled for the Autumn term 1994. That concert should include choir, orchestra, concert band, jazz orchestra, string quartet, guitar group and various soloists. With the exception of the concert band these groups will be newly formed. They are part of a long term development where the main impetus will come from the younger musicians.

Judging by their enthusiasm the future looks bright!

We cannot of course mention music without mentioning the Mod. Once again our Gaelic Choir entered and achieved well deserved success. In closing we wish Anne Brown who retired as Principal Teacher in 1993, all the very best for the tremendous effort and support she gave over the years to so many young musicians, whether the medium was instrument or song, and similarly whether the language was English or her well loved Gaelic.

Extra-Curricular Activities

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Northsound-Hydro-Electric Quiz, 1993 Our team, Neil Paterson and Anne-Marie Davies, S6, Ruth Dukes S4 and Steven Paterson, S2 reached the final of the competition and were narrowly beaten by Cults Academy.

The runners-up prize of f1000 was donated to Richmondhill House.

Northsound-Hydro-Electric Quiz, 1994 This year's team, Neil Thornton, S6, Ruth Dukes, S5, Steven Paterson, S3 and Stuart King, S2 were winners of the competition.

The prize money of £1000 will be donated to our charity, Cornerstone (£500) and the school (£500). Cornerstone is an Aberdeen based charity which provides housing and support to people with learning difficulties, in the North East.

The team now goes forward to compete in a final involving teams from Moray and Tayside. These radio stations organised similar events to the one in Aberdeen.

The team thanks Mr. May for attending to all arrangements.

School Magazine (Little Fluffy Clouds) This session has seen the resurrection of the school magazine in the form of Little Fluffy Clouds. Our main aim has been to provide an interesting and entertaining magazine that would appeal to pupils from SI to S6 (though we hope some staff, parents and F.Ps may also have enjoyed it). In order to appeal to as wide a range of pupils as possible, we have ensured that contributors range from 1st year through to 6th year. Having said this, some contributors are more prolific than others, and it is one of the 6th years, Peter Still, who has been responsible for much of the material in the first two issues of Little Fluffy Clouds. Luckily for us, Peter has also found time, despite his impending exams, to write for the third issue of Little Flub Clouds due out at the end of the session.

Though we tremble to contemplate what Little Fluffy Clouds will be like without Peter, we are heartened by the fact that stalwarts such as Nick Thomson (a young satirist in the making) and Gareth Klose (technical and production manager) have both sworn to dedicate themselves to the production of Little Fluffy Clouds next year.

•

Scripture Union Group After taking over from Mr. Cranna (Maths Dept.), Jayne Lindsay (F.P.) and Denise Milne (F.P.), Ann Stott (S6) and myself have lead the group for just over a year now. We began by visiting our main feeder Primary Schools S.U. Groups.

These visits were highly successful and we were helped by Jayne and Denise. For the past year we have been meeting in Mrs Walker's room, E4. During the year we have had visits from Jackie Rigian, the S.U. school's worker for Grampian and this year's S.U. Reachout team. After an enjoyable Christmas Party there was a slight drop in attendance due to both Ann and myself being out of school on study leave and being unable to hold meetings. To boost our numbers we have recently changed the format of our meetings. Since Easter we have met in M2 where we play a mixture of secular and Christian pop. About half way through we show a video which puts across some part of the Christian message. We let people wander in and talk to them about Jesus. As both Ann and I are leaving this year our new leader for next year is Adam Phillips (S3). We would like to thank all those who have helped us over the past year and we hope the group continues for many years to come.

22

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine A.G.S. Young Amnesty

•

Tuesday lunchtimes in Room RE2 has very nearly seen a complete change of faces at our meetings. We are a younger than ever Young Amnesty. Kerrie Bavidge of S2/2 took over as chairperson just before Easter and with Kerrie came a new treasurer, Andrew Innes of S2/6, and a new general assistant, Claire Mennie of S2/5. The committee greatly appreciates the efforts of all the members of the group, which now consists of 14 regular attenders.

After months of preparation and numerous delays we finally managed to hold our popular "Livewire" rock concert in October of last year. The money raised from this, together with money collected from 1992 and 1993 Christmas card sales, has proudly been donated to Amnesty International and this last year saw us give them £600. At the moment, we are, with the kind assistance of Mr. F. Boag, P.T. of our Art Dept., trying to select a winning design from our current Christmas Card Competition. The lucky winner will be presented with £50 worth of vouchers for a shopping spree of their choice. We hope that this new design will help us to surpass the sales numbers of the previous cards we produced. The group is increasingly active and for the first time in some years we are sending two members to the annual National Young Amnesty Conference which this year is being held in Edinburgh. We look forward to their report on the event.

We are also building a small library of books, videos and Education Packs, which we hope will have a wide use throughout the school. Already, the Modern Studies Dept. has shown interest in our materials. We all continue to write our letters to assist prisoners of conscience who are being ill-treated, tortured and sometimes murdered or simply who have "disappeared". This is our main work and this year we have responded to over 30 requests to write to as many countries protesting their disconcem for human rights. Police chiefs, judges and politicians, including not a few Presidents have heard from us. We continue in our efforts and we hope to go from strength to strength over the next year.

Mr. Ian Forbes, who, helped us previously, and who left for Cults Academy in October 1992 must be thanked, a little belatedly, for all his efforts in keeping our group going. Mr. W. Hardwick replaced him in January last year and continues to give guidance to the group. We thank him and the other members of staff who also helped during the interim period.

Young Enterprise Report

by Stefan Coiling, Managing Director The Young Enterprise Company from Aberdeen Grammar School this year is called Maple. Maple has been principally run by eight fourth and sixth year pupils of the school. These pupils have received a lot of support and useful advice from Gavin McEwen, Lynne Terry and Lynne Martin of our support organisation, Coopers and Lybrand. We have also received help and encouragement from all of the schoof staff, especially Mr. Boag, Mr. Garden and Mr. Johnston.

Maple has been very successful this year in more ways than one. Firstly we have been financially successful and now that we are winding up our business we are paying our shareholders back their initial investment plus a 12% final dividend. We made our money by selling Calendars and Diaries containing photos from around the school and information of important school dates over the next year. We also provided posters for the school's production of the musical Grease.

But the more important success is in the experience and knowledge that all of us, the achievers, have gained over the past year. We have all developed skills which will help us greatly later in life.

This year's achievers are: Lindsey Masson, Susan Grant, Nolene Taylor, Louisa Stratton, Gillian Maycock, Jenny Milton, Kevin Crombie and Stefan Coiling.

Lx1ra-Cumailar Activifies

23

School Social Functions 1993-94 Two social dances have been held this session. In October, the mid-term dance for fourth, fifth and sixth year pupils was well attended. Manson Grant and the Dynamos delighted the dancers with a wide range of music to suit everyone.

At the end of March over two hundred fifth and sixth year pupils and staff attended the outstandingly successful and spectacular Leavers' Ball. The Rector, Mr. Johnston, welcomed the company at the dinner and The Redcoats provided the music for the dance which followed.

Organisers, Mr. May and a committee of S5 and S6 pupils, are now planning the events for the forthcoming session. They appreciate the support of Mrs Moncur and Mr. Adey (dancing lessons), Mrs Shand (accounts), Mrs Thorpe (flowers and decorations), Mr. McLeod and colleagues (photography), Mr. Foulger, Dining Hall Staff, and, all the S4 girls who were waitresses at the dinner.

British Association Youth Section (Science Club) 1993-94 has again been a busy and exciting session for our young scientists.

In September, the British Association for the Advancement of Science selected, at the London finals, the Chemistry project carried out by Paul Murray, S6 (199293), to represent the U.K. at an International Science Fair in Germany. The judging panel made up of industrialists, engineers, scientists and teachers were very impressed by his research work.

In March, Judith Ross, S6, like Paul, gained the Lucas Industries Award at the London finals, organised by the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

Judith's project involved an investigation into the feasibility of using near-infrared spectroscopy to measure blood analyte concentrations non-invasively. The judges were highly impressed by her work. The competition took place at the Natural History Museum.

This is the third year in succession that Chemistry• projects have competed in the finals.

Judith Ross, S6-British Youth Science Fair, sponsored by Lucas Industries (photo in Natural History Museum).

24

_Aberdeen Grammar School Magatim

Throughout the session Club members have enjoyed attending the Grampian Schools' Scientific Society meetings, covering a wide range of topics, at King's College.

Club organiser, Mr. W. May, is very pleased with the interest shown by all members and recent successes in competitions.

European Awareness and Modem Languages Primary Project Background For many years, Aberdeen Grammar School has offered Primary 7 pupils a choice of either French, German or Spanish as the Modern Language component of the S1 and S2 curriculum. The choice is made by the P7 pupils and their parents.

The unique Modern Languages project was initiated for the 1991-92 session to provide a more informed choice for the pupils when selecting the language they would study. The increased significance of informed choice was anticipated with the implementation of the "Languages for All" policy and also the importance of 1992 and the high profile given to European Awareness in education. The scheme began in 1991 in association with the five feeder primary schools: Skene Square Primary Gilcomstoun Primary St. Joseph's R.C. Primary Mile End Primary Ashley Road Primary.

The AIMS of the project have been to: 1. Increase European Awareness.

2. Inform pupils regarding language choice for S1 by providing taster lessons in French, German and Spanish.

3. To encourage cross curricular links on a European theme.

4. To promote Primary/Secondary liaison.

Organisation A senior teacher from the Modern Languages department, Mrs Joyce Tease (qualified in French, German and Spanish) was timetabled to visit each Primary school on a rota system. Each P7 class received four forty minute lessons in each of the languages offered at secondary level.

Activities were fun based and integrated with the on going "European" work of the P7 class. Project work and some cross curricular activities with the Home Economics, Music and Art departments expanded the European theme in the classroom.

We also involved the three Foreign Language Assistants when possible. By the end of each set of lessons the pupils had acquired a knowledge of the "sounds" of the language and were able to say some basic communicative phrases.

Evaluation The project has now run for two years and all the schools involved felt it was a great success and that our aims were not only met but exceeded. The culmination of the project was a major exhibition held in May 1993 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre by Grampian Regional International Project (G.R.I.P.). All the schools involved provided a poster display of their "European" projects and links have now been established with Primary schools in France and Spain. A link has also been established with our neighbours the Total French School. The reactions of the pupils to the lessons was one of great enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment.

In January this year the project was given national recognition by the Mary Glasgow Language Trust, by being the only school in Scotland to receive an award for a Modern Languages initiative.

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26

_-lberdeen Grammar School Maga#ne

Parent-Teacher Association 1993-94 has been another interesting and active year for the Grammar School P.T.A. with their involvement, along with the staff and pupils, in many of the school events.

The main occasion this year was a second very successful "Evening With Granny Smith" held during February in the school hall with almost 150 staff and parents enjoying an excellent evening's entertainment. A bar and raffle helped not only the atmosphere but also provided a valuable contribution to P.T.A. funds.

Expenditure this year has contributed towards insurance costs for the school activities week and improvements to the sound system layout in the school hall, the committee have also agreed to pay for the school's corporate membership of the National Trust and Youth Hostel Association. Other projects include the provision of seat belts for the school mini-buses, however a decision on this is dependent on the policy to be adopted by Grampian Regional Council and possible Government legislation.

The "200" club continues to generate a good flow of cash and the monthly prizes have recently been increased to £15.00, £10.00 and £5.00 with larger payouts each quarter, all this for just a £10.00 annual membership.

Once again the P.T.A. committee thank all those parents, staff and pupils that have assisted and supported us during the past year, especially those who regularly give up their time to provide refreshments at the various activities and events.

School Prizes 1993-94 The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Biology The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Chemistry The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Computer Studies The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Geography—Equal The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Geology The Former Pupils' Club Prize—German The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Home Economics The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Modern Studies The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Physics The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Religious Studies The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Spanish—Eq ual The Former Pupils' Club Prize—Technical Subjects The Samuel Pope Prize in Art The Arthur L. McCombie Prize in Art History The John Muir Robertson Memorial Prize in Business Studies The Gordon McMinn Prize in Computer Studies The Masson Bain Prize in English The Brebner Award in French The Charles Alexander Walker Prize in History The Jenny C. Archibald Prize in Home Economics in S4 The Campbell Connon Price for Local Studies—Equal

Anita R. Koruth Ian J. Campbell Steven Porter f Nicholas I. Smith Stephen F. Parry Simon A. Earl Mark Alexander Paula D. Feam Fergus C. Smail Christopher McDermott Susan L Webster f Naomi M. Thomaneck 1 Ruth E. Dukes Rowan Risby Susan T. Grant Patrick J. Alexander Susan J. Barclay Steven Porter Ruth E. Dukes Aileen B. Gordon Mark Alexander Jemma E. Richmond

{

Stephen F. Parry Neil G. Thornton Ross M. Martin Christopher McDermott

School Prizu 1993-94 The Derek Stewart Memorial Prize in Mathematics The Alexander Thomson Prize in Mathematics in S3 The Hamish Adams Greig Prize in Mathematics and Science in S5 The J. Mortimer McBain Prize to the best Mathematical Scholar in S5 or S6 The George G. Whyte Prize in Mathematics in S6 The Gavin Falconer Memorial and Former Pupils' Club Prize in Music The Dr. J. Minto Robertson Prize in Shakespearean Studies Thc Alastair G. Simon Memorial Prize in Spanish in S3 Thc Patrick W. Scott Shield for best recruit in the Combined Cadet Force The Aberdeen Grammar School Dramatic Society Award for outstanding contribution to Drama —Equal The Sir). J. Robertson Award for outstanding contribution to the School Magazine—Equal

27 Daniel C. Fenn Gareth S. K. Klose Christopher McDermott Christopher McDermott Simon Fogiel Alison M. Hall Patrick J. Alexander Sophie L. Hobden Claire B. Lumsden {Susan R. Inkson Susan L. Webster Lisa Clift Peter Still Gareth S. K. Klose Robert J. Dunca.1 I Kevin F. Crombie Nicola M. Fox

The Dr. A. A. Cormack Prize—Equal The Philip Love Trophy The English .Speaking Board Awards

Senior Grade I

Roderick F. D. Gauld Lindsay Mcintosh Senior Grade II Diane Smith Senior Grade Ill Joanne Timmins-Carey Selena Fuller Certificate in Spoken English for Higher Education Emma Blwyddin

Credit Credit Distinction Credit Distinction Credit

Drama Shields

Playmaking—Senior I —Senior II The Aberdeen Grammar School "Face The Music" Award for an outstanding performance in the School's musical production

Roderick F. D. Gauld Sarah J. Christie {Nicola M. Fox A. Ross Methven Colin G. Ballantyne Fergus C. Smail

Sports Awards Badminton

Junior Champion Runner-up to Senior Champion Senior Champion The Neil Meldrum Inter-house Rugby Trophy—SI - Byron The Former Pupils' Inter-house Rugby Cup — Byron

David M. Mitchell John G. Mitchell Marie A. Rourke Euan A. Hosie A. Ross Methven

28

.Aberdeen Gretsmear Seboo/Magavire

The Former Pupils' Junior Rugby Cup —Byron The Former Pupils' House Hockey Cup —Melvin The Junior Hockey Cup for Girls —Byron The Isobel 0. Anderson Medley for proficiency in Swimming The Girls' Cup for Swimming The Rector's Medal for Swimming The Dr. Morland Simpson Cup for Swimming The Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' Club Rugby Football Section Trophy The Colours Committee School Cap Goff Scratch Champion and Winner of the McCombie Trophy The David Alexander Irvine-Fortesque All Round Prize in S2 The Norman Mackie Memorial Prize in S3 The Former Pupils' All Round Award in S3

—Equal

The Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' Club Certificate of Merit

The Former Pupils' Club "1965" Prize for the greatest contribution to the life of the School The Runner-up to The Former Pupils' All Round Trophy for Girls—Equal

Jonathan A. Watt Craig H. Howie Claire N. Parslow Crighton G. Bain Suzanne E. Harkins Crighton G. Bain Alison M. Hall Andrew Frost Nicola M. Fox

Alistair J. Fowlie Julie A. Patullo Ryan S. Cumming

f Hannah Smith Sophie L Hobden Susan L. Webster Morag Wisely Cohn G. Ballanty-ne Barry J. Shepherd Neil G. Thornton Nicola M. Reid

f Nicola M. Fox Gillian A. Nisbet

The Runner-up to The Former Pupils' All Round Trophy and The Agnes Durward McDonald Prize The Former Pupils' All Round Trophy for Girls The Former Pupils' All Round Trophy and John No Dawson Prize

A. Ross Methven Christine A. Fraser Fergus C. Smail

School Prizes 1993-94

29

The Phil Love Trophy 1994 The basic aim of the Phil Love Trophy is to recognise personal achievement by a pupil or pupils from the school in the pursuit of activities beyond the classroom.

As in previous years the school is proud to record the success which many pupils have gained in a variety of different fields. Indeed it is often a list which makes the choice of a recipient for this award a difficult task. This year the person who emerges at the top of the list as a most worthy and deserving winner is Nicola Fox. It is in the sport of hockey that Nicola has excelled. Through her skill and dedication she has had her talents recognised and rewarded at school, club, district and international level. Most of her spare time is taken up by either playing hockey or training to maintain the highest standards. For Nicola this has resulted in both personal satisfaction and a great feeling of achievement and for the school it has meant a great feeling of pride in what she has done. Over the years in school she has gained junior, half and full colours and this year the award of a school cap— the highest honour for performance in sport and something only awarded to a few people of merit. She has also played for the District Under-16 and Under-18 sides as well as the Club District sides at Under-16 and Under-18, both in indoor and outdoor teams. When the District Under-18 team won the District Tournament, Nicola was, in fact, the vice-captain of the side.

But it is perhaps at National level that Nicola can claim her greatest achievements, She has been capped to play for her country at both Under-16 and Under-18 levels.

Without doubt this record of recognition is something which has been the result of a level of dedication and commitment which has required Nicola to devote time to all aspects of such involvement, not least the travelling which is necessary to a variety of venues. It is to her great credit that she coped with all this whilst not only being vice-captain of the School 1st XI Hockey Team but also Head Girl of the School. Indeed Nicola has been active in many aspects of School life and its activities and found time, somehow, to take a leading role in this year's school musical and drama production.

Nicola is therefore to be congratulated on winning this award and it is pleasing to record that as well as playing for the f.P. Club 1st team it is her intention to help coach the Aberdeen Grammar School 1st year pupils next year.

Aberdeen Grammar School senior teacher Joyce Tease pictured with pupils (from left) Roddy Gauld, Kyle MacMillan, Lucy Brown, Tanya Walch, Dana Ho and Chris Kennedy who beneritted from an innovative project that won a f,1000 award from the Mary Glasgow Language Trust. The scheme teaches three foreign languages to primary seven pupils and the prize money will be used to fund further studies.

30

.-lhrrdern Grammar School Maga#ne

An Old Boys' Club "A gentlemen's club" is a phenomenon peculiar to the gregarious British and particularly the Southern English. No other country has so many clubs. Sheridan, the playwright, said at the beginning of the last century that to try and define its nature negates the existence of a club. It provides an atmosphere of equality that cultivates individual eccentricities and where a member can be seen in his true light, for better or for worse.

There are only a scattering of studious members in a club and the topics discussed, amongst others, include current political affairs. Sheridan felt that book and literary• clubs were the most boring.

Although the club concept got impetus in Roman times with Cato and the Spartan Clubs which developed out of an original group of fifteen, it was not until Queen Anne's reign that they blossomed, with a reported number of five hundred in London. They originated with Dominic Saunders and Edwards, English merchants in Turkey who wished to prolong their coffee-drinking (as in Turkey) in London 1652. Gambling became associated with these coffee houses that provided "common tastes for the chosen few". They provided the early hotels for the privileged classes.

In the writer's hey-day in London, some quarter of a century ago, there were about seventy such "top" clubs clustered mainly in the St. James area.

There are different categories, but each is unique, varying from the intimate to the impersonal. The quality of a club depends on its committee. They have been built on prime property sites. The Athenaeum Club has its own library.

But the existence of these bastions for the traditional privileged depends on the social order. Thus, one of the writers' clubs, the National Liberal off Whitehall, has been largely converted into an expensive hotel under Scottish and Newcastle Breweries. The most expensive membership used to be that of the St. James' Club and the City of London Club. (In a test case, membership fees cannot be claimed against income tax.) White's Club was formed as a gaming club in 1693, one year before the Bank of England, by an Italian who died in 1711, leaving a fortune to his wife.

"Blackballing" is less vicious now than it used to be for an entrant proposed by two members, and tipping is forbidden. A detailed constitution with rules govern a member's conduct.

Having outlined some of the historical and constitutional natures of the Club, it is now pertinent to relate this to a local "Olde Boys' Club", Aberdeen Grammar F.P. Club, but before this a brief sketch of the Grammar School might be appropriate.

Aberdeen Grammar School ranks amongst the oldest in history of the nation's schools and older than many of the English Public Schools, including Winchester.

Records indicate that Thomas de Bennum was Rector of the School (in 1262), then run by the Town Council in Schoolhill, in the shadow of the Town's Kirk of St. Nicholas. Its small premises were repaired by the Town Council in 1737 and Lord Byron from Gordon, the poet, spent three years attending the School from 1795.

It transferred to the Skene Street site in 1883 when a Primary School Department was set up until this was dosed, amid public furore, in 1971.

The formidable rector, Sir James Robertson, was succeeded by the rather "weak" stop-gap of J. V. Skinner and, for the first time, girls were admitted as pupils to the School in 1973. The Socialist-dominated Town Council changed its name to Rubislaw Academy, but public pressure and particularly the Olde Boys' Club revoked this to its original name in 1977. It remains a comprehensive and senior secondary co-educational school for the west side of Aberdeen City. The 1986 fire destroyed much of its historic interest and records. It is seen that this School, for over seven hundred years, provided the scholastic educational framework of the "budding young gentlemen" of Aberdeen. Indeed, it has been said that Aberdeen University has been dominated by Old Grammarians and Old Gordonians.

.4n Old Belt' f .1mb

31

Aberdeen Grammar School F.P. Club celebrated its centenary in 1993 with several social activities, reunions, a grand lottery and a special postage stamp devised by a former pupil. It owed its origins to the pioneering work of the new rector (rather than "teacher"), H. F. Morland Simpson, a Northern Englishman, who had taught in Edinburgh. He pioneered education at the Grammar until his retirement in 1920.

Sixty-two Old Boys established the Club on 11 September 1893, but by the end of the year their number had more than doubled. The first Honorary President was the Principal of Aberdeen University, Sir William B. Geddes. By 1910, membership had reached 1,000; seventeen years later, 2,000 and the high-water mark of 2,309 in 1949. The initial subscription was one shilling, but this has escalated now to L;75.00 for life-membership.

Set up for fulfilling the social and athletic interests of Old Boys, the Rugby Section is the oldest. "Donny" Innes, pupil from 1923 to 1935, subsequently captained the Scottish team and his original rugby jersey can be seen in the backwall museum of the current Club premises. Set up in 1917, the Cricket Section was Scottish champion in 1948, 1962 and 1990. The Hockey Section, established in 1911, came into its own in 1946 and a women's section was formed in 1986. Golf in 1947 and soccer in 1988. Other sections have included curling. petanque, tennis (between the wars), gymnastics, drama, motoring and eventually swimming, in 1964.

Some of these activities took place on the Rubislaw Fields, launched with £1,100 from the F.P. Club in 1914 and finally opened with its War Memorial Pavilion in 1924. Another of Simpson's dreams materialised in 1923 with the unveiling of the Lord Byron Statue.

The first centre of the F.P. Club outside Aberdeen was established in London in 1908, then Glasgow (1930) and under Lord illness in Edinburgh in 1933.

Offshoots were set up abroad in Shanghai, Malaya and in Canada. The Old Boys' Consular system was set up in 1921, but has now shrunk considerably from its previous level of fifty consuls internationally. The F.P. Club invested L1,000 in 1928 to set up the Boarding School at Nos. 6 (for juniors) and 8 (for senior pupils) Queen's Road, but this closed in 1956. The current premises of,the Grammar School F.P. Club are in a large detached house at 86 Queen's Road, bought over from a former pupil in 1969. Facilities include a comfortable lounge-bar, a gaming annexe, television room, committee rooms, catering facilities, a snooker room in the attic and a basement disco area.

The F.P. Ball, now held in the Beach Ballroom, is one of the highlights of the Aberdeen social calendar at the end of every year, and speakers have included Eric Linklater, the writer, and Morland Simpson's son, Dr. Douglas Simpson, historian and former University librarian. In its Centenary publication, the F.P. Magatine has advised on the careers and developmental stages of former pupils, the finances of the Club, activities of its societies and offers character-sketches of the current prefects of the School. Membership of the Club, typically and predictably declining somewhat in recent years, is open not only to Old Grammarians, but to others and also to women.

So much, then, for a sketch of the Aberdeen Grammar School F.P. Club in its relationship generally to the School and in its relationship to the peculiar phenomenon of the British Club. The question remains posed as to whether or not there remains a role today for "An Old Boys' Club". Prominent academic opinion is that John Major's short-lived Prime Minister's concept of a "classless society" remains a myth (e.g. two out of five of the top jobs in the Civil Service, in the Treasury• and Trade and Industry Departments and associated knighthoods, come from Baliol College, Oxford and Peterhouse, Cambridge. There are no "black faces" amongst the top four hundred and under one in twelve posts are occupied by women.) The Old Boy Network persists. There is no major London Labour Club. Group Therapy and role-enactment for Boarding School Survivors can be found opposite Golder's

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Aberdeen Grammar.School Magazine

Green Station. The Club provides a good social and sporting centre at the cost of perpetuating a rather fixated, adolescent camaraderie.

So, perhaps the above article has stimulated the reader to ask if he wants to join, or indeed resign, from an "Old Boys' Club".

Ronald Andrew Skene (1961-63), M.A., F.S.A.(Scot.), Consulting Room, 332 The Hardgate, Aberdeen, AB1 6AS A Ten Years' Diary (Ronald Skene on a decade as an independent practitioner in the oil capital ofEurope)

A local octogenarian minister comfortably esconced by the Church of Scotland believes that emotional distress and mental illness reflect "demonic possession"— to which a psychiatric colleague of mine replied that he "charges a large fee for exorcising demons!" Be this as it may, it does epitomise the dilemma between religion and psychological medicine as to how to tackle and manage emotional disorder.

This can be seen historically in the case of the many odd persons considered as "witches" at the end of the 17th century. The last "witch" was burned in Sutherland in 1733, but it was not until 1952 that the British Parliament finally abolished The Witchcraft Act. My aim in this article is to outline some of the impressions formed over the past ten years since I returned to "Dreich, Grey Granite", "The Oil Capital of Europe", as an independent clinical psychology practitioner. My lineage may well qualify me for this job, as one of my clan chiefs, buried in Skene Kirkyard, was considered a wizard, and Mollie Skein's husband from Foveran was hanged in the Castlegate in Aberdeen for witchcraft in 1693.

To outline my training, after a background in the general arts and sciences courses at Aberdeen University, I took an honours degree in General and Experimental Psychology with Social Psychology under the late Professor R. W. Pickford of Glasgow University. Secondary modem schoolteaching and social work experience gave way to a training in clinical psychology in mental handicap, adult mental illness, a psychodynamic training and national practical experience and academic teaching.

With regard to psychology, there has been no generally acceptable, apt definition of what it is, it having vacillated between philosophical and theological bases to neuro-physiological experimentalism. Generally, 1989 British figures for those reading a Higher Education Course in Psychology would indicate a substantial decline in its popular interest relative to that taken in the 1960s. Of the total qualifying in psychology, only about one fifth pursue further lengthy training to become qualified clinical psychologists in the N.H.S. Clinical psychology probably originated from its diagnostic role with Second World War casualties and has been described as "the science to psychiatry•". Thirty per cent of the population have been estimated as benefiting from some form of psychological therapy.

Psychiatry is a speciality of medicine and has traditionally emphasised the physiological basis in this country, as it has in Germany, Russia and South America. It developed as an art when witch-hunting ceased.

By inclination and training, I emphasise therapeutically a broadly psychodynamic or Freudian explanation of emotional distress. It provides an erudite framework on which to build a therapeutic programme. But I am persuaded that a more humanistic, existentialist approach is pertinent in therapy, as the social interpersonal bases to the clients' distress remain paramount. Thus, brief, integrative, focal psychotherapy is often the approach of choice and I present the client with my

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formulations of the aetiology of his current distress. He chooses whether to explore relevant past traumas or to be reconditioned into how he would wish. The particular emphasis is on his experimenting philosophically in the current social situation.

This approach is arrived at through the fact that I have found only a small proportion of my clients suffering from some psychiatric text book's classical definition of a mental illness or "disease".

The nature of the clients who have consulted me over the past ten years might be mentioned. Ethnic nationalities have included North and South Americans, Arabians and some have commuted from Glasgow and the North of Scotland.

There has been a slight predominance of male clients. The age range has been from 4 years to 69 years, with a mean age in the early 30s. One third may be considered as "financially dependent", including children, senior citizens or the unemployed, and about an equal number have attended or continue to attend other medical specialists. I have never, as yet, had to resort to admission in the local mental hospitals, whose history might be considered as developing predominantly over the past 100 years and whose University Chair of Mental Health was established in 1946.

To mention my experiences, as an example, working within the medical psychiatric diagnostic frame of reference, I find my cases present themselves as not dissimilar from those within the N.H.S. Mental Health Services Out-Patient Clinic.

One quarter of the clients, predominantly self-referred (only 5% being medically referred), present with an anxiety neurosis that is often phobic-orientated and about an equal number as "depressed". An additional 10% have problems of a psychosexual nature and about an equal number feel they wish help to assert themselves socially more comfortably. About 10% of my clients seek marital counselling and about an equal number have a weight problem or a desire to give up smoking. The remainder present as habit or personality disorders or with alcohol-related problems, and only a small percentage might be considered as suffering from some milder form of an "insanity".

About twice as many than would be expected come from the local oil industry with its associated emotional stresses, particularly to non-British citizens suffering from some degree of "cultural shock": (I wrote an article four years ago in the Scottish Humanist about the nature of the problems of such "oil casualties".)

These "diagnostic labels" are arrived at through the initial interview and assessment of the client and his symptoms, investigation of how his personality has been constituted and specifically through ascertaining how he construes his current difficulties in the present social context. In about 10% of the cases, counselling the client about these findings is effective therapeutically. But the point is that, for the remainder, the client chooses his own mode of psychological therapy. This shortterm, focal therapy can be either by investigating past traumas as related to the presenting symptoms, or actually changing a behaviour pattern or developing a new social niche for the client to explore the possibility of working out his own salvation.

I remain convinced that practising psychology professionally, therapeutically, reflects a social function, and that mental illness or handicap remain sociological definitions. The predominant problem lies in the clients' relationships. Thus, if he so wishes, the "oil casualty" can be pointed ways to a better social niche in Aberdeen.

Western religion has generally disbanded its pastoral role of explanation or guidance for those with emotional or mental problems. But, there has never developed any real surrogate for the "witch-doctor" or psychology practitioner.

The above outline of the writer's role as an independent psychology practitioner in the oil capital of Europe might have clarified the nature of the presenting problem and record my philosophical and therapeutic orientation that has generally been found to be effective on follow-up Ronald Andrew Skene (1961-63), M.A., F.S.A (Scot.)

34

Aberdeen Grammar .Sibool Alagatine Out of Africa

"Out of Africa, always something new", said Pliny around nineteen centuries ago. He knew little of the existence of an Africa south of Egypt and the Mahreb.

But South Africa today and its peaceful revolution—its its novae—bear witness to the truth of old Pliny's adage.

Change has been swift and tremendous. A governing Afrikaner minority has negotiated its way out of command; the majority has negotiated its way into a new constitution; about twenty-one million people have just voted; and the country, this huge, diverse country•, has come together again after four and a half long decades of grand apartheid.

We, Jillian and 1, came to Pretoria at the beginning of 1993 for what will probably be a four-year posting. We knew the city already, and had asked—in fact campaigned—to be posted here. This was because our last job abroad was in Zambia, the old Northern Rhodesia, around a thousand miles to the north. Living and working in Lusaka, in the period 1986 to 1990, we had seen at first hand exactly what the confrontation between South Africa and its neighbours meant the distortions in normal life and business, and the human costs. I have a curious but vivid recollection from around the middle of 1986 of standing in a Zambian field in the middle of nowhere behind President Kenneth Kaunda and an Army general as they inspected a round object, about the size of a grapefruit, which had just dropped from the skies; it was an unexploded anti-personnel device, directed against who knows whom. I was glad that nobody chose to kick the wretched thing. But that is how things then were in Lusaka, a dreary state of affairs which was all too familiar to Zambia and the Zambians.

My job was to talk to the largest South African liberation movement, the African National Congress, whose headquarters in exile were in Lusaka. This meant getting to know their leaders, or at any rate some of them, and listening to what they had to say about the future. In early days, it was suggested to me by a young South African leader that I ought to "find out who is this ANC". This seemed to be good advice, for to us it was plain that our interlocutors were going to be part of the eventual solution to the problem of South Africa, and that thereafter they would be part of the government of a post-apartheid South Africa. And so it has proved.

We had a lot in common with these South Africans. For a start, there was the historical depth of the British relationship with South Africa (to my mind symbolised by the statue of Jan Christian Smuts, Boer War General and member of the 1914 Imperial War Cabinet, in Parliament Square in London, one of only two foreigners to be so honoured; the other is Abraham Lincoln). Very many British people live in South Africa; and many South Africans came to live in exile in Britain. Less visible are the British ideas and values which have penetrated this country•, not least the influence of the Kirk on kindred Afrikaner spirits and on black mission education alike.

Lusaka presented real challenges: for although we all wanted to bring an end to apartheid, we did not always see eye to eye as to how this should happen. We were attacked on the issue of sanctions. We in turn attacked the so-called "armed struggle". British tabloid headlines around the time of successive Commonwealth conferences (at which South Africa was invariably "the issue") used to make bleak reading. I suppose the diplomat's job in a situation like this is to speak frankly, to look for common ground and to transmit home as fair a picture as he can of what he sees. At any rate, that is what we tried to do. Our farewell party in Lusaka took place on the day after F. W. De Klerk unharmed the ANC and others and on the thirtieth anniversary of Macmillan's "Wind of Change" speech.

Four years later on 27 April came election day. Nobody I know who went to the polling stations, and saw the mixed race queues shuffling towards the ballot boxes, was not moved by the sight. Jillian and I went to see the action in Soweto and in Mamelodi. There was a tangible sense of South Africans doing something in

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common for the first time in their history. The voting paper—an elaborate affair featuring nineteen parties, including the Kiss Party, the Soccer Party and indeed the Dikwankweda Party—was the great leveller of citizens: one each, and one cross.

Of course Nelson Mandela won, and acknowledged victory' with some dignified toyi toyi-ing, a huge smile and a speech announcing that he meant business. His principal rival, De Klerk, had earlier conceded defeat in the speech of his life, transcending politics and aspiring to true statesmanship. But the most symbolic event of all came at the end of Mandela's inauguration as President, in the shape of a flypast by the South African Airforce. As this former instrument of oppression appeared in tight formations over the horizon, it brought a flag-waving crowd of 50,000 (mostly black) to its feet, simply bursting with pride and joy. Here were breathtaking, euphoric moments. They would have seemed inconceivable at the start of our time in Lusaka eight years ago.

A greater contrast with our first two postings, in Hungary and Romania during the Cold War (1977—81) would be hard to imagine. We rarely had personal contact with politicians of any note; politics happened behind closed doors, in the arcane recesses of the Communist Parties; secret police spies were everywhere, or at least thought to be everywhere, and trust was a commodity in short supply. We made a few friends, but our life was much more Embassy centred than in Africa. Film nights (the pre-video era) and amateur dramatics were staple fare. Yet central European life behind the old Iron Curtain had a sense of mystique and romance which may fall away now that these countries are accessible to the tourist invasions from the West. It helped to be able to speak Hungarian and Romanian (though my Hungarian teacher, an emigre poet, used to lament the effects of Communism on the language, and especially on the length of the sentences of the interminable ideological statements: "but then", he would reflect, "they have to be long; that' have so much to explain").

What does it all achieve? It is difficult to set objectives in this kind of life, because it is not easy to measure success in any very tangible way. Who, for example, can say what influence a particular conversation may have in influencing a foreign interlocutor or a foreign government's decisions? The British contributions to what has been done in Eastern Europe and Southern Africa will be for the history books to judge. The latter was above all a South African achievement, painstakingly put together in negotiation by former antagonists, but with more than a little help from their British friends. In personal terms, we have been lucky to witness the end of the story of apartheid, and the new beginning, at two different times and in different settings. And we have felt privileged in the friendships we have made.

The Grammar has produced its fair share of diplomats, an interesting reflection on a profession supposedly dominated by gentlemen born south of the Thames and educated at Eton and Oxbridge. I am not sure why this is. There might be a clue in any features which this contribution has in common with Donald Lamont's: but although Donald and I occupied adjacent seats in Primary VII, I do not remember any joint understanding that our respective futures lay in the Foreign Office (as it then was). Nor can my career choice have had much to do with Aberdonian canniness, for I can recall being perfectly fooled by Harold Gudim's claim, made in an RE lesson during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, that a hydrogen bomb had exploded in Havana harbour. There was of course exposure to foreign influence at the Grammar, again in Primary VII with a Nigerian student teacher, and also a German who brought the house down with the observation that "essen" meant "to eat a lot"; and then most memorably and imaginatively in the 1964 visit led by Donald Hawkesworth to Regensburg.

But I suppose the true debt of most of us to the Grammar is wider and more obvious than any of this; it simply lies in the teaching and the teachers, in my own case principally the teaching of Latin and Greek by Tarzan and Bob Brown. What a pleasure it is to acknowledge the fact, thirty years on.

Sandy Hardie (1954-63)

.1/w-dem Grammar School Magazine

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Twenty Years in Diplomacy Previous editors of this MagaTine may have cause to complain. Why have I responded to the present Editor's invitation to contribute, when his predecessors' requests appeared to fall on deaf ears? Idleness no doubt partly explains my previous silence, though I probably tried to conceal the fact by conspiratorial reference to the Official Secrets Act. But I have now served twenty years in the Diplomatic Service and am ending three years as Ambassador in Uruguay. Perhaps these circumstances embolden me to take notebook computer in hand and reminisce.

Joining the Diplomatic Service in the first place was, in a way, something of an accident. With a degree in Russian Studies from Aberdeen University I had (perversely, some said) joined British Leyland. I was lucky there and learned a lot. But it became glaringly obvious in 1973 and '74 that the company was going to have to "downsize" (not a word that existed, happily, in those days). I decided that to jump was better than to be pushed and responded to an advertisement for the Service's Late Entry Scheme. (This was colloquially known as the "over-age" scheme; being then a youthful 27, I did not much take to that usage.)

Entry--F.C.O., 1974-77 Of course, the common view at the time was that the Diplomatic Service was virtually an Oxbridge monopoly. I certainly shared that view, and was preparing the chip on my shoulder for future use when the powers that be called my bluff and said "Welcome". So in August 1974 1 joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and became the desk officer responsible for a subject which was then on the agenda of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. The subject was deep-sea mining for manganese nodules. This was such a conversation-stopper and so patently improbable that many of my friends were convinced I must have other, darker duties. After all, the Foreign Office dealt with China, Russia, the Common Market, not, surely, with manganese nodules!

Perhaps one of the important lessons of that first job was that modern diplomacy has to deal with a shifting agenda of new subjects—manganese nodules being added to other, more traditional maritime matters, but including also drugs, the environment, international crime, terrorism. My first three years took me to Geneva and New York for sessions of the Law of the Sea Conference and to Brussels for regular co-ordination meetings of the members of the European Community. I learned a lot about the techniques of multilateral diplomacy, where you're dealing not just with one country and its perception of its interests, but with a large number of countries whose interests often seem irreconcilable.

I/km:a-1977-80 and Moscow-1980-82 In 1977 I was posted to Vienna as a member of a three-man mission dealing with the international organisations based there, and •in particular with the muchrespected International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which became more widely known after the Chernobyl disaster. Moscow followed, from 1980. Again adopting my policy of jumping before being pushed, I had sought the interesting job of First Secretary (Commercial). Unfortunately, by the time I took up the job, we had imposed a trade embargo as part of our response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, so I can hardly describe that as a high spot of my career! I did, however, meet my wife (a Scot) in Moscow, where she was also working in the Embassy; the posting did, therefore, have its good points!

F.C.O.-1982-88

1982 saw us back in London. It is, of course, one of the features of a diplomat's career that you serve from time to time back in London in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It's very different work from that of a mission abroad. You may be dealing with policy towards one country, or a group of them. You may deal with international agencies (the U.N. or N.A.T.O., for example). Or you may be in

Ow ofAfrica

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one of the administrative departments, dealing with personnel matters or finance or our overseas estate. My first job on return to London was to do with Argentina and the Falklands. Then followed two years as Assistant Head of United Nations Department, and then a six-month secondment to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

Berlin--1988-91

To answer an oft-asked question, our personnel people do ask our preferences for future postings. Not everyone's preference can be met, and it is a formal obligation of membership of the Diplomatic Service that you must be prepared to serve anywhere. But in 1988 the authorities acceded to my suggestion that, with school-provided German, French and Russian, I was a natural fit for a posting to what was then known as the British Military Government (B.M.G.) in Berlin. That was an organisation created at the end of World War Two to preserve the German capital from coming under Communist authority. B.M.G. was headed by a MajorGeneral, who had the title of Commandant. The Deputy Commandant was a senior member of the Diplomatic Service, and I, carrying the title of Political Adviser, was responsible to him.

The French and Americans had very• similar structures, and all of us were in dayto-day contact with our respective military commanders. The diplomats also had political responsibility for the business of the Berlin Air Safety Centre, the only existing four-power institution in Berlin at that time. Its function was to control flights up and down the three air corridors which linked Berlin with Western Germany.

We arrived in Berlin in September 1988. Despite all the changes underway in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Soviet Union, many aspects of Berlin life reflected the conditions of the Cold War. Though it was no longer newsworthy outside the city, roughly once a week someone would attempt to escape over the Wall or the wire that went up in 1961. They did so at the risk of being shot; the last fatal shooting was as late as February 1989. Whenever there was some incident, the Allies had to react swiftly: some may think civil servants incapable of swift or decisive action, but it was essential to the credibility of the Western Allies in Berlin that we be seen to act in unison and as fast as circumstances required.

The events of 9 November 1989 came as something of a surprise. At a reception early that evening I discussed with a young Berlin politician the changes then underway in East Germany and elsewhere in East and Central Europe. He recalled that the previous year he had been co-author of an article about Berlin in the year 2000. In that article, he said, the Wall was still standing. But now, he suggested, it could possibly fall in as little as five years. Two hours later, I was sitting at home when my duty officer rang and, assuring me of his sobriety, told me of reports that the Wall was open to East Berliners who wished to cross to the West.

The rest of that evening was a blur of phone calls, always conducted with one eye on the TV screen where Berlin Television began to show the dramatic and emotional scenes at crossing points between East and West Berlin. After midnight, I got a police car to take me and colleagues down to one of the key crossing points between the Soviet and British Sectors. I stood beside Berlin's Mayor as thousands of East Berliners streamed across on foot or in their quaint "Trabis" or Wartburgs, waving and shouting in jubilation at this newly-conceded freedom. At the narrowest point of the crossing, British Military• Police helped both East and West Berlin police, hitherto forbidden normal contact, but now working hand-in-hand to control the flow in both directions. And that was one of the striking things—the East Berliners, having visited the main shopping streets in the West for an hour or so were returning to their homes in the East. Many had thought that when the barriers were removed, the flow would be in one direction only. The East Berliners, however, seemed entirely confident that their unwanted rulers were so definitively in retreat that there was no possibility of the barriers going up again.

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Aberdeen Grammar .Sehool Magatine

One o'clock found me at the Brandenburg Gate. For most of its length the Wall was high but narrow. In front of the Brandenburg Gate, close to the Reichstag building, it was broad enough on top for three or four people to stand side by side.

And as it was flat, that's what we found hundreds of young people doing. For all of us who knew how it had been just a few hours before—when it could mean death to pass without authority the controls on the Eastern side—this was a truly extraordinary and moving sight. The photographs I have of those scenes would win no prizes for technique, but for me, the blurred shapes captured in the floodlights faithfully represent the speed, the fluidity of that historic night.

At four o'clock my companions and I had moved to Checkpoint Charlie, the famous crossing-point between the U.S. and Soviet Sectors. By then, the festivities were ending and bemused guards were sweeping up the beer cans and other debris, wondering what the morrow would bring. I went home then, but was up a few hours later for the usual Friday meeting chaired by the Commandant and attended by the diplomats, the Army and the R.A.F. There I gave an account of the events of the previous evening and then went off to prepare a reporting telegram for the F.C.O. and our colleagues in the Embassy in Bonn.

That Friday was a day to take stock and prepare plans for whatever might happen next. Saturday saw thousands of people descend on the area near the Brandenburg Gate—in the British Sector and very near a famous Soviet war memorial. My phone woke me at around seven o'clock, I recall, and seemed never to stop. After any call, I had to ensure the Commandant and Deputy Commandant were kept in the picture. The reports kept flooding in as well monitored the situation, mindful of our responsibility for security in an unpredictable situation. By eleven o'clock, I had not had time to shave or perform other, more pressing functions. When eventually there was a pause, I flew to the loo, my six-year-old daughter grinningly assuring me that "If the toilet rings, I'll tell them you're on the phone!"

Subsequent weeks and months were full of history unfolding and memorable incident. There was the Foreign Secretary's visit, when I greeted him at the Brandenburg Gate in a Russian fur hat and dark glasses which must have lent me a rather sinister air. There were the visits by other ministers and M.P.s, each one witness to a further stage in the crumbling of the once apparently unyielding Wall.

There was the first crossing-point opened in the area of derelict ground that had once been Berlin's equivalent of Picadilly Circus, and the first opening by the Brandenburg Gate. Checkpoint Charlie was removed by crane. On the last day of Allied rights and responsibilities, it was the British Commandant who made the last formal speech by an Allied Commandant in the Rathaus Schoneberg, where Kennedy had made his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech just under thirty years before. And there was the moment when, in kilt, I got out of the car to walk to the Charlottenburg Palace for a civic lunch in honour of the French, U.S. and British Allies and as I walked between the cordoning ropes was greeted by enthusiastic applause and cheering.

Behind the momentous events, there were also important management tasks. As well as being Political Adviser in the eyes of the outside world, I was Deputy Head of Mission in Diplomatic Service parlance—a position in which you carry• everyday responsibility for the smooth and efficient running of the post. As it became apparent that Germany was going to unite and post-war Four-Power arrangements would cease, we had to address the task of shaping our diplomatic representation in Berlin to the new realities. That meant replacing three posts in Berlin—the British Military Government, the British Embassy to the German Democratic Republic, and the British Consulate-General—by one, quite small outfit, to be known as the British Embassy Berlin Office. I had the task of addressing our loyal locally-employed staff and preparing them to face redundancy, and I helped shape the new organisation which we would need in the former and future capital of a united Germany.

Timley Years in DipInning

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Amidst all this, it dawned on me one day that I too was in danger of being consigned to the dustbin of history, along with toppled watch-towers and rusting tank traps. I therefore wrote to my Personnel Department to draw their attention to my premature availability for further duties. I suppose that in other walks of life too Personnel Departments can be delightfully unpredictable. Thanks to the Grammar and to John Skinner in particular, I was a pretty fair speaker of Russian, German and French. I had not, therefore, immediately thought of Latin America as a likely destination. Nor at that age could I reasonably assume that a posting as Head of Mission was probable. So it was a considerable surprise when I was told my next destination would he Montevideo, as Ambassador to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. (Why "Oriental"? Because it is the country on the east bank of the River Uruguay.)

Montevideo-1991-94 A Soviet diplomat once quoted to me the view that "To be an ambassador in Hell is Heaven." In between bouts of under-paid over-work, I feel compelled to acknowledge that he had a point. The job of ambassador is unique and fascinating in its variety. To be British Ambassador in a country such as Uruguay, which holds the United Kingdom in high regard and with which we have a problem-free and friendly relationship is a particular privilege.

I mentioned variety. Consider what my wife and I have found ourselves engaged in here. Shortly after our arrival, H.R.H. the Princess Royal paid an official visit to Uruguay. A highly successful visit which gave us a perfect start to our tour; some readers will have been surprised to see the writer in Hello magazine—a pretty unlikely occurrence 1 would have thought beforehand! As this is an agricultural country, I have found myself pinning rosettes on a variety of creatures at agricultural shows. I have flown with the Coastguard and been taken down the River Plate in one of their patrol boats. I have joined the President on a frigate for the start of the Whitbread Round-the-World Yacht Race at Uruguay's main resort of Punta del Este. We accompanied the President and his wife, with accompanying Ministers, on an official visit to the U.K. in 1993. We have seen our exports increase by 45% over the last year and have worked to develop links between institutions in the U.K. and Uruguay—most notably, between the University of Aberdeen and one of the two universities in Montevideo. All this on top of the usual diet of political consultations and lobbying, about which I naturally must remain silent.

Conclusion You don't join the Diplomatic Service to get rich. And the regular but unpredictable moves do not make for a stable family life. But variety and a surprising degree of freedom of action are there to be enjoyed and profited from. Above all, perhaps, though diplomats do not normally enjoy much popular affection, the whole point of the job is to work to further Britain's well-being and friendly relations with other countries. And that, whether in the political, cultural, or commercial sphere, makes the job a highly rewarding one.

Donald Lamont (1951-65)

G.R.E.A.S.E. to St. Kilda—June '93 The Grampian Region Educational and Scientific Expedition to St. Kilda, where twelve fifth- and sixth-year pupils were dropped into an Ocean Youth Club (OYC) yacht and sailed for 10 days, while undertaking biological and geographical work.

Few of the 12 crew knew each other and fewer still knew how to sail, so there was much to learn from the OYC's four "staff", called the "afterguard". To keep us in check and to teach us things were two teachers from Grampian who also organised the trip.

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Abenierit Grammar SchoolMagatine

Most of our first day was spent travelling to Ullapool by coach and meeting the boat—a 72-foot-long ketch called the Taikoo. Seventy-two feet might sound big, but when you have fitted 18 people, their kit, their bunks, and food for five days, there is not much room left for sailing it! The rest of the day involved eating the last meal cooked for us and fitting life-jackets, oilskins and safety-harnesses—"If you can breathe, it's not tight enough". We were then split into two watches and pairs for cooking meals and sent to bed.

Day 2 started early when someone fell out of their bunk, breakfast was cooked, diesel taken on and we left the Scottish mainland for the last time for 9 days. There was tittle wind, so it was easy to practice hoisting the sails and tacking, but we were forced to motor for most of the day. Cooking an evening meal is no mean feat on one cooker for 18 people (of whom 3 were vegetarians) on a boat that was quite happily bobbing around on the Atlantic swell. Each watch lasted 3 hours, so we were 3 hours on, 3 hours off until we reached St. Kilda at 4 p.m. on day 3.

The sails were up for most of the night, but that was no protection from the constant rain that inevitably found a way past your oilskins and was thrown straight in your face if you were at the helm.

We were let loose on the main island of St. Kilda—called Hirta—where the army base is and we visited the museum and shop and saw some Soay sheep—the only wild flock of sheep in the United Kingdom. It was back to the Taikoo for tea and then to the Puff Inn fur the evening.

Day four was spent almost entirely on Hirta, leaving just after breakfast and returning only for tea. We walked round a large part of the island, seeing the spectacular unspoilt scenery and wildlife. We heard Ian Rae, our geology/geography teacher, tell us how the rock features were formed, and stood on some of the many rocks balanced precariously above 1,000 foot cliffs. Before tea Erich went for a swim in the freezing-cold sea—mad!

On returning from the Puff Inn at about 1 a.m., it was decided that the wind was too strong for us to remain tied up to the huge iron buoy in the bay, so we had to move the boat, which involved me standing on the buoy untying the ropes and chains. After the anchor was dropped and an anchor watch arranged, we were allowed to go to our bunks at about 3 a.m.

We left St. Kilda on the fifth day after a short expedition to see the highest cliff in the U.K. and sailed round the islands. The sails were hoisted in the high wind and huge swell that made steering extremely difficult, and we broke the only plate lost in the trip. By now we had been split up into three watches and it was during my watch at 7 p.m. that the first of many dolphins were seen. The dolphins continued swimming and leaping alongside the boat intermittently until 9 a.m. on day 6. At 5 a.m. Shona got a surprise radio call from her father who was close by in his fishing boat.

Just after noon the wind picked up to a force 5 and the boat was canted over to a constant angle of 40 degrees, so people were walking on the walls! During this period my watch took down one of the sails while the railings along the side of the boat were in the water and the waves were breaking over the whole boat. We got wet.

At six o'clock in the evening we reached Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides and were allowed our first shower for five days, and found ourselves constantly swaying from side to side even when walking on dry land.

We left Stornoway at 12 o'clock on day 7 after Erich had again been thrown over the side to check the rudder. The sun came out (point of note) and we sang and sanded the gunnels and a whale was sighted.

In the small hours we safely passed Cape Wrath and reached Stromness in Orkney at lunch time (salad and crabs) on day 8. Most of the crew went to Skarra Brae while some of us stayed behind to paint the side of the boat, involving five of us on one side of a dinghy almost capsizing numerous times and the bosun painting the skipper. We got our second wash in the local swimming pool.

G.R.L.,14..EL:. to St. 161do--Jape

41

On day 9 we moved to the island of Hoy in Orkney and took plankton samples on the way. Once there we got on a minibus that took us to the end of the road near the Old Man of Hoy and left us to walk around the coast to him. Rather than return by the same route the teachers suggested that we went by a "short cut" which happened to involve getting dive-bombed by twenty Great Skuas as we almost stood on their chicks and descending a 45-degree slope. That evening we had a barbecue on a nearby beach, sang songs and presented the skipper with a huge signed bar of chocolate as a thank-you. At midnight we returned to the boat, watching the beautiful sunset.

On day 10 we left Hoy and headed for Wick, dropping the anchor in a bay en route so that we could do part of the Competent Crew Certificate, during which time the boat echoed to the sound of Ian Rae's snoring. The skipper then left us to take the boat in to Wick, which we finally managed. After tea we went ashore for our final night as a crew.

The morning of our last day (day 11) was spent cleaning the entire boat and all the oilskins, bilges, etc. and saying goodbye to the afterguard. In the afternoon we left the boat to the next crew and travelled back to Aberdeen on a minibus.

I left the Taikoo with regrets that it did have to end some time, some new knowledge, lots of photographs, new friends, and lots of very happy memories. To anyone thinking of going on any future G.R.E.A.S.E. expeditions, I would thoroughly recommend it.

My thanks to the F.P. Club for assisting me with the cost of the expedition.

Magnus Inglis (1987-93)

A Career in Journalism Kenneth J. Peters was for twenty-one years Managing Director of Aberdeen Journals Ltd., having previously edited, in succession, the Evening Exprss and the Pius antiJournal. He was twice president of the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society, was a member of the Press Council under Lord Shawcross and holds the fellowship of the Scottish Council, Development and Industry. He served for many years on the British Council's Scottish Advisory• Committee; was a member for ten years of the British Railways Board in Scotland and was on the Board of Girobank, Scotland.

He is a Deputy Lieutenant of the City of Aberdeen, a Justice of the Peace in Aberdeen, and a Burgess of Guild in the city. He was made a C.B.F. in 1979 and is also F.R.S.A. and F.s.A.(scno. His current appointment is Vice-Chairman of Peterhead Bay Authority.

How did it all begin? Why did I start and then maintain for 41 years a career in journalism? Was I bitten by the bug at school? Well, yes . . . maybe. Maybe the Lower School master at that time in the Grammar School had something to do with it. He was Mr. A. J. M. Edwards (Fred), although I doubt if the one-and-only Fred ever realised his "guilt" in that direction. He, in time, became a sports journalist himself.

A few of us ten-year-olds went to see the then Lower School master. We were preparing to sit the "Control" for entry to the Middle School. Our request was: "Please, we want to start a class or Lower School magazine. Would Mr. Edwards help?" We were young, fresh and keen. He was attentive, interested, agreeable. On mature reflection after a journey down the years, however, we realised that Fred had hitherto heard this kind of request from others. But he never let on! We won his permission. I was given some class sport to write about in our fledgling magazine.

Indeed, as we progressed through the Middle and Upper Schools, some of us launched other publications. Did they last? No. In my fifth and sixth years, however, I was rewarded with the rank of Sports Editor of the Grammar School Magazine.

My credentials? Few. I was doubtful 4th XV Rugby material. At cricket I was in the 2nd and 1st Xls.

42

Abenleen Grammar School Magazine

But at least I was permitted to travel with the 1st XV on its limited, early war years' "away" fixture list—to report the matches for the School section of this very magazine. Who was the Interim Games Master who encouraged this extravagance?

Fred Edwards, of course. His fault, again. He was being my mentor, although he may not have been aware of this. I was being sucked towards journalism. There was no respite in my amateurish endeavours. As an Aberdeen University undergraduate, I was among those who peddled paragraphs of 'Varsity gossip (and sport) to our student newspaper, Gaudie. With others, I helped to sell that paper to fellowBajans and Bajanellas under the King's College archway, buffeted by snell winds but at least sheltered from the cold rain. Could anyone then have detected any career direction for me? Very doubtful. I had really no idea of what I might do in life, assuming I survived World War II, then raging loudly around the ears of those of us in the University O.T.C. There were vague family hints of entry into the legal profession. I was reading English, Political Economy and History at the time, and I wonder now if Dr. Catherine Gavin detected anything?

To-day she is a world-famous historical novelist, but then she was our lecturer in European history with Peters one of her students. One far-off day at a tutorial she waved an immature essay of mine at the class, chortling: "Much too colourfully written, Mr. Peters. Do you think you are writing for the Press andJournal?". Was Cathie perceptive beyond belief? Hardly. She was then merely dealing a deft dig at a student (me) whom she knew was covering wartime Aberdeen Rugby matches for the "Green Final". Forty years afterwards, the great lady was reminded by me at a London dinner, of her criticisms of my alleged literary work back in 1941. She took it all in her polished, academic/writer style. After all, by now she had been a foreign correspondent for no less a newspaper than the Press andJournal . . . !

Wartime U.K. Army service permitted no amateur journalism by me. But, translated in 1943 to the Far East threatre of war, some of us re-started in a jungle training batallion a defunct regimental magazine as a "monthly". This was set in type in English by Indian type-setters who could neither read nor write our language—a bright reality to encourage dismay and hilarity alike when proof-reading for mistakes. A fierce but fair commanding officer summoned his aspiring journalist of a subaltern (me). "This war's hotting up", he observed sagely in 1944. "I want this monthly mag. partnered by a daily, two-page newspaper which will be nailed to jungle trees. Draw headlines yourself. Type out the reports. Get on with it. That's an order." I did. We monitored Far East Forces radio programmes, transcribing such into the printed word. Illustrations we cut from magazines; they were then pasted on the paper. We had, as you will have realised, no Page 3. This kind of journalism, involving much use of the battalion paste-pot, reminded me of a very early news-sheet I'd produced for the family when I was eight. . . .

By the time I left the Army in the spring of 1947 I'd also been soldiering in the Khyber Pass, when, during fleeting off-duty periods, I had written words galore to assist my unit's regimental history, about to be published. More training then for journalism? Fred, back in Aberdeen, would surely have nodded approval. Even the Army permitted articles of mine to appear in the Press andJournal, in my home city.

Only a few weeks after leaving the Far East I was back in Scotland, demobilised and surviving two searching interviews—seven days apart—from a demanding, enthusiastic genius of an editor. He finally hired me at £6 per week (out of which my Glasgow digs and laundry cost me £4). So I Joined his paper, the Daily Record Yes, Alastair Dunnett, afterwards the distinguished and pioneering editor of The Scotsman, took a chance and I became, initially, one of a group of adult trainees to this newspaper group in Glasgow, part of the Kemsley, afterwards Thomson, chain of morning, evening, Sunday and weekly papers. Is this then the way to enter journalism? Certainly not today in the 1990s. Nowadays, newcomers undergo much more formal training programmes, although we "cubs" of forty-seven years ago experienced semi-formal training classes by day; at night it was hands-on work for

.1 Career in lowmaksm

43

our paper. Classes from 10.30 a.m. until 4 p.m.; practical work on the paper from then until midnight. And all for six quid a week—a sum still being debated as adequate between two firm friends, Alastair Dunnet anti me. For four happy years I worked in Glasgow, learning, writing, sub-editing, the lot. Back in native Aberdeen in 1951, I became Assistant Editor to the Evening F..x-press editor, George Fraser, now in his 99th year and Britain's senior, working newspaper columnist. Both of us came under the leadership of the then Aberdeen newspaper chief, William Veitch. The post was a step-up from my Glasgow job. I grabbed it eagerly. When relaxation was possible, I went back, after those many years, to F.P. cricket at Rubislaw, accompanied there by no less a luminary than Fred Edwards, then turning-out for F.P.s.

Rubislaw cricket for me, however, soon faced an abrupt declaration. I was "posted" for some months to work, firstly in London and then in Manchester on the old Evening Chronicle there. I assisted managing editor Johnny Goulden, a most able, professional newspaper chief from whom I learned much. All that came to a sudden halt when I was once again "posted"—back to Aberdeen, there to succeed George Fraser as Evening Express editor. Three enormously happy and fulfilled years followed. Then, equally suddenly, I was summoned into my own office room.

There stood Denis Hamilton, editorial director of our large group of papers. He gave me twenty-four hours in which to hand over my beloved Express and to take over the Press andfournaL He added to his good wishes and support the order; "See if you can get the circulation of this paper up to 100,000". It was then selling around the 70,000 mark. "Not an easy task", observed our slightly daunted staff.

But the target was eventually achieved. I had three and a half years of endeavour and excitement on this paper: long hours through the midnight stress, then the long walk home, often being greeted by sunrise as a colleague and I passed Ferryhill. . . .

Change continued at lightning speed. On Christmas Eve, 1959, I took a phone call from a highly placed main board director of Thomson's (they had recently bought out Kemsley's). "Catch the Boxing Day sleeper to London", said he. "You are for interview here in London with the managing director, with Roy Thomson himself—and with me!" It all happened. And an apprehensive and nervous Peters returned by the next night's Aberdonian sleeper from London with several copies of his own promotion notice in his pocket. Why was I carrying this? Simply because Aberdeen Journals, at that particular time, possessed no such thing as a photocopier!

This, then was the big change. Overnight I swapped the exciting, nightly task of preparing with my colleagues a daily newspaper, for the top post of turning a then loss-making media company into a successful firm, employing nearly 800 people.

We were one of Aberdeen's bigger employers of staff. We published three newspapers, two dailies and a weekly. But, we learned, things had not been too good for the company, financially, of late. In fact, our London H.Q. had been considering our future with furrowed brows. Among the options being considered were either to close-up the Aberdeen operation altogether . . . or to merge the morning paper with another Scottish newspaper. Then the Board looked again at more options, the outcome being that Roy Thomson himself expressed to his Aberdeen staff, during an interview in London, as follows: "Can't you good guys up there live like Aberdonians? That way, you'll save your papers and your jobs". Nearly twenty years later I was to use the above story in the history of Aberdeen Journals which George Fraser and I wrote. The Aberdonians took Roy Thomson's point. The company and its paper began to flourish.

So started, with all its ramifications, a personal saga spanning the next twentyone years with what seemed like jet speed. During that time even my wife lived, breathed and slept newspapers.

Some brief memories of those years include the trauma and drama of what we Aberdonians call "Typhoid time". That was the late Spring of 1964 when an

44

_Aberdeen Gnvetwar School Magaline

outbreak of the disease swept the city. Our papers were called upon to play a major part in Lord Provost Hogg's pick-the-city-up campaign (one of the campaigners, along with me, was James C. Williamson of A. R. Gray . . . a fellow F.P. He was then president of the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce).

I'll never forget, too, the year 1970 when we moved, one week-end, the entire Journals operation from the city centre's crowded Broad Street to the Mastrick heights, the main flitting literally being a "moonlighter" on the frostiest night of the winter. No edition of either paper was lost!

Heavy equipment, machinery and vans—together with hundreds of our staff— finished work in Broad Street's ancient corridors on the Saturday. They re-started on the Sunday, to enable Monday's morning and evening papers to be published without interruption. Technological improvements followed down the years to convert an old company into a modem organisation to face the 21st century's challenges. Much negotiating with trades unions followed. Printing and publishing methods altered. New skills were learned. Mastrick hummed with life. Secretaries of State for Scotland came to see what was going on. So did a famous stage and screen star. So did Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland—and two Bishops. In nearly 250 years of history the Journals enjoyed their first Royal visitor. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother spent an afternoon seeing the new offices, watching the papers being printed and meeting dozens of members of the staff, quite a number of whom she recognised.

The pace of one's personal involvement quickened. I was appointed a member of the Press Council. I represented the Journals for twenty-one years on the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society and found myself on several august bodies in Scotland and elsewhere in the U.K. Did I travel? Continuously. Railway sleeping-cars knew me better than my own bed. Writing about the Gordon Highlanders in their various world-wide commitments took me three times to Germany with the regiment, to Borneo, to Cyprus, and three times to Belfast. In my various tours of duty with the Gordons I must have written, in the various series of articles published, the equivalent of a medium-sized novel.

The Press has no power. The publishing of newspapers constitutes no more than wonderful privilege. I travelled the Scottish media and business scenes, and the rewards were in meeting the fascinating people who thronged one's days.

London meetings were fast, furious and occasionally fun.

When I bowed out of a continuous newspaper scene to join our organisation's exciting oil exploration company, I was also invited to join the board of British Rail in Scotland—a reward for so many nights' sleeper travel, perhaps? Had B.R. heard of all my joumeyings to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, London, Wales, and the end of the line to Penzance? I wondered... .

New and fascinating challenges were accompanied by a career on the board of a bank, and on the board of the big, modern oil and commercial harbour at Peterhead.

Prospective entrants to journalism may ask: what have all these later jobs got to do with your newspaper years? Just this: without the journalistic background and bedrock I've enjoyed, I wonder if I could have attempted and tackled the subsequent, challenging posts offered me. So, humbly, a wee footnote to aspiring newspaper journalists: ensure you are interested in people and affairs nationally and locally. You'd be better, also, to like working in a team. If you possess, also, an ability to motivate such a team, then so much the better. Your employers will take for granted your energy—and your stamina. They'll assume, too, that you can write.

But, just in case, you'll be asked to prove it!

You'll get challenges, excitement, great satisfaction—and a deal of fun. Enjoy it all. . . .

Postscript: In the early 1980s I was surprised to be honoured by admission to membership of the world's most famous cricket club. Among my four, obligatory sponsors was one, Fred Edwards. . . .

Kenneth J. Peters (1929-41)

More Afessories of1.0 Years Ago

45

More Memories of Fifty Years Ago At the end of each school day, Miss Gracie used to march Lower 1 along to the staff-room and we would wait outside while she collected her coat and hat. One day Miss Ledingham came out and with a smile said she would give a penny to any boy who could spell "pedestrian". Nobody ventured to try.

When war broke out, underground shelters were dug at the back of the School.

One day when we emerged, I was astonished to see Miss Benson and Miss Holm indulging in a boisterous snowball fight with some of the male teachers. Grownups, especially teachers, were not meant to be so frivolous!

In Middle 1, Fridays began with manual. "Beery" Strachan came round one day and looked at my effort with chisel and plane. He sighed and said "Ach, man; You need more elbow-grease". I wondered where I could buy some.

I was no better at Art. We were set the task of copying a broken vase. Mr. George came along and took pity on my poor attempt. He put in some lines here and some shading there. Next week he gave us all marks and forgetting he had helped me out, gave himself 7 out of 10!

"Happy Harry", the Classics master, was probably the hardest-working teacher in school. Certainly he was the only teacher to make us work on the last day before the holidays. We found this wearisome until one boy asked him to show us card tricks. To my surprise he did not need to be asked twice!

When we reached school, the first thing we did was to go to the hall for an assembly. When I was in sixth year, behaviour must have been bad because teachers with strong personalities like Bill Stewart were deputed to walk up and down in the hall to keep us quiet until the assembly began. Worse was to follow when J.J.R., the Rector, announced that henceforward the sixth year were to sit at the front with the fifth year behind us and so on, with the first year at the back. We were mortified!

One of the duties of the prefects was to read, a week at a time, passages selected from the Bible. They were given a book of extracts. Usually they were allowed to choose the extracts, but one prefect was taken aside and it was suggested to him that there were in the Bible passages other than the book of Revelation!

One of the highlights in the school year for me was sports day. This was not because I reached the final in anything, but because House fervour reached fever pitch. This culminated in the inter-House relays. Empty benches and seats would be dragged inside the running track and piled on top of each other, each house trying to reach a greater height than the others. A cheer-leader would climb precariously to the top, and we would all cheer ourselves hoarse urging on the runners.

Al] this gives you some idea of what school was like fifty years ago. I wonder what the pupils of the 90s would think of it all.

James Milne (1935-47)

Former Pupils' Club Club Founded 11 September 1893

Club Office-Bearers, 1994-95 Honorary President: WILLIAM J. JOHNSTON, B.SC., DIP.I{D.

(Rector) Honorary Vice-Presidents:

IAN G. MCPHERSON (1910-17) (President, 1965-66) EDWARD J. WOOD (1908-21), M.A. (President, 1966-67) ERIC Ros EMIKETT (1920-22), C.A. (President, 1968-69) ALLAN C. FRAZER (1925-30), M.A., LLB., W.S. (President, 1970-71) JOHN V. SKINNER, NLA_, KLITT., DIP.ED., J.P. (Rector, 1959-72) GEORGE E. C. BARTON (1923-26), M.A. (President, 1973-74) THE VERY REVD. J. FRASER MCLUSKEY (1920-31), M.C., D.D. (President, 1974-75) ROBERT A. E. MENNIE (1924-36), M.A., F.R.N.S., F.INST.PET. (President, 1976-77) JOHN W. CRALX)CK (1941-46), C.A. (President, 1977-78) WILLIAM L CONNON (1930-40), B.L. (President, 1979-80) T. GORDON Gourrs (1938-49, 1950-51), Qc., M.A., LL.B. (President, 1980-81) JAMES A. N. WATT (1927-39), C.A. (President, 1982-83) BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46), T.D., M.A., LLB. (President, 1983—84) ERIC D. WATT (1937-50), B.F.D. (President, 1984—85) MAURICE CRAMB (1916-29), M.A., LLB., LLD. ALAN J. PETERS (1920-30), C.A. IAN LEWIS SMITH (1918-30), BSc., A.M.LC.E., M.Inst.R. DOUGLAS N. GEORGESON (1929-40) (President, 1985-86) ROBERT D. GILL, M.A., F.C.P. (Rector, 1972—86) ANDREW S. NOBLE (1939-52), M.A., F.C.M.A., F.I.M.A. (President, 1986-87) PROF. PHILIP N. LOVE (1952-58), C.B.E., M.A., L.L.B. (President, 1987—88) W. MORRISON BROWN (1933-46) (President, 1988—89) ERIC CRAIG (1934-46) (President, 1989-90) THOMAS I. MORRISON (1934-47), T.D., B.Sc.(Aber.), M.Sc.(Glas.), C.Chem., F.R.S.C. (President, 1990-91 ARTHUR L MCCOMBIF., M.S., F.S.A.(Scot.) (Deputy Rector, 1973-90) DR. J. R S. INNFS (1923-35), M.B., CH.B. (President, 1991-92) A. KEiTH CAMPBELL (1944-53), T.ENG.(C.E.I.), M.INSTA.E.A. (President, 1992-93) IAN M. Duocio (1938-43), O. du M., M.D., Ph.D., F.R.CS., F.C.Ophth.,

(President, 1993-94) President: MELVILLE F. WATSON (1943-56), M.A., LL.B. Vice-President of Club and Chairman of Executive: DR. DOUGLAS G. FOWLIE (1950-64), M.B., CH.B., F.R.C.Psych.

Secretary: JOHN F. HENDRY (1951-65), L.L.B. Treasurer: JOHN D. MURRAY (1961-74), I.L.B., CA.

46

Fonwer

Club

47

General Editor of Magazine:

DEREK A. HARLEY (1974—80), M.A., Dip. Ed. Secretaries of Centres Club Centre-STEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64), C.A., 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen

AB I 6YQ.

Edinburgh—NIGEL G M. WATT' (1963-69), w.s., 21 Stafford Street, Edinburgh

EH3 7BJ. Tel. 031 225 8884.

Glasgow—BASIL D. D. EMSLIE (1929-35), Flat 8, Westerton of Mugdock, Miln-

gavie, Glasgow G62 8LQ. London—ROBERT A. E. MENNIE (1924-36), 9 Butler Close, Victoria Avenue,

Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 3DB. Yorkshire—DOUGLAS SKENE (1959-64), 87 Main Street, Fulford, York, North

Yorkshire YO1 4DN. Secretaries of Sections Cricket—NEIL INNES-SMITH, 57 Esslemont Avenue, Aberdeen AB2 4SS. Curling—BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58), A.R.I.A.S., 55 Carden Place, Aberdeen AB1

I UN. Football—MICHAEL H. CHEYNE (1976-81), 72 Irvine Place, Aberdeen AB1 6HB. Golf—PETER M. ROBERTSON (1967-73), LLB., 10 Anderson Drive, Aberdeen AB1

6TY. Hockey—INNFs WALKER (1979-85), 5 Rosebank Place, Aberdeen AB1 2XN. Petanque—S'rEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64), 35 Forest Road, Aberdeen AB2 4BY. Rugby—CALLum A. McDoNALD (1963-76), 22 Harcourt Road, Aberdeen AB2

4N Z. Swimming—PETER MULVEY (1952-62), 26 Mile-End Avenue, Aberdeen AB2

4I.R. Women's Hockey—EMMA A. HENDRY (1985-91), 25 Gladstone Place, Aberdeen

AB I 6UX. Executive Committee

The Vice-President of the Club, Chairman IAN H. McLEon (1951-55), Vim-Chairman The Secretary, the Treasurer and the General Editor of the Magazine, ex officiis The Rector of the School, ex officio BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58) HUGH S. FIRM (1948-54) NEIL K. G. FALCONER (1973-79) JOHN B. RENNIE (1947-53) H. ALAN S. HAMILTON (1943-56) TIMOTHY J. ROLFE (1980-86) GORDON M. INKSON (1986-92) JOHN A. SMITH (1966-72) DOUGLAS MC:AMSTER (1961-74) ALEXANDER STUART (1932-45) YVONNE MCALLISTER (1984-90) DOUGLAS M. WATsoN (1980-85) HARVEY E. MORRISON (1951-65) WENDY WATSON (1984-90) Section Representatives Club Centre—BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46) Cricket—IAN P. SOUTER Curling—BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58) Football—MK:I-REL. H. CHEYNE (1976-81)

Golf—GoRDoN M. INKSON (1986-92) Hockey—BRIAN COCKBURN (1965-71) Petanque--RONALD R. COMBER (1947-52) Rugby—JOI IN D. MURRAY (1961-74) Staff—RUSSELL. GRAY (1951-65) Swimming—PETER M. ROBERTSON (1967-73) Women's Hockey—WENDY WATSON (1984-90)

48

Aberdeen Grammar .Sehard Magatine

Auditors Messrs. BOWER & SMITH, C.A. Club Centre Committee Brian K. Crookshanks--Chairman Steven J. C. Esson—Secretary Harvey E. Morrison—Treasurer Bruce S. Allan—House Convener R. R. Comber, I. Davidson, J. A. Drummond, N. Falconer, D. G. Fowlie, D. N. Georgeson, H. A. S. Hamilton, E. Hendry, J. F. Hendry, G. Inkson, C. A. McDonald, D. McDonald, J. D. Moir, J. D. Murray, H. S. Pixie, A. Ritchie, P. M. Robertson, W. Watson.

Club Consuls Australia—J.\ mEs W. HOWISON (1937-50), 100 Curtin Avenue, Wahroonga, New South Wales 2076, Australia. Tel. 02-4873164.

Australia—DR. FoRBES SMm-I (1945-57), 8 Narrung Road, Mount Eliza 3930, Victoria, Australia.

Canada—G. DOUGLAS MENZIES (1934-44), 15414 74th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5R 2Y4. Tel. 403-487-2566.

Canada—GoRDoN B. SINGER (1949-50), 103 Lake Mead Drive, Calgary, Canada T2P 3Z7. Tel. 403-278-6716.

Canada—IAN McG. MARR (1954-58), 4 Milne Crescent, Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2K 1H6. Tel. 613-592-2730.

Canada—SANDY WATT (1937-50), 1733 Coleman Street, North Vancouver, British Columbia V7K 2V7. Tel. 604987 6209.

Canada—J. PETER JEFFREY (1944-59), 20163 Lakeshore, Baie d'Urfe, Quebec H9X 1P8. Tel. (514) 457-6252.

Hong Kong—MARSHALL BYRES, Messrs Ernst & Young, 15F Hutchison House, 10 Hardcourt Road, Central Hong Kong. Tel. 010 852 846 9888. Fax 010 852 868 4432.

Ireland—ANDREW M. M. STEVEN (1936-50), M.A., LLB., DIP.ED., 5 Beech Hill Avenue, Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 4NS. New Zealand—MICHAEL B. THomsoN (1938-51), 39 Jubilee Road, Khandallah, Wellington 4, New Zealand.

South Africa—JosEPH FARQUHARSON (1929-43), Business Mount Nelson Hotel, P.O. Box 2608, Cape Town 8000. Tel. 23-1000 Ext. 153; Home 402 Clarepark, Brook Street, Claremont 7700, Cape Town. Tel. 611436.

Thailand—PROF. ALASTAIR NORTH (1937-41 and 1942-50), Asian Institute of Technology, GPO Box 2754, Bangkok 10501, Thailand. Tel. Business 516-2117; Home 373-2818.

U.S.A.-MICHAEL G. KING (1951-60), 4720 Fortuna Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84124, U.S.A.

Annual General Meeting The ninety-second Annual General Meeting of the Club was held at the Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen on Monday, 28 March 1994.

The Chairman, Mr. Richard Cradock, commenced proceedings by intimating an apology for absence on behalf of the President, Mr. Ian M. Duguid. The Chairman thanked the President for all his hard work during the Centenary year, and made particular reference to his attendance at the all-Canada F.P. Dinner in Edmonton.

Former Pupils' Club

49

Obituaries The Chairman recorded with sadness the deaths of Joseph Carry, a past president, Ronnie MacKinnon, an active supporter of the Club and the Club Centre, and Peter Cook, a former chemistry teacher at the School and father of Labour M.P., Robin Cook.

The Centenary Raffle The Centenary• Raffle had enjoyed quite good support and had produced a healthy balance of approximately £8,500. A committee had been set up to consider applications from F.P. Sports Sections for financial support from the fund and to arrange for a gift to be made to the School.

Centenary Celebrations The Centenary celebrations commenced with a Civic Reception in the Town House, hosted by the Council and attended by 100 guests.

Following the Dinner, on the Saturday, there was the President's Cocktail Party in the Club Centre, when past presidents and F.P.s from home and abroad were able to meet and reminisce.

The Centenary Dinner in October had been a great success, with 350 F.P.s and guests in attendance. Similarly, the Centenary Ball in December, the climax of the celebrations, had been well supported.

The Entertainments Convener, Dr. Douglas McAllister, was thanked for his considerable efforts during the Centenary year.

Magazine The Chairman made reference to the success of the Centenary issue of the Magazine, which had been produced under the chairmanship of Eric Craig.

•

Club Centre The Club Centre continued to thrive under the able chairmanship of Mr. Brian Crookshanks.

School The Head Boy and Head Girl had spent three days in London as guests of F.P.s there and then enjoyed a trip to Canada, where they were hosted by several F.P.s.

General Business Reports on the year's activities were submitted by the representatives of the Club's Sections. Similar reports appear later 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 Accounts may be obtained on request from the Secretary.

In presenting the accounts the Treasurer, Mr. J. D. Murray reported that there was a very healthy balance sheet.

Office-bearers for the year 1994-95 were elected in accordance with the lists contained earlier in this Magazine.

FP Club Annual General Meeting 1995 The 1995 A.G.M. will be held on Monday 27 March at 7.30 p.m. at 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen.

Please make an appropriate note for your next year's diary.

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Aberdeen Grammar .1ebool Magazine

President's Report It has been a great honour and privilege for me to be chosen as President of the Club. The honour, of course, is appreciably augmented by being the Centenary President and as such being President in two centuries.

My activities really started in May with the presentation of prizes at the School prize-giving. It was a great thrill to handle so many prizes, albeit transiently, and to observe the vitality, confidence and enthusiasm of the prize-winners who seemed assured of a great future. This visit to the School brought a realisation of the tremendous work and intelligent ingenuity put into the repairs and modernisations following the disastrous fire of 1986. The School must be one of the best in the country and a lot of the credit for this must go to the Rector, Mr. W. J. Johnston.

At the beginning of September, the F.P. Rugby Section celebrated its own centenary with the inauguration of a new stand at Rubislaw by Dr. J. R. S. Innes.

The subsequent rugby match between the F.P. team and a Scottish Rugby Union select was good, whilst the F.P. team played with ability.

My next visit was to the inaugural Pan-Canadian F.P. meeting and dinner in Edmonton, Canada. The President, Douglas Menzies, organised a most enjoyable and well-attended dinner. I presented an inscribed Edinburgh crystal decanter to the new Canadian Centre for use at its future dinners. It was exciting not only to go to this meeting attended by such successful F.P.s, but also to hear glowing reports about Neil Paterson and Anne-Marie Davies, the School pupils who went on to Canada after their London visit in June 1993, as guests of F.P.s there.

Very soon after returning, I resumed my Bedouin activities by travelling north to the Yorkshire dinner which was delightfully friendly and memorable, with an additional reminder of Aberdeen, namely the choice of fish as the main dish. I don't know if it was "exported" from Aberdeen!

The Aberdeen centenary celebrations started about a month later, commencing with an Aberdeen Town House reception given by the Lord Provost. It was an elegant occasion in every way. The next evening our Centenary Dinner was held in the Marcliffe Hotel, Many F.P.s had come from far and wide, thus, for some of us, it made a happy renewal of friendships which we had not enjoyed since our Grammar School days. Over 440 attended this dinner and elsewhere in the Magatine you may read the fuller details, indeed for some this will fill an alcohol-induced hiatus in the recollection of this dinner's splendour.

I managed to gain my second wind before the London Centre dinner, this year held in the Peers dining room in the House of Lords. It was sponsored by Lord Aldington (one of my victims!) who gave an excellent toast to the School and Club.

A further glamour to this Dinner was the presence of a painting of Lord Byron in the dining room, whilst for me I celebrated my maiden speech in the Upper House!

Not to be outdone in kudos, the Glasgow Centre held its dinner at Ibrox Park, where the splendour of the hospitality rooms matched the dinner itself. Needless to say, as an ardent rugby player I went into this football sanctum with trepidation, but left it refreshingly appreciative.

I had forgotten there were so many athletic people in Aberdeen until I went to the Club Ball after Christmas. Their stamina and enjoyment continued long after I retired.

As usual, prior to a rugby international at Edinburgh, the local Centre held its dinner at the Carlton Hotel, where all present partook of the continuing excellence of these dinners.

It has been distressing for me not to have been able to attend all the functions to which I have been invited and, in this respect, I might have achieved this had I been an airline pilot. The vigour, enthusiasm and finesse within the Club has been manifest everywhere. Whilst wishing my successor as President, Melville Watson, the same fulfilment and pleasure in his Presidency as 1 have enjoyed, I ask him not to surpass me too much!

Former Pupils' Club

51

In conclusion, I extend my sincerest thanks not only to former Club Presidents for their unstinted wisdom with which they guided me, but also to the Aberdeen Executive and, particularly, Dick Cradock, Jock Hendry and Douglas McAllister for doing the lion's share of all the essential work. I wish the Aberdeen Grammar School E.P. Club continuation of its undisputed success throughout the future hundred years.

Ian M. Duguid (1938-43)

Presidential Profile President 1994-95 Melville F. Watson (1943-56), M.A., LLB. By attending the School for 13 years between 1943 and 1956 our President, I thought, was the holder of an unsurpassable record. Short of the reintroduction of both Primary and Kindergarten education or by contriving to have oneself "kept back"—and that on a number of occasions, no-one now can approach 13 years of schooling. But the President has to share the record with some half a dozen former Presidents and, possibly, Presidents yet to be. It seems a long time ago since at the age of four plus Melville and I first met in the Kindergarten where Miss Winifred (Robertson) ruled and Mrs Sheila Thomson—still to the fore and still taking a keen interest in her former pupils, was our first teacher.

Looking down the list of surviving past Presidents and looking particularly at the "13 year men"—the co-record holders—one is struck by their individual and collective eminence—they all brought to bear on the Presidency their own personal qualities and Melville, we can all be confident, will follow their example.

Our President was born, bred, brought up and educated from beginning to end here in Aberdeen with his 13 years at the School laying sure foundations academic, sporting and social. Looking at the seemingly indestructible class photographs produced (1 have always wondered why) by Dundee photographers, D. & W. Prophet, Melville was always the neatest and tidiest. An example to us all—some of us with squint ties and soulful expressions should have been ashamed of ourselves! Melville's earlier primary days of academic excellence—he was almost always "first" must have, through boredom, blunted his academic appetite in later years but he still sailed through School reaching the Arts and Law faculties at Aberdeen University where in due course he graduated M.A., LLB. Ever onward then, he was apprenticed to the Partners of Messrs. Watt & Cumine including one F.P., Douglas Gordon Patterson.

On the completion of his apprenticeship he joined Messrs. Stork, Cruden & Simpson as an Assistant Solicitor and afterwards as a Partner, and where he is now the Senior Partner of a busy practice, its success being due in no small measure to his academic qualities and energies—and the support of F.P.s as Partners.

The School had, of course, not simply produced a laddie who could pass exams and gain academic and professional qualifications—it had produced yet another well rounded and socially accomplished young adult. Melville had been an effective hooker, an outstanding swimmer, a not so outstanding but keen regular golfer, and in general terms a first class athlete.

Our President was Chairman of the Directors of Voluntary Service Aberdeen (still known to most of us as Aberdeen Association of Social Service) between 1981 and 1983, and has served as a Director for twenty years and still so serves. He participates fully as a Board Member of Beechgrove Church and also in the affairs of the Society of Advocates. He has been a Chairman of Social Security Appeal Tribunals for a number of years.

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/lberdeen Grammar Achool Magazine

Club Vice-President Dick Cradock, instals Melville Watson as President 1994/95.

Marriage to Sheila in 1963 yielded two sons and one daughter-in-Jaw—all F.P.s.

Contrary to what the Society of Advocates' history tells us, Stuart (1978-83) is a Doctor (of Medicine) and Douglas (1979—85) is a Partner in the local legal practice— Adam Cochran. Poor Sheila!—surrounded on all sides by F.P.s.

But the School and the Club remain focal points of Melville's non-office activity.

I am particularly grateful—as I am sure others are who were in the category of lapsed members, to Melville for encouraging us to attend dinners and the like—all to our great pleasure and advantage. Our President will find, I suspect, that a single year of office will flash past. It is difficult to make a mark—but it is of course the highest honour the Club can confer on a F.P.—and here it is richly deserved. I am sure every F.P. active or lapsed or otherwise, whatever that may be, wish Melville and Sheila an enjoyable Presidential Year yielding fond memories.

I.M.S.P.

The Centenary Dinner At 7.45 p.m. on Friday 29 October 1993, 327 F.P.s and guests assembled to celebrate the centenary of the club at the Annual Dinner in the New Marcliffe Hotel. Almost from the moment the first of the attendees arrived, some sixty minutes earlier, there had been a buzz around the room which grew in volume as acquaintances were renewed and memories stirred. This was going to be a night to remember!

Amongst the official guests introduced by the President, we were delighted to welcome all of the Centre Presidents and representatives of other local E.P. clubs, in particular, for the first time representatives of the High School, Albyn and St. Margret's Associations.

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54

Aberdeen Grammar .S:iboolMagazine

Following the excellent, five course meal, the Centenary Draw, and the essential "break"—the President drew the company back to the table and introduced Sir Vi'illiam Macpherson of Cluny to propose a toast to the Club, an "appropriate" transcript of which follows: The Club—Proposed by Sir William Macpherson of Cluny.

100 years . . . not, Mr. President, the sentences I inflicted last week on the prisoners of Durham, . . . but this celebration of your famous Club—at which Sheila and I are so delighted to be present. To propose its centenary health is an honour indeed. When thinking what to say, I remembered the similar wonderings of the schoolmaster who was writing his reports, and who found one particular boy a problem. He was simply stumped as to how to begin—until he was inspired by the school matron's entries, one of which read, height at start of term 4'11", height at end of term 4'6"—and thus he was able to write, "This boy seems to be settling down nicely"! No such problem struck me while looking at your splendid Centenary magazine which marks the great records of the first 100 years of the Club's existence.

I did wonder aloud to Sheila as to what my qualification might be for this honour—and with her usual candour she said, 'Well to start with you look about 100—and probably nobody else had the cheek to accept." She's probably right— she normally is—indeed she was heard to say not long ago, "I may have many faults, but being wrong is not one of them."

Senility is of course a creeping condition which adds to a Club's distinction— but not to that of its members. During the comfort break just now—known incidentally by a Blackpool toastmaster as a diuretic perambulation, I stood next to the young members—one said, 'What happens now?" and the other said, "Oh some old fool proposes the Club's health—and after that we get onto the good speakers." It's not the noun that I object to as much as the adjective. Although I accept that both may be accurate, and do have to face the indignities of old age, such as the fact that in the last 6 months I have four times been offered a seat on the bus by young ladies. The solution to the problem was given by a letter in the Times, which said that the right response is, "Thank-you--I'll accept if you will sit on my knee." That of course leads to the hazard that some young looking policeman might arrest you for indecent assault—assuming that he made the mistake of believing me still capable of the offence.

My own closest connection with your Club is through Rugby football, and the friendship of many years of several of your finest exports to the South—and also a personal connection through members of other Scottish societies in London— notably of course with your President in this Centenary year, Ian Duguid. I see from an article about him in your Centenary magazine that he had some attachment to Brigitte Bardot, and the Baron de Rothschild—why both I am not quite sure. I have also heard that among his galaxy of patients he numbers Sadam Hussain— that must I suspect test the steadiness of his operating hand!

When I joined London Scottish Football Club in 1949, D. W. C. Smith was of course dominant on the wing! He had badly broken his arm earlier, and it was the junior player's duty to tie his sleeve down before the game to cover a formidable leather guard with which he terrified the opposition in all his famous bursts of activity. The second task after the match was to light his first cigarette. What a career he had and so did your other Scottish Internationals. And your Presidents of the S.R.U.—two in successive years, Doug Smith and Bill Connon creating that proud record. Not forgetting for a moment of course your and Scotland's great Captain Donny Innes, who has also contributed so much to your Club and the game.

I wasn't going to tell you this, but I think I should confess that I am one of the few people to have been to bed with Doug Smith! On a London Scottish tour of France, I hasten to add—after a game played on two days—because it kicked-off

The Ceitiesary Dinner

55

for some reason that I have totally forgotten at 11.30 p.m.—and lasted thus well into the next day.

What a great game—and what happy days—shared as is evident by your Rugby Section, whose magazine sets it all out so well. Rounded off, so far as our connection with F.P.s is concerned by an Aberdeen tour in the 70s of which my memories are alcoholically vague—except that horizontality was too much the order of the day— one of the players was heard to say that "Drinking in England is in its infancy".

Talking of Eric Craig, your Centenary magazine Committee Convenor—he is one of my clansmen—I am not sure how often he acknowledged that fact, but I have a good mind to appoint him Clan jester after a recent performance at a Clan Gathering in Kingussie. At school I hear that one of his reports read—If this boy would realise that logarithms are more important than the rhythms of the ukelele, he might go far!

Our Clan is stronger in Alabama than Aberdeen these days—my only difficulty in communicating with the U.S.A. is that nobody can read my writing. When I write to them they have a committee meeting to try to decipher the letter—and sometimes reach a decision by a majority of 6-5!

In Court, judges have to make a running note or record—sensing the antiquity of this method a director of IBM arranged recently for me to test an electronic notepad, which converts handwriting to typed text. The device needs to recognise your writing, and so the demonstrator told me that it was trained to recognise signature in advance—so I wrote Willie Macpherson—pressed the button—and on the screen came the words "Hider Parthenon". Most appropriate, Sheila told me, because she does regard me as a cross between a fascist and an ancient Greek monument! No sale to IBM. My time is probably truly up—and I must finish. Remembering just before I do, as the epitome of brevity, the shortest judgement on record. A man during his own case said in conclusion to the Judge "As God is my judge, I did not steal those goods", to which the Judge said, "He's not, I am, You did". And then he spoilt his economy of words by adding "5 years".

So many of you, both members and guests, will have your own memories of this splendid Club, in personal memories of those who have had the benefit of going to the Grammar and their continuing fellowship over this first hundred years. And I do hope that I have conveyed how much my own and London Scottish's connection has meant to us. To be here today, with you Mr. President, as Centenary President is a particular pleasure. You yourself reflect and embody the loyalty and dedication which is the hallmark of the Club, in its support of the School and its former pupils.

I have much pleasure in being allowed to propose that we drink the health of the Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' Club, joined with the name of Ian Duguid.

Unfortunately space does not permit all of the toasts and replies to be published.

The formal part of the evening closed at around 11.00 p.m. after which, the happy clamour which preceded the dinner carried on into the small hours at the Marcliffe . . . and beyond elsewhere no doubt! This was one of the last functions to be held in the New Marcliffc before the opening of the Marcliffe at Pitfodels. 1 would like to record my personal thanks to Stuart Spence, Doreen Douglas and all of the Marcliffe staff who have looked after us so well over many years.

The Centenary Ball The Centenary Ball on 28 December 1993 might well never have happened.

Only a few days before the function, a fire in the Beach Ballroom caused considerable damage to the stage area. However, the extent of the damage was contained by the Fire Services and by the time the appointed date arrived, the damaged area was screened off and the only obvious effect was a reduced dance floor to

56

.•lberdeen Grammar ArboolMagatine

accommodate the temporary stage. Uncertainty regarding numbers in planning for the event, persuaded the Centenary• Committee that a change in format from the normal supper dance to a more conventional dinner dance would be appropriate.

This change seems to have been popular judging by the feedback received to date.

I hope this is indicative of an upward trend in numbers for future years.

1994 Functions The functions dates for 1994 have been set. The dinner will be at the Marcliffe at Pitfodels on 28 October 1994 and the Ball will be at the Beach Ballroom on 30 December 1994. Please find the application forms and apply early—you have no idea how much easier it makes my job if you do!

This will be my last year as Entertainment Convenor, I would like to thank everyone for their support over the last five years, it was a great privilege to be part of the Centenary celebrations but I am looking forward to being able to turn up to the functions and not have to worry that everyone has a place!

Douglas McAllister

Centenary Draw It is with great pleasure that I report on the above. Approximately 45% of the membership subscribed to the raffle, there were also donations large and small. To all those who subscribed to the raffle and/or made a donation, on behalf of the Executive, I thank you.

•

Presentation to Dick Cradock by Doug Fowlie (Chairman of Executive) on behalf of the F.P. Club in recognition of Dick's chairmanship in Centenary Year.

Boarding Howe Reunion

57

The final result is that, after distributing nearly £5,000 in prizes, there is a healthy balance of approximately £8,500. At present the disbursement of the fund has not been finally decided; discussion is taking place with the Rector regarding presenting the School with something tangible to commemorate the Club's Centenary and to continue the close links we have with the School. Several suggestions have been put forward and quotes are being obtained.

The Executive are also presently considering applications for assistance from various F.P. Sections but obviously the main benefactor will be the School.

Finally, very late in the Centenary• year we managed to obtain from another supplier an additional supply of single motif Centenary ties: there are still a few available at a cost of £7.00.

Listed below are the main prize winners: £2,000 Holiday Voucher—Mrs W. G. U'ren £1,250 Holiday Voucher—Heather, c/o Fiddler's Lounge £500 Holiday Voucher—Mrs C. M. Wilson Portable T.V.—Bill Berry Longines Watch—Kim Cook Night at Marcliffe at Pitfodels—A. J. R. Murray Gold Pendant and Chain—Mrs Edna Forbes Trouser Press—Mrs A. McLaren Rolled Gold Pen and Pencil Set—D. A. Machray.

Boarding House Reunion Saturday 8 July 1995 We have formed a small Committee of John Cradock, Eric Rogers and myself to organise this event.

A letter has been sent to Ex-Boarders who had shown an interest, and the response is looking very favourable.

The function has been booked for the Atholl Hotel, Kings Gate, Aberdeen. The only problem we may face is that the hotel can only accommodate 60, hence, if we have a larger number we would have to make alternative arrangements which could mean a change of date due to advanced bookings for other functions.

We do not have any records of Boarding House pupils and do not know if any former masters are still living. Many of the boys will obviously not be members of the F.P. Club and accordingly we do not have any addresses to make contact.

If you are interested in attending please let me know as soon as possible along with any names and addresses of former Boarders and Masters that you may still be in touch with. My address is 33 Anderson Drive, Aberdeen, AB1 GST and telephone Aberdeen (0224) 316442.

Looking forward to meeting again.

Dick Cradock (1940-41 and 1945-51)

Reunion of School Leavers 1947-49 On Friday, 20 May 1994, forty-six of "the kids of the War years" met at the Atholl Hotel some fifty years on to compare notes on the intervening years and exchange recollections of far-off days. Memories of half-day schooling (buildings shared with Central School), classes held in corrugated iron huts and desperate shortages of school uniform due to clothes rationing were revived. Even the flavour of school dinners costing fourpence for two courses was recalled, especially the steamed fruit pudding with pink custard!

58

Aberdeen Grammar School Maga#ne

The weekend's proceedings began at 7.00 p.m. with the issue of name tags by Fraser Dumo to avoid an "identity crisis". Thereafter the assembled company along with Guest of Honour and former Principal Teacher of Classics Mr. Ron McLeod (Tarzan) was welcomed by Fred Lynch who succinctly outlined the activities of the evening and the Saturday morning. Throughout an excellent dinner the conversation flowed freely, fuelled by considerable volumes of liquid refreshment.

Allan Macdearrnid then recalled, somewhat disrespectfully, the teaching abilities and eccentricities of the school staff of the War years defore calling on Ron McLeod to propose the toast to "The School and The Lads of the Forties".

Ron immediately proceeded to chastise the assembled company for their failure to provide the "brave new world" which everyone had hoped for in the post-war years. However in more forgiving mood he went on to give a non-stop, stand-up comedy performance covering Aberdeen Grammar School, various parts of the United Kingdom and Hannibal crossing the Alps. The only possible response came—a standing ovation!

The task of replying fell to David Brittain who ably invoked the dry humour reminiscent of his schoolboy skirmishes with authority—Inspiring the thought that some people don't change all that much!

The formal part of the evening was rounded off when Ian Marr read out a "brotherly greeting" from the Reunion of 1951-65 F.P.s which was much appreciated. He concluded by exhorting the company to "get on and mingle".

During the mingling period Edward Fraser expressed the thanks of the company to the organising committee of Messrs Dumo, Hume, Lynch, Macdearmid and Marr for arranging an evening of good fellowship and enjoyment.

For the remainder of the evening the reminiscences continued unabated until, it is understood, 3.00 a.m. on Saturday despite a vain attempt by Alastair Hume to ease the evening to a close just after midnight.

Although suffering from a shortage of overnight rest a party of over fifty including wives, assembled at the school next morning where Ron Fulger, the janitor, with considerable good humour and patience, conducted them round the buildings. Sensations of disorientation in and around the revamped "School Hall" area and welcome recognition in the unchanged former Lower School building were experienced by the company. One well-known Aberdeen business man (sine nomine) proclaimed proudly, 'This was my clothes peg fifty years ago!"

A short run back to the Atholl Hotel gave an opportunity for farewells over coffee where feelings were expressed that the reunion had been too short to get properly reacquainted. There was only one logical conclusion—to do it all again in three years' time.

A.M. (1941-48)

Vit ) ' saePIO Bark row, icft is Tight• Albert Lawrie, Bill Morrice, John Mutch, Brian Gray, Arthur Tough, Campbell Murray, David Brittain, Pat Innes, Sandy Mennie, Malcolm Lyall, Sandy Cheync, Ian Torvaney.

Standing: Ian Crozier, Brian Morris, Dennis Ritchie, Moray Slater, Urlan Wannop, Ken Haining, Ron Sangster, Alistair Nisbet, Bill Courts, Ron Sleigh, Myron Hampton, George Montgomery, Leslie Cruickshank, Mike Williams, Eric McLeod, Ian Marr. .hated• Bill Davie, Doug Chapman, George Fraser, Herb Longmore, Ron McLeod (guest), lan Donald, Ron Milne, Jim Littlejohn, Graeme Fraser Dumo.

Erma roa:• Harnish Paterson, Donnie Buyers, Alistair Hume, Fred Lynch, Harry Connochie, Keith Farquharson, Bobby Walker, Edward Fraser, Allan Macdearmid.

,J,

60

_lberdren Grammar School Alaga#m,

Centre Reports Club Centre The Centre continued to trade at a profit during 1993, although having said this one must at once say that there is scope for increased business. The premises are well utilised but very much greater use could be made of the Centre both by Sections and by individuals. As was remarked at the Annual Meeting, Clubs such as ours have to fight all the way in the licensed business of to-day. Ours is a private club for members only together with their guests and we cannot open our doors to all and sundry. No matter how attractive our members may be, those whose socialising is linked to the quest for a partner do not go to a private Club, but rather to some other licensed premises.

Membership in 1993 stood at 737, an increase on the previous year. Neil Falconer has been transferred by his company to Warwick but happily, he having computerised the membership records in conjunction with the keycard system, Neil is able to continue as Membership Secretary. He has done sterling work in this connection and the Committee is delighted that he is able to carry on.

During the past year attempts have been made to organise a varied programme of functions at the Centre, but we have met with a varied response. The outstanding success was the Quiz Night which took place in October and which will certainly be repeated, hopefully on a regular basis. The annual Firework evening was linked last November with a Hallowe'en party for youngsters, and the experiment appeared to be welcome. It is planned to follow a similar pattern this year, and members with young families should watch out for details. Plans are afoot for a Ceilidh on the Friday evening nearest to St. Andrew's Night, and it is hoped that this will receive the support of members.

On the upkeep front, the worn part of the lounge bar carpet was replaced in October, and external routine repairs and re-painting are to be undertaken this summer. We have been fortunate to avoid major problems with our building, but constant attention is required, and in this we are well served by our House Convener, Bruce Allan.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the purchase and opening of the Centre, where the first pint was ceremonially poured by Phil Love on Friday 13 September 1969. Plans are being made to mark this occasion with an appropriate celebration in early September. The doubters at the time of the meetings to approve the project have been proved wrong; the sale of Club investments and their re-investment in 86 Queen's Road has produced a return which could never otherwise have been achieved. Let us all resolve that the Centre should go on from strength to strength and to do all in our power to achieve this.

As this Magazine goes to press, we welcome Steven J. C. Esson as our Secretary in succession ,to Peter M. Robertson who has stepped down after almost four years in office. We welcome Steve to his new responsibilities, and thank Peter for all that he has done'to ensure the smooth running of the Centre's affairs.

No report would be complete without reference to our Club Steward and his staff. George McKenzie has done sterling work for the Centre, much of it unseen and probably unnoticed, but his efficiency and good humour are tremendous assets.

To his Assistant, Muriel Massie, and the team of part-time staff our gratitude must also be recorded.

B.K.C. London At the A.G.M. held on 27 May 1993, Harold Watt, Ron Caie and Duncan Hopkins were elected on to the Executive Committee for three years replacing Ian Reid, Ian Glendinning and Andrew Noble who retire and are not eligible for immediate re-election.

Centre Reports

61

To mark the Club Centenary• Year, the Centre, with financial support from the parent club, arranged for the annual sixth-former visit to London to be extended by a fourteen day visit to Canada where they were the guests of various F.P.s in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec from 16 June-2 July. This year the F.P.s' guests were the head-girl Anne-Marie Davies and the head-boy Neil Patterson.

The Annual Dinner was held this year in the prestigious surroundings of the Peers' dining room in the House of Lords, thanks to the kind sponsorship of Lord Aldington who, as principal speaker, proposed the Toast of the School and the Club to which the Rector and the parent club President, Ian Duguid made suitably felicitous replies. Fifty F.P.s and their guests (including the Club Centre Presidents from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Yorkshire and the President of London Gordonians) enjoyed a splendidly memorable evening, surveyed appropriately by the portrait of a distinguished F.P. who was a member of the House of Lords in the 19th century, Lord Byron.

The fifty F.P.s attending the dinner in order of date of admission to the school were: W/Cmdr R. D. Bruce (1913-22), J. L. S. Thomson (1920-27), J. G. Dawson (1921— ),J. J. R. S. Innes (1923-35), R. A. E. Mennie (1924-36), W. J. G. Meldrum (1924-35), H. M. R. Watt (1926-38), E. Sangster (1927-39), J. A. N. Watt (192739), D. N. Georgeson (1929-40), D. W. C. Smith (1929-41), J. G. C. Brown (1930.42), M. A. Aggett (1930-42), A. W. McIntosh (1932-45), 1. B. Taylor (1933-40), J. A. Macgregor (1935-44), M. G. Lyall (1935-48), D. S. Robbie (1936-48), I. A. Duguid (1938-43), A. S. Noble (1939-52), Sir A. E. Donald (1942-44), M. F. Watson (1943-56), L. Kilgour (1943-52), A. K. Campbell (1944-53), K. Courts (1944-50), R. Falconer (1944-58), D. F. Ross (1945-58), R. H. Cradock (1945-51), H.Bell (1945-57), W. Yule (1945-58), R. F. Kitson (1947—58), J. L Sinclair (194759), J. B. Davidson (1947-60), I. Glendinning (1948-62), M. R. Cooper (1948-61), R. Munro (1951-56), E. A. S. Porter (1951-58), I. Reid (1951-62), R. Boyne (195154), J. F. Hendry (1951-65), 1. A. Reid (1951-63), W. C. Kemp (1953-59), J. C. Lyon (1953-59), J. D. Reid (1954-65), D. J. Hopkin (1955-61), N. F. Matthews (1958-61), I. M. Carry (1960-73), A. Nicol (1962-71), N. Mackie (1963-66), I. Ferguson (1964-66).

R.A.E.M. Yorkshire A good attendance of seventeen was present in the Secretary's last year in office. Welcomed by Dr. A. Wilson McIntosh, Yorkshire President, was a strong contingent from Aberdeen consisting of the Rector, Dick Cradock, Hugh Pixie, Melville Watson and Ian Fraser, and members were delighted by the presence of President of the Parent Club Ian Duguid. Pearls of wisdom and shafts of humour abounded in the addresses by Wilson, Ian and the Rector, and Dick Cradock "made a bob or two" out of members in selling ties etc., for the occasion of the Centenary Celebration. The Secretary/Treasurer demitted office after seven years, and the new office bearer is Douglas Skene (1959-64), 87 Main Street, Fulford, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 4DN, telephones 0904-627686 (home) and 0532-557444 (office).

The writer is most happy to say that no arm-twisting was called for!

Others in attendance: W. J. Alexander (1931-43), W. Scott Gilchrist (1929-36), I. N. Reid (1954-63 and 1965-67), R. F. Tyson (1944-49), N. T. Nichol (192539), David Smith (1945-47), Roy Abel (1962-68), Stan Duthie (1959-64), Leslie Johnston (1932-45).

I was saddened to read T. K Macdonald's obituary• notice in last year's issue of the Afagatine, but it has brought to mind memories relevant to the heading of this article. Through mutual family friends coupled to a joint interest in matters nautical, I became acquainted with T.K. shortly after he was admitted as a solicitor, when

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Aberdeen Grammar .Cebool Magazine

he "put up his plate" at 60A (I think) Union Street and commenced his one-man practice, an impossibility in this day and age. At that time I was a deck officer in the Blue Funnel Line, and became friendly with him on my occasional shore leaves.

We lost touch at the outbreak of war when I was called up as an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. In 1943 at the Tail of the Bank, I embarked on the Queen Elizabeth en route to Tacoma in the State of Washington via New York, to take up an appointment as Navigating Officer of an escort carrier nearing completion at the shipyard there. On arrival in New York I was ordered to report to the British Naval Liaison Officer, and who should it be but T.K.! I had to spend a few days in New York before embarking by train for the West Coast, and T.K. arranged accommodation for me in the Barbizon Plaza Hotel, and also access to the U.S. Naval Officers' Club which was greatly appreciated. In New York at that time happened to be a Bank Line ship loading vital war supplies, and (here the double coincidence) who should be Second Officer of same but my old school chum, Andrew Alexander Marr Ducat (1923-35?), one of the aforesaid family friends.

Sandy Ducat emigrated to New Zealand in 1946 to go into the stevedoring business.

Needless to say a whale of a night was had at the Brabizon Plaza and later at a night club. Fortified by an over-liberal intake of wine in the wee sma"oors, we parted company at the corner of 42nd Street shouting "Final—Gre-c-en Final" in opposition to a newsvendor yelling `Times, Noo York Times", to the utter bemusement of passing pedestrians. Such act of folly repeated in the New York of today would probably result in a mugging or being escorted in handcuffs to the local nick! Heigh ho—halcyon days!

W. Scott Gilchrist (1929-36)

Canada As reported in the 1993 Magazine, a Canadian Centre was formed to coincide with the celebrations of the Club Centenary. The inaugural dinner took place in Edmonton, Alberta on 18 September 1993 and was held in the Jasper House Hotel on "1885 Street" at Fort Edmonton Park. All the relocated or replica buildings on this street date from that year. As this was the year in which the Magazine was first published, this gave added significance to the location of the dinner.

Thirteen F.P.s, including Ian M. Duguid, President of the Club, attended the dinner which was hosted by Douglas Menzies, Club Consul in Edmonton and first President of the Canadian Centre. Also present were Dr. David Gill and Professor Raymond Grant, both Gordonian guests. Professor Grant responded to the "Toast to The Guests".

President Duguid then addressed the gathering and gave news of the restoration of the School and F.P. Club events, including the recent successful Rugby Weekend in Aberdeen. He also complimented the F.P.s in Ontario and Quebec for hosting the Head Girl and Head Boy on their F.P. Club-sponsored visit to Canada last summer. Before concluding a most memorable occasion by proposing a "Toast to The School and The Club", President Duguid presented the Canadian Centre with a very fine Edinburgh crystal decanter, engraved AGSFPC and I.M.D. 1993.

At a luncheon the following day Tom Paton, on behalf of the Canadian Centre, presented Ian Duguid with a volume of photographs of the Canadian Rockies as a memento of the first official visit of an F.P. Club President to Canada.

The following F.P.s attended the Dinner. D. L McDougall (1922-28), H. N. MacPherson (1934-37), G. D. Menzies (1934-44) Centre President, A. M. Watt (1937-50), I. M. Duguid (1938-43) Club President, F. F. Gauld (1938-44), W. D. Jenkins (1939-44), J. P. Jeffrey (1944-59), G. B. Singer (1949-50), A. F. J. Home (1952-58), T. J. Paton (1952-60), R. C. Scace (1954-60), and P. G. Edwards (195664).

Section Reports

63

Following the above Centre Dinner, Ian McDougall organised a very memorable Centenary Dinner in Holyrood House, Victoria, British Columbia on 9 October 1993 which was attended by the following F.P.s: I. A. McDougall (1915-29), D. L. McDougall (1922-28), G. B. Rickart (1923-30), G. C. Warrack (1924-37), C. McDougall (1926-28), A. M. Watt (1937-50), F. F. Gauld (1938-44), J. T. L Parkinson (1942-50), and D. R. Auld (1947-61).

We are sad to record the death of the above Charles McDougall in February of this year.

Ian McG. Marr (Club Consul, Ontario) will take over as the 1994 Centre President and it is planned to hold the annual Centre Dinner in Toronto on 1 October 1994.

All F.P.s and their spouses, whether resident in Canada or in transit, are cordially invited to attend and should contact J. Peter Jeffrey, Secretary, AGSFPC Canadian Centre, 20163 Lakeshore, Baie d'Urfe, Quebec, H9X 1P8. Tel. 514-457-6252.

J.P.J. Edinburgh The Edinburgh Centre held its Annual Dinner on Friday 18 March 1994 in the Carlton Highland Hotel, Edinburgh. President Jimmy McGregor welcomed the company of eighty members and guests who included Ian Duguid, President of the Parent Club, Bill Johnston, Rector, Dr. Colin Gribble, representing Edinburgh Gordonians, Gary Allan and Wilson McIntosh, Presidents respectively of the Glasgow and Yorkshire Centres, the Head Girl, Nicola Fox and the Head Boy, Neil Thornton.

The principal guest was former Parent Club President Eric Craig who proposed the toast of "The School and the Club" in fluent fractured French for a hilarious twenty minutes. Replies were made by the Rector and the Parent Club President.

At the end of the evening Alastair Philip thanked Jimmy McGregor for the excellent way in which he chaired the proceedings.

During the course of the Dinner the Centre held its Annual General Meeting.

Alastair Philip and David Kilgour were elected as the new President and Vice President, Nigel Watt was re-elected as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer and the other committee members remain as Morrison Brown and Peter Millar.

Unfortunately due to a mix-up the Annual Golf Match with the Glasgow Centre did not take place within the Centre's Annual Outing at Bruntsfield in August.

Thus the Edinburgh Centre retained the trophy! The outing was won by David Cowie with a stableford score of 40 points and he won the Mor Brown Trophy for the second time. Ronnie Smith was second with a score of 39 points and Stephen Williams third with a score of 37 points. Eleven F.P.s enjoyed excellent fellowship and a very good high tea was partaken in the Clubhouse afterwards. The Centre President Jimmy McGregor presented the prizes.

This year's outing will be held again at Bruntsfield on Wednesday 24 August and hdpefully will incorporate the match with the Glasgow Centre.

Next year's Dinner will be held in the Carlton Highland Hotel on Friday 3 March 1995—the eve of the Scotland—Wales Rugby International at Murrayfield.

Any reader who has recently come to the Edinburgh area and who has not received any communication from the Centre is invited to contact Nigel Watt at his business address at 21 Stafford Street, Edinburgh—telephone 031 225 8884.

The following F.P.s attended the Dinner: A. M. Beattie (1944-57), Dr. N. M. Borthwick (1952-65), D. Bremner (1950-56), D. A. Brittain (1943-49), W. M. Brown (1933-46), A. H. Cairns (1943-56), J. P. Cairns (1945-57), A. K. Campbell (1944-53), J. M. T. Cheyne (1940-43 & 194552), T. G. Courts (1939-51), D. L. Cowie (1942-44), J. W. Cradock (1940-46), R.

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Aberzlem Grammar S4hool Magazine

H. Cradock (1940-41 & 1945-51), E. Craig (1934-46), E. J. Cram (1944-47), Dr. S. W. Cummings (1965-69), I. M. Duguid (1938-43), B. D. D. Emslie (1929-35), D. J. Fettes (1953-59), J. E. Fraser (1936-49), Dr. B. S. Gray (1943-49), D. R. Harper (1944-58), J. L Harper (1940-54), J. Heath (1950-63), L G. Johnston (1932-45), W. J. Johnston (Rector), D. G. Kilgour (1938.-50), Rev. Dr. J. F. Kirk (1937-47), Prof. P. N. Love (1952-58), Dr. A. R. Lyall (1933-46), J. C. Lyon (195359), D. McAllister (1961-74), J. F. McClellan (1944-50), Dr. J. A. McGregor (193544), Dr. A. W. McIntosh (1932-45), Prof. G. A. Macnab (1935-44), K. I. Masson (1959-72), P. C. Millar (1933-44), J. D. Murray (1961-74), W. M. Murray (194554), K. A. M. Nisbet (1972-78), Dr. A. E. Philip (1943-56), H. S. Pirie (1948-54), R. S. Riley (1947-55), S. A. C. Robertson (1939-51), R. G. C. Smith (1926-37), D. J. Stephen (1946-52), I. T. Stephen (staff 1948-85), Dr. D. Stuart (1930-43), Dr. I. Stuart (1933-46), C. R. Sutherland (1947-60), E. M. Walker (1956-59), M. F. Watson (1943-56), N. G. M. Watt (1963-69).

Highland On 12 November 1993,28 F.P.s attended an informal dinner at the Highland Club, Inverness. The toast to the School and the Club was proposed by Eric Ros Birkett, Honorary Vice-President of the Club. The following F.P.s were present: N. J. Armand (1953-57), IL J. Armstrong (1934-41), A. A. Beattie (1939-50), E. R. Birkett (1920-22), Prof. P. S. Boyd (1927-40), 1. W. Brodie (1952-57), M. A. Campbell (1947-60), J. L Duncan (1958-71), G. S. Elmslie (1933-43), J. K. Farquharson (1945-49), A. Gillies (1954-59), Can. D. W. M. Grant (1937-41), G. S. Grant (1935-40), J. B. Gunn (1953-66), K. W. Hunter (1928-41), Dr. A. A. Lawrence (1940-46), Dr. W. C. M. Lawrence (1940-43), K. G. Mackie (1952-64), E. J. S. Michie (1947-52), Dr. R. Miller (1943-54), A. G. McArthur (1961-67), H. A. M. Macdonald (1949-55), J. J. MacLean (1960-66), Dr. A. Scott Brown (194652), Dr. M. F. Shanks (1958-59), I. S. Smith (1944-53), A. I. Soppitt (1954-60), Dr. G. V. Stone (1957-63).

As far as is known, there have been no Club functions in the Highlands in recent times. To date, 34 F.P.s are known to reside in the area and have been contacted, and it is certain that, somewhere out there, there are many more. The inaugural dinner in 1993 was considered a success, and it is hoped that any F.P.s in the area interested in future functions will contact Gordon Elmslie, 8 Torbreck Road, Inverness (Tel. 0463-238766).

Section Reports Cricket This year another tremendous effort has been put into raising funds for improving the square and net practice areas. Barbeque, raffles and in particular match sponsorship have all been successful. We have even attracted a grant from The Foundation for Sports and the Arts. Despite very heavy expenditure £1500) on buying new equipment we have still managed to increase our bank balance in the past year.

Partly for this reason our Treasurer, Gavin Milne, was presented with the Sandy Davidson Memorial Trophy for the member who contributed most to the Section in the past year. That we have been unable to start the proposed improvements is entirely due to the need for Regional Council permission which has not yet been forthcoming. The plan is first to lay new concrete bases for two practice nets and then to lay an artificial wicket at one side of the square. The longer term plan to re-lay the turf of the rest of the square will require further major fund-raising efforts and in the meantime we appreciate the groundsman's efforts to improve the playing surface.

.Certion Reports

65

Under-18 XI After the euphoria of the Scottish Cup victory in 1992, 1993 was bound to be an anti-climax with the departure (through old age!) of no fewer than eight regulars.

However, Barry Shepherd and Andrew Wilson, captain and vice-captain respectively, managed to build together a team which won 4 and lost 4 of its eight matches, performing creditably in the Laing Cup Final at Mannofield. Graham Milne and Matthew Dyer proved useful acquisitions from the defunct Cults Under-18 XI, but the side suffered from failure to produce eleven bodies for each fixture. Barry and Andrew continue to be in charge in season 1994, and it is to be hoped that an influx of the undoubted talent which exists in the School will enable the Under-18 XI to mount a challenge to Mannofield, who succeeded F.P.s as winners of the Scottish Cup last season.

Now that formal school cricket ends in 3rd year it is all the more important that we maintain our Under 18 team and we are most grateful for the support and encouragement of the PE staff in helping to do this.

3rd XI The 3rd XI enjoyed an excellent season under the benevolent leadership of Dick Wallis, winning the Grade 5 championship with only one defeat and that by the narrow margin of one wicket at Kintore following an over-generous declaration.

The sole disappointment was defeat by a mere 14 runs in the Final of the Johnston Cup, again at the hands of Kintore; in this match we were chasing a moderate total of 118, but apart from a typical innings of 67 by lain Hopkin the side collapsed to 104 with no-one else reaching double figures.

Iain Hopkin was the star of the batting line-up, with 528 runs at an average of 58.67, including an unbeaten 113 at Dunecht; only the technicality of having played one league match too few robbed him of what would have been a deserved Grade 5 Batting Cup. John Fraser accumulated over 400 runs at 36.64 each, and other solid contributions came from Dick Wallis, Muzaffar Chaudhary, Neil Falconer and Derek Harley.

The bowling showed great improvement in comparison with 1992. Early in the season student Giles Budibent picked up 15 cheap wickets in four matches, then Martin Webster came out of retirement to resume his usual accuracy, taking 23 wickets at 9.39 each and conceding less than 2 runs per over. Neil Simpson emerged as a more than useful bowler with 23 victims at just over 10 apiece, while Muzaffar Chaudhary's skilful offspin brought him 30 wickets at 10.03 each. With Barry Shepherd taking 18 wickets at 10.56 each and occasional contributions from Gordon Inkson (who had a hat-trick against Kintore at Sheddocksley), John Fraser and Andrew Wilson, there was no shortage of willing bowlers. The fielding, too, improved, and some excellent catches were taken.

The Cup Final disappointment was all the more keenly felt after an exciting onerun victory over Ellon at Rubislaw in the Semi-Final. Ellon, our closest rivals for the one promotion spot, fought out two dogged draws in the League, holding out with 9 wickets down at Ellon and falling a handful of runs short at Rubislaw in response to a large F.P. total including 95 not out from Peter Redhead, deputising for the injured lain Hopkin.

2nd XI The 2nd XI suffered because they could not field a regular side, partly through illness and injury and partly through calls on their resources from the 1st XI. Altogether 42 players played in the team during the year. Consequently there were few "in form" players at any one time. Captain Mike Hart led by example and topped the batting averages and Fergus McKiddie (19 wickets) won the bowling cup. Simon Tomkins again proved to be the all-rounder of the side, taking 10 wickets and scoring 179 runs. With a slight feeling of inevitability the team were relegated from Grade 1 but may be more comfortable in the lower division until a more settled side can be built.

66

_Aberdeen Grammar .SthoolMagavne

1st XI The Strathmore Union XI started with high hopes of fielding a strong side throughout the season but the early departure of David Leiper to Edinburgh, the rare availability of Dallas Moir and Jerry Moir's absence through illness for the last month of the season all conspired against these plans. A narrow defeat by the Grade Select in an exciting first round match in the 3 Counties Cup was disappointing. In the Union the team disposed of the weaker teams without too much trouble but failed to do themselves justice against the stronger teams, getting the worse of draws against Brechin, Gordonians, newcomers Inverurie, Mannofield and even Forthill. In the end fifth position was not quite good enough to secure a place in the Scottish Cup. There were some excellent individual performances. Jerry Moir, despite his short season still managed to win the Union Bowling Aggregate Cup with 35 wickets—for the 11th time out of 14 years. However, despite taking 8 for 9 in one match, he was pipped at the post for the Section Bowling Trophy by John Eagles who took 21 wickets at 12.81 a piece and no doubt benefitted from the excellent work by Peter Redhead behind the stumps. A strong bowling attack included Peter Mears, Richard Bowman and Mark Tench who all took more than 10 wickets each in the season; the latter also taking 10 for the 2nd XI. With greater consistency Richard and Mark will certainly cause the best Union batsmen trouble in future years. The batsmen however, could not produce the big innings, perhaps suffering from the lack of a regular line-up. Although no less than 8 players scored over 100 runs for the season, none scored more than 262 runs. Jerry Moir was not to be denied the Club Batting trophy with an average of 32.75. Eddie Church and Richard Bowman just failed to record their maiden Union half centuries and Richard was awarded the W. A. Stewart Trophy for his batting.

There is no doubt that F.P.s can compete at a high level in Scottish cricket without necessarily going to the extremes of dedication, singlemindedness and sometimes unsportsmanlike behaviour shown by some of the more "fashionable" Scottish clubs. We will continue to enjoy our cricket at all levels and one of the best ways of doing this is to win!

Football We rounded off the season on quite a high note. Unfortunately for the team this took place in the Soda Fountain after the final whistle had sounded with more moves being made during the night out than had been made all season.

The team contained a number of seasoned amateur players who had been signed pre-season from a higher division. Our final position of sixth and a highest ever points total augers well for the future. The stress of relegation was eliminated from the outset as it is impossible to get relegated from the lowest division! As a result, the total football which has been Grammar's trademark was very evident. Indeed exotic sounding names such as Tortolano, Mann and Arundel on the teamsheet acted as a deterrent to the opposition who often found themselves a goal down after a few minutes. This effect usually lasted about ten minutes and then we invariably found ourselves two goals down at half-time.

Spirits remained high and a victory against a Post Office side littered with Internationalists (well Postmen) started a sequence of sensational results. This magical run ended with the publication of our team photograph in the Green Final and an announcement of our most consistent player of the year. Several players took their foot off the throttle arguing that there was nothing left to play for.

Congratulations however are due to that player, Greig Mann, who proved there is life after Roger Milla—"The boy done good".

We are still awaiting our trophy for being the most consistent team on the Galileo dance floor. This will be presented when Ray Riddoch returns from his stint in

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68

Abenleen Grammar SchoolMagatine

Cruickshank, Pat Fiddes and Hector Morrison. This redoubtable team then went on to win the Club Knock Out Competition. They were unable, however, to win the Spring league which went to Roy Nudd's rink leaving them some difficulty in their loyalties during the Autumn/Spring League Play off. During the season the Section entered several Province League and R.C.C.C. Competitions but have not brought home any cups or medals this year. Carrying on this incredible winning streak, we once more faced Gordonians in our annual grudge match which they did not lose and were kind enough to partake of our hospitality in the Club Centre thereafter. The Season ended as usual with the Dinner which was enjoyed greatly by the select few who attended. The Section remains in good heart and we now have confirmation that despite some doubts about the future of the Curling Rink at Stoneywood, we know we will be able to enjoy our very sociable games next season.

Hockey This year's first XI showed a marked improvement under the captaincy of Kevin Pope. A good start to the season resulted in an increase in confidence and coupled with organised coaching, promotion to division one looked possible. After the enforced break for indoor competition, the team played well and produced some excellent hockey, but an inability to capitalise on scoring chances in games where F.P.s were the better team, proved costly. With all thoughts of promotion forgotten, F.P.s tried some new team formations with next season's campaign in mind. The result of this was to reveal untapped potential in players who were not, it appears, being played in positions which suited their natural abilities. Next season's captain Ian Souter now has to continue with the development of the players in their new roles and using structured playing methods the goals which were missing this year will surely come.

The second and third XIs in division one of the local leagues failed to produce any memorable results and a poor season by both teams was rewarded with the third XI being relegated. The team captains and club coach will have an extremely hard task in revitalising the teams in order for them to achieve what we all know they are capable of.

The fourth XI, with most of the club's young players, augmented with emerging talent from school, showed promise and will continue to compete well in division two.

Grammarians outshone the other club teams this year. Promoted from division three as champions and having a reserve cup run which ended with a quarter final defeat by Inveresk second XI, they can be well satisfied with this season's results.

We were all shocked at the annual general meeting when it was announced that the following players would be retiring: Jim Lyon, John Drummond, Fred Lawson, Jim Gauld and Tony Millar. These players, who as club vice presidents, club and team captains, Scottish internationalists and out-and-out club members will be missed on the field of play. They will, I am happy to say, continue to support their club from the sidelines and we wish every one of them the very best in their retirement.

As we now look towards next season, you are all reminded that fitness training will continue throughout the summer break and pre-season coaching begins in August.

The section's sponsorship with Stronachs continues next season and we shall continue to develop our relationship with David Allan and his partners. We thank them for their excellent numeric turnout at the F.P. centenary dinner.

The section wishes to acknowledge the continued support of the Rector of Aberdeen Grammar School, David Swanson and the ground staff at Rubislaw and the steward and his staff at the club centre.

.Section Report(

69

Petanque The club suffered a double blow with the re-location of Emma Harrison, Treasurer and Secretary, and Committee Member Neil Falconer. We wish them well in their new appointments.

We were particularly fortunate in persuading Steve Esson to take up Emma's offices. His immediate task was the organisation of the Section Dinner which was very successful and enjoyed by all.

The section continues to flourish and the "Cradock Syndrome" of financially successful functions and Bar-B-Qs leaves the club in a very healthy position.

Last year's results in competition were: Singles "Simmer Solstia" David Earp Club Open CbanspionsbOs Singles—Sandy Stuart Doubles—John May Neil Robertson Triples--Fiona Robertson John May Neil Robertson The section is most active over the weekend and any new members wishing to join will be made very welcome.

Rugby Season 1993-94 doubled as the Club's Centenary Season and hopes were high that we would capitalise on the successful performance of the previous two seasons and challenge for promotion to celebrate. It was not to be! Nevertheless, the season began on an exciting note, with the official opening of our new 250 seater Stand at Rubislaw, followed by an entertaining if rather one-sided game against an S.R.U. President's XV which boasted some 10 internationals. That week-end also saw a number of other centenary celebrations, including a very successful reunion party on the Saturday night.

Surprisingly, momentum was lost after the centenary week-end and the league season started badly and gradually got worse. Perhaps it was the excitement of the centenary; perhaps it was the injury or unavailability of many of the team who had played so well together the previous season; perhaps, expectations were too high.

As the season progressed, promotion became a distant dream and relegation an imminent nightmare. As 1993 turned to 1994, realisation dawned that we had to start winning some games—surely we could beat Ardrossan and North Berwick, newcomers to this League? Surely we could repeat earlier victories against Trinity and Morgan? But it was not to be, and everything rested on the final league game against Cartha Queen's Park, a game in which only a victory would avoid relegation for F.P.s but with the same being required by Cartha! The match may have been bad for the nerves but it was certainly good for the Treasurer's purse since it attracted one of the largest league crowds at Rubislaw for many a season. Thankfully, matters were alright on the night and F.P.s were convincing winners and live to fight again next season.

If the 1st XV were disappointing, other teams were not. The 2nd XV, ably led

by Ian Singleton, and the 3rd XV, more than ably led by Phil Clegg, both performed well and this, combined with the continuing heartening performances of the youth and mini teams, augurs well for the future.

Special mention must be given to Brian Campbell, who almost gained an under 21 international cap to add to his existing international honours. A number of other

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players obtained District honours at under 21 or under 18 level. Special thanks must go to Doug Georgeson who helped to produce a memorable Centenary Programme and to all Club Members who contributed generously over the season to our Centenary Appeal donations which helped to build the new Stand.

Swimming Membership of the Section has risen over the past year with a particularly good turn out of both adults and children in the family session. The recreational and free swimming sessions remain sparsely attended by a loyal band of stalwarts and new faces—and figures would be warmly welcomed!

The Club meets every Tuesday evening during term time between 6.15 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. in three hourly sessions for family, recreational and free swimming activities.

Former pupils or associates wishing to join the Section should contact the Secretary for details but it should be noted that children are only permitted to attend the family session and then only when accompanied by an adult.

The 1994 officials are: Roger D. Houghton President, Norman G. Marr Treasurer, Peter Mulvey Secretary.

Women's Hockey This season has been our most successful yet and the future is looking very bright. The 1st XI finished second in North District Division 1, while the second team came third in Division 2. The indoor team were fourth in the Indoor League and won the Rossport Shield in the Indoor Tournament. In the latter stage of the season some members of the first team won the Deveron Sevens Tournament.

Thus finishing a very good season with a flourish.

The statistics for this season are very impressive by anyone's standards. The first team played 22 games and only lost 1 (to this season's champions—Highland), they also drew 4 games and therefore recorded 17 wins. The second team won 13 games, drew 3 games and lost 6 games. Their season was heavily disrupted by this winter's weather. The first team played more games on all weather surfaces which helped their season flow a little more smoothly than the second team's.

Once again the section can boast representatives at all levels of District hockey, i.e. under 16's, under 18's, under 21's and the senior squad. We also had representatives in all these categories in the indoor squads. This is something of which the club can be very proud. We also have a member of the Scottish Under 18 squad playing for our 1st XI. This season will be a very hard act to follow for both teams but we are all hoping the coming season will be as enjoyable. We hope to train twice weekly from August through to October as we have done in previous seasons. Then from October (finances and enthusiasm permitting) we hope to train under floodlights on astroturf. This type of training has proved very valuable to everyone's hockey even if it is expensive. As usual we would welcome any new members to our section (and believe us, we train very hard socially tool!).

Finally, we have a list of thank-yous to make. Our coach Murray Bisset has done an excellent job and put up with an awful lot from us. We owe a huge thank-you to all our umpires who turn up in all types of weather to help us. The groundsman Hugh Miller at Rubislaw has been a great help as in previous years. Stronachs, our sponsors, have been very generous and encouraging. Lastly a small thank-you to all our players this season without whom we would not be a force to be reckoned with in the North District!

Next Season's Qtruials President—Rhona MacLennan (644162) Treasurer—Karen Hay (641650) Secretary—Emma Hendry (322845) First XI Captain—Helen Wallis (640730)

Honours and Awards Order of the British Empire Douglas Reith (1924-35), Q.C., ,11-B., was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (c.B.E.) in the New Year Honours List. Having commenced his law studies in 1938, he was called to war service with 51st (Highland) Divisional Signal Regiment and was captured at St. Valery. He completed his studies while a prisoner, and graduated LLB. in 1945. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1946 and took silk in 1957. He has held various appointments as Chairman of Tribunals in relation to the Health Service and Pensions Appeals, and he was until recently Deputy Social Security Commissioner in Scotland. *

*

*

Gary James Graham Allan (1963-76) LLB., who was until last autumn a partner in the well-known Glasgow legal practice of Hughes Dowdall & Co., was called to the Scottish Bar on 3 June 1994 and admitted to membership of the Faculty of Advocates.

George Gordon Allan (1939-51) has recently had his first book published.

Bowling Enchanted Iroodr (Alpha Press, Brighton) is about the game of bowls which he has played since 1972, and about which he has reported for the Times and for the magazine World Bowls (recently renamed World of Bowls) since 1981. He is a freelance sports journalist, living in Carshalton in Surrey, and has also written on rugby for many years, latterly reporting on London Scottish for the Scotsman. He worked for Aberdeen Journals from 1951-60, with two years away on National Service, and apart from an 18-month spell on the Scotsman in Edinburgh he has been in London ever since.

Alexander Elder Anton (1932-40), C.B.E., M.A., LLB., received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Aberdeen University in July 1993. In presenting him for the degree Professor Francis Lyall (1944-57) traced his long and distinguished academic career as lecturer in the Law Faculty at Aberdeen, Professor of Jurisprudence at Glasgow, part-time and later full-time member of the Scottish Law Commission and, after in theory retiring, a return as an Honorary Professor of law at Aberdeen. He is an author of international repute, was the U.K. delegate to the Hague Conference on Private International Law from 1964 to 1982 and was for a time following his "retirement" the U.K. representative to the Commission on Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

Graham Douglas Caie (1949-63), M.A., Ph.D., has returned to Scotland after a 23-year absence. Aftcr leaving school he carried out V.S.O. work in Guinea before attending Aberdeen University, where he graduated M.A. with Honours in English in 1968. He then graduated M.A. and Ph.D. from McMaster University, Canada, where he taught for four years. In 1972 he was appointed a lecturer at Copenhagen University and lived in Denmark for 18 years, eventually becoming Chairman of 71

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the Medieval Centre at the University. In 1990 he was elected to the Chair of English Language at Glasgow University. He is also the U.K. delegate on the ERASMUS academic advisory board. He is anxious to renew contact with F.P.s of his year.

John Whitby Cradock (1940-46), C.A., retired in December as Chairman of Aberdeen Harbour Board. He first joined the Board in 1972 and became its Chairman in 1985. His period of office saw continuous development of the harbour facilities which are so critical to the oil capital of Europe. His fellow Board members presented him with a replica of the ship's bell which hangs in the Board's offices.

Murray Colin Crichton (1972-78) is currently a superintendent radiographer in the Department of Medical Cardiology at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. After leaving School he studied at Grampian School of Radiography where he gained the diploma of the Society of Radiographers in 1981. He then worked in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for a number of years, gaining the Society's Higher Diploma in 1991. He took up his present post in 1992, and is involved in cardiac catheterisation and interventional cardiology. He also lectures on cardiac imaging at Caledonian University.

Graeme Dunphy (1975-79), M.A., B.D., took up a teaching appointment in the English Department at the University of Regensburg on 1 October 1993. Graeme and Rhona now have two children, David (1990) and Elizabeth (1992).

Northern College Graduates Among the recipients in 1993 of the Degree of Bachelor of Education (Primary) from the Northern College of Education were Moira Elizabeth Duthie (198389), Lynne Ann Faskin (1983-89), and Susan Miller (1983-89), all with Second Class Honours (Division One), Victoria Margaret Taylor (1983-89) with Second Class Honours (Division Two), and Margaret Bell Johnstone (1983-89) with Third Class Honours. The Degree of Bachelor of Education (Music) with Third Class Honours was awarded to Lynn Maki Anderson (1983-89).

Basil Duncan Dean Emslie (1929-35) retired as Director for Scotland of the Engineering Industries Association in 1992. The Rotary Club of Glasgow, of which he was President in 1965-66, has honoured him by making him a Paul Harris Fellow. (Paul Harris founded Rotary in Chicago in 1905.) Basil has had a long connection with, and is a former President of, the Glasgow Centre of the F.P. Club.

William Scott Gilchrist (1929-36), B.L, after nine years in office in the Boston Spa & District Branch of The Royal British Legion in various capacities, was made President of the Branch last year. He recommends any F.P. considering his fortune to lie south of the Border to head for North or West Yorkshire with its equable climate and very friendly people. The areas provide easy access to Leeds, York, Harrogate and the pleasant market town of Wetherby, and there is also, of course, the intimate Annual Dinner of the F.P. Club Yorkshire Centre, usually held at the Dower House, Knaresborough. Scott is the Centre Secretary.

J. Peter Jeffrey (1944-59), MSc., C.F.ng., F.I.E.E., lives in Montreal, Quebec, where he is Project Director in military systems with Paramax Systems Canada Inc. He first went to Canada in 1971 with Richard Halsay Gordon Bradford (1951-65) and has since lived in Toronto, Los Angeles, Ottawa and Montreal. He remains faithful to motorsport as his main outside interest—he competes in performance rallying, with one of his sons co-driving with him for the first time last season. He is also actively involved in the Scounting movement. As one of the five Club Consuls in Canada, he was heavily involved in setting up the Canadian Centre of the F.P. Club in centenary year.

Honours and.4war-ds

73

Honorary Professor Gavin Thomas McEwen (1958-64), M.A., Ph.D., who is head of the tax section at the Aberdeen office of accountants Coopers & Lybrand, has been appointed as honorary Professor of Taxation at Aberdeen University. The appointment, which is for a five-year period, is made under a special commitment by the firm who have a strong interest in the education of young accountants. Prof. McEwen, who is an acknowledged specialist in tax and tax law, was formerly with the Inland Revenue and was a district inspector of taxes in Fife when recruited by Coopers & Lybrand to set up their tax department in Aberdeen in 1982. In addition to his honours degree from Aberdeen, Prof. McEwen is also a graduate in Arts of Kansas University.

James Forbes McKay (1959-68), M.A., has been appointed Procurator Fiscal at Forfar. After some years in local government and in private practice, he joined the Fiscal service at Greenock in 1986, and has been a Depute Fiscal at Aberdeen since 1987.

Neil Mackie (1963-66), o.Stj., received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music at the Summer Graduation at Aberdeen University in 1993. He is presently Professor of Singing at the Royal College of Music, of which he is himself a graduate, and was described by Professor Hamilton, in presenting him for the degree, as "a tenor in the front rank of international stardom".

David Christopher MacLeod (1973-78) is now a continuity announcer with Channel 4 television. After leaving School he completed a three-year drama teacher training course at Aberdeen College of Education. He was then for some years a disc-jockey for NorthSound Radio in Aberdeen and gained television experience with Grampian TV. Paul James Mellor (1982-88), B.Sc., has graduated with honours in veterinary pathology at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies at Edinburgh University and is now engaged in clinical studies towards the degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.

His brother, Stephen L. Mellor (1984-88) went on from School to take his Alevels at the Army Sixth Form College at Wellbeck. He has recently been commissioned at Sandhurst and has been serving in Germany with the Royal Logistic Corps. He has been accepted to read Chemical Engineering at Emmanuel College, Cambridge this year.

Colin David Milne (1974—80) after a period of training in Buckinghamshire is now the Glasgow area manager for Equitable Life Assurance.

Norman Thomas Nicol (1925-39), O.B.E., T.D., M.B., Ch.B., F.F.R, F.R.C.R., D.M.R.T., is now retired and living near Whitby, North Yorkshire. After War service he studied medicine at Aberdeen, graduating in 1950. After appointments as R.M.O. and then Registrar at Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, Manchester he spent five years at Sheffield. In 1960 he was appointed Consultant Radiotherapist to the Royal Infirmary, Leicester and from 1964, until his retiral in 1985, he was Radiotherapist-in-Charge at the Leicester Regional Centre for Radiotherapy & Oncology. He was appointed O.B.E. in 1981, and from 1978 until he retired he was a Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire.

Alastair Macarthur North (1937-50), O.B.F.., B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc., F.R.S.E., F.R.I.C., was made an honorary Doctor of the University of Strathclyde in a ceremony last year. For sixteen years from 1967 he held the Burmah Chair of Physical Chemistry• at the University and during that time held office as vice-principal and as deputy principal. In 1983 he became President of the Asian Institute of Technology. He lives in Bangkok and is F.P. Club Consul for Thailand.

Michael George Rhind (1982-88), B.Eng., is now a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force. While at School he was a member of the R.A.F. Section of the Combined Cadet Force, and in 1987 was the Lord Lieutenant's Cadet. Also that year he was awarded a flying scholarship and obtained his private pilot's licence. While studying

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at the former R.G.I.T. he was a member of the Aberdeen, Dundee & St. Andrew's University Air Squadron, winning the Scone Trophy for spot landing in 1990. He graduated B.Eng.(Hons) in electronic and electrical engineering in 1992 before going on to the R.A.F. Flying College at Cranwell. He was commissioned as Flying Officer in April 1993. His first posting was to Leuchars, working in the Battle of Britain Display Unit.

John Michael Shearer (1955-68), who has been employed with Norwich Union insurance since leaving School, found himself south of the Border for a second time in June 1990. This move, to Preston in Lancashire, has only lasted two years, as a further promotion. to customer support Manager brought a move back to Edinburgh in mid-1992. His brother Robert David Shearer (1954-67) now lives with his family in Oakham, Leicestershire, and recently became fund-holding manager for one of the largest medical practices in the U.K. New Director of Roads Alan William Silver (1952-59) has been appointed Director of Roads for Grampian Region. Previously he was, from 1975, chief assistant engineer in the transport section of the Council's roads department. His new department has a staff of 1,300 and an annul budget of £60 million. After leaving School he studied at Aberdeen University and R.G.I.T. for a diploma in civil engineering. He also has a diploma in transportation from the Institute of Highways and Transportation. He worked in the private sector as a design engineer and site agent before joining the former Aberdeen Corporation as a principal engineer in 1971.

David Pringle Smith (1945-47), who is Regional Manager of the Royal Insurance for the North-east of England, and lives in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, was elected in April 1993 to the prestigious post of Regional Chairman of the Humberside Region of the Association of British Insurers.

Ronald Ian Lewis Smith (1946-60), B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc., has been a research biologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, since graduating with Honours in Botany at Aberdeen in 1964. He gained his Ph.D. in 1968, and was awarded a D.Sc. in 1988, both from Aberdeen University. He has been head of the B.A.S. Ecology and Environmental Section since 1974. His research mainly concerns plant ecology and physiology in the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic, especially South Georgia. He has published over a hundred scientific papers and has been instrumental in developing Antarctic conservation policy and the establishment of protected areas throughout the continent in connection with the Antarctic Treaty.

His work has been mainly at South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands (his wife Elinor comes from the North Orkneys!), but he has worked extensively along the 1000 km Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. In 1985 he was invited to work with the Australian Antarctic Division in Eastern Antarctica. He frequently presents papers at overseas conferences, and in 1977 was awarded the Polar Medal.

Ian Patrick Souter (1947-61), M.A., c.A., who is a partner in Ernst & Young, chartered accountants in Aberdeen, has been appointed chairman of the Board of Governors of Robert Gordon University. He became a governor of the former Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology in 1987 and vice-chairman in 1990. After qualifying as a chartered accountant in Aberdeen, he moved to London to join Ernst & Whinney in 1967, where he became audit senior manager. He was made a partner in 1975 and returned to Aberdeen to establish what is now the Aberdeen practice of Ernst & Young, where he specialises in insolvency and corporate recovery. He continues to be an active member of the F.P. Cricket Section.

Clyne Robert Bruce Stewart (1931-41), M.B., Ch.B., retired in 1989 after thirtyfour years in general medical practice in Shifnal, Shropshire. He is now living in Shrewsbury.

Honours and.lwanis

75

Gordon Victor Stone (1957-63), M.B., Ch.B., D.C.M.(F.din), M.F.C.M., has been appointed as general manager of Highland Health Board. After service in the R.A.F. from 1970 to 1975, he became a consultant in community medicine with Grampian Health Board in 1978. In 1989 he moved to Highland Health Board as chief administrative officer and director of public health.

Kenneth Ian Sutherland (1937-45), M.B., Ch.B., stit.c.G.P., retired in November 1993 after 43 years in general medical practice, almost all of these in the Northeast. He commenced practice as an assistant in New Deer before moving to Hull for seven years, then returning to a country practice in Udny in 1960. Latterly he has been in practice in the Bridge of Don area of Aberdeen.

Gillian Anne Thomas (Crookshanks) (1975—80), who has been living in Calgary•, Alberta since her marriage in 1983, moved in September 1993 with her three daughters to Yemen, where her husband is the drilling manager with Canadian Occidental. When civil war broke out there in May this year, Gillian and the girls were evacuated, along with other Canoxy families, by sea on a French naval vessel which took them to Djibouti. From there they were taken by air to London. She and her family are staying in Aberdeen at present.

David Clark Whyte (1962-68), M.A., after ten years building up a successful insurance broking business along with Robert Johnstone (1963-69) sold out his interest in the firm and emigrated to New Zealand. Prior to moving, David married Lynne Philip, who was a science technician at the School between 1980 and 1983.

Daughter Joanne was followed by son Michael, who was born in New Zealand in 1990. Since arriving there, David has helped to establish the highly successful Sovereign Assurance Company Ltd., initially as development manager and currently as national sales manager. F.P.s visiting New Zealand are welcome to make contact on Auckland 4862050. The rugby is excellent!

Michael James Williams (1936-45), M.B., Ch.B., M.D., F.R.C.P., who has been consultant in charge at the Aberdeen Diabetic Clinic since 1983, has published a biography of probably the School's most distinguished scientist, entitled J. f. R Macleod. The Co-discoverer of Insulin. The biography is published as part of the proceedings of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (July 1993), and copies arc available from the College.

In his foreword, the President of the College, links Macleod with Alexander Fleming, referring to the disputes attaching to each man's award of the Nobel Prize.

"Dr. Williams," he writes, "has written a biography which, besides setting out Macleod's background, his education in Aberdeen, and his career on both sides of the Atlantic, explores the basis of the controversy. It is an absorbing tale, spendidly related, which leaves one in no doubt that Macleod was a worthy winner of a Nobel Prize."

Among those thanked by Dr. Williams in his acknowledgements are Derek Alexander Harley (1974-80), General Editor of the Magazine and Norman Roderick Darroch Begg (1951-59), of Aberdeen University. Dr. Williams specifically acknowledges the use he made of the Magatine in his research for the book.

Professor Macleod, of course, was President of the F.P. Club in 1930-31, and died in 1935. An article comparing the University's Department of Physiology (as it then was) under Professor Macleod and under Professor Derek Ogston (193739, 1946-47) was contributed by the latter to the 1982 issue of the Magatine.

Jeremy David Wood (1974-79) is currently based in Aberdeen where he is employed as a consultant to the Club Centre's near neighbours EDS-Scicon, part of the global EDS software group. The company in Aberdeen is concerned mainly with providing software services in the energy sector.

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Marriages Farquhar (1975—81).—At Deeside Christian Fellowship Church, Milltimber on 30 August 1993, Stephen Magowan, elder son of Mr. Noel Magowan, Great Lumley and Mrs Shirley Wynd, Sunderland to Rhona Douglas Farquhar, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs Ranald Farquhar, 134 King's Gate, Aberdeen.

Forsyth (1981—85) and Barron (1981-87).—At Holbum West Church, Aberdeen on 3 July 1993, Paul Andrew Forsyth, elder son of Mr. and Mrs Brian Forsyth, 21 Caimfield Place, Aberdeen to Marie Elizabeth Barron, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs Robert Barron, 11 Woodend Terrace, Aberdeen.

Grieve (1979—85).—At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 20 May 1993, John Charles Grieve, son of Dr. David Rollo Grieve (1939-52) and Mrs Grieve, 4 Carnegie Gardens, Aberdeen, to Aline Visser, Barendrecht, the Netherlands.

Hogg (1977-83) and Wilkie (1976-82).—At Kinnoul Parish Church, Perth on 14 August 1993, Angus Alexander Hogg, son of the late Mr. Alexander Hogg and of Mrs Hogg, 2 Spoutswells Place, Perth, to Caroline Mary Wilkie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs Duncan Wilkie, 46 Whitehouse Street, Aberdeen.

Inch (1977-83).—At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 13 February 1993, Dr. Colin Macartney, 24 Needless Road, Perth to Linda Margaret Inch, younger daughter of Mr. Robert W. Inch, Edinburgh, and Mrs Mary Inch, 100 Fountainhall Road, Aberdeen.

Paterson (1979—85).-At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 9 April 1994, Andrew Tench, son of Mr. and Mrs Peter Tench, Newton of Barras, Stonehaven, to Karen Anne Paterson, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs Alexander C. Paterson, 63 Beechgrove Terrace, Aberdeen.

Reid (1980-86).—At Craigiebuckler Church, Aberdeen on 23July 1993, Brendan McLeod, Melbourne, Australia, to Pauline Margaret Reid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs David Reid, 22 Northburn Avenue, Aberdeen.

Richardson (1975-80) and Bain (1972-77).—At Portree, Isle of Skye, on 26 March 1994, Elena Richardson, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs Kenneth Richardson, 22 Whitehall Terrace, Aberdeen to Charles Alexander Bain, son of Mr. and Mrs Charles Bain, 63 Rosemount Place, Aberdeen.

Tough (1980-84).—At Ruthrieston South Church, Aberdeen on 19 June 1993, Graham Low, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs D. C. Low, 248 Queen's Road, Aberdeen to Jillian Margaret Tough, younger daughter of Kathleen and Mr. John A. Tough, 44 Forbesfield Road, Aberdeen.

Wright (1982-88).-At St. Mary's Cathedral, Aberdeen on 11 September 1993, Richard Gordon Henderson, eldest son of Michael Gordon Henderson (194860) and Mrs Henderson, 87 Queen's Den, Aberdeen, to Michelle Margaret Wright, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs William Wright, 49 Fare Park Drive, Westhill, Skene.

Obituaries

Robert Wilson Adam (1928-33), CA., died in hospital after a long illness on 27 May 1993, aged 70. He went from the Grammar to complete his education at Fettes. A planned university degree was put to one side by war service. He was commissioned in the Royal Scots in 1943, thereafter transferring to the Royal Indian Army Service Corps with whom he served in India and Burma rising to the rank of Major. After the War he trained as a chartered accountant and on qualifying in 1950 he joined British Petroleum. His commercial instincts coupled with his financial acumen and an ability to "think big" led him through posts in finance, accounts and taxation to the Central Planning Department, where he became general manager in 1966. His appointment the following year as director and general manager of the Finance and Planning Department of BP Chemicals soon involved him in BP's expansion in North America. He played a leading part in BP's acquisition

Obituaries

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of the Standard Oil Company of Ohio. In 1969 he went to New York as president of BP North America and a director of BP Canada. His financial wizardry and considerable experience as an industrial negotiator and diplomat were utilised to the full as he had not only to deal with suspicious American politicians and industrialists, who resented BP's interest in the US's own natural resources, but also had to liaise with these same people over talks with OPEC. He returned to London in the early 1970s and was involved in the North Sea oil rush from its earliest days, taking part in talks with the Wilson government on the taxation of oil revenues. In 1975 he became one of BP's five managing directors.

His special responsibility was for finance and associated activities, and for the western hemisphere. He had a key role in the sale of Government-held BP shares to the general public, and later oversaw difficult retrenchments for the company in the recession of the early 1980s. He became deputy chairman in 1981, and retired at the age of 60 in 1983. His business acumen was much in demand after his retiral; he was chairman of the property company MEPC from 1984 to 1988, and was a deputy chairman of General Accident. He held numerous other directorships, was a lay member of the Stock Exchange Council, and maintained his transatlantic connections as a member of the British-North American Committee. He is survived by his wife.

Robert Douglas Bruce (1913-22), M.B., Ch.B., Wing-Commander R.A.F. (Rid.), died suddenly at his home in London on 31 March 1994 aged 89. He was the younger son of Dr. Robert Bruce (1886-89), C.B., D.S.O., of Cults, and graduated in medicine at Aberdeen University in 1928. After house posts in Aberdeen, London and Nottingham he received a permanent commission in the R.A.F. in 1938. During the 1939-45 War he served for some time in the Middle East, and by 1944 held the rank of Wing-Commander. In the late 1940s he commanded the R.A.F. Hospital at Changi, and took part in at least one re-union of F.P.s in Malaysia. In 1958-59 he was senior medical officer on Christmas Island at a time when atomic and nuclear tests were being carried out. From 1963 until his retiral he was a medical officer with the Ministry of Defence in London.

He was a regular diner at the Royal Air Force Club in Piccadilly, a "bon viveur", and a specialist on French and Italian wines. He was a long-standing member of the London Centre of the F.P. Club and a former member of its committee. He had a great affection for his old School, and was the donor of one of the four heraldic House standards handed over to the Rector at the Annual Sports in June 1947. One of the other donors was Joseph Robert Carry (1918-30) whose death is next recorded below.

Former President Joseph Robert Carry (1918-30), M.B.E., T.D., died in hospital in Aberdeen on 8 February 1994, aged 81. After leaving School he studied for a year at the London School of Optics, obtaining a Fellowship in 1931 which carried with it the Freedom of the City of London. He returned to Aberdeen and joined his father in the family business of George Jamieson & Son, Jewellers and Watchmakers, of which he had been sole proprietor since 1907. Joe entered into partnership with his father in 1933, when the firm name was changed to the now familiar Jamieson & Carry, and in 1939 he became the sole proprietor. In 1963 he acquired the old-established firm ofJohn Knowles & Sons, Ballater. He was Aberdeen's representative to the National Association of Goldsmiths for many years.

Joe had a lifelong interest in the Scout movement which began while at School.

He was for a time Cubmaster of the 17th Pack and later Scoutmaster of the 17th Troop and in later years he served on the executive committee of the City of Aberdeen Boy Scout Association. He was also for a time associated with the 102 (Dyce) Squadron of the Air Training Corps.

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As a pre-war Territorial, Joe was commissioned in 1937 in the Royal Corps of Signals and served on the Western front in 1939-40. He was captured in 1940 and was a prisoner-of-war until May 1945. On his return to business in Aberdeen he soon demonstrated his readiness to involve himself in service to the community.

He was for three years councillor for Rosemount Ward on Aberdeen Town Council.

He was a member of the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, and a member of Aberdeen Rotary Club from 1936. He was for many years a Trustee of Aberdeen Savings Bank and served on its Management Committee; he was a member of the Valuation Appeals Committee, sat on the Congregational Board of Craigiebuckler Church, was a Past Master of Lodge of Aberdeen No. 1 Ter, and was a member of Deeside Golf Club from schooldays.

From 1946 Joe was a member of the Executive Committee of the F.P. Club, and was Chairman during 1955-57. He was a Vice-convener of the Committee which organised the highly successful Grammarian Fair of 1956 which resulted in the establishment of the School Amenities Fund. He played a key role in the whole operation which owed much to his effective leadership. He was President of the Club in 1967-68, and brought to that office the quiet, dignified cheerfulness which was his hall-mark. A year later when the Club Centre opened he was one of its first supporters and while latterly not so regular a visitor there he was always interested in its well-being, as he was in all the Club's affairs. His kindly presence is sorely missed.

Joe's three sons attended the School: Michael Robert Carry (1953-66), Peter David Carry (1957-70) and Ian Malcolm Carry (1960-73).

Former Member of Staff Peter Cook, B.Sc., died in hospital in Edinburgh on 22 January 1994 after a short illness. Dux of Bellshill Academy and an Honours graduate of Glasgow University, he joined the School staff as an assistant in the Science Department in 1947. He was an enthusiastic and successful teacher, but involved himself in many other activities. He led several excursions to industries, art galleries and museums both at home and on the Continent, and he took a keen interest in the 17th Troop of Boy Scouts. He was a recognised authority on the History of Science. He left School for Royal High School, Edinburgh, later becoming Rector of Kirkcudbright Academy.

His son Robert (Robin) Finlayson Cook (1950-60) has been Labour Member of Parliament for Livingston since 1983.

Robert Scott Couper (1932-39), M.A., died in hospital in Inverness on 17 April 1993, aged 71. Classical Dux of the School in 1939, he went on to graduate with first class honours in Classics at Aberdeen in 1942. Shortly thereafter he was commissioned in the Royal Artillery, transferring later to the Royal Scots. He saw some hard service in various theatres of war, latterly in South-east Asia. After qualifying as a teacher he joined the School staff in 1947 as a teacher of Classics and English. He was enthusiastic and zestful, and in addition to his classroom work he was involved in Cadet training and assisted with hockey coaching. His abilities were early recognised, and in 1951 he left on promotion to the post of principal Classics master at Kirkcaldy High School. In 1968 he was appointed Rector of Fortes Academy, where he remained until his retiral in 1981. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. Sadly, his wife died at the end of January this year.

Douglas Frank Noel Crawford (1925-34) died in November 1993, aged 74.

After leaving School he joined the staff of Aberdeen Savings Bank. During the earlier part of the Second World War he was a "guinea-pig" at the London School of Tropical Medicine, where various drugs were being tried out to combat disease in the Far East. Thereafter, as a pacifist, he served with the Friends' Ambulance Service in China and was for a time quite ill with dysentery. After his return to Scotland he trained for the ministry•, and his earlier experiences in China, together

Obitmaries

79

with 15 years' ministry in Malawi, left him with a deep concern for the problems of poverty and injustice in the world. He returned to Scotland in 1965 and served first as minister of New Stevenston-Wrangholm Kirk before being called to Braes of Rannoch in 1978. He was described as "a man of deep sincerity who, in his characteristically gentle and thoughtful way, had profound spiritual insights to share with his congregations".

William Christie, M.A., LLB., who died on 20 January 1994 after a long illness was a member of staff at the School from 1934 until appointed headmaster of St. Ninian's, Perth in 1943. He returned to Aberdeen in 1948 as headmaster of St. Margaret's Episcopal School, then moved to Ruthrieston in 1953 and finally to Sununerhill from 1961 until his retiral in 1967. In 1976, at the age of 69, he graduated in law at Aberdeen University, after which he worked for a short time with a legal firm in Aberdeen. He lived latterly in Banchory.

James David Garden (1935-41), M.B., Ch.B., died in Timaru, New Zealand, on 7 February 1994 after a long illness. He was aged 71. Born in Yorkshire of Scots parents and brought up in Inverness, he was resident at the Boarding House while at School, and was a member of the 1st XV in 1940-41. His medical studies were interrupted by War service with the Fleet Air Arm, and towards the end of the War he was in action in the Pacific with a carrier-borne squadron of Corsair singleseater fighters. He graduated at Aberdeen in 1953, and following house posts at Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen and at Leicester, he went into general practice in Cambridge, Nottingham, Leeds and Bolton before emigrating to New Zealand in 1965. There he took over an existing practice in Timaru, and continued it until retirement in 1991. He was secretary of the South Canterbury Medical PostGraduate Society. Outside his professional work he had many interests; he played bridge and snooker, he was a keen trout and salmon fisher; he golfed, and had a junior championship tide to his credit. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

George Norrie Gordon (1908-19), B.Sc., B.L., died in hospital in Aberdeen on 3 July 1993, aged 92. A keen rugby player at School, he was a member of the famous F.P. side of 1922-23, champions of the Northern Counties League that season and winners of the North of Scotland Cup. He was also a fine cricketer in his younger days, playing for Aberdeenshire in the inter-War years. He was able to attend home matches of the Counties Championship until just a few years ago. After qualifying as a solicitor, he spent his entire working life with Messrs. Stork, Cruden & Simpson in Aberdeen. He retired some years ago. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Club Centre, and of the Rugby Section, until failing health curtailed his activities.

Herbert Gore (1925-29) died suddenly on 20 April 1991, aged 77. He was in business as a newsagent in Elgin for many years, and was a well-known Bridge player in the North of Scotland. He is survived by his wife and by a daughter who is senior medical statistician with the Medical Research Council in Cambridge.

Alexander D. Herd (1926-29) died at his home in Canada in May 1993, aged 79. He was a professional alto saxophonist, and played regularly with big bands in Aberdeen before the outbreak of War in 1939. He served with the Royal Air Force during the War, and afterwards he and his wife emigrated to Canada, where he became a television regular as conductor at the famous Royal York Hotel. He is survived by his son.

Mrs Winifred Hyslop Members whose recollections of School staff go back to the early 1920s will recollect Archibald Forbes Hyslop (1897-1910), M.A., Ph.D., an Honours graduate in Classics of Aberdeen, who was a popular teacher of English and Latin, an enthusiastic Scoutmaster, and a keen participant in a multitude of what would not be termed "extra-curricular activities". A man possessed of rare musical and writing

80

Aberdeen Grammar Sthool Mwatine

talents, which combined with a ready wit, he was the author of many of Harry Gordon's best-loved numbers, including "Inversnecky" and "The Auldest Aiberdonian". He was on the staff for only four years when former Rector Douglas Miller, who had gone as High Master of Manchester Grammar School the previous year, called him to join him there. Archie returned north in 1928 as one of H.M. Inspectors of Schools, and from 1938 he was for five years responsible for the inspection of music in schools and training colleges in Scotland, including Aberdeen Grammar. He died on 18 February 1943, at the early age of 50, and a warm tribute to him in the June issue of the Magatine of that year includes an expression of sympathy to his widow after only a few months of married life. On 3 June 1993, fifty years after Archie's death, his widow, Mrs Winifred Helen Hyslop, died in Borders General Hospital, aged 94.

With his earnings from writing songs and lyrics for Harry Gordon, it transpires that Archie bought a collection of 20th Century Scottish paintings and, by a generous bequest from the Hyslops, these have now been gifted to Aberdeen Art Gallery. They are described as a "superb collection". A special showing of the paintings was held in the Gallery in December/January last.

Herbert Saunders Inch (1916-22), B.Com., died at Dalston, near Carlisle, on 12 March 1993, aged 88. Born in Peterculter, his family moved into Aberdeen and he was always very proud of the School. After graduating from Aberdeen University in 1926, he was articled as a chartered accountant. He joined Cooper Bros. in London in 1928 and enlisted in the London Scottish T.A. at the same time. He was a crack Bisley shot. During the 1939-45 war he served with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Scots, mostly in India, attaining the rank of Major. After the War he went into finance, joining Bowmaker Ltd. in Bournemouth. He introduced the first computer systems into their head office there, and later took the business to Rhodesia and Malta. He became a director of Bowmaker Plant in Birmingham and later General Manager, Scotland, with his head office in Stirling. He retired to Perthshire, then to Gatehouse-of-Fleet, and finally to Dalston. He is survived by his wife, a daughter in Dalston and a son in Australia.

Neil Hunter Macdonald (1934-38) died in October 1992, aged 72. He trained as an engineer with Barry, Hendry & Cook in Aberdeen, later moving to the Midlands to work with Albright & Wilson and later with Courtalds. In 1957 he made the change to engineering sales, and worked initially with Spencers of Melksham, for whom he set up an office in Newcastle, remaining in that area for the rest of his life. In the 1960s he set up in business on his own as an engineering agent, but he suffered a devastating stroke in 1974 which ended his working life. He fought his disabilities bravely, leading as normal a life as possible. He is survived by his wife, Irene, and a son and daughter.

Charles Ivan Rees McDougall (1925-28), B.Chcm.Eng., died at the age of 73 in Victoria, British Columbia, on 12 February 1994. He spent almost all his life in Canada, where he trained in the oil industry. During the 1939-45 War he served with the Royal Canadian Artillery. He was employed by Shell Canada in the marketing of lubricating oils, and was variously in Nebraska, Winnipeg, Manitoba and Toronto. He retired in 1982 in Victoria.

His brother, who also lives in Victoria, is David Lorne McDougall (1922-28), and their cousin Duncan Herdman McDougall (1921-34), C.A., also attended the School.

Lord John-Mackie (John Mackie) (1924-26) died on 26 May 1994 at Nazeing, Essex. He was aged 83. He was the son of the late Maitland Mackie (1897-1902), al.., and studied at the North of Scotland College of Agriculture before taking over the 700-acre family farm at The Bent, Laurencekirk. He went on to farm 750 acres in Lincolnshire, and a further 500 at Waltham Abbey, Essex. He played an active part in Scottish farming, serving on the Aberdeen & Kincardine Agriculture Executive Committee from 1939 to 1947, and being a governor, and later vice-chairman, of his old College.

Obitmaries

81

He contested North Angus and Mearns in 1951 and Lanark in 1955 before being returned to Parliament as Labour Member for Enfield East in 1959. He was Joint Parliamentary• Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture from 1964 to 1970. He retired from the Commons in 1974 when his constituency was merged with two others, but remained very• active in public life, and was created a Life Peer in 1981.

Two years later he became Labour's front bench spokesman on agriculture in the Lords. He retired in 1989. He always looked more farmer than politician, and once remarked "the more I see of politicians the more I like farming". While he was at the Ministry• of Agriculture he was involved in the introduction to Britain of Chamllais cattle, the first new breed for more than fifty years. He planted trees extensively on his own land, and as chairman of the Forestry Commission from 1976-79 was strongly in favour of a policy of afforestation.

He is survived by his wife whom he married in 1934, three sons and two daughters. The Mackie family among them represent many strands of political belief. Brother Sir Maitland Mackie (1926-28) has been a supporter of Conservative policies. The third brother, Lord Mackie of Benshie (George Yule Mackie) (1933-35), was the liberal spokesman on agriculture in the Lords at the same time as John Mackie was speaking for labour.

Ronald Lee MacKinnon (1932-45) Two Tributes Ronald L. MacKinnon (1932-45) died on 13 February, his mother's birthday. lie was the second son of Neil MacKinnon a native of Quinish near Dervaig, Isle of Mull, who was a gold medallist at the National Mod held in Perth in 1924.

Raghnall dubh or black-haired Ronald as he was known in Dervaig never forgot the joy of school summer holidays spent on the island and was proud of his roots, maintaining his interest in various aspects of life in the Highlands and Islands until the end.

In his final year at School he won the School gold medal for German and was captain of the School's first fifteen rugby team. His enthusiasm for the game stayed with him and, in spite of being seriously ill, he attended the most recent Scotland— England International at Murrayfield shortly before his death.

Joining the Royal Navy towards the end of the 1939-45 War he saw service minesweeping in the Adriatic based at Trieste.

On returning to Aberdeen, he made up his mind to study law—nothing else would do he said, and so it was that he obtained a law degree from Aberdeen University. His professional life was spent in the city. After gaining experience with W. Kirkwood and Smith, he joined Clapperton and Brands where he became a partner. In 1968, along with another former pupil, Lawrence Walker Milne (193943) of J. Downie Campbell & Milne he set up the new practice of Milne and MacKinnon with Ronnie as senior partner.

A Liberal in politics he took pleasure in meeting party stalwarts like Mrs Rae Michie, M.P. for Argyll, a daughter of much capped Scottish rugby internationalist, John M. Bannerman and, like her father, a strong voice on behalf of the Gaelic language and culture and all things pertaining to the Highlands and Islands.

He contested local elections, sadly without success, but he made many friends.

Apart from his enthusiasm for the game of rugger, hill-walking was the outdoor activity that meant more to him than all else. To lift one's eyes to the hills was to find oneself again: To walk among them was strengthening both physically and spiritually.

Ronnie enjoyed hill walking in different corners of the world but the Gaelic place-names of Scotland were signposts of a special kind, reminders of journeys undertaken by the people who gave the places their names, pointers to a world with which he identified himself and which gave him his identity.

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Aberdeen Grammar Sthool Magazine

To alter slightly the words of a well-known Mull song: Ged a shiubhail e clan, B'e Caol Muile a mhiann, Chan cinch a ghrian Air nas boidhche Though he journeyed afar The Sound of Mull was his desire, The sun will not rise On a place more beautiful.

Shiubhail Raghnall dubh ach tha a spiorad beo ann am Muile an diugh.

Ronnie has died but his spirit lives on in Mull today.

His brother Neil B. MacKinnon (1930-40) is a Celtic Studies graduate of Aberdeen University and his sister, Norma Gillies MacKinnon (Mrs Watson), a graduate of the Glasgow Hotel School, lives in Devon.

Ronald L Mackinnon (1932-45). The Legal Profession in Aberdeen lost one of its most charismatic and respected members on the death of Ronnie Mackinnon at his Kings Gate home on 13 February 1994 at the age of 67. Ronnie, although born in Aberdeen, maintained a strong connection with his roots in the Isle of Mull. He had spent his entire school days at Aberdeen Grammar School and graduated BL from Aberdeen University in 1951. At school, Ronnie was a fairly good all-rounder both academically and on the sports field. He won the gold medal for German, was Senior Prefect and Captain of the first fifteen Rugby team. After school he joined the Royal Navy and served on a mine sweeper in the Mediterranean at the end of the war. On graduating he served his apprenticeship with W. Kirkwood & Smith, thereafter joined Clapperton & Brands and at the time of his retirement was Senior Partner of Milne & Mackinnon. Ronnie was a keen hillwalker and outdoor enthusiast. He was an all-round and enthusiastic sportsman, playing rugby for Grammar F.P.s until a dislocating shoulder ended his rugby career. He then took up golf and had for many years been a stalwart of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

His enthusiasm for rugby remained with him and in spite of his crippling illness he attended the Scotland—England Rugby International at Murrayfield only days before his death. He was a keen Mason and had many interests including politics and the Royal Northern Club where he became the first Chairman of the Amalgamated Royal Northern & University Clubs. He was Secretary of Stockethill Community Council, Chairman of the Rent Assessment Committee and a Committee Member of Aberdeen Civic Society. During his legal career he was one of the founder members of Aberdeen Solicitors Property Centre. Latterly, Ronnie was a Director and principal shareholder of the city's Prince Regent Hotel.

He is survived by his wife, Liz, and beloved twins, Caitlin and Sarah, as well as daughters, Anne and Carol, from a previous marriage.

Alistair Forrest Michie (1923-24) died at his home in Banchory• on 2 July 1993, aged 87. After leaving School he trained as a civil engineer with Jenkins & Mart in Aberdeen. He was for many years on the staff of Aberdeenshire County Council, and also worked for John McAdam & Sons. His work took him all over the northeast and he knew the countryside like the back of his hand; he could reel off the number of any road in the county. In his younger days he was a keen scouter, and he played hockey for the F.P.s. He was an enthusiastic golfer for more than 70 years, reluctantly laying his clubs aside because of failing eyesight only two years before his death. After retirement in 1971 he served for many years on the Congregational Board of Banchory-Tetuan East Church. He is survived by his wife, whom he married in 1934.

Obituaries

83

Cathedral and then was parish minister at Stanley and later at Balquhidder, both in Perthshire. In 1961 he was appointed lecturer in Christian Origins in the Department of New Testament at New College, Edinburgh, and from 1974 until his retiral in 1981 he was senior lecturer in that Department.

He was a specialist in the field of Biblical Manuscript and in the application of computer techniques to theological research. He continued these scholarly activities after retirement, and indeed until his death. He had many other interests outside his professional sphere, among them an enthusiasm for model railways, and he devised a line (on a scale of 2 mm = 1 foot) from south-east Germany to Scotland via a bridge and station which (long before present developments) he named "Chunnel".

Dr. Moir is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

William James Adair Nelson (1914-24), H.A., C.A., F.S.A., died suddenly on 23 August 1993, aged 86. The elder son of H. Adair Nelson, the original manager of His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen, he was the winner of the F.P. Club Silver Medal in German in his last year at School. He was apprenticed as a chartered accountant to Williamson & Dunn in Aberdeen, qualifying in 1930 with distinction in his final examination, having already been awarded the James Milne Prize-man medal.

Between 1930 and 1939 he was engaged with leading London firms of accountants followed by five years with Ford, Rhodes & Thornton in Colombo, where he was senior assistant in charge of auditing and accountancy. During the War, he served with the Royal Artillery in the Middle East, was wounded in 1944, and was demobilised in October 1945 with the rank of Captain. In 1946 he was appointed Finance Inspector to the Ministry of Food in Colwyn Bay, later moving to London as Finance Officer to the National Coal Board.

Anxious to return to Aberdeen, he applied for, and was appointed to, the post of Treasurer & Assistant Secretary• to Aberdeen University in 1948, and he and his family moved to Inverurie. As Treasurer, he had responsibility for the finances of the University during a period of very considerable expansion. In July 1960 he received the degree of M.A. from the University in recognition of long service of exceptional merit. He retired in 1975.

During his five years in Ceylon, his intense interest in castles and artillery fortifications was born, but it was not until his retiral that he had the time and leisure to work on all the material which he had collected on the Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka. His book of that name was published in 1984, and it was said that W. A. Nelson's "unique combination of his own written and photographic records and his subsequent thorough historical research and reconstructions bring before us for the very• first time an almost unknown period of Sri Lankan history". In a Foreword to the book, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands paid generous tribute to the author's work, describing it as "a unique historical document". Many of Mr. Nelson's articles on fortifications have appeared in the archaeological and historical quarterly magazine of the prestigious Fortress Study Group, and he was acknowledged by the Group to be a world expert on Portuguese fortifications in the Indian Ocean area. Just published (since his death) is his second book, Fort Jesus of Mombasa.

Although 86 when he died he had in mind to spend his next two holidays, in 1994 and 1995, at Alanya on the south coast of Asia Minor, to prepare a work on the extensive Turkish defences there. His sudden death is a great loss not only to family and friends but also to the archaelogical world.

Ian Maitland Reid (1946-59), B.Sc.(Agr.), Ph.D., died as a result of a motor accident in the London area on 31 May 1994, aged 53. News of this untimely death was received just as this Magazine was going to press, and a fuller Obituary will be included in the next issue.

Samuel Boyd Russell (1919-28), M.C., T.D., died in Elgin on 14 August 1993 aged 79. The second of five brothers who attended the School, he played rugby for both 1st and 2nd F.P XVs in the 1930s. He spent all his life in the building trade

84

Aberdeen Grammar Si-bool Magazine

apart from the war years 1939-45. He was a pre-war Territorial in Aberdeen, and joined the Royal Engineers on the outbreak of war. He commanded 274 Field Company, Royal Engineers with the rank of Major, and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery at El Alamein. He was wounded shortly after that battle and returned to Britain, where he became Senior Instructor at the School of Military Engineering at Ripon. After the war he took over his father's firm of S. B. Russell & Sons, building and civil engineers. He retired to Elgin eleven years ago. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. His grand-daughter Julia Fowlie, daughter of Donald Atkinson Fowlie (1944-57), is a music teacher at the School.

Robert Rannie Rust (1919-30) died on 31 August 1992 as a result of an accident. He was walking his dog when he was struck by a large branch ripped off a tree in the prevailing storm. He was aged 79 and was the younger son of the late John Rust (1883-90), of 70 Queen's Road, Aberdeen and of Benholm Castle, Johnshaven, and a brother of the late John Bruce Rust (1919-29). After leaving School, he worked in the drawing office of Harland & Wolf in Glasgow, and went on one of their ships. As a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, on the outbreak of war in 1939, he transferred to a naval vessel. His service thereafter took him to many spheres of operations and he saw a great deal of action. After the War he attended Bennett Engineering College in Sheffield, and on completing his course there he joined the firm of F. W. Brackett in Colchester, who later amalgamated with Hawker Siddley. He was a representative for these companies for the whole of Scotland, the north of England and Northern Ireland.

He had a keen sense of humour and was very popular with his colleagues. He played rugby at School and later for Aberdeenshire and for the West of Scotland.

Latterly he was a very keen golfer.

Harry Edward Ross Shand (1925-34), C.A., died at Pulborough, West Sussex, on 7 January 1994, aged 76. He commenced his accountancy training with Messrs.

Bower & Smith in Aberdeen, and had passed the first stage of the final examination before the outbreak of War in 1939. Having served with the O.T.C., he was commissioned in the Gordon Highlanders in 1939. At St. Valery he was severely wounded and left for dead, but was taken prisoner and spent the next five years as a P.O.W. He was able to continue his studies, and passed the second stage of the final examination in the prison camp, the papers having been sent out through the Red Cross.

After the war he served with various companies, and in 1960 was Finance Director of Mullard Ltd. He later became Group Finance Director of Rank Xerox Ltd., retiring in 1976 after fifteen years in that post. He retired initially to Crieff, but returned to the Sussex area to be near his family. He is survived by his wife, to whom he had been married for forty-five years, and by two sons.

Ch.B., died at Bishop's StortGeorge Alexander (Sandy) Sharp (1922-24), ford, Hens, on 8 May 1993, aged 86. He graduated in medicine at Aberdeen in 1930, and after a short period at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital he was a Senior House Physician at North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, Stoke-on-Trent from 1931-33. He then went into general practice in Bishop's Stortford from 1934 until his retiral in 1972. Having worked part-time as a "holiday job" on the educational cruise ship Uganda prior to retirement, he then worked for some years, first with the British India Company and then with P.&O. Educational Cruises, as a ship's surgeon. He is survived by his wife Kathleen, to whom he had been married for 58 years, one son, two daughters, 6 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Colin Ruxton Watson (1923-30) died suddenly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, on 3 November 1993, aged 75. The son of a tea-planter in Assam, he completed his education at Merchiston Castle School. He served with the Gordon Highlanders in France during the 1939-45 War, and was captured at St. Valery. After the War he played rugby for a number of years with the London Scottish 1st XV.

Ointkaries

85

Stanley George Williamson (1922-25) died at Pulborough, West Sussex on 24 February 1993 aged 73. In 1929 he joined the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China in London. Six years later he was transferred to Kuala Lumpur and by 1941 he was in Sarawak. Shortly afterwards he was taken prisoner by the Japanese when they over-ran Malaya, and he remained in captivity until 1945. After returning to the Bank he moved to Bengal, where he was one of the members of the F.P. Club Centre there who donated the "Bengal Lectern" to the School in 1946. He served later in Ceylon, where he was for several years F.P. Club Consul. He retired from the Chartered Bank in 1951, and joined the broking firm of Forbes & Walker Ltd. in Colombo in 1952, becoming a director in 1954. I-Ie retired to live in the south of England in 1964.

His brother Ian Hamilton Williamson (1917-21) died in 1965.

Biblical Manuscript Specialist Ian Alexander Moir (1924-32), M.A., B.D., Ph.D.(Cantab.), died in Edinburgh on 5 June 1993, three weeks before his 79th birthday. A son of the manse, he graduated at Aberdeen in Classics in 1936 and in Divinity in 1939. He went on to obtain his doctorate from Cambridge in 1943. He served as Senior Assistant at St. Giles'

ROBERT MENNIE It is with extreme regret that, just as this Magazine is going to be published, the Club has learned of the sudden death on 6th September 1994 of a past President of the Club, Robert A E Mennie (1924-36) M.A., F.R.N.S., F.INST.PET. A full tribute will be published in the 1995 issue of the Magazine. In the meantime the Club extends its deepest sympathy to Mrs Dorothy Mennie and the family.

D.G.F.

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL FORMER PUPILS' CLUB CENTRE Income and Expenditure Account Year ended 31st December, 1993 1993

£ Income Bar Subscnptions Gaming machine Snooker and pool tables Bank interest Miscellaneous

Expenditure Wages Rates and insurance Heat and light Telephone Repairs and maintenance Donations Bank interest Administration expenses Steward's pension scheme Cleaning Honoraria Miscellaneous Depreciation

30,649 15,634 7,042 403 10,139 4,130 1 1,483 1,118 5,623 4,500 4,198 920

Surplus for year

£

1992

£

L

52,015 12,505 22,653 38 354 3,166

51,051 11,401 27,109 (227) — 3,283

90,731

92,617

85,840

28,921 13,172 13,727 445 5,161 4,130 4 1,855 1,040 5,251 4,000 6,098 1,008

84,812

4,891

7,805

5,205

5,705

Balance Sheet at 31st December 1993 Fixed assets Current assets Loan Stock Sundri, debtors Bank Cash

Current liabilities Sundry creditors Subscnpnons in advance

88,000 3,743 3,131 13,801 250

87,475 5,109 6,195 5,957 250

108,925

104,986

29,018 7,482

29,106 7,846

36,500

Loans

Represented by:Capital account Surpluses

86

36,952 72,425

68,034

77,630 6,800

73,739 7,800

70,830

65,939

13,195 57,635

13,195 52,744

70,830

65,939

Abitract of Accounts

87

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL AMENITIES FUND Income and Expenditure Account Year ended 31st December, 1993 1993

1992

L

L

Income Dividends Bank interest Donations

Expenditure Grants

810 50 1,066

757 47 784

1,926

1,588

1,933

1,617

Deficit for year

(29)

Balance Sheet At 31st December, 1993 Investments Debtors Bank

8,021 — —

7,109 359 2,177

Creditors

8,021 —

9,645 1,617

8,021

8,028

8,021

8,021 7

8,021

8,028

Represented by:— Capital account Revenue account

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL FORMER PUPILS' CLUB Income and Expenditure Account Year ended 31st December, 1993 1992

1993

L

1,

£

Income Ordinary subscriptions "transfer from life members' account Donations Dividends Magazine Entertainments Miscellaneous

£

1,419 845 3,660 1,470 6,006 1,883 81

1,336 810 3,693 1,470 4,842 1,122 146 13,419

15,364 Expenditure Pnnting, stationery and postage Honoraria

6,333 3,875

4,873 3,600

88 Travel and accomodation Grants Presentations School Audit fcc Corporation tax Miscellaneous

Aberdeen Grammar Ceboo/ Magazine 1,321 750 — 1,557 488 368 33

Surplus/(deficit) for year

14,725

1,050 950 359 1,301 464 367 588

13,552

639

(133)

107,91)6 18,238

107,906 18,239

Balance Sheet At 31st December, 1993 Heritable property Investments Current assets Stock Sundry debtors Bank accounts Cash

Current liabilities Club Centre loan Subscriptions in advance Sundry creditors

1,06(1 12,146 16,883 —

949 10,308 4,625 81

30,089

15,963

88,000 248 10,562

87,475 288 10,422

98,810

98,185

Net current liabilities

Represented by:Capital accounts Ilk members Robert G Wilson bequest Miss Isabella Grant bequest

16,080 1,733 1,000

Revenue accounts Robert G. Wilson bequest Miss Isabella Grant bequest Beyond 500 Centenary General

674 580 2,571 12,541 22,244

(68,721)

(82,222)

57,423

43,923

18,813

15,425 1,733 1,000

38,610

541 486 2,725 408 21,605

5',423

18,158

25,765 43,923

r

DOUGLAS CAMPBELL CONSULTING MOTOR ENGINEERS MOTOR CAR LOSS AND ACCIDENT CLAIMS ASSESSORS PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTIONS AND VALUATIONS CARRIED OUT

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136 Hutcheon Street

Tel:

(0224) 634123

Aberdeen AB9 2AL

Fax

(0224) 639738 j

7 Johnstone Whyte (Abdn) Ltd

INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS

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INVESTMENT BONDS PEPS PENSIONS

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SHOPS, OFFICES & INDUSTRIAL UNITS. ETC LIABILITIES-ON-SHORE & OFF-SHORE CAR 0 HOUSE • TRAVEL PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE

UNIT TRUSTS LIFE ASSURANCE PERSONAL & CORPORATE FINANCE

ALL COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSURANCES

Contact: Bob Johnstone 109 Holburn Street, Aberdeen AB1 6BO Tel: 0224 592421 Fax: 0224 574519 Member of THE BRITISH

FIN

INSURANCE BROKERS'

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MEuBER ,

ASSOCIATION

William L. Gorrod (Aberdeen) Ltd. PLUMBING & ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS

34 Duthie Terrace, Aberdeen Tel. 313076

PLUMBING WORK From a washer to a new bathroom suite

ELECTRICAL WORK From a fuse to a complete rewire

Members of

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•••••••16.00.••••• • NO Ilmil••••

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Adam Cochran SOLICITORS 6 Bon Accord Square Aberdeen, Scotland AB9 1XU Telephone: (0224) 588913 We would be happy to advise you on all Legal aspects including Conveyancing (Commercial and Residential) Estate Agency, Corporate work, Tax Planning, Wills, Trusts and Executries, Factoring and Leases, Matrimonial, Civil and Criminal Court Work.

Contact: Peter M. Robertson or Douglas M. Watson Fax: (0224) 581149 Branch Office Thainstone Agricultural Centre Inverurie Tel: (0467) 23761

Property Department 37 Langstarie Place Aberdeen ABI 2EN

THE CULTS HOTEL Proprietor Alastair I Iutcheson

The Hotel has been completely refurbished, including full en suite facilities.

Buffets, Suppers & Dinner Dances Celebrate your Anniversary at The Cults Hotel.

For bookings call The Cults Hotel 0224 867632

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G MACHINES . *

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116 Cornhill Road Aberdeen AB2 5DH Tel: 483331

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Suppliers of all types of Gaming Machines

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MILNE JAMES& co CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS FOR A PERSONAL AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE * ACCOUNTANCY AND AUDIT

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BUSINESS AND PERSONAL TAXATION

* CASH FLOW FORECASTS

*

FINANCIAL PLANNING

* BUSINESS PLANS

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COMPUTERISED SERVICES

5 BON-ACCORD SQUARE ABERDEEN

AB9 1XR

/s FAX 583998

TELEPHONE 584458 HN C

Bruce Miller's for TN.,Video,Iii-11, Musical Instruments, Pianos, Keyboards, Sheet Music, Accessories, C.D.s, Cassettes, Video Tapes and Books.

BRUCE MILLER'S For people with more sense than money

363 Union Street, Aberdeen. "lel: 0224 592211

I

Bringing people and property together BUYING With Deer 20 was' emenence the Aberdeen solicitors Prrdered Centre has Or tar the widest selecuuri ol properties to choose from in the North East

SELLING ove 5000 people om the centre each week Our Property Register d the most complete guide to properly n nv area

OTHER SERVICES

. CJS.Tra

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New Bellew every Thursday

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Duty Solicitor always avalable—for tree

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Helpful, imparnal advice—no "high

•

Free Booklets on at aspects ot buying and

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ComtOrtable surrounchngs—tale pm& to

first interview

true

DreSSore

Selling

selling property

nOk around

PROPERTY REGISTER NEW EDITION EACH WEEK

OPENING HOURS: Mk. TUTS. & WED. I Am.-5 ltm.. & Arn..1 TIAINSEIeT 9 a_m.4 Fm. 9 &A.4 &A.. IX p.m4 Am. sauraer • aA.A.19

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40 CHAPEL STREET, ABERDEEN AB1 1SP. TEL. (0224) 632949

TILNEY 67, CO

Leading the field With funds under management of over E4.0 billion we are one of the UK's largest stockbrokers and fund managers.

We offer professional portfolio management and a personal service.

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Discretionary or Advisory Management

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Designated Nominee Service

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Pension Fund Management

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Investment Trust Management Service

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Trust and Charitable Funds Management

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UK and Overseas Research

Barry Scott or Grant Milne on 0224 624066 7 Rubislaw Terrace, Aberdeen AB1 1XE Also at Birmingham. Edinburgh, Glasgow. Liverpool.

London, Manchester, Peterborough. Shrewsbury

Tilney & Co is a Member of the London Stock Exchange and of The Securities and Futures Authority

The Dutch Mill 7 Queen's Road, Aberdeen Tel. 322555

Aberdeen's favourite meeting place and only a drive and a seven iron \

from the FP Club

COVELL MATTHEWS

♦

A Quality Professional Service

Architects Space Planners Interior Designers 9 Albyn Terrace, Aberdeen, AB1 1YP, Tel: 634040 Fax: 631649 Also in Edinburgh & Glasgow

Aberdeen Civic Society Award 1991

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Park & MacRae Solicitors Conveyancing (Commercial and Residential) Estate Agency, Corporate work, Tax Planning, Wills, Trusts and ExecutorieN Factoring and Leases, Civil and Criminal Court Work, Matrimonial, Legal Aid. 26 Carden Place, Aberdeen ABI I UQ Telephone: 0224 639037 Document Exchange No. AB39 (Aberdeen)

Partner: John Alexander MacRae, LL.B., N.P.

Legal and Public Capacities: Advocates, Solicitors, Notaries Public and Estate Agents

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72 Carden Place Aberdeen ABI I UL

72 Carden Place Aberdeen AS) IUL

Tel. (0224) 633375 Fax: (0224) 638520

Tel (0224) 633375 Fax' (0224) 638520

[rectors Robert F.Divakl SRA ARIA) Mchael 5. Robby

Proc.-a Robert Orzerald 5160 ARIAS MKNNI 5 Bobby

WHO AN TELL WH T THE MORT AGE RATE WI L BE IN YEARS TO COME?

YOU CAN. Life has enough ups and downs without the added unicr rainy of the mortgage rate. That's why The Royal Rank

0800 121 121 VON FRI SAM-8PIA SATURDAY SAM-SPM AND SUNDAY 10AM-aPM

of Scotland offer a choice of 'fixed rare mortgages'.

They allow you to plan your finances and keep who will probably be your largest monthly outlay on an even keel. For full details of our fixed rare mortgages, lust ring the number opposite, or pop down for upl to your local Royal Rank of Scotland Branch. CALL FREE NOW.

The Royal Bank of Scotland W a • • •

The Royal Bank u(Setia/oui pie. Reentered Office: T6 Sr. Andrew Square, kihnhurkh FH2 2 YR. Regutered in Scotland No. 90312.

Apphtanrs MUST he aged between IS and 55 yearn inausRe. loans and other credo raeihnes and the information about them) are not available in people under the age of IS. Security and Life Assurance are required. Please note Fists the Bank's Mortgage Rare is sublect to variation.

A Current Avvount with the Rank may he required. Offer whiter to avaiLthility Full written credit details are available on request from The Royal Rank of Scotland pis. FREEPOST. PO Bun 3I, Edinburgh LF12 1.06. Mortgages are available sabre. to our assessment tit your financial standing.

YOUR HOME IS AT RISK IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR OTHER LOAN SECURED ON IT.

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Consult us for advice on .. . plans for house purchase — family protection — unit linked investment — inheritance tax — retirement income — business assurance — unit trusts — regular savings plans — annuities — SunLife employee benefit schemes ... and of Canada many other life assurance needs

British Headquarters Office: Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire ,RG21 2DZ. Tel (0256) 841414 Company Representative: Dallas Moir: 3 Queens Terrace, Aberdeen, AB1 1XL Tel (0224) 644385 Fax (0224) 645848 We &swam* Company of Canada Incommated rf Canada fri 1865 as . laralarl C cargumy A Mutual Canaan! Ana 1962 A rrefnbef of the Assooaton of Elnosh Inform A men*. of Ultra()

Investment Management Services for

Private Individuals Pension Funds Charities and Trusts

A ABTRUST FUND MANAGERS LIMITED 10 Queen's Terrace, Aberdeen AB9 IQJ • Tel. (0224) 631999 A Member of du Aberdeen Trust Gem" of Cci

• A Member of IMRO

Kynoch&Robertson \ Proprietors: J.A. & E. Rasmussen

PAINTERS & DECORATORS SUPPLIERS OF WALLPAPERS AND PAINTS

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276 280 282 ROSEMOUNT PLACE, ABERDEEN AB2 4YA TELEPHONE 633022 & 630696 Being entrusted with the decoration of the Club, wish them continuing success in this their centenary year.

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THOMSON CRAIG & DONALD ARCHITECTS and PLANNING CONSULTANTS DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL & SCIENTIFIC

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4 CARDEN TERRACE ABERDEEN AB1 1US TEL 0224 644461 FAX: 0224 646435

NEW BUILD, ALTERATIONS & EXTENSIONS, BUDGET COSTING & PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

Leadershipwhere thought and action meet. you, and your fees, are There are a number of ways of becoming an Army Officer.

At 16 you could compete for an Army Scholarship, which is tenable whilst you study for `ik levels (or equivalent).

You could enter Sandhurst at 18 - or University on an Undergraduate Cadetship

where paid by the Army. Or as a Bursar and receive £1,200 a year while you study!

To find out more about these and other ways of becoming an Army Officer, see your Army Schools Liaison Officer.

Army Officer

HALL & TAWSE Quality Construction backed by over a century of experience North Regional Office Granitehill Road Northfield Aberdeen AB9 2AW Tel: (0224) 693155 Fax: (0224) 698262 A subsidiary of Raine plc

Barbour.

The hest British t lothIng for the worst Eintult weather

Barbour COUNTRY CLOTHING available from:

115 Holburn Street, Aberdeen Tel: (0224) 585150 Fax: (0224) 574264

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PROUD TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY ( j i

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Chemist

1 UNION STREET )

ABERDEEN

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24 MARKET SQ. ) STONEHAVEN 57 KINGS ST. INVERBERVIE

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17 HIGH ST. ) LAURENCEKIRK BRUNTLAND RD.) PORTLETHEN

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If you're counting the cost...

We'll lend you something much more valuable than money.

Whether you're moving home or you require legal assistance, there's a firm of lawyers in town who would be delighted to hear from you.

They'll offer you a free initial consultation and some very sound advice.

BUYING & SELLING PROPERTY • RESIDENTIAL LEASING INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE ADVICE WILLS & EXECUTRIES • PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING

LEDINGHAM CHALMERS WHEN YOU TALK, WE LISTEN 17 GOLDEN SQUARE, AB1 8NY 220 UNION STREET, AB1 1TL TELEPHONE 0224 638922

arper & co.

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CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS FOR ALL YOUR ACCOUNTANCY WORK

99 BON ACCORD STREET, ABERDEEN. TELEPHONE: (0224) 574030

-

640557

I

'0444/ 21 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE

• Specialists in house/flat valuations • Homebuyers report and valuations • Pre-sale and revaluation I remortgage reports • All your property advice requirements

NORTH EAST EDINBURGH

FRASERBURGH

DUMFRIES

DUNDEE.

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INVERNESS

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Morn-Rost

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SHEPHE A NATIONAI. PROPFRTY SERVICE

10 ALBYN PLACE, ABERDEEN, AB1 1YH. TEL. 0224 640557

BPC-AUP ABERDEEN LTD Hareness Road, Altens Industrial Estate, Aberdeen AB1 4LE

Tel: (0224) 249639 Fax: (0224) 249699

FOR HIGH QUALITY SERVICE IN THE PRODUCTION OF BOOKS, JOURNALS AND COMMERCIAL PRINT, CALL US A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH PRINTING CO. LTD

Club Apparel Members—particularly members furth of Aberdeen—may care to know that the Club currently has a new stock of ties in club colours (magenta and green stripes on black background or magenta stripe on green background). Also available are sweaters; in grey and the four "House" colours and with the Club badge embroidered. Ties are priced at £8, sweaters at x'24.

Apply to the Secretary, John F. Hendry, 36 Albyn Place, Aberdeen.

FP Club Membership Subscription Rates L75 Life Membership L6 Ordinary Annual Membership £4 Junior Annual Membership (under 22 years of age on 1 January)

School Leaver's Membership

L4

(The subscription covers the balance of the year the member leaves school and the two succeeding years) Subscriptions are payable to the Treasurer, John D. Murray,

78 Forbestield Road, Aberdeen AB1 6PA.