THE
ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHODL MAGAZINE
Volume 101
September 1998
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 114th year No. 236 (New Series 103rd year No. 227)
September 1998
Vol 101
The Magazine is published under the auspices of The Former Pupils' Club each year
General Editor & Editor of Notes etc.
Brian K. Crookshanks, T.D., M.A., LL.B. 99 Fountainhall Road Aberdeen AB15 4EB
Secretary of the FP Club
John F. Hendry, LL.B. 36 Albyn Place Aberdeen AB10 1YF
Treasurer of the FP Club
Alan W. Marr, M.A., C.A. 4 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen
The General Editor is happy to receive contributions for the next issue of the Magazine at any time before mid-May 1999
Former Pupils are encouraged to make use of the insert regarding Notes, Marriages etc., to provide details about themselves or others Information may be sent by Fax to 01224-640526
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Contents page Death of Mr ►ohn V. Skinner School Section Rector's Report School Office-Bearers School Prizes 1997-98 Extra-Curricular Activities School Sports Clubs Clubs and Societies Face the Music: The Boy Friend Charities Group Young Scientists, Business People & Geographers Social Functions School Board Parent Teacher Association The Phil Love Trophy Newstead Abbey Byron Society General Section Project Trust Succeeding as Rector A Grammar School Outing Following in the Footsteps of Former Pupils Former Pupils' Club Section Club Office-Bearers 1998-99 Club Consuls Annual General Meeting President's Report Presidential Profile New Treasurer Centre Reports Club Centre Canada Edinburgh Glasgow London Yorkshire Section Reports Cricket Curling Football Golf Hockey Petanque Rugby Swimming Women's Hockey Annual Dinner Re-unions Notes about Former Pupils Marriages Obituaries Abstract of Accounts
4 7 8 10 12 18 23 26 27 29 29 29 30 31
32 37 40 44
50 52 52 54 56 59 60 60 61 62 63 64 66 66 66 67 68 68 69 69 70 70 71 72 74 85 87 98
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Death of Mr John V. Skinner 40th Rector of the School John Vass Skinner, who was Rector of the School from 1959 to 1972, died in hospital in Aberdeen on 28June 1997 following a lengthy illness. He was aged 86. Mr Skinner was educated at Clydebank High School, from which he entered Glasgow University as Sir Walter Scott Bursar in 1927. He was awarded the Ramsay Prize in Roman History, the Cowan (Blackstone) Medal in Greek and first prize in Junior Honours Arabic before graduating in 1931 with First Class Honours in Classics. He was awarded the Post-graduate Ewing Fellowship in Classics and went on to teacher-training at Jordanhill Training College where he gained the Diploma in Education with distinction. Apart from the war years, Mr Skinner was a teacher of Classics in various schools from 1932 until 1946 when he returned to Jordanhill as lecturer in Classics and Methods. In 1949 he was appointed Rector of Alloa Academy, which was then a Senior Secondary School with a Primary Department and a roll of 800 pupils. His expertise as a linguist — fluent in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Arabic (saw Mr Skinner spending the years 1940-45 as a Captain in the Intelligence Corps. He was instrumental in the capture of a major German spy, Alphonse Timmeman, who was masquerading as a Belgian sailor seeking asylum in Glasgow. His interrogation of Timmeman, who was later convicted at the Old Bailey and shot, earned for John Skinner a Certificate of Commendation for Meritorious Service from the GOC-in-C of Scottish Command. On another occasion he had to infiltrate a camp of Italian prisoners-of-war to check out rumours of planned rail sabotage, and at the end of the war he served on the Danish-German border where full use was made of his command of Scandinavian languages. For John Skinner the learning experience went on, and in 1954 he obtain the further degree of M.Litt in German from Glasgow University. Nor were these early years all spent on study; he was a member of the Torch Theatre in Glasgow for several years both before and after the War, both as an acting member and also as stage manager. He made his talents available not only to his colleagues in the teaching profession but also to the wider communities in which he served. He served as Chairman of the Friends of Aberdeen University Library and of the Aberdeen branch of the Scottish Hellenic Society; he was a member of the Christ's College Financial Board; and at various times he was President of the City of Aberdeen Scout Association, the Save the Children Fund (Aberdeen), and Aberdeen Rotary Club; he was a governor of Aberdeen College of Education. To become the head of a school with which one is unfamiliar must be challenging at any time, but to follow an educational giant of the calibre of Sir James Robertson must have been a daunting prospect. John Skinner adapted himself to the situation in which he found himself in the late summer of 1959 with tact and skill. There was a well-tried order of things in the School, and a tradition disappearing into the mists of time. The new Rector rapidly showed that he had qualities which commanded the respect of his staff. Even in 1959 there were clear indications that the head of a large school like the Grammar had a full administrative load coping with time-tables, anxious and unreasoning parents, and the thousand and one details requiring attention so that the school could function. What was the point of a scholar like John Skinner being tied to such a role? He went on to show that his particular gifts, not least that of a cultured mind, enabled him to be a first-rate administrator, but a great deal else besides. He understood only too well the problems which daily confront teaching staff, and to his colleagues he was always approachable, sympathetic, helpful and, the mark of the man, unfailingly courteous. To the pupils he may often have appeared aloof, for he was a shy man, but he showed them a humanity which could challenge and reprove when necessary but which could also forgive. It has been said 4
School Section
that there were moments when righteous anger burst into flame, but few saw this side of him. He was punctilious in the provision of thoroughly prepared reports on the ever increasing number of boys moving on to University, and there must be many former pupils of his time who have, all unknowing, been enormously helped on their way to higher academic study by such reports. One can perhaps be forgiven for thinking that the most cataclysmic blow to the School came after Mr Skinner's retirement when the name was changed, the Rector's title was removed, and the girls arrived. Significant and far-reaching as these changes were, they were the natural culmination of much that had gone before during his Rectorship. In the early I960s the long-heralded plan to close the Lower School came to a head, and despite a hard-fought campaign to 'Save the Primaries' the decision was taken. Again, after much uncertainty about the School's future, it was announced that the School would become a comprehensive school catering for pupils from its allotted catchment area. The first intake of such pupils entered the School in 1970. Admissions to the Lower School had already ceased and it was simply allowed gradually to run down. John Skinner planned with his usual meticulous care, and saw the imposed changes as a challenge to which he and his staff would rise. He had a quiet determination that comprehensive education at the School would work. That the transition was made smoothly and relatively painlessly was due in no small measure to his planning and preparation and his commitment to the new way of life which the School had to accept. For thirteen years after he retired Mr Skinner led a busy life, pursuing the many interests in which he derived satisfaction and fulfilment. He had accepted an invitation to be the guest speaker at the F.P. Club dinner in Aberdeen in October 1986, just a few months after the disastrous fire at the School, an event which immensely distressed him. Sadly, he suffered a stroke shortly beforehand and was prevented from making what would have been a popular and most welcome return to see old friends. Over the next eleven years Mr Skinner suffered increasing physical infirmity although, frustratingly for him, his mind remained alert as ever. He enjoyed the support of friends and former colleagues during these difficult years, but most of all was upheld by his wife, Flora, whose devotion to him was his inspiration. To her and to their two daughters we extend our deepest sympathy. Speaking on the occasion of the presentation of his portrait following his retiral, Mr George Barton, then President of the Former Pupils' Club, recalled presiding at a dinner held by the Club Executive in September 1959 to welcome Mr Skinner to his new post, and expressing what was uppermost in the minds of all F.Ps., namely considerable speculation, not to say trepidation, as to the man who sought to fill the shoes of the redoubtable 1.J.' Mr Barton went on to say, "Consideration of Mr Skinner's qualifications showed not only that he was another classical import from the West of Scotland, but also that he was a man of the highest intellectual quality who had, by dint of post-graduate study, wide teaching experience, and contact with men and matters, fitted himself in the fullest possible degree for the post of Rector of Aberdeen Grammar School. And now, as I look back over the thirteen years of John Skinner's tenure of office, I can say in all honesty how well he measured up to the tasks, the sometimes distasteful tasks, which fell to his hand. John Skinner's extraordinarily wide background qualifications were summed up before his coming as being academic, literary, linguistic, military, educational and humanitarian. By our contact with him over thirteen years I would readily endorse all these qualities and I would add others by my own experience of him — he is a man who does not wear his heart upon his sleeve: he is a thinking man who does not parade his thoughts or his learning: and above all he has that quiet dignity and reserve which may be loosely summed up in that somewhat old-fashioned but nevertheless meaningful term 'gentleman'." Addressing a Thanksgiving Service in Rubislaw Church, Aberdeen on 4 July 1997, the present Rector, Mr William Johnston said:"To be Rector of an ancient Scottish grammar school was a most congenial role 5
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine for John Skinner: for he represented all that is best in traditional Scottish education. By gifts of intellect and personality he was most abundantly endowed with the qualities necessary for the task; and to these natural endowments he brought a life-experience, not without its touches of deprivation and of adventure, which lent a broad humanity to his dealings with his pupils and their parents, and yet, at the same time, visions of possibilities and expectations far beyond the ordinary. John Skinner was by inclination and temperament a scholar, one of the most gifted linguists, indeed, whom I have ever met. At University, not content with the rigours and exceptional demands of the Classics course, with an eye to the Indian Civil Service he also studied Arabic to Junior Honours level. His excellence as a Classics scholar would naturally have lead to a Snell Exhibition to Oxford and thence perhaps into university lecturing, a career which he would undoubtedly have adorned with distinction. But it was not to be. The 1930s are, of course, synonymous with the Depression, not least in Clydeside where John was born and brought up, and that, coupled with the early disability of his father leaving a family of five, of whom John was the eldest, to be educated, made John choose the selfless route of going straight into teacher-training to become a contributor to the family budget as soon as possible. "While Rector of Alloa Academy the roving intellect was not content with conventional limits: he undertook a B.Litt degree at Glasgow in German literature. His joint publication with the German professor some years later of the German/Latin discourses of Meister Eckhart the 13th century German mystic, was a fruit of this post-graduate work; the book has been reprinted several times, most recently in 1994, testimony to its excellence and continuing usefulness (John is cited, e.g., in the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church). With gifts and a track-record like these, Aberdeen was indeed fortunate to be able to lure him north to become Rector of the Grammar School, where for thirteen years he discharged his role with the utmost distinction and earned the devotion and gratitude of generations of pupils and their parents. "But what of John the man? Studious and scholarly, certainly: he once told me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, that he usually had six books on the go at once, no doubt several in the many languages so seemingly effortlessly at his command: an Arabic or a Greek text, perhaps; Rumi, the Persian mystic, in the original; and always some lighter stuff, a novel or a thriller. John was a quiet, reserved man, gracious and courteous; but that was the perfect mask for war-time counter-espionage - and for a deliciously mischievous sense of humour. He was also a man of faith: an elder of the Kirk, here in Rubislaw, his interest was above all in mysticism, as his book on Eckhart and his studies of Rumi show. Flora has sometimes said to me that she is sure that in these last long darkening twilight years, which both she and John have borne with such magnificent fortitude, it has been these inner resources of faith and of a well-stocked mind which have enabled him to cope and to endure with such dignity, resignation and serenity."
6
School Section
School Section Rector's Report The School has continued to be involved in the national Improving School Effectiveness Project (ISEP) being conducted by the Quality in Education Centre at Strathclyde University. Some parents and pupils will have completed questionnaires about their perspectives of the school and the data has been processed with similar information from staff. National results, trends and comparisons have still to be finalised, but those indications which have emerged do confirm positive views here about working relationships, communications systems and the School's reputation for effective education within and beyond the curriculum. In the course of last year, various "ethos" initiatives have been consolidated to further improve that atmosphere of co-operation and common purpose so important for our daily work. One basic example is the senior pupils' own anti-bullying "First Step" scheme which has attracted considerable interest in the City and in Aberdeenshire. More generally, the various options available for S6 pupils to take on responsibility and develop personally have all been mutually beneficial. Perhaps the most reassuring effect of sustaining our published Values Statement as a basis for planning is the calm environment characteristic of the School. Staffing allocations for delivery of the curriculum have been largely protected during the past year with a small but significant cut expected for session 1998/99. Despite having to operate class sizes of 30 for the so-called non-practical subjects in SI and S2, we have managed to reduce this maximum in English and Mathematics, not least to facilitate the establishment of national testing but also to recognise the political priority being attached to these subjects. The range of options, courses and levels S3 to S6 has been maintained with the high stay-on rate here post-16 being one indicator of richness in the opportunities on offer. There have been several staffing changes during the year, notably the promotion of Mr Gray to the position of Assistant Rector and the retiral last August of three Principal Teachers, Mr Caie, Mr Milne and Mrs Wood, whose combined contribution to the work of the School totalled more than 60 years. This was publicly appreciated at the dinner held in their honour. In terms of curricular developments, much preparatory work has been under way during the precious in-service time to be ready for the implementation of "Higher Still" which should co-ordinate S5 and S6 courses and assessments with those of Further and Higher Education. Although the new courses do not start until session 1999/2000, course information and choice sheets really have to be in place by Christmas 1998 so that pupils can give careful attention to detail and to planning present and future pathways. Whilst teachers are busy with necessary subject developments perhaps less obviously, the role of Guidance staff will be crucial to inform the vocational and curricular decisions taken by each youngster. In-service work has also continued on 5-14 developments, quality assurance and familiarity with IT. Meanwhile, as reported formally to the School Board earlier in the session and published in the current Prospectus, our 1997 examination results were very encouraging with Higher results in the 3+ pass category at 42% of the original year group and the 5+ category at 20%, figures which are not only well above City and National averages but reflect the high aspirations of our school community. On a different tack, it is also worth a mention that within their Personal and Social Development programme, S6 had the opportunity of introductory driving lessons within the School grounds, an innovation which they thoroughly enjoyed and which also stimulated a lot of Press attention. The range of extra-curricular activities remains extensive and, if anything, has grown, with Technology, Art, Drama, Music, English all providing activities alongside football, hockey, basketball, cricket and athletics. I remain continuously grateful to the staff for their commitment through which such provision is sustained. 7
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
If there is a negative part of this report, it is the admission that staff and pupils can be discouraged by the poor standard of facilities for sport when these do not match facilities taken for granted elsewhere. The focus of this concern is really the lack of a Games Hall here for curricular and extra-curricular work. Associated with the same concerns, there is a lack of development at Rubislaw Playing Field, the establishment of which must have been a marvellous vision earlier this century but which really needs improvement, most specifically by the provision of an all-weather surface. Both School and Board have been pursuing the objective of a Games Hall, and we trust that we can rely on your support in this ongoing concerted approach to the Council. Through the Rubislaw Field Committee which brings together School, Council and Former Pupils' Club, there have also been moves to seek lottery finance for developments at Rubislaw. I cannot predict the information which future reports will convey, but I am convinced that these facilities are needed for the full education of our young people and their long-term health. 1 sincerely hope that progress can be made on these very tangible improvements and that next year's report can bring positive news of this. WILLIAM J. JOHNSTON Rector
Aberdeen Grammar School June, 1998
School Office-Bearers Session 1997-97 Head Boy: MICHAEL H. RENNIE Depute Head Boy: JOHN S.C. MURRAY
Head Girl: JULIE A. PATULLO Depute Head Girl: DIANE M. SMITH
S6 Prefects:
CORMAC G. BOOTH KEITH T. CROMBIE MARTIN F. GISBY
LYNNE M. ALLAN KERRIE BAVIDGE ANTONIA V.S. BAXTER TAMARA A. BUCHAN SARAH J. CHRISTIE KRYSTINA J. COLLING GILLIAN L. FRASER LESLEY A. FRASER LYNNE A. FRASER JENNIFER E. FYFE KATHERINE JOHNSTONE SHONA JOHNSTONE LAURA C. McKAY JOANNA L. RATCLIFFE ALISON J. SINCLAIR
GUY J.B. HEPWORTH ANDREW J. INNES STUART D. KING MICHAEL L. McDONALD SCOTT R. MORRISON ROBIN P.N. MOGENDORFF MARTIN M. SKELLY NEIL STIRTON NOSA R. UWAIFO GRAHAM C. WATTS
55 Prefects: JAMES A.A. COCHRANE-BARNETT STUART C. COETZER RODERICK F.D. GAULD JOHN-CARLO MARIONI PETER T. MILTON ANDREW S. RUTHERFORD SIMON J. SMAIL MATTHEW F.J. THOMSON STEFAN P. WURWAL
8
LUCY K. BROWN SARAH E.CHURCH REBECCA C. GANE FRANCESCA M. HAZLETT KATE M. HURMAN KATE KENYON CAROL M. PRESTON OLIVIA C.A. ROACH GILLIAN SMULLEN ALICE R. SUTHERLAND KATRINA D. THORNTON
School Section
Head Girl and Head Boy 1997-98
Julie A. Patullo & Michael H. Rennie
9
Aberdeen Grammar Schaal Magazine
School Prizes 1997-98 The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Biology
(Equal) (Equal)
Sarah E. Church Judith A. Nieman Daniel C. Fenn Tamara A. Buchan John-Carlo Marioni Laura A. Dear Laura A.Dear Julie A. Patullo John-Carlo Marioni Judith M. Watson Eilidh H.Gardner Ross Wattie Rhiannon Campbell Sarah L. MacLean Sarah L. MacLean Andrew F. Bochel Yu-Ting Wong Lindsay M.K. McIntosh Daniel C. Fenn Kathryn E. Davies Ashley M. Henderson Ross Wattie Michael R. Campbell Kathleen A. McAulay
The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Chemistry The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Computer Studies The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Geography The Former Pupils' Club Prize in German The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Modem Studies The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Physical Education The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Physics The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Religious Studies The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Spanish The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Technical Subjects The Samuel Pope Prize in Art The Arthur L. McCombie Prize in Art History The Donald Paton Prize for Painting The John Muir Robertson 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 Prize for Local Studies The Derek Stewart Memorial Prize in Mathematics The Alexander Thomson Prize in Mathematics (S3) The Hamish Adams Greig Prize in Mathematics and Science in S5 John-Carlo Marioni The J. Mortimer McBain Prize to the best Mathematical Scholar in S5 or S6 Sarah E. Church The George G. Whyte Prize in Mathematics in S6 Michael L. McDonald The Gavin Falconer Memorial and Former Pupils' Club Prize in Music John-Carlo Marioni The Dr J. Minto Robertson Prize in Shakespearean Studies Laura A. Dear The Alastair G. Simon Memorial Prize in Spanish in S3 Hannah A.B. McIntosh The May Thomson Scottish Poetry Prize to the best reciters of a Scottish poem in the North East Dialect Rachelle W. Grogan The Aberdeen Grammar School Dramatic Society Award for outstanding contribution to Drama Diane M. Smith The Aberdeen Grammar School Junior Literary Winner Helen M. Graham & Debating Competition Runner-up Laura M. Gawthorpe The Rector's Shield for outstanding contribution to the running of the Literary & Debating Society Winner Kate M. Hurman Runner-up Roderick F.D. Gauld The Edith & David Bishop Prize for Public Speaking - Senior Amanda Watt Caroline S. Smith Andrew S. Rutherford Junior Sarah E. Jones Kathryn E. Booth Lynsey S. Morrison The Dr A. A. Cormack Prize (Equal) David R. Morrice (Equal) Ross Wattie (Equal) Rafe A.Pilling (Equal) Christopher J. Whitcombe (Equal) Kenneth C.M. Wilson 10
School Section
The Aberdeen Grammar School "Face the Music" Award for an outstanding performance in the School's Matthew F. J. Thomson Musical Production Robin P.N. Mogendorff Sports Awards
Michael J. Procee The Neil Meldrum Inter-House Rugby Trophy - Si Melvin Ross Wattie Byron The Former Pupils' Inter-House Rugby Cup Dun Scott P. Fraser The Former Pupils' Junior Rugby Cup Keith Mark R. Calderwood The Former Pupils' House Hockey Cup Byron Ailidh H.S. Weddeell The Junior Hockey Cup for Girls Paul R. Ovenstone The Isobel O. Anderson Medal for Swimming Christopher J. Whitcombe The Rector's Medal for Swimming Lynn Inkson The Girls' Cup for Swimming Lynn Inkson The Dr Morland Simpson Cup for Swimming Simon J. Smail The Former Pupils' Club Rugby Football Section Trophy Neil Stirton The School Colours Committee School Cap Neil Stirton The Philip Love Trophy All-Round Awards
The David Alexander Irvine-Fortescue All-Round (Equal) Award in S2 (Equal) The Norman Mackie Memorial Award in S3 The Former Pupils' Club All-Round Award in S3 (Equal)
Sarah E. Jones Kathryn E. Booth Riccardo E. Marioni Jennifer S. Gane
(Equal) Christine A.M. Weddell Sarah C. Wattie (Equal) (Equal) Catriona G. Sinclair Tamara A. Buchan The Former Pupils' Club Certificate of Merit Lesley A. Fraser Alison J. Sinclair Andrew J. Innes Robin P.N. Mogendorff John S.C. Murray The Former Pupils' Club "1965" Award for the greatest Lesley A. Fraser Contribution to the life of the School Antonia V.S. Baxter Guy J.B. Hepworth The Runner-up to the Former Pupils' Club All-Round Diane M. Smith Trophy for Girls The Runner-up to the Former Pupils' Club All-Round Martin F. Gisby Trophy & the Agnes Durward McDonald Prize Julie A. Patullo The Former Pupils' Club All-Round Trophy for Girls The Former Pupils' Club All-Round Trophy & the Michael H. Rennie John Ivo Dawson Prize
Colours Awards Basketball
Half Colours
Lynn Inkson, Katherine Lamb, Linsey McIntosh, Mhairie Neyedli
Cricket
Half Colours
Stuart Coetzer
Football
Full Colours
Stuart Findlay, Neil McLauchlan, Gary Sutherland Michael Rennie
Half Colours
11
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Hockey
Full Colours
Lynne Allan, Claire Smith, Katrina Thornton Mark Calderwood, Sarah Church, James Daniel, Laura McKay, Ruth McLennan, Claire Mennie, Olivia Roach, Clair Smith, Katrina Thornton, Jonathan Watt Richard Allan, David Anderson, Greig Hewitt, Luke Summers, Hannah Watt, Christine Weddell
Half Colours
Junior Colours
Rugby
Full Colours
Simon Smail
Swimming
Half Colours
Paul Ovenstone, Christopher Whitcombe
National Schools Competitions Small Bore Rifle
Full Colours School Cap
Neil Stirton Neil Stirton
Extra-Curricular Charities Group
Half Colours
Roderick Gauld, Amanda Watt
Debating
Half Colours
Kate Hurman
Drama
Full Colours Half Colours
Kerrie Bavidge Roderick Gauld, Kate Hurman
"Face the Music" Full Colours Half Colours Junior Colours Music
Full Colours Half Colours Junior Colours
Cormac Booth, Sarah Christie, Matthew Thomson Lucy Brown, Robin Mogendorff, Simon Smail Victoria Kennedy, Michelle Sievwright Tamara Buchan, Martin Gisby, JohnCarlo Marioni, Julie Patullo Francesca Hazlett, Kate Kenyon, Tom Lessels, Judith Nieman, Judith Pirie, Alice Sutherland, Stephen Watt, Tim Wraight Euan Allardice, Scott Annison, Adam Leith, Fiona Lemon, Helen Patmore, Frances Sutherland, Christine Weddell
Extra-Curricular Activities School Sports Clubs Basketball It has been an exciting year for Girls' Basketball within the School. With more players and teams than ever before, competing both locally and nationally, the sport continues to flourish and the standard of play is rising. The senior girls defeated Bankhead Academy to retain their title as Grampian League and Cup Champions for the second and third years in a row. Our greatest ambition this year was to bring the Scottish Cup back to Aberdeen, however we were knocked out of the semi-finals after a tough battle with Eastbank Academy. It was a thrilling game to watch, resulting in the final score in favour of Eastbank by just three points. 12
School Section Several players also achieved personal honours this season: The Grampian under-I 5 team included Ashley Rennie, Gemma Gribble, Judith Watts, Jenny McRae and Gemma Reid. Jenny McRae also went on to be selected for the North team. Mhairi Neyedli, Linsey Maclntosh, Kathy Lamb and Lynn Inkson were chosen for the under-16 Scotland select. In addition, five senior girls, Katherine Johnstone, Shona Johnstone, Julie Patullo and Alison Sinclair represented Grampian in the Women's Inter-area Tournament held at Woodbank. The achievements of the Grey Wolf Basketball Team are outlined below: Grampian Schools Basketball Senior Girls League Winners Winners Senior Girls Cup Junior Girls League 3rd Place Runners-up Junior Girls Cup
Grampian Women's Basketball League Championship Winners Gold Division Play-offs Winners Silver Division Play-offs Winners Winners Grampian Women's Cup Grampian Under-I8 League Winners
Scottish Schools Cup Semi finalists Senior Girls Cup Under-I5 Junior Qualifier 2nd Place Girls Cup Under-I4 Girls Cup Qualifier 2nd Place Under-I3 Girls Cup Qualifier 2nd Place
Scottish Cadette National League 3rd Place Under-16 Girls League Under-16 Girls Cup Runners-up
Boys' Hockey Our first term games included the additional match for the John Drummond Memorial Trophy. This game, organised by Ben Johnson, took place on a rather chilly morning in October when the school First XI took on the might of the Grammarian side. Using their substitution to the full - all ten times - the old boys overcame the youthful fitness and endeavour of the school side to run out eventually as 2-0 winners. The game was played in an excellent atmosphere, one of which John would have approved - especially when it was followed by a social get-together in the Club Centre. The trophy, which was organised by the FP Hockey Section, was graciously presented by Mrs Drummond, and it is anticipated that this will become an annual fixture between Club and School. The rest of the first term produced mixed fortunes for the team and included narrow defeats at the hands of Gordon's College and Dundee High School, and perhaps our best performance of the term, a 1-I draw with a very strong Watson's side from Edinburgh. League games were also played up to Christmas, and again mixed fortunes were experienced, with the team playing well in spells, with good performances in defence, especially Keith Smith in goal and Jonathan Watt, the Captain, at left back. We struggled in mid-field, but Mark Calderwood improved over the year and hopefully we will be much stronger all round next year. The second term saw most of our games cancelled because of the weather, but we did manage a return game with Watson's in Edinburgh, when unfortunately we were beaten 4-1. Overall, the team was well served by comparatively young players, and this was most in evidence when we took on Gordonstoun and found in their midst two German Under-2I Internationalists, which really did show us in the boys against men situation. The team had considerable help from a number of FPs, organised once again by Ben Johnson, and in particular we were helped by Neil Gauld, James Williams, Ron Fraser, Duncan Harris and Trevor Watt. Without the help of FPs for school games, the school team would undoubtedly struggle to exist. I3
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
The Second XI had more success results-wise over the year, and in the process scored a few goals, in particular the 10-0 win over Gordon's College, the third team in the league. Matters, however, were put in perspective when we played the First XI from Gordon's and were beaten 7-0. Overall, the seconds held their own against most other Second XIs, and hopefully most of the players will be looking to play in the First XI next season. Perhaps the most surprising success story of the three teams comes from the Colts XI, who started the year in very indifferent form. They continued to turn up for practices on Saturdays, and with the addition of some new faces they began to show some promise. Goals started to come from Andrew Goodenough and Darren Greene, and our defence became steadier with David Anderson in goal and Greig Hewitt at centre-half performing very well. The team reached the final of the North Cup, having beaten Westhill and Ellon on the way. The match was played at Inverurie against Kinloss, and we narrowly lost 2-1 in the last minute. Three boys were selected for the District U-I6 squad - Andrew Goodenough, Darren Greene and Greig Hewitt - and we wish them well in the months ahead. In conclusion, let me once again thank the members of the FP Club who have helped coach and umpire the teams during the winter. This is undoubtedly the way forward, and all we need now is an artificial pitch on which to play and practice. Girls' Hockey Late August:
Winning the toss, but forever sporting purists, the First XI allowed Glasgow High to take the inaugural pass back on their new all-weather pitch. Not wishing to spoil the occasion we also accepted a thrashing, a forewarning of our vulnerability on astro turf during season 1997-8. "Will we ever get an all-weather pitch at Rubislaw?" I asked Byron when passing under his statue one day. The Season:
Practices were well attended by all years, and matches were well contested with performances improving over the season. At the junior end, the third year squad reached the semi-final of their cup, and the second -years were third in the secondyear tournament. The First and Second XIs worked hard, and enjoyed matches in Glasgow and at Gordonstoun, with a combined team beating a German school, Salem, during the October break. For the first time ever, the First XI did not appear in the local cup final. With the Scottish Cup Finals to be played on allweather for the first time, the local semi-finals were played on this surface and Grammar could not contest. The gap will widen between Grammar and other schools. One of our opponents has had turf for many years, whilst the two girls' schools fund training on the all-weather pitches both during and after school. Financial restraints deny us this luxury. Each year-group is coached at Rubislaw on separate nights, but getting equivalent turf time would be impossible. Hopefully we can book a few sessions, but there is an even better solution which we know the Field Committee is working on. Thanks again to Mo and Sari from FPs, and we look forward to the rota of helpers who will enable us to restart the first year programme. International Honours:
District under-I8 Squad District under-16 Squad District Indoor Squad
Lesley Fraser, Katrina Thomson Sara Kidd, Lynn Inkson, Ruth McLennan, Sabrina Rossetti Lynn Allan, Lesley Fraser
Late March-June:
When things look bleak, draw from the past. The new under-I5 group for inter-district competition will involve the second-years. To get them trained up for trials Mrs 14
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Girls' Hockey 1st XI
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Girls' Hockey. 2nd XI 15
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Welsh recalled a crucial facility from her early teaching days in Glasgow, very allweather (the playground. Consequently the second-years have been honing their turf skills where the cadets once marched. As we approach 2000 who needs an all-weather hockey pitch at Rubislaw? Mmmm - what do you say, Byron?
25 Years of Girls' Hockey In 1973, girls were admitted for the first time to Rubislaw Academy, the temporary, albeit politically idealistic, name of Aberdeen Grammar School. Girls' hockey teams were started in that year and, 25 years on, much success has been enjoyed by teams and individuals. Hockey was played at Harlaw Field until quite recently, with an overspill using Kaimhill Playing Fields when the school roll bulged. Girls' and boys' teams share Rubislaw, and hopefully the facilities there will be enhanced with an allweather pitch ere long. Sandra Ramsay, a pioneer and later president of the Scottish Schoolgirls Hockey Association, coached the new first-years. This team won the area first-year tournament, setting a precedent for many teams who won cups and tournaments thereafter. When Miss Ramsay moved to Guidance, Joy Webster took over the hockey programme, expanding the fixture list to include many of Scotland's top hockey schools. Sadly, constraints on funding for travel have now pared the fixture list back. In those days teams were able to practice together at games, as a whole year came together on games afternoons, unlike the split groups in first and second year today. Each year had a member of staff to coach them and Grammar hockey was buoyant. In 1984, teachers took industrial action to improve pay and conditions. Mrs Webster reluctantly complied with the ban on extra-curricular activities, and all hockey was stopped. At this time Carrie Lefevre (later Mrs Welsh), the under-18 district coach, expressed alarm that such a rich vein of talent was going to cease. As an independent, she offered to run Grammar School hockey as an open club, called Rubislaw Girls' Hockey Club, and Pauline Reid was quietly elected captain. Seventy girls played out the Grammar fixture list; the First XI was all Grammar, while the Second XI included girls from other schools. In the following year, Mrs Webster took early retirement, and Carrie Welsh was appointed as part-time teacher of games. Normal service was resumed, although staff changes meant that there was little help on a Saturday morning. Mrs Welsh continues to run the hockey programme to date, with the help of FPs. In 1984, former old girls had talked about starting a women's hockey section of the FP Club, and by 1986 they were fully affiliated and playing matches. They have given valuable help to school hockey over the last twelve years. Between 1973 and 1998 the schoolgirls teams have won many tournaments and cups, and have regularly been the representatives from North District at the Scottish Schools Championships, both outdoor and indoor. Dozens of Grammar girls have been selected to play for the district hockey teams, and several have attended Scottish trials. To date, twelve girls have been capped for Scotland and, since those pioneer first years started 25 years ago Grammar has had a player on international duty for 17 of these seasons. Our most famous internationalist is Margery Coutts, a superb role model for any schoolgirl. She captained the Scotland U-18 team, played U-21 and was captain of both outdoor and indoor Scottish women's teams. Tracey Robb is currently in the Scottish squad as goalkeeper and has been in the Olympic training squad. Tracey, Julie Ewan and Jillian Bain are three outstanding former Grammar goalkeepers who have enjoyed international success. A tournament will take place on Saturday 5 September 1998 to celebrate 25 years of girls' hockey. We hope that girls' hockey will continue as successfully into the next millenium. 16
School Section
The following have been capped for Scotland at Schoolgirls' Level: Margery Coutts 1979, 80, 81 1978 Ruth Hutchison 1982 Carol Sargent 1980 Susan Smith 1986, 87, 88 Tracey Robb 1984 Judith Calder 1991, 92, 93 Julie Ewan 1988, 90 Lindsay Pont Nicola Fox 1992, 94 1992 Nicola Keepe 1996, 97, 98 Jillian Bain Kerry Smith was Reserve for Scottish Schoolgirls in 1987, but was later selected for Scotland at U-2I level. Senior Football The team kicked off season 1997/98 not knowing what to expect in the way of results with so many new players, but from early on a good team spirit emerged after we gave Torry Academy a footballing lesson with a 7-0 win. This was followed by back-to-back fixtures with Evening Express title favourites Cults and Oldmachar. The match at Cults was one big slapstick sequence, culminating in an abrupt ending as the Cults keeper kicked his goalposts down. A 3-1 win in sweltering heat saw off Oldmachar, and the team performed a smash and grab raid on Hazlehead in what was for many the turning point of the season. Good wins at Portlethen and Linksfield made us top of the table and set us up for a title decider with Bridge of Don. The game arrived, and after our going 2-0 up after ten minutes, they hit back with a goal from the penalty spot. Some determined possession football was played and a disciplined performance allowed the Grammar to hold on and become Champions with the team's first trophy since 1994-95. The win was celebrated with a round of drinks from Mr McLeod (of the fizzy variety), several piley-ons and a good night out. The rest of the season was left to the cup competitions, and as usual our hopes were high in the Scottish Cup. In the first round we faced Peterhead, and on a matchbox of a pitch we emerged 3-2 winners. This was followed by a heated fixture with our old friends Kincorth Academy, where we managed to win convincingly in the end. All good things must come to an end, and this is what happened in a below-par performance against Invergordon which saw us losing our 100% record in a 1-0 loss at Rubislaw. In the other two cups, injuries prevented us from fielding our strongest side and we ended up losing two consecutive semi-finals to Oldmachar. The team spirit was responsible more than anything else for the success. It has been said that Stuart Findlay is one of the best goalies ever to play for the Grammar, and I have to say that I agree with this. The defence has been so solid throughout the season. Robin Shek has been a very reliable left back, while Michael Rennie has had an extremely good season, and had many off the line clearances, as we were constantly reminded later. Stuart Malcolm has been instrumental since his late call-up. Marcus Rossiter got all our sympathy when David McCurragh's clearance connected with a certain part of his anatomy. David McCurragh's solid tackling led to him being one of the team's stars. The midfield was the strongest point of the team, centred on the sublime partnership of Gary Sutherland and Neil McLauchlan, the team captain. Gary scored what was voted the goal of the season, but the biggest shock was him turning up early for the Linksfield game. Neil has been in unstoppable form, while Sean Robertson provided good support, as did Billy McRae. Up front were Ross Harper, who ratted the goals in, alongside Ryan Brady, and Chris Pine was always in sensational form. There was also Ross Morgan who did his job with merit, and Matthew Park was the character of the team. He also claimed the much prized worst dive of the season award. Clark Brechin was also present and Sean Goldie scored some memorable goals also. 17
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
The success was not just down to the team members. Everyone wishes to thank the soon to be legendary Mr McLeod, who gave up his own time along with Mr McLean to coach us. A great basketball coach must make him a great football coach. We would also like to thank all the teachers and parents who supported us, and to offer our congratulations to Gary Sutherland and Neil McLauchlan on being selected to play for the Aberdeen Secondary Schools Select. Skf-ioE Although there is not an AGS Ski Club as such, the School has participated in a number of ski races for girls this past winter. Our first event was the Scottish Schools Under-14 Dry Slope Championships, held in atrocious conditions at Hillend, Edinburgh, in November. The team consisted of Laura and Sarah Wood, Samantha Fyfe and Julia-Desiree Bartsch, and a very creditable 4th place was claimed. Laura Wood, though only in SI, managed an excellent 2nd place in the individual event. In January, the absence of a decent covering of snow at Glenshee meant that the Scottish Championships were transferred to a shortened course at the Lecht, where the girls' team of Sarah Wood, Sarah Church, Samantha Fyfe and Rebecca Engwall did well to qualify for the British Championships. These were due to be held at the Aonach Range, near Fort William but at the last minute, despite transport and accommodation being arranged, they too fell victims to our unreliable Scottish snow. On an individual basis, Sarah Wood 3/2, came 4th in the British School Championships in Tigues, France and her sister, Laura, finished 1st overall in her age group. Laura was then selected to go to Whistler, Canada, for further racing and training. All in all the girls have established a basis for further success next year, and now it is up to the boys to try to match them! Any interested skiers should contact Mr Montgomery for more details.
Clubs and Societies The Adventure Game Club The Adventure Game Club is an opportunity for pupils to meet on a weekly basis and discuss Adventure games for the PC. For anyone not familiar with the adventure game genre, these games are simply elaborate puzzles set within a role-playing scenario. The player takes on the r8le of a character in the story, and must overcome a number of obstacles in order to complete the game. Pupils come along and discuss new games to be released and/or old favourites. The club is also a useful bank of information, as pupils can exchange solutions to games or just helpful hints if they are stuck! The Adventure Game Club has been successful over the last year and although the membership has only included first year pupils to date, it may be extended to second year pupils in future. Book Club After just finishing its first year, last year, the Book Club, which is run by the English teachers Miss Smith and Mrs Walker, was looking in the face of extinction. With only one or two regular members attending, the Club's future was not looking bright. Now, one year on, the number of members has healthily increased to nine regu18
School Seclion
larly attending members (eight from 1st year and one from 2nd year) and a few others who occasionally attend. This is good news, as most of these members will return next year to be joined by new first years to make an even bigger Club. Last year, when it was popular, the Book Club mainly attracted girls. People would think this normal, as girls are traditionally associated with reading. This year, however, all nine regular members are boys. These two different-gender years have proved that while boys and girls probably read about the same as each other, they both have different tastes. So, the girls going away and the boys coming at least proves something, that equal opportunities are certainly working in the Book Club. The reason for an increase in members may well be to do with the fact that the Club has changed location from Miss Smith's English classroom to the school library. We are sure that this helped because it dispelled fears of the club being an optional English lesson. We also publicised the fact that you did not have to do book reports all the time, and that in the Club we more often have informal discussions about books which we would or would not recommend. During the 1997/98 session the Book Club has done much more than the normal discussions about, and recommendations of, books. Below are listed some of the other things which we did during the session: •
•
•
•
•
•
Scholastic Book Fair. Scholastic, the book publisher, sent the school three cases of books to be sold. The Fair was held in the Library. The books were a very wide range of novels and non-fiction books ranging from the Classics to series such as "The Horrible Histories". The fair was a great success, and a total of £410 was raised. From this we were given £164 which was converted into books and split between the Book Club and the Library. This was the second Book Fair which has been run by the Club and the Library, and Ms Allard. the librarian, was very pleased with the result. Dillons Visit. In November, Mr Gray took the Club members by mini-bus to the Union Street branch of Dillons' bookshop. The staff there were very helpful and answered all our questions. As well as giving us juice and cookies, they gave us a little quiz and presented the winner with a £10 book token. The rest of us were presented with £1 tokens. It was a good use of a lunch-time. Book Club Arthurs. In March we awarded our favourite books and authors with the Book Club Oscar - The Arthurs. Among awards and winners are Best Book ("The Lord of the Rings"; Best Author - J.R.R. Tolkien; and Best Cover - the Discworld series (by Terry Pratchett). A poster was made displaying the full awards and is now shown in the Library. Magazine/Poem/Non-Fiction Days. All through the year we held various days with themes. For example, one day we all brought in our favourite poems and read them out. These days made a change from normal discussthe-books-you-have-read-in-the-past-week days. End of Term "Special" Days. At the end of each term we have had a quiz about books. If you answered the question correctly, you received an appropriate prize, e.g. chocolate Santas before Christmas and Kinder eggs before Easter. These quizzes were always great fun and a good laugh when you heard some of the wild answers! Certificates. At the end of the year, we will present certificates to our loyal members. These will be helpful as they show an extra-curricular activity on our members' record of achievement for this School and prove that at least one constructive thing was done with the members' lunch hours.
After two successful, but very different, years, our main objective at the moment is to recruit some girls as members. We feel that we would not be able to see what boys and girls are reading without them. We will continue to advertise the fact that the Book Club is a fun club, with no writing involved. If numbers build up we may 19
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
The Book Club
The Competition Club 20
School Section
split into junior and senior sections so that members of the same age can discuss together without fear of intimidation. Overall, this has been a successful, fun year, and we confidently (and impatiently) await the start of the next session when we can get discussing again. The Competition Club The Competition Club encourages pupils to enter a wealth of different competitions, and indeed we have had a number of notable successes. This year pupils will appear in print having had their poems selected for entry in the Spellbound anthology of poetry, as well as winning runners-up prizes in the Media Education Shakespeare Competition. A record number of pupils also entered the Royal Mail Young Letter Writers Competition, and we have entries in for a number of other competitions which are currently being judged. It is always nice to see the pupils rewarded for their hard work, and we hope to continue to support and encourage their endeavours. Literary & Debating Society The Debating Society has been very active this year, holding both junior and senior debates. Debating committees were elected last June for seniors and juniors, and the pupils involved have shown commitment and enthusiasm all year. The junior and senior debates have been held twice weekly at lunch times in the Lecture theatre, and many debates have regularly seen audiences of seventy or more pupils. Two senior teams were entered for the North of Scotland Debating Competition during the autumn term. They performed exceptionally well, competing against many other schools, and the `A' team narrowly missed getting into the final. A senior team also took part in a Centenary Debate at Meares Academy in October and was placed, very creditably, as runner-up. Several senior pupils also participated in Public Speaking this year, and a team of three entered the North of Scotland Competition, where they coped admirably against other schools. The juniors have also been very enthusiastic about Public Speaking, and meet regularly to practice their skills. The junior team is entered in an external competition later in the year. Senior and junior Public Speaking Competitions were held in the School recently and the winners' names will be found in the Prize List elsewhere in this Magazine. In April, the senior and junior school debating competitions also took place. Kate Hurman, this year's Senior Debating President, was the outstanding winner and Roderick Gauld the worthy runner-up. Kate was also awarded half-colours for her contributions to debating this year. The junior competition was won by Helen Graham and the runner-up was Laura Gaw-thorpe. A junior debating shield has been purchased with funds supplied by the FP Club, and was presented at the Prize-giving Ceremony in May With such a wealth of talent and the unbounded enthusiasm which the pupils have displayed, next year should prove to be an exceptional year for the Society Music The music department continues to expand its activities. This year saw the first appear-ance of the full orchestra, something towards which we have been building for some time. Excellent work from the instructors over a sustained period has made this possible, together with funds gleaned from two extra concerts, one at the Cowdray Hall in February, and the other in the School Hall in March. This was in addition to the November concert and the Christmas Service. Groups currently appearing in these performances include the orchestra, string orchestra, woodwind group, recorder group, concert band, jazz orchestra, choir and 21
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
numerous soloists and chamber groups. There was also a large contingent of musicians and singers involved in this year's musical, `The Boy Friend'. We hope to continue to put on two concerts a year from now on, in October or November and in March, but we are also open to any other opportunities for our musicians to appear in public. AGS Radio Club The Radio Club is still alive and kicking and still a misnomer. The Club members have changed a little over the year, with a main core group still attending. The main activities of the club members have focused around two areas: • •
Writing Internet Web pages Using the VHF set for packet radio (under direct supervision!)
The Internet has proven to be a very attractive area of interest for members. We intend to establish a permanent Web presence this year. The Packet Radio is still on the Learning Curve. The club is on the look-out for a PC to use in this mode, set up on a permanent basis. Any offers?? We intend to start up the Novice Licence training programme this coming year. We also intend converting all days from 24 hours to 26 hours! Contact AGS Radio Club: Email Packet
radio_club@acraig0l.globalnet.co.uk MMIBAE@GB7ABN
73 Rock of Ages Rock of Ages was started up in January 1998 by Myra Wattie, teacher of Spanish and French. It meets every Tuesday lunchtime in Room ML1 in the Languages Block. As a fan and observer of the popular music scene for nearly forty years now, I felt that I needed an outlet for the millions of useless facts and figures I had acquired throughout the years. I have always enjoyed discussing the music scene with anyone who would listen, but especially with like-minded people. I also hoped to learn about what is happening in music now. As many readers will recall, the charts have only ever reflected a small part of the contemporary scene. I wanted to find out about the groups nowadays who arc never on TV, as it was that type of group in which I was most interested when I was young. I decided to start at the top with Jimi Hendrix, and we have noticed how he has influenced nearly every artiste we have looked at since. These included ZZ Top, Lou Reed, Thin Lizzy and Radiohead. Of these, Radiohead attracted the greatest audience. Perhaps the most fascinating sessions were when we brought in the soundtrack of our lives and heard how certain albums had marked significant events in our lives. Who would have thought that Pink Floyd would influence someone to go into teaching? (And we are not talking about Brick in the Wall!) Various members of staff have expressed interest in the Club and may do presentations in the future. In the meantime there is the solid core of myself, Joseph McLean of the Maths Department and four stalwart 3rd year boys and a 5th year girl who are all showing encouraging signs of being just as obsessively trainspotterish as I am Spotlight Drama Spotlight Drama, the drama society formerly known as Dramsoc, has changed a lot since the retiral, last year, of Mrs Pat Wood from the School staff. Returning to the 22
School Section Grammar School after being both a pupil and a teacher here, new Principal Teacher of Drama Mr Graham Whyte has transformed Dramsoc, not only by suggesting a name change but also by announcing that we were to move out of the drama studio and into the main hall. And he actually meant the main hall! "Turning Blind Eyes" was performed in the round. This introduced the cast to a play which was challenging and exciting in both its content and staging. "Turning Blind Eyes" deals with the issues of bullying between peers, teachers and in the family, in a way which allows the real causes and effects to be pinpointed without the normal cliches. It was challenging for the backstage crew to plan and assemble the set and lighting and for the cast to learn how to work in it. After successful dress rehearsals, it looked as if the play would go without a hitch. However, on the first night, disaster struck. The lights, which had been working perfectly the night before, would not go on. Kerrie Bavidge, who was backstage for the first time, eventually had to announce to the audience that there would be no lighting for the performance. Mr Brian Gordon managed to save the day, or rather the second act, with some technical wizardry, and we had lights for the second half. Surprisingly, this did not distract the cast from their performance and the rest of the play was flawless. Jamie Begg, a Dramsoc veteran, led the company of thirty playing the main victim of the bullies, Jeff Tipman. He managed to steer the character away from the stereotypical victim while still being believable. The ring-leader of the bullies, "Moz", was played very convincingly by Peter Ballantyne, to the point that several members of the audience thought that the violence was real. Other notable performances were given by Katie Hurman, who was very realistic during the most traumatic scenes, and Patrick Emerson as one of the bullies. Mr Whyte brought out all the skills of the group to make an effective, dramatic performance. and Spotlight Drama returns in November with "Noises Off" which, this time, is to be performed on the stage! What in the World? This year, "What in the World" have been discussing, debating and deliberating over topical and controversial issues which have been in the news from week to week. The members also embarked upon a small project covering the British justice system, which leader Diane Smith no doubt found very useful for her SYS Modern Studies course! With familiar faces returning for a second year and an additional few new ones, senior pupils Lucy Brown and Roddy Gauld will be taking over and expanding the group next year.
Face the Music: "The Boy Friend" Come September, it was once again the time for the would-be stars among us to embark upon yet another school show. The setting changed quite dramatically from last year's Wild West as the story of this year's play took place in 1920s Nice. After months of planning, rehearsing and "socialising", all involved produced a performance of which they could be proud. This can especially be said of Sarah Christie, who this year put aside her cowboy hat and whip in exchange for a frilly bonnet and parasol. Taking the leading female role for the second year running, Sarah stunned the audience with her portrayal of Polly Browne, with her wonderful acting, singing and dancing. Playing opposite her was Matthew Thomson, a true star in the making. Only he could pull off lines such as "How ripping!" with his self-respect fully intact. This year Matthew added to his talents in performing arts, since (to the amazement of many) he actually learned a tap dance for one of his numbers. Congratulations are certainly in order. 23
"The Boy Friend"
The principal members of the cast
Matthew Thomson as 'Tony Brockhurst' and Sarah Christie as 'Polly Browne' 24
School Section
He was not the only male principal whose dancing skills were put to the test, however. Simon Smail (Bobby) performed the Charleston brilliantly, and this, combined with his silky singing voice and boyish charm, left many a 1st-year girl all aflutter! Simon's fans were no doubt green with envy of Keira Sweeny, who played Maisie, the "perfect young lady" who stole Bobby's heart. Her song, "Safety in Numbers", was a hit with the audience and she did particularly well to keep her cool on the final night, when the boys made some unexpected "amendments" to the routine involving baguettes and thigh-rubbing! Playing the two French female roles were Emma Clifford (Mme Dubonnet) and Lucy Brown (Hortense) who could often be found brushing up on their accents. Both gave astounding performances and, between them, they just about managed to keep the mischievous pupils of the finishing school under control. Opposite Emma, Cormac Booth returned to the stage, this time as Percival Browne, the millionaire. Although he may deny it, I'm pretty sure that he was a bit disappointed that he did not get to wear a dress this year. There were, never-theless, many comic moments between him and Robin Mogendorff (Lord Brockhurst). Robin, despite his marvellous rendition of "It's never too late to fall in love", maintains that he is not that good a singer. I doubt that he will ever find anyone to agree with him, yet his quest seems to continue. He portrayed the dirty old man of the show a little too well and had the audience's sides splitting as the long-suffering husband of Lady Brockhurst (Diane Smith). Although not terribly enthusiastic about the role originally, Diane was fairly getting into it by the time it came to the performance. Indeed, members of her own family could not believe it was really her on stage, bellowing at her husband and favouring a trip to Bognor over the Riviera. Comparisons were frequently made between her and Mrs Bucket from "Keeping up Appearances", which she sometimes found a tad disconcerting, but at least she was safe in the knowledge that she looked just stunning in "that dress" - no, really. A big thanks must go to the familiar faces of Mr Hutton and Mr Gordon, who once again ensured that everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. Mrs Belford had a particularly difficult time of it this year, trying to convince the boys to wear bathing suits and the girls that the low-waisted dresses didn't make them look fat. Credit also goes to Mrs Cromar, who returned to help with props, and Mrs Arthur with make-up. Nor must we forget Mrs Drummond, who was excellent at pretending there were no problems, helping to keep the most stressed among us sane. Mr Hall and Mrs Rodgers worked together to put the music back into musical. They successfully turned the cast into a choir and the musicians into an orchestra. This year they were assisted by piano prodigy John Marioni, who was a terrific rehearsal pianist and very generous with his Opal Fruits. Roddy Gauld was also a great asset to the team. With amazing organisational skills and a ridiculous number of pens, Roddy put in an awful lot of work assisting Ms Allard (when he wasn't eating doughnuts). This is the seventh year that Ms Allard has been involved in Face the Music. She has been promoted through the ranks, from Business Manager to this year's producer. She has been extremely enthusiastic from the start, and without her immense contribution we would surely have had no show. The direction of the show was for the first time done by pupils. Sarah Christie, Matthew Thomson and Diane Smith (who also returned for her fourth and final year as choreographer) bravely took on the role, and with great results - a show that was enjoyed by participants as well as by the audience. For the past year, Diane has also been writing a Face the Music Newsletter to keep former members informed of our progress. This year she leaves this in the capable hands of Simon Smail. Any former member of Face the Music who would like to be added to the mailing list should contact Ms Allard do AGS. 25
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Charities Group The Charities Group has continued with its work of raising money and donating it to worthy causes. Our main source of income is from the Tuck Shop, which hard-working members listed below run at Interval on the ground floor corridor. We also ran Christmas Discos for S1/2 and S3/4 pupils, and this provided a second source of revenue for us to give away. The S1/2 Disco was a hoot; the S3/4 one was attended by mostly 3rd years, as 4th years must have had something else on that night. As reported last year, the Sponsored Child Scheme has become the Oxfam Project Worker Scheme. We are supporting Manab Mukti Sangstha in Bangladesh. The project, like other Oxfam projects, aims to help poor people and communities throughout the world in their attempts to lead independent and dignified lives. Often people need simple, practical things to help them fight against poverty, seeds or tools to work the land, or perhaps a well to provide safe water to drink or with which to cultivate their crops. Oxfam are also involved in helping to teach basic literacy skills. The project is ongoing, and the total donated by pupils and staff is listed below. Collections were only made in October, November and February, so the amount given by everyone is excellent. At the suggestion of the pupils themselves, a donation was also given to Calton Athletic, a Drug Abuse Recovery Action Group, after a presentation on the subject to pupils in school in March. The following pupils have been an excellent team this year, and have been consistent in their labours and efforts for Charities Group causes, and they deserve special thanks: Catriona Sinclair 3/6, Jennifer Gane 3/6, Roddy Gauld 5/5, Katie Human 5/2, Katrina Thornton 5/1, Carol Preston 5/5, Judith Nieman 5/6, Caroline Smith 5/5, Amanda Watt 5/6, Rebecca Gane 5/6, Anna Scott 5/7, Tamara Buchan 6/1, Neil Stirton 6/6 and Andrew Innes 6/6. Departing 6th years are on their way to pastures new, and we thank them for their work over the past six years. Also on the move is our Auditor, Mrs Stirton of Business Studies, a behind-the-scenes stalwart and supporter of what we exist to do. We wish her well in her promotion to Albyn School for Girls. If 1 have forgotten to mention anyone, I apologise. It is a team effort, and we rely on the support and assistance of lots of people. The Group Office-bearers are: Rebecca Gane, 5/6 Amanda Watt, 5/6 Anna Scott, 5/7
Chairperson Secretary Treasurer
Donations made by the C7sarities Group in 1997-98:
Cornerstone MacMillan Cancer Research Aberdeen Cyrenians Voluntary Service Aberdeen Anchor Project Starlight Foundation Aberdeen Older People's Week 6th Year Book Salvation Army Shelter Project Trust Instant Neighbour Oxfam Project Calton Athletic 26
£200 200 200 100 200 75 100 30 300 500 300 256.45 630.04 247.96
School Section
Young Scientists, Business People & Geographers Chemistry Department Activities The department continues to offer a number of extra-curricular activities, both subject-centred and whole-school. In September, two CSYS pupils, Keith Reid and Kittiya Jittinorraset, competed in the 9th European Contest for Young Scientists and Inventors, which was held in Milan. They had gained this distinction by winning their section in the British Young Scientists Finals in Manchester. In March, two projects were entered for the British Finals in London. This was a great experience for the two pupils, Daniel Fenn and Andrew Innes, to have displayed their projects at The Royal Society and to have the privilege of meeting and discussing their work with eminent British and European scientists. Two Fifth Year pupils, Jaclyn Henderson and Scott Morrison, were elected to attend Master Classes for gifted young scientists. This CREST initiative enabled them to attend classes at Teesside University. They also enjoyed applying their skills to "real-world" challenges during their industrial placements at ICI and Yorkshire Chemicals. The experience resulted in a career plan change for both pupils. In June, another able and enthusiastic pupil will be attending the CREST Master Class programme, which is sponsored by the Government. Kerrie Bavidge will be taking part in an advanced study course at Imperial College, London, and she will transfer later to Imperial College, Ascot, for her industrial placement. Two pupils, John-Carlo Marioni and Andrew Rutherford, S5, attended the Why Chemistry? Course at St Andrew's University and this year Ashley Henderson, also S5, will take part in a similar course at Strathclyde University. Competition for places at the course is strong, and pupils always fmd this practical-based course a very worthwhile experience. Young Enterprise Once again, a group of senior pupils participated in the Young Enterprise scheme. The `A' team produced a range of glass, decorative bottles and some wooden keyrings. Pupils were given a valuable insight into running their own business and were aided by Advisors from Coopers & Lybrand, Queen's Road, Aberdeen. Whilst profits were modest, many of the pupils are keen to form a new company next session. Watch this space for news of their unique, exciting product range and healthy profits! Scottish Schools Geography Worldwise Quiz 1997 1997 proved to be a successful year for one of the School Geography Quiz teams. Two Grammar School teams were entered for the Grampian Region final of this Quiz, which was held in the main hall at the School in November. The teams were composed as follows: Team 1 Ross Wattie S4, Adam Leith S3 and Douglas Younger S2 Team 2 Simon Downie S4, Richard Leonard S3 and David Russell S2 Both teams did very well in the first round, and both progressed to the final round which was composed of four teams in total. The outcome of the final was success for our Team 1 who retained the Worldwise Quiz Grampian Region Winners' Shield. This is now the third year in a row that a Grammar School team has won the shield. Congratulations are due to all six pupils who took part, as they put in a very creditable performance on the night.
27
Social Committee 1998
m 1 $ 1 ,
00
2 L
,
Mr William May, Principal Teacher of Chemistry, with the Pupil Social Committee
School Section
School Social Functions Mr May organises annually "The Leavers' Ball", and was helped this year by a very enthusiastic pupil committee. This formal Dinner-Dance held in school adds significantly to the ethos of the whole School. The annual dance held in October for S4 to S6 pupils and staff - nearly 300 in all - was also a great success, and part of the proceeds was donated towards various charities. The School Year Book is also supported and pupils who go abroad to carry out voluntary work through the Project Trust receive welcome donations. Mr May and the pupil committee greatly appreciate the support of members of staff who help to make these functions a great success. Mrs Moncur (dancing instruction), Mrs Thorpe (flowers), Mr A Smith and the Charities Committee, Mrs Shand (cash receipts), Mr Foulger and staff and the dining hall staff (hall and dining room organisation); S3 girls act as waitresses, and S3 boys help with the organisation. The Rector, Senior Management Team, Office staff and Technicians give their welcome support in various ways. Throughout the evening at the Leavers' Ball, individual and group photographs are taken by Mr McLeod, PE Department, Mr Mclean, Mathematics Department, and his brother Mr John McLean. Over 200 photographs are then displayed and are available to all who attend. The display creates quite a bit of excitement. All good fun and enjoyed by everyone. Similar events are booked for the forthcoming session.
School Board The major focus of the Board's attention this year has been the continuing lack of a Games Hall on the campus. Concern has been sharpened by the sale of one part of the Rosemount premises and the likelihood of the disposal of the remainder (where the School has the use of some facilities). Finance is the obvious difficulty in the present climate and the Board has met with senior officials of the City Education Department and with the local MP, Mr Frank Doran, to promote the case for the project. Other matters considered have been the Dearing Report and tuition fees, "Higher Still", security, the policy of inclusion within mainstream education of pupils with special educational needs, and the "Parents as Partners" consultation exercise as to how the role of the Boards may develop. The Board is pleased that its links with the Former Pupils' Club continue, and wish to thank Dr Angus Thomson, the co-opted member from the Club, for his continued time and interest in the Board's activities.
Parent Teacher Association The last month of the 97-98 academic year is well underway and school holidays are just around the corner. The last formal PTA-supported event is the P7 evening on 17 June, so this is my opportunity to look back and highlight our successes and areas for improvement in fostering interaction between School and parents during the course of the year. As well as School evenings, the PTA aims to support general school projects and events designed to improve the general amenities and environment for all pupils, which is usually outside the scope of direct school funding. School Evenings and PTA Volunteers The PTA and its active volunteer members provide refreshments at numerous school evenings. In total, the PTA were present at 13 such evenings, 7 parent evenings and 6 school productions. Each evening usually requires one to two hours commitment of our time, not an onerous task, but one that endeavours to strengthen parentschool relationships. The PTA offers a special vote of thanks to all PTA volunteers for this year's 29
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine support. Their continued commitment plays an important part in assisting the Association in a broad range of activities for the school. On a less glamorous note, the PTA has continued to lease hand dryers and a sanitary towel dispenser in an attempt to improve the general environment for our children. Drug Awareness Evening The PTA would like to thank all parents for the large turn-out and strong support given at the parents' drug awareness evening. This was the culmination of a two-day event for the whole school, jointly sponsored by the PTA and the School in our common objective of raising the general understanding of this harsh reality of life. It was a riveting evening, made very graphic by the courageous commitment of the three young people from Calton Athletic, who each told their personal story. The PTA and School thoroughly appreciate the hard work and dedication of the whole Calton Athletic team and their organisation who made this possible - they definitely struck a chord! School Picnic Tables In November the PTA received a letter of thanks from the Rector for the Association's purchase of three more picnic tables for younger pupils' use, particularly at lunch-times. This project was committed from 96-97 funds and completed in the Autumn term. These tables are located outside the Language Block. Anti-Litter Campaign This year the PTA is supporting a School litter awareness campaign through the purchase of better litter bins. An initial purchase of six large. robust bins has been made, intended for a future litter campaign by the School. PTA Contributions to School , Session 1997/98 Each year the Association raises money from social events and its 200 Club draw. Last session £2662 was donated to the School for the following purposes:Toilet Machines £ 280 Outside Benches & Tables £ 900 250 Hand Driers 192 Calton Drugs Group 740 300 New Litter Bins Activities Week Insurance The Phil Love Trophy Consideration for the award of the Phil Love Trophy always reflects a level of performance and achievement which is of exceptional proportions. Indeed, these words have been used by several very experienced and well known exponents of the sport of this year's winner to describe what he has achieved, especially for "one of his age". For his excellent performances at local, national and international level in the relatively unusual sport of small bore rifle shooting, the award this year goes to Neil Stirton. Neil has an extensive list of competition successes where he has represented the School alongside competitors from other famous schools throughout Britain. He has been the S.S.R.A. Scottish Junior Short Range Champion and the N.S.R.A. Scottish Junior Long Range Champion, and has an impressive list of first place medals to his credit over the last two years. This year, Neil's accomplishments have been recognised by his being selected for the 1998 British Schools Team, by his being runner-up in the Junior Male Sports Personality category of the Aberdeen City Sports Council awards, and by his receiving both Full Colours and a School Cap from the School Colour Awards Committee. So far the time devoted to practice, competition and travel by Neil has resulted in him being the first Aberdeen Grammar School pupil to reach such a high level in this sport. He does, however, have an ambition, which is to represent Scotland at a future Commonwealth Games event. Having beaten a Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist in the Scottish Individual Championship for seniors two years ago, there seems every likelihood that his dream will be fulfilled. We hope that it is, and we wish Neil good luck in all future competitions. 30
School Section
The Newstead Abbey Byron Society News has recently reached the School of this Society, which was founded on 22 January 1988, the Bi-centenary of the birth of George Gordon Byron, the 6th Lord Byron, The 5 th Lord Byron died in May 1798, and his great-nephew inherited, along with the title, the ancient Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire. He lived there for a time as a child, and took full possession of it on attaining the age of twenty. Lack of money later forced him to sell the property. Both Byron and his daughter are buried nearby at Hucknall Parish Church, a few miles outside Nottingham. The Byron Society is flourishing, and just as this Magazine goes to press is holding its first International Byron Festival, with a programme embracing all interests from cultural to sporting - there is a golf tournament, a cricket match, and other outdoor events balanced by concerts, dramatic presentations and a series of lectures on the Poet. The reason for making contact with the School is to draw attention to an anonymous benefaction which the Society has recently received which is to be used to set up the world's first degree course devoted solely to Lord Byron at Nottingham University. The gift which has been donated will fund a Byron expert and lecturer for three years commencing in Autumn 1999, and the post-graduate course, which will lead to a Master's degree, will be part of a package of moves by the Society to further local links with the Poet, and part of the study time will be spent at Byron's home at Newstead Abbey. The Newstead Abbey Byron Society arranges many interesting events, and in addition publishes an annual newsletter containing articles on various aspects of Byron studies - literary, critical, biographical and historical. Membership of the Society is open to all interested for an annual subscription of £9 single, £15 joint or £60 corporate. Anyone interested in membership should apply to : Mrs Maureen Crisp, Hon. Secretary, The White Lady Restaurant, Newstead Abbey Park, Nottingham NG15 8GE Anyone wishing further information about the Post-graduate Master's course should apply for details to : Mrs Mavis Ellis, 69 Mansfield Road, Papplewick, Nottingham NG15 8FJ
31
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Project Trust As readers are aware several pupils have, in recent years, taken what is frequently referred to as "a year out" to work overseas under the auspices of Project Trust. From the reports which they send back it is clear that, while they may be having "a year out" from their studies they most certainly are not having a year's idleness. They have sensibly taken the opportunity to visit places which in the ordinary course of events they might not have been able to visit, but while engaged on the work which they have undertaken to do they work hard and clearly are good ambassadors for our School . These pupils have to raise sponsorship for themselves, and both School and FP Club have provided some modest financial support for them, in return for which they send reports on their activities and experiences. Two such were printed in the Magazine of September 1996. There follow accounts which have been received from four pupils who have been overseas with Project Trust schemes, two of them in southern Africa, one in the Middle East and the other in Honduras. As was said in the preamble in 1996, these reports provide a good impression of the challenges, opportunities and sheer enjoyment which the volunteers encounter.
Experiences in Namibia On I September 1997 I left my family, friends and boyfriend to embark on a lifechanging experience. I put everything and everyone I knew back home on hold for my 'year out' with Project Trust. Packing a rucksack full of clothes and tapes supposed to last me for a year, I set out to join the twelve other volunteers going to various places in Namibia. My partner, Morvyn, and 1 knew nothing except that we would be teaching in a place called Usakos. We were driven into the middle of nowhere, surrounded by vast plains of bush and clear skies, intense sun and black faces. The driver dumped us at the service station, where we awaited our host whose name we didn't yet know. Fortunately he recognised us straightaway - not surprisingly, as we were the only white faces for miles around. He gave us each a huge hug and we ate hotdogs while he discussed what we would be doing for the year. He took us to the Children's Education Centre, a children's home where we would be staying, eating with the house mothers every night and, of course, teaching during the day - starting the very next day! Although it all felt so daunting, new and unknown, we managed to get on with everything surprisingly well. Without time to think or worry about things, and simply being thrown in at the deep end, we had no choice but to cope and adapt as best we could. At first, the Kindergarten where we teach every morning looked bare, with no resources, not even glue or pencils and crayons. The windows were broken and there was a lack of tables and chairs. To be blunt, it looked really poor and as though the people had given up ever trying to restore it. The two teachers didn't seem very welcoming, and simply told us to teach. With no syllabus to go by or books, paper etc. we had to start with simple games and songs. Now, nine months later, the two classrooms have been painted and so look really bright and cheery and more like kindergarten rooms. We had parcel after parcel of resources sent to us from family and especially through Morvyn's church at home. We also fundraised here in Usakos and managed to buy toys, more tables and chairs, and posters to put on the walls. I have a deep affection for every single one of the children, who all shine with enthusiasm, love and strength of character. They like to run riot at times and have us pulling our hair out, but they are an amazing group of children, most of whom have come from horrific backgrounds. We also get along really well with the teachers and have a laugh when away from kindergarten. They say that they will miss me a lot, and I believe that our 32
General Section
coming gave them a fresh sense of motivation to improve the place. Every afternoon we teach the older children at the Centre. It's no more than classes with five or six pupils a day, and we work on projects, talk through topics and watch videos. We have a harder task of teaching adult literacy which, although I have a class of three, is difficult, as they are each at completely different levels. When we are not trying to keep everyone in control at kindergarten, or entertaining and teaching the older ones, we spend a lot of time travelling. Every weekend, if money permits - weather certainly does - we hitch to the nearest major towns which offer more than just a post office, bank and take-away. We can even get a fix of clubbing at the capital city, only two hours away. We often visit other volunteers and laugh about all the crazy things that have happened to us. We had a month off at Christmas when we went on a safari round Namibia, visited the National Game Park, the huge desert and got a good dose of African sunsets and warm starry nights. We also met up with about sixty people in Cape Town on Christmas Eve. Volunteers from Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa arranged to meet up in a café. I really pitied the staff who were working that day! We went around Zimbabwe at Easter, visiting the beautiful Victoria Falls and seeing the typical rural African life out of the window of the clapped out local buses which tend to break down rather a lot. Coming back to our projects is always lovely. We are welcomed with huge shouts, screams, hugs and kisses. Unfortunately, time is going really fast. The year starts off quite slowly, then goes too fast. It will soon be time to go home - a very strange thought. 1 would absolutely recommend to everyone to take a year out and learn and experience so much for yourself. It has been the best thing to come my way, and everyone else should grab the opportunity. Just DO IT!! Helen Cromar (1995-97)
Usakos, Namibia
Volunteer in South Africa I have been placed in Leliebloem House, a children's home in Cape Town which caters for children sent by social workers and who have come from troubled homes. They may have experienced some form of abuse, or their parents may be unfit to look after them due to alcohol or drug dependency. The home is in a coloured area of the city; 'coloured' in South Africa describes people who are of mixed race. Most of the children in the home are coloured, although we have some blacks as well. They all speak Afrikaans as their first language, but most are bilingual in English and Afrikaans. Leliebloem currently has about eighty children aged from 4 to 18 years, and is made up of three cottages, two for girls and one for boys. Each cottage is subdivided into an upstairs and a downstairs unit. I am working in an upstairs girls' unit with eleven girls. They are mainly aged from 10 to 17, but we have taken in two 5year-olds. They can make life quite active, but they are very sweet. My main role is to assist the care-worker, who is a residential staff member, and to keep the children occupied. I get up for breakfast at 6.30 am and then help the little ones to get ready to leave for school at 7.30 am. The morning is filled with meetings, supervision, training and preparation of activities. When the girls come home I help to look after them and keep them amused. At first it was harder to get the older ones involved, as they are more independent, but once I knew them better this changed. I have been doing different art and craft projects, playing games, helping with homework, teaching songs and teaching them how to play the piano. They are all very musical and like these activities the most. Within the cottage I assist with cooking, making packed lunches, sewing, bathing the little ones - real motherly type things! I have also been running some sex 33
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
education workshops with a social worker for the adolescents in the home. They have been going well and I enjoy doing them as the work is more structured, which is what I am used to. In the run-up to Christmas I was incredibly busy. I worked with the girls on a lot of activities on the Christmas theme, making decorations, banners, cards etc. We put on a nativity play and I taught a group of older girls a few carols; they sang beautifully and even looked angelic!! At one point they came through the hall singing and carrying lighted candles - I was trying to do something similar to what I knew from St Andrew's Cathedral in Aberdeen. The play was a great success, with only one hiccup, when Joseph said "Is this the place where Jesus is born?" instead of "Have you got any room?" Oh well, I suppose all plays need an element of humour! Over the Christmas period I had four weeks' holiday. I travelled along the East coast Garden Route, with its stunning scenery. Many other Trust volunteers did the same and it was good to meet up with them and find out how others were faring. All the volunteers from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia met up in Cape Town for Christmas. We met on Christmas Eve and basically took over a café in the town gardens. The fact that Christmas Day was hot and sunny was quite strange - we had a barbecue rather than the traditional turkey! With my partner, Jill, I then went up to Namibia where we had an amazing time. We celebrated New Year on a sand dune in the desert. We were staying in a gorgeous little town which has the desert on one side and the ocean on the other. Everyone goes out to a huge sand dune, in the shape of an amphitheatre, for New Year. They even had music, lights and fireworks. We then travelled further into the Namib Desert where we saw sand dunes at sunset and sunrise. The colours which appear on the sand are truly beautiful. Sand dunes look very impressive, but they are hard work to climb! We also visited a ghost town, Quivertree Forest, Giant's Playground and Fish River Canyon. I had a fantastic holiday. When I returned to work in January it was difficult to settle back into the routine again. By this time I had built up good relationships with the children and activities were going well. It was so much easier now that I knew the girls and they knew me. I spent some time helping a Dutch social work student with some social skills workshops. The sessions were with older children and I actually found them quite easy to handle. I think I am more used to screaming, fighting and impatient younger children! I have also been trying to set up some basic piano lessons. We had a visit to Leliebloem by a group of Parliamentary Ministers. The guest of honour was Chief Buthelezi, the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party and Minister for Home Affairs. We had arranged to sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" for them. I played the piano for this. When Buthelezi had finished speaking, he said that he would like in return for our songs to sing a song himself. He then asked if the pianist (i.e. ME!) would accompany him. He asked me to play "Guide Me 0 Thou Great Jehovah", which I had never played before. Thankfully it was quite easy and I knew the tune. So, basically, I accompanied Chief Buthelezi while he sang an impromptu solo! I have also visited Parliament. I sat in the Visitors' Gallery and heard President Mandela speak. It was an interesting experience. You have to concentrate on what he is saying. At one point he turned to the National Party and spoke to them in Xhosa, his tribal language - it was brilliant! When we left, President Mandela was going the same way and we were very close to him at one stage, but did not get the chance to say 'hello'. I feel that I have learned a lot here. There is so much to take in. Moving away from home is a big step in itself, but being placed in an alien environment is a huge challenge. Working in a children's home is an amazing experience, and simply living, working and observing is an education. Little things keep you going, as when Michelle (5) gives me a big hug and kiss and says 'Thank you Miss' after I bath her; or when one of the girls says that she feels she is learning a lot from the workshops; 34
General Section or when I have cooked dinner and they say that it was nice. In childcare you cannot expect to see dramatic changes, or get thanks for your work, but these small things make it seem worthwhile. There are, of course, bad points as well. The children come from very troubled backgrounds, and many have several problems. They have often been moved around from place to place and don't know whom to trust. For this reason they will really try to test you out. They can push you to your limits and be quite demanding. You have to remain strong, and not let them see that they are getting to you. Usually things settle down quite quickly, but you have to be incredibly patient and understanding and keep the situation in perspective. Life in South Africa is amazing. In some respects it can be quite similar to Britain, but in others it is very different. The main thing that has struck me is the diverse mix of races, cultures and customs. When I see a group of multi-racial people I need to remind myself that it was not always like this. Talking to people about their background and families can make apartheid very real. There is a shocking difference between the rich and the poor. South Africa is in a fascinating stage of progression and development. Although it may take some time, changes are happening. The people are very warm-hearted and friendly, immediately making you feel very welcome. The only thing that is temperamental in Cape Town is the weather! You can, quite honestly, get all four seasons in one day! Overall, I am having a wonderful time. I am extremely glad and grateful to have had this opportunity, and very grateful for the support which has allowed me to be here. Nina E. Koroth (1991-97)
Cape Town, South Africa Island Life in the Caribbean
The first couple of weeks in Roatan were very hard, and we suffered a huge culture shock before everything clicked overnight and we settled down. Roatan is the largst of three islands which make up the Isles de la Bahia - the Bay Islands - off mainland Honduras. The island, which measures 40 km in length by 4 km in wid►h, is just a fifteen minute flight, or one and a half hours by boat, from the mainland. Roatan is very lush, and the eastern end, where I live with my Project Trust partner Katherine, is surrounded by dense forest. In parts the island is quite mountainous, and at several points the view is spectacular, especially when you can see the Caribbean Ocean and the waves breaking on the reef on both the north and south sides of the island. Our village is known as Diamond Rock, after the large quantity of quartz found in the hills. The one tarmac road ends four miles from here. We have no electricity, although the more affluent in the community, being high-tech, have solar powered generators. On arrival we found very basic accommodation consisting of a 10' x 12' shack on stilts with a flush toilet but no other running water. Thanks to a financial input from Project Trust things improved by November with the addition of an additional 8' x 8' room which became our bedroom. The original room was transformed out of recognition and now has a kitchen area with gas cooker and a bathroom with shower. For the first time in three months we could feel clean, as previously we bathed in two butler's sinks by the side of the public highway! Our bathing usually became a social event with a► least five of our pupils spectating their new English teachers wash (I could never fathom out what was so interesting). Teaching is the real reason for my being here and it is impossible accurately to describe what I think about it. Some days 1 love it and feel worthwhile, respected, and that 1 am achieving something; on other days I feel mentally exhausted, useless and more like a baby-sitter than a teacher. I never really believed people when they said that teaching was physically and mentally exhausting. Now I fully agree with 35
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
them, but at the end of the week when I sit in the sanctuary of a hammock on an idyllic beach and reflect on the week, I realise how much I am enjoying working with the children and allowing myself to be immersed in the total vitality which they have. When the children bring me a little present, a pretty shell or a coconut, mango or other fruit, or a little note saying "Miss Amanda, I love you with all my heart", I feel accepted and have the enthusiasm to persevere with the children, who are not responding very well to my English classes. School starts at 7 am, which means a 6 am rise, something I could never do in cold, dark Aberdeen. Although we have to be there at 7 am, we twiddle our thumbs until about 8 am when the children finally arrive. At first this was really frustrating, but you quickly realise that punctuality is unknown here so you might as well accept this and get rid of British attitudes and become true Hondurans. School officially ends at 12 noon, but depending on what social plans the other teachers have it can end any time from 10.30 onwards. I teach the younger children, who range from kindergarten to age 10. They are really beautiful, a whole range of races - black, Hispanic, Indian and island white and they have the most angelic and inquisitive faces, but we have to be careful not to be fooled by this. Discipline can be a real problem and some days the children run around shouting and screaming, none of them in their seats. Shouting at them is no use, because they are disciplined at home and school by the belt, and as they realise that I won't touch them they have no fear of me and seem to have fun seeing how far they can push me. As time goes on they are accepting me - maybe because I have realised that bribing them with stickers is a great way of getting them to sit down and work. I still find myself shouting things like "Please stop waving that machete in my classroom" or "Stop lighting firecrackers under my chair". Facilities are very basic. I don't have a classroom so I have to take my pupils outside on a few benches (great for my tan!) I have no blackboard, which is challenging, but I have adapted to become very quick at printing in twenty children's notebooks. I also tutor an 11-year-old boy, Marty, out of school hours for an hour a day. He has severe dyslexia, has been ignored by the Honduran staff, and has never progressed beyond first grade. He has little confidence among his peers and extra tuition helps his social interaction and means that he gets at least some education. I give the headmistress (also our hostess) English lessons each afternoon, which also improves my Spanish through looking up translations. We had a week's holiday in September for Independence Day. There is still strong pride in the islanders' British connection, and on the Bay Islands English is still the strongest language. On the 15th everyone was dressed in their Sunday best and the children were in new school uniform, washed and with brushed hair and clean shoes, so that I hardly recognised them. The school marched all through Diamond Rock with a big drum band complete with cheerleaders dressed in red and white. It was amazing how much effort and, for a poor community, money had gone into a couple of hours' marching. Health-wise we are surviving although we are plagued by mosquitoes and I had to take a week off work with malaria, which was probably the worst experience of my life. I also managed to fall out of a pick-up truck (we hitch every day to get round the island) and dislocated my shoulder. These distractions aside we are thoroughly enjoying life in a very friendly and relaxed culture which does everything possible to make us feel accepted. I am most grateful for the sponsorship which I have received and which has enabled me to have this year out with Project Trust. Amanda D. Browell-Hook (1993-97)
Roatan. Honduras
A Jordanian Orphanage I arrived in Jordan in August and have been assigned to the Theodore Schneller Orphanage in Marka. During October and November we were very busy preparing 36
General Section for a Christmas bazaar. The boys were frantically creating games, toys and Christmas decorations in time for them to be sold at the bazaar. In th event, things went extremely well. As well as the things made by my big boys we were also selling wood and metalwork items made by the apprentice boys of the orphanage. We sold all of our Christmas decorations and a good number of our other creations. Due to the success of the bazaar another is being arranged for next Christmas, and we have already begun planning for this although, unfortunately, I will not be here to see the final result. Term finished shortly after the bazaar, so I and seven other volunteers in Jordan set off for a holiday in Egypt. We met up with, and spent Christmas with, the Project Trust volunteers there, which was a lot of fun. On Christmas Day we had a very good meal kindly provided by the British Embassy. We also swam in the sea - not something I usually do on Christmas Day in Aberdeen! On Boxing Day we set off on a back-packing tour of Egypt. We visited the Pyramids at Giza, which were amazing, as well as many other fascinating temples and monuments around the country. After Egypt I returned to Jordan to find rain, wind and even snow - surely this was not supposed to happen. It was particularly unfortunate as most of the clothes which I had brought with me were thin and had short sleeves. It also meant that most of the activities I did with the boys had to be indoor ones. We had to organise more art and craft projects with them. However the weather improved after a time and I was able to play games outside with the boys and take them for walks. In January we had a "tree festival" at Schneller. This involved the boys in digging holes for, and planting, trees. It was hard work, but in the future it will, I am sure, make the orphanage a much greener place, and a better environment for the boys to live in. After Christmas there were considerable changes in my work. The orphanage has been under new management since last summer. This term, for example, the boys have been doing a lot more studying, which has given my teaching skills some much needed practice. I am now doing a considerable amount of English with the boys, who continue to improve - slowly! In terms of life in Jordan, outside the orphanage I am still constantly aware of the considerable cultural differences which exist between here and the western culture to which I am used. I don't find myself constantly in a state of shock, as I think I was in the first few months. However, I am still learning the etiquette of life in a Muslim society. One thing which continues to amaze me is the hospitality of the Jordanian people. In the six months we've been here we have made a considerable number of very close friends, both Jordanians and foreigners.
Mark J. Dunkley (1991-97)
Marka, Amman - Jordan
Succeeding as Rector: Mystery & Scandal at Aberdeen Grammar School In Byron's Student days The last few years of Dr James Dun's tenure as Rector of Aberdeen Grammar School were marked by controversy over his successor's appointment and his staffs conduct. H.F. Morland Simpson chronicles parts of this story, but archival records provide additional information. The Will of Dr Patrick Dun endowed the School with lands in Ferryhill to finance teachers' salaries. In return, the School had to prefer any candidates for Rector or Under-Master who bore his surname. Many years later, this stipulation caused a curious contest for the Rector-ship that caught the attention of a local physician, Dr Jonathan Troup, and became part of a mystery and scandal concerning the School's teachers. 37
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Troup studied medicine in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, then spent three years in the West Indies, before establishing a medical practice in Aberdeen in 1791. That year, he regularly visited Dr James Dun, then in his forty-seventh year as Rector. In July 1791, Dr Dun formally relinquished all teaching duties. He informed the School's supervising authority, Aberdeen Town Council, that because of his 'advanced age' an Assistant, Alexander Leith, had been teaching his classes. Although Leith had given `general satisfaction,' Dr Dun was aware of 'insinuations that the discipline of the School needed the constant presence of an established Rector'. He asked the Council to appoint a Joint-Rector, and recommended his nephew, James Cromar, a member of staff with a twenty-year record of 'capacity, diligence and prudence' as his 'Colleague and Successor'. Dr Dun also proposed that Leith succeed Cromar as Under-Master. Another member of staff, Andrew Dun, however, petitioned the Council 'claiming a preferable title to the place of Rector'. When visiting Dr Dun, Troup heard about this development. 'Dr D. wishes to give up the Rectorship in favour of Mr Cromar', he noted, but `Mr Andrew Dun has been imprudent in mentioning that he would fall into Rector of the Grammar School by the tenour of the Mortification by Patrick Dun', since his surname gave him preference 'provided he was of equal abilities with his Competitor'. According to Troup, Andrew Dun's actions had 'disobliged Dr Dun', who wanted his nephew to succeed him, and 'will not hear of Mr A[ndrew] Dun who is no relation of his [being appointed] on acc[ount] of his ingratitude'. After all, he had `formerly been elected and preferred to the office of Doctor of the . . . school upon account of his Surname without any comparative or public trial' of his academic abilities'. Troup adjudged Andrew Dun's pronouncements unwise, because his 'Enemies have taken hold of what he has spoken inadvertently'. Although Andrew Dun `boasted that he would be independent of the Town and succeed Dr Dun in [the] Rectorship', his petition failed. The Council promoted Cromar to join Dr Dun as the School's `Principal Masters or Rectors'. To secure his appointment, however, Cromar had to satisfy Patrick Dun's Will, whose eccentricities, fortunately for him, extended beyond nomenclature. Cromar could actually meet the 'preference' stipulation, because it applied not only to candidates named Dun, but also to 'anie of the sones of the tennents of Ferryhill'. Since 'a Farmer's or Fewer's son on Ferryhill shall succeed' to the Rectorship, Troup noted, 'Mr C[romar] fewed [paid feus] in his father's name & got a house built'. As the 'son of Robert Cromar, Tenant in Ferryhill, and the deceast Janet Dun his spouse' (and Dr Dun's sister), he fulfilled the Will. The Council also remarked that, unlike Andrew Dun, Cromar had undergone 'a trial and was found fully and sufficiently qualified' when first appointed. Concurrently, Leith was appointed Under-Master, after satisfying the examiners from the Marischal College faculty and town clergy with his knowledge of Latin. Dr Dun then resigned, and his nephew took over the two classes (IV and V) taught by the Rector. As Joint-Rector, Dr Dun kept his annual salary of £82; Cromar received the same amount, plus pupils' fees of around £40 per annum. A disappointed 'A[ndrew] D[un] called on Dr D[un]' complaining that the Rector `had used him badly', but Dr Dun was unsympathetic, averring that a salary of '£60 per annum is not so bad to a namesake so he must be quiet - & surely I must prefer my nephew'. Troup thought 'it is foolish for a young man to go against common reason & Decency, - & wait with Patience and be obliging, & everything good will attend him'. Instead, Andrew Dun instituted Court of Session proceedings to nullify Cromar's appointment. The Town's representatives, Walter Scott, Aberdeen's Edinburgh agent, and Advocate Depute John Burnet, the Council's lawyer, argued that Andrew Dun's claim to unequivocal preference was 'a gross misrepresentation' of Patrick Dun's Will: the Council could `prefer one of the Surname of Dunn or the Son of a Tenant of Ferryhill', and had decided 'for the interest & good of the school' to select Cromar, particularly since Andrew Dun had already been appoint38
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ed Under-Master without the usual examination. The presiding judge, Lord Hailes, deferred his decision by declaring Great Avizandum, and although the case remained unresolved for some months, the Lord Justice Clerk's refusal to accept further representations allowed the Council's appointment to stand, and doomed Andrew Dun's suit. As Troup observed, 'the Grammar school affair had a hearing before the Court of Session & nothing can be done till Dr Dun's Death when the process must commence anew'. But Andrew Dun's aspirations were not delayed that long, because James Cromar's disappearance late in 1795 abruptly ended his tenure as Joint-Rector. The Council immediately convened and, with several town dignitaries, formed a committee for an Extraordinary Visitation of the School to examine its 'present State of Doctrine and Discipline and the Cause of the absence of Mr Cromar or any other of the Masters'. The Visitation ascertained that Cromar 'deserted exercising any part of the duties of [Rector] since 23rd of December [1795 and] had since absconded and left the Town of Aberdeen . . . without having given any previous intimation to any of the other Masters of the School for such conduct', nor having made any arrangements for replacement. Dr Dun, who had delegated Andrew Dun and another teacher, James Cromar, Jr., to take over his missing nephew's classes, did not 'believe that [Cromar, Sr.,] will have the effrontery or confidence ever to return to Aberdeen'. Indeed, there is no record that he ever did so, although why he departed remains a mystery. By co-incidence, the School's most famous pupil had first enrolled that year. George B. Gordon, the future Lord Byron, was seven years old - some three years younger than most of his classmates - when he entered Class I in January 1795. He probably had little contact with Cromar, Sr., though, because Alexander Leith taught him throughout that year, and the next two. In 1798, he became the 6th Lord Byron, and soon left the School (he was in Class IV) and the town. The Visitation Committee questioned three of the School's teachers - Leith of Class I (thirty pupils), Cromar, Jr., of Class H (thirty-eight pupils), and Andrew Dun of Class III (thirty-one pupils) - about the disappearance of Cromar, Sr. Their testimony corroborated Dr Dun, but revealed another staffing irregularity John Dun, the Rector's son, and Under-Master since 1760, had performed no academic duties for at least twenty years! Leith, Cromar, Jr., and Andrew Dun, who had initially been employed to teach John Dun's classes, beginning in 1776 with Leith, attested that they 'never saw Mr John Dun officiate as a Master, nor attending the School on any occasion'. Cromar, Jr., who had been 'employed about three years as Assistant to Mr John Dun; For which he gets only the Emoluments of the Class [i.e., the pupils' fees] but no Part of the Salary', which the Rector's son still received, asserted that 'the State of [John Dun's] mind disqualifies him from teaching'. The Visitation Committee's report made specific recommendations. It noted the impropriety of Assistants teaching classes, but recognised 'the particular situation of [John Dun's] health both in Body and Mind - of which there yet appears no hopes of his recovery and convalescence', and proposed that the Rector's son resign 'with some reasonable Pension in way of an Annuity,' to be replaced by Cromar, Jr., whose teaching displayed 'Diligence Attention and Abilities'. Confirming the disappearance of Cromar, Sr., and conceding Dr Dun's incapacity to teach 'on account of his great age', the committee also advocated the appointment of a new JointRector, suggesting that Dr Dun nominate three candidates for the Council's consideration. The recommendations received immediate attention. Cromar, Sr., would be replaced, having 'forfeited all Right and Title to the Office . . . of Rector'. The Council, however, eschewed the report's proposed selection procedure, having received a petition from Andrew Dun, 'on account of his having taught as one of the Under-Masters . . . for Eleven Years past, with the approbation of all con39
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine cerned, and of his privilege from his Surname, to appoint him Successor, or Assistant and Successor to . . . Dr James Dun as Rector or Head Master'. Acknowledging the petition's validity (and, perhaps, fearing another lawsuit), the Council appointed a seven-man committee of town clergy and Marischal College staff to assess Andrew Dun's qualifications. Within days, the committee reported that he was 'sufficiently qualified', whereupon the Council unanimously appointed him Joint-Rector at £82 per annum, plus 'School fees and other Emoluments'. Andrew Dun, who attended the meeting, immediately accepted the post and took the oath of office. The Council also dealt expeditiously with John Dun's circumstance. Shortly after the Visitation, the Rector's son had written the Council expressing gratitude at the 'indulgence hitherto shown him,' and `chearfully resign[ing] his office'. Meanwhile, Cromar, Jr. petitioned to replace him, citing the Visitation report's recommendations, and including a testimonial from Dr Dun. The Council accepted John Dun's resignation, granting him 'Ten Pounds Sterling yearly, out of . . . Public Funds [if] he stands in need of such a Provision for his decent & comfortable subsistence'. Rather than advertise for his replacement, the Council delegated to a committee to assess the qualifications of Cromar, Jr., and upon receiving a favourable report, appointed him Under-Master at a salary of £27 6s. 8d. per annum, plus pupils' fees. The Council, however, did advertise in 'Aberdeen and Edinburgh News Papers' for Andrew Dun's replacement. The examiners selected William Duncan of Montrose from the five of six applicants they found qualified in 'Latin Classics, both Poetry and Prose, on Syntax, Etymology; and Roman Antiquities'. After hearing testimony on Duncan's character, the council appointed him Under-Master with the same compensation as Cromar, Jr. Although Andrew Dun had reason to feel gratified and vindicated on becoming Rector, his tenure would be relatively brief. He was Joint-Rector until Dr Dun's death in 1798, and Rector until his own death just five years later. In 1803, the Council unanimously elected James Cromar, Jr., his successor. He enjoyed a long, successful Rectorship, during which another School luminary and its next Rector, James Melvin, joined the staff. After weathering the difficulties of the 1790s. the School flourished under the guidance of these two distinguished Rectors. There remains this odd tale which, perhaps, illustrates the perils of nepotism, given the problems caused by Dr Dun's proclivity for protecting and advancing the careers of his relatives. Alternatively, it could warn against granting or accepting bequests to which are attached unusual conditions. At the very least, the School's administration should be wary if ever a Ferryhill resident named Dun applies for a teaching post! RODERICK A. McDONALD (1951-63) The above article appeared in the Spring 1997 issue of the Aberdeen University Review (Vol LVII, No. 1) published by The Alumnus Association. It is reproduced here by kind permission of the Editor of the Review. The author, Roderick Alexander McDonald, MA, MPhil, PhD, is Professor of History at Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA. His speciality in research is slavery and the transition to freedom in the Americas, on which he has published extensively. The above article on a phase of the School Rectorship is the product of another line of research which caught Dr McDonald's interest.
A Grammar School Outing In last year's Magazine an article entitled "Out of the Way Places" appeared at page 29 over the initials "TR". Many readers expressed disappointment that the 40
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author of that item was cloaked in anonymity. The explanation is really quite simple; the Editor received the text over these initials and did not think to change this. He is now happy to reveal that the writer was Tim Rolfe who was, and still is, a pilot with Bristow Helicopters based in Aberdeen. There now follows a further article by Tim on the experiences he and a colleague had last December when they went on an outing On the wintry morning of December 1st last year, two Grammarians, both now pilots with Bristow Helicopters, took leave of their, albeit minimal, collective senses and departed on what was to become the trip of a lifetime. My former schoolmate and now colleague, Gordon Crookshanks, and I were asked if we could take a helicopter from Aberdeen to Dhaka in Bangladesh. We didn't have to be asked twice! It was to be just the two of us and an engineer who would look after our technical problems during the journey. A week of devoted planning and preparation took place before we left this green and pleasant land for the dusty sub-continent - not just pouring over maps and charts, but also stocking up on food and water. After all, one has to get one's priorities sorted out. I was labouring under the misapprehension that, despite the time of year, the weather south of Dover was going to be, if not tropical, then at least Mediterranean. We had barely taken to the skies when we got a call saying that Yarmouth (our first stop) had fogged out. This was perhaps an omen of things to come. A short time in Humberside saw us refuelled and on our way again and, as it turned out, the weather held until we had crossed the Channel and put the aircraft to bed at our first night stop, Orleans, France. The following morning was to prove a little more troublesome. Aware of the need for us to follow a strict time schedule, we left Orleans under a cloudbase of heavy snow showers. Not very far down the line we were forced to stop as the visibility reduced to an unacceptable level. Thankfully, the French have lots of quiet little airfields dotted all over the country and we found one where we could wait and let the snow showers subside. Two more such episodes occurred before we broke out into the sunshine and blue skies of the Rhone valley, where we happily continued to Nice and rested - now half a day behind schedule. Again, the weather looked nicer than it was to become as we departed the next day for Naples, where we planned to refuel and continue to Corfu. The clear sky was exactly how one would imagine it to be in the South of France - but not for long. Two Italian Navy Aircraft, who seemed curious as to what we might be doing, accompanied us across the northern end of Corsica. They obviously had a far more pressing engagement, however, as they left after circling us a couple of times and making the occasional hand gesture - we liked to think that they were waving! Their place was taken by an unending procession of heavy thunderstorms. As soon as we touched down at Naples the heavens opened and an almighty hailstorm covered the tarmac in worryingly large white blobs of ice. Another similar downpour twenty minutes later convinced us that today was not the day to try and cross the Appenines in our fragile little machine. It might weigh ten tons, but it is lightweight when compared to the powerful surprises nature can perform, and being in a storm at 7,000 feet over big mountains isn't the place to test your mettle. Begrudgingly, we packed up again for another early night, only too aware that we were now a whole day behind our planned timetable. Little did we know that we were about to place our lives in the hands of Mario Andretti who, for those who don't know, apparently works for a Neapolitan taxi firm! To our great delight, the next morning was beautiful and we crossed the southern end of Italy in no time, managing to make a quick fly-past at Brindisi where some of our colleagues are currently working. We could not spot them or their machines but, just when we thought we had missed them, a message was relayed to us by ground control saying that we had scored '4 out of 10' for our low-level display - standards are obviously very high in Italy! We were given a great welcome at our lunchtime stop at Kerkeyra, the airport on Corfu, where I think we must have 41
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine been the highlight of the day. The airport, which is normally a seething mass of tourists in the summer, was completely deserted, except for a few builders who were no doubt jamming a few wheels on the odd baggage trolley, and making a few adjustments to the passenger seats in order to make them just that little bit more uncomfortable! A similar, happy welcome was afforded to us in Iraklion, in Crete, which was equally deserted when we arrived after nightfall. It was very interesting to wander about the town and see it without the annual migrating hordes of British tourists lurching about and ordering "Another nine pints of lager please, love," although the three of us did have three pints each , so I guess you could say we flew the flag! As we left the following morning, Gordon pointed out a place where he had spent a holiday with his family many years ago, commenting that he had never imagined then that he would fly over it in years to come in his own helicopter. It goes to show that we can never guess what the future has in store for us all. The next four hours were spent crossing the south Mediterranean towards Alexandria, talking to airliners on the radio who kindly relayed messages to Cairo in order that they could prepare our welcoming party, and also to let them know that we were still OK. And what a welcome it was! Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves were ready on the tarmac as we landed and were prepared to fleece us for anything that took their fancy. We placed hope for our salvation in the throng of officials that had by now come to join us, but this was very short-lived. The landing fees, customs and handling charges (which are perfectly usual expenses) were astronomical, and our suspicions were aroused when they also appeared to be negotiable! It wasn't too long before we learned how the Arabs went about their everyday business and there was a slightly bitter taste in our mouths when we realised that, as visitors, we were left with no choice but to go along with their rather underhand way of extracting larger amounts of cash than they were genuinely owed. We didn't even get a chance to sample anything "Ice cold in Alex." On the way down to Cairo we tried to guess whether or not word would have been passed on that a veritable treasure trove was heading towards them. How prophetic we were. There were at least fifteen highwaymen waiting for us, one of whom looked distinctly like Ali Baba's brother. Our counter-attack was to throw lots of Bristow pens at them, but they were singularly unimpressed - probably because none of them worked - although our plan seemed to be successful in the short term. Spirits were raised to a high when we found we had been booked into the Sheraton hotel which was nothing less than five star luxury. (It's easy to tell when you've been to a good hotel - the towels are so thick that you can't close your suitcase when you leave!) Spirits fell sharply back to earth the following morning when we returned to the aircraft to find it standing in a lake of fuel which had leaked from one of the onboard tanks overnight. This, of course, provided Ali with the perfect opportunity to charge us more dollars to have it cleared away before we left. Apparently Bristow's are very popular in Egypt! With the leak fixed (or so we thought) we crossed the first expanse of desert on the transit to Luxor. It is a memorable experience to be able to look about you and see nothing but sand and rocks all the way to the horizon - isolation suddenly becomes very real. We flew in and out of some dry riverbeds, the sides of which climbed vertically to a couple of hundred feet. When there had been water in this area it had obviously flowed vigorously, but now there was not a drop to be seen in this parched and arid landscape. We saw our first camel, plodding about the desert rather nonchalantly - we wondered if we were the first helicopter he had ever seen! As we approached Luxor, our course converged with that of the Nile and we were afforded a very special airborne view of the contrast that exists between the dry, sandy desert and the rich, verdant farmland which immediately borders the river - a disparity which has to be seen to be believed. Keeping business in the family is clearly an Egyptian way of life - Ali's nephew robbed us at Luxor. Our afternoon was spent crossing the Red Sea into Arabia and 42
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landing at Madinah, Saudi's second holy city after Mecca. We were all surprised by the fact that the mountains in the desert rise to about 6,000 feet, quashing our previous notion that deserts were flat and yellow. (I couldn't have been listening properly in my Geography class!) Another surprise was to find that the desert has so many irrigation schemes which transform the surface into something more akin to the Wild West scrubland of Hollywood fame, rather than the rolling sands we had expected. An oil pipeline provided the easiest navigation so we followed it the next day for about a hundred miles to Riyadh where we had our next stop. There we met up with Kelvin Hay, an FP from the same time as Gordon and myself, who was working in Saudi. Kelvin gave us a great tour of the sights, including a quick visit to "Chop Chop Square", the site of the weekly public executions. It was strange to stand in a spot where people had been put to death just a couple of days earlier there was a definite eerie feel to the place. Since alcohol is illegal in Saudi, when we'd finished our tour Kelvin could only offer us some of his home-made 'lemonade' which, after several glasses, seemed to have a very relaxing effect and went down very well - a most suitable alternative! More desert and a short stretch of the Gulf of Arabia saw us in Dubai where we stopped for three nights whilst a replacement engine part was flown out from the UK Dubai is a bizarre city, opulently created by oil money in the middle of nowhere. Nobody had a poor lifestyle which seemed quite unreal compared to the poverty that can be seen in just about every other city of the world. The contrast became even more obvious when we crossed the Gulf and made our approach to Pasni, a tiny airfield in the west of Pakistan. We had planned only to refuel in Pasni and complete the necessary Customs and Immigration formalities when we arrived in Karachi, but the new airport manager had very different ideas. After we had shut down, it became clear that we would not be allowed to continue until Customs had made their checks, but the saddening news was that they would not be arriving in Pasni until the following morning. Apart from the fact that we were battling against time, none of us relished the thought of staying in this impoverished community which was so very much below the standard of living that we are used to. Running water and any form of sanitation are unheard of in this part of the world and our insistance that we should leave caused a certain amount of upset. Unsuccessfully, we tried to find a telephone which we could use to call the UK and sort out this tiny official hitch - no such phone existed, and when we asked about the use of a fax machine we were initially answered with blank looks. Then someone recalled that a man 'in town' had a fax and we were ushered into the back of a jeep that was at least 20 years old, along with three other men who just appeared to be going along for the ride. As we bumped down the 17 km road through the hot, filthy landscape, Gordon commented that he felt rather like Michael Patin on one of his globe-trotting exercises - though Palin at least had the back-up of the BBC and, no doubt, a mobile phone. The town of Pasni was a mass of tumble-down shacks; the street was dirty mud, with piles of human waste littered everywhere providing a home to millions of flies which were clearly happy that they had someone new to land on and aggravate. Once we had tracked down the 'fax' man we spent 30 minutes waiting for a reply from our contacts in Karachi. Nothing came back, however, and we were rather despondent as we returned to the airport, apparently with nothing to look forward to except a night in the local 'hotel'. The good Lord must have felt sorry for us, because as we returned the head of the Pakistani CAA had left a message (on the telephone that we couldn't possibly have used!) to say that we should be allowed to depart immediately. A helicopter has never been airborne faster! The day ended with an excellent meal in the Karachi Sheraton which, although we enjoyed it at the time, was to be our downfall over the next few days. Our first stop the next day was in Ahmadebad, the birthplace of Mahatma Ghandi. It was also to be our first lesson in Indian administration, which is a hangover from the days of the Empire - sadly, as Brits, we could only blame ourselves for the lengthy 43
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and frankly unnecessary form filling. Paper was everywhere. Completing everything in triplicate would have been a pleasure! It took two hours to leave our 'refuelling stop' and we crossed a very clay-coloured Indian countryside on our way to Nagpur. This part of India suffers badly from floods in the monsoon season, and the most notable features on the ground were huge drainage ditches - some over 100 yards wide - which attempted to course the run-off water through the poor quality farmland, thus preventing further damage to the limited crops and habitation. That evening another potentially good meal was somewhat spoiled as Gordon and I both became gastrically challenged from our previous night's dinner in Karachi. Without going into details, we were rather stuck here as moving more than 50 yards away from a toilet required tremendous bravery on the part of either of us! Discretion being the better part of valour, we delayed our departure the next day until confidence in our ability to stay 'in control' was relatively high. Despite the fact that my mind was very much on other things, I do recall some of the scenes as we crossed vast tea and rice plantations; the rich green expanses dotted with flashes of bright reds, yellows and blues - in fact every colour of the rainbow. These psychedelic dots were women working in the fields dressed in their vivid saris, every one of them gazing up at us as we flew past making what must have been an unusual sight to them. After passing along a beach covered in turtles (not little ones, but big 'Wildlife on One' sized turtles) we alighted at our final en route port of call - Calcutta. This city had a personal meaning for me, as my mother was born and brought up in Calcutta, and I recall many stories which she told us as children of the splendour and oriental mystique that no doubt prevailed when her family lived there. Sadly these stories were not brought to life as the city, like so much of India, has fallen into shocking disrepair. Many of the old buildings still exist, but are in a very poor state and, more often than not, are surrounded by lean-to's and shanties that have been thrown together to house the rapidly expanding and very poor population. It was very sad to witness the poverty and uncleanliness that wholly prevailed in what was once a great and beautiful city of the Empire. Our experience at the airport was no different to others in this country, and we had to wait for 31/2 hours as the formalities were concluded and another tree was sacrificed to the God of Administration! It was then a simple hop over the border to Bangladesh and we arrived in Dhaka 13 days after departing Aberdeen, delighted to have been given the experiences of our travels, but very happy to see some familiar faces. Timothy J. Rolfe (1982-86)
Following in the Footsteps of Former Pupils (An account of a visit to Antarctica, the easy way, aboard a cruise vessel) My interest in the vast southern continent began while I was still a pupil at Aberdeen Grammar School. In 1952, while in Middle III, I undertook a project in history which addressed The Antarctic Problem'. I investigated the early exploration of the continent from the days of that historic voyage of Captain Cook in 1772-5 when he crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time, and also the evidence for the rival claims by Chile, Argentine and Great Britain for areas of Antarctica. My interest had begun through my stamp collecting, and in particular my thematic collection of stamps with maps in their design. The three countries had made plain their claims by issuing stamps with maps of Antarctica showing sectors of the continent shaded to indicate the area regarded as their territory. My interest in the seventh continent has never waned and so, when I retired in 1995, I was determined that I should follow in the footsteps of other former pupils and so realise a lifetime ambition. The only difference was that I was going to do it in relative comfort aboard a cruise vessel. 44
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Antarctic tourism only really got under way in 1965 when Lars-Eric Lindblad began offering well-heeled visitors the chance to see the ice on an annual basis. Some people, I am told, come to Antarctica simply to check off that destination on their roster of obscure places, but it is also true that Antarctic cruises contain a high percentage of repeat visitors - as one tour operator puts it, it is 'highly addictive'! The choice of vessel was not easy, and over the years I have studied the rival claims of the tour operators, but finally we made up our minds - it was to be the Marco Polo, a vessel of the Orient Lines. At the end of the day it was, I am convinced, the right decision - the Marco Polo is a vessel of some 22,080 gross tonnage which makes for a very stable vessel in bad weather. As the brochure claims, 'the vessel is uniquely suited for cruising these waters, with its ice-strengthened hull, environmentally sound disposal systems, Zodiac landing craft, and the speed and autonomy to cover vast distances without taking on food or water'.
We had chosen a cruise which was to take us on a partial circumnavigation of the continent - from the tip of South America, through the Antarctic Peninsula, then along the great continental ice shelf to the Ross Sea and New Zealand - an extraordinary journey of 23 days. In the middle of January 1998 my wife and I left for London en route for Miami, where we spent the night, before the long journey south to Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego, the most southerly town in the world. It was here that we were to meet our fellow passengers - some four hundred of them who were also about to experience the trip of a lifetime. The vessel was extremely comfortable - a far cry from the ships in which the early British explorers of this century sailed - Captain Robert Falcon Scott whose Discovery took him south in 1901, William S. Bruce, a Scotsman, who sailed in the Scotia from Troon in 1902, and Shackleton who braved the angry southern ocean aboard the Nimrod in 1907. Compared with Captain Cook's Endeavour, which was 110 feet long and 35 feet across the beam, and in which he circumnavigated the continent more than 200 years ago, the Marco Polo was huge - 578 feet long and with a beam of 77 feet. We were extremely fortunate to have aboard first rate lecturers, who prepared us fully for our visits ashore. The list included Sir Edmund Hillary, famous not only for his climb of Mount Everest in 1953 but also for his part in the Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1957-58; Patrick Moore, the renowned and eccentric astronomer, who was bitterly disappointed that throughout the voyage we never saw any stars, and Jackie Ronne, who accompanied her husband on the American Ronne Antarctic Expedition of 1946-48 and after whom the Ronne Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea is named. In addition, seven other equally talented lecturers were able to brief us on the early exploration of the continent, the lifestyles of the Antarctic birds, penguins, whales and seals, the geology of the continent, the weather and climate, glaciers, growlers and icebergs, and the measures being taken to protect the Antarctic. It was when I started writing this article that I began to realise that our adventure had taken us to places seen often, many years ago, by Former Pupils of the School. I kept on being reminded of the many co-incidences and associations of these F.Ps with our journey. We sailed from Ushuaia across the Drake Passage, which was remarkably calm, to the Peninsula where we had four zodiac landings, Half Moon Island in the south Shetlands, Paradise Harbour on the Peninsula itself, a most beautiful sail through the Lemaire Channel to Hovgaard Island and back again to Port Lockroy. The landings each had a charm of its own, Half Moon with spectacular icebergs all around and chinstrap penguins in abundance; Paradise Harbour where we met personnel who were manning the Chilean base and home too for a colony of gentoo penguins; the rocky Hovgaard Island which, interestingly enough, displayed a little plant life, mostly mosses; and Port Lockroy, on a particularly warm day, home to gentoo penguins as well as nesting shags. Few will not have heard of James William Slessor Marr (1913-19) MA, BSc 'Scout Man' - who, incidentally, was a member of the 1st (Aberdeen Grammar School) Scout Troop, my old Scout Group, when he was selected by Sir Ernest 45
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Shackleton to join him aboard the Quest on what was to be the famous explorer's last journey. Incidentally he, along with Lord Byron, must be one of the few former pupils to have featured on postage stamps. Tristan da Cunha issued a set of stamps in 1971 to mark the 50th anniversary of the expedition and Marr appears on one of the set presenting a Troop flag which had been taken out by him on behalf of Baden-Powell. Marr went on to have a very distinguished Antarctic career as a zoologist. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Navy and in 1943 was seconded as Commander for special duty. Operation Tabarin (named after a Paris night club) was a secret mission mounted by the British Admiralty on behalf of the Colonial Office. Its purpose was to detect enemy activities in Antarctic waters and to strengthen British claims to the sovereignty of the Falkland Island Dependencies. A party under Commander Marr established a base at Hope Bay. Further bases were established on Deception Island, the southernmost of the South Shetlands, within some of the old whaling station buildings, and at Port Lockroy, on Weincke Island a little further south. On 24 April 1944 the existence of Operation Tabarin was made public. Tabarin was then transformed into a civilian operation called the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, and in 1961 this became the British Antarctic Survey. Our voyage had taken us through an area which must have been known to Marr, and in particular we saw the British base near Port Lockroy, Bransfield House, now beautifully restored by the Antarctic Heritage Trust in 1996. Two more F.Ps come into the picture, the first being Robert Stewart Slessor (1927-29) OBE, MB,ChB who, after service in the Royal Navy during the war, joined the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1945 and was on two expeditions in this area. In 1948 he became the Senior Medical Officer in the Falkland Islands, and he was for more than twenty years the F.P. Club Consul there. The other FP, Charles Michael Maclntyre Begg (1933-36) MA, BSc, PhD took part in work just after the war which examined the whaling position in the Falkland Islands Dependencies and investigated the possibility of using whale meat as human food. We saw plenty of whales, but food on board was not that scarce that we had to resort to eating any! The Falkland Islands Dependencies, now known as British Antarctic Territory, was an area that we had sailed through - yet more connections with those who had gone before. Mention of the British Antarctic Survey reminds me of another FP - Ronald Ian Lewis Smith (1947-60) BSc, PhD, DSc (one of my Scouts when I was Scoutmaster of the 1st Group) a botanist who has worked for the British Antarctic Survey for over thirty years and knows large tracts of the Antarctic continent very well indeed, including the Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. He, too, could almost claim to have been honoured on stamps, because on the £1 issue of 1984 of the Falkland Islands there is depicted a unique species of spider found by him during his investigations - Emtnenontma Beauchenieus. Some readers will recall his excellent account of his 'Experiences in Antarctica' which appeared in the Magazine of June 1986. We sailed on through the Bellinghausen Sea and the Amundsen Sea and crossed the Antarctic Circle (latitude 66'33'S) for the first time at 0703 on Saturday 24 January. On the next night, in what must rank as one of the furthest south venues ever, we held a Burns Supper. I was pressed into service in its organisation and was asked to deliver the Immortal Memory. From somewhere (and I was reliably informed it originated in Scotland) haggis was produced from the ship's stores and was 'piped' in. I will remember that night for years to come - the seas which had been high obligingly calmed a little for the meal. We sailed for seven days, not including a lost day as we crossed the International Date Line, with the days getting longer and longer: in fact, on Friday 30 January the sun was not due to set until the following morning at 0131, and minutes later it rose again! Later that same day, we were rewarded with a most breathtaking sight. It was early evening on Saturday 31 January that we approached the Ross Ice Shelf - it was so dramatic as we sailed to within 180 metres of it, with it rising some 50 metres above sea level. The Shelf is the size of France, and it must be 46
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remembered that it moves at up to 1100 metres per year. Large parts have, over the years, broken adrift - one such piece, we were told, was the size of Belgium. Then, as we sailed on for what was to be our first landing in this area, we viewed the grandeur of Mount Terror and Mount Erebus rising majestically above Ross Island. The following day saw us anchored off Cape Evans, and we were to be rewarded with a visit ashore to see inside Scott's Hut, which was home to his expedition of 1911-12, the expedition which ended in tragedy with his own death, along with his four companions, on the return from the Pole on 17 January 1912. He was, you will remember, beaten to the Pole by Amundsen who, interestingly enough, was accompanied on the Fram by Martin Ronne, father-in-law of Jackie Ronne who, as mentioned earlier, was a guest lecturer on our ship. Scott's Hut at Cape Evans, named after his second-in-command Lieutenant Evans, was a moving experience for us - you felt a presence; only twelve persons are allowed in at one time and only forty at a time can come ashore, so the landings for a ship of our size, carrying as it did some 400 passengers, took most of the day. Inside the Hut we only spoke in whispers. As our guide book put it, 'Inside the hut, unquiet ghosts glide soundlessly through memories of sledging pennants, the rustle of pony harnesses and a sighing wind. It is an absolutely amazing and eerie feeling to stand at the head of the wardroom table and recall the famous photo of Scott's final birthday party, with the men gathered around the huge meal spread out before them, with their banners hung behind them. You definitely feel the ghostly presence!' The vessel used by Scott in this, his final expedition, was the Terra Nova about which we shall hear more later.
It had not, of course, been Scott's first trip to Antarctica. He had sailed in 1901 on the Discovery, now restored and on view in Dundee where she had been built. On that expedition he established his base at Hut Point, near what is now the US McMurdo Base. He and his companions had got to latitude 82°16'S, the furthest south yet, but on their return they found the Discovery trapped in by ice for the second winter. The vessel Morning had arrived in January 1903, but was unable to get within eight miles of the Discovery. It was not until February 1904 that the Discovery made it out of the frozen McMurdo Sound. Help had come in the shape of two rescue vessels, the Morning yet again, and the Terra Nova. It will not surprise you to learn that on the latter there was a Grammar F.P! William Clark Souter (1893-98) MD, DO was surgeon on board the Terra Nova and can probably rank as the first FP to cross the Antarctic Circle. The Terra Nova was to return south again as the ship used by Scott in his final expedition in 1910. The Discovery, too, went on further voyages south. After a refit in 1923-24 she was used as the vessel for the British Government's Discovery Committee programme. In 1925-26 Marr, already mentioned above, sailed as zoologist and he also took part in the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Expedition of 1929-31 which was led by Sir Douglas Mawson and which was lent the use of the Discovery free of charge by the British Government. We were to enjoy two more landings in the Ross Sea region, and two thrilling zodiac rides. The first of the zodiac rides took us round the ice floes near Cape Bird. We were able to take some excellent shots of adelie penguins as they jumped off into the cold sea. The next day we were at Cape Roberts, which replaced our scheduled visit to the US McMurdo Base. Ice conditions made it impossible for us to make it up the narrow channel to the US Base and make a safe exit so, mindful of Scott's earlier expedition when he had got stuck in the ice at that very spot, as an alternative we sailed along the McMurdo ice edge in uncharted waters and were rewarded by the sight of emperor penguins and killer whales. As though that was not enough, a most wonderful zodiac trip from the ship took us among gigantic icebergs - I was pleased that up to that point of time we had not seen the film Titanic! Next day we were back on the track of an earlier explorer - Shackleton. We finally managed to make a landing at Cape Royds and were able to see over the hut built for his 1907-09 expedition. This was the first of three expeditions led by this great explorer. He had been with Scott on his 1901 expedition but had to be invalid47
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine ed home in 1903 aboard the Morning when it made its first voyage to rescue Scott's Discovery. Shackleton's Hut at Cape Royds is seldom visited by tourists, so it was a rare privilege for us to see yet another carefully preserved relic of earlier days. The on-going restoration and maintenance of these historic sites in the Ross Sea area of the continent is undertaken by Antarctic Heritage Trust on behalf of the New Zealand government and Antarctic Treaty authorities. The original Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1961 and further reviewed in 1991, ensures that the continent will only be used for peaceful purposes and all territorial claims made by countries previously to 1961 have been put on hold. Shackleton's Hut at Cape Royds seemed in many ways a happier place than that of Scott at Cape Evans. It may simply have been that there was not the same tragic finish to the expedition. It was during this expedition, in January 1909, that four of the party made it to latitude 88(23(S, i.e. to within 97 miles of the South Pole - the furthest south up to that date. Here, too, we have a most famous Grammar connection. The four who made it were Shackleton, Frank Wild, Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams. Sir Jameson Boyd Adams (1893-94) KCVO, CBE, DSO was second-in-command of the expedition — a famous man indeed and a former pupil of the School. Shackleton was to return in 1914 to try to make the first Antarctic crossing from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. He sailed on the Endurance on 8 August, four days after the order for general mobilisation for the First World War, at the express command of Winston Churchill (at the time First Lord of the Admiralty) who gave the signal for the expedition to go ahead. Sailing with Shackleton as biologist to the expedition was Robert Selbie Clark (1894-1901) MA, BSc, DSc. In November 1915 the ship was sunk by ice pressure in the Weddell Sea, and he was one of a party of twenty-two who had to make the hazardous journey in three small boats through the ice floes to Elephant Island, the most northerly island of the South Shetland group. During four winter months the party was marooned there, until a Chilean trawler, the Yelcho, got through to relieve them in August 1916. You will recall that I mentioned that Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the guest lecturers aboard, and he gave us a most graphic account of not only his Everest conquest but also his many other exploits. Sir Ernest Shackleton failed in his bid to cross Antarctica, and it was not until the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctica Expedition of 1955-58 that this was to be accomplished. Leading the Weddell Sea party on that occasion was Sir Vivian Fuchs, with Sir Edmund Hillary in charge of the Ross Sea end of the endeavour. Sir Vivian sailed south on 15 November 1956, having made a recce of the area a year before. The vessel used by Fuchs was the Magga Dan, a vessel which the expedition was sharing with the Royal Society's Geophysical Year Expedition. In charge of that expedition was another F.P Colonel (later Major-General) Robert Arthur Smart (1919-31) CBE, MB,ChB, FRCP, DPH. For a full account of that expedition you are referred to an article which he wrote for the Magazine of June 1958. There is yet another FP connection with Shackleton's expeditions. Frank Wild, who as mentioned above was one of the four (Jameson Adams included) in the Polar party in January 1909, was Shackleton's deputy on the 1914-16 expedition and was left in charge of the twenty-two men on Elephant island (including, of course, Robert Clark). He it was who was to take over from Shackleton on his death in 1922 during the Quest expedition (of which Marr was a member). But the co-incidence does not end there - another F.P had sailed with Captain Frank Wild, this time north to Spitzbergen in 1918 and again in 1919-20. He was Percy Charles Brand Shir ' reffs (1913-16) MB,Chil. Our final landing was at Terra Nova Bay, the site of an Italian scientific base. Our reception was most hospitable and a cup of expresso coffee was very welcome here we experienced what was for us our lowest temperature of -TC with a wind chill temperature of -30'C. Our last few days at sea took us past Cape Hallet and Cape Adare, completely 48
General Section shut in by thick ice. We caught a glimpse of Mount Herschel, some 11,000 feet high, climbed for the first time by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1967. The scenery was magnificent as we sailed past majestic icebergs, but we were all too soon leaving them behind as we sailed the open sea with more than the odd albatross following in our wake as we headed for New Zealand. This was to be the only really stormy weather we encountered, but despite a force 8 gale and a wind in excess of 40 knots we made it, early on Wednesday 11 February, to Lyttleton, the port of Christchurch, from which many of the early expeditions sailed. We had sailed 6698 nautical miles since leaving Ushuaia on Monday 19 January. It had been a most exciting trip - one never to be forgotten. Do I want to go back? I am already looking at the brochures, and if any of you are contemplating a trip, take my advice and go now before the tourist is prevented from travelling to this unspoilt continent. You will note that I have established connections with nine former Grammarians. I apologise in advance to any others who have also travelled to Antarctica and of whom I have no knowledge! My abiding memory will be the beauty of the continent, and above all the silence. It was that silence which inspired a namesake of mine, Dr Edward A. Wilson, who perished with Scott in 1912 to write these words, which were first published in October 1911 in 'The South Polar Times', the newspaper edited by Apsley Cherry-Garrard during Scott's fmal expedition: The Silence was deep with a breath like sleep As our sledge runners slid on the snow, And the fateful fall of our fur-clad feet Struck mute like a silent blow. On a questioning 'hush', as the settling crust Shrank shivering over the floe; And the sledge in its track sent a whisper back Which was lost in a white-fog bow. And this was the thought that the silence wrought As it scorched and froze us through, Though secrets hidden are all forbidden Till God means man to know. We might be the men God meant should know The heart of the Barrier snow, In the heat of the sun, and the glow And the glare from the glistening floe, As it scorched and froze us through and through With the bite of the drifting snow. W. Stewart Wilson (1942-55)
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Former Pupils' Club Founded 11 September 1893 Club Office-Bearers, 1998-99 Honorary President: WILLIAM J. JOHNSTON, B.Sc., Dip.Ed. (Rector) Honorary Vice-Presidents: IAN G. McPHERSON (1910-17), (President, 1965-66) EDWARD. J. WOOD (1908-21), M.A. (President, 1966-67) ERIC ROS BIRKETT (1920-22), C.A. (President, 1968-69) 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) JOHN W. CRADOCK (1941-46), C.A. (President, 1977-78) WILLIAM L. CONNON (1930-40), B.L. (President, 1979-80) T. GORDON COUTTS (1938-49), Q.C., 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., LL.B. (President, 1983-84) ERIC D. WATT (1937-50), B.Ed. (President, 1984-85) ALAN J. PETERS (1920-30), C.A. IAN LEWIS SMITH (1918-30), B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E., M.Inst.R. DOUGLAS N. GEORGESON (1929-40) (President, 1985-86) 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., DI., M.A., LL.B., LL.D. (President, 1987-88) W. MORRISON BROWN (1933-46) (President, 1988-89) ERIC CRAIG (1934-46) (President, 1989-90) T. IAN MORRISON (1934.47), T.D., B.Sc., M.Sc., C.Chem., F.R.S.C., (President, 1990-91) ARTHUR L. McCOMBIE, M.S., F.S.A.(Scot) (Deputy Rector, 1973-90) DR. J.R.S. INES (1923-35), M.B.,Ch.B. (President, 1991-92) A.KEITH CAMPBELL (1944-53), T.Eng. (C.E.I.), M.Inst.A.E.A. (President, 1992-93) IAN M. DUGUID (1938-43), O.duM., M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.S., F.C.Opth., LL.D., D.O., (President, 1993-94) MELVILLE F. WATSON (1943-56), M.A., LL.B. (President, 1994-95) JAMES C. LYON (1953-59), R.I.B.A., F.R.1.A.S. (President, 1996-97) J. EDWARD FRASER (1936-49), C.B., M.A., B.A., F.S.A.(Scot) (President, 1997-98) President: RICHARD H. CRADOCK (1940-51) Vice-President of Club and Chairman of Executive: JAMES M. CLARK (1947-59) Secretary: JOHN F. HENDRY (1951-65), LL.B. Treasurer: ALAN W. MARR (1969-75), C.A. General & Notes Editor of Magazine: BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46), T.D., M.A., LL.B.
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Former Pupils Section Secretaries of Centres Club Centre - STEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64), C.A, 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen A1315 6YQ Canada - J. PETER JEFFREY (1944-59), 615 Willoughby Cres. S.E., Calgary, Alberta T2J 1Z9, Canada Edinburgh - NIGEL G. M. WATT (1963-69), W.S., 5 Melville Cres., Edinburgh EH3 7JA Glasgow - BASIL D. D. EMSLIE (1929-35), Flat 8, Westerton of Mugdock, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8LQ London - SANDY NICOL (1962-71), 4 Avenue Gardens, Acton, London W3 8HA Yorkshire - DOUGLAS SKENE (1959-64), 87 Main Street, Fulford, York YO1 4DN Secretaries of Sections Cricket - RICHARD S.T. FERRO, 12 Kirk Brae Avenue, Cults, Aberdeen Curling - BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58), 55 Carden Place, Aberdeen Football - KENNETH MacPHERSON, 10 Chestnut Row, Aberdeen Golf - PETER M. ROBERTSON (1967-73), LL.B., 10 Anderson Drive, Aberdeen Hockey - PETER M. WILLIAMS (1990-96), 139 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen Pttanque - STEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64), Fairfield, 9 Angusfield Avenue, Aberdeen Rugby - CALLUM A. McDONALD (1963-76), 22 Harcourt Road, Aberdeen Swimming - PETER MULVEY (1952-62), 26 Mile-End Avenue, Aberdeen Women's Hockey - EMMA A. HENDRY (1985-91), 105 Brighton Place, Aberdeen Executive Committee The Vice-President of the club, Chairman J. MARTIN JEFFREY (1942-57), Vice-Chairman The Secretary, the Treasurer and the General Editor of the Magazine, ex officiis The Rector of the School, ex officio GORDON M. INKSON (1986-92) BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58) HARVEY E. MORRISON (1951-65) ALAN G. CAMPBELL (1959-65) JOHN B. RENNIE (1947-53) MELDRUM B. EDWARDS (1947-60) ALEXANDER STUART (1932-45) STEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64) ANGUS J. THOMSON (1969-75) H. ALAN S. HAMILTON (1943-56) G. FRASER WEBSTER (1949-62) Section Representatives Club Centre - RONALD R.COMBER (1947-52) Cricket - IAN P. SOUTER (1947-61) Curling - BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58) Football - RUPERT SEAGER (1979-85) Golf - GORDON M. INKSON (1986-92) Hockey - BRIAN T. COCKBURN (1965-71) Petanque - RONALD R. COMBER (1947-52) Rugby - DOUGLAS M. WATSON (1980-85) Staff - RUSSELL GRAY (1951-65) Swimming Women's Hockey - RHONA MacLENNAN (1981-87) Auditors Messrs. BOWER & SMITH, C.A. Club Centre Committee RONALD R. COMBER - Chairman STEVEN J. C. ESSON - Secretary HARVEY E. MORRISON - Treasurer BRUCE S. ALLAN - House Convener 51
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A.K. CAMPBELL, J.M. CLARK, B.K. CROOKSHANKS, N.K.G. FALCONER, H.A.S. HAMILTON, J.F. HENDRY, I. HOPK1N, G.M. INKSON. B. JOHNSON, D.S. LEIGHTON, D. McDONALD, J.D. MOIR, A. RITCHIE, F. ROBERTSON, A. STUART. G. TAWSE. K. WATT Club Consuls Australia - JAMES W. HOWISON (1937-50), 100 Curtin Avenue, Wahroonga, New South Wales 2076, Australia, Tel. 02-4873164. E-mail - howison@senalink.com.au Australia - DR. FORBES J. SMITH (1945-57), 37 The Ridge, Mount Eliza, Victoria 3930, 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, Alberta, Canada T2P 3Z7, Tel. 403-278-6716. Canada - IAN McG. MARK (1954-58), 4 Milne Crescent, Kanata, Ontario, Canada, K2K 1H6, Tel. 613-592-2730. Canada - DAVID R. AULD (1947-61), 2187 Lafayette Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8S 2P2, Tel. 250-595-0616. Corsica - IAIN WARES (1942-52), Via G.M. Angioi, 34 Cagliari 09124, Sardinia, Italy. Hong Kong - MARSHALL H. BYRES (1960-69), 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), 5 Beech Hill Avenue, Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 4NS Malaysia - GRAEME W. KING (1966-72), Apt. 30-20-3 Jamnah View, Jalan Perindu Buluh, Taman S A, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel/Fax. 03-252-1105. New Zealand - MICHAEL B. THOMSON (1938-51), 39 Jubilee Road, Khandallah, Wellington 4, New Zealand. Thailand - PROF. ALASTAIR M. NORTH (1937-50), 79/78 Soi 7/1 Mooban Tararom, Sukhaphiban 3 Road, Bangkapi, Bangkok, Thailand, Tel. (66-2) 373-2818, E-mail North ® ait.ac.th USA. - MICHAEL G. KING (1951-60), 4720 Fortuna Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84124, U.S.A.
Annual General Meeting The ninety-sixth Annual General Meeting of Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' Club was held at the Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen on Monday 30 March 1998 at 7.30 pm. The Chairman opened the proceedings by welcoming, on behalf of the Club, Mr J. Edward Fraser at the end of his Presidential year. Chairman's Report Deaths The Chairman noted with regret the death during the past year of Mr John V. Skinner, who was Rector of the School from 1959 until 1972. Rubislaw Field Following the extensive deliberations of the Rubislaw Field Development SubCommittee, in consultation with the Sports Sections and the School, the Rubislaw Field Committee had met towards the end of last year and a further meeting was due to take place shortly.
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Magazine The thanks of the Club are due to Mr Brian Crookshanks for the successful production of the 1997 Magazine which, with a change of printer, had been produced in its former style at greatly reduced cost. Entertainments Two successful social functions had been held in the form of the Dinner in October and the Ball in late December. Fraser Webster deserved great credit for the organisation of these events. School Close links were maintained with the School, not least in the meeting of Club officials with school leavers, the provision of the usual Club Awards at the Prize-giving, including the All-Round Trophies, and disbursements from the Amenities Fund. Centres The various Centres of the Club continue to flourish in Canada, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Yorkshire, and each had held very successful dinners during the year under review. Reports on their activities appear elsewhere in this Magazine. The Future The Chairman reported that discussions are ongoing concerning the future of the Club in conjunction with the Club Centre, and the matter is being keenly addressed as an ongoing issue. General Business Section Reports Reports were submitted by representatives of the various Sections and the Club Centre, and similar Reports appear elsewhere in this Magazine. Accounts and Treasurer's Report The 1997 Accounts (reproduced at the end of this Magazine) were submitted and approved. The Treasurer expressed his satisfaction that after the disappointing results of the previous two years there was now a small surplus on the Income & Expenditure Account. This was largely due to the turn-around in the cost of producing the Magazine. The balance sheet remains healthy. Election of Office-Bearers Officials of the Club were elected in accordance with the list published elsewhere in this Magazine.
Auditors Messrs Bower & Smith, CA, were unanimously re-appointed Auditors of the Club and Section Accounts for the coming year.
FP Club Annual General Meeting, 1999 The 1999 A.G.M. will be held on Monday, 29 March at 7.30 p.m. in the Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen Please note the date now for next year's diary
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President's Report "COMMEMORATING JAMES ("HAMISH") MacPHAIL MASSIE (1918-31) 2nd RADIO OFFICER MERCHANT NAVY LOST IN BATTLE OF ATLANTIC 16th SEPTEMBER 1941" So runs the inscription on the back of the President's Badge, which I was proud to receive from Jim Lyon after my election at the 1997 AGM. This honour, which I greatly prize, I had never expected to receive. My surmise that this was belated recognition for the 4th XV was short-lived; my first Presidential act was to be escorted by Keith Campbell to the Fitness Room in the Centre. That I survived the rigours of a year in office is attributable to my failure to visit it again. A more likely theory is that my years in the 1st Aberdeen (Grammar School) Scout Group, that nursery of Presidential and other talents, made me papabile. For whatever reason, I was for a year custodian of the badge and of its dedication, which I think should be published from time to time. For me the inscription has a particular resonance. Last November, as one of the guests at the Hazlehead Academy FP Re-union, I was discussing badges of office (as Presidents do) with John Davidson, President of the Gordonian Association, and discovered that his badge was inscribed to like effect. With us was Lindsey Sutherland, President of the High School FP Club. It transpired that her grandfather had donated both badges on the basis of a family connection with both schools. To represent the Club at other FP Clubs' functions is a perquisite of office. I greatly enjoyed the Stewart's Melville College Club Aberdeen Dinner, where the task of replying to the toast to The Guests was the less onerous because I am a Former Parent of that College. That this was an all-male dinner (the only such dinner in my year of office) also enabled me, to general acclaim, to provide the first two lines of a limerick which had eluded their President's memory. There, and at the Gordonian Dinner, I was glad to see several AGSFPs present as guests or (like George Barton) in a personal capacity. I was not surprised that on each occasion the principal speaker was an AGSFP (Jim Lyon and Neil Edward respectively). At the Gordonian Dinner I was much impressed by the confidence and ability of my neighbours, the Head Boy and Head Girl; fortunately I can express a similar assessment of their AGS counterparts and young AGSFPs whom I met at our dinners. To attend the FP Centre dinners is a Presidential privilege and pleasure. The first in the calendar, and sui generic in its congenial style, is the Yorkshire dinner at Knaresborough. This is the most intimate of the dinners, now enhanced (in my view) by the presence of the ladies, and still, as always, embellished with an infusion of Birse tea, its etymological origin still tantalisingly suspended between Finzean and the hostess of Clinkstyle. An added attraction is to meet Dick Tyson (a surname so strongly linked to Rubislaw) on his home ground prior to his loyal attendance and support at other Centre dinners. Among the Yorkshire exiles whom it is a pleasure to meet I must mention in particular Doug Skene, who with Dick keeps the Yorkshire show on the road; Doug denies any connection with John Skene, the AGS pupil who in 1549 appeared before the Aberdeen magistrates for uprooting a tree in St Nicholas kirkyard and with it belabouring two University students who had attacked one of the AGS masters, typical of the exuberant loyalty which characterises our school. The London dinner in the Caledonian Club also has its own style. I welcomed the opportunity furnished by the guest speaker, Magnus Linklater, to recall that his father, Eric Linklater (1913-16: Club President 1956-57), had described AGS as "a strenuous ancient and sensible kind of school" and had recollected how "dirty fingered we sat at our desks, rough with deep cut initials". How evocative of AGS even in the 1940s: no doubt even today AGS pupils inscribe their initials not in 54
Former Pupils Section melamine surfaces but in websites and e-mail addresses. Another opportunity afforded by the London dinner was to come to terms with the 9th Troop, members of which (apart from George Leslie, who was at the London dinner, and whom I had helped for two years around 1950 to run a Troop at Oakbank Approved School) had ranked somewhere below Gordonians in the demonology. Sir Alan Donald (a stage in whose distinguished career was encapsulated in the P&J headline `Garioch Loon Appointed Ambassador') introduced me in most generous terms. This quite expunged my memory of the much less complimentary language he had hurled in my direction in 1944, when he was a member of an unofficial reception committee of members of the 9th Troop camping in Glentanar, drawn up to welcome the arrival of the 1st Troop seriatim by bicycle. At the Edinburgh dinner 1 was on home ground, but as ever there was much to admire in Mor Brown's idiosyncratic chairmanship. To have to cope with organisational detail in the unexpected absence (due to 'flu) of the indispensable Nigel Watt (hereditary pillar of the Edinburgh Centre) was bad enough; to lose the principal speaker too late to find a substitute was daunting, but not too much for Mor who assumed the role himself. An enjoyable and encouraging characteristic of the Edinburgh dinner was a full table of student FPs, whose presence was due in no small measure to the energy and initiative of Mor, an example to all of us who see value in the continuing existence of our School and Club. For your President the last dinner on the Centre circuit is in Glasgow, a dinner whose verve is attributable not only to the ethos of the host city, but also to the palpable enthusiasm of Basil Emslie, to whom over many years the Club and the Centre owe so much. For me, the enjoyment of the dinner was enhanced by meeting again, after many years, Ronnie Walker, and receiving from him a photograph taken at a 1st Troop camp at Clinterty in 1946, including in addition to ourselves many who gained later distinction (such as Eric Cruickshank, later President of London Scottish and distinguished chemist, as well as being an accomplished allrounder; Brian Gray of, inter alia, the World Bank; Eric Watt, hockey internationalist; Ally North, President of the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok; Dennis Henderson, later knighted as Chairman of ICI; and Dick Cradock, now President of our Club); a casual snap which is a vignette of AGS and its FPs. I impressed some of the younger FPs by my ability to name all 22 scouts in the photo; 1 was rather depressed that none of them could identify me. One of them whom I was particularly pleased to meet was Lesley Galloway who, as Head Girl in 1979, had lobbied the then President for the admission of ladies to FP dinners, and as Dr Lesley Fraser (our first lady FP medical graduate) was the first lady FP to propose the toast to the guests, at the 1985 dinner. Lesley and her friends having won entr₹e to the 1980 dinner, may I record my personal satisfaction that by 1998 all the FP Centres had followed suit (in practice as well as theory). The Stewart's all-male dinner was good fun, but I am in no doubt that our practice is not only more sensible, but also yields a better result. Certainly I enjoyed our dinners the more with the company and support of my wife. And I know that Patricia enjoyed them too. To chair the Annual Dinner is the President's accolade, a duty which 1 found most congenial. Representation of the younger members and of lady FPs was satisfactory, but I hope that we shall be able to improve on this. Like all the Centre dinners, this is a wonderful opportunity to cement and renew old friendships and to establish new ones. Another element from which I derived great enjoyment is the representation of our sister (or is it more PC to say sibling?) schools, as well as of the various Centres. In the latter context I was particularly glad to meet Gillian Thomas, who had conveyed my greetings in absentia to the 1997 dinner of the Canadian Centre which she had helped to organise. I was also particularly glad to see our loyal Staff members, such as Ron McLeod and Ian Stephen. They must be intrigued to observe the outcome of their efforts to civilise us. There were other FP events during my year of office. I attended and enormously enjoyed the Re-union of 1947-49 Leavers, on which a report appeared in the 1997 55
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Magazine, but of course I was there incognito qua Presidency. The notorious ILIA, as Ron McLeod (also in attendance) described us on first acquaintance, had an anarchic streak rather intolerant of office and its bearers. I also flatter myself, quite without any justification, that it was the presence of El Presidente at Rubislaw at the 1st XV's game against Stewartry which converted a half-time score of 3-17 to a final result of 21-17. I did, however, demit office with some regrets. Having accepted an invitation to my niece's wedding in Toronto in September, my first thought was that I would then be able to attend the Canadian Centre dinner, only to find that it was on the same day, in Calgary. Peter Jeffrey's kind response to my letter of greeting and apologies for absence assuaged my regret. My two granddaughters, who had invited us to spend Christmas with them in London, won the tug of love with the FP Ball in Aberdeen on 26 December which was so successful. Our Canadian visit prevented me from attending the Charlie Ritchie dinner (celebrating his Presidency of the SRU) to which I sent a congratulatory Fax (President to President) via Spain (too complex to explain here) and also the 50th Anniversary dinner of the 1947 leavers, thus missing their ukelele recital. Inevitably, as an Edinburgh exile, I was less available than a 'home' President, and as luck would have it family and other activities lured me from home more frequently than at any time since National Service. Hence the apologies for absence I had occasionally to express. I wish Dick Cradock well in his year of office; as a 1st Troop man he has the right background, and he has a formidable record of service to the Club. For my own part, I am deeply grateful to all who have supported me during my Presidency. I had tremendous help and encouragement from my Vice-President, Ian McLeod, not to mention a superb photographic record of FP functions we attended. I thank Jock Hendry for his guidance, ably supplemented by that of his secretary, Marjory Murray. Fraser Webster was of great assistance at the time of the Annual Dinner, and deserves great credit for his achievement during his period of office. Like all members of the Club I owe a debt of gratitude to John Murray, while to all Editors of the Magazine, and in my case particularly to Brian Crookshanks, we have to express deep thanks for keeping the Club informed and together. We are also grateful to the Rector, Bill Johnston, our Honorary President, for the interest and concern which has sustained him, and us, through eleven cycles of FP events, notably visits to the Centres, whose office-bearers deserve great credit. Our School has survived for several centuries, through the religious turmoil of the 16th Century, the Yool disturbances of the 17th century, the Jacobite unrest of the 18th century, the educational reforms of the 19th century and the transfer from Schoolhill to the 1863 buildings ravaged by the fire of 1986. While we have survived by adaptation, there has been a continuum of ethos and ambience which draws the loyalty of former pupils. I end my report, as I did my speeches, with words published in the Magazine of March 1905 by a Former Pupil from the period 1860-64:"How thankful I have often been for the sound grounding I got at the Grammar School.... Be proud of the School and its honour. It has a fine past; its future reputation is in your hands". J.E. FRASER (1936-49)
Presidential Profile Richard H. Cradock (1940-41 & 1945-51) President, 1998-99 Should you ever be asked to join a golfing Foursome with Dick Cradock, it is good advice to do your damnedest to make sure he's on your side. His reputation as a tough competitor has earned him many more victories than defeats over the years. The same commitment has been in evidence in his involvement with the Former Pupils' Club. A founder member of the Club Centre (which, incidentally, was his 56
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FP Club President 1998-99
Richard H. Cradock
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine grandfather's home in the 1920s), he was Centre Chairman for some seven years and Chairman of the Executive Committee in the year prior to, and in,the Centenary year of the Club. His other connections with the Club include long-standing membership of the Golf Section, membership of the Pe tanque Section since its inception, and Curling. One memorable occasion was his participation in the last outdoors "Grand Match" held on the Lake of Menteith with 7 inches of ice. Whether or not it is due to global warming, these conditions have not recurred in the last decade. For someone so closely associated with the Grammar School, it is not widely known that Dick is also an FP of a girls' school — Aberdeen High School, since renamed Harlaw Academy for reasons best known to the City Fathers. This came about as Dick spent one year in Kindergarten but was then evacuated to Ballater in the darkest days of the war as a resident (with one other boy) of the girls' boarding house. History does not relate his feelings when, after only one year surrounded by the gentler sex, he became a boarder at the Grammar Boarding House - nicknamed the "Bug House" — at No. 8 Queen's Road. Whilst never having the ambition to be school Dux, Dick had distinction on the sports field; in his last two years at School he was a stalwart member of both the First XV and the First XI, being wicket keeper and No. 11 batsman. On leaving school Dick joined the family firm of Richard Irvin & Sons Ltd., trawler owners, as office boy. He recalls some amusing tales from his "apprenticeship" in the fishing industry. The company's trawlers were all named after Scottish mountains, hence they were known as the Ben boats, and in Dick's early years they were still powered by coal, and were known as "Smokey Joes". Those who went to sea were a pretty hard bunch from the skipper down. It was a costly business if a trawler did not sail on the allotted day. The crews, when at home, were very hard drinkers, but at sea excellent workers. It was Dick's job to root out, literally, any latecomers, and this required a knowledge of each one's habits as to with whom they lived and where, and if it was after pub opening time, which licensed premises the missing person or persons frequented. At that time many of the seafaring men lived in Black's Buildings (now the car park behind HM Theatre), the old Castlehill Barracks behind the Castlegate, and in Ferrier Crescent and Sandilands. The first two were like rabbit warrens, with many doors to knock on, and the possibility of being accosted. On most occasions the missing person was found and shipped on board, sober or otherwise. However, on one occasion a deckhand didn't fancy a trip to Iceland, and as the trawler was heading out towards the pier-heads he jumped overboard and swam ashore. Another eventful happening was one lunch-hour when the office was as usual open, on this occasion manned only by Dick. The young wife of one of the fishermen, who was at sea, appeared with two very young children. She was demanding a 'sub' on her husband's anticipated wages, but was told "Sorry, but your husband is overdrawn, so you can't have anything". Her response was, "If I'm not getting any money you can look after the kids", and she walked out of the office leaving the children sitting on the counter. Dick made a mad dash outside and brought her back with the promise of some money. One story which he tells against himself was much later in life, when he was director in charge of the trawling fleet, by which time the mode of operation was powerful diesel stern trawlers. On delivery of a new vessel, as he had been involved all through the placing of the order and the building, he went to sea on her first voyage to see that everything was in proper working order. The voyage was to Iceland, a 3-day steam prior to commencing fishing operations. About the second day out, whilst having a coffee and chat with some of the crew, one young deckhand turned to Dick and stated, "Aye, Dick, you've aye a right kind face", followed by, "Aye, the kind for kicking!" - no reply to that. In the early '50s every fit young man was called up for National Service, which at that time was for two years. Dick was called up in 1952 and was lucky enough to 58
Former Pupils Section join the Royal Air Force. Travel was in its infancy in those days, and the opportunity to go to Singapore as an air traffic controller was too good to miss. Whilst there, he represented RAF Malaya and the Combined Services at both Rugby and Golf. Back home, Dick's first love on the sports field was Rugby, and he captained both FPs and North Midlands. A highlight was being selected to play for North Midlands against Australia in 1958. Whilst having a successful career in Rugby, Dick was one of six FPs who ganged up to follow Scotland's Internationals in Edinburgh, London, Paris and Cardiff. It would be true to say that they brought spectator sport and after-match activities to an art form. This fearsome six-some managed to tuck away enough pints, not to say litres of wine, to gladden the hearts of the licensed trade where they were invariably made most welcome. In the late '50s Dick took over the company's branch at Fraserburgh as manager, and devoted more of his leisure time to golf. He won the North East Alliance Championship, a combined field of professionals and amateurs, and also the championship of his home club, Fraserburgh. During his stay in Fraserburgh he was involved in a horrific car crash. Had he not been so fit it is unlikely that he would have pulled through, but he was hospitalised for a considerable time, and surgeons were amazed by his recovery. Business then took Dick to North Shields to manage the company there, before returning to Aberdeen in 1967. He rejoined Royal Aberdeen Golf Club and duly won the club championship in 1973, having the distinction at 39 years of age of being the oldest club champion in the long history of the club. Other Balgownie trophies include the Matheson Quaich, the Hayne Cup (twice), the Garden Trophy and the James Williams Foursomes in partnership with Harry Kinghorn. Members of the FP Golf Section, however, do not have to be reminded that Crads is pretty handy with his clubs, having won the Russell Henderson Scratch Trophy on 13 occasions!!! Dick retired from business in 1987 as Joint Managing Director of the company, and now spends the winter months at his second home in Spain. Throughout the years he has been ably supported by his wife, Chris, their son, Rory, who is a solicitor in Aberdeen, and their daughter, Kim who, like her father, is an outstanding golfer. Dick's Presidency of the FP Club makes it a family double, his brother John having preceded him in 1977-78. There is no doubt that Dick will take his duties to heart, and he is looking forward to visiting the various Centres, including Canada, and to meeting and socialising with fellow FPs. His Presidency is a fitting endorsement of his commitment to the Club and the Club Centre which has been evidenced over many years. It is hoped that he will be able to look back with fond memories of his term of office in the years to come. J.A.G.M. (1938-50)
New Treasurer Earlier this year the Club Treasurer, Mr John D. Murray, advised the Executive Committee of his intention to demit office at the Annual General Meeting. Mr Murray is in practice as a chartered accountant, working on his own account from his home in Cults. He has been the Club's Treasurer since 1990. He continues in office as Treasurer of the Rugby Section. As will have been noted from the report on the Annual General Meeting, the Executive has been successful in identifying a successor, and we welcome Allan Watt Marr (1969-75) CA to this important role in the Club's administration. The new Treasurer is a partner in the Aberdeen firm of Bain Henry Reid, chartered accountants. 59
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FP Club Membership Subscription Rates £75 Life Membership £6 Ordinary Annual Membership £4 Junior Annual Membership (under 22 years of age on 1 January) School Leaver's Membership (covering the balance of the year the member leaves school and the next two years) £4 Subscriptions are payable to the Treasurer, Mr Alan W. Marr, 4 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen
Centre Reports Club Centre Membership of the Club Centre in 1997 was up slightly on the 1996 figure of 699 to 701 at the year end. This included the 52 members gained from an agreement with the Rugby Section. There were 60 new applications for membership. Sadly, we have to report the deaths during the year of John Parslow, Harry Forbes, John V. Skinner, Dycey Paterson, John McBain and also Angus McDonald, who worked in the Club as Doorman for a number of years before becoming a Barman. As will be seen from the Annual Accounts (reproduced at the end of this Magazine), the finances of the Club have turned around from a loss of £9,600 in 1996 to a smaller loss of £773 in 1997. To maintain pace with inflation, it was decided at the end of last year to increase the annual subscription by £2 on the base cost to FP members, with corresponding adjustments to the other rates, plus VAT at the current rate, for the year 1998. A year ago, reference was made to the necessity of redressing the losses incurred in 1995 and 1996 before we could anticipate progress to major expenditure on the fabric of the building, as distinct from ongoing maintenance. Despite the upturn in finance over the year, we are still not able to make a major financial commitment to any major overview of the condition of the property and any plans for the future which had been proposed and passed at our last Annual General Meeting. The matter has been regularly addressed by the Committee with a view to identifying someone to carry out an overview of the Club Centre and prepare a report for consideration. A number of approaches have been made but to date no one suitable has accepted the task. The subject is still ongoing and will continue to be addressed. During the year we took on board the sometimes valid criticism of the cleanliness of the Club. We have seen major improvements, now that the responsibility is fully within the Club Centre, by direct employment of cleaners under our Steward's supervision and control. Catering by Margaret Coutts has proved popular and the quality is excellent. It is complemented by bar snacks which are also proving popular. The full use of the downstairs bar for functions has not come up to expectations. Members are reminded that the facility is available but that, as a Club, our licence precludes us from advertising outside the membership. The first full year of the Fitness Room as an asset in the Club Centre has confirmed that the demand for its provision was justified and it is now producing a small, but welcome, income. Attempts to provide entertainment within the Club Centre have proved disappointing in the main, with the exception of the Guy Fawkes display. The St. Andrew's Night Quiz was a non-starter, with only one team entered and the poor response to the Burns Lunch, with the numbers down to half those of the previous year, was sad from the organiser's point of view. It may be time for the new Entertainments Committee to take a wider outlook and assess the requirements of 60
Former Pupils Section the membership for events to which they would give wholehearted support. On that subject, the Entertainments Committee recommendation to re-start the Saturday night draw and raffle, initially approved and later withdrawn, brought a mixed response. The efforts of some on the duty rota were to be commended but again, in general, support was not wholehearted. Now that it has been concluded, it will be back to the drawing board for more ideas and suggestions in an attempt to bring members and friends into the Club. One constant factor in the Club Centre is our ever present Steward, George McKenzie. He has had a heavier than usual burden to bear as a result of Mrs Muriel Massie's decision to give up her position as Assistant Steward in May last year. After a number of frustrating weeks and months, her position has now been filled with a full-time bar person. Nevertheless, with good management by the Steward, coupled with Mrs Massie continuing as a part-time bar person and the welcome help of our part-time staff, we were able to weather the storm and we are now back on course. Our sincere thanks are due to George and his staff yet again for their efforts on our behalf and for his and their contribution to the general welfare of our members. George now attends during part of the monthly Club Centre Committee Meetings. This has proved to be mutually beneficial and has helped to bring a prompt response to many queries. Still on the subject of staff, our gardener, Wattie Christie, retired last autumn after nearly 25 years of faithfully tending our extensive grounds. This shy and hard working gentleman's services were recognised when he attended, for the last time, on Guy Fawkes night and was presented with a cheque. Unknown to many, a certain gentleman has been carrying out a labour of love for the Club Centre since its inception. Melville Watson has been our stocktaker since the Centre opened in 1969. He recently completed his last stocktaking exercise before handing over to his successor, Jim Gauld. Our sincere thanks are due to Melville for his devoted work over the years. He has taken stock on approximately 200 occasions in the 29 years. At Committee level, we have tried to foster the spirit of unity of purpose. It doesn't always work out that way, but that is healthy. A recent proposal to review the Constitution was agreed but failed to receive the approval of members at a Special General Meeting. The work of those involved has not been lost and the matter may come under review by the new Committee in the future. Let us remind ourselves that the long term aim of the Club Centre is the same for all members. To sustain and survive in a competitive world, we need everyone to pull together. Some decisions may not please everyone and hence compromise is sometimes expedient. However, it is the wisdom of experience, coupled with the weighing up of the future benefits to the Club Centre, which will prevail. Canada The Canadian Centre held its Annual Dinner on Saturday 13 September 1997 in Calgary, Alberta. The re-union weekend started with a buffet supper on Friday evening hosted by Gordon and Pat Singer at their home. The following day there was the opportunity to attend the Masters' Showjumping Championships held at world-famous Spruce Meadows. The Dinner, held in the restaurant at the top of the 90-metre ski jump at Canada Olympic Park, was a most pleasant and memorable evening attended by 15 FPs and guests. In accordance with tradition, the Ian Duguid decanter and the FP badge of office were presented to this year's Canadian President, Gordon Singer. On Sunday we gathered once again, this time for brunch at Peter and Judy Jeffrey's, after which the FPs departed for various parts of Canada and, in the case of Gillian Thomas, back to the UK. The following FPs attended the Dinner: G.D. Menzies (1934-44), Edmonton, 61
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Alberta; J.P. Jeffrey (1944-59), Calgary, Alberta; G.B. Singer (1948-50), Calgary, Alberta; W. Balfour (1949-58), Westmount, Quebec; R.H.G. Bradford (1951-65), Toronto, Ontario; 1.McG. Marr (1954-58), Kanata, Ontario; R.C. Scace (1954-60), Calgary, Alberta; P.G. Edwards (1956-64), Calgary, Alberta; G.A. Thomas (197580), London, UK (ex-Calgary, Alberta). Willie Balfour will take over as the 1998 Canadian Centre President, and the annual dinner will be held in Ottawa on Saturday 12 September 1998. We are delighted that Dick Cradock will be joining us during his busy year as FP Club President. All FPs and their spouses, whether resident in Canada or in transit, are cordially invited to attend. For details please contact Peter Jeffrey, 615 Willoughby Crescent S.E., Calgary, Alberta T2J 1Z9, Tel. (Home) 403-271-0704, Fax (Home) 403-278-7240. Edinburgh The Centre held its Annual Dinner on Friday 20 February 1998 in the Roxbttrghe Hotel, Edinburgh. President W. Morrison Brown welcomed the company of sixty members and guests who included the President of the Parent Club - the Centre's own Edward Fraser - the Rector, Bill Johnston, David Holdsworth representing Edinburgh Gordonians, Douglas Skene, the Secretary of the Yorkshire Centre, Ian Duguid representing the London Centre, Head Girl, Julia Patullo and Head Boy, Michael Rennie. Unfortunately, the principal guest of the evening, George Allan - the recently retired Headmaster of Robert Gordon's College - could not be present due to his having fallen off a ladder and broken two legs and an arm!! In his absence the toast of "The School and the Club" was proposed by the President himself This he did in a most excellent fashion, recounting his many happy days at the Grammar School and his long involvement with the FP Club. Mor's enthusiasm for both School and Club is legend, and he is now enjoying his second spell as President of the Edinburgh Centre. Replies were made by the Rector and the Parent Club President. Unfortunately the Secretary/Treasurer, Nigel Watt, could not be present due to a nasty bout of influenza and thus missed his first Dinner in twenty-five years. As has become the practice, the Centre had invited both the Head Boy and the Head Girl to be guests of the Centre; both Julia Patullo and Michael Rennie enjoyed the occasion and were guests of the Centre at the French Rugby International at Murrayfield the next day. During the course of the Dinner the Centre as usual held its Annual General Meeting. Mor Brown, Douglas Harper and Nigel Watt were re-elected as President, Vice-President and Hon. Secretary & Treasurer respectively. The committee members also remain as Mike Beattie and Sandy Monro. At the end of the evening VicePresident Douglas Harper thanked Mor Brown for his year as President and for chairing the proceedings Unfortunately (for them) the Glasgow Centre could not raise a side for the annual golf match in August and thus the Edinburgh Centre retained the attractive trophy! The Centre's golf outing took place at Bruntsfield and the "Mor Brown" trophy was won for the first time by Mike Murray. Former President Ian Macleod was in second place and Secretary Nigel Watt was third. Unfortunately, the event had to be curtailed to thirteen holes due to an outbreak of thunder and lightening. The enjoyment of the day was, however, not diminished, and the eight participating FPs had a most pleasant afternoon. High tea was partaken in the clubhouse afterwards and the Secretary deputised for President Mor Brown in handing over the various prizes and the trophy. This year's outing will again be held at Bruntsfield on Wednesday 26 August 1998, and hopefully will incorporate the match with the Glasgow Centre. Next year's Dinner will be held at the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society on 62
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Friday 5 February 1999. 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 of 5 Melville Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7JA - telephone 0131-2001020. The following FPs attended the Dinner: A.M. Beattie (1944-57), D.A. Brittain (1943-49), W.M. Brown (1933-46), A.H. Cairns (1943-56), J.P. Cairns (1945-57), A.I. Cheyne (1937-48), J.M.T. Cheyne (1939-51), J.M. Clark (1947-59), T.G. Coutts (1938-51), E.G. Cran (1944-47), S.W. Cummings (1965-69), I.M. Duguid (1938-43), R.E. Dukes (1989-95), N.A. Fair (1991-95), D.J. Fettes (1953-59), J.E. Fraser (193649), B.S. Gray (1943-49), D.R. Harper (1944-58), W.S. Hendry (1957-70), C.H. Howie (1975-81), J.M. Hunter (1936-47), P.M. Jones (1991-97), D.G. Kilgour (193850), J.F. Kirk (1937-47), E.L. Lessels (1991-97), A.R. Lyall (1935-46), J.A. McGregor (1935-44), D.I.K. MacLeod (1952-54), I.H. McLeod (1951-55), A.W.A. Main (1939-45), A.J.K. Monro (1933-46), W.A. Morrison-Gill (1923-26), K.S. Reid (1991-97), R.S. Rilley (1947-55), S. Robertson (1991-97), D. Skene (1959-64), D.P. Smith (1945-47), R.G.C. Smith (1926-37), R.A. Williamson (1928-36) and J. Younger (1991-97). Glasgow Our joint function with Gordonians and Aberdeen High School FPs, this year organised by ourselves, was a luncheon at Ross Priory, which dates back to 1693, on the banks of Loch Lomond. Although the numbers were modest, with each club nearly equally represented, those attending enjoyed an excellent lunch followed by a walk round the attractive gardens in warm sunshine golf was offered but not subscribed. The Centre's Annual Dinner was again held in the Swallow Hotel, Glasgow on Friday 20 March 1998. Because our President, David Allan had accepted an appointment instructing the police in Jamaica, David Reid came to the Club's rescue by willingly agreeing to preside at the Dinner, which he did with aplomb, even if he did refer to the Secretary as "B.B. - Basil the Bludgeon!" 54 attended, much the same as last year, which included 19 FPs, among them some new faces. We had hoped to have a sizeable representation from Aberdeen, especially as the Scotland v- England game was at Murrayfield on the Sunday, 22 March. Our principal guest was Tom Macdougall MA, LL.B, DipEd, development director of Hutcheson's Grammar School, Glasgow, which he had attended as a pupil. Prior to his present post he had been Assistant Director of Education for Strathclyde Region. His interesting and informative talk covered a wide range cleverly interspersed with much wit. As always the Rector, in a light vein, updated us on the problems of education and how the School continues successfully in various fields. The speech by Eddie Fraser, the Parent Club President was warm, entertaining and enjoyable — he himself enjoyed his last official function of his successful year of office. Julie Pattullo, head girl, stood down to allow the head boy, Michael Rennie, to speak. He kept up the high standard to which we have become accustomed from his predecessors. The evening concluded with a multiple vote of thanks by our experienced Past President, Gary Allan. At the A.G.M. held on the same evening the following were elected as Officebearers for 1998/99: David Allan President Basil Emslie Secretary Peter Cairns Treasurer Committee Gary Allan, lain Fergusson and David Reid Two future events planned are a Golf Match against the Edinburgh Centre at Bruntsfield Golf Club on Wednesday 26 August 1998 and a joint function organised 63
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine by Gordonians, for which a date has still to be set. Next year's Glasgow Centre Dinner will be held at the Swallow Hotel, Glasgow on Friday 19 March 1999. This report unfortunately ends on a sad note due to the very great loss which the Centre has sustained through the death of Andrew McLaren, President of the Parent FP Club in 1996-97 and President of the Glasgow Centre in 1984-86. We have lost a very good friend. The following FPs attended the Annual Dinner: Basil Emslie (1929-35), J. Edward Fraser (1936-49), Ian Duguid (1938-43), Ronald Walker (1941-46), Hunter Cairns (1943-56), Jim Milne (1944-50), Richard Tyson (1944-49), Peter Cairns (194557), lain Fergusson (1959-66), Gary Allan (1963-76), Willie Woods (1970-76), Lesley Galloway (1974-80), Marjory Coutts (1975-81), Malcolm Daniel (1975-81) and David Reid (1975-80). Any FPs resident, even temporarily, in Glasgow or the West of Scotland are asked to advise the Secretary, Basil Emslie, at 8 Westerton of Mugdock, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8LQ Tel. 0141-956-4299. London The Annual General Meeting was held at the Caledonian Club on Wednesday 28 May 1997. Sir Alan Donald KCMG was re-elected as President, with Sandy Nicol as Secretary and Ron Caie as Treasurer. The other Committee members elected were Ian Duguid, Duncan Hopkin, Andrew Noble, Hamish Norbrook, John Tosh and Harold Watt. In keeping with tradition, the AGM was followed by an excellent supper in the Members' Dining Room at the Caledonian Club. It was with great disappointment, and after much agonising, that it was decided to cancel the Sixth Form Trip to London. This annual event had, for many years, been an established part of our programme. Alas, it was becoming more and more difficult to arrange suitable visits for the participants, but the fmal stumbling block in 1997 was the lack of appropriate accommodation for the youngsters' stay. The Executive Committee is, however, keen to explore new ideas to maintain firm links between the London Centre and the School. The Caledonian Club was the venue for the Annual Dinner on Friday 14 November. The proceedings were under the masterful direction of our President, Sir Alan Donald, and we were treated to an excellent speech by the guest speaker, Magnus Linklater. The toast of 'The School and the Club" was proposed by him, and replies were made by the President of the Parent Club, J. Edward Fraser and the Rector, Bill Johnston. It was a particular pleasure to have Bill at our Annual Dinner again after an absence of two years. Other prominent guests were Jock Hendry and Ian McLeod from the Parent Club, Mor Brown, President of the Edinburgh Centre, Dick Tyson, President of the Yorkshire Centre, James Anderson, representing London Gordonians and last, but not least, Graham Young, Chairman of the Caledonian Club. The following FPs attended the Dinner: J.G.C. Brown (1930-42), W.M. Brown (1933-46), I.M. Carry (1960-73), J.B. Davidson (1947-60), J.G. Dawson (1921-34), Sir Alan Donald (1942-44), I.M. Duguid (1938-43), J.E. Fraser (1936-49), J.F. Hendry (1951-65), D. Hopkin (1955-61), W. Jack (1945-51), J. Jeffrey (1946-57), J.G.W. Jones (1937-47), R. Kitson (1947-58), G.Leslie (1943-47), I.H. McLeod (1951-55), S. Nicol (1962-71), E.A.S. Porter (1951-58), I.A. Reid (1951-63), J.D. Reid (1954-65), D.S. Robbie (1936-48), J. Sinclair (1947-59), J.L.S. Thomson (192027), J.S. Tosh (1947-48), R.S. Tyson (1944-49), M. Wagrel (1943-49), M.G. Walker (1946-57), H.M.R. Watt (1926-38), G.S. Williams (1933-46) and A.G.B. Young (1940-47). The 1998 Dinner of the Centre will be held in the Caledonian Club on Friday 6 November 64
uon3as sildnd Jawing Yorkshire Centre Dinner 1997
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Yorkshire In a break with long-standing tradition ladies were invited to the Yorkshire Centre Annual Dinner on Friday 26 September at the Dower House in Knaresborough. Our first Yorkshire Dinner was on 10 December 1948 and it has always been generally recognised that the event was friendly and informal. The inclusion of our lady guests has added a new dimension to an already successful format. We look forward to seeing more ladies in 1998. This year our principal guests were the Rector, Bill Johnston, President of the Parent Club Eddie Fraser, who also represented Edinburgh, and David Reid on behalf of Glagow. We were also supported by former President Andrew McLaren, Parent Club Vice-President Ian McLeod and Club Secretary Jock Hendry. Our Centre President, Dick Tyson, welcomed all guests and set the scene for a new milestone for the Yorkshire Centre — however the 'Birse Tea' was still taken about 10.30 pm. The following FPs attended the Dinner: N.T. Nicol (1926-39), A. McLaren (1926-39), W.J. Alexander (1931-43), J.E. Fraser (1936-49), W. Johnston (1940-44), R.F. Tyson (1944-49), R. Abel (1949-64), I.H. McLeod (1951-55), J.F. Hendry (1951-65), D. Skene (1959-64), and I.A. Fraser (1962-68).
Section Reports Curling The Curling Section has gained a number of new members who arrived after the beginning of the season and have therefore been playing on an ad hoc basis during this season but will hopefully be incorporated into regular rinks next season and may let us have another rink with the resulting variety which this allows. We are, as always, keen to recruit more new members, both rookies and those who have played before at whatever level. Within the Section, the Autumn League was won by Barton Brown's rink, and the Spring League by John Paterson's rink, who also won the Autumn/Spring playoff. The Pairs Competition was won by Geddie Hay's rink and the Knock-out Competition by Barton Brown's rink. This last rink has done very well in the Province League of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. Our President, Norman Patterson, represented the Club in the North-east Province teams playing for the Strathcona Cup against a visiting Canadian team in their 1998 tour. The annual contest against the Gordonian Curling Team was won by the 'Auld Enemy' this year, but the usual social atmosphere and the buffet afterwards at the FP Club Centre helped to make this a pleasant evening. Our Annual Dinner was held for the third time in the Atholl Hotel on 24 April, and was greatly enjoyed by all. Particular thanks are due to Joan and Mario Vicca for their efforts in helping everything to go so well. Anyone interested in joining the Section should contact the Secretary, Bruce Allan, Tel. 642557. Cricket The First XI, under the captaincy of Alan Redhead, finished seventh in the Strathmore Union for Season 1997. While this represented a modest improvement over the previous season it was still disappointing, as the team has the potential to do better. The regular availability of certain players was a problem, and the inability 66
Former Pupils Section to field a settled side contributed to the lack of success on the field. Jeremy Moir narrowly won the batting cup from John Lord, with Richard Ferro a close third. Jeremy Moir also won the bowling cup and finished second in the overall Strathmore Union averages. He has now set his sights on becoming the leading wicket-taker of all time in the Strathmore Union. Season 1998, again under the captaincy of Alan Redhead, has started promisingly, with more players regularly available, and hopefully the First XI will finish higher in the Strathmore Union than in recent years. The Second XL under the captaincy of Rob Fryer, finished third in Grade 3, one point behind the runners-up in the league, and hence narrowly missed promotion. This was disappointing, as the Section would benefit from the Second XI playing in a higher league. However, they did win the Cup, which was some consolation. Gavin Milne and Rob Fryer both made significant contributions with the bat in the final, as they did on a number of occasions during the season, while Stephen Murphy was again the leading bowler. The hope is that promotion to Grade 2 will be achieved in 1998, and under the captaincy of Harvey Morrison the side has made a promising start to the season. The Third XI finished second in Grade 5, and due to one team dropping out of the leagues has been promoted to Grade 4 for 1998. This should benefit the Section as it should enable the younger players to develop by playing in a better standard of cricket. The leading run-scorers were Ian Hopkin, Harvey Morrison, the captain, and Geoffrey Morrison, while the main wicket takers were Martin Webster and Gary Stuart, but a number of the players made significant contributions during the season. Under the captaincy of Craig Fraser, the Third XI has made an encouraging start in Grade 4 in 1998, and look capable of finishing in the middle of the league, which would be a satisfactory achievement. One of the disappointments of 1997 was the position of the under-I7 and under15 teams. The former played only two matches due to lack of opposition, and we were unable to raise an under-I5 team. The latter has been fulfilling its fixtures for 1998 which is encouraging, as this is a source of future players for the Section. The Section remains anxious to improve the facilities at Rubislaw, and hopefully we will be able to lay an all-weather wicket at the end of the season. Progress towards achieving this is slow, but hopefully work will proceed at the end of the season and thereafter the Section hope to make further improvements to the facilities at Rubislaw. Football What should have been a successful 1997/98 season for the Grammar FP Football section ended in disaster when the team was expelled from the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association after a breach of League rules through our failure to attend two successive League meetings. With just five games left and promotion to Division 3 within sight, this punishment may seem harsh, but with other clubs having been similarly punished it is a situation that will have to be accepted. Re-application to enter Division 5 will likely be approved by the Aberdeenshire League. The events off the field should, however, not take anything away from what was a fine season on the pitch. The team, probably at its strongest ever, put in some superb performances and reached a level of consistency whereby only six defeats were recorded in the thirty-three league games played. Although not so successful in the domestic cup competitions, round three was again reached in the Scottish Amateur Cup, with the team going out in an away tie at Leslie in Fife. The season saw the playing squad grow in size with over twenty players putting in regular appearances. New goalkeeper Sean Branston, together with Paul Davidson, Rupert Seager, Gordon Smith and John Ryrie made sure that the defence 67
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was solid with more clean sheets kept than ever before. The midfield engine-room of Raymond Duncan, Kenny MacPherson, Rob Davidson, Kenny Smith and Richard Nicholson also had the skill to unlock defences and provide the chances for strikers Davie Sinclair, Tom Hyslop, Callum Fraser and top goal-scorer Derek Allan. Mentions must also be made for Alan and Michael Western, Michael Rennie, Alan Davie, Craig Porter and Innes Sim who also made telling contributions to the season. Again the team was guided through the season under the able direction of team manager Ian Corsie, who was assisted by Greg Mann. Their team selections, tactics and knowledge of the amateur game played a significant part in the results achieved. The efforts of captain Tom Hyslop should also be noted; his verbose style had a motivational effect on the team. After starting the season as a striker, Rupert Seager's conversion to defence led to him reaching a consistent level of performance that was rewarded with him being named as Player of the Year 1997/98. For the first time a Players' Player of the Year award was also made which was deservedly voted to Raymond Duncan for his superbly talented performances over the course of the season. Although the season ended in a somewhat sad manner, there were more plus points than minuses from which to take heart. With all the players committing themselves to the cause next season there is a confidence that the team can bounce back from adversity in a spirited and quick fashion. Golf The Golf Section celebrated its 50th birthday last year. A special commemorative dinner was held at the Athol! Hotel, and some of the original members attended Bill Connon, Eric Craig, Douglas Paterson, John Cradock and Doug Chapman with Gordon Inkson (who looked as if it was his 50th birthday) presiding as Captain. Two Outings were held at Braemar, one Outing at Ballater and there was a special "50th" Outing to Alford. The weekend Outing to Taymouth Castle in August continues to be the highlight of the golfing season. Excellent weather and low scoring made for some severe handicap reductions. Jim Lyon is always a competitive and consistent performer, and he held off a strong field to win the Carry Cup. FPs beat Gordonians to win the HAR Trophy at Braemar in a low scoring match. Some success was also achieved at Barnton in the Queen Elizabeth Coronation Schools Tournament, when our team of Ian Creswell, Gordon Inkson, Doug Mitchell, Derek Reekie and Douglas and Andrew Fowlie beat Old Salopians in the second round, before losing to Old Uppinghamians, the eventual winners, in the last 16. Hockey The season past could best be described as mediocre, with all teams ending in respectable positions in their respective leagues. There were two highlights during the season. One was the presentation of the John P. Drummond Trophy for the first time. This will be played for annually between School and Grammarians. The event brought a number of players out of retirement for an enjoyable game which was won 2-0 by Grammarians. The presentation was followed by a buffet at the Club Centre. The second was that the season ended on a high note, with our Second XI winning the Scottish District Plate, defeating MBC 'A' by 4-2, including a hat-trick by Chris Johnson. Next season we are to increase our number of teams to six by starting a Colts XI, which will be made up partly by present players from School. As ever, our hopes are high for improvement next season. 68
Former Pupils Section Petanque Bad weather reduced the number of playing days last season, but the main competitions were blessed with sunshine. The Summer Solstice Singles was won by Peter Henderson. In the Club Championships in August the winners were as follows:David Earp Singles: Doubles: Ayron & Ron Comber Triples: John May, Jamie Robertson & Neil Robertson The annual dinner was a great success, with 28 attending and enjoying a meal of the highest order - In-house catering. Our Secretary/Treasurer tells me the club continues to prosper. This will allow us to enhance the surrounding area of the piste and erect the long-awaited scoreboards. Newcomers will be made very welcome and anyone can have tuition whilst using the facilities of the adjacent D-I-Y Bar-B-Qs. The one sad note has been the untimely death of Roy Greig, one of our most enthusiastic members. Rugby This year has been one of the most successful seasons for the Club. Promotion has been gained by the First and Second XVs in their respective leagues, and the Third XV continues to compete well in the more social side of Aberdeen and District League rugby. The Youth Section continues from strength to strength under the guidance of many willing coaches, parents and supporters, especially George Crooks and Cohn McLeod. For the third successive season the First XV, led by Club Captain, lain Stanger, and Coach, Steve Coward, has gained promotion and will be playing in Premier Division 2 for season 1998/99. It has been a long campaign, with the competitive games commencing as early as August and finishing in May. Much of the success of the Club is due to the hard work of the executive Committee under the Chairmanship of Derek Younger, and President Derek McKay. The Club are sorry to have lost the services of Steve Coward as First XV Coach and wish him well for the future. The need for "off-field" support at all levels is ever greater, and anyone interested in becoming involved is asked to contact either Derek or the Secretary, Callum McDonald. The First team league results were:13 Played 10 Won 3 Lost For 271 154 Against 46 (Bonus Points 6) Points In addition there were 12 friendly games of which 8 were won. A total of 27 games played. The Second team league results were:Played 12; Won 12; For 635; Against 102; Points 36 The Club looks forward to an exciting time as one of Scotland's top twenty teams, and encourages all FPs and non-FPs to support the Club in the seasons ahead. Finally, congratulations are due to all players who have received representative honours: Graeme Hoyle, Jamie Osborne, Alistair Ness and Edward Adie, and of course to Charlie Ritchie, who demitted office as President of the Scottish Rugby Union at the end of June. Charlie has had a momentous year overseeing, as President, the re-organisation of District Rugby and the continuing development of Professionalism, the year culminating with the tour to Australia. 69
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
The Players and Committee look forward to seeing you in the season ahead and to your continuing support. Swimming Numbers attending the Club Sessions remain critically low, and new members would be extremely welcome. The Club meets on Tuesday evenings during School term times, commencing at 6 pm through to 9 pm in three consecutive sessions for family, lane and free swimming. Members are reminded that children are only permitted to attend at the Family Session when accompanied by an adult, as no pool supervision is provided, and then only until 7 pm. Club officials appointed at the Annual General Meeting were as follows: President: Roger Houghton Norman Marr Treasurer: Secretary: Peter Mulvey Women's Hockey This year we would like to start our report with all our thank-you messages, as without the assistance of the following individuals none of our games would be possible. Firstly we would like to say an enormous "thank you" to Richard Wallis, our reliable, good-natured and long-suffering umpire. Almost every weekend of this season (and all previous seasons), rain or shine, Richard has given up his time to umpire for one of the two sides which we currently run. Other contributions to our Club's umpiring requirement have been provided by a variety of players from other clubs and also two of our own Club members, and for this we are forever grateful. The next big "thank you" is to Rhona MacLennan, who has once again put up with all the gossiping etc. while trying to conduct training sessions. Practice (in hockey, not gossiping!) makes perfect....as they say....and there is no doubt we need it! We would also like to thank our supporters whose encouragement is always welcome, and in particular those who joined us on the longer trips this year...hopefully next year we will provide you with more to cheer about. Now for the hockey, which this year has been reasonable but not as good as we would have hoped. The First XI finished runners-up in North District One - again. There were some unusual results over the year and this made for an exciting end to the season. Unfortunately we had a couple of poor performances and as a result did not quite make it in the end. Nonetheless the team put in some great performances over the year and more than deserved their second place finish. In the Scottish Cup the First XI reached the quarter final - again - and then went out on penalties, which seems to be the story of the past few years. We played well in the game but just failed to put away our chances and we paid for this dearly in the penalty shoot-out at the end. The Second XI had some great results early on in the league and these went a long way to securing their place in Division One for next season. Their later results were less impressive, due to a combination of work commitments and illness, but they finished well above those relegated. This result says a lot for a team whose consistency is very difficult to maintain. The Second XI also had a good Scottish Cup run this year, although a long away trip took its toll and they lost the game. However the bus journey home and the one or two consolation lemonades more than made up for this (or so we are told!). Both sides will have new captains next season. Emma Hendry has been the First XI Captain for three years and is stepping down after this season, which concludes her second spell as Captain. The Second XI have had Fiona Robertson at the helm for the last two seasons, and she has decided to step down. Thanks are due to both members who have each carried out all their duties with a great deal of enthusiasm 70
Former Pupils Section and efficiency, and who will now notice a difference in their telephone bills! As ever, the Section members have been socially active throughout the season, and in particular we hosted a very successful race night. Most of the other items of social interest are unprintable . sorry! On a serious note, we are delighted to announce that we have secured sponsorship for next season form Aberdeen Solicitors' Property Centre, and as such we are investing in new strips. The deal will help with training costs and new equipment as well, for which we are very grateful. Finally, a big "thank you" to all the members of our Section without whom NONE of this would be possible.
Annual Dinner The 1997 Annual Dinner was held in the Marcliffe at Pitfodels on Friday 31 October, with the President, Mr J. Edward Fraser, in the chair. The attendance was somewhat improved on the previous year. As befits a distinguished classical scholar, the President followed his welcome to the company by saying 'Grace' at some length in fluent Latin. After a brief silence, the company showed its appreciation of this masterly departure from the norm by warm applause. This set the standard for the evening. An excellent meal was followed by the time-honoured toast list, albeit still without a toast to our numerous guests (official and private) and a response from one of them, although for the sake of accuracy it has to be said that proper reference was made to them by the President in the course of the proceedings. The principal toast, to "The School and the Club" was given by Kenneth Milne, rugby internationalist of some note, who approached his task with a slant towards his sport and ample quotes from his well-stocked repertoire of rugby anecdotes. Replying for the School, the Rector commented on various facets of the educational changes which seem to go on without interruption, and on examination and other successes which keep the Grammar flag flying. The President was in reflective mood as Presidents tend to be on such occasions, but clear in his emphasis on the value of the strong links between the Club and its Centres and between the Club and the School. With his easy manner and delightful sense of humour he made a marked impression on his audience. The arrangements were again in the hands of Fraser Webster to whom our warmest thanks are due. The New Marcliffe management and staff were at their best, and this was indeed an excellent evening. The following FPs attended the Dinner: J.R.S. Innes (1923-35), G.E.C. Barton (1923-26), J.C. Sellar (1924-34), A.M. McLaren (1926-39), B.D.D. Emslie (1929-35), W.M. Brown (1932-46), F.C. Connon (1932-44), C.L.C. Soutar (1932-41), A. Stuart (1932-45), H.K. Crookshanks (1934-46), J.E. Fraser (1936-49), 1.M. Duguid (193843), J.W. Cradock (1940-46), H.B. Paterson (1941-50), J.G.N. Fraser (1942-55), J.M. Jeffrey (1942-57), W.B. Brown (1943-57), H.A.S. Hamilton (1943-56), A.K. Campbell (1944-53), I.B. Kennaway (1944.57), D. McKay (1944-50), J.M. Clark (1947-59), F.K.S. Lawson (1947-62), G.F. Webster (1948-62), D.G. Fowlie (195064), M.B. Colvin (1951-65), R. Gray (1951-65), J.F. Hendry (1951-65), 1.H. McLeod (1951-55), H.E. Morrison (1951-65), R.C. Shirreffs (1951-65), D.K. Yule (1951-65), H.R. Millar (1952-65), J.C. Lyon (1953-59), D.J. Hopkin (1955-61), J.H. Gauld (1956-62), K. Jones (1956-66), M.A. Batchelor (1959-65), N.K.B. Edwards (195964), D.J. Walker (1959-65), N. Garden (1960-66), D.N. Yule (1960-66), D. McAllister (1961-74), I.S. Hopkin (1962-68), P.M. Robertson (1967-73), A.J. Thomson (1969-75), S. Armstrong (1974-80), N.J. Bain (1974-80), P.J. Clark (197480), L.D. Galloway (1974-80), A.J. Kinghorn (1974-79), K.A. Smith (1974-79), G.A. Thomas (1975-80), W.L. Smith (1976-80), G.M. Inkson (1986-92), R.K.M. Pennie (1986-92) N.J.W. Duncan (1986-91), P.R.M. Main (1986-92), G. Robertson (198671
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 92), J.P. Williams (1986-92), D.C. Brown (1989-95), S.A. Duthie (1989-95), D.B. Guyan (1989-95), M.J. Guyan (1989-95), G.S. Kennedy (1989-95), R.F. Mackie (1989-95) A.M. Mather (1989-95), N.C. Rennie (1989-95), N. Smith (1989-95), C.A. Veitch (1989-95) and P.J. Williams (1990-96); W.J. Johnston (Rector), R. McLeod (Staff), I.T. Stephen (Staff) and T.N. Montgomery (Staff) were also present.
Re-Union of 1947 School Leavers Some left School in 1946 from Fifth Year, having been the first year to sit Highers on a national basis after World War II; some of us left School in 1947 from the Sixth Year. Some had aged more than others, but one thing was certain - none of us had grown any younger. Seventeen of us gathered at an informal Re-union Dinner at the Atholl Hotel, Aberdeen on Friday 19 September 1997, with Bill Johnston, the Rector, as our guest. On the Saturday morning the group descended on the School to renew acquaintance with a much changed building. We could not fail to be impressed with what has been done to transform the place we recalled from fifty years ago. Only the Rector's study seemed to be an unchanged oasis that we all remembered. Our guide, Mr Ron Foulger, the Head Janitor, gave us a comprehensive and unforgettable tour. Saturday afternoon found us, courtesy of Grampian Coaches, enjoying a comprehensive tour of the City on which we were joined by some wives and families. This, too, was an eye-opener for some of the group. The week-end finished on Sunday, when we gathered, with wives, for a buffet lunch at the Club Centre. This was our first re-union, but it was enjoyed so much that there is talk of a repeat before too many more years have passed. After all this time there were a number of members of the class with whom the organisers failed to make contact, but some other names and addresses will come to light - some, perhaps, as a result of the appearance of this report (and our next attempt may yield even more survivors of the "Class of '47". Biographical information on some members of the class is included in the "Notes on Former Pupils" in the next section of this Magazine.
Re-Union - 30 Years on It is hoped to arrange a re-union in mid-June 1999 for former pupils who left the School in the Summer of 1969. It is proposed that an informal gathering should be held on the evening of Friday II June 1999. The Rector has kindly agreed to conduct a tour of the School on the Saturday morning, and an informal dinner is planned for the Saturday evening — 12 June. The Head Boy of the year, Marshall Byres, is coming from Hong Kong and if you belong to this group and have not as yet received a circular advising you of the projected re-union please contact Nigel G.M. Watt at 5 Melville Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7JA (telephone 0131 200 1020),
Planned Re-Union of Class of 1959 To mark the 40th Anniversary of their leaving School, the Class of 1959 is to hold a Dinner on Friday 3 October 1999. Any member of the Class interested in attending should contact JIM LYON 26 Gairn Road, Aberdeen ABIO 6AP Tel/Fax: 01224-581957 72
uoy3as slland Jawiod
1947 School Leavers 50th Anniversary Re-union
Back: J.G.W. Jones, W.G. McKay, R Lynch, A.P. Farquhar, A.J.H. Paterson, TI. Morrison, M. MacPhail, R.M. Gordon, E.G. Cran, J.M. Hunter, P.B. McCann. Front: G E. Leslie, W.D. Thom, H.J.G. Connochie, W.J. Johnston (Rector), G.A.M. Stewart, H.S. McRae, F.L.P. Fouin
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
1st (Aberdeen Grammar School) Scout Group The 1st (Aberdeen Grammar School) Scout Group celebrates its 90th birthday this year. To mark this milestone event, a dinner has been organised at the Stalls Tree Tops Hotel, Aberdeen on 27th December 1998. A cordial invitation is extended to all past members, leaders and others associated with the Group over its long history, and it is hoped to send a formal invitation to all those whose addresses can be found by the end of September. It is hoped to have a display of Group archives at the dinner. To this end we would appreciate the loan of photographs or any other material for the night. Further details may be obtained from : Andy Martin, Mill of Kinnemie, Dunecht, Aberdeenshire AB32 7EA
Honours and Awards New Year Honours Companion of the Order of the Bath (C.B.) James (Hamish) Hamill (1951-61) MA, Head of the Home Department of the Scottish Office was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1998 New Year Honours List. He is a graduate in Arts of Glasgow University and, having entered the Civil Service, joined the Scottish Office. After an involvement with housing legislation he became a Principal in the Planning Division with responsibility for the implementation of the Community Land Act, 1975 and later served as head of the Urban Renewal Unit in the Scottish Development Department. He has held senior posts in various Departments, including the Personnel Division, and in his present Department he is closely involved with matters relating to the Police and the Prison Service. In each Department in which he has served his keen intellect and his capacity for innovation have enabled him to make a significant contribution to the Department's efficiency. He was promoted to the rank of Deputy Secretary and to his present post in 1993. Honorary Degrees At the Graduation Ceremony at Aberdeen University in July 1997 the degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) was conferred on Philip Noel Love (1952-58) CBE, DL, MA, LL.B. Professor Christopher Gane, in presenting him, said: "One of the strengths of legal education in Scotland is the effective relationship which exists between legal practitioners and legal academics. Legal education is often improved when it is informed by an understanding of the practical implications of what is learned in the law library and shared in the classroom. Equally, the wise practitioner knows that the answer to a new or thorny problem may well be found in the reflections of his academic colleagues. 74
Former Pupils Section "Philip Love's career exemplifies this relationship between practice and the law school. While fully engaged as a partner in a busy practice, he held posts as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Scots Law, and a part-time lecturer in Evidence and Procedure. Full-time practice was only set aside when he became Professor of Conveyancing and Professional Practice of Law in the University of Aberdeen, a position which he held from 1974 until he left the University in 1992. "As a senior member of the academic community he made a distinguished contribution to the management of the University. He held the office of Dean of the Faculty of Law, not once but twice, and from 1986 to 1990 he was Vice-Principal of the University. "Just as the University recognised his strengths, so too did his colleagues in the legal profession. He served for many years on the Council of the Law Society of Scotland. In 1980 he became its Vice-president, and in the following year President. In 1983 the honour of Commander of the British Empire was conferred upon him in recognition of his services to the legal profession in Scotland. "From 1986 to 1985 he served as a part-time member of the Scottish Law Commission (the body which has a statutory responsibility for review and reform of the law of Scotland). During that time he contributed to the preparation of nearly fifty Law Commission discussion papers and reports on subjects as diverse as Child Abduction, the Grounds for Divorce, Hearsay Evidence, DNA Testing and the Law of the Tenement. "This is a career which has successfully combined the practice of law with the delivery and management of higher education. It was, perhaps, inevitable that other universities would recognise in Professor Love those qualities recognised by this institution when it appointed him Vice-Principal. In 1992 the University of Liverpool invited Professor Love to become their Vice-Chancellor." At a Graduation Ceremony held at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh on 10 July 1997 the degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) was conferred on David Ivor Macpherson Sutherland (1951-55) MA, M.Ed, FRSA in recognition of his distinguished service to education. After graduating from Aberdeen University with honours in Modern Languages in 1960 and in Education in 1962 he taught at the School until 1966. His career thereafter took him as a lecturer in Education to Belfast and then as an educational administrator to the Highlands of Scotland, where he was latterly Depute Director of Education. In 1985 he was appointed Registrar of the General Teaching council for Scotland. The Council is the body which oversees teaching standards and controls entry to the teaching profession. In his laureation address Professor Gordon Kirk, Principal of Moray House Institute, described him as the "guardian and protector" of teaching in Scotland.
Stephen James Allan (1983-89) BEng, PGDip has recently been appointed to the post of I.T. support engineer with the Education Department of Perth & Kinross County Council. After nearly four years working in Shropshire, he looks forward to being able to resume his favourite cold-weather sports of curling and ski-ing. Dugald Euan Baird (1942-54), who is chief executive of Schlumberger, the worldleading technical services group, and who has been closely involved with the fundraising activities of Aberdeen University surrounding their Quincentenary celebrations, has now become the University's single largest private benefactor. He has recently donated a sum to the new Institute of Medical Sciences at Foresterhill, Aberdeen in memory of his parents. The late Sir Dugald Baird was a pioneer in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, much of whose innovative work is now standard practice, while Lady May Baird was the first chairman of the North-eastern Regional Hospital Board. 75
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Leonard Bird (1938-46) is presently on holiday in Aberdeen. After leaving School he trained as a communications engineer and, following service in the Royal Air Force from 1948 to 1950, he joined Kelvin & Hughes, a company specialising in marine navigational aids and marine communications systems. For the next eight years he was employed as a senior service engineer in the U.K., Singapore, Nova Scotia and again in Singapore. In 1960 he moved to Fremantle in Western Australia where he set up in business on his own account as a consultant electronic engineer with expertise in marine applications. He was appointed as an agent for a number of overseas companies in this field. He was also appointed as radio surveyor for the major classification societies, including the American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas and Germanisch-Lloyd. He is permanently resident in Western Australia, but makes frequent visits to the U.K., Singapore and Malaysia, the United States and Western Europe. He is more or less retired, but maintains an interest in electronic technology. He recently called to visit John Bernard Anton (1936-46) who lives close to him in Australia, and was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by Maurice Robert Andre Roe (1934-45) who was on holiday there from his home in France. Many memories were recalled with the aid of a photograph of Lower 3A of 1938-39. David Alexander Blacklaws (1980-86), who has been for the past few years general manager of the Earls Court Hotel in Aberdeen, has bought the Panmure Arms Hotel in Edzell. The hotel has been closed since 1996 and more recently the US Navy pulled out of the Edzell air-base, but the refurbished hotel offering bar, restaurant, functions and conference facilities as well as residential accommodation, will provide a service to the community. Alexander Bryan Broomfield (1945-55) has joined the Aberdeen branch of Linc, an organisation designed to assist new business enterprises to start up. He finds the interest and excitement of helping people starting up to be very rewarding. The sort of people who are members of Linc are those who have already succeeded in their own business lives, have very often sold out their business interests and are seeking a new sphere of activity. Mr Broomfield was for 37 years with Town & County Motors in Aberdeen, latterly as managing director, prior to selling out his interest to his brother William McIntyre Broomfield (1945-54). He is also a former chairman of Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust. Neil Keith Buxton (1948-58) MA, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire, visiting his son, who is a doctor on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, came across Loriol Glegg Williamson (1941-51) in Brisbane. The latter, after leaving School, served as a cadet on HMS Worcester in 1952-53 before serving in the Merchant Navy. After lengthy service, he is now captaining a cruise boat on the Brisbane River introducing tourists to the major sights along the waterfront. His brother Lawrence Alexander WilRamon (1941-53) also attended the School. Alan Grant Campbell (1959-65) LL.B, who is Chief Executive of Aberdeenshire Council, has been elected chairman of SOLACE, the professional association of Scottish Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers. The Association was established in 1974 and he is the first official from the North-east to hold this office. Colin David Campbell (1961-74) is managing director of Langstane Press, the Aberdeen printing and office supplies company founded by his father and two uncles which sells anything from paper clips to computers. The company has recently re-located to new premises in Aberdeen so as to concentrate its main activities under one roof. Fellow directors include his brother Bruce John Campbell (1964-76) and his cousin John Harrison Campbell (1959-63). 76
Former Pupils Section Authority on Chinese Art Alistair Craig Chinas (1959-72) BA, PhD, who had already shown an interest in Chinese Art at School, studied Chinese at Cambridge and went on for further study at Beijing. On his return to the U.K. he took his PhD at the London School of African & Oriental Studies and then worked for a time at the Victoria & Albert Museum. He left to lecture at the University of Sussex, where he became Professor of Art in July 1997. He is an international authority on art in China with a special interest in the Ming Dynasty. Among his publications is Art in China, which covers from Neolithic times to the present, published by Oxford University Press as part of their series on the History of Art. He lives in London. Henry John Gray Connochie (1937-47) BL graduated in Law at Aberdeen University and has been a partner of Messrs Gray & Connochie, advocates for over forty years. He was for a number of years a tutor on Finance and Investment for the Diploma in Legal Practice at Aberdeen University. He has for many years been a Life Governor of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Edward Gray Crag (1944-47) BSc(Eng), AMICE worked as a chartered civil engineer and structural engineer in Aberdeen, Glasgow, the Western Isles, London and Austria and then in Fife before taking up an appointment in the Scottish Office in 1967. In 1961 he was working in the Aberdeen division of Messrs. F.A. Macdonald & Partners, Glasgow, the firm concerned in the construction of the School swimming pool, which opened in 1963. Neil Cromar (1957-63) LL.B, who has been a partner in A.C. Morrison & Richards, advocates, since 1970, has been elected Treasurer of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen. Neil graduated from Aberdeen University in 1966 and was apprenticed to Messrs. Burnett & Reid, advocates. He is the youngest of four brothers who all attended School — Peter Law Cromar (1942-48) MA, MEd a retired principal educational psychologist living in Elgin; Alexander Cromar (1944-50) MA, MEd who retired from the deputy headship of Torry Academy in 1995; and Robert Leys Cromar (1944-49) who is now retired after a career with Royal Insurance and lives in Houghton-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire. Gordon Kenneth Crookshanks (1979-85), who has since 1990 been a Senior First Officer with Bristow Helicopters, was promoted to the rank of Captain in September 1997. Although the major part of his flying has been to offshore installations in the North Sea, he has had extensive Search & Rescue experience in the Hebrides and at Portland. Along with FP fellow-pilot, Tim Rolfe (q.v.) he recently flew a Sikorsky S6IN helicopter from Aberdeen to Bangladesh for use in off-shore work in the Bay of Bengal. The story of this interesting flight is told in an article elsewhere in this Magazine. Norman Esslemont (1948-52) MA, formerly managing director of the Aberdeen department store Esslemont & Macintosh, has now opened a men's casual wear shop in Thistle Street, Aberdeen. He is running the new business in partnership with his son. He had previously been a director of the family business for over twentyfive years. Alexander Provan Farquhar (1940-47) MA taught in Tillydrone and Sunnybank primary schools in Aberdeen until 1963, when he was appointed First Assistant in the Junior School of Robert Gordon's College. In 1966 he was appointed Head Teacher at Cults primary school, moving to a similar post at Milltimber in 1973. He retired in 1989. 77
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
William Henry Brough Forbes (1939-47) BSc(For) following National Service with the Royal Engineers spent six years as a logging superintendent with the North Borneo Timber Company Ltd. In 1959 he joined the Northern Ireland Forest Service, being later appointed Chief Forest Officer and head of the Northern Ireland Forest Service. He retired in 1988 and now lives in Alyth, Perthshire. Francois Louis Pierre Fouin (1944-47) MB, ChB after National Service became a partner in a general medical practice in the Cults and Culter area of Aberdeen. He retired in 1990 and can now indulge his hobbies of shooting, fishing and golf. David Brian Galloway (1944-58) MB, ChB after graduating in medicine at Aberdeen University in 1964, completed various courses of post-graduate training in Glasgow, Birmingham and London until 1972, when he returned to Aberdeen as a lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology. In 1976 he went south to head up Clinical Pharmacology (UK) for Beecham Pharmaceuticals, moving to Roche Products Ltd in 1978 before being appointed Director of Clinical Pharmacology in the Napp Research Centre at Cambridge in 1984. For eight years until 1996 he was an independent Health Consultant. He has now returned to Aberdeen University where he has been appointed as a Senior Lecturer, and as Director of the Medicines Assessment Research Unit, linking all clinical research involving commercial sponsors between the University's Faculty of Medicine and the two local NHS Trusts, Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust and Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust. Alistair George Grade (1953-66) has been appointed Controller of Grampian Television following the merger of Grampian with the Scottish Media Group. He joined Grampian from Aberdeen Journals in 1970 and for the last twelve years has been head of the station's news and current affairs department. He believes that the new merged group has the potential to screen programmes made by each of the constituent companies to be shown across Scotland. Mr Gracie is a former Editor of this Magazine. As a consequence of the merger, Graham Good (1962-68) CA, has left the company. He was Grampian's financial director and a major shareholder in the company, which he first joined in 1975. Edwin Grieve (1944-50) MA, LL.B retired recently as a senior partner in the longestablished city firm of Messrs. A.C. Morrison & Richards, advocates. After graduating in Arts and Law at Aberdeen University and completing his legal training with Messrs. L. Mackinnon & Son, advocates in Aberdeen, he spent part of his National Service with a Field Security Section of the Intelligence Corps in Germany. Following partnerships in legal f►rms in Nairn and Dundee he returned to Aberdeen in 1970 to become a partner in the city firm. He is a Past-President of the Rotary Club of Aberdeen St. Machar. New York Marathon Runner Fiona Jane Hamilton (1986-90), who graduated from Glasgow University with an honours degree in Geography in 1995, then completed an MSc course in Rural & Regional Resources Planning at Aberdeen University, graduating in 1996. After a holiday in Malaysia and Thailand (in the course of which she was most royally entertained by the FP Club Consul in Bangkok, Prof. Alastair North, she took up a post in Edinburgh with Barra UK, formerly Edinburgh Financial Planning. Here she set herself the ambitious target of running in the New York Marathon in November 1997. After months of fund-raising events, several half-marathons, and much pounding of the streets of Edinburgh, the day dawned cold and wet, with an early drizzle which turned into a gruelling downpour with thunder and lightening. Fiona completed the course and, between them, she and seven friends raised £14,000 78
Former Pupils Section for the MacMillan Cancer Relief Fund. Before returning home they relaxed in Las Vegas, where the locals never quite understood why the Scots girls walked like John Wayne after many days in the saddle! Fiona has now taken up an appointment, initially part-time, as a Development Officer with Rural Forum in Perth. She continues part-time with Barra UK. Richard James Monro Hamilton (1954-67), who was Dux of the School in 1967, and who has worked for several years for the international manufacturing group ITT Industries in the United States, has been appointed president of ITT Fluid Technology's newly created Commercial and Speciality Products Group. The Group, which has annual sales worth $800million, produces a wide range of goods, including pumps and valves. Kelvin Douglas Hay (1979-84) B.Eng has recently returned to Aberdeen. After leaving School he completed a course at the former RGIT before proceeding to Heriot Watt University where he graduated in Engineering in 1989. He then worked for seven years in Glasgow before taking up a contract in Saudi Arabia, where he was engaged on a project for the design of control systems. He spent fourteen months there, based in Riadh, and he it was who hosted a mini-FP re-union last December when Gordon Crookshanks and Tim Rolfe literally dropped in to visit. Kelvin is now working for the Wood Group in Aberdeen, and is concerned in enabling Texaco to beat the Millenium bug. Graham Stewart Hendry (1961-74) MA, CA attended Aberdeen University, where he graduated in Arts in 1977. He went on to qualify as a chartered accountant with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells in Aberdeen. In 1980 he joined Moore, Stephens & Butterfield in Bermuda as an Audit Senior. He continued his overseas career in the Middle East, first in Saudi Arabia and then in Dubai. Since 1994 he has been audit manager for Grant Thornton International in Kuwait. Professor of Literature Harry Joseph Charles Hill (1948-59) MA continues to pursue an acting career by night alongside his academic career as Professor of English Literature specialising in Shakespeare at Concordia University, Montreal. He has received rave reviews for his part in Taking Sides, by the South African writer Ronald Harewood. One critic suggested that Hill's richly varied life as an actor, director and vocal coach complements his academic career. It is understood that he is to take early retirement from Concordia in June 1999 and it is believed that he is to move into full-time acting, having been long courted by theatrical producers from Toronto. James More Hunter (1935-47) MB, ChB following medical and surgical interneeships in Aberdeen trained in obstetrics and gynaecology in Glasgow before gaining experience in general practice in the UK and in Canada. From 1965 he was for thirty-one years a general practitioner in Edinburgh. He retired in 1996. Colin William Inch (1976-82) has recently graduated BSc from the Open University with honours in Social Science. He is working as a free-lance photographer in Aberdeen. Gordon Mackay Inkson (1986-92) graduated in Law at Aberdeen University in 1995. After completing his Diploma year he has been a trainee solicitor with Adam Cochrane & Co, advocates. He takes up an appointment in the commercial department of Paull & Williamson, advocates, in August. Gordon has recently undertaken responsibility for the annual Dinner and the Ball as Entertainments Secretary . His father is lain James Inkson (1957-62). 79
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine John Gareth Watkin Jones (1937-47) BSc, PhD, CBiol, FlBiol studied at both Durham and Aberdeen before spending a year at the University of Missouri as a King George VI Memorial Fellow in 1954-55. Commissioned in the Royal Artillery he spent part of his National Service in Singapore. In 1957 he became a lecturer in animal production at Wye College, University of London, moving on to be a Principal Scientific Officer at the Grassland Research Institute at Hurley. From 1970 he was a Senior Lecturer in Agriculture at Reading University. He retired in 1995. Dennis Kelly (1940-49) is managing director of Kelly of Cults. The firm has recently been honoured with the award of a trophy as Britain's "Independent Retailer of the Year". The judges commented that the shop enjoyed a first class reputation with local shoppers built over many years. The business was founded by Dennis Kelly's grandfather and the fourth generation is now engaged in running the firm as Dennis' son is now actively involved. Edwin John Leigh (1976-81) CA has been appointed a Corporate Finance Partner in the Aberdeen office of RMD, chartered accountants. He joined the firm's corporate finance team after qualifying as an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand, and has played a major part in several key transactions, especially in the oil and gas sector of industry. George Erskine Leslie (1944-47) BSc(Phys), DipEd served with the Royal Air force from 1953 until 1969. He was then employed with Honeywell Information Systems, and later with Bull Information Systems. He retired in 1991 and lives in Henley-onThames where he is involved with various charities. David Stewart Craigen Levie (1940-42) BL has been appointed chairman of the trustees of Archaeolink, the pre-history centre which opened at Oyne, Aberdeenshire in June 1997. Robert Lynch (1935-47) MB, ChB following National Service in the Royal Air Force trained in Cruden Bay as a general practitioner before joining a practice in Kilwinning, Ayrshire. He retired in 1990 but is still resident there. Patrick Bernard McCann (1938-46) joined Macfisheries, the Aberdeen branch of a Unilever company in the early days of the frozen food processing industry. He was later appointed as planning manager for all their factories in the UK. After twenty years he made a complete change and, with his wife, set up a gift shop in Aberdeen specialising in the best of contemporary design. He is now retired. David McDonald (1961-67) has been re-elected vice-chairman of Aberdeen Sports Council. Dave, who was until recently employed in the Leisure & Recreation Department of Aberdeen City Council, has taken over the licensed premises Fiddlers in Aberdeen's Portland Street. He is heavily involved in the arrangements for this autumn's Golden Oldies Rugby Festival at Rubislaw. David John Mackay (1967-71) has for the past four years been operating a restaurant in one of Aberdeen's best known buildings, the former Soup Kitchen in Loch Street. Located near the former premises of the old Northern Co-operative Society, the Kitchen catered for the poor and needy from the 1800s, but with the re-development of the surrounding area it had been unoccupied for some time before being purchased and refurbished by David. After some years in hotel management, for which he trained after leaving School, he set up the cycle retail business of Alpine Bikes, and has now decided to concentrate on this and earlier this year closed down the restaurant. 80
Former Pupils Section William Graham McKay (1941-46) MB,ChB following National Service with the Royal Air Force entered general practice and for over thirty years was in practice along with his wife in Whitehaven, Cumbria. He retired in 1990. Distinguished Conservationist Ian Angus Shaw MacPhail (1933-40), one of the founding members of the World Wildlife Fund, was in 1997 the recipient of a top Peruvian award for his services to conservation. This is the second occasion on which Peru has honoured him, and his work has been internationally recognised. He has had a lifelong love of nature and is a former European co-ordinator of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He has been a leading member of the conservation movement for over forty years and has campaigned throughout that time on many conservation issues. Members of the FP Club with back-numbers of the Magazine will be interested in an article published in the June 1966 issue (Vol LXIX No.2) entitled "Living with Nature." Malcolm MacPhial (1934-47) BSc(Econ), BL, after a period as a legal assistant with the former Aberdeen Town Council, joined the Procurator Fiscal Service in 1962. After a spell as a Depute at Dundee he was appointed Procurator Fiscal at Stonehaven in 1973 and moved to Perth in 1982. He retired in 1991. He is a member of Perth & Kinross Valuation Appeal Committee and is involved with the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland and with Perth Civic Trust. Hamish Simpson MacRae (1934-47) CA, following National Service with The Rifle Brigade in Kenya and Malaya worked briefly in an accountants' office in Glasgow before joining the Inland Revenue in 1959. After appointments as a District Inspector and with Enquiry Branch he became Group Controller and then Deputy Controller Scotland, in charge of graduate recruitment in Scotland. He retired in 1994, since when he has been engaged as a consultant on tax administration and organisation in Ethiopia in 1994 and in Tanzania in 1996-97. His home is in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewhire. Margaret Jocelyn Macrae-Gibson (1977-82) LL.B, who has been an associate of the Aberdeen law practice of Paull & Williamsons for the past few years, has been assumed as a partner in the firm. She works in the litigation department. Robert Middleton (1944-48) now combines three key posts on Aberdeen City Council. He is vice-convener of the powerful policy and resources committee, convener of the finance committee and vice-convener of the economic development committee. A former Convener of Grampian Regional Council he now represents the Castlehill ward of the city. Convener of the Housing Committee is Ramsay Galloway Mine (1958-71) who was previously a member of the former City District Council. He represents the Quarryhill ward. John Andrew Milne (1938-50) is presently Deacon Convener of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen. Philip Michael Rowson (1957-68) is a member of the Convener Court as Deacon of the Wrights & Coopers Incorporation. John Stott (1954-67) LL.B, who is a partner in Wilsone & Duffus, advocates, is one of the Joint Clerks & Assessors to the Court. Hamish John Moir (1964-75), who became a police cadet on leaving School and then served for twenty years with Grampian Police, now operates a private detective agency in Aberdeen. William Michael Murray (1945-54) has recently returned to Aberdeen from Gullane following his retirement from the Bank of Scotland. After leaving School he joined 81
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine the then Union Bank of Scotland Ltd at their Kittybrewster branch in Aberdeen and has since held appointments in Dundee, Perth, Lerwick, Aberdeen (where he was chief manager at Castle Street) and Manchester. Latterly he has been Assistant General Manager/Chief Head Office Manager in the Bank's head office in Edinburgh. He was particularly interested in staff training, and taught a number of banking-related subjects at evening school, as well as lecturing at internal bank training courses. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland and was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal for services to banking. In both Shetland and Aberdeen he was closely involved with the oil industry which was recognised by his being made an honorary citizen of Houston, Texas. His National Service was served in the Navy where he progressed through all the `lower deck' ranks to be eventually commissioned as a Radio Communications Officer. His love of the sea continued in Shetland where he was an auxiliary coastguard before being accepted as a member of the Lerwick lifeboat crew. Mike's main sporting interest was hockey, and during his travels around the UK he has played for a number of teams at various levels. He is a past Club Captain of the F.P. Hockey Section and has captained both Grammarians and Dundee Wanderers. His sporting interests are now golf (at Deeside Golf Club) and a little fishing. Albert John Horne Paterson (1935-47) MA, LL.B, after training as a solicitor in Aberdeen and completing National Service with the West African Frontier Force, served from 1956 with the Directorate of Army Legal Services, attaining the rank of Colonel. Retiring in 1983, he was for a time in the Professional Conduct Department of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England & Wales. He is now retired and living near Elgin. Ian Williams Pithie (1979-85), who went into the hotel business after leaving School, has returned to Aberdeen. He is now a partner in Washbay Car Valet Service. The business, which specialises in prestige cars, is expanding. Leading .Journalist Henry (Harry) William Reid (1952-61) was in May last year appointed editor of The Herald. He began his career in journalism in Newcastle in 1969, but since the following year has worked entirely in Scotland. For nine years from 1970 he worked for The Scotsman as sports writer, leader writer, education correspondent and features editor. He moved to Glasgow in 1971 as sport and leisure editor of the new Sunday Standard. He became executive editor of The Herald in 1983 and deputy editor in the following year. After his new appointment was announced he said "It is a great privilege to become editor of The Herald, which I regard as the number one job in Scottish journalism. The paper's staple has always been its pre-eminent coverage of Scottish news and Scottish issues. This is our greatest strength, and I am determined that this will continue to be the case as we move towards the creation of a Scottish Parliament". Campbell Malcolm Ref& (1966-73) has joined Simpson Forsyth & Co., chartered accountants in Aberdeen, as Senior Tax Manager. He had previously spent fifteen years with the Inland Revenue, the last six as an Inspector. Since 1989 he has worked as a senior tax manager with two of the large international firms of chartered accountants in Aberdeen. At his new firm he joins Lindsay Anne Caldwell (nee Steele) (1977-83) CA, and Paul Alexander Davidson (1977-83) CA. Charles Duncan Rice (1949-60) MA, PhD, Principal of Aberdeen University, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which is Scotland's foremost learned society. He has published widely on the impact of the British 19th Century reform movements, and has also received fellowships at Harvard and Yale. Principal 82
Former Pupils Section Rice has also been elected to the Council of the National Trust for Scotland. Timothy John Rolfe (1982-86) BSc joined Bristow Helicopters in 1989 after graduating from Newcastle University. After training as a pilot at Redhill, Surrey he qualified in 1990, since when he has been flying with the company, mainly in the North Sea out of Aberdeen. He has also been stationed in the Falklands, and has gained Search & Rescue experience in the Hebrides. He was promoted to the rank of Captain earlier this year. His account of an epic flight to Bangladesh with an FP colleague appears elsewhere in this Magazine. Barry Scott (1974-80) has been appointed as a director at the Edinburgh office of Tilney Investment Management. He joined the company in 1988 and for the past eight years has been in charge of their Aberdeen office. He was appointed a director in 1993. He is a member of the Securities Institute and specialises in the management of discretionary client accounts. He will remain responsible for portfolio management and business development in the North and North-east of Scotland. Former Malayan Centre Secretary Forbes (Foy) Keith Sellar (1933-45) BL is now a Director of European Research Associates S.A., economic consultants, Brussels, whose Chairman Robert Smart Taylor (1949-58) MA is also a former Prefect. On leaving School he volunteered for the R.A.F. and served in Bomber and Transport Commands. Demobilised in 1949 he was apprenticed to the late John Scott MacLachlan (1922-32), advocate in Aberdeen, who was the then Secretary and Treasurer of the FP Club and therefore responsible for the upkeep of the Club records. Access to these enabled Foy to arrange for the first re-union of Boarding House FPs in 1952. Having graduated in Law at Aberdeen University he then went to the Far East where he was called to the bars of Malaya and Singapore. He acted as the honorary secretary of the Malayan Bar Council for three years, and was subsequently an elected member of the Council for eight years. He was for several years FP Club Consul for Malaya and Singapore, and Secretary of the Malayan Centre of the Club. Retiring from private practice in the Far East in 1979, he joined the University of Aberdeen and was asked to produce a report on the University's future links with Industry. This led to the formation of the Aberdeen University Research and Industrial Services (AURIS) Group of Companies, of which he was the first Chief Executive and subsequently a Director on the main Board. He was also solicitor to the University and a member of the Faculty of Law. As a consultant to the European Commission and the Standing Conference of European Rectors (CRE), Geneva, he advised several universities in Europe and South America on the transfer of their technology to Industry. On retiring from the University in 1993 he was a Visiting Professor in South Carolina, USA. He is the son of the late John Keith Sellar (1911-14). His own son Dominic Jonathan Keith Sellar (1980-85) BA, LL.B is now practising with Robert Kerr & Co., solicitors, in Paisley, and is in charge of their Johnstone office. Alan Walter Simpson (1939-40, 1944-47) MB.ChB, following post-graduate hospital posts in the UK went in 1958 to Canada where he trained as an anaesthetist. Since 1961 he has been head of anaesthetics at St Mary's Hospital, Kitchener, Ontario. Ronald Ian Lewis Smith (1946-60) BSc, PhD led a multi-cultural team of eighteen biologists in Antarctica in the latter part of 1997 where they were engaged on research for the British Antarctic Survey. Dr Lewis Smith was heading one research team studying plant biology in order to establish how plants are standing up to ultra-violet radiation from the depletion of the ozone layer above the Antarctic. He was working from the Rothera station on the South-west Antarctic peninsula. 83
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Logan Dow Steele (1970-76) ACII, has been appointed branch manager at Inverness of the General Accident Assurance Corporation. He has worked for the company since leaving School, initially in Aberdeen, thereafter in various offices in Humberside and North-west England. Prior to his new post he was Development Manager for Commercial Marketing at the company's head office in Perth. Ian George Stephen (1961-67) MA is now a leader in the field of forensic psychology. He attended Aberdeen University intending to study languages, but switched to a degree in psychology. He then trained as a teacher at Aberdeen College of Education before the combination of his qualifications and experience took him into the field of educational psychology. More involvement with problem adolescents led to working with offenders. He was one of the founders of the pioneering special unit at Barlinnie Prison which is directed at offering therapy for difficult prisoners. He worked for many years with offenders in the community and was director of psychology at the State Hospital at Carstairs for ten years before retiring three years ago. He has been engaged as an adviser on criminal character development for such TV classics as Prime Suspect and Touch of Frost. Since retiring he has been working part-time at Shotts Prison and has been involved in a range of media work. F.P. Headmasters Clement Allan Stewart (1952-59) MA, M.Ed retired in July 1997 as headmaster of Portlethen Academy, the school which he helped to establish when it opened ten years before. After graduating at Aberdeen in 1962 his first teaching post was at the School where he taught mathematics until 1970 when he went to Dunoon Grammar School as principal teacher of mathematics. In 1972 he became assistant rector there and two years later deputy rector. From 1977 until becoming the first headmaster of Portlethen Academy he was head of Lochgilphead High School in Argyll. During his time at Portlethen he has seen the roll rise from the initial 180 pupils to over 800. His successor at Portlethen is Albert Victor Swhilborn (1964-70) MA, who began his teaching career in the English Department of Lossiemouth High School. Later he taught at Inverurie Academy and Hilton Academy, Aberdeen before being appointed assistant rector at Westhill Academy in 1984. He has been depute rector there since 1991. George Alexander Murdoch Stewart (1941-47) MA, DipEd taught maths and science in Methven, Perthshire in 1957-59, after which he was a teacher of science in various Aberdeen Schools until 1975. He then taught in Dumfries until retiring in 1988. His home is in Dumfries. Magnus Stewart (1952-58) BSc has recently retired from Northfield Acadmy, Aberdeen, where he was principal teacher of Chemistry from 1973. He began his career as a teacher of maths and science at Banchory Academy in 1963, moving to the Grammar in 1964 as a teacher of chemistry. Gillian Anne Thomas (nee Crookshanks) (1975-80), who has been based in Calgary since 1983, with short stays in Yemen and in Indonesia between 1993 and 1995, has been living in Ascot since mid-1997. Her husband, who is employed by a Canadian oil company, is currently his company's UK managing director. Gillian had a role in organising the 1997 Canadian Centre Dinner which was held in Calgary a month after her move to Ascot. Nothing daunted, she made the flight back to Calgary to attend the function! Edward Michael Walker (1956-59) FRICS, who started work as a trainee quantity surveyor with Aberdeen County Council on leaving School in 1959, has been chairman of the Walker Group based in Livingston since 1986. After three years with the 84
Former Pupils Section construction groups James Miller & Partners and then Albert Thain he set up his own company in 1969 with £1000 of share capital and £4000 in loan capital which was repaid within a year from profits. The company employs 73 staff directly and many more in numerous joint-venture companies. These include flagship leisure, retail and industrial projects such as Springkerse Retail Park in Stirling and Westerwood at Cumbernauld which features an international standard golf course designed by Seve Ballesteros. In addition to his business interests, he is chairman of Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd. Michael Grant Walker (1949-57) MB.ChB, ChM, FRCS who is consultant vascular surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary and Medical School, was appointed to a personal chair in Vascular Surgery by the University of Manchester in February 1997. Professor Walker serves on numerous national and international boards and is active in the research field of molecular biology in addition to running one of the busiest vascular surgery units in the country. A former FP rugby stalwart, he now regularly meets with former playing friends at Murrayfield Internationals. Conor Leigh Watson (1986-92) graduated from Aberdeen University last year obtaining an MSc degree in Soil Science. In 1996 he graduated BSc in Environmental Biochemistry at Glasgow University, and he has now returned there to study for a PhD. Distinguished Historian Donald Elmslie Robertson Watt (1931-43) MA, FRHistS, Emeritus Professor of Scottish Church History at St Andrews University, has recently completed twenty years' work as leader of a team of editors who have translated a nearly forgotten mediaeval chronicle. The Scotichronicon (which translates roughly as "A History Book for Scots") was an epic covering 1,000 years of Scottish history from mythical beginnings to the murder of King James I in 1437. It was written by Walter Bower, the Abbot of Inchcolm Abbey in the 1440s. Bower himself was one of the first students of law and theology at St Andrews and was the first literary figure produced by the University. He copied and preserved the work of earlier historians as well as adding his own contributions. It was completed before the advent of printing and was circulated in manuscript form. It was first printed, in Latin, in the mid-18th century. Professor Watt is a distinguished ecclesiastical historian who taught in St Andrews Mediaeval History Department from 1953 to 1988, and from 1977 occupied the Chair of Scottish Church History. He confesses that his worry in recent years has been that he would die before completing what he admits has been a labour of love. He has been studying the Scotichronicon since he was a student; he says, "As a Scottish history scholar it is the one work you have to study." The new work is in nine volumes running to several thousand pages, and is in Latin, with the translation on the facing pages. The author plans to compile a collection of extracts in English to be published in a more affordable paperback version. Professor Watt is a son of the late Theodore Watt (1889-1901) who was Editor of this Magazine for thirty-nine years and Secretary & Treasurer of the FP Club for twenty-seven of these years.
Marriages Andrews (1983-87) - At Mannofield Church, Aberdeen on 14 March 1998, James Clayton Murray Andrews, son of James Garden Andrews (1948-62) and of Mrs Andrews, 21 Holburn Road, Aberdeen to Louise Donald, daughter of Revd. Brian Stuart Cooper Donald (1948-51) and of Mrs Donald, 10 Teuchar Road, Cumineston, Turriff. 85
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Barron (1984-90) - At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 26 July 1997, Garry Senff, elder son of Mr & Mrs David Senff, 3 Dunvegan Avenue, Portlethen to Amanda Grace Barron, eldest daughter of Dr Hugh Wilson Taylor Barron (1953-60) and of Mrs Barron, 17 Westburn Drive, Aberdeen . Brown (1982-85) - At the Copthorne Hotel, Aberdeen on 12 July 1997, Eamonn Hamilton, son of Mr & Mrs Thomas Hamilton, Trimm, nr. Dublin to Meriel Anne Macdearmid Brown, daughter of Mr & Mrs Douglas I.L. Brown, 10 Glenhome Avenue, Dyce, Aberdeen. Calder (1977-83) - At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 15 November 1997, Alexander Robert MacDougall, son of Mr & Mrs John MacDougall, Dornie, Sutherland, to Alison Jane Calder, daughter of Mr & Mrs John P. Calder, 12 Beechgrove Gardens, Aberdeen Davidson (1977-83) - At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 24 April 1997, Dr Robin William Scott, son of Mr & Mrs William Scott, Sheffield to Elaine Mary Davidson, daughter of Mr & Mrs Alexander F. Davidson, 94 Mile End Avenue, Aberdeen Drysdale (1984-90) - At Haddo House Chapel, Tarves on 6 September 1997, Peter Marshall Drysdale, son of Mr & Mrs Marshall Drysdale, 62 Morningfield Road, Aberdeen to Marion Bell, daughter of the late Mr Harold Bell & of Mrs Mary Bell, 181 Lee Crescent North, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen Forbes (1982-88) - At Rubislaw Parish Church, Aberdeen on 4 April 1998, Colin George Forbes, son of Sinclair Thomson Forbes, (1947-56) and of Mrs Forbes, 26 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen to Ann Elsie Jane Laird, daughter of Mr & Mrs William Laird, 138 Provost Rust Drive, Aberdeen. Hammond (1981-87) - At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 30 August 1997, Key Mallinder, son of Mr & Mrs Paul Mallinder, Wythall, Birmingham to Gillian Claire Hammond, daughter of Mr & Mrs John C. Hammond, 268 Westburn Road, Aberdeen. Howitt (1983-85) — At Elgin South Church on 7 June 1997, Collin lanes Hewitt, youngest son of Mr & Mrs James Howitt, 52 Whitehall Road, Aberdeen to Eileen Fordyce, daughter of Mr & Mrs William Fordyce, 29 Pringle Road, Bishopmill, Elgin. Little (1984-90) — At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 21 July 1997, Neil Cameron, son of Mr & Mrs William Cameron, Charleston Circle, Cove, Aberdeen to Fiona Elizabeth Little, younger daughter of Mr & Mrs John R. Little, 27 Cromwell Road, Aberdeen Milne (1986-92) - At Danestone Congregational Church, Aberdeen on 25 October 1997, Bruce Cowie, son of Mr & Mrs Andrew M. Cowie, 23 Middleton Crescent, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen to Denise Kathleen Mary Milne, daughter of Mr & Mrs Denis Milne, 25 Camperdown Road, Aberdeen Rennie (1986-91) - At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 22 November 1997, Keith Dargie, son of Mr & Mrs Gordon Dargie, 2 Kinkel! Road, Aberdeen to Beverly Anne Rennie, elder daughter of Mr & Mrs Alan Rennie, 23 Harcourt Road, Aberdeen Sweet (1977-82) — At Aberdeen Registry Office on 29 February 1996, Philip Simpson, son of Mr & Mrs Jack Simpson, Forbesfield Road, Aberdeen to Sally Anne Sweet, elder daughter of Prof & Mrs Michael Sweet, 22 Desswood Place, Aberdeen 86
Former Pupils Section Sweet (1982-88) - At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 21 February 1998, Simon Munro, son of Mr & Mrs George Munro, 53 Gordon Road, Mannofield, Aberdeen to Tamsin Clare Sweet, younger daughter of Prof & Mrs Michael Sweet, 22 Desswood Place, Aberdeen Swinbourne (1981-86) - In Mauritius on 26 November 1997, Greg Swinbourne, son of Mr & Mrs Dennis Swinbourne 56 Raeden Crescent, Aberdeen to Noelle Martin, daughter of Mme Marion Martin, 59 Albury Road, Aberdeen Wolfsbauer (1987-92) - At St Mary's Cathedral, Aberdeen on 15 November 1997, Robert Gray, son of Mr & Mrs Robert M.D. Gray, Station Mews, Station Road, Bucksburn to Leah Jean Wolfsbauer, daughter of Mr & Mrs Raymond Wolfsbauer, 59 Morningfield Road, Aberdeen
Obituaries Maurice Cramb (1916-29) MA, LL,B, LL.D, died peacefully in a nursing home in Kinross on 6 April 1998 aged 87. Modern Dux and a Prefect in his sixth year, he went on to Aberdeen University where he graduated in Arts in 1932 and Law in 1934. He was awarded the Edmond Prize in Law (for the student with the highest marks) in 1934 and two years later the Cruickshank Law Prize. He was apprenticed to Carle Duthie & Ferries, advocates, and from 1934 was an assistant with that firm. War service was with the Royal Artillery, latterly as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General in Cyrenaica with the rank of Major. For five years from 1946 he was lecturer in Roman Law at Aberdeen University. In 1951, with Thomas Gibb, he acquired the law practice of the late Edwin J. Cormack and established the firm of Cormack, Cramb & Gibb in Aberdeen. In the same year he was admitted to the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen. A long association with Aberdeen University began with his election to the Business Committee in 1949. He was Vice-Convener of that Committee from 1963 and Convener from 1971 to 1979. He was a member of the University Court fom 1960, first as a General Council Assessor and then, from 1963 until his retiral in 1979, as Chancellor's Assessor. He was an Executive Trustee of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. He retired from practice as a solicitor some years ago and moved to the Edinburgh area. Having been President of the Dramatic Society, Vice-President of the Literary & Debating Society and a School Editor of the Magazine, Maurice Cramb was early involved with the F.P. Club. Elected to the Executive in 1935, he served on it almost continuously for twenty years. He was its vice-chairman in 1951-53 and VicePresident of the Club and Chairman of the Executive in 1953-55. The latter period in office encompassed the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1953 and the lengthy discussions about the celebration of the School's Septoentenary, originally planned for 1956, which was, in the end, frustrated by historical research. Twice invited to become President of the Club, his increasing commitment to Aberdeen University compelled him to decline. He was later appointed an Honorary Vice-President in recognition of his earlier sterling work for the Club. An elder brother, William John Cramb (1915-25) died in 1952. Dr Cramb was predeceased by his wife in 1996, but is survived by his son Maurice Quentin Cramb (1944-58) M.A., Dip.Ed. Ian Milne Cay Crawford (1935-44) MA, died suddenly in hospital in Edinburgh on 20 August 1997 aged 69. He attended Aberdeen University, graduating in Arts with honours in Economic Science in 1948. He was commissioned in the Education Corps during National Service, attaining the rank of Captain. 1951 he joined the Anglo Iranian Oil Company as assistant to a works manager in Abadan, only to experience the trauma of the company's nationalisation by the Iranians a few 87
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine months later. He contributed an interesting article to the December 1951 Magazine on the "Farewell to Abadan". The next five years were spent in Formosa (Taiwan) where he was employed with Harrison & Crosfield Ltd., shipping agents and international traders. He was briefly engaged in a hotel business interest in Portugal in 1958, where he met his wife. In 1958 he joined British Petroleum and then spent four years with their associate, African Petroleum Terminals Ltd., in Dakar. In 1962 he returned to Edinburgh and for the next twenty-six years, until his retirment in 1988, he worked for Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, first in marketing and later in administration. Ian was a Hockey player of some note, having early distinguished himself as a player at School. He played for Aberdeen University and was a North District trialist on several occasions in the late `40s. He captained the Scottish Universities against the English Universities in 1948. He was in later life a keen hill walker in the Borders and on the West Coast. He was pre-deceased by his wife in 1990, but is survived by a son and daughter. Adrian Michael Campbell Dallas (1932-38) MB.ChB, MRCPE died peacefully at his home in Halburton, Tiverton, Devon on 15 October 1997 aged 71. He entered Aberdeen University where he studied medicine. He was actively involved in student affairs, being President of the Students' Union in 1945/46 — the seventh FP in succession to hold that office. He played rugby for the University and captained a touring side to the London area at Easter 1948 which included ten FPs — three of whose deaths are recorded in this Magazine. He also represented the University at Golf and was an administrator and principal in the 1947 Students' Show Cakes & Ale. He graduated in 1948 with commendation and was awarded the Keith Gold Medal in Systematic and Clinical Surgery. After the usual house physician posts at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary he served for two years in the Medical Branch of the RAF. He was a registrar at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and then at Kingston-onThames before becoming a general practitioner in Perth, Western Australia in 1957 with another Aberdeen graduate. He became a member, and later a Fellow, of the Royal Australian College of Physicians. He returned to this country and was appointed clinical residential director of Roche Products at Welwyn Garden City in 1962. Some years later he returned to general practice and joined a partnership in Devon. He retired in 1985. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and six grandchildren. Dr Duffus was the son and grandson of former Presidents of the FP Club. His grandfather, Alexander Duffus (1871-76) was President in 1910-11, and his father James Catto Duffus (1897-04) was President in 1951-52. His brother, Alexander James Duffus (1932-38) BL, retired a few years ago from Wilson & Duffus, advocates, Aberdeen. George Birnie Esslemont (1934-38) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 13 August 1997 aged 71. He left School at the age of 12 and went on to complete his secondary education at Strathallan. Leaving school just before the end of the War he served with the Royal Corps of Signals in North Africa and Palestine. After leaving the army he joined the family firm of Esslemont & Macintosh, of which his great-grandfather was one of the co-founders, in 1952. Starting in the menswear department he became buyer for men's outfitting. Appointed a director of the company in 1956 he became joint managing director in 1975. Seven years later he became chairman, from which post he retired on grounds of ill-health only a week before his death. Under his chairmanship many far-reaching changes in the firm's operations were made, including withdrawal from wholesale operations so as to concentrate on the retail market, and the development of new departments within the store. Mr Esslemont was the holder of a private pilot's licence, and was also interested in sailing and amateur radio. He is survived by his wife and a daughter, who is now 88
Former Pupils Section chairman and managing director of the business. Donald Frank Farquharson (1929-41) OBE, RN (Reed) died suddenly at his home in Shaftesbury, Dorset on 25 December 1997 aged 73. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1944 and completed his training as a pilot in Florida, U.S.A. In 1945 he transferred to the Fleet Air Arm, flying helicopters from various stations at home and abroad. While on loan to the Royal Australian Navy and stationed at Nowra, New South Wales in 1955, Don was one of a team of Sycamore helicopter pilots involved in the rescue of a large number of people trapped during disastrous flooding in the region. He was personally instrumental in saving 36 from drowning and in recognition of this he was awarded the O.B.E. On retiring from the Royal Navy in 1960 Don joined Westlands in Yeovil, Somerset, test-flying the company's helicopters. He retired in 1990. Don is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Rendall, with whom he celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1996, and by two sons and three daughters. His ashes were scattered, from a helicopter, in Lyme Bay, Dorset, over which he had flown many times while with Westlands. Distinguished Classics Scholar James Raffan Fiddes (1924-37) QC, MA, BA, LL.B, died peacefully in an Edinburgh nursing home on 12 October 1997 aged 78. The elder son of Mr (later Sir) James Raffan Fiddes, actuary of Aberdeen, and later of Glasgow, Savings Bank., and Classical Dux of the School in 1937, he had a brilliant academic career at Glasgow and Oxford Universities. In his third year at Glasgow he was elected to a Snell Exhibition in Classics to Balliol College, Oxford and was awarded a Newlands Scholarship from Glasgow. Three years later his younger brother Brian John Fiddes (1927-37) was also elected to a Snell Exhibition, also while in his third year, and for only the third time in the 250 year history of the Snell Exhibition two brothers were holders, made the more remarkable because the awards normally went to fourth year students. James went on to graduate with first class honours in Classics at Glasgow in 1942 and in the same year was awarded a First in Classical Moderations at Balliol. For three years during the Second World War he served with Naval Intelligence, seconded to the Inter-Services Topographical Division which specialised in aerial photography and the preparation of detailed maps of beaches prior to the Normandy landings; work of this kind involving precision, accuracy and attention to fine detail was exactly suited to James. After the war he returned to Glasgow University to study law. He served an apprenticeship with Maclay, Murray & Spens, solicitors, Glasgow before being called to the Scottish Bar in 1948. He had a reputation for thoroughness and would apply himself single-mindedly to any matter which came before him, checking, double-checking and exploring every possibility with his finely tuned mind. While still a Junior he was co-author of the second edition of Armour's "Law of Valuation in Scotland". He took silk in 1965 and in 1977 was appointed Sheriff of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway at Hamilton, from which post he retired in 1988 He was early involved with the F.P. Club, as a committee member first of the Glasgow Centre while at University there, and then of the Edinburgh Centre once he had commenced practice at the Bar. He was President of the Edinburgh Centre in 1970/71. James was an elder of St. Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh, serving as its Session Clerk for nineteen years with the same unfailing diligence and devotion to duty that characterised all his work. His other interests were music — he was a gifted pianist - languages and philology. James was predeceased by his wife. Ronald Spalding France (1926-38) MA died on 26 April 1998 aged 77. Having been a Prefect, president of the Literary & Debating Society, and winner of the All89
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Round Trophy in 1938, he went on to Aberdeen University, where his studies were interrupted by war service. He became a Major in the Hertfordshire Regiment, serving in Normandy through to the Baltic with the llth Armoured Division, as well as in Italy and the Middle East. He was mentioned in dispatches in 1945 for service in Italy. He returned to University and graduated in Arts in 1946. He then joined his wife's family clothing manufacturing business in Cheshire. He was chairman of the company for twenty years until retiring in 1982. He was for twenty five years a member of the executive of the British Clothing Manufacturers' Federation. Eminent Medical Specialist Robert Fraser (1922-30) MBChB, DPH, MD died peacefully in a Cults nursinghome on 30 April 1998 aged 86. He studied medicine at Aberdeen University, graduating in 1935. He was for a time on the staff at Aberdeen's City Hospital before taking up a post at the City Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Newcastle. He returned to Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen before joining the County public health service in 1939. He obtained his Diploma in Public Health at Aberdeen. For most of the 1940s he was Aberdeen County tuberculosis medical officer, and based on this experience he obtained his M.D. from Aberdeen University in 1946 on a thesis "The Probability of Survival in Pulmonary Tuberculosis for the Geographical County of Aberdeen". In 1948 Dr Fraser was appointed chest physician to the North East Hospitals Board with responsibility for patients in many small hospitals in the Board's area in addition to the major hospitals. He also conducted clinics in Orkney and Shetland. He was at the forefront of the unremitting battle to control and eradicate the scourge of tuberculosis during the war and in the immediate postwar period. At the start of his career there were no drugs available to assist doctors in their fight against the illness, which was widespread, and there was immense pressure on sanatorium beds. Mass radiography campaigns in the 1950s to identify tuberculosis carriers, and the development of modern drugs, effectively wiped out the disease by the end of the decade. Dr Fraser retired in 1977. He is survived by his wife to whom he had been married for 59 years, by his daughter, and by two sons Alexander Stuart Duthie Fraser (1944-57), who now works in the electronics industry in Essex, and John Fraser (1947-60) who is managing director of Ben Reid & Co., nurserymen in Aberdeen. Maxwell Grant Gibb (1913-22) MB,ChB, MRCGP died peacefully at his home in Aberdeen on 8 June 1997 aged 94. He attended Aberdeen University where, after being a Prizeman on a number of occasions, he graduated in Medicine in 1928. After training as a house physician in Hull Royal Infirmary he entered general practice in Aberdeen in 1929. He was honorary anaesthetist to Aberdeen Hospital for Sick Children from 1930 until 1947, and for a few years lectured in forensic medicine. He was appointed to the National Health Service Executive Council for the City of Aberdeen at the inception of the Health Service. In 1958 he was admitted to membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners. He retired in 1973. Max Gibb was a member of the School Rugby XV and was Senior Prefect in 1921-22. A keen golfer, he was awarded a Blue at University and later captained the FP Golf Section and Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. He also enjoyed game shooting and Fishing. He was interested in theatre, music (both classical and operatic) and philately. He was predeceased by his wife some years ago. His son Michael George Harrow Gibb (1942-46), a stalwart of the FP Rugby Section, died in 1991. Dr. Gibb's younger brother is Alan George Gibb (1926-36) MB,ChB, who was formerly a consultant surgeon in Dundee. William George Gow (1918-19, 1925-28) died peacefully in hospital in Glasgow on 16 September 1996 aged 86. He trained with the North British & Mercantile Insurance Company in Edinburgh and was then promoted to their Glasgow office. 90
Former Pupils Section He served with the Royal Artillery during the Second World War. He became chief fire insurance surveyor after the company was taken over by Commercial Union Assurance. After early retiral he joined Hogg Robinson International Travel as a consultant. Willie, as he was known, was a keen golfer, being a member of the Glasgow Golf Club. He joined the Glasgow Centre of the FP Club before the war, served on its committee, and was a regular attender at the Centre's functions up to the 1996 dinner. Willie is survived by his wife, Maie, and two daughters. Douglas Gray (1928-41) MA, died at Stirling on 7 August 1997 aged 74. He graduated in Arts from Aberdeen University in 1944 and then again in 1949, this time with first class honours in Economic Science. In between these courses of study his technical skills led to his being employed between 1943 and 1946 as a junior scientific officer at the Telecommunication Research Establishment, where he was engaged on radar research and development. He held an RAF commission. That he was highly intelligent and had a great deal of technical expertise was demonstrated throughout his highly individual career. He set up Park Film Studios, initially very modestly in the family home in Aberdeen but soon in Glasgow, later in Solsgirth, near Kirkintilloch, and finally in Brig o' Turk in the Trossachs. He was passionately concerned about all forms of Scottish culture and he set out to make recordings, initially on sound discs and later on film, of the principal performers, whether actors or musicians, poets or writers. He helped to finance his early work by lecturing part-time in economics in the extra-mural department of Glasgow University. From 1951 to 1959 he was assistant director of the Scottish Film Council. While producing mainly documentary films, he continued to make records. One notable film was Then came John Knox made for the Church of Scotland in connection with the Quatercentenary of the Reformation. He worked in seemingly constant chaos, but from this for over fifty years he produced work of incalculable value. His commitment was total, and the performers whom he recorded recognised this and, despite the unprofessional chaos, they cooperated with him. The result is a huge collection of recordings available for future generations. Since 1980 he had lived at Brig o' Turk, near Callender, where he operated the village's post office and doubling it as an art gallery, acting as chairman of the Trossachs Highland Festival, producing a local newsletter and involving himself with the local tourist board. He was concerned during these last years to transfer his sound archive to digital recordings, and with his films all with the Scottish Film Archive he has left for posterity a unique treasury. His motivation throughout his life has been to have these performances preserved for the future; some of them would have been priceless collectors' items and could have earned him a fortune, but personal financial gain never entered his thinking. Gray was pre-deceased by his wife (a zoology lecturer whom he had met while lecturing at Glasgow). He is survived by two sons and two daughters. Arthur Colson Hay (1920-33) MA, MB,ChB died peacefully in Clatterbridge Hospital on 16 April 1998 aged 82. The son of a physician he entered Junior Infants at School. On leaving he attended Aberdeen University where he graduated in Arts in 1937. He then proceeded to St. Andrews where he graduated in Medicine in 1943. He saw war service with the Royal Army Medical Corps in England, North-west Europe (Norway) and in BAOR. From 1949 until his retiral some years ago he was in general practice in Wallasey, Cheshire. He is survived by his wife, with whom he celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1996, and by two sons and four grandchildren. Noted Sportsman Albert Alexander Lawrence (1940-46) MB,ChB died peacefully at his home in Buckie on 24 April 1998 after a long illness. Senior Prefect in session 1945-46, captain of 91
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Rugby, Captain of Cricket, Captain of Keith House and winner of the All-Round Trophy, Sandy was only in part educated at the School. His early education was at George Watson's College, Edinburgh until the family moved to Aberdeen in 1940 when his father, the late Rev. Philip Douglas Lawrence (1909-16), was called as minister to Rubislaw Parish Church. From School he proceeded to Aberdeen University where he graduated in Medicine in 1953. His sporting activities continued unabated while a student: he played cricket for Aberdeenshire for three seasons in the Scottish Counties Championship, and in 1950 headed their batting averages; he played rugby for the university and was a member of a touring side which at Easter 1950 went to London captained by Adrian M.C. Duffus (1932-38), whose death is reported elsewhere in this Magazine, and including another eight F.Ps. In two successive seasons he played for the Scottish Universities against the English Universities. After graduating in 1953 he completed hospital training at Woodend Hospital before call-up for National Service which was spent as Medical Officer at Eaton Hall Officer Cadet School at Chester. On his return he spent a year as a trainee G.P. at Banchory before entering general practice at Buckle, where he spent the remainder of his career until retirement in 1989. His interest in sport of all kinds remained undiminished. He was in 1979-81 President of the North of Scotland Cricket Association, and he was a follower of Aberdeen Football Club. Sandy's grandfather, Calder M. Lawrence was at one time a teacher at the School, and his two older brothers are also Former Pupils - Philip Douglas Guthrie Lawrence (1940-51) and William Calder Macphail Lawrence (1940-43), the latter being also a winner of the All-Round Trophy. Sandy is survived by his wife, Edith, and by two sons and a daughter. John McBain (1939-51) CA, died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 29 May 1997 following a short illness. He was aged 62. After leaving School he joined the family firm of G. & J. McBain as an apprentice chartered accountant. After qualification he spent two years with Graham, Smart & Annand, chartered accountants in Edinburgh before returning to Aberdeen and being assumed as a partner in the family business. He married in 1964 and most of his married life was spent at Wynford, Kingswells where he enjoyed tending his herd of beef cattle and helping with his wife's Highland pony stud. Having been both cub and scout in the 9th Troop he kept up his interest in scouting and assisted the scout movement in various ways. He was proud of his appointment (following a family tradition) as secretary of the Aberdeen branch of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, which he held for thirty-two years. Although the farm took up most of his leisure time, ski-ing soon gave way to shooting, where the enjoyment stemmed from the exercise and working his John retired in 1987 and spent the last ten years happily dogs, rather than the working from his office at home, and farming. John served on the Executive of the FP Club for a number of years. His grandfather was the late John McBain (1877-79) CA, and his father was Alan McBain (1903-14) CA, who was the first winner of the All-Round Trophy and who died in 1954. John's brother is Alan Gordon McBain (1941-50). John is survived by his wife, Jean, and by two daughters. Several friends, in paying tribute to him, accorded him the high compliment of being one of the last true gentlemen. Former President Andrew Middleton McLaren (1926-39) died peacefully in hospital at Alexandria, Dunbartonshire on 23 April 1998 after a short illness. After leaving School he undertook an apprenticeship to Alexander Wilson (Aberdeen) Ltd. and remained in their employment until 1956, having from 1951 been works manager. He became a consultant to the North British Locomotive Company at Springburn, Glasgow, which was then the largest locomotive manufacturing company outside the USA. 92
Former Pupils Section Four years later he was appointed as manufacturing manager of Holo-Krome, an American company making socket screws in Dundee. In 1965 Andrew decided that the time had come for a fresh challenge and he branched out by establishing his own company, Clyde Fasteners Ltd. Starting with just four employees in Helensburgh, the company, which manufactured large socket screws, moved within a year to a new, custom-built factory in East Kilbride. It went on to become Europe's biggest manufacturer of large socket screws, exporting high quality work world-wide and making a major impact on the American market. He sold the company in 1985 to SEP Industries plc, but continued as managing director of his own company and as a member of the London Board of SEP until retirement in 1990. He then had the time to develop his interests in clock-making, building steam engines and bowling. Honours came Andrew's way — chairman of the Engineering Industries Association for Scotland, vice-chairman of the East Kilbride Business Centre and president of East Kilbride Rotary Club. None of these gave him the same satisfaction as his election as President of the FP Club for 1995-96. He was very proud of his old School and devoted to the well-being of its Former Pupils' Club. He had in his younger days played rugby for FPs for a time, and he was responsible, along with Basil Emslie (1929-35), for the revival of the Glasgow Centre of the Club in 1983 after it had been in abeyance for several years. He went on to serve as the Centre's President in 1984-86 and to give further years of service as a committee member. His visit to the School at the 1994 Prize-giving ceremony, when he presented a water colour to the School to mark the Centenary of the Club, demonstrated his warm affection for School and Club. That visit was before the revamp of the former Lower School building and he identified his coat-peg from nearly seventy years before. Andrew proved to be an excellent President, enlivening the formal occasions, when he had to reply to toasts to the Club, with his native Aberdeen humour and his fund of North-east and other stories. He is survived by his wife, Alison, and by the twin daughters of his first marriage. Ian Marr (1945-48) OBE, FRAg.S died peacefully at his home, Cultercullen Farm, Udny, on 28 October 1997 following a short illness. He was aged 66. He came to the Grammar in Middle III from Ellon Secondary School. On leaving School he became immediately involved in running the family farm at Cultercullen and was widely recognised as a progressive farmer, running a dairy herd of 200 cows and followers, as well as beef and cereal enterprises. He was elected as a member of the former Aberdeen & District Milk Marketing Board in 1973, becoming vice-chairman in 1980 and chairman in succession to the late Maitland Mackie (1926-28) in 1982. On him fell the responsibility of steering the Board through the difficult period of de-regulation of the industry, and his expertise was vital in securing the creation of a strong co-operative organisation to market North-east milk. In recognition of this, he was awarded the O.B.E. in 1993 and was made a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society. A former President of the Aberdeen & Kincardine area of the National Farmers' Union, he was vice-chairman of North-Eastern Farmers. His devotion to the farming industry was recognised earlier last year when he was selected for the Royal Northern Agricultural Society's top award for services to North-East agriculture, which was to have been presented to him the week following his death. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons, one of whom runs the family farm. Ralph Marshall (1915-25) died in 1993. After leaving School he served a pupillage with Messrs Henderson & Nicol, chartered civil engineers, following which he was appointed to the Burma Service of Engineers. He later worked with Huntingdon County Council and was briefly in the Royal Engineers. Latterly, in retirement, he lived at Newport-on-Tay. 93
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Some years ago he donated his collection of issues of the Magazine to the FP Club. George Campbell Mamie (1924-38) MA died peacefully, after a brief illness, in hospital in Aberdeen on 27 April 1998 aged 78. He attended Aberdeen University where he graduated in Arts in 1942. Having served pre-War in the Territorial Army with the Royal Artillery, he served with 56 Medium Battery R.A. until being invalided out of the forces. After training as a teacher he began his career at Perth in 1947, moving to Pitmedden a year later as a teacher of English. He was appointed head teacher of Craigievar Primary School in 1950, moving to Kinellar School in 1957. He became headmaster of Bucksburn Primary School in 1969 and remained there until his retiral. He was predeceased by his wife but is survived by two sons and their families. Robert Leslie May (1938-44) BL died peacefully in hospital at Aboyne on 15 September 1997 following a long illness. He was aged 64. He completed his education at Lathallan and at Fettes College. He carried out his National Service with the Royal Corps of Signals, in which he was commissioned, before proceeding to Aberdeen University where he graduated in Law in 1956. He served his apprenticeship with Patrick Cooper Son & Hay, Aberdeen, before spending a period gaining experience with two Edinburgh firms of solicitors. He returned to join Mackenzie & Wilson, advocates, Aberdeen of which his father was at the time senior partner, and he was assumed as a partner shortly afterwards. He served as an officer with 51 (Highland) Signal Regiment T.A. in Aberdeen until 1958. He was for several years an office-bearer of the former South Aberdeen Unionist Association and acted for a time as its Treasurer. As reported in last year's Magazine, he was by 1996 the sole partner of Mackenzie & Wilson, and in view of his indifferent health he merged the practice with Raebum Christie & Co., advocates, with whom he continued to be involved as a consultant. He was unmarried. Ronald James Milne (1924-29) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 1 May 1997 aged 83. A keen golfer, he was for most of his business life in the licensed trade in Aberdeen, latterly as a licensed grocer in the Froghall area and then in Westburn Road. He retired some years ago. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter Canadian Physician Charles Donald Mowat (1944-50) MB, ChB died peacefully in hospital at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on 1 June 1998 after a long illness aged 66. At School he was House Captain of Melvin, Captain of the 1st XV and a Prefect. While at Aberdeen University he was a regular member of the FP 1st XV and was several times selected for North District. He graduated in Medicine in 1957 and following hospital posts was called up for National Service which he completed in the RAF. After a brief spell as a trainee in general practice in Fochabers he emigrated to Canada where he joined a three-doctor practice in Westlock, Alberta. He then moved to a hospital post in St Walburg, Saskatchewan, from which he returned to the North of England to Barnard Castle, where he spent three years. In 1969 he was again attracted to Canada, this time to Stony Plain, Edmonton, Alberta where he remained in practice as a much respected physician until health problems compelled him to retire in 1996. The intimation of his death in the Edmonton Journal of 4 June was prefaced: "With little fanfare and no ceremony, as was his way, let his passing be marked by the words he chose to live by - A great man is an ordinary man who works at it harder than an average man."
Charlie is survived by two sons and a daughter. 94
Former Pupils Section Fordyce Ross Paterson (1927-40) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 4 December 1997 aged 75. House Captain of Melvin, Captain of Athletics and a Prefect, 'Dycie' served during the Second World War as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm. Having earned a reputation as a capable three-quarter he became a regular player for the F.P. 1st XV after the war and was a member of the celebrated 1947/48 side. He was a final trialist for the S.R.U. in season 1948/49, and was selected to represent Scotland. A serious injury the day prior to the match meant that he missed out on his 'cap'. Having trained as a teacher, he joined the staff of Torry Junior Secondary School in 1948 as a physical education instructor. The next fifteen years were spent at Powis and at the Grammar, where he was a valued Games and P.E. teacher. In 1971 he returned to Torry Academy (as it had become) as principal teacher of physical education. He retired in 1984. He is survived by his wife, his son Campbell Ross Fordyce Paterson (1959-72) and two grandchildren. James William Rogers (1940-43) BSc (Eng) died in hospital at Moffat on 16 January 1997 aged 72. In his few years at School he was Boarding House Captain, a Prefect, and a prominent member of the School 1st XV. Following war service as a pilot in Bomber Command in Europe and the Far East he entered Aberdeen University, graduating in Engineering in 1950. He captained the University Rugby XV and also played for, and captained, the Scottish Universities XV. He was one of ten FPs who took part in a University Rugby tour to London at Easter 1948. Sadly, the deaths of two others are also recorded in this Magazine. After involvement in major construction projects in the UK and Jamaica, he became Managing Director of the Foundry Division of British Aluminium, then General Manager of Iron Mining in Sierra Leone, and latterly Senior Executive of British Aluminium's Foil Division for the UK, India, Sri Lanka and China. He retired to Moffat, and is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, one son having pre-deceased him. His two younger brothers also attended the School - Eric Rogers (1940-43), who is retired and living in Aberdeen, and Ian Grant Rogers (1941-46) who died in 1991. Sydney Herbert Macbeth Smith (1941-52) died in Aberdeen on 31 December 1997 aged 61. After leaving School he entered an apprenticeship with John M. Henderson & Co. Ltd. on completion of which he joined the Merchant Navy as a ship's engineer. After leaving the sea he became a dealer in antique furniture in Aberdeen. He was unmarried. Robert Still (1924-27) MA, FEIS died suddenly at Aboyne Hospital on 9 October 1997, aged 88. Born and brought up near Cutter, he entered School in Upper IV. He went on to Aberdeen University where he graduated with honours in mathematics in 1931. After teacher-training he taught for two years at Fraserburgh Academy before appointment as principal teacher of maths and science at Aboyne, where he spent the remainder of his long teaching career. In 1968 he was promoted to the post of deputy rector and retired five years later. He was a stalwart of the Aboyne community, which had been his home for over sixty years. For over fifty of these years he was a member of the committee of the Aboyne Highland Games. He was at one time involved with Aboyne Cricket Club, and more recently was treasurer of the local Golf Club and of the Deeside branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. John Stuart Sutherland (1935-48) MB.ChB died peacefully at his home in Coventry on 19 June 1997 aged 67. Captain of School rugby in his Vlth year, vice-captain of cricket and athletics, captain of Keith House and a prefect, he went on to Aberdeen University to study medicine, graduating in 1954. After the usual hospital residencies he was called up for National Service and was a medical officer in the R.A.M.C. stationed in British military hospitals in Jamaica and Bermuda. On his 95
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine return to Aberdeen he trained as a general practitioner, at the same time studying for a diploma in anaesthesia. Between 1958 and 1962 he was a senior house officer and later registrar in anaesthetics at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. From 1963 he was in general practice in Coventry until poor health compelled him to retire in 1988. John was elected to the Executive of the FP Club in 1950 and served as a member while at university. He played rugby for FPs during this time, and was also a member of the Golf Section. He was predeceased by his first wife, Kathleen, in 1983, but is survived by his second wife, Catherine, and by two sons and a daughter of his first marriage. His brother Alastair McIntosh Sutherland (1939-51) lives in Aberdeen. John Hamilton Taylor (1934-45) MA died peacefully at his home in Morayshire on 21 November 1997 following a short illness. He attended Aberdeen University where he graduated in Arts in 1949 with honours in English (Language & Literature). Having served in the University Air Squadron, where he learned to fly, he undertook National Service in the R.A.F. in 1949-51. His previous experience enabled him to be one of the first pilots to be awarded their 'wings' on jets and he flew Vampire Mark I and Mark V and Meteor 7s. In the course of service with 94 Squadron in Germany he became the first pilot to escape from a Vampire in preejection seat days following engine failure; other pilots attempting to do so were invariably bisected by the tail. After demobilisation he trained as a teacher and taught first at West End Primary School, Elgin and then at Brae Junior Secondary School in Shetland. From 1960 to 1972 he taught at various schools in Moray and Banff, and from 1972 in Glasgow. He taught in Turkey for a few years before returning to Morayshire, where he lived in retirement. He is survived by his wife and a son and daughter. Alexander Milne Wilson (1919-31) ARIBA died peacefully in hospital in Buckie on 30 May 1997 aged 83. After qualifying as an architect in 1937 he was for a time a senior assistant in the architect's department of Carter, Paterson & Co., London carriers. He served in the Second World War as an officer in the Royal Engineers, serving in India and Burma. After the war he was for a short time in the City Architect's Department in Aberdeen before spending six years from 1950 as senior architect to the Northern Ireland Housing Trust. In 1956 he moved to Buckie to become County Architect and Planning Officer for Banffshire, a post which he held until his retirement in 1975. Ian T. Stephen, (ex-Maths teacher at A.G.S.), a Buckle friend, writes:"A keen churchman, Sandy was an elder of Buckie North Church for more than forty years, and was responsible for re-designing the chancel area of the church. He also designed the memorial panels in the Seamen's Mission Memorial Chapel in Buckie which was officially opened by the Queen in 1982. Their design was clearly influenced by the War Memorial panels in the hall of his old School. "Sandy was a man of many interests. He was, among other things, a founder member of the Buckie branches of the Rotary and Probus Clubs, chairman of the Community Council, secretary of the Buckie section of Abbeyfield Housing, a keen omothologist and a lover of classical music. He had always a soft spot for his old school and liked to recall that as a young scout he found himself in the same troop as the famous Scout Man. "Sandy is survived by his wife, Millie, whom he married in 1947, a son and a daughter." Former Member of Staff John Simpson Lawrence MA, BCom, who was Principal Teacher of Business Studies at the School from 1946 until 1960, died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 11 July 1997 after a short illness. He was aged 82. A native of Peterhead he received his education there and at Aberdeen University, graduating in Arts in 1935 and in 96
Former Pupils Section Commerce two years later. He trained as a teacher and held early posts at schools in Stranraer before war service with the Royal Air Force, mainly in the Middle East. He returned briefly to Stranraer before his appointment, in the autumn of 1946, to succeed David Macara as head of what was then known as the Commercial Department at the School. He held a similar post at Aberdeen Academy (and thereafter Hazlehead Academy) from 1960 to 1973 before being appointed adviser in business studies to Aberdeen Education Department. He transferred to the same post with Grampian Regional Council in 1975, retiring a year later. In retirement he continued to live in Aberdeen. He was predeceased by his wife, but is survived by his son and daughter.
97
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Abstract of Accounts for Year ended 31 December 1997 Former Pupils' Club Income and Expenditure Account
INCOME Subscriptions Transfer from Life Members' Account Donations - Club Centre Donations - other Dividends Gain on Maturity of Investments Magazine - advertising Magazine - donations Magazine - Beyond 500 Miscellaneous
1996
1997
£
£
1,987 883 3,500 238 259
1,934 793 3,500 57 753 1,450 4,260 6 1,708 70
4,010 45 2,335
EXPENDITURE Printing, stationery and postage Magazine Printing, stationery and postage - other Honoraria Travel and accommodation Grants - Capitation School - Prize-giving School - London trip School — Amenities Fund School - Prefects' badges Accountancy Fee Corporation Tax Entertainments — deficit Miscellaneous SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR
98
13,327
14,461
4,837 547 3,500 1,443 500 450 200 450 558 60 152 467 13,164
7,097 497 3,500 767 600 365 564 450 318 529 183 245 441 15,556
163
(1,095)
Former Pupils Section
Balance Sheet 1997
1996
£
£
111,716
111,381
INVESTMENTS
4,160
4,160
CURRENT ASSETS Stock Debtors Bank Accounts
635 5,023 20,118
850 14,640 13,923
25,776
29,413
91,810 213 5,347
91.475 249 8,545
97,370
100,269
(71,594)
(70,856)
44,282
44,685
16,776 1,923 1,050
17,059 1.923 1,050
19,749
20,032
693 540 2,050 6,124 15,126
770 636 2,338 5,947 14,962
24,533 44,282
24,653 44,685
HERITABLE PROPERTY
CURRENT LIABILITIES Club Centre Loan Subscriptions in advance Creditors
NET CURRENT LIABILITIES
CAPITAL ACCOUNTS Life Members Robert G. Wilson Bequest Miss Isabella Grant Bequest
REVENUE ACCOUNTS Robert G. Wilson Bequest Miss Isabella Grant Bequest Beyond 500 Centenary General
99
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Abstract of Accounts for Year ended 31 December 1997 F.P. Club Centre Income and Expenditure Account 19% £
f
£
BAR ACCOUNT 131,913
123,796
BAR SALES
4,616 64,991
COST OF SALES Stock on Hand at 31 December 1996 Bar Purchases
4,956 68,290
69,607 4,956
Less Stock on Hand at 31 December 1997
73,246 5,395 67,851
64,651 59,145
GROSS PROFIT
64,062
11,709 11,216 (165) 1,685 142
MISCELLANEOUS INCOME Annual Subscriptions Gaming Machine Revenue (net) Snooker and Pool Miscellaneous Income Interest Received (Net)
12,313 15,903 633 3,626 92 96,629
83,732 33,725 18,129 12,667 444 4,033 3,500 630 41 1,756 1,320 6,316 5,000 4,518 1,253
OVERHEAD EXPENSES Wages and National Insurance Rates and Insurance Heating and Lighting Telephone (Net) Repairs and Maintenance Donation to Former Pupils' Club Other Donation Bank Interest Administration Expenses Steward's Pension Scheme Cleaning Honoraria Miscellaneous Expenses Depreciation
97,402
93,332 (9,600)
33,124 19,155 11,876 449 5,672 3,500 630 120 1,835 1,360 6,965 5,500 4,848 2,368
(773)
DEFICIT FOR YEAR
100
Former Pupils Section
Balance Sheet 1996
FIXED ASSETS £ 2,270 12,785
Furniture and Fittings Equipment
Per Last Balance Sheet £ 2,270 12,785
Added during year £ 723
Depcn. £ 340 2,028
£ 1,930 11,480
15,055
723
2,368
13,410
15,055 91,475 4,956 4,659 5,985 2,051
CURRENT ASSETS Loan Account - AGSFP Club Stock in Hand Sundry Debtors Cash in Bank Cash in Hand
91,810 5,395 3,723 1,093 250 102,271
109,126 36,475 7,381
CURRENT LIABILITIES Sundry Creditors Subscriptions in Advance
31,642 7,387 39,029
43,856 65,270
63,242
80,325
76,652
9,300 13,250
Less: LOANS AGSFP Rugby Section Scottish and Newcastle Breweries plc
9,300 10,350 19,650
22,550
57,002
57,775
NET ASSETS
13,495
Represented by: CAPITAL ACCOUNT Appeal Fund and Other Donations SURPLUSES Amount per last Balance Sheet Less: Deficit for year per foregoing Income And Expenditure Account
13,495 44,280 (773)
44,280
43,507
57,775
57,002
101
N
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Grammar FP Magazine goes online! Grammar FP are getting together with InterNet For Business Ltd to put AGM+ on the World Wide Web.
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Former Pupils and act as an electronic meeting place. If you want to find out more about taking part in this exciting new
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APPLICATION FORM
Information about Former Pupils
AGSFP CLUB BEYOND 500
The remainder of this page and its reverse side are provided for the easy intimation of Notes About Former Pupils, Marriages and Obituaries to the Notes Editor, Brian K. Crookshanks, 99 Fountainhall Road, Aberdeen AB15 4EB. Information may also be sent to him by fax - 01224 640526.
tickets at £12 each and I enclose Banker's
I apply for Order/Cheque for £ (1)
One essential function of the Magazine is to inform readers all over the world of the careers of FPs with whom they are no longer in everyday contact, and every contribution to the Notes Section is welcomed for that reason. Please assist with the production of the Magazine by using this form to provide information about yourself or any other FP known to you.
Name Address
(2)
Name
Material for inclusion in the 1999 issue must be received no later than midMay 1999
Address Signed
Date
Please return this form complete along with Banker's Order/Cheque as soon as possible to.
1. Name of FP(s)
Alan W. Marr, 4 West Craibstone Street. Aberdeen AB11 6YL.
2.
Years at School (if known)
3.
Contributor's address (and name if different from 1)
BANKER'S ORDER AGSFP CLUB BEYOND 500
Address
Date The Manager Name of Bank Address of Bank
Pay to The Clydesdale Bank plc, 166 Great Western Road. Aberdeen on 20 November each year, commencing 1998 the sum of £
for the credit of
Name of Account:
AGSFP BEYOND 500
Account Number:
00106670
Bank Sort Code:
82-60-02
Debit my Account number Date
Signed
AGSFP CLUB BEYOND 500 1. Membership entitles you to participation in a monthly prize draw. 2. This year's draw will run from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999. 3. Participation is not restricted to FPs. and members are encouraged to sell to their friends and colleagues. 4. Membership is not restricted to one ticket; there is no limit. 5. The prizes will be drawn at the end of each month, but there is no need to attend personally, as prizes will be forwarded to the winners. 6 Half of the proceeds from the first 250 tickets sold will be paid in prizes by means of a monthly draw and half of the proceeds from tickets sold in excess of 250 will be paid in a twice-yearly draw, in addition to the monthly draw. The prizes for both will be: 1st - 60%
2nd - 27.5%
3rd - 12.5%
7 Membership for the year is £12. In addition to the methods of payment described overleaf, the annual subscription may be paid monthly by standing order. Members wishing to pay by this method should contact Alan W. Marr, 4 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen AB11 6YL. Telephone 590227. 8. The annual net surplus will be paid over to the general funds of the AGSFP Club. 9. Lists of prize winners are displayed periodically on the Club Centre Notice-board.
DON'T DELAY - JOIN TODAY APPLICATION FORM OVERLEAF
Annual Dinner Friday 30th October 1998 The Annual Dinner will be held in the Queen's Hotel, Queen's Road, Aberdeen on the above date at 7.00 for 7.30 p.m., when the President of the Club, Richard H. Cradock, will be in the chair. The cost of the Dinner (exclusive of wines) will be £25, but for members of the Club under 23 years of age, the price will be restricted to £15. Members intending to be present are requested to complete the enclosed form and send it, together with their remittance to: C.M. Inkson, 41 Carden Place, Aberdeen ABIO I UN not later than Friday 23rd October 1998 Every member of the Club may nominate one or more guests, lady or gentleman, but a Former Pupil who is not a member of the Club cannot be invited as a guest. Dress: Dinner Jacket - (optional if under 23) B & B accommodation at the Hotel is available at a cost of £45 (double/twin) or £30 (single). Anyone wishing to reserve accommodation should contact the Queen's Hotel direct - Tel. 01224 209999.
Annual Ball Saturday 26th December 1998 The Annual Ball will be held in the Queen's Hotel, Queen's Road, Aberdeen on the above date at 7.30 for 8 p.m. The cost of the Ball (exclusive of wines) will be £25 (single), but for members of the Club under 23 years of age, the price will be restricted to £15. The format this year will be the same as last year's, viz., there will be a sit-down meal commencing at 8 p.m. with dancing stalling thereafter, at approximately 9.30 p.m. The Ball will end at I a.m. Members intending to be present are requested to complete the enclosed form and send it, together with their remittance, to: G.M. lnkson, 41 Carden Place, Aberdeen ABIO I UN not later than Friday 18th December 1998 Every member of the Club may nominate one or more guests, lady or gentleman, but a Former Pupil who is not a member of the Club cannot be invited as a guest. Dress: Evening Dress or Dinner Jacket B & B accommodation at the Hotel is available at a cost of £60 (Executive double/twin), £50 (Standard - double/twin) or £35 (single). Anyone wishing to reserve accommodation should contact the Queen's Hotel direct - Tel. 01224 209999.
AGSFP Club Dinner
AGSFP Club Ball
30 October 1998
26 December 1998
Name
Name
Address
Address
Date
Date Dear Sir, I intend to be present at the F.P. Club Dinner at the Queen's Hotel, Queen's Road, Aberdeen, on 30 October 1998, along with the following guest(s):
in number, I enclose
Please reserve places for a party of
in number, I enclose
Please reserve places for a party of
Dear Sir, 1 intend to be present at the F.P. Club Ball at the Queen's Hotel. Queen's Road, Aberdeen, on 26 December 1998, along with the following guest(s):
in payment (Price £25.00, under 23 £15.00)
in payment (Price £25.00, under 23 £15.00)
Vegetarian meals required
Vegetarian meals required
(If you wish to be seated with a party please specify).
(A table or places will he reserved in your name for the above number. If you wish to be seated adjacent to any other group, please specify).
Yours faithfully, Yours faithfully, Member's Signature
School Years
Age if under 23 Member's Signature
To: G.M. 'Moon, 41 Carden Place, Aberdeen ABIO IUN
School Years
To: G.M. Inkson, 41 Carden Mace, Aberdeen ABIO 1UN
Age if under 23