THE
ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE
Volume 102
September 1999
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 115th year No. 237 (New Series )04th year No. 228) Vol 102
September 1999
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, 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 2000
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
In order to assist in the distribution of the Magazine, members of the Former Pupils' Club are requested to advise the Secretary promptly of any changes of address
Contents 1999 and all that
page 4
School Section — Rector's Report School Office-Bearers School Prizes 1998-99 Extra-Curricular Activities School Sports Clubs (Clubs & Societies) Face the Music: Annie Get Your Gun Charities Group Young Scientists, Business People & Geographers Social Functions School Board Parent Teacher Association The Phil Love Trophy
12 18 23 24 25 27 27 28 28
General Section Commonwealth Games Alan Stirling Hall - Scholar & Companion New Year in Lochaber 1998 Golden Oldies Rugby Festival
30 32 38 44
Former Pupils' Club Section Club Office-Bearers 1998-99 Club Consuls Annual General Meeting President's Report Presidential Profile Centre Reports Club Centre Canada Edinburgh Glasgow London Yorkshire Section Reports Cricket Curling Football Golf Hockey Petanque Rugby Swimming Women's Hockey Grammar Coaching Success Annual Dinner The May Ball Re-unions Notes about Former Pupils Marriages Obituaries AGSFP Club Beyond 500 Abstract of Accounts
5 7 8
46 48 48 50 52 54 54 55 56 57 58 58 59 59 61 61 62 62 63 63 65 65 66 67 68 80 81 93 94
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 1999 and all that It has never been the custom for an Editorial to be penned for the Magazine, nor for any sort of preface to be prepared, unless on very rare occasions. One can recall the opening pages of the 1985 issue as an exception probative of the general rule but that, of course, was the issue which marked the beginning of the second century of the Magazine and the Editor of the day was well justified in reviewing the whole concept of the Magazine from that peculiar stand-point. Clearly, then, the circumstances in which editorial comment is appropriate have to be of an unusual character. It is widely believed that we stand on the eve of a new Millenium, and people everywhere are making frantic preparations to celebrate (if that is the right term for what they plan to do) the dawn of the year 2000. The Editor's caution gives credence to the contrary view that, as there was no year 0, the year 2000 therefore marks the end of the 20th Century and the excitement about a Dome and other planned festivities is premature by twelve months. If we overlook Dave McDonald's choice of name for the 1967 Re-union mentioned in these pages, there is nothing in this issue directed to the significance of the Millenium. This has as much to do with chance as being a deliberate policy, and in any event it is perhaps of greater merit to greet the dawn of the new era next year in what will, pace the bug, be the first issue to bear a date-line beyond the 1900s. The General Section of the Magazine normally carries articles contributed by club members either voluntarily or under some form or other of editorial duress. Two were made available this year. for which we are grateful. None were rejected. This, while disappointing, is not unusual. When one considers that there are Club members in all corners of the world, many of them in high profile posts in positions of influence and in interesting locations. and others, now retired from such posts and places, who have experiences which they could share with their fellow-FPs, it is surely a matter for regret that we do not hear from them. Each year an insert with the Magazine invites members to submit information about either themselves or other FPs for inclusion in the "Notes about Former Pupils", which is arguably the most interesting section of the Magazine. We are not noticeably inundated with returns. Members are urged to shake off their native North-east reticence and share information with their fellows, so please do not cast the form aside but put pen to paper and help maintain the uniquely high standard of such Notes. If anyone wonders why their particular achievements have not been publicised in the pages of the Magazine it is not the fault of the Editor (who at the present time is also Notes Editor). Contrary to a widely held belief, he does not know all that there is to be known about FPs - would that he did! He gleans much from newspapers and from the helpful news given to him from time to time by others, and he is ever on the alert for relevant news. The primary responsibility, however, lies with members to keep him informed and up-to-date. The Editor looks forward to being inundated with both articles and information. Apology An apology is due to Mrs Flora Skinner and to Rev Professor William Johnston for an unfortunate error in last year's Magazine. It will be recalled that the lead article in that issue was a tribute to the late John Vass Skinner, Rector of the School from 1959 to 1972, in the course of which the tribute paid to Mr Skinner at a Thanksgiving Service in Rubislaw Church was attributed to the present Rector. That tribute was, in fact, paid by a life-long friend of the Skinner family, the Reverend Professor William Johnston of Aberdeen University. The Editor accepts full responsibility for the error, the cause of which was a simple misunderstanding. He himself was abroad at the time of the Service, and on his return he was offered a copy of "what Bill Johnston said" in tribute to Mr Skinner. In current FP circles such an expression would be taken as referring to the present Rector and the writer never thought to verify the matter. The mistake was thus not revealed until the Magazine was in circulation. The Editor immediately expressed his unqualified apology to an understandably distressed Mrs Skinner and to Professor Johnston, which he also undertook to print at the first opportunity. 4
School Section
School Section Rector's Report Once again. I am pleased to provide an overview of events at School since last year's report. Dominating curricular developments throughout last session was the preparation of courses at Higher and Intermediate 2 levels as the first stage of Higher Still implementation. A new S5/S6 option sheet was agreed alongside the compilation of subject advice booklets using data from the national CD Rom. This was shared with S4 and S5 parents at an information evening introduced to provide advice on the Higher Still initiative and its local implications. It has also been encouraging for pupils and staff that S4 individual interviews were conducted by Guidance staff to discuss curricular/vocational planning well before decisions were finalised. Careers Advisers here have also been very helpful by providing additional lunchtime "clinics" for individual advice as well as contributing to the information evening. In curricular terms. nearly all subjects are in a position to offer the new Higher units and courses, the exceptions being English and Computing Studies which are simply not ready at a national level for us to have confidence in presenting young people experiencing their crucially important Higher year. A wide range of Intermediate 2 courses has been developed and uptake has been considerable, particularly for vocational courses. The development plan for 1999/2000 will now focus more on assessment instruments and procedures and look towards the certification of Core Skills and Group Awards as well as continuing to underpin courses with resources, particularly Information Communication Technology hardware and software. Relatively sophisticated systems now available provide detailed statistical information about assessment and attainment for analysis and self-evaluation by departments and individual teachers. Formal discussion and reporting of these analyses with faculty contacts is an ongoing part of our quality assurance procedures. A more public aspect of these evaluations is the publication of school results in categories of standard Grade and Higher by number and level effectively grouping subject attainments together. Essentially, results are very positive and very encouraging. We can, and should, take pride in the successes of so many of our young people. The development of profiling in teaching and reporting has been established here for some time and was evaluated with staff and with pupils at the end of their Standard Grade experience. Profiling and target-setting for individuals was seen to be helpful in structuring learning and thus contributed towards improving attainment and clarity of purpose. One feature of the year was the organisation of the North-east's first ACE day (Aiming for a College Education) with S2 pupils as an addition to the range of supportive opportunities for subject choice decisions and future planning. Our thanks are due to members of the school's Education/Industry Liaison Committee, to BP and to Grampian Enterprise for a full day exercise involving 20 current students from local Higher Education in what proved to be a refreshing problem-solving and team-building exercise for our pupils. Another new development this year was our successful application for Comenius funding from the EEC. This supports exchange programmes, eventually of pupils/staff if logistics allow, but initially of letters and materials used in schools. In our case, several departments are involved in addition to Modern Languages, with the Total French school. a school in France and a school in Spain. 5
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Head Boy and Head Girl 1998-99
Simon J. Small and Kate M. Hurman
6
School Section
The Improving School Effectiveness Project (ISEP) identified apparent strengths and weaknesses, with the former very clearly outweighing the latter. Details have been shared with staff and the School Board. The outcomes are very encouraging in identifying a calm, supportive ethos in which success is celebrated. Subject at►ainment was also included in the study and confirmed a high level of achievement after allowance for social background. The many extra curricular successes of pupils here are a testament to the aspirations of our young people and the dedication of staff who provide the opportunities. Largely through the provision of finance specifically for Information Communication Technology, we have been able to exceed the targets set out in last year's development plan. Guidance staff were equipped with personal computers before individual interviews with pupils and, whilst none of us feel that training is ever enough, many staff have taken opportunities kindly offered by colleagues in training sessions. Hardware has been improved in Business Studies and Computing departments and increased in the Library. Wiring out from that centre has allowed a network to which hardware can be attached in subsequent phases of budget allocations. The new Phoenix system has replaced SCAMP to improve administrative processes by bringing more up-to-date systems to the school office and potentially to each department. In terms of accommodation, however, there has been no known progress on the provision of basic facilities for Physical Education and Sport. I remain deeply concerned about the continuing lack of a Games Hall and the lack of development at Ruhislaw. Throughout the school, the 1998-99 pupil population of just over 1100 filled our accommodation very efficiently, but even a small rise next session will necessitate possibly one set of temporary buildings, nothing like the scale of provision in 1986. In all other respects, 1 believe that the School is in good heart and ready for the next millenium. Aberdeen Grammar School June. 1999
WILLIAM J. JOHNSTON Rector
School Office-Bearers Session 1998-99 Head Boy: SIMON J. SMAIL Depute Head Boy: MATTHEW F. THOMSON
Head Girl: KATE M. HURMAN Depute Head Girl: OLIVIA C.A. ROACH
So Prefects:
LUCY K. BROWN SARAH E. CHURCH LAURA A. DEAR REBECCA C. GANE FRANCESCA M. HAZLETT
JAMES A.A. COCHRANE-BARNETr STUART C. COETZER RODERICK F.D. GAULD
JOHN-CARLO MARIONI PETER T. MILTON ANDREW S. RUTHERFORD DANIEL J. SIM ANDREW J. SMAIL STEPHEN M. WATT YU TIN WONG TIM P. WRAIGHT STEFAN P. WURWAL
KATE KENYON REBECCA M. McINTYRE JUDITH A. NIEMAN CAROL M.PRESTON ANNA M. SCOTT GILLIAN SMULLEN ALICE R. SUTHERLAND KATRINA D. THORNTON AMANDA WATT KITTY A. WILKINSON 7
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
S5 Prefects: THOMAS D. LESSELS DONALD D. MILLAR DAVID R. MORRICE RAFE A. PILLING STEPHEN J. RATCLIFFE DOUGLAS C. SINCLAIR CHRISTOPHER P. THOMSON ROSS WATTLE CHRISTOPHER J. WHITCOMBE KENNETH C.M. WILSON
LOUISE E. BARRON SARAH J. CHILTON JENNIFER A. DOWDS CATRIONA DUNCAN REBECCA C. ENGWALL KATHRYN E. FLINT LYNN INKSON LAURA J. JUROSZEK RUTH J. McLENNAN MHAIRI M.C. NEYEDLI FRANCESCA L. RENNIE SARAH C. SCOTT JUDITH F. WATTS
School Prizes 1998-99 Laura S.M. Armstrong John-Carlo Marioni Alan Brazendale Sarah J. Chilton Francesca L. Rennie Carol A. Sherwood Francesca M. Hazlett Christopher S.J. Pine Christopher J. Whitcombe KateKenyon Sarah E. Church Equal Diego A. Foster Equal Ross Wattie Equal Alistair Allan The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Technical Subjects Alice R. Sutherland The Samuel Pope Prize in Art Kathryn E. Flint The Arthur L. McCombie Prize in Art History Louise E. Barron The Donald Paton Prize for Painting Alan D. Thomson The John Muir Robertson Prize in Business Studies Keith A. Angus The ALBA Trophy in Management & Information Studies Alan Brazendale The Gordon McMinn Prize in Computer Studies Kathryn E. Flint The Masson Bain Prize in English Equal Kathryn E.Davis The William Brebner Award in Frenc Laura A. Dear Equal Douglas C. Sinclair The Charles Alexander Walker Prize in History Rebecca C. Jones The Jenny C. Archibald Prize in Home Economics in S4 Alan D. Thomson The Campbell Connon Prize for Local Studies Alison F. McKay The Derek Stewart Memorial Prize in Mathematics Jonathan P. Brodie The Alexander Thomson Prize in Mathematics (S3) The Hamish Adams Greig Prize in Mathematics and Laura S.M. Armstrong Science in S5 The J. Mortimer McBain Prize to the best Mathematical Kathryn E. Flint Scholar in S5 or S6 John-Carlo Marioni The George G. Whyte Prize in Mathematics in S6 The Gavin Falconer Memorial and Former Pupils' John-Carlo Marioni Club Prize in Music Kathryn E. Flint The Dr J. Minto Robertson Prize in Shakespearean Studies Joanna N. Roscoe The Alastair G. Simon Memorial Prize in Spanish in S3
The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Biology 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 Home Economics The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Modern 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
8
School Section The May Thomson Scottish Poetry Prize to the best reciters of a Scottish poem in the North East Dialect The Aberdeen Grammar School Dramatic Society Award for outstanding contribution to Drama The Aberdeen Grammar School Junior Literary Winner & Debating Competition Runner-up Runner-up The Rector's Shield for outstanding contribution to the running of the Literary & Debating Society Winner Runner-up The Edith & David Bishop Prize for Public Speaking - Senior
Junior
The Dr A. A. Cormack Prize The Andrew Middleton McLaren Prize for Enterprise The Aberdeen Grammar School "Face the Music" Award for an outstanding performance in the School's Musical Production
Gemma J.Copeland Kate Kenyon Sarah E. Jones Patrick R. Emerson Stewart P. Juroszek Kathryn E. Flint Tim P. Wraight Sarah J. Chilton Rebecca C.Engwall Tim P. Wraight Laura M. Gawthorpe Helen M. Graham Patrick R. Emerson Samantha Briones Alan Brazendale
Alice R. Sutherland Andrew J. Smail
Sports Awards
The Neil Meldrum Inter-House Rugby Trophy - SI Byron Ian G. Lumsden The Former Pupils' Inter-House Rugby Cup Byron Simon J. Small The Former Pupils' Junior Rugby Cup Dun Cohn W. Shaw The Former Pupils' House Hockey Cup Byron Hanno E. Trayburn The Junior Hockey Cup for Girls Byron Lucie H. Morrison The Isobel O. Anderson Medal for Swimming Christopher J. Whitcombe The Rector's Medal for Swimming Christopher J. Whitcombe The Former Pupils' Club Rugby Football Section Trophy Michael J. Procee The School Inter-House Football Trophy Keith Clark Brechin The Philip Love Trophy Kate M. Hurman All-Round Awards
The David Alexander Irvine-Fortescue All-Round Award in S2 The Norman Mackie Memorial Award in S3 The Former Pupils' Club All-Round Award in S3 The Gold CREST Awards for Creativity, Perseverance & the Application of Knowledge in Science & Technology
Chemistry Biology Biology & Chemistry
The Former Pupils' Club Certificate of Merit
The Former Pupils' Club "1965" Award for the greatest Contribution to the life of the School
The Rector's Award for contribution to the life of the School The Runner-up to the Former Pupils' Club All-Round Trophy for Girls 9
Sarah A. Proctor Patrick R. Emerson Sarah E. Jones Rebecca C. Gane Caroline S. Smith
Judith A. Nieman Rebecca C. Gane Francesca M. Hazlett Andrew J. Smail Matthew F.J. Thomson
Roddy F.D. Gauld Simon J.Smail Matthew F.J. Thomson Tim P. Wraight John-Carlo Marioni Olivia C.A. Roach
All-round Trophy Winners and Runners-up
AberdeenGrammarSchool Magazine
Back (L-R): Tim Wraight, Andrew Smail. Jim Clark (Chairman of Executive), Simon Smail, Matthew Thomson. Front (L-R): Olivia Roach. Rebecca Gane, Francesca Hazlett, Kate Harman.
School Section The Runner-up to the Former Pupils' Club All-Round Trophy & the Agnes Durward McDonald Prize The Former Pupils' Club All-Round Trophy for Girls The Former Pupils' Club All-Round Trophy & the John Ivo Dawson Prize
Tim P. Wraight Kate M. Hurman Simon J. Smail
Colours Awards Basketball
Full Colours
Junior Colours
Cricket Football
Hockey
Full Colours Half Colours Full Colours Half Colours Junior Colours Full Colours
Half Colours Rugby Rowing Ski-ing Swimming Table Tennis
Half Colour Half Colours Half Colours Full Colours Junior Colours Half Colours
Extra-Curricular Charities Group Half Colours Debating/Public Full Colours Speaking Half Colours Jun. Colours Drama Full Colours Half Colours 'Face the Musk' Half Colours
Music
Full Colours
Half Colours
Jun. Colours
Catriona Duncan. Rebecca Hudson. Lynn Inkson, Kathy Lamb, Linsey McIntosh, Mairi MacNeil, Mhairi Neyedli lain Brand. Michael Campbell, Kyle Coetzer. Claire Fryer, Rachel Hudson. Jennifer MacRae, Claire Murphy, Gemma Reid, Ashleigh Rennie Stuart Coetzer Hanno Trayburn William MacRae. Christopher Pink Ryan Brady, Stuart Malcolm Anthony Hendry Mark Calderwood, Sarah Church, Stuart Coetzer, Ruth McLennan, Peter Milton. Laura Repper. Olivia Roach Christopher Findlay, Sara Kidd, Mark Ross. Sabrina Rossetti, Daniel Sim, Keith Smith, Hannah Watt Andrew Hurman David McNeill Sarah Wood Christopher Whitcombe Craig Topp, Nathan Whitcombe Nicholas Baxter
Rebecca Gane Kate Hurman, Tim Wraight Sarah Chilton. Rebecca Engwall, Kathryn Flint Patrick Emerson, Stewart Juroszek, Colin McArthur Roderick Gauld Kate Kenyon. Rafe Pilling Alan Brazendale. Alison Burr, Jennifer Dowds, Lena Inkson, Victoria Kennedy, Rafe Pilling. Julie Riddell, Cameron Robertson, Michelle Seivwright, Christopher Whitcombe Francesca Hazlett, Kate Kenyon, Judith Nieman. Judith Pink, Alice Sutherland, Stephen Watt, Tim Wraight Sarah Church, Laura Dear. Ashley Henderson, David Morrice, Katie Paterson, Carol Sherwood, Kun Yin Katie Booth, Michael Campbell, Jennifer Duncan. Patrick Emerson, Helen Graham, Ailsa Herbert. Cohn McArthur, Fiona McKay, Fiona Morrice. Claire Murphy. Karen Shepherd, Hannah Watt. Sarah Wattie, Ailidh Weddell, Peter West 1I
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Extra-Curricular Activities School Sports Clubs Basketball The past season has been one of great success for our senior girls' team. We have kept up our high standard of basketball within the Grampian area, winning the Grampian U18 league, Grampian Schools League and also the Grampian Schools Cup. We have also achieved success at a national level, reaching the Scottish Schools cup final. Our trip to Edinburgh for that cup final was a hard-earned reward for a thrilling, hard-fought semifinal against Bankhead Academy. I think that all of us will remember that semi-final as one of our most exciting and enjoyable games in the whole season. It was nail-biting all the way through, and at half-time there was only one point separating the teams. However. we rose to the occasion and, with a magnificent display of defensive determination combined with near-perfect offensive execution, we earned ourselves a lead to which we held on tightly until the final whistle blew. The Senior Squad comprised: Linsey McIntosh, Mhairi MacNeil, Mhairi Neyedli, Lynn lnkson, Rebecca Hudson. Catriona Duncan. Gemma Reid and Jenny McRae. This year's Junior squad was quite successful in its achievements of winning the Runners-up Trophy at an Under-I4 tournament at the American School. and the Grampian Schools Cup (Junior). Their best game of the season was the Grampian Schools cup final, as this was when they pulled together and worked well as a team, with their textbook fast-breaks, accurate passing and good 1 Vs 1 moves. The team defence was amazing, only conceding two baskets in the first half. Their goals for this season of winning the junior Grampian cup. the U14 Grampian tournament and competing effectively in the Scottish junior cup. do not seem so unrealistic if they train hard every week as they have been doing. The Junior captain. Claire Fryer, says that she loves playing Basketball as it is great for meeting new people from all around, and you get to travel all over the place - and (of course!) you get to play basketball. The Junior Squad comprised: Claire Fryer (captain), Rachel Hudson. Joanne Falconer, Gemma Gribble, Claire Murphy, Fiona Duncan. Lucy Morrison, Samara Moir. Laura Johnstone, Sarah Procter and Amy Lennox. SI Freshers: Basketball is not only popular with older pupils at the School: every Tuesday after school ten to fifteen girls can be found in the gym training hard under the watchful eye of Coach McLeod. The members of the Squad are: Lynne Wrightman, Chloe Fitzgerald, Tara Klein. Katie McArthur, Alana Taylor, Lucy Nicholl, Linsey Roy, Lucie Murray, Kara Douglas. Stephanie Lai, Anusha Reddy. Anna Hazlett. Sarah Melvin and Anna Fryer. The girls have thoroughly enjoyed learning new skills such as passing, shooting -"reach for the stars" ( dribbling and game play. This year they put these skills to good use competing in the Grampian Schools I st Year Tournament, but lost out, unfortunately, to the eventual winners of the shield, the International School of Aberdeen 'A' team. Despite being in a mixed tournament, the girls battled hard and we are convinced that, next season, "Girl Power" will rule! When Powis basketball club was established twenty-two years ago, it took women's basketball into a new dimension. The Club is now called the Greywolves and boasts a nineteen-year history of winning the Grampian Women's League and eighteen years of winning the cup. The women's team was equally successful in the playoffs this year. winning the Gold division playoff championship. The playoff championships were won during the Grampian Basketball blitz, where the season comes to a climax for all playoffs in the divisions. This part of the season is always very exciting and provides many nailbiting finals. Women's Squad - Greywolves: Lynn Scanlon. Jessie Greig, Julie Patullo, Katherine Johnstone. Carla Turrery, Lynn Inkson. Rebecca Hudson, Linsey McIntosh. Fiona Hogg, Timberwolves: Mhairi Neyedli, Mhairi MacNeil. Alison Sinclair and Lucy Hessing. Catriona Duncan, Jennifer McRae. Gemma Reid. Christine Bell and Sarah Lawrence. 12
IQUiiMEaRi
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Girls' Basketball Squad 1998/99
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Boys' Hockey league at the A technically strong and experienced hockey 1st team went into the year. beginning of the season with the anticipation of a very successful and productive be must credit teams, lesser to defeats shock of a run saw start poor While a drastically which attributed to all players for a period of sustained work, on and off the pitch. turning undoubtedly contributed to the realising of the team's potential. Results began have heads, surprising staff, pupils and players alike - indeed, the players could not eleven unbeaten, games consecutive twelve followed: that streak predicted the winning the most wins and nine clean sheets, complemented by a goal difference of +30. Perhaps School impressive and satisfying of the victories were over such teams as Dundee High the like hockey, innovative produce to managed team the which in Quasar. Kinloss and into the not normally associated with school performances of old. An on form team went traditional winter break believing that they could perform against the public schools in the draw new year fixtures, and that they did. A win against Gordonstoun and an impressive impressive of spell enjoyable an during came that results were College against Fettes end hockey, which at points overwhelmed the strong opposition and proved to be a fitting team's to what was a great season for the School. It must be noted, however, that the 1st of success is merely the tip of the iceberg; the hockey section at present has an abundance influential extremely an had have Colts and 2nds The years. in lower talent, particularly the season and, with successes against such teams as Robert Gordon's and Strathallan, future is very promising. Detailed results are not mentioned, but we must report on the cup final, and last game season! of the season, against Watson's - we won 4-3, quite possibly our best game all The year's success. however, might not have been possible without the strong conneclarge tions with the FP Hockey Section who, over the past three years. have taken on a and regional district, the in them developed and School the from youngsters of number for advantage definite a players, experienced relatively and capable national leagues into for the U-I8 league. Hopefully this coalition will continue and prove to be as prosperous the School and the FP Club in the future as it has this season. year Special thanks must go to some individuals for their contributions in making this dedication. continuous his for Swanson Mr thank must we possible. In particular commitment and motivation as regards the team and the amount of time given to school Ben hockey, and for his guidance and insight into the game as a whole. We are grateful to at players hockey younger the developing and encouraging spent time his Johnson for great present in the School and for helping to produce an excellent Colts team with some potential. Finally we would thank James Williams. Trevor Watt and all those many others senior at the FP Club for their continuous support and for providing an introduction to involved. those all benefits undoubtedly hockey which Colts Hockey number The season started with a group of players keen to learn and do well. We had a well very starting successful. mostly were we which in opposition local against of games 4-0. beat to managed we whom College, Gordon's Robert against our old rivals. We also had successful results against teams from outside Aberdeen. recording wins good against Watson's, Strathallan, Stewart's/Melville and Edinburgh Academy, with a more by a defeat unfortunate an was blemish one Our School. High Dundee draw against experienced Gordonstoun side. The team was very well led by captain David Taylor, assisted by a willing vice-captain, and Stewart Juroszek. We also had excellent performances from lain Brand. Kyle Coetzer goal, in Whyte Chris year. the over greatly improved players all but Grant Morrison, forwards defenders James Engwall. Michael Campbell. Scott Fraser and James Costello, part Craig Topp, Craig Paterson, Daniel Findlay and latterly Michael Kelly, all played a final of the in a successful season. As this is written we look forward to playing in the being local cup competition. having beaten Cults 7-I on the way, the highlight of this game five goals by lain Brand. 14
School Section We would like to thank Mr Swanson and Ben Johnson for their help and encouragement during the year. Girls' Hockey Long grass, wet grass, bog and snow. Field of dreams? I don't think so. We returned in August eager to practice our skills and prepare for the coming season, to find ankle length grass. For the third consecutive year the Council's sporadic cutting programme ruined the short time when grass hockey is tolerable. This, plus a very wet winter, made conditions at Rubislaw difficult enough for seniors, but near impossible for the younger players. The 'modern' stick is designed to tap, drag and rocket the ball over the all-weather surface. To hit a ball at Rubislaw this season, a first year girl needed a sledgehammer. We mention this because Glasgow High and Robert Gordon's both had to play us on impossibly long grass in September, Gordonstoun now refuse to play any games on grass, and local schools arc offering to switch venue because of our poor home conditions. Of course, an all-weather pitch would solve the archaic drainage problems. We are caught in a time warp. The skills of hockey have changed and been refined with artificial pitch play, and such skills are not possible on heavy grass. Imagine playing basketball with a medicine-ball - very difficult; or driving a BMW only on early-century roads no speed or enjoyment. If any FP spin doctors are reading this, please revive the plans for an allweather pitch at Rubislaw. We beg you. The First Eleven had a successful season, recapturing the piece of silver known affectionately as "our cup" after a lapse of two years. Extra time in the senior tournament final against Robert Godon's College was goal-less, and with well-placed penalties we won the shoot-out - Sarah Church proving to be rock steady in goal. The flick practice against the tennis court fence during the thaw paid off. In the knock-out cup, despite our territorial dominance in the semi-final, Albyn got the vital goal which took them to the final, and later the cup. The team this year was competent and committed, producing good play with pleasing results. The Second Eleven had close results in their matches, with the highlight being a draw with Robert Gordon's College 1st XI in the tournament. The junior teams competed with enthusiasm and noise. The third years had some very good performances, but inconsistency marred their cup and tournament play. The second years, playing matches for the first time, bravely undertook a full match programme and, although not winning, their improvement was evident. The first years, as always, enjoyed their noisy battles in their 8v8 programme. A 7v7 tournament to celebrate twenty-live years of girls' hockey at AGS had to be cancelled due to bad weather. The seniors presented Mrs Welsh with a beautiful plaque to commemorate the event, something which she will cherish. Memorable moments in the season were: the Mintlaw foot Aberdeen Grammar Girls' Hockey disaster No. 2: the two ill captains - never seen together at games, practice or matches were they the same person?: Santa's Hockeyfest 'for the younger girls'... who never came; staring fixedly at Zara Phillips when up at Gordonstoun, third years in particular; basketball players who need to rest: and - better say it again - winning back 'Our Cup.
District Honours: Under-I8 North Squad
Sarah Church, Ruth McLennan, Olivia Roach, Katrina Thornton Under-I6 North Squad Linsey Robertson and Hannah Watt (vice-captain) Under-15 North Squad Linsey Morrison and Lynsey Robertson North Indoor Squad Sarah Church and Hannah Watt Finally, thanks to FPs Sari, Susan and Mo, whose help with umpiring and coaching the first and second years is invaluable. PS: although not on the kit list, sledgehammers are available on request. 15
.4hereleen Grammar School Magazine
School Girls' Hockey 1st XI 1998/99
Mo and the 2nd years
16
School Section
Senior Football Defending champions invariably seem to bring out the best in the opposition, and Kincorth threatened to do a France over the Grammar's Brazil in our very first match of the season. Matches between the two teams last season had been of the bruising variety, but a reformed Kincorth team concentrated this time round on kicking the ball and as a result an excellent game ended 3-3, with Grammar's striker Ryan Brady making a mockery of any Ronaldo comparisons by scoring a fine hat-trick. Several comfortable wins followed and it looked as if a retention of the league title was on the cards, especially when arch-rivals, Oldmachar, turned up at Harlaw with only seven players. In a rare moment of sporting chivalry we waived the three points, played a friendly and fixed a replay. There is, sadly, no justice to be found on the playing fields of Harlaw. Oldmachar saluted our largesse with two outstanding goals, including a once-ina-lifetime lob from the half-way line. Despite a good Grammar goal and a thoroughly gritty performance our league title hopes dried up, and so it was on to the cup. Safe progress was duly made to the third round of the Scottish Cup. when we came up against a strong Portlethen team sporting an aerodynamic line in Vinnie Jones haircuts. With only seconds to go. it looked like a 3-2 win for a cavalier Grammar team, but Portlethen's roundheads squeezed in an equaliser deep in injury time to take the game to a replay. Torrential rain had soaked the regular pitches at sunny Portlethen-by-the-Sea, so we reluctantly agreed to play instead on a nearby disused ski-jump (only a slight exaggeration). Despite the appalling conditions, the match of the season went to injury time as two very evenly matched and attacking-minded teams went at it hammer and tongs. But as Grammar pressed for a win, Portlethen skated down the slope to grab two vital goals and so end our interest in the Scottish Cup for another year. The full squad comprised: Keith Angus. Johnny Brown, Paul Morrice, Rodrigo Aspe, Billy McRae, Craig Martin, David McCurrach, Stuart Malcolm (Vice-captain), Stuart Duff, Ross Harper. Clark Brechin, Jamie MacRae, Scott Goldie. Chris Pirie (Captain), David Drain. David O'Driscoll. Ryan Brady, Ewan Rossiter and David Purvis. A special thanks goes to the two coaches and all of our supporters throughout the season. Under-15 Football This was the first year that the boys had played together as a school team due to there not being under-I3 or under-I4 school football teams. This led to a lot of interest from both S3 and S4 boys. The pre-season training had up to 35 players all trying to get into a squad of 14. Those who did not make it into the team were mostly from S3 and will have another chance next season. The team spirit from the start was excellent, and our first game led to a victory against St Machar. one of the league favourites. This was followed by a draw and then our first defeat. The team lost some heart from this, and letting their heads drop was a recurrent theme. Too often we went ahead but then allowed the other team back into the game. Our hopes of winning the league were over, but we still had the Scottish cup. The first round of the Cup was probably our finest game with a 4-I victory over Bridge of Don. Our heads were held high again. We then met Mintlaw in the second round and were torn apart by their striker, who has since signed for Manchester United. Our season was not over, and it was back to the league. We ended up in the lower half, but the boys were always disciplined, enthusiastic and desperate to make amends in the next match. This spirit was the over-riding feature of the 1998/99 season. Golf - The Arthur McCombie Trophy This competition took place last year. and after an excellent response from the pupils the first round match took place after the Easter holiday. From an initial entry of thirty boys from all years the final was contested between Stephen Ratcliffe of S4 and Greig Hewitt of S3. 17
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
The final took place at Hazlehead in the last week of Summer term, and after a hardfought game Stephen Ratcliffe emerged the winner. The Trophy was presented at Assembly with Greig in attendance. This year's competition is well under way and once again we have had an encouraging number of entries, thirty-four in all, and we are presently at the quarter final stage. Ski-ing This year, considerable interest has been shown in ski-ing. and creditable places have been achieved in all races by the School ski teams. The school has taken part in more races this year than last, on both dry ski-slopes and on snow. Our first event was the Scottish Schools Dry Slope Championships. which were held in October. The team consisted of Sarah and Laura Wood. Sarah Church and Samantha Fyfe. They succeeded in coming sixth, and so progressed to the British Championships. These were held at Wycombe Summit, where the team came ninth in Britain. In February we had our first snow race, the SSSA Scottish Schools Championships. The team of Sarah Wood, Sarah Church. Rebecca Engwall and Samantha Fyfe finished ninth and qualified for the British Championships. The team has progressed from last thirteenth place last year to ninth place this year, so there is hope for next year! As Scottish windy and wet to the due ahead go not did Championships British year. the weather. They were scheduled to take place at the Aonach Range near Fort William, but the race was cancelled on the day. In March. Sarah and Laura Wood . James Engwall and Julia-Desiree Bartsch took part in the Cairngorm Junior Race. and the team came eleventh. Laura came an excellent second in the girls' race. James has been the first boy to compete so far, and we hope that this will now inspire others to come forward. Sarah Wood has been awarded half-colours for her commitment to ski-ing and her high standard of racing. Sadly, Sarah Church is to leave us this year; she will be greatly missed both for her solid performances and for her personality. Although some boys have shown interest in ski-ing, we have not yet had enough enthusiasm to put forward a boys' team. Anyone interested in ski-ing should give their name to Mr Montgomery. We would like to thank Mrs Wood and Mr Montgomery for giving up their free time to transport us to races and for supporting us while we were there. Clubs and Societies Book Club This has been a year of change for the Club. Obviously, our main concern this year has been the promotion of the National Year of Reading, and our members have been at the forefront of cutting and collating book tokens. So far to date, the School has received a class set of dictionaries and a few novels. Earlier in the school year, the Club was involved in the annual Readathon, where a substantial sum was raised for the Roald Dahl Foundation and the Sargent Foundation both caring for children with cancer. Recently, the Club supported the Scholastic Book Fair which was held in the School Library. Indeed, it has been such a busy year that there has not been enough time to read and discuss our books. One further notable change was the departure of our founder, Miss Lyn Smith, to a promoted post in the English Department of Ellon Academy. We wish her every success and we thank her for all her hard work and enthusiasm. The Club is now under the leadership of Mrs Susan Walker, who has promised that there will be less promotion of events and more time to do what we do best - talk about books 18
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Sarah Wood, Laura Wood, ,S'ardh Church and Rebecca En hall to the Aonoeh Range
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Chess Club attendance has This club has met as usual at lunch-times during the session. Although two. lost two dwindled somewhat, the enthusiasm of those involved is high. The team won and drew one match to finish in the middle of the local chess league. Computing Club members. The Club The Computing Club has at present between ten and fifteen SI and S2 members have meets on Wednesdays from 3.40 to 4.30 in the Computing Department. The such as a range of activities from which to choose. We have various platform games process of in the we are and machines. Acorn the for BANANA TOP and ROBOCOD also use the buying games for the new PCs in the Department. The Club members can available Acorns or PCs to create badges and stickers using the various graphic packages and the colour printer. have used We now have Internet access in the department. and some of the members hoped to expand the Internet to find out information which is of interest to them. It is this activity in the near future. Hillwalking Club of providing A small Hillwalking Club became active in October 1998 with the intention our doorstep. an opportunity for youngsters to benefit from the wealth of fine scenery on and February respecTwo hillwalks and a coastal walk were held in October. November occasion. tively, with between twelve and eighteen youngsters participating on each which could Initially the Club has been open only to SI pupils, due to problems new SI potentially arise with the management of large groups on wild land. However, August. in membership existing the to addition in welcomed be will pupils the Hillwalking is good exercise, develops positive attitudes towards nature and some environment, and develops skills and confidence in the youngsters. It also involves technical adventure of the core skills which would enable later participation in more sports. Sundays. During session 1999/2000 we hope to hold monthly outings, generally on level of fitness Walks will normally be suitable for all youngsters who have a reasonable hoped that and enthusiasm. Basic hill equipment can be hired cheaply if required. It is Brooks several members of staff will continue to enjoy the walks, as well as providing Mr with assistance with supervision. extended to In the longer term. we would envisage a much larger Club. with activities expeditions include expeditions to the higher summits, and possibly overnight camping lack of into remote areas. However, these ambitions are limited in the short term by the Summer staff currently possessing the Scottish Mountain Leadership Training Board at that Award qualification or equivalent. which is required for those supervising activities level. Literary & Debating Society to merge the Session 1998/99 has been a very successful year for this club. It was decided lunchtime Junior and Senior Branches of the Society. and this has resulted in Monday It is obvious groups. year all from seventy over of audiences attracting regularly debates stimulating and from the lively debates that the topics chosen by the committee have been thought-provoking as well as sometimes being controversial. Members of the Society have been involved in a heavy competition schedule this year. Debating Kate Hurman and Kathryn Flint competed successfully in the North of Scotland Society Law of the stages semi-final to the through progressed have now and Competition the final stages of Scotland debate. They also spent a very exciting weekend taking part in coming up of the Oxford Union debate where they gained enormous experience from instrumental in against opposition from all over Britain. The junior members have been experience in setting up a series of inter-school debates and this has allowed them to gain competing but also to form friendships with pupils from other schools. 20
School Section The School was very successful in the field of Public Speaking with Tim Wraight, Sarah Chilton and Rebecca Engwall progressing to the final of the North of Scotland Senior Public Speaking Competition held in March. Laura Gawthorpe, Patrick Emerson and Helen Graham were involved in the English Speaking Union Mace Competition but were prevented from progressing beyond the semi-final stages due to bad weather causing the team to withdraw. The Society is now involved in the annual competition for the School debating trophy and it is a testament to the enthusiasm, commitment and interest of the pupils that so many wish to take part. It augurs well for continuing success. Music The music department continues to develop its musical activities. This year saw the second appearance of the full orchestra. Excellent work from the instructors over a sustained period has made this possible, together with funds gleaned from various concerts, in November and March. This was in addition to the School show 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 numerous soloists and chamber groups. We are continuing to put on two concerts each year, but are also open to any other opportunities for our musicians to appear in public. Some of our pupils have achieved very high standards this year. and have been accepted in various national orchestras, including the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Sadly we have to say farewell to Debbie Rogers, second-in-command in the music department. She has done sterling work in her time at the School. but has to leave to join her husband in southern England. We wish her all the best and hope that her replacement will be as enthusiastic. Rock of Ages Rock of Ages followed a varied path this session, with the majority of presentations based on the music of twenty or thirty years ago. Regular member and researcher Nick Fenn of S4 comments: "The music covered ranges from household names such as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles to more obscure but equally influential bands such as The Pixies and Van der Graaf Generator. Each musician and/or hand is covered extensively and professionally by our SWAT team of crack researchers and members. All music tastes are catered for. So come along to Rock of Ages. I've been coming for years and I think it's just great". Alistair Allan of S4 thinks "it's the bee's knees," while John Robertson and Steven Smith. both S4, believe that Rock of Ages "proves to be a comprehensive insight into the world of music" and that it "is very interesting and comprehensively covers a wide range of bands." This session we voted on a Fantasy Rock Band and the resulting line-up was the result of keenly contested presentations. Although the electoral scrutineer suspected voterigging nothing could be proved and the result was Roger Daltrey and Bono on vocals, Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Paul McCartney on bass and John Bonham on drums. It could never happen, but it is a nice thought. Numbers vary each Tuesday lunchtime depending on the subject. Led Zeppelin was popular with S5s. We were pleased to welcome the Rector to hear some yo-yo stuff from Captain Beefbeart and his Magic Band, and we arc sure that we have a convert now. By the way, thanks to Mr Hall, Music. for the loan of certain Beefheart materials. Mrs Wattie, Languages, was pleased with her presentation of Van der Graaf Generator as it provoked one walk-out. They are an acquired taste. Members who are made of sterner stuff stayed the course and were astonishingly polite about it as well. Mrs Wattie would like to thank all visitors and regular members, especially Mr McLean. Maths, the S4 boys mentioned earlier, plus Riccardo Marioni and Andrew Smith 21
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine and our own Venus in Furs. Katie Hurman, Head Girl, Katie's professional presentations, University's interest and wide knowledge will be much missed, but our loss is Oxford gain. Rock of Ages is multi-media but we do lack two things: stereo speakers and an Internet link direct from the classroom to rock music sites. We are sure that it is just a matter of time. Role-Playing ( lub and Six months ago the School Role-Playing club re-started in room M2 on Monday Club Tuesday lunchtimes. courtesy of Mr McLean, after a break of a year and a half. The currently has fourteen regular members. We play Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Earthdawn, Vampire and Werewolf, the majority of the books being taken in by members from week to week. As more people join we may branch out into other games. A group of six players recently represented the School in a nation-wide competition. We came second in our heat. being beaten by Portlethen Academy, last year's runners-up, and beating last year's national winners. Ellon Academy. With the leaders of the Club still being at school next session, we hope to go from strength to strength. Scripture Union by two In November 1998 a member of the Business Studies Department was approached pupils - one from third year and one from sixth year - to ask if they could use one of the rooms in the Department to hold meetings for a Scripture Union. This was readily agreed. and the member of staff concerned also agreed to take an active role in the group. They began by putting up some posters. and notices were also placed in the News sheet they were delighted when there was a good response, particularly from sixth year and one or two from first year. A rather wide age range! Meetings are held on Friday lunchtimes. and the members have participated in discusguess sions on the Bible and various activities such as aerobics, crosswords, quizzes and of understanding greater give a used to were activities All coke. of the name brand the some of the teachings in the Bible. Sadly we will lose our sixth years, but we hope that more pupils from lower down the meeting school will come along to boost our numbers, and we look forward particularly to the new first year when they arrive in August Spotlight Drama school This year's performance by Spotlight Drama was memorable, as it was my last achieve. work to hard of a lot took which piece of the success the show and because of Mrs Petrie decided "The Slab Boys" by John Byrne would be a good choice as she in a had previously directed it three times and the set was simple. It is set in the 1950s the mix up to it was job whose boys slab three involves action the carpet factory where and colours for the designers. It is a comedy although the main characters Phil McCann lives. his side-kicks George "Spanky!" Farrell and Hector McKenzie lead tragic Unfortunately, "The Slab Boys" only has two female roles, although Kate Hurman and Rebecca Engwall took on male roles with considerable ease. The first rehearsals for the play proved to be an arduous task as we tried to undervaried stand the humour and attempted to master Glaswegian accents which, at first, between Pakistani and Geordie! As the performance dates came closer. Drama teacher Miss Gilvray and student to do teacher Mr Coston became more involved. Mr Cotton's rehearsals allowed us exercises which made us focus on our characters' personalities and relationships within the play. Miss Gilvray's approach was more direct, reminding us of the decreasing number of rehearsals which remained and the need to learn lines. 22
School Section When it came to the technical rehearsal, everyone was quite nervous. After rehearsing in the drama studio we transferred to the main hall and it felt like a disaster. However, the dress rehearsal ran more smoothly and the cast left in high spirits. Every detail was put into creating that authentic 1950s feel. The crew were dressed in '50s gear and music from that era was played continuously. The set also depicted perfectly a messy room which was used by three male teenagers. The performance went well on each of the three nights, and we did not experience any major disasters. The audience responded positively and even laughed at the jokes which we had taken time to understand. The whole show was excellent, with particularly strong performances from Peter Ballantyne, Jamie Begg and Keith Smith. who played Phil. Spanky and Hector respectively. "The Slab Boys" was a team effort involving co-operation amongst teachers, cast and crew. I would like to wish great success to all remaining cast members of the Club for future performances and hope that they experience as much success as "The Slab Boys" did. What in the World? This Club runs on a Friday lunchtime, and is organised by senior pupils. This year's main organiser was Lucy Brown, who managed to encourage many regular attendees from all years. The Club is of special interest to Modern Studies pupils, but all are welcome as wide ranges of topics are investigated. Any topical subject which the pupils wish to discuss will be taken on board in addition to more specific tasks such as making posters and holding formal debates. This has been a good chance for senior and junior pupils to mix. The group also created a chance for friendships between new first years. which they might possibly keep throughout their school years.
Face the Music: "Annie Get Your Gun" After rigorous audition, sixty of the most exceptional performers (this side of Rosemount) were carefully selected. Little did they know that they faced a task of epic proportions, the like of which had not been seen since Biblical times. The tone deaf had to be taught to sing, those with two left feet had to dance by February, and the wooden ones among us had to act convincingly in front of an audience. And all this we did before we found out that we didn't actually have a musical director, choreographer or director: walking on water was starting to look like the easy way out. However, a month or so down the line, after much confusion, things started to look up. Miss Allard had come forward as director. Mrs Wattie would choreograph and we were all glad to have Mrs Rogers back on board as our musical maestro. Now, with renewed vigour. we were ready to make a miracle happen. Rehearsals were attended (well, most of the time - "don't forget to sign in!"). dances learned, songs taught and scenes gone through. Dances were then 'actually' learned: songs 'actually' committed to memory and scenes gone through 'properly'. After many months of this, we found ourselves with only about two numbers anywhere near finished, and the whole show a tad unprepared - sadly at this stage it was around February. Rehearsals had certainly been a lot of fun, but some of us were left wondering what on earth we had been doing for five months. Nevertheless, like true professionals, we knew that hurdles were simply there to be jumped, voids to be crossed and mountains to be mole-hilled (or something to that effect). In short, 'the show must go on.' By mid-February, the technical and surface appearance of the show was shaping up surprisingly well. This was mainly due to the talents of Mr Gordon and Mr Hutton on the technical side of things. Mrs Cromar, Mrs Arthur and Mrs Belford literally worked miracles when it came to assembling props, make-up and costumes. (Interpol remain suspicious as to how Mrs Belford managed to 'find' thirty Indian costumes at such short notice). Sadly, the actual fibre of the show (you know, the acting, singing, dancing and stuff) was still frighteningly under-par. Previous shows had been cutting it fine, but this was giving new meaning to the term 'half-baked'. The deadline for learning lines had long passed. Even two days before opening night the lack of preparedness was astounding. 23
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
But on Wednesday the show miraculously ran quite smoothly. Indians chanted, Bad Girls flirted. shotguns fired, people came on and oft' at the right places (more or less), Indians attempted to remain motionless for about an hour and mostly succeeded, Matthew minced, Alice amazed. Tim terrified. People talked in the wings (we're only human, you know) but not TOO loudly. Falling in love was wonderful and there was no business like show business. To cut a long story short, we rocked - as we did again on Thursday and Friday - in fact, Friday especially went well. So well, in fact, that most of the first act was unrecognisable! However, the audience appeared to enjoy it, as did the cast. Following three successful nights (after such a poor run up) some of us were beginning to wonder about the possibility of the show being guided by some higher power. And that was the end of another show. The show is one of the best extra-curricular activities you can do at Grammar. Do the show, or regret it for the rest of your life.
Charities Group Listed here are the names of some very special people. What makes them special is a few numbers listed later on in this wee dispatch. There is no significance in the order of the listing - every one of them is worthy of the highest praise and equal merit:Amanda Watt 6/6; Anna Scott 6/5; Carol Preston 6/5: Caroline Smith 6/5; Rebecca Gane 6/6; Judith Nieman 6/6; Susan Lai 6/3: Laura Renner 6/3; Heather McPherson 6/6; Anne-Marie Sandison 6/5; Roddy Gauld 6/5; Stefan Wurwal 6/6; Grant McLean 6/6; Alan Thomson 6/6; Kelly Burnett 6/7; Christopher Thomson 5/8; Ruth McLennan 5/2; Jennifer Gane 4/6; Catriona Sinclair 4/6; Nicola Munn 4/8; Heather Carmichael 4/8; Kathleen McAulay 4/6; Helen Patmore 4/5: Alexis Stirling 4/7. Day by day, week by week, the above-named pupils have worked loyally and consistently in helping the Charities Group achieve its objectives. The mere statistics do not reveal the time, effort and commitment put in by everyone. One little figure in our accounts offers a small clue - 81p. In January 1999 we changed our account from the TSB to an interest earning account with the Bank of Scotland. The fact that, in three months we earned only 8I p. interest is a small indication of how money bounces in and out of our account as we raise and donate as much as we can, as often as we can. Most of our money is raised by running the School Tuck Shop - plus specially organised events. Mr May's popular dances also produce a generous donation for the Charities Group to pass on. It has also been a lot of fun. One of the events in which we took part for Comic Relief Day was the national 'Gunge a Teacher' scheme. Pupils particularly enjoyed that and with some assistance from the Head Boy. Simon Smail, Mr Currie. Ms Cawdron and another member of staff took their punishment in good stead - and helped to raise a lot of money in the process. The donation details listed below are not a full list of everything done for charity in School. Mrs Arthur. Geography. Mrs Welsh. PE, Mrs McLean. Learning Support. Mrs Bedford/Mrs Nicolson, Home Economics and other members of staff are continually doing things and raising money for good causes. Mrs Sutherland of the Home Economics Department deserves special mention here and elsewhere in the Magazine for running the London Marathon and raising over £1000 for Cancer Research. Her time bettered that of our former Deputy Rector. Mr Garden. who also completed the 26+ mile course - but he was impeded by a pulled calf muscle, which he picked up during his training runs. The Rector of Bankhead Academy was running to raise money for the Leprosy Mission. So we are talking "team effort- in what the school does. The Charities Group itself has given away over £4,2()0 in the past year. BUT that is only part of what the School community has given through unknown amounts in e.g. collecting tins that go round throughout the year for various causes; non-cash donations for e.g. refugees in Kosovo (the Kosovo amount listed below does not include cash collected in tins which went round the School which we understand raised a good sum); pupil involvement in non-School organised local events; a donation made to a local charity after the Christmas Services etc. etc. Thanks a lot everyone!! 24
School Section The AGM on 27 April elected the following to serve as next year's office-hearers: Chairperson Secretary Treasurer
Christopher Thomson 5/8 Catriona Sinclair 4/8 Jennifer Gane 4/6
Donations made by the Charities Group. April 1998 - April 1999
Barnardo's UNICEF Foundation for the Study of Infant Death Aberdeen Cot Death Support Group Royal National Institute for the Blind British Diabetics Association 6th Year Book Appeal Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation Cornerstone Community Care Anchor Unit, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Children First The Samaritans Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Instant Neighbour Comic Relief Oxfam Scottish European Aid for Kosovo In Memory of Laura McLean to a Charity Decided by her Parents
£300 300 200 200 150 100 50 232 232 250 250 300
150 ISO 694.13 595.96 54 500
Young Scientists, Business People & Geographers "Express Yourself" Conference for Young Scientists The Pupil Research Iniative (PRI) and CREST Award (Creativity in Science and Technology) organisers held a conference for young scientists at Aberdeen University in mid-March. Ten pupils from the School gained awards. Caroline Smith. S6, won the PRI prize for her poster, and a trip to London to exhibit at the Royal Institute. Judith Nieman, S6, gained the Dr Bill Bryce Memorial Trophy for the best project and a Zeneca Life Sciences second prize of £50. Rebecca Gane, S6, was awarded an "Evening Express" certificate. The following SI pupils were awarded certificates for their posters: Chloe Fitzgerald. Ashley McCloskey. Julia Butler. Martine Townsend, Jane Forrest. Katie McArthur Lucy Nicol Yang Boffins, 1999 A pair of projects from the School was chosen in March for the UK's top Science Fair. CSYS pupils Rebecca Gane and Judith Nieman exhibited Chemistry and Biology projects at the British Youth Science Fair held at The Royal Society in London. Rebecca and Judith, both 17, worked together on a Chemistry project showing the accuracy of machines which read sodium and potassium levels in humans. Judith's Biology project investigated the growth of botrytis cinera, a grey mould which rots apples. 25
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School Section Young Enterprise This year's Young Enterprise Company was comprised of fourteen enthusiastic students from the senior years. advisers from Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the Inland Revenue, as well as link teachers, Mr Macpherson and Ms Graham. Fluffn'Stuff decided to make and sell a range of products which included fluffy pencils and diaries, greetings cards and mirrors. The products were sold at various venues and generated a healthy profit. As a result of this shareholders were given a dividend of 52% and the Company donated £50 to the Intensive Care Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Rafe Pilling, Catriona Duncan, Sarah Scott, Laura Armstrong, Cameron Robertson, Alan Brazendale, Rebecca Gane, Philip Brown and Ashley Henderson all sat and passed the Young Enterprise examination which tested each member's company knowledge. Overall, each and every member learned a little about running a business but, more importantly, learned that working together was the key not just to success but to enjoying the whole Young Enterprise experience. Scottish Schools Geography Worldwise Quiz 1998199 Two teams of Geography pupils were entered for the Grampian heat of the Quiz which was held at Albyn School for Girls. The School Team I was composed of Adam Leith, S4. Craig Topp, S3, and Hugo Pillath, S2; Team 2 members were Luke Summers, S4, Ian Flctt S3, and Callum Sinclair. S2. Both teams did very well in the first round. coming first and second respectively, and moved into the final round against Forfar Academy and Albyn School for Girls. Grammar Team I was the outright winner of the final, which meant that they not only retained the Grampian Worldwise Quiz shield but also that they were the Grampian Region representatives at the Scottish Final at Linlithgow Academy in March 1999. The School team did very well in the final, but did not qualify for the UK final which was held in Manchester in April. The pupils involved did extremely well and demonstrated that they have a vast general geographical knowledge. as very few questions were taken from the Geography syllabus. School Social Functions Leavers' Ball 1999 The Leavers' Ball. held in the School Hall, was enjoyed by 260 staff and pupils. From the proceeds, donations were given towards the 1999 Year Book ( £100). and to Project Trust pupils. Caroline Smith and Tim Wraight (£50 each). A trophy was also purchased for the School Inter-House Football Competition. Autumn Dance, 1998 The Autumn dance for S4, S5 and S6 was also well attended and enjoyed by everyone. Music was provided by the ever-popular full-time professional band. Manson Grant and the Dynamos, while professional radio personality, Roy Rhodes, our guest artiste, was outstanding also. A great evening! School Board The School Board continues to be an enthusiastic forum which is well attended by elected, co-opted and staff members. The Rector attends as Principal Adviser and the local Councillor is frequently in attendance. As well as statutory duties, which include the approval of the per capita budget, the Board has discussed P.E. provision (mainly the lack of a Games Hall), Special Educational Needs provision within the school, examination results, target setting, the Improvement Effectiveness Project and Higher Still. Matters of school and pupil security and the school uniform have also been discussed. 27
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Many other issues are presented to the Board which, as well as acting as a useful "sounding board" for the Rector and staff, is able to approach the Education Authority and local politicians on matters of concern. The continuing lack of a Games Hall and the need to modernise facilities at Rubislaw are of particular concern to all. As a co-opted member from the FP Club, I believe it is a great honour, as well as an education in itself, for a former pupil to serve on the School Board. Angus J. Thompson (1969-75)
Parent Teacher Association This year. the PTA has continued to support the School by helping at Parent Evenings and School productions. On these occasions the PTA , along with parent volunteers. provides refreshments, and donations received are contributed towards supporting the School. The PTA committee is very grateful for help by volunteers during the year and hopes their support will continue. The biannual Careers Convention was held in February. This event gives pupils the chance to discuss career opportunities with representatives from Universities, Colleges and Companies. There are also representatives from various professions on hand to give advice to both pupils and parents. Unfortunately, membership of the '200' club has fallen to 53 this year, which is disappointing as in the past it has been a reliable method of fund raising. The annual fee is £15, half of which provides cash prizes for members and the remainder is kept towards PTA support of School projects. The Association has yet to decide how money raised this year is to be allocated, but it will continue to support previous commitments, such as activities week insurance and hand dryers. In November a busload of parents and teachers went down to Glasgow on a Christmas shopping trip: a most enjoyable day was had by all, and hopefully this will become an annual event. The main fund-raising event was the annual PTA social, a ceilidh with the popular Halley Racket Band. The success of the Association depends on the support of parents and teachers, and the committee very much appreciates that support during the past year.
The Phil Low Trophy Debating and Public Speaking has witnessed a positive upsurge over the last two years in the School. The winner of the Phil Love Award this year has played a significant part in bringing this about and has been integral to the outstanding success of both these activities. Kate Hurman has combined her enthusiasm and her undoubted talents to establish the School firmly and forcibly on the speaking circuit. As President of the Literary & Debating Society, she chaired and participated in school debates which attracted regular audiences of eighty pupils. She always encouraged younger pupils to participate, which has given a very solid foundation to the Society. Her preparation. presentation and perception of the wide range of topics which she tackled were an example to others. Having fought off very high quality opposition. she won through to the final of the Oxford Union Schools' Debating Competition in which she was placed in the top twentyfive list of speakers. She also reached the final of the Scottish Law Society Debate in Edinburgh and won a silver quaich. To achieve such prominence in an arena which is very much dominat-ed by schools from the private sector is something about which she and her fellow speakers from the School can feel justifiably proud. In the local circuit her capabilities were equally significant, as was borne out by many successes and the frequent list of positive comments from the judges at all the events. Kate combined her immense contribution to this extra-curricular activity with a heavy schedule of other commitments to the School and her own studies. This included her duties as Head Girl. with all the responsibilities which that post entails. Throughout all these her 28
School Section strength of character and organisation were clearly obvious. Similarly, her sharpness and incisiveness of thought were demonstrated in a recent BBC programme during the run up to the Scottish Parliament, when she posed questions to a panel of prominent politicians chaired by Kirsty Wark. As an ambassador for the School and a highly qualified speaker she has been an inspiration. After the summer she leaves us to commence the next stage of her education at Oxford University. but leaves behind a very healthy legacy for the future of debating and public speaking at Aberdeen Grammar School.
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
COMMONWEALTH GAMES KUALA LUMPUR, SEPTEMBER 1998 My hockey career had an inauspicious start. In my first match for the School between the sticks, I was an unfortunate victim of St Margaret's 2nd Year 'C' team in a 7-0 slaying. Few people (myself included) would have predicted that, sixteen years on, I would find myself representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Commonwealth Games is the largest multi-sport event at which Scotland competes in its own right. Last year, for the first time ever, team sports of hockey. cricket and rugby were included. Hockey is particularly strong amongst the Commonwealth nations, and no fewer than six of the top twelve countries in the world were taking part in the women's competition. We had one main problem to overcome in our preparations for the Games. The predicted temperatures for Kuala Lumpur in September were 25-30 C with humidity around 75%. In case you are wondering what that feels like for a hockey goalkeeper, imagine trying to play any form of active sport whilst wearing a 14 tog duvet! In order to try and re-create these conditions (not easy during an Aberdeen summer) we enlisted the help of Professor Ron Maughan of the University of Aberdeen, who is one of the leading experts on acclimatisation. Fortunately for me, the University has a 'heat chamber' which is almost as nasty as it sounds! It basically consists of a small room, the temperature and humidity of which can be regulated. It is just large enough to take a couple of exercise bikes and a reluctant goalkeeper. Despite being reduced to a sweaty blob every day for two weeks leading up to the Games, there is no doubt that this training made the transition to KL temperatures far more bearable. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur two weeks before the Games officially opened. Our Malaysian hosts had provided 'state of the art' facilities, including a 100,000 seater athletics stadium. All the competitors stayed in the Athletes' Village, comprising nine 28-storey tower blocks. The 180-strong Scottish team was based in the first five storeys of one of the blocks, the theory being that if the lifts were broken we would be able to manage the stairs! Being one of the smaller nations (the Australian team numbered over 500) we shared our block with twenty other countries. Despite my Higher Geography and the learned teachings of Mr Gelly, it came as news to me that Mozambique was in the Commonwealth - apparently they asked to join! Whilst not exactly providing a haven of tranquility, the accommodation block was generally quiet, and a self-imposed curfew operated to benefit those who were competing early in the morning. The curfew was generally recognised by all of the Scottish athletes except for one boxer in the flat directly above ours who, at one o'clock one morning, decided he would not 'make his weight' the next day unless he completed his skipping exercises. There followed a discussion on the merits of his case which was conducted from a safe distance (he later went on to win the gold medal!) and peace was eventually restored. 30
General Section All of our meals were taken at a central cafeteria where quantity, rather than quality, seemed to be the order of the day. Remarkably, the only foods which were always available were white rice, cornflakes and Comettos - the ultimate in carbohydrate loading! Visits to the cafeteria did, however, provide an ideal opportunity to rub shoulders with some sporting stars including Jonah Lomu, a member of the All Blacks Rugby Sevens team and a man of vast proportions. My own personal claim to fame was succeeding in dropping a bag of wet laundry on to the foot of Ato Boldon, the fastest man in the world last year who had the misfortune of standing next to me in the lift one day. I could see the newspaper headlines:- "Fastest Man in World Crippled by Damp Socks". Fortunately for me, he made a complete recovery and added the 100 metres gold medal to his collection. The highlight of the Games for me was participating in the Opening Ceremony. I have watched opening ceremonies at home on television but here I was, walking round the track, in front of all these people! We were led in to the stadium by five pipers from the King's Own Scottish Borderers who had been flown out for the duration of the Games at the expense of the team sponsors, Bank of Scotland. With the men in kilts and the women in floral sarongs we certainly made an impact. Due to the number of games involved in the hockey tournament, we actually played our first match against the favourites, Australia, before the Games had been officially opened. To put the match in context, Australia are the reigning World and Olympic champions. Scotland are not. We found the hot and humid conditions trying and despite a sound first half performance, the Australians found the net six times. (One less, it has to be said, than St Margaret's 2nd Year 'C' team in 1982). Despite this result, we subsequently beat Jamaica, Trinidad and Malaysia. Our last section game was against India and we needed a win to secure a place in the semi-finals. With five minutes to go, Scotland had a 2-I lead but few could have predicted the turn of events. A penalty was awarded to Scotland but saved by the Indian goalkeeper. The Indians then had a goal disallowed and their captain was sent off for protesting. From the resulting free hit. India regained possession and equalised. In true World Cup fashion. Scotland went out on goal difference. This left us in fifth position, one place below our original ranking. The final matches saw Australia take gold (having put eight past England in the final) with England taking the silver medal and New Zealand the bronze. I was not the only F.P. who sampled the Games experience. David Wallis, umpiring in the men's hockey tournament, survived the cauldron-like atmosphere of the main hockey stadium and the attentions of 10,000 partisan Malaysian fans. No such dramas at the women's stadium, although a rather enthusiastic Scottish mascot, dressed in a squirrel costume with limited vision, almost succeeded in 'wiping out' Prince Edward during his visit to the ground. I think that my lasting memory of the Games will be the team spirit of the entire Scottish team. In addition to our own "tartan army" of friends and family, we were supported at our matches by fellow team members from a 31
Aherdeen Grammar School Magazine variety of sports. some of whom had not seen hockey played since their schooldays. We reciprocated whenever time allowed and exchanged ideas and information on training and competition. Those who were fortunate enough to witness Peter Nicol's gold medal winning performance in the squash final described the occasion as "sheer sporting theatre." Although the final medal tally for the Scottish team was considered disappointing, the fact remains that we are competing against nations for whom investment in sport is a priority. National Lottery funding is starting to make a difference, and we now have the prospect of a new Institute of Sport, but we are unlikely to achieve results overnight. My own personal thanks must go to my employers at Ledingham Chalmers who have always endeavoured to accommodate my sporting ambitions but who are no doubt looking forward to the day when I announce my retirement. Not yet.... Tracey J 1-1 Robb (1981-87)
Alan Stirling Hall (1937-40 & 1943-50) Scholar and Companion "Meet me in Brindisi - in a fortnight." In 1955, when post-war shortages were a recent memory and foreign travel was not yet for the masses, the invitation was both exotic and irresistible, Just demobilised after National Service with the Gunners in the Suez Canal Zone, I met Alan Hall in Union Street during his first long vacation from Balliol College, Oxford. He was planning his first visit to Greece and Turkey, and generously invited me to join him. For me, this proved to be one of the most enjoyable experiences of my bachelor years as well as the culmination of my formal Classical studies. For Alan it was the beginning of a distinguished career as scholar, epigraphist and archaeologist, particularly in South-western Turkey. The posthumous publication of his Epigraphical Survey in the Kibyra-Olbasa Region (BIAA 1998) has prompted me to prepare this brief record of his first reconnaissance, superficial though it is compared with his later scholarly work recorded in learned journals such as Anatolian Studies (the Journal of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara). Armed with Professor Cameron's Guide Bleu I travelled by train to Brindisi. On 27 August we embarked for Athens via the Corinth Canal, taking a brief opportunity to visit Corfu town, and putting in even more briefly at Ithaca and Cephalonia. Sailing along the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf for the first time was most exhilarating, their shores steeped in historical and mythical associations. An experience more contemporary was to pass through the Corinth Canal, dwarfed by its man-made cliffs. Deck travel on Greek ferries then was even more diverting than it is now: there was no piped music and entertainment was provided by the passengers. often with accordion accompaniment, while foreign visitors were rarer then and attracted more interest and more rigorous interrogation about their personal affairs even than today. Alan was an immense asset on the deck; the width of his interests and his infectious humour usefully supplemented our limited facility in Modern Greek. We met many Greeks and several foreign students. One of them, a left-wing bookseller from Corfu. later 32
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wrote to me, his letter ending: "If you take the politeness to write to me, do it thus: I. with clean letters like mine 2. without peculiarities of speech. 3. with phrases short and no long ones. 4. With a short letter and no long one.A lame American student from Cairo whom we met on the ferry introduced us to the University Union in Athens where we stayed for five days. We visited Eleusis, already more remarkable for its refineries than for its Mysteries, and Cape Sounion where we observed the initials carved on a pillar of the temple of Poseidon by our fellow-FP, Lord Byron (1795-98), admiring the view as he had done. In Athens itself we spent much time on the Acropolis, in particular in the Parthenon, then accessible, not fenced off as now, and the Erechtheion. We visited the Archaeological Museum, the Agora (including the 'Theseion'), the Roman Agora with the Tower of the Winds, the Theatre of Dionysos, the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, the Pnyx and the Areopagus. At that time neither of us took much interest in Byzantine monuments, and far less in 19th Century Athens. At the same time, Alan was developing his contacts with the British School at Athens, and planning our later journey by reference to the 'Dromologue' in which members of the School touring Greece recorded useful practical information based on their experiences. I ascertained recently from a former Director of the School that the Dromologue still exists but rather as a relic now that information for travellers is more readily available; for us in 1955 it was invaluable. One night we were entertained at Phaleron by an Athenian who had been a colleague of Alan's father in India. His sour comments on the then (perverse) British policy on the colony of Cyprus brought home to me how much damage arrogant post-imperial attitudes could do to our national interest, for he had hitherto been pro-British. We embarked from Athens for Mykonos: I noted: "Greek passengers do not seem to be good sailors, which adds a certain variety to a voyage through the choppy Aegean." Mykonos then was a charming artists' island, white with windmills churches and streets of whitewashed houses. Visitors kept their clothes on. We found rooms recommended by the Dromologue, accompanied by two Belgians and an Australian. From Mykonos we visited the island of Delos, sacred to Apollo and an important commercial centre in antiquity, being the Treasury of the Athenian Confederacy. French archaeologists had uncovered many temples, market places and private dwellings, and there was a preponderance of French visitors in our party. Their tour guide explained the site to them; Alan analysed it for me with gusto and Elan. As he was much better informed than I had ever been, and as I was rusty after garrison duties, I was glad that none of the plaintive expostulatory cries of 'S'il vous plait' from the French guide succeeded in moderating either the volume or the content of his discourse. We so enjoyed Delos that we extended our stay in Mykonos, although not before incurring the wrath of our formidable landlady, who met us on the quayside seeing off a Danish acquaintance: she assumed we were about to depart without paying. Later we boarded the 'Despina' for Samos overnight; a Greek roused us to see Ikaria and Fourni which he described to us. On Samos we stayed near the museum in the port of Vathy on its deep-sided bay. We enjoyed marvellous views of Asia Minor on the way to Tigani (`Frying-pan'), the birthplace of Pythagoras which had very recently been re-named Pythagoreion, whence we 33
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
walked to the imposing seaside site of the vast Temple of Hera with but one of its threescore columns still erect. On site were German archaeologists, who showed us pottery and inscriptions. After a swim we climbed to the aqueduct tunnel hewn through a mountain by Eupalinos about 524 BC (impassable in 1955, but since cleared). We travelled from Samos to Chios by caique, which climbed up each wave then slid down the other side. On Chios we met a Fellow of Wadham who was studying inscriptions and told us much of interest. We spent much time in the museum, a former mosque. and in the Kastro, the old Turkish quarter fortified by the Venetians. To the North of Chios town we visited Homer's Stone, its name reflecting the disputed claim of Chios to be Homer's birthplace, but its origin more likely to be linked to the worship of Hera Cybele. We then went by ferry to Lesbos, and in Mytilene, as in Chios, we spent much time in the massively fortified Kastro and were conducted round the sites by schoolboys anxious to exercise their English and to promote their island. Later that night we saw them round a British yacht in the harbour chanting "E..E..E.no.sis", one of the many expressions of the Greek desire for union (enosis) with Cyprus, just as Rhodes and the Dodecanese as far East as Kastellorizo had passed from Italian to Greek sovereignty at the end of the Second World War. Alan's plan was that we should next visit Izmir (Smyrna) on the West coast of Turkey. It was not easy to arrange for a passage because of the deterioration of relations between Greece and Turkey over the future of Cyprus. Eventually Alan's resourcefulness secured two places on a caique; our only fellow-passenger was a Turk on a stretcher, swathed in bandages. He was a mechanic who had been badly burned in an accidental petrol explosion, but as we sailed along the narrowing Gulf of Smyrna our Greek crew became noticeably ever more concerned that on arrival their human cargo might be assumed to be the victim of one of the riots then occurring both in Greece and in Turkey. In the event we were politely received: the police inspector on the quay even arranged for us to stay at a reduced price at a nearby grubby hotel. How far reduced was unclear; at that time the official exchange rate was eight lire to the pound. On the street corner we could get twenty. (The tourist rate on 8 June 1999 was 637.045 lire to the pound). Thomas Cook's representative in Izmir implored us not to change money in the bank! We visited a number of sites in Izmir, both Greek and Roman, but our main objective (reached by bus) was Ephesus, a beautiful site, a port in classical times but now a mile or two inland. Much of the site had been excavated, but the more recent restorations by the Austrians had not yet been executed. Another site we visited by bus was at Sart, ancient Sardis, capital of Croesus of Lydia. The visible remains from classical times were scattered, but we saw the Temple of Artemis and an impressive Roman theatre site, and our visit clearly entertained the local farmers, less used than now to antiquaries. From Izmir we went by train to Bandirma, then by ferry to Istanbul. We fell in with several friendly multilingual Turks, who warned us that after riots against the Greek community in Istanbul a curfew had been imposed. After midnight the police were likely to shoot at anyone in the streets. As the ferry docked after 11 pm there was a potential problem, enhanced after a zealous 34
General Section official denied us access to a student hostel. We decided to give ourselves up to the police before midnight to reduce the possibility of being targets. Once our credentials as students were established, we were accommodated in a nearby police station. Alan slept on the inspector's desk, while I slumbered in his chair. Throughout the night policemen would look in to observe these peculiar foreigners. Looking for commercial accommodation the next day, we sensed the tense post-riot atmosphere. Inadvertent use of a Greek phrase involved me in a hostile interrogation, eventually mollified. We were able to visit some sites during our brief stay, such as the Ayia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the vast Byzantine cistern of Yerabatan Saray, and along the Golden Horn to the land walls of Leo, Manuel Comnenos and Theodosios, and the imperial palace of Blachernae. We returned to Athens by rail, our fellow-travellers being Greeks displaced by the riots and understandably resentful of British policy in Cyprus which had been one of the factors leading to them. We had sufficient Greek to convey to them that we shared their sentiments. Having exchanged insufficient currency (because of the unfavourable exchange rate) we had been unable to pay the full fare to Athens. When we arrived there Alan was held hostage by the railway authorities until I could draw funds from a bank. I redeemed him...and soon it was time to part, Alan to spend a further week in Delphi and the Peleponnese, I to enter Cambridge where the term started earlier than among the dreaming spires. In three weeks we had covered a remarkable number of places and sites, using public transport at low expense. In later years I have revisited nearly all of them, but in the course of separate holidays over many years. I have always felt deeply grateful to Alan for his invitation, for his organisation, for his shared erudition and for his company. In later years we corresponded sporadically but met less frequently than I would have wished. In 1963 I had to decline, with great reluctance, an invitation to join Alan on a Land Rover journey across Europe to Turkey, where he was involved in excavations: by then, no longer footloose, I was a civil servant and we had two small boys. In 1985 my younger son met Alan, until recently Secretary of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara. in the context of a forthcoming study year in Turkey, neither at first knowing of their respective links with me. At one stage Alan advised against visiting Eastern Turkey because of the danger of violence. This conversation took place in a waiting room at Euston. Outside. Liverpool fans were celebrating the outcome of a game with Chelsea. Considering the level of our indigenous violence, and during a lull in Kurdish activism, Mark fortunately decided to discount this particular item of advice. We all benefited from other advice from Alan, especially when in 1986 Patricia, Mark and f visited the hilltop site of Oenoanda in South-western Turkey where Alan worked for many years. He was not there at the time, but the name of 'Hall Bey' inspired an instant and enthusiastic response. A forest guard who came upon us on the site pointed to the name 'A.S. Hall' in one of our books and intoned Alan's full name. In the village tea-hoUse no-one spoke much English, but snapshots were taken down from the wall which portrayed Alan with his colleague Jim Coulton and others on site. Later that year, following a lecture tour in the USA (he had also lectured in Turkey and in Germany), Alan stayed with us in Edinburgh on the way to a University Re-union in Aberdeen (at which he intended to convey to the authorities his 35
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
pungent views on the destruction of the Department of Classics). We told him of our Oenoanda experience at a dinner also attended by his class-mate John Forrest MacClellan (1944-50) and his wife. We walked with Alan in the Pentlands. So vibrant was he in mind and body that it was a huge shock when he informed us, quite casually. that he was suffering from a fatal melanoma. perhaps attributable to his field work, and that his days were numbered. Later the only surprise was that they were so few. He died in December 1986: his obituary is in the June 1987 edition of the Magazine at page 88. As senior lecturer in Classics at the University of Keele Alan's high academic reputation was enhanced by the warmth and generosity of his character and his inspiring dedication to his students. His concern for his colleagues was evinced by his reply to an anonymous University circular advocating early retirement in terms which Alan thought were crudely divisive. In a letter of blistering urbanity. he stigmatised the circular as a clever forgery: clever because his critical analysis of the text confirmed that it accorded with the Keele official style, but a forgery because its author manifestly had a deep grudge against the University of Keele. Alan was also held in high regard for his work as Honorary Secretary of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara. This involved considerable administrative and diplomatic skills in negotiating with the Turkish authorities at a time of increasing interest in Anatolian sites. He spoke Turkish fluently and was Honorary Secretary of the Turco-British Mixed Cultural Commission. At the same time he was active in the field, initially, on leaving Oxford in 1956, with the support of a Wilson Fellowship from the University of Aberdeen for study in Vienna and fieldwork in Isauria, Lycaonia and Pisidia. After his death, his colleagues and friends set up the Alan Hall Memorial Fund to finance visits to the United Kingdom by foreign scholars who shared his interests in the history and antiquities of Turkey. In the Fund's brochures his achievements have been thus summarised: "Between the mid 1950s when he first visited Turkey and the end of his life he established a reputation as one of the leading authorities on the history and epigraphy of Classical Asia Minor. He was no less keen an observer of modern Turkey, and few can have done more than he did to foster cultural relations at all levels between Britain and Turkey...He carried out extensive epigraphic and topographical survey work in central Anatolia. especially in Isauria and Pisidia. During the 1970s and 1980s he directed a major survey of the North Lycian city of Oenoanda and followed this with a regional study of the Cibyratis." Since 1990 five foreign academics have delivered the Alan Hall Memorial Lecture and undertaken a series of related lectures in several British Universities. Professor Ekrem Akurgal (Ankara) spoke on Archaic Greek Art in Anatolia (Oxford 1990); Professor Manfred Korfmann (T.bingen) spoke on Troy (London, Cambridge, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Manchester 1992); Professor Peter Herrmann (Hamburg) spoke on inscriptions in Miletus (Cambridge, London, Durham and Oxford 1994); Professor Christian Le Roy (Paris) spoke on Tlos and Oenoanda and the Xanthos Valley (Newcastle. Keele, Warwick and Oxford 1996); and Professor James Russell (British Columbia) spoke on Zeno and Isauria, and on Anemurium (Newcastle, Glasgow, St. Andrews, Oxford and London 1998). 36
General Section Other tributes keep Alan's memory green. The 1998 visiting GeddesHarrower Professor of Greek Art and Archaeology at Aberdeen. Patrick Edwards. took as his theme 'Exploring the Past in a Northern Light' and referred to Alan's work in his lecture on Aberdonians and others in Asia Minor. This and a number of the Memorial Lectures I was lucky enough to attend. (At the 1996 Keele lecture it was a delight to meet again Arthur Tough (1946-49) one of Alan's administrative colleagues there). In 1994 was published BIAA Monograph 19: `Studies in the History and Topography of Lycia and Pisidia: in Memoriam A.S. Hall' including a list of Alan's publications and three articles by him, one of which briefly recounts how he became involved in epigraphical fieldwork in Turkey: there is a splendid photograph on the rear cover of Alan with Land Rover and Turkish assistants. A sad consequence of Alan's early death was that much material which he had collected was not ready for publication. Jill, Alan's widow, donated his materials to BIAA, the fruits of which were published in 1998 as BIAA Monograph 24: 'An Epigraphical Survey in the Kibyra-Olbasa Region conducted by A.S. Hall: by N.P. Milner'. 1 am indebted to Jill for keeping me in touch with these developments. I know from my peripatetic year as President of the FP Club how warmly Alan is remembered by his contemporaries both for his intellect and good fellowship. They may find these notes of interest, confirming as they do the lasting impact made by Alan on scholars, on friends and on his chosen subjects. From the Memorial Lectures I treasure in particular the recollection of Professor James Russell (Ah kent his faither, aye his brither an aa, in the Scottish Office) of evenings spent with Alan in the British School at Ankara, over a glass or two of a rare malt, discussing developments in Turkish archaeology, in Turkey, and everywhere. Which all began in Izmir in 1955. J. EDWARD FRASER (1936-49) Studies in the History & Topography of Lycia & Pisidia: in Memoriam A.S. Hall, edited by D.H. French (BIAA Monograph no.19, 1994; ISBN 1 898249 03 2 ISSN 0969-9007) : £35 An Epigraphical Survey in the Kibyra-Olbasa Region conducted by the late A.S. Hall. By N.P. Milner (BIAA Monograph no.24, 1998; ISBN 1 898249 10 5 ISSN 0969-9007): £25 Both books are available from Oxbow Books, Park End Place, Oxford OX1 1HN, Telephone 01865-241249, Fax 01865-794449. Past President Eric Ros Birkett (1920-22: President 1968-69) who died last year and whose Obituary appears elsewhere in this Magazine, was a frequent contributor to these pages and, as mentioned in the Obituary, one article penned by him related to a New Year climb of Ben Nevis in 1933. The picture so vividly painted by the writer takes the present-day reader back to the very different lifestyle of nearly seventy years ago and for that alone it is of interest. The account appeared in the March 1933 number (Vol. XXXVI No 2). and, in tribute to this exceptionally loyal son of the School. it seems appropriate to reprint the article now. 37
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
New Year in Lochaber
How to spend New Year week-end had given me a few hours' interesting thought, and eventually the claims of Skye and Aberdeen gave way to the attractions of Loyal Lochaber, including the satisfaction of bringing in 1933 on the summit of the British Isles. Now exiled in Edinburgh, I could leave at 1.55 p.m. on Saturday 31st December, reach Fort William at 8.5 p.m., call at my hotel to arrange about getting in next morning, and reach the top of Beinn Neamhais by midnight, descending at leisure. A good enough idea, but it was greatly improved when my Aberdeen upbringing came into play. Week-end fare to Fort William is 24s. 6d., but cheap day tickets were advertised on, inter alia, 31st December and 3rd January to Mallaig for 13s. Accordingly, by getting one of the latter for each of these days, I could cover 180 additional miles of magnificent scenery for Is. 6d. (This sort of thing is against railway by-laws - very rightly, in my opinion; but every schoolboy knows, as Macaulay would say, that rules are there to be broken.) I therefore took Saturday morning off, and left Waverley in the 4.30 a.m. train. A cold, dark, unpropitious morning, but one or two others were evidently on the same tack as myself. Till Glasgow we dozed, in spite of well-lighted compartments; but, changing at Queen Street, I was lucky to get a compartment to myself. To pull down all the blinds and switch off all the lights is the work of a moment, and apart from the steward's intrusion to enquire if I wish first-breakfast service, I lie undisturbed till beyond Crianlarich. Awaking about 7.50 a.m., I peer into the grey morning. The railway climbs up Strath Fillan, high above the Holy Pool of Dail Righ (anglice Dairy, "field of the king"), near where Robert Bruce and two henchmen were defeated by Macdougall of Lorn and his two sons: the famous Brooch of Lorn, taken from Bruce by the old chief, has remained for six hundred years in possession of the Macdougalls. Farther west we notice how full the river is after recent rains; a week ago Kirkton Bridge was swept away by the flood, and a motor lorry fell into the water, the driver having a miraculous escape from drowning. At Tyndrum we part company from the Callender and Oban line, and veer round to the north. Close beside the railway are the old road of Mackay's construction in 1748, and, beyond, the new Glasgow-Inverness road. What a difference! - the one a water-course, narrow, stony, steep; the other a billiard table, smooth, broad, gradually sloping down the hillside. (A billiard table sloping? you query; quite so; "I confess, my brethren," said the controversial divine, "there is a difficulty here, but let us look it boldly in the face, and pass on.") The county boundary between Perth and Argyll is crossed at a level of 1,023.75 feet, carefully marked by a board on the west side of the line; the point of such meticulous accuracy is not readily apparent, particularly as the summit of the West Highland Line at Corrour is noted on the board as 1,350 feet, instead of the actual height of 1,348 feet. Beyond the boundary a grand view is obtained away down the valley to Bridge of Orchy and Rannoch Moor, with the hills of Blackmount looming in the distance; then, rounding the tremendous sweep at the head of Strath Orchy, we gaze up to the massive slopes of Beinn Dobhran - the mountain of storms - sacred hill of Duncan Ban Macintyre. In 1802, in the 79th year of his life, the aged bard journeyed from Edinburgh to climb, for the last time, his 38
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favourite hill, which he had ascended so often in his youth, and in honour of the occasion he composed that great song "Cead Deireannach Nam Beinn" "the last farewell to the Bens". North of Bridge of Orchy we part company from the roads: the railway veers north-eastwards across the Moor of Rannoch; the new road strikes round the eastern shore of Loch Tulla, past Achallader Castle, and then climbs by an immense zig-zag up to the plateau of the Moor ere skirting Loch Ba, on its way to rejoin the old road at Kingshouse Inn, I I miles further on. at the head of Glen Coe: while the old road turns sharply round to Inveroran on the west shore of the Loch, and then bends northwards across Blackmount to Kingshouse. A year ago I walked along this road to Ballachulish Ferry - 35 miles - a magnificent walk, grand scenery all the way. There was little snow on the hills then, but there is even less to-day; yet even so, the white peaks of Beinn Starbh, Clach Leathad, and others above Glen Etive make a line picture across the wild, bleak, empty moor. What a tragic place this would be to be lost in on a winter night - 400 square miles of bog and nothingness - not a road, not a tree, not a shelter, not a sound, not a sign of life, nothing! Climbing steadily, we get a fine view down Tulla Water to the hills at the head of Glen Strae; then, past Gortan Crossing, we re-enter Perthshire and gaze towards the cone of Schichallion piercing the morning sky. In point of fact, seldom has this giant appeared to so little advantage as this morning; on previous journeys the rising sun has thrown the peak into strong relief above the rolling moorlands round about, but to-day Jupiter Pluvius puts a stop to that. A few houses are seen; we slacken speed and draw up at Rannoch Station, 17 miles from Bridge of Orchy - the longest stretch in the country without intermediate station. We consider ourselves well into the Western Highlands here, yet the burns which are in such spate all round us will eventually find their way under the Tay Bridge and into the North Sea. On again, to pass through a Canadian snow tunnel - the only one of its kind in Britain - in Cruach Cutting; then, steadily mounting, we pass Lochan a' Chlaidheimh pronounced "chlive" - "little loch of the sword," in the centre of which meet the counties of Inverness, Perth and Argyll. How did the loch get its name? Many years ago certain land hereabouts belonging to the Camerons, was claimed by the men of Atholl. The respective chiefs agreed to meet here to discuss the matter. As might be expected, words grew hot, and eventually Lochiel raised his sword to strike the Laird of Atholl. At once the latter threw off his cloak, and immediately twenty sturdy Atholl men stood up in a little hollow where they had been hiding. "Who are these?" asked Lochiel. "Atholl ewes, come to feed on your Lochaber pastures," was the reply. It was then Lochiel's turn to doff his cloak, and immediately a hundred hefty Camerons rose from another hollow. "Who are these?" demanded the Laird of Atholl. "Lochaber wolves, come to dine off your Atholl ewes!" Realising the position, Atholl hurled his sword into the centre of the loch, and declared that the land should remain in undisputed possession of Clan Cameron until the sword again came to light. Years afterwards, a boy fishing in the loch drew up a rusty old sword, which he proudly displayed to his parents: but they at once made him throw it back, fearing that its presence might lead to a renewal of the Atholl men's claim. 39
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine At length we reach the summit at Corrour, windswept, lonely, on the edge of the vast moor. This is the station for Loch Ossian Hostel and for those who wish to cross Mamore and go either up Beinn Neamhais or down Gleann Neamhais to Fort William - a glorious twenty-five mile walk. Descending sharply, we round a curve and look down on the gloomy waters of Loch Treig, 200 feet below. In the solitary farmhouse at the head of the loch was born Alexander Anthony Cameron, the great athlete, some of whose performances in hammer-throwing and caber-tossing have remained unexcelled since 1904. The line winds in and out of a succession of small corries on the steep hill-side, and on the outer curves we have clear views of the entire length of the loch. Speed is modified, with reason: a derailment would have the entire train plunged into the water. Until last summer the railway used to run alongside the shore at the north end of the loch, but the Lochaber Hydro-Electric scheme necessitated a diversion, and now we continue high up for over a mile, rejoining the old line near Fersit Halt, opened in 1930 to serve the large camp engaged on the works. Two miles beyond we cross the Spean on its course from Loch Laggan, and turn sharply westwards into Tulloch Station. Here we again make the acquaintance of a public thoroughfare (the road between Kingussie and Fort William) for the first time since Bridge of Orchy, 34 miles south. In this part of the world, therefore, the ubiquitous motor omnibus and private car are not, thank goodness, likely to disturb the status quo for some time. Down Glen Spean the scenery becomes pastoral and more quiet, but there is one short stretch of wild grandeur, the magnificent Monessie Gorge, where the river thunders its way through a narrow, rocky defile, reminding us of those lines about the Fall of Foyers:Still through the gap the tumbling river toils, And still below the horrid cauldron boils. At Roy Bridge we observe the famous Parallel Roads, which have puzzled geologists for many years, but beyond Spean Bridge the scenery is somewhat tame, compared with the rest of the journey. Fort William Station, however, is built on the edge of Loch Linnhe, and during our quarter-of-an-hour wait we stroll on to the pier and admire the mountains of Ard-gobhar across the water. Then at 10.7 a.m. we set off on what is, without question, the grandest railway run in the land. One would never deny the glories of the Callender and Oban line, nor the magnificent views on the Skye railway, nor the quieter, yet exquisite, river scenery on the Strathspey section, but pride of place cannot be withheld from the Mallaig line. Quiet and relatively sedate for the first 15 miles along Loch Eil, passing old Inverlochy Castle, "Neptune's Staircase" on the Caledonian Canal, and Fassifern Monument to one of the numerous heroes of Clan Cameron, the line gradually recedes from the shadow of Ben Nevis and enters wild country near Glenfinnan. Rounding the immense viaduct at the foot of the glen, one looks away down the fjord-like Loch Shiel, hemmed in for its entire length of over 20 miles by huge, dark, forbidding mountains. In strong contrast is a grassy plain at the head of the Loch, on which stands Prince Charlie's Monument, erected in 1868 to mark the spot where, on 18th August, 1745, the Prince's standard was raised by over a thousand men from Clans Cameron and MacDonald. It is fashionable among certain people to sneer at the Jacobites as illiterate cut-throats; in fact, they fought a losing cause with considerable gallantry, and neither the Hanoverians nor any other people ever 40
General Section produced a finer man than Donald. 17th Chief of Lochiel, or his son, Ewan. Beyond Gknfinnan Station the line rises, then crosses the ridge between Lochaber and "The Rough Bounds," and descends to Loch Eilt, island-studded, picturesque, lonely. On the opposite shore we discern the solitary crofter's cottage of Raineachan, miles from anywhere. Wilder and wilder the landscape becomes; then in the distance Loch Ailort comes into view. On the south side immense mountains rear themselves above the dark waters; at its head a small wood intensifies rather than relieves the barrenness of the scene. For the next ten miles the line runs through beautifully wooded country, frequently emerging on to a ridge above the shore, and affording magnificent views of Loch nan Uamh (loch of the caves). In the distance can be seen the hills of Moidart and Ardnamorchuan and the Cuillin of Rum. Words are inadequate to describe the wonderful scenery past Beasdale up to Arisaig Station. The reflections of the snow-capped hills in the crystal waters of the loch require to be seen to be sumciently appreciated. Add to the scenic attraction the romantic association of this district with the Prince's final attempt to secure his ancestral crown, and you will realise the immeasurable superiority of the Mallaig line among British railways. At Arisaig the extraordinarily shaped Sgurr of Eig comes into view across the Sound, and beyond it Muc, shaped like a parson's hat. Then the line bends sharply to the north and we get our first view of Skye; in the foreground. the low-lying peninsula of Sleat is rather uninteresting, but beyond, the long line of jagged Cuillin, soaring into the sky in snow-capped peaks, is a magnificent sight. Crossing four miles of moorland, we catch a glimpse of Loch Morar, by far the deepest loch in Britain. It has been sounded to 180 fathoms, against the 135 of its runner-up, Loch Ness. Although Loch Morar is only half a mile from the Atlantic. and 31 feet above sea level. one must go fifty miles west of the Outer Isles before the ocean becomes as deep as this small fresh-water loch. Rounding a bend, we get our first glimpse of the White Sands of Morar. Two years ago a little girl amused the others in the compartment as we passed here in July by exclaiming, "0! look at the snow." But there was good reason for her mistake; the silver sands are indeed like snow when contrasted with the dark, craggy moorland behind. I leave the train at Morar and walk back to photograph the Loch from a knoll at its eastern end. Then returning. I step out on the final three miles to Mallaig. What a contrast between Mallaig and Morar (by the way, a frequent error in the south is to accent the second syllable of these names). Morar Beannachte - well named "Blessed Morar" of the Catholics, for never was a Protestant sermon heard in the parish till the railway came in 1897 - has a magnificent situation on its beautiful bay, and provides the most wonderful sunsets imaginable. Mallaig has a rather bleak outlook, and a permanent smell of stale fish-guts; its quay is a most repellent place. Nevertheless, it is the direct gateway from the south to the incomparable Isle of Skye and the Immortal Isles "set far amid the melancholy main," and as such has a warm place in the hearts of exiles from "the lone shieling of the misty island." To-day, however, a gale is blowing, and the Portree steamer, due in at 11.55. has not long arrived when I reach the quay at 12.50. I meet one or two friends, passengers and crew, and then walk briskly round the bay and over the hillside to the foot of Loch Neamhais (loch of Heaven). This sheet of water, and its sister Loch Hourn (loch of Hell) ten miles north, are twins of great beauty - wild, grand. awe-inspiring. Back to Mallaig, I have a short chat with friend Daly at 41
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine the station bookstall ere leaving at 2.15 p.m. for Fort William, reached at 3.55. Here I call at my hotel and book a room for the week-end, then visit the local Established Church minister, an old school-friend (not A.G.S.). In the evening several visitors come in; those who have listened-in bring the afternoon's football results, and I rejoice that the "Dons" have finished 1932 with a grand win over Motherwell at Fir Park. About eleven o'clock I set off for a walk. The evening's rain has cleared the air, and it is now a fine, mild night. Half-an-hour's brisk walking takes me across Corpach Moss to near Banavie. In the stillness of the night I stand and gaze all around; darkness is broken in every direction by lights not yet extinguished. Country folks are always late "bedders," and on New Year's Eve, even if the morrow is Sunday, it is not likely that many people will be early asleep. Returning about 11.30, I am soon overtaken by a motorist who gives me a lift as far as Inverlochy. The remaining distance is quickly covered, and before midnight I am on the pier, the best vantage point. There is, however, little to be seen. Over the water lights continue to gleam in one or two villages and many isolated cottages, while across the street a watch-night service is being held in the Catholic Church; the singing stops, and silence reigns for a few minutes. Then, somewhere, a whistle blows and a bell tolls. 1933 has arrived. I return to my hotel; several of us pledge ourselves in Mountain Dew; and so to bed. Next morning - New Year's Day - the weather is dull but promising. About 11.30 (no rude remarks, please, about the late start!) I set off up Beinn Neamhais (anglice "Ben Nevis"). The road goes up the north bank of the River Nevis for a mile and a half to Ach an't-suidhe, the farm at the foot of the Ben. Here the climb proper begins, though the "climb" is an exaggeration for the ascent by the pony track, which is tiring, but calls for no skill, or nerve, or stamina whatever. (Though about 1,200 feet higher than the Cuillin, for instance, "The Mountain of Heaven" can never compare with them in inaccessibility, or in grandeur, if we except the famous precipice.) Dullness continues till above the wooden half-way hut, now lying on the ground in pieces. This is due partly to gales, but mainly to the wanton destruction of a few climbing enthusiasts(?) wishing to light a fire for tea. Just beyond the cataract at the half-way bend, I get a fine view over the hills of Nether Lochaber to Loch Linnhe and the Morven Hills in the distance, and I can imagine what a glorious scene this would be in clear weather. To the west the upper waters of Loch Eil are visible over a shoulder of Meall an'tsuidhe, and directly beneath me, two thousand feet down, is the little river Nevis flowing placidly through the quiet glen. Surely Glen Nevis is one of the most charmingly sequestered parts of the Highlands. How incongruous that round the corner is all the sordid materialism of commercial life in the shape of the Lochaber Power Works. But no such thoughts are in my mind as I enter the clouds and wonder if any view at all will be attainable on the summit. In spite of the cold, damp air I feel parched with the walk, and I am glad to reach the snow level about 3,000 feet. Then, joy! About three-quarters way up I emerge into brilliant sunshine streaming down from the blue sky. Snow lies all around, and the gleam of the sun's rays on the sparkling crystals is a magnificent spectacle. The climb is now more difficult as the snow, though not deep, is of sufficient quantity to prevent my getting purchase, even with the studded football boots I am wearing. So progress slows down a bit, and seems slower owing to the never-ending zig-zags of the track. I 42
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make frequent short rests, during which my eyes gaze round on the panorama of gleaming white - a wonderful scene. On again, I surmount a ridge, and there, across the plateau, is the ruined observatory, half hidden by snow. Quickly one crosses the intervening level, stopping to admire and take a snapshot of the grim precipice - a sheer drop of 2,000 feet from almost the top of the Ben. A wooden platform has been erected at the edge; presumably it is safe to go on it and peer down into the abyss. However, I am not yet tired of life, and I shall leave that fear to the Marischal College skeleton expert in Aberdeen. My humble ambition is satisfied when at 3 p.m. I walk on to the roof of the observatory and climb a wooden pole sticking up from the ruins. This is the highest physical point in Britain, and I feel on it "monarch of all I survey." The sun's efforts are nullified by the biting wind, and the cold is intense. A year ago, I was able to strip to the waist and sunbathe for a few minutes, but "Not to-day Josephine." Fingers are so numb it is difficult to manipulate the camera and button my jacket. I slowly turn my eyes round from Loch Lochy, remarkably distinct in the north, over the rolling plateau of Mamore in the east, its pure white summits glistening in the sunshine, then southwards and westwards towards Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil, but unfortunately it is hazy beyond about twelve to fifteen miles, and a good view is, as usual, unobtainable. How little snow there has been is evident from the fact that one can walk into the "hotel" by the door; normally, at the beginning of January, the entire building is covered. But the power of the wind is obvious; icicles stick out horizontally instead of hanging vertically. I take off my F.P. blazer and scarf and tie them to the summit pole, then photograph the tout ensemble. The idea was to have evidence that A.G.S. starts a new year in its rightful place - at the top - in case southern infidels have other opinions; but, unfortunately, the retort is obvious - "A.G.S. is up the pole!" At 3.15 I start the descent, and take the direct route down a gorge to near the half-way waterfall. The track is more sheltered here and the sun continues to shine, so I rest for a while on the hillside and feel at peace with all the world. Darkness, however, is approaching, so again it is off down the path, and by the time Ach an't-suidhe is reached - 5 p.m. - it is quite dark. An easy amble brings me to the hotel by six, when I do full justice to a well-covered table. I had hoped to hear my friend preach, but by the time I had digested my hearty meal it was too late, and in any case I was too tired. Monday was an appalling day - very wet even for Fort William, and that is saying a lot. Having gone out for a walk to Blarmachfuildach, on the hill road to Kinlochleven, I was soaked in ten minutes. Still, the walk was enjoyable, and a rub-down and a complete change after returning freshened me up considerably. It continued to pour in torrents all afternoon, and having only the one change, I was forced to remain indoors for the rest of the day. Gramophone selections from Kenneth Macrae. Hugh Mackay, Johnnie Bannerman, Neil Maclean, and others passed the afternoon very quickly, and in the evening we played whist. On Tuesday morning I again left at 10.7 for Mallaig - another dreadful day, though not so bad as the previous one, when I learned that the Outer Isles steamer was six hours late leaving Mallaig. If that experienced master, Robertson of Sleat, would not take Lochmor across to Eig because of the wind, one 43
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
shudders to imagine what the storm must have been in the open passage between Canna and Loch Boisdale (South Uist). There is a story that on one such day a woman tourist kept pestering the normally easy-tempered captain to know if he would manage to reach North Uist in safety. At last, at the wildest part of the Little Minch, she again put the question. "Madam," said Robertson, in a voice of thunder, "in twenty minutes you will be in either Lochmaddy or Hell." This morning Loch Ness was two hours late in arriving from Stornoway. and the Skye steamer, Plover, had not come into sight in the Sound of Sleat when our train left at 12.10 p.m., so there must have been some tremendous gales out to sea. This time I travelled right back to the South in continuous rain, and at various stations we picked up bedraggled enthusiasts who had tasted no less fully than I the joys of answering New Year's call of the wild. E.R.B. 1998 Golden Oldies Rugby Festival Almost 500 Veteran Rugby Players, aged 35+ to nearly 70. descended on Aberdeen from 3 to 7 September 1998 to participate in the 4th European Golden Oldies Rugby Festival. Previous Festivals have been held in Denbosch (Holland), Heidelburg (Germany) and Verona (Italy). I had been asked by former England and Lions star, Jeff Butterfield, to attend the 2nd Festival in Heidelburg as Scotland's representative on the European Golden Oldies Secretariat. Having played in the Festival, and seen the set-up, I decided to try to win a Festival for Aberdeen. On returning home I set up meetings with the City Council, the Hotels Association, the City Centre Traders etc. to gauge the level of interest - which, thankfully, was high. Approval had also to be sought from "Aberdeen Strollers" (of which I am Secretary), who are Scotland's only team to have been at five World Golden Oldies Festivals. This was obtained, and an organising Committee was formed. Over four years' hard work came to fruition when the first teams arrived on 3 September. Players came from as far afield as Russia, Ukraine and Greece, with teams from throughout Europe. Others came from Canada and Oman, while Kath and Ian Black, friends of the Strollers from previous World Festivals, came over from Sydney! After settling into their accommodation, all attended the Opening Function where a good Scottish welcome awaited them. Early next morning, the City Council hosted a Welcome Breakfast at the Town House for officials and managers from all the teams. At the same time, all the referees - from the teams present, as well as from the local Referees Society - were being briefed at Rubislaw, which was home to the Festival for the weekend. Each team played three matches (shortened games and unlimited substitution!!) and there were the usual stalls - and a Beer Tent! At tea time, the Referees hosted a reception for all the visiting officials in the Queen's Hotel, which was the Festival Club, and an informal Ceilidh took place on the Friday night. 44
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Saturday was a free day, but most of the Golden Oldies took advantage of a trip to the Braemar Gathering - conveniently arranged to fit in with the Festival! For many of the overseas guests this was a major highlight of the weekend. The evening was free for all to enjoy the delights of Aberdeen, and some found their way to the FP Club Centre. Sunday at Rubislaw again saw the Festival Matches - all played in the true Golden Oldies tradition - "Fun, Friendship and Fraternity." The Festival was brought to a close with a "Butterfields Baa-Baas" versus a Referees' XV. The Grand Finale Dinner and Award presentation was held at the Exhibition Centre, and a superb evening was had by all. New friendships had been made and old ones renewed, and a most siice-ssful European Golden Oldies Rugby festival had taken place in Aberdeen. with all remembering the city motto - "Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again." Dave McDonald (1961-67)
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Former Pupils' Club Founded 11 September 1893 Club Office-Bearers, 1999-2000 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) 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., DL. 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.I.A.S. (President, 1996-97) J. EDWARD FRASER (1936-49), C.B., M.A., B.A.. F.S.A.(Scot) (President, 1997-98) RICHARD H. CRADOCK (1940-51) (President, 1998-99) BASIL D.D. EMSLIE (1929-35) President: CHARLES RITCHIE (1945-51) 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. 46
Former Pupils' Section Secretaries of Centres Club Centre - STEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64). C.A, 86 Queen's Road. Aberdeen ABI 5 6YQ Canada - J. PETER JEFFREY (1944-59), 615 Willoughby Cres. S.E.. Calgary, Alberta T2J IZ9, 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). Curlew Cottage, Main Street, Naburn, York YO19 4PN 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 Petanque - STEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64), Fairfield. 9 Angusfield Avenue. Aberdeen Rugby DEREK J. YOUNGER, 36 Gladstone Place, 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), Vire-Chairman The Secretary, the Treasurer and the General Editor of the Magazine. ex offiriis The Rector of the School, ex officio BRUCE S. ALLAN (1953-58) HARVEY E. MORRISON ((1951-65) ALAN G. CAMPBELL (1959-65) IAN P. SOUTER (1947-61) MELDRUM B. EDWARDS (1947-60) ALEXANDER STUART (1932-45) STEVEN J. C. ESSON (1951-64) INNES TAYLOR (1974-80) H. ALAN S. HAMILTON (1943-56) ANGUS J. THOMSON (1969-75) GORDON M. INKSON (1986-92) G. FRASER WEBSTER (1949-62) MORAG WISELY (1988-94) Section Representatives
Club Centre - RONALD R.COMBER (1947-52) Cricket - IAIN S. HOPKIN (1962.68) 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 N. GEORGESON (1929-40) 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 47
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine H.A.S. HAMILTON. J.F. HENDRY, B.K. CROOKSHANKS, N.K.G. FALCONER, JOHNSON, D. McDONALD, J.D. B. JEFFREY. I.M. INKSON, G.M. HOPKIN, I.S. K. MOIR, A. RITCHIE. C. RITCHIE, F. ROBERTSON, A. STUART, G. TAWSE. 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. MARR (1954-58), 4 Milne Crescent, Kanata, Ontario, Canada. K2K 1116. Tel. 613-592-2730. Canada - DAVID R. AULD (1947-61), 2187 Lafayette Street, Victoria. British Columbia, Canada, V8S 2P2, Tel. 250-595-0616. Italy. Corsica - IAIN WARES (1942-52), Via G.M. Angioi, 34 Cagliari 09124, Sardinia, Falkland Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands - DONALD A. LAMONT, do FCO Stanley, King Charles Street, London SWIA 2AH. 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 U.S.A. - MICHAEL G. KING (1951-60). 4720 Fortuna Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84124, U.S.A. Annual General Meeting The ninety-seventh Annual General Meeting of Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' 1999 Club was held at the Club Centre. 86 Queen's Road, Aberdeen on Monday 29 March Mr at 7.30 pm. The Chairman expressed the apologies for absence of the retiring President Richard H. Cradock.
Chairman's Report Deaths ViceThe Chairman noted with regret the deaths during the past year of three Honorary 1995/96). (President McLaren M. Andrew 1968/69). (President Birkett Ros E. Presidents, Maurice Cramb (Vice-President & Chairman of Executive 1953/55), former Magazine Editor and Executive member, Alistair G. Gracie, the Club Consul in Edmonton, G. Douglas Menzies. Frank C. Connon, A. Gordon Scott and Douglas W.C. Smith
Rubislaw Field
Meetings of the Rubislaw Field Committee had taken place in the summer of last year from which it emerged that Aberdeen City Council have plans of their own which appear 48
Former Pupils' Section to involve not only Rubislaw but also other sports facilities in the City District. Although it had been agreed that another meeting would take place in the autumn none had been held, so that anticipated Lottery funding had lapsed. The Cricket Section has been successful in obtaining the City Council's approval for the installation of an artificial wicket and this has now been completed on the basis that the installation, maintenance, upkeep and replacement as and when necessary is at the expense of the Section. Magazine The thanks of the Club are due to Mr Brian Crookshanks for the successful production of the 1998 Magazine and to the advertising team whose fund-raising efforts are to be applauded. Entertainments A most enjoyable Dinner had been held in October. and thanks were due to Gordon Inkson for organising this event. In contrast the Ball, due to be held in December had to be called off due to insufficient support. The Executive is to look afresh at Entertainments events. School The customary close links with the School were maintained. Officials had spoken to leavers in April to promote membership of the Club and Club Centre, and Committee members had interviewed candidates for the All-Round Trophies. The usual Club Awards were made at the Prize-giving, and disbursements were made from the Amenities Fund. Centres The various Centres of the Club continue to thrive in Canada, Edinburgh. Glasgow, London and Yorkshire, and each had held very successful dinners during the year under review. Each would welcome support from new members in their areas. Reports on Centre activities appear elsewhere in this Magazine. 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 1998 Accounts (reproduced at the end of this Magazine) were submitted and approved. The Treasurer, presenting his first Accounts, expressed disappointment that the year had ended with a loss of £635 against the previous year's profit of £163. He emphasised that the Balance Sheet is in a healthy state and that the Income & Expenditure Account is improving. 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, 2000 The 2000 A.G.M. will be held on Monday. 27 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 'Chat was the year. that was! Like all my predecessors. it is difficult for me to realise and believe that my Presidential Year is over. Maybe it is a sign of age, but 1 like to think that it has been meeting so many old friends and making new ones that is the primary reason for the year appearing to be so short. Little did I think on leaving School and paying my five guineas for life membership of elected the Former Pupils' Club (one week's wages at the time) that I would one day be President of one of the largest and most famous former pupils' clubs in the world. My involvement with the Club and its Sections in various capacities over many years has Centre certainly been of great benefit to me in addressing the members and guests at the functions during my year. and leaves me with so many treasured memories. My first official function was to attend the School Prize-giving along with my wife, be Chris. You may have noted from the Magazine that there are actually 81 prizes to to presented. so Chris had all the work to do. My task, and a most enjoyable one, was address the Rector. parents, pupils, and the class of Secondary I. I managed to illustrate to theirs. the younger section of my audience some of the differences between my day and Interestingly, I had discovered beforehand that teachers now-a-days are not given nicknames Twinks by the pupils, so I reeled off a few from my own schooldays such as Tarzan McLeod. Stephen (twinkle toes). Suivi Soutar. Pa Pat and Happy Harry, which they seemed to find of most amusing. As the FP Club donates the All Round Trophies I made the presentations these to Julie Patullo and Michael Rennie. both outstanding pupils. I had a restful period over the summer, but unfortunately it was one of the worst In summers for many years. which curtailed my favourite pastime. golf. quite considerably. August. however. I was invited to participate in the Edinburgh versus Glasgow Annual Golf Match at Bruntsfield Links, and our very popular Glasgow Centre Secretary, Basil Emslie. asked me to represent them as, to say the least, they were short of numbers compared to time their Edinburgh opponents. To Basil's delight, Glasgow won the trophy for the first ever, so at least I have helped to make history. Early in September. Chris and I set off for Canada for ten days. during which time we attended the Canadian Centre's weekend of activities in Ottawa. We stayed with Peter Green The and his wife at their recently purchased. very old farmhouse with 65 acres attached. format of the weekend was excellent, and enabled us to get to know everyone very quickly. was a It commenced with a cocktail party in the Army Officers' Mess on the Friday, which four very enjoyable get-together for a couple of hours. Saturday morning was taken up by of us having a game of golf and then, in the evening, came the Dinner at the Laurentian badge Club. I had the pleasure of presenting the incoming President. Willie Balfour, with the six of office. Those of you who know him know that Willie has suffered, over the years, heart attacks and that nine years ago he had a heart replacement. When you meet him and play golf with him, you would never believe that he had suffered a severe heart condition. might In my address, thinking of the small number of FPs in Ontario. I suggested that they consider a joint dinner with members of the Gordonian Association residing in the area. That went down like a lead balloon: the unanimous reply was "bloody Gordonians - no with way!" Such is the strength of FPs so far from home. The weekend was completed brunch at Peter Green's home on the Sunday. On saying our fond farewells I really felt that I had been at School with all of them. We were home for five days before setting off for the Yorkshire Centre. Hugh Pirie and his wife. Maureen, accompanied us on our journey and, never before having experienced the Yorkshire Dales, we decided to set off a day early and we spent a most pleasant night and a day near the Emmerdale Farm filming area. The Yorkshire Centre Dinner was, as usual. most pleasant and very informal evening. I had time to have a good chat with Dick Tyson about old times and the demise of his father's favourite ground - Rubislaw. Although this is a mixed Dinner, unfortunately Dick was the only local member accompanied by his wife. A month later. Friday 30th October, was the highlight of my year. being the occasion my of the home Dinner in the Queen's Hotel in Aberdeen. I was fortunate in succeeding in efforts to coerce a well-known Gordonian, Ian Edward. into proposing the Toast to the 50
Former Pupils' Section School and the Club. and knowing so many FPs allowed him to give an excellent, lighthearted toast, ably replied to by the Rector. Bill Johnston. We had at the top table 50% ladies as our official guests, being the Presidents of Aberdeen High, St Margaret's. Albyn and the former Aberdeen Academy FP Clubs. With such a proliferation of beauties, I considered it only fair and reasonable to ask one of them to reply to the toast of the guests, and I certainly madc the correct selection in Lindsey Sutherland who, due to nerves, said that she was not able to enjoy her meal, but who gave a most articulate reply which was greatly appreciated by the assembled company. I was delighted that the speakers, more or less, adhered to the time-scale which I had suggested, and this enabled us to finish the formal part of the evening with the toast of "Bon Accord" just before II pm. I had said in my welcome that the time-scale would allow plenty of time for meeting with old friends over a "jar" and this we succeeded in doing. Speaking of old friends. I was delighted that my closest school friend. Neil Kernsley, travelled from Guernsey for the occasion and stayed for three nights with Chris and myself. It had been thirty-seven years since we last met so, as you can imagine, we had plenty to talk about. On my driving him out to Dyce for his return flight, he told me that his visit had made him feel as though we had never been parted. No peace for the wicked! The following Friday, Chris and I were off to London. As usual, the Centre Dinner was held in the Caledonian Club but, due to another dinner being held on the same evening, there was a lesser number attending than usual. Sir Alan Donald. their President, proposed the principal toast and, due to the non-availability of the Rector, Helen Innes. the Depute Rector. replied. Having had a rather hectic schedule over a short period, we then departed for our second home for some sunshine and relaxation. I returned for two weeks in February, taking in the Edinburgh Centre Dinner and, the following week, the Gordonian Association Dinner in Aberdeen. The Edinburgh Dinner was held the night before Scotland's fantastic win over Wales. They had changed their venue to Bruntsfield Links Golf Club and this was an excellent choice. The surroundings and the food were first class, as were the speeches. The Dinner was presided over by, as I referred to him, "the bionic man", Morr Brown who, with his usual turn of phrase, chaired the Dinner with a lot of humour and sincerity. Phil Love was the principal speaker and made a few references to Gordonians, of whom several were present. including his own sons. My final Dinner was that of the Glasgow Centre, held in the Swallow Hotel. This, as for many years now, was organised by Basil Emile, and I was delighted to meet up with Allison, the widow of the late Past President Andrew McLaren, who is a great supporter of the Club. David Reid presided and had as principal speaker Sheriff Richard Davidson, who gave a very amusing toast to the School and the Club. The following day was the Scotland -v- Ireland International at Murrayfield, and I spent a most enjoyable afternoon watching the game with Basil at his flat. I consider that, as your President, I have travelled more miles than any of my predecessors, in all having actually covered approximately 16,000 miles. For the future of the Club I feel that it is most necessary that some younger members become more involved in the Club at Committee level: I know that for many years the Executive has tried to encourage such interest because several of its members are, with no disrespect, a little long in the tooth and would be only too pleased to give way to a younger element. I offer my apologies for not being able to attend the AGM to invest the incoming President, Charlie Ritchie, with the badge of office. Charlie. through his rugby travels, has flown the FP flag in many parts of the world, and I wish him as enjoyable a year as I have had. We are most fortunate to have such a capable and hard-working Secretary as Jock Hendry. who is the lynch-pin of the Club. I thank him for all the assistance he has given to me over the years both as Chairman of the Executive and as President. I now look forward to full retirement, and I wish the Club continuing success. Richard H. Cradock (1940-51) 51
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Presidential Profile Charles Ritchie (1945-51) President. 1999-2000 He having received the highest administrative accolade which the Scottish Rugby Union can confer by being elected its President in 1997-98. it is particularly fitting that Charlie Ritchie is being further recognised by the highest award which the Former Pupils' Club can confer on one of its own, namely the Presidency of the Club. Since Charlie left the School in 1951 his two main interests outwith his family circle have been rugby and the FP Club. Immediately upon leaving School, Charlie underwent a year of National Service. On his return to Aberdeen he joined the FP Rugby Section where he played with distinction, initially as a prop forward (Tim Smith, North & Midlands District Hooker, Scottish Trialist and Scotland XV Reserve, being the hooker) and subsequently as hooker. In this position he received great support from a number of equally notable front row forwards, including Huw Thomas and the late and much missed FP Rugby stalwart, Mike Gibb. Before injury forced Charlie to retire during season 1969-70 he regularly played for the North & Midlands District XV against other Scottish districts and against major international touring teams. He was given a Scottish Trial and played for a Scottish XV against the Anglo's. Along with Ian ("Spivvic") McCrae he played regularly for the British Insurance XV. Charlie acted as Secretary of the FP Rugby Section from 1965 until 1974. and during that period he gave selflessly of his time to promote the best interests of the Rugby Section. In 1974 he took over from Phil Love (1952-58) as the North District Representative to the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) and in that capacity he served as Secretary of the North District Rugby Union. Charlie was such a dedicated North District Representative to the SRU that he was elected a Special Representative in 1982. in which role he served on a variety of major committees including the Championship and Disciplinary Committees - his experiences in the depths of the scrum as a front row forward will have been invaluable in his disciplinary role! Charlie acted as SRU Liaison Officer to every touring side visiting Scotland between 1985 and 1995, a role which was no doubt pleasurable but also immensely demanding of his time and commitment. That Charlie was highly regarded within the SRU was evidenced by his appointment as Manager of the Scottish Touring Party to Australia in 1992 and finally by his election as President of the Union in 1997-98. It was a matter of great sadness and regret to all of Charlie's many friends that is wife, Helen. who had supported him so well as he progressed up the SRU hierarchy, did not survive to share and enjoy his tenure of the highest non-playing office which Scottish Rugby can confer. Notwithstanding Charlie's heavy commitments during his presidential year. he still found the time to support the FP Rugby Section and, in particular. its 1st XV. Family apart. rugby has always been Charlie's first love, although he did spend many years in gainful employment with the Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance in Aberdeen in various capacities until he took early retirement, after which he and his late wife ran the Colwyn Hotel in the city's Dee Street for a number of years. If one needed further confirmation of Charlie Ritchie's total dedication to the FP Club, now we have it - not only will he be holding office as President of the Parent Club, but he will also be holding office as President of the Rugby Section! Apart from his commitment to Scottish and FP Rugby, he has served the Parent Club in so many ways over the years. He has been a member of the Club Executive on a number of occasions and has also served on the Club Centre Management Committee. He was Notes Editor of the Magazine for the three-and-a-half years between 1966 and 1969. and more recently he has been one of a number of dedicated FPs upon whom Ronnie Comber, as Chairman of the Club Centre Management Committee, has been able to call for help with the general running of the Centre since the departure of the Steward last September. 52
Former Pupils' Section
Charles Ritchie (1945-51)
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Charlie Ritchie has rendered stalwart service to the FP Club both on and off the rugby field over a period approaching fifty years. and his appointment as President of the Scottish Rugby Union further enhanced the Club's world-wide reputation. His presidential credentials speak for themselves, and we wish our new President a successful and fulfilling year in office. D.N.G. / P.N.L. Centre Reports Club Centre The year just ended has seen radical changes in our staff. After ten years with us, our Steward. George McKenzie, has gone to fresh pastures. He is now the licensee of the Smiddy Inn at Daviot. The Committee decided that a live-in steward should be replaced by a bar manager. Martin Reid was appointed to that position, and thanks are due to him for all his helpful work and for introducing a new flexibility behind the bar. After nine years' service, Muriel Massie left to get married - Congratulations. Muriel! Towards the end of last year Margaret Coutts, our cook, chose a new career in child care. Two weeks after her departure, Betty Longmeade took over the catering at the Centre and, after initial teething problems, settled down to the provision of bar lunches, sports teas and corporate catering of a high standard. As will be seen from the Annual Accounts (reproduced at the end of this Magazine) our financial position is not good. and we have returned to the substantial losses of earlier years. At the AGM held in March, a lively discussion provided a flow of suggestions for improving our profitability, and the Management Committee will take these on board as decisive action must be taken if we are to continue to exist. The old adage "bums on seats" is critical to our survival and the Management Committee will consider a programme of recruitment of new members, possibly based on incentives. It cannot be emphasised too much how important it is that we recruit additional members. Perhaps a challenge to each member to introduce one new member would work. Our programme of functions within the Centre was severely curtailed last year, owing to lack of interest - indeed our planned Bums Lunch in January had to be cancelled at the last minute, causing difficulties with our catering staff and entertainers. The Bar Committee in the meantime has negotiated a deal with Bass on a Discount Loan Agreement over the next five years. This is purely a stop-gap expediency to tide us over the next year or so, whilst we explore other ideas which are at the embryonic stage. There is no hidden agenda, and the Executive of the parent Club (whose members include eight of the Club Centre Management Committee) is aware of our proposals. I would express my thanks to the Centre Management Committee for their support in a difficult year and their attendance at the extra meetings called during that time. Especial thanks are due to Charlie Ritchie. Doug Georgeson, Dick Cradock and Derek Younger for their help variously behind the bar, in the kitchen and tidying up the grounds over the last year. For the first time the business at the Annual General Meeting included an open discussion on "The Future of the Club Centre" (the "lively discussion" mentioned above) and many good ideas were put forward then and by letter in the following week. These are being processed and pursued - but in the end what we really need is the further support of existing members and an injection of new blood -WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT ! Canada The Canadian Centre held its Annual Dinner on Saturday 12 September 1998 in Ottawa. Ontario. The re-union weekend started on the Friday evening with a welcoming reception at the Army Officers' Mess. We were delighted to have the opportunity to welcome Club President Richard H. Cradock and his wife, Chris, who had made the long trip to Canada to support the Canadian Centre Dinner. 54
Former Pupils' Section The formal dinner on Saturday evening was held in the historic Laurentian Club, and the evening started with the now traditional presentation of the Ian Duguid crystal decanter and FP Club badge of office to this year's Canadian President. William Balfour. Dick Cradock gave an interesting and informative speech on the activities of the School and FP Club, and Willie Balfour responded in great form on behalf of the Centre. Two of the FPs present, Jim Cook and Bill Guthrie. were especially pleased to be at the dinner as they remembered Dick from schooldays. After the dinner, Jim read a moving poem, "Around the Corner" by Henson Towne. underlining the importance of keeping in touch with friends from our school days. At the end of a memorable evening, Peter Jeffrey presented a book to Dick and Chris Cradock as a reminder of their visit to Canada. As some FPs and their wives travel considerable distances to come to the FP dinner. other events are planned for the weekend. This year. Peter Green and his wife, Anne, kindly invited everyone to Sunday brunch. The garden of their beautiful 150-year-old farmhouse. with herbs, vines and enormous sunflowers all around us, was a wonderful setting for yet more reminiscing and good conversation. It was a golden Fall day at its best, and a superb finish to another great AGSFP Canadian Centre weekend. The following FPs attended the re-union: W.H. Guthrie (1939-51). St. Catherine's, Ontario: R.H. Cradock (1940-51). Aberdeen; J.P. Jeffrey (1944-59), Calgary, Alberta: J.T.F. Cook (1945-49), Marmora, Ontario; P.J. Green (1945-57). Kempville, Ontario; P. Barron (1948-56), Kanata, Ontario; M.J. Hardie (1948-59), Almonte, Ontario; K.E. Pirie (1948-58), Aylmer. Quebec; W. Balfour (1949-58). Westmount. Quebec; A. Home (1952-58), Greely, Ontario and I.McG. Marc (1954-58), Kanata, Ontario. Gary Jenkins (1939-44) will take over as the 1999 Canadian Centre President, and the annual dinner will be held in Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday 18 September 1999. All FPs and their spouses, whether resident in Canada or visiting, are cordially invited to attend. For details please contact: Peter Jeffrey. 615 Willoughby Crescent SE, Calgary, Alberta T2J IZ9. Tel: (Home) 403-271-0704. Fax (Home) 403-278-7240. Edinburgh The Centre held its Annual Dinner on Friday 5 February 1999 in the clubhouse of the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society. President W Morrison Brown welcomed the company of sixty-three members and guests, who included the principal guest. Professor Philip Love, Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool University and Past President of the Parent Club, the current President of the Parent Club, Dick Cradock, the Depute Rector. Helen Innes, Dr Ian Levack representing Edinburgh Gordonians, David Reid, President of the Glasgow Centre. Ian Duguid and David Smith representing respectively the London and Yorkshire Centres, Head Girl, Kate Hurman and Head Boy, Simon Smail. The principal toast of "The School and the Club" was proposed by Professor Love in most eloquent fashion, and excellent replies were given by Helen Innes, who was deputising for the Rector, and Dick Cradock. The change in venue proved very popular - the meal was excellent and the company were made to feel most welcome by a very attentive staff. Kate Hurman and Simon Smail proved excellent ambassadors for the School and appeared to have enjoyed the evening very much indeed - the next day they and Helen Innes were entertained by the Centre Secretary, Nigel Watt, at Murrayfield for the Scotland -vWales Rugby International. During the course of the Dinner the Centre. as usual, held its Annual General Meeting. Douglas Harper and Sandy Monro were elected as the new President and Vice-President; Nigel Watt was re-elected as honorary Secretary and Treasurer, and the new committee members are Mike Beattie, Keith Masson and Robin Rilley. At the end of the evening VicePresident Douglas Harper thanked Morr Brown for this, his tenth and final year as President of the Centre and for his chairmanship of the proceedings in his usual unique manner. His enthusiasm for both School and Club remains undiminished! The Centre's Annual Golf Outing took place at Bruntsfield as usual in August when the weather was excellent and the course in wonderful condition. The usual challenge had been extended to the Glasgow Centre and thankfully their tireless Secretary. Basil Emslie, 55
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine had managed to raise a team comprising himself. Willie Wood and Gordon Barron - lain Fergusson and John Hannah had hoped to participate but had to call off at short notice poor John had broken his leg! An invitation had been extended to the Parent club President. Dick Cradock, and he came down from Aberdeen for the afternoon. A golfer of some renown, Dick was commandeered by Basil to represent the Glasgow Centre. Stuart Cummings was on holiday from Belgium and it was agreed that he should represent Glasgow as well in that he had been a post-graduate student at Strathclyde University many years ago! Fifteen FPs took part - ten for Edinburgh and five for Glasgow.As in previous years, the competition was by stableford with the best three scores for each side counting. At the same time, everyone played for the "Mon Brown" trophy. Morr was present to watch some of the golf and to present the prizes despite having recently been savaged by a swarm of midges while changing a tyre on the Cairn o' Mount!! History was made in that Glasgow won for the first time and thus the attractive glass trophy ventured westwards along the M8. Dick Cradock won the individual competition and took the infamous trophy north for the first time - he had an excellent score of 38 points. Jimmy McGregor was second with 34 and Stuart Cummings third with 33. After the golf, the happy company partook of an excellent high tea in the clubhouse. This year's outing will be held at Bruntsfield on Wednesday 25 August 1999 and will incorporate the match with the Glasgow Centre. Next year's Dinner will be held in the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society clubhouse on Friday 3 March 2000 - the eve of the Scotland -v- France rugby international at Murrayfield. Any reader who has recently come to the Edinburgh area and who has not received any communication from the Centre is invited to contact Nigel Watt at his business address of 5 Melville Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7JA - telephone 0131-200-1020. Fax 0131-200-1090 or e-mail ngmw@globalnet.co.uk The following FPs attended the Dinner: R.G.C. Smith (1926-37). B.D.D. Emslie (1928-35), R.A. Williamson (1928-36), W.M. Brown (1933-46), A.J.K. Monro (1938-46), J.M. Hunter (1935-47), A.I. Cheyne (1936-48), I.M. Duguid (1938-43), D.G. Kilgour (1938-50). J.M.T. Cheyne (1939-52), R.H. Cradock (1940-51), D.L. Cowie (1942-44), D.A. Brittain (1943-49), A.H. Cairns (1943-56), B.S. Gray (1943-49), A.E. Philip (1943-56) A.M. Beattie (1944-57), D.R. Harper (1944-58), D.P. Smith (1945-47), E.G. Cran (194650), R.S. Rilley (1947-55), H.S. Pirie (1949-55), N.M. Borthwick (1952-65), N.K. Campbell (1952-58). P.N. Love (1952-58). A.M. Shaw (1952-58), D.J. Fettes (1953-59), K.I. Masson (1959-72). M.H. Byres (1960-69). J.H. Rust (1963-71). N.G.M. Watt (1963-69), S.W. Cummings (1965-69), J.G. Hannah (1965-71), D. Reid (1975-80), and D.M. Watson (1980-85). Glasgow As the President of the Centre was not to be returning from Jamaica until some time after our Annual Dinner, the Committee decided to elect David Reid (1975-80), who had very successfully stood in last year, to be President. The Secretary presented David with his badge of office. Unfortunately, the annual joint function which Gordonians were due to organise did not take place. They will be given the opportunity to make amends in 2000. The Edinburgh Centre, thoughtful as ever, invited us through to Bruntsfield Golf Club on Wednesday 20 August to their outing. Surprise! Surprise! - Glasgow won the trophy for the first time. The Glasgow secretary has to admit that our success was due to his initiative in inviting the Club President. Dick Cradock (Handicap 6) to play for Glasgow. We also had Stuart Cummings on loan. The scores on aggregate of the best three in the team by Stableford points: Edinburgh (East) Glasgow (West) 34 Jimmie McGregor 38 Dick Cradock 32 David Kilgour 33 Stuart Cummings 29 Nigel Watt 30 Gordon Barron 95 101 56
Former Pupils' Serum The Bruntsfield Golf Club served an excellent dinner whcn the re-unions continued off the course - there were no holes in one to talk about. The Centre's Annual Dinner on Friday 19 March 1999 was again held in Willie Wood's Swallow Hotel, although he himself was attending a high-powered hoteliers' conference in Geneva. David Reid presided most efficiently, having now well settled into his new office. He still contends that this is because of Basil bludgeoning! Our principal guest was Sheriff Richard Davidson of Dundee and Fife who, prior to that appointment. had been a floating Sheriff everywhere except Glasgow. His snappy, humorous toast to the School and the Club was thoroughly appreciated by both the ladies and the gentlemen. The Rector introduced a most successful new format of the Head Boy, Simon Smail and the Head Girl, Kate Hurman sharing the reply on behalf of the School. President Dick Cradock, who had honoured us by travelling from Spain to attend the Dinner, presented a review of his very full year at this, his swan song. Abbreviated, with humorous snippets, he expressed his main enjoyment as being the sharing of happy memories and friendships with FPs. Ian Fergusson gave an appreciative vote of thanks. We were very pleased that Past President Andrew McLaren's widow, Allison. Was able to accept our invitation to join us. The attendance was 51, much the same as before, but I hope that any EPs in the Glasgow area reading this report will decide to give the Centre their support next year. The following FPs attended the Annual Dinner: Basil Emslie (1929-35). Sandy Monro (1933-46), Ian Duguid (1938-43), Richard Cradock (1940-51), Ronald Walker (1941-46). Malcolm Gauld (1947-61), Hugh Pirie (1949-55). George Barron (1952-55). John Hannah (1959-71). lain Fergusson (1959-66), D. Skene (1959-64). Gary Allan (1963-76), Nigel Watt (1963-69), David Reid (1975-80), Malcolm Daniel (1975-81) and John Stevenson (1975-81) The annual Golf Match against the Edinburgh Centre will take place on Wednesday 25 August 1999. Next year's Glasgow Centre Dinner will be held on Friday 17 March 2000. Any FPs resident, even temporarily, in Glasgow or the West of Scotland are asked to advise the Centre Secretary. Basil Emslie. at 8 Westerton of Mugdock, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8LQ Tel. 0141-956-4299. London This year was tinged with sadness for the London Centre with the death, after a long illness. of our distinguished long-serving member and former President. Doug Smith. Among the FPs at Doug's memorial service in St Columba's Church were our President, Sir Alan Donald, and Graham Young. The Annual General Meeting was held later than usual, on Wednesday 28th Ocother, in the Caledonian Club. Sir Alan Donald agreed to continue in office as President (to the great delight of all those present) until the next AGM. Sandy Nicol and Ron Caie were reelected as Secretary and Treasurer respectively, Jim Davidson and Roy Reid were elected to the committee, the other members being Ian Duguid, Duncan Hopkin, Andrew Noble, John Tosh and Harold Watt. Once again the AGM was followed by the now traditional supper in the Caledonian Club. The Annual Dinner was held in the Caledonian Club on Friday 6 November. In a departure from our usual practice. Sir Alan Donald not only hosted the evening but also delivered the principal speech. The executive committee felt that this would be an appropriate way to mark Alan's final dinner as President and to take full advantage of his undoubted talents as a public speaker. Replies were made by Club President, Dick Cradock and, on her first visit to a London Centre function, Miss Helen Innes, Depute Rector of the School. Doug Skene represented the Yorkshire Centre. The following FPs attended the Dinner: J.L.S. Thomson (1920-27), H.M.R. Watt (1926-38). G.S. Williams (1933-46), J.G.W. Jones (1937-47). R. Cradock (1940-51). Sir A. Donald (1942-44), G. Leslie (1943-47). J.B. Davidson (1947-60), R. Kitson (1947-58), R. Reid (1947-52). J. Sinclair (1947-59), I.A. Reid (1951-63), J. Reid (1954-65), D. Hopkin (1955-61), D. Skene (1959-64), H.T.E. Norbrook (1959-65), J.A. Reid (1961-65) and S. Nicol (1962-71). 57
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine The 1999 Annual Dinner will he held in the Caledonian Club on Friday 12 November, with Buff Hardie as the principal speaker. Yorkshire For the twenty-first time our Annual Dinner was held at the Dower House in Knaresborough. Clearly our reasons for being there are more than just historic, as each year the hotel staff rise to the occasion, producing imaginative menus and excellent food. A strong contingent from Aberdeen helped to maintain numbers, but we do need active support from other centres to ensure that number 22 is a sureess - and the date for all diaries is Friday 24 September 1999. On the subject of numbers, the Rector notched up his twelfth visit to Yorkshire and Norman Nicol brought the menu from his first Yorkshire Dinner in 1958. The fact that we had duck in 1958 and again in 1998 should not put off any potential visitors as we plan a change for next time. Dick Tyson, the Centre President. welcomed the company which included as our principal guests the Rector and Club President Richard Cradock. Four ladies, Mrs Cradock, Mrs Crookshanks, Mrs Pirie and Mrs Tyson graced the proceedings with their presence. FPs present were: N.T. Nicol (1926-39), W.J. Alexander (1931-43). A.W. McIntosh (1932-45), B.K. Crookshanks (1934-46), R.H. Cradock (1940-51), R.F. Tyson (1944-49). D.P. Smith (1945-47). H.S. Pirie (1949-55), I.A. Fraser (1959-68) and D. Skene (1959-64).
Section Reports Cricket The First Xl, again under the captaincy of Alan Redhead, finished runners-up in the Strathmore Union for season 1998. While this represented a great improvement on the previous season, there was still a feeling of disappointment that they had not won the league. A win was required at Cupar in the final match of the season to clinch the Championship, but unfortunately this final match was lost and we finished second. Many people contributed to the success of the First XI. In the batting Richard Ferro had a most successful season averaging 46. and considerable support was given by Keith Fletcher, Jeremy Moir and John Eagles. Jeremy Moir was again the leading bowler, taking 37 wickets at an average of just over 6, with support coming from John Eagles and Garry Stuart. However, many others made valuable contributions when they were required. Richard Ferro and Jeremy Moir achieved a unique double as Richard won both Strathmore Union batting cups and Jeremy won both Strathmore Union bowling cups. It is believed that this is the first time that all four cups have been won by players from the same club. The Strathmore Union has been re-organised for season 1999. We are in the top division but unfortunately we have made a poor start to the season. Hopefully, under the continuing captaincy of Alan Redhead, things will improve as the season progresses. The Second XL under the captaincy of Harvey Morrison, achieved its objective of winning promotion from Grade 3 to Grade 2. At one time we looked as if we might win the league. but some disappointing results at the end of the season meant that we finished second. The outstanding batsman was Mike Hart, who finished with an average of almost 75. As he also took twenty wickets he made a very significant contribution to our promotion.Others who contributed with the bat were Rob Fryer, Dharmendra, Matt Cottle and Harvey Morrison. but one of the real strengths of the side was the depth of the batting. The two principal wicket takers were Stephen Murphy and Duncan Hart who each took 27 wickets. Stephen narrowly missed winning the Grade 3 bowling cup and Duncan had an excellent first season for us. the highlight being his 8 for 29 against Newtonhill. This season we play in Grade 2 and our aim must be to consolidate our position in this league. The team is again captained by Harvey Morrison and we have made a reasonable start to achieving our objective. 58
Former Pupils' Section The Third XL under the captaincy of Craig Fraser. made an encouraging start to the season, but team raising difficulties led to a number of matches being scratched and as a result of this the team was relegated to Grade 5. This was most disappointing, as the team had the ability to compete in Grade 4. Andy Cripps has taken over the captaincy in 1999 and the side has made a successful start to the season. Hopefully they may win promotion back to Grade 4. After much effort and considerable delay the Section has now succeeded in having an all-weather wicket laid at Rubislaw. This will greatly improve the facilities and should help the Section to attract better players. Various people contributed towards the cost of the artificial pitch and thanks are due to Richard Ferro for a►l his efforts in eventually getting all necessary approval to have the pitch laid. Hopefully this will be the first of a number of improvements to the facilities at Rubislaw. Curling The Curling Section remains in good heart despite the small number of playing members. Last year's new members have been playing as regular members now with great success. We still curl with four rinks in our internal league and with different mixtures of these rinks in the external competitions. We are, as always, keen to recruit new members, both starters and those who have played before at whatever level, and we promise to ease new members into the "Roaring Game" in a gentle way. Have no fear! Give curling a try! Within the Club the Autumn League was won by Geddie Hay's rink and the Spring League by Barton Brown's rink, which won all games in this section of the league. Barton's rink also won the play-off for the Autumn/Spring League. The Pairs Competition and the Knock-Out were won by Geddie Hay's rink. Barton Brown's rink has played with slight success, but in the "Olympian Spirit," in the Province League of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. Geddie Hay's rink were undefeated runners-up in the Province Bonspiel which had to be decided on ends up after the two top teams peeled. Norman Patterson's rink in the Grant Trophy was part of the winning Aberdeen (Area 9) contingent at this season's competition at Forfar Ice Rink. The annual contest against the Gordonian Curling Team was won by Gordonians this year, but the usual social atmosphere and the hospitality afterwards at the Scafield Club were excellent and rounded otT the evening very pleasantly. Our Annual Dinner was held for the fourth time in the Athol' Hotel on 9 April and was enjoyed by all. Particular thanks go to Joan and Mario Vicca for their efforts in purchasing the wine and choosing the menus. I would ask again that anyone interested in joining the Curling Section should contact the Secretary, Bruce Allan, Tel. 642557. Football The Football Section this last season, 98/99, competed in Division 5 of the Aberdeenshire Amateur leagues. An unfortunate administrative error at the end of the previous season made us miss out on promotion to Division 3 and, instead, resulted in our relegation to Division 5. With this in mind, and given that our squad was strengthened from the previous season, we entered 1998/99 hoping for some success. As it turned out, things did not go quite as anticipated in the early stages, and we suffered a couple of defeats in our first few games. On hindsight our stuttering start could possibly he attributed to complacency and poor pre-season training. Happily, we soon managed to turn things around, and we finished the season having lost only four league games. This secured the runners-up spot and a promotion place to Division 4 behind league winners, Carlton. Another highlight of the season was winning the Barclay Cook Cup/Edmond Trophy. During this competition we had victories over teams from Divisions 1. 2 and 3, and in the final we defeated Chattan Rovers, a Division I team, 1-0. The final was played at North Lodge Park, Pitmedden, home of Formartine Juniors, with the goal hero being Kenny Smith (a Gordonian) who came on as an early substitute. 59
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F.P. Football 1st XI 1988/89 Barclay Cook Cup/Ethnond Trophy Final
Former Pupils' Section At the end of the season we notched up a great run of fifteen league and cup victories in succession and we will be trying to carry this kind of consistency into Division 4 next season. It is hoped that all of the season 98/99's squad, which in the main comprised Former Pupils of the School. will sign for the coming season. As always, though, we are on the look-out for additional players to bolster our squad, and if anyone reading this is interested in playing, or even just coming to our training for exercise, he should contact Kenneth Macpherson on 0124-646545.
Golf We have just held our Annual Dinner and AGM. Norman Garden is this year's Captain. Last season, two Outings were held at Braemar, one at Ballater and a mid-week Outing at Alford. The weekend Outing to Taymouth Castle in August continues to be the highlight of the Golf Section year. Fraser Webster was in excellent form and deservedly won the Carry Cup. FPs beat Gordonians to win the Challenge Trophy. Not much success was achieved at Harmon in the Queen Elizabeth Coronation Schools Tournament, when we lost to Old Reptonians in the opening round. For the first time in many years we attended the preTournament dinner and finished a late evening in a drinking competition with Charterhouse. We were then comprehensively beaten by a Reptonian team that had spent the previous evening in a lap dancing club in Lcith. A seed has been planted for this year's pre-Tournament activities.
Hockey The season just ended was another disappointing season for the 1st XI. which saw yet more experienced players leave before the start. This exodus did not help settle the side, and having no recognised 'keeper only compounded matters. The main problems throughout the season were the team's inability to score enough goals and on too many occasions the opposition were allowed back into the game after the restart at half time. Something positive can always be drawn from any season, however, and it was good to see that a number of senior schoolboys won places in the squad, and what was even better was that they maintained their positions. The second team had much the same sort of season, losing more games than they won. Again, a major factor was the constant reshuffling of personnel, and a lack of experienced players. Unlike the first team, however, they were able to stay clear of relegation and maintain their Regional league status. It is hoped that our Section's top two teams will benefit most from a training weekend planned for 21st and 22nd August at Inverurie. We have been successful in attracting one of the top coaches from England who will hopefully inject some new ideas and help to attract and keep players in our club. The training weekend is open to all levels. Unfortunately, although our 3rd XI won promotion from the District second division, they will have to stay in Division 2 due to new league restructuring. After a slow start, results began to go their way, and at one stage they held top spot. It was due to bad luck that the thirds faced a busy end of season, playing games on both Saturday and Sunday which unfortunately saw their title bid fall short. The fourth team also maintained their Division 2 status after a season which almost mirrored that of the thirds. Finishing fourth, their promotion challenge was also hit by a busy end of season dash to get fixtures played. It is hoped that the fourth team will continue the work of the colts team by playing a number of school boys in a league which will be a lot stronger than last year's. 61
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine After last year's league restructuring the Grammarians found themselves amongst teams which were (and 1 use their own words) quicker and fitter. The main aim was to consolidate their position which they did, thanks partly to a win over the old enemy. Gordonians C. The Grammarians also play their part in the development of the youngsters. Where else can they learn how to criticise the umpire's decision? Thanks must go to our newest Honorary Vice-President Bob Dickson, who has helped out all season umpiring for our District sides. This year saw the introduction of a sixth side, the Colts Xl. The mid-table position is not that important: the purpose of the team is to improve on the skills needed to play in the higher teams in the future. It is hoped that this side will supply an improving standard of player to the club. One such schoolboy who has progressed through the teams this year was wee Keith Smith. who was rewarded with the presentation of the Graham Fraser Trophy at this year's AGM. Judging by the rest of the youngsters, the club has a very bright future. Despite a poor season for most on the pitch, it was good to see that we are still a club at the top when it comes to the social side of things. The spirit of old is still very much alive. The whole Section would like to thank the staff at the Club Centre, without whom we would not be able to forget about the afternoon's defeat. Petanque In the 1998 season Saturday and Sunday play was curtailed week-end after week-end due to bad weather. However, we were lucky with our major events - the Summer Solstice and Club Championships. The results in these events were: Ayron Comber Summer Solstice Singles Club Championships: Singles Dick Cradock Doubles Gail Tawse and Dick Cradock Triples Dick Cradock, Graeme Craig and David Earp The usual high standard of barbecue was maintained. The Annual Dinner was, as always, a success, two bottles of wine per head ensuring a good night. The Section funds are in a healthy state with £900 in the bank. The 1999 season's competitions will have been played by the time that this report appears in print. In addition to the usual events mentioned above, a new competition. the Aberdeen Sports Council Triples, has been added to the calendar - results of these will be included in the next Magazine. Rugby The past season has been one of mixed fortunes for the Section with consolidation in Premier Division 2 for the First XV, success at Second and Third XV level and real progress in the Youth sections. The First XV. coached by New Zealander Kerry Whale and captained for the fifth successive year by lain Stanger. found their entry into the second Division to be a real test of their abilities. Finishing a comfortable sixth place in the League they took a few notable 'scalps' during the campaign, with victory over the eventual League Champions, and exiting the National Cup at the hands of the eventual winners. One measure of their scope to improve was the fact that in six of the matches they only lost by a score or less. The first team results were:18 Played 6 Won Drawn 2 10 Lost For 298 343 Against 8 Bonus Points 36 Total Points 62
Former Pupils•' Section The Second XV swept all before them in winning promotion to Inter-City National League 4. Winning twelve matches from twelve, with 569 points for and only 100 against; they demonstrated the strength of playing resources within the Section. The Third XV again enjoyed a 'grand slam', albeit in a truncated season. With a I00% record in all seven matches, this proved to be a useful introduction to senior rugby for many of our younger players. The Youth section continued to grow both in numbers and stature. With well over 150 players attending on a Sunday morning at Rubislaw, the commitment of the parents and coaches is commendable. The hard work put in by all involved is now showing results - the Primary Four teams won all six of the nation-wide tournaments they entered, a unique feat and testament to their coach. Mary Christian. At the under-I4 age group, our side won a place in the National finals, sadly losing, and at under-15 and under-16 we had a total of 19 boys selected for the North District Representative side and 4 for North Schools. The Club looks forward to many more years of success and is strengthening the playing squads month-by-month. Amongst our members in the Club at present, we have 10 young players who between them have represented their country at l9 age-group levels, with over 93 individual appearances (Scottish Schools. Scotland under-I8. under-19 and under-21). This young core of talent, together with our Youth Section initiative, will surely reap rewards in the future. We are committed to strengthening our playing and coaching links with the School, and for Season 1999-2000 we will bring former All-Black lock, John Fleming, to Aberdeen as Head Coach. A New Zealand Rugby Union staff coach. John has been heavily involved in age-group coaching in Waikato, and his additional role at the Club in Youth Development will enable us to introduce to our young players standards of coaching never previously enjoyed in Scotland. Much of the hard work at the Club is done by the non-players and thanks are due to outgoing President, Derek McKay. who is succeeded by Charlie Ritchie. Also demitting office from Committee are Treasurer. John Murray and Secretary, Callum McDonald their input to the Club over the years has been extremely valuable and we wish them well in their 'retirement'. We look forward to seeing you at Rubislaw next season for what promises to be another year of progress and success. Swimming The Section wishes to express its gratitude to two long-serving officials who have retired this year - Norman Marr who has served as Treasurer from 1972 and Roger Houghton who served as Secretary from 1980 to 1990 and as President since that time. Both Norman and Roger continue their association as ordinary members of the Club.. The new officials now elected as President and Treasurer are Peter Robertson and Gordon Inkson, both themselves long standing ordinary members of the Section. Club membership remains fairly low, but it is encouraging to see a number of young children attending the family session. New members would be made most welcome and further details can be obtained from the Secretary on Tel. 01224-634623. The Club meets on Tuesday evenings during School term times, commencing at 6 p.m. through to 9 p.m. 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. Club officials appointed at the Annual General Meeting were as follows:President - Peter Robertson Treasurer - Gordon Inkson Secretary - Peter Mulvey Women's Hockey Last year's message that we would like to give our supporters something more to cheer about has come true. This season has been a very successful one for the Section. There were new captains for both teams, resulting in one or two changes. 63
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine The 1st XI began the season with several good results, including the defeat of our arch rivals. Aberdeen Wanderers, at the Meadows, Elton. The resulting momentum meant that it was going to he very hard for other teams to halt us. We had a very committed squad of thirteen players who were available for nearly every game of the season. This gave us continuity in selection and reliability in key positions on the field. All season the hockey played was solid and effective with a good, strong defence and an ability to score goals when needed. Every player worked for each other, and we found that near the end of the season some very good slick hockey was achievable. The league campaign resulted in our becoming North District Division One Champions with a tremendous record of... Played 22...Won 21...Drawn 1...Lost 0...Points 64. The Scottish District ('up was a low point early in the season, and saw our interest in the competition end in the 2nd round. This defeat (our only loss of the outdoor season) meant that we would be in the Scottish District Plate Competition instead. After some very convincing victories in the early rounds. a place in the final was achieved by beating Kinross Ladies in a penalty shoot-out. The final was an all-Aberdeen affair with Bon Accord B. A 3-0 score-line in our favour made sure that the silverware was on its way to the FP Club. A very pleasant evening was had by all at the Club. whether those present were involved in hockey or not! The successes were built around a very strong defence and willingness for all to contribute to winning the matches on the field. This can be seen from the loss of only six goals in all games played in the league and the cup all season. The 2nd XI had a very difficult season. The early season indications were good, with some decent results giving us a healthy mid-table position. The player situation was not. however. as reliable and consistent as the 1st XI's. The seconds had only five or six players who were able to turn out for every game. This was our biggest problem and resulted in defeats which could have been avoided mid-season. However. this did not mean that we have had an unsuccessful year. Keen, committed players joined the Section in the last third of the season and helped the team maintain their Division One status. The increase of players available at the end of the season bodes well for the future. A high point for 2nd's was going a lot further in the Scottish District Cup than the 1st XI !! We reached the last sixteen. and were eventually beaten by Cumbernauld. The season reflects the consistency of the team, but with new players maintaining an interest in the Section. as great D:Rcam once said. "Things can only get better!" The Indoor season saw another success fir the Section with our winning the North District Indoor Tournament. The players secured the trophy even through a self-induced haze. The league campaign resulted in a third place finish due to a defeat at the hands of Elton and a draw with Wanderers. Therefore, the total trophy haul this season was the North District League Title (outdoors)• the Scottish District Plate. the North District Tournament (indoors) and the Stronach's Cup for the most successful team selected from the Grammar Men's and Women's hockey sections. The training sessions have been very well attended, with a high point of 40 ladies participating at one session after the winter break. This was achieved mainly due to links with the school teams being maintained throughout the season by Susan Watson, Mo Wisely and Sari Johnston to whom we must all extend our thanks. The number of schoolgirls who arc willing to attend our training is a good indicator for the future of the FP Section. With correct management this should be a source of players of which we ran take advantage in the future. Other purely social events have included a very entertaining wine night and end of season meal which was enjoyed a lot more by some than by others. The FP Club Centre till has been a winner this season. with many victories being celebrated in "hockey corner!" Off the field, the Section has enjoyed financial 'comfort' this season with the sponsorship from Aberdeen Solicitors' Property Centre to whom we are most grateful. Fundraising events have included a race night in November. which netted over £2000 between the male and female hockey sections. 64
Former Pupils' Section
Finally, we would like to give our all-important thank-you messages for season 199899. Without their assistance none of this season's successes would have been possible. Firstly, we would give an enormous 'thank you' to Richard Wallis for his ever reliable. good-natured and tolerant umpiring. Almost every weekend he has umpired for at least one of our teams, come rain or shine. Other umpires have been provided from club members and from other teams players, and for this we are very grateful. Secondly. a 'thank you' goes to our two coaches for the season. Trevor Watt and Kevin Pope from the men's section. They have been an ever-present feature of our training sessions and have tried to make it along to as many games as possible - due to their own match commitments, sadly they could not always be there. Thirdly, a 'thank you' goes to all spectators who have come to watch and support us this season, and we hope we have provided some enjoyable hockey for you. Finally, a big 'thank you' must go to our own Section members, without whom none of this would have been possible. P.S. - for the record, new members arc always welcome. Please contact one of the following for information on training etc.: President - Fiona Jeffers - 861869 1st XI Captain - Nikki Fox - 319813 Secretary - Emma Hendry - 313386 2nd XI Captain - Susan Watson - 322132 Grammar ('oaching Success Apart from the Senior Team doing well in the National Leagues, the Youth Section of the FP Rugby Section has something to be pleased about. Mary Christian has been coaching. firstly at Elton and latterly at Grammar, where her P4 team has proved to be unbeatable. In March 1998 she gained her Level I SRU Coach Award and later that year she commenced Level 2. Over the years. Mary has gained the affectionate nickname "Scary Mary" from her young charges, but her efforts on and off the field are well known. In March this year. Mary became the first female to be awarded the Level 2 Coach Certificate. This season, her P4 team has won The Grammar Shield, The ElIon Trophy, The Stirling Trophy. The Haddo House Cup, The Carnoustie Trophy and The Royal High Shield - the first time that this last Trophy has left Edinburgh. In addition to these trophies, Mary was the first female to receive this season's Clubman of the Year Award. Also gaining his Level 2 Award with FPs was Chris Dargie, about whom more appears in the Notes Section elsewhere in this Magazine. Annual Dinner The 1998 Annual Dinner was held in the Queen's Hotel, Aberdeen on Friday 30 October. with the President, Mr Richard H. Cradock, in the chair. This marked a return to town from the suburbs, although to a familiar location, the hotel having formerly been the Marcliffe and home to several FP Dinners a few years ago. The attendance was similar to that of the previous year. An unusual, but very enjoyable, meal was followed by the traditional toast-list, and the hand of the President was behind the return from a never very well explained absence of a toast to the guests. The principal toast, to "The School and the Club," was proposed by Aberdeen advocate Ian Edward. a past president of the Gordonian Association. Recalling his acquaintance with the President as a school contemporary, he remarked that he was impressed to observe that he still had the same angelic features and the same angelic smile. He observed that in all of his six years in the secondary department of Gordon's College he had never played in a winning side against their Grammar School rivals. Having clearly been primed with a copy of the Magazine as prescribed reading, he went on to compliment the Rector on the range and quality of education currently provided in the School, and in particular referred to the report of the activities of the Charities Group organised by pupils with commendable success. In his reply, the Rector adopted a new format, taking the daily School News-sheet as the basis of his remarks to demonstrate the breadth of activities both educational and extra-curricular, cultural, social and sporting. He was proud to report that the School still produces pupils who are role models. The President after apologising to 65
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Messrs McLeod and Stephen (whom he identified by their nicknames) for being a difficult pupil, gave an account of his activities to date as the Club's roving ambassador. The toast to our guests was proposed in most felicitous manner by Martin Jeffrey and a charming and witty reply was given by Mrs Lindsey Sutherland from the High School FP Club. The arrangements for the evening were in the hands of Gordon lnkson, making his debut as Entertainments Secretary, and he is to be congratulated on his excellent organisation. The following FPs attended the Dinner (in order of entering School): J.R.S. Innes (192335), J.C. Sellar (1924-34), B.D.D. Emslie (1929-35). A. Stuart (1932-45), W.M. Brown (193346), B.K. Crookshanks (1934-46). D.H. Chapman (1936-48), J.E. Fraser (1936-49), S.A.C. Robertson (1939-51). J.W. Cradock (1940-46). R.H. Cradock (1940-51), J.N. Kemsley (194151), H.B. Paterson (1941-50), R.W. Donald (1943-52), H.A.S. Hamilton (1943-56), H.K.S. Kinghorn (1943-56), A.K. Campbell (1944-53). J. Gauld (1944-53), D. McKay (1944-50), R.F. Tyson (1944-49), J.M. Clark (1947-59), F.K.S. Lawson (1947-62), H.S. Pine (1949-55), G.F. Webster (1949-62), R. Gray (1951-65). I.H. McLeod (1951-55), H.E. Morrison (195165), J.C. Lyon (1953-59), M.A. Batchelor (1959-65), K.G. Jones (1959-66), D.N. Yule (196066), N. Garden (1960-66), P.M. Robertson (1967-73). D.G. Moir (1969-75), A.J. Thomson (1969-75), D. Harley (1974-80). I. Taylor (1974-80), D.T.M. Reid (1975-80), D.M. Watson (1980-85). R. Daly (1986-92), G,M, lnkson (1986-92). P. Main (1986-92), R.K.M. Pennic (1986-92), G. Robertson (1986-92), J.P.R. Williams (1986-92), D. Brown (1989-95), S. Duthie (1989-95), R. Fox (1989-95), B. Gracie (1989-95). D. Guyan (1989-95), M. Guyan (1989-95), C. Howie (1989-95), G. Kennedy (1989-95), R. Mackie (1989-95), R. Martin (1989-95), C. Milne (1989.95), N. Smith (1989-95), T. Trayhum (1989-95), C. Veitch (198995), K. Bavidge (1992.98), A.J. limes (1992-98), R. McLeod (Staff) and I.T. Stephen (Staff). The May Ball Unfortunately the 1998 Annual Ball. which should have taken place on Boxing Day, had to be cancelled due to lack of support. It is now believed that this event, which formerly attracted large numbers, has declined over the last few years because the date is not now viewed as so suitable as it once was. The possibility of a Ball in May was considered in the immediate aftermath of the cancellation, but the Executive opted against an official function in May 1999 because of the impossibility of advising Club members generally in the normal way. The Entertainments Committee is now recommending to the Executive that such a function should take place in May 2000. In the meantime, a group of Club Centre members decided to go ahead with a May Ball on 15 May 1999 in the Queen's Hotel. This was open to all members of the Club Centre and the Sports Sections with their partners and friends. Almost 100 attended, with a wide range of ages. In particular there was a large group of the Women's Hockey Section. celebrating the end of a highly successful season (as reported elsewhere in this Magazine). and a large group from the Club Centre whose effervescent spirit was evident throughout. The company was welcomed by the Club President. Charlie Ritchie. after which there was an excellent buffet meal (to which it was noted some returned for seconds). A short game of Heads and Tails followed: this involved everyone standing with their hands placed on either their head or their bottom while a coin was tossed. Those guessing incorrectly have to sit down, and this is repeated until there is a winner. Despite the relative simplicity of the rules, there was a degree of confusion as to who should sit down. The game culminated in a four-way play-off for a bottle of champagne. A local band, the Gordonairs, then took over and quickly established a good rapport with the company, with the result that the dance floor was packed all night. The band performed a wide repertoire of numbers, and many people appreciated the way in which lesser known dances were explained at the start. There were many memorable dancing performances, the most notable being those of John Paterson and Prof. Hugh Miller. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening (so far as the participants can remember►, and if the Executive approve the recommendation of the Entertainments Committee it is hoped that May 2000 will see a bigger and even better Ball. 66
Former Pupils' Section Thanks are due to Gordon lnkson for his organisation, and his thanks go to Morag Wisely of Women's Hockey and to two Club Centre stalwarts, Gail Tawse and Marilyn Paterson, for their assistance to him. A small profit arising from the evening has been distributed to the School Amenities Fund and to the Club Centre. Re-Unions Pre-Millenium Re-Union of Class of 1961-67 After a very successful first Re-union in October 1993. which happily coincided with the Centenary Year celebrations of the FP Club. another get together is planned for October this year to mark the approaching Millenium. A small committee is actively planning the programme for the event. By the time this Magazine is in members' hands a Barbecue and Social at the Club Ccntre will have taken place. All those who attended the School between 1961 and 1967 will be welcome at the October Re-union. If any reader has an Old School Pal of that era, give him a call and let him know what is happening. Members of the year are asked to prepare a brief resume of their time since School - no opposition to "War & Peace" please! Further information and booking forms may be obtained from: Raymond Clark (Secretary) (01224) 898362 E-mail: ray_clark_at_altens@yahoo.com Geoff Wilkinson (Treasurer) (01330) 823358 Dave McDonald 126 Osborne Place (Home) or GoIdles Lounge/Restaurant. I Portland Street (01224) 592050 Class Re-Union - Class of 1959 This event is on schedule for the first weekend in October. with a Dinner on Friday 3 October. Arrangements are well in hand, but any member of the year who has not yet indicated an intention to be present should contact Jim Lyon at 26 Gairn Road. Aberdeen (Tel/Fax 01224-581957) without delay. It is hoped to carry a report of this event in the next issue of the Magazine. 1969 Leavers' Re-union A very successful gathering of over sixty members of this Class took place in Aberdeen during the second week of June, just too late for a photograph and report on the event to be included in this issue of the Magazine. Some biographical notes on members of the class have, however, been included in the Notes Section which follows on the next page. and yet more may appear next year.
FP Club Membership Subscription Rates Life Membership £75 Ordinary Annual Membership £6 Junior Annual Membership £4 School Leaver's Membership (covering the balance of the year the member leases school and the next two years) £4 Subscriptions are payable to the Treasurer, Mr Alan W. Marr. 4 West Craibstone Street. Aberdeen
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Honours and Awards New Year Honours Order of the Briti,h Empire Robert Middleton (1944-48) was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Birthday Honours List of 1998 in recognition of his services to local government in Scotland. He first entered the local political scene as a member of the former Aberdeen Town Council. He served later on Grampian Regional Council. of which he was convener for four years. Most recently he has represented Castlehill ward on Aberdeen City Council and was convener of the Council's finance committee and vice-convener of the policy and resources committee until the elections in May this year when he retired from the Council. He was chairman of the Scottish Labour Party in 1986-87 and has been president of the North Sea Commission and of the Grampian-Houston Association. He fought four general elections unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate. Urlan Alistair Wannop (1936-49) Emeritus Professor of Environmental Planning at Strathclyde University, became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours list in recognition of his services to the Boundary Commission for Scotland. Honorary Degrees At the Summer Graduation Ceremony at Aberdeen University in July 1998 Honorary Degrees were conferred on two Former Pupils each of whom has distinguished himself in his particular sphere of activity. The degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) was conferred on Alistair Macarthur North (1937-50) OBE. BSc. PhD, DSc. FRSE, FRIC. In presenting him, Professor Alexander Forrester said: "It is appropriate to remind ourselves on such occasions why universities, and this one in particular, award honorary degrees. They do so in recognition of an outstanding contribution by an individual to the advancement of knowledge and/or understanding in a particular discipline or an outstanding contribution to the country, the community or the University. "Alistair North was born in Aberdeen and attended the local Grammar School where he excelled scholastically and on the sports field. His engaging personality and appetite for life made him a popular figure and he forged many friendships during this period which have endured for a lifetime. He continued his studies at the University of Aberdeen and graduated in 1954 with an outstanding first class Honours Degree in Chemistry. This he followed by three years of research in polymer chemistry under the late and much missed George Burnett. who was Professor and Head of the Department at that time. Following the award of Ph.D. in 1957 he pursued his research at the University of Southern California under the tutelage of the late and great Sydney Benson. "On returning to the UK he won a prestigious ICI fellowship at the University of Liverpool. Liverpool quickly recognised his emerging talent and soon gave him a Faculty position. His work on polymers was recognised by the Faraday Society which presented him with their Marlow Medal in 1965. This is an annual award for the most distinguished work published on physical chemistry by a UK citizen under the age of thirty-five. Further recognition followed when he was appointed to the Burmah Chair of Physical Chemistry 68
Former Pupils' Seclion at the University of Strathclyde. During the next sixteen years he held successively the positions of Head of Department. Dean of Faculty. Vice-Principal and Deputy Principal of the University. "His contributions to polymer chemistry during this period were in two areas. He pioneered understanding of the effects of the structure of the growing polymer chain on the rate at which, and the ways by which, it terminated its growth. He also made a major contribution to the characterisation of polymers using a range of new and novel physical methods. His work brought insight to the relationships between the properties of polymers and their structures. "The polymer industry is crucial to the UK economy and Alistair's work helped the UK industry to remain competitive. He is an international authority in both the areas mentioned and was in great demand as a speaker at symposia all over the world. He was also a champion of polymer chemistry at national and international level and served on many Research Council and other Government committees. "Those who have known Alistair North have been inspired not only by his academic and professional achievements but also by his infectious personality and zest for living. He suffered the loss of an eye in early childhood but this typically did not appear to disadvantage him in any way. Indeed, he is renowned for using his impaired condition to exercise his black humour by removing his glass eye in rugby scrums, at social gatherings and on many other politically incorrect oreasions. In retrospect. Alistair has always found it easier to remove himself from Aberdeen than to remove Aberdeen from himself. "Following on from his experience as a senior academic manager at the University of Strathclyde, in 1983 he made a decisive career change by becoming President of the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok. At the time of his appointment the Institute was a small technology-based centre of learning which graduated about seventy students per year drawn from a wide variety of countries. It always had a good reputation in the rcgion, but under Alistair North's period of leadership it has grown both in size and stature. By the time he retired the number of enrolled students and staff had increased two and a half fold, with an even bigger increase in the research-based postgraduate school. Subject coverage was expanded with the introduction of biotechnology manufacturing systems in engineering, telecommunications and management. There has also been a large expansion of new laboratories and residences with the result that the reputation of the Institute as a high technology centre designed to serve the needs of the region has blossomed as never before. "Alistair North's success in developing the Institute has not passed unrecognised in other parts of the world and he has been awarded many honours. for example the Magsagsay Award for International Understanding, the Order des Palmes Academique of France. the Order of King Leopold II of Belgium, the Order of Prasidda Prahala Gorkha Baku of Nepal, and the Order of the British Empire. Honorary degrees from the Asian Institute of Technology, the University of Strathclyde, and the Institute National Polytechnique of Toulouse. France have also been awarded. Today the University of Aberdeen joins that list by honouring one of its distinguished sons." The degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) was conferred on Andrew David Hamilton Wyllie (1947-60) BSc, MBChB, PhD, FRSE, FRS. In presenting him, Professor Hugh Pennington said: "In the midst of life we are in death, says the funeral service. An appropriate introduction for a pathologist, you might say. After all, there is some truth in the old definition - there is a physician: he knows everything but can do nothing: there is a surgeon: he knows nothing but can do anything: and here is a pathologist: he knows everything but comes a bit late. But today we honour a pathologist who not only knows a good deal, but in his dealings with death comes first - both as a pioneer and as an original thinker. "Andrew Wyllie qualified in Aberdeen in Science in 1964 and in Medicine in 1967. His enquiring mind caused him to stay on as a Ph.D. student with Sir Alastair Currie, the charismatic and brilliant head of the Aberdeen Department of Pathology. Soon after starting his work, he found that removing the pituitary gland caused single-cell death in the adrenal gland, extending a previous observation made by Currie with cancer-inducing 69
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine chemicals. This gave him the idea that a common cell-death pathway might be turned on both by hormones and by the injury caused by carcinogens. The scene was now set for the production of a landmark paper with the Australian electron microscopist John Kerr describing this special kind of cell-death - programmed as part of a controlled and active process occurring under both normal and abnormal circumstances such as in normal embryonic development and in the development and control of cancer. It appeared in 1972. Not only did it propose a totally new and very important basic biological phenomenon, but it coined a name for it - apoptosis. "Now we honour Andrew Wyllie today for these and his other scientific contributions. But I have to say that another mark of the genius that attended that early work in Aberdeen was to coin a word - unlike, I am happy to say, its subject - that more than a quarter of a century on still attracts controversy and argument. Although impeccable in pedigree, following a word used by Homer to describe the falling of leaves from trees in the autumn, we argue today about its pronunciation. Is the 'p' pronounced as in helicopter, or silent, as in pterodactyl? "It is often the fate of landmark discoveries to lie dormant before their full significance is appreciated. It happens often enough for it to he regarded as a normal pattern. It only has a happy and positive outcome because of the lone enthusiast who continues to produce the evidence which eventually persuades the doubters and builds the consensus through which science moves forward. Andrew Wyllie is one of these. He has been described as dogged and Calvinistic. He certainly held faith with apoptosis during the time when it was not widely accepted or funded. At its birth the idea was poorly received. He himself has said that 'the concept of death as crucial for life went against twentieth-century philosophy.' Not only did he persist but he went on to do the most important thing that could be done - to make another crucial discovery about it. He showed that in apoptotic cells the chromosomes are degraded in a particular and specific way - not randomly, but precisely and neatly into fragments of characteristic sizes. At a stroke evidence had been produced that not only convinced doubters but provided a biochemical test. From that point apoptosis went on from strength to strength. Confirmatory evidence came flooding in from such diverse fields as work on the development of worms, on the survival of cells in the immune system, and on cancer genes. It is now one of the most active and exciting fields in medical research. Not only does it pervade contemporary biological science in a remarkable way, but it has major therapeutic potential. "Inevitably, Andrew Wyllie has been honoured to the full by his scientific peers. He was elected FRSE in 1991 and FRS in 1995. For more than a hundred years Scottish pathologists have traditionally been the intellectual, pedagogic, and scientific leaders par excellence of British medicine. They are an export of which this University can rightly be proud. Andrew Wyllie epitomises all that is best about them."
George Gordon Allan (1939-51) is having his fifth book published towards the end of this year. It is Bowls: A Game for Two Seasons (Alpha Press, Brighton), his second on the game; the first, Bowling Enchanted Woods appeared in 1994. He has also written A Sporting Wanderer, a miscellany of his sporting articles, mainly from 'The Times': Not All Mud and Scrums, recollections of rugby union before professionalism: and Fleet Street Round the Clock, an account of his journalistic career in Aberdeen. Edinburgh and London. He now lives at Carshalton, Surrey. John Hamilton Allen (1956-69) MA, DipOSH, FlOSH, is now Health and Safety manager of the new Canadian oil company. Talisman, in Aberdeen. Having originally worked in the paper industry with Wiggins Teape Stationery, he returned to full-time education and graduated from Aberdeen University in 1977 with honours in economic history. He then served with the Health & Safety Executive in Aberdeen and Edinburgh before returning to Aberdeen and posts as safety manager and consultant with firms in the oil industry. He lives in Banchory. 70
Former Pupils' Section Robert Allan (1945-48) retired from the post of chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation at the end of June 1998. His career with the fishing industry began in 1962 when he joined the Aberdeen Fishing Vessel Owners'Association as assistant secretary. He was involved in a wide range of both service and political activities in the trawler sector, and eventually became chief executive of the city trawler owners' body. Alongside this, the group ran the Scottish Trawlers' Federation, taking in Granton, from which emerged the Aberdeen Fish Producers Organisation. the first in Scotland to be recognised. He was a key figure in addressing the problems associated with the extension of fishery limits and the demise of the side trawler fleet when they could no longer economically fish near-water grounds. In 1982 he became chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and was at once involved in the re-negotiation of the Common Fisheries Policy. Since then he has been at the centre of discussions and negotiations regarding quotas, fleet cut-backs and the ongoing problems of financing the building of fishing vessels. Brian Eadie Fleming Angus (1960-69) MBChB, who graduated at Aberdeen University in 1975. lectured in Pathology there for a year before entering general practice at Fyvie and Oldmeldrum. In 1982 he returned to lecturing in Aberdeen before moving to Newcastle University in 1984 as a lecturer in Pathology. Appointed senior lecturer and consultant in 1990, his special interest, both in diagnosis and research, is in cancers of the breast and of the lymphatic system. Former Secretary of University Norman Roderick Darroch Begg (1951-59) MA. LL.B. studied at Aberdeen University. graduating in Arts in 1963 and Law in 1964. He became a university administrator, initially at the University of East Anglia, and then for over thirty years at Aberdeen. Ill health (as he puts it, "the dreaded sair back") compelled him to take early retirement last year from the post of Secretary to the University which he had held for ten years. He is now working on a part-time basis with the University as Director of Alumni Relations, in which context he would be delighted to make contact with his many fellow-alumni who also enjoyed a happy decade at the School before their University days and who would like to pick up threads with their alma mater. Any such should write, phone, fax or email him at the University Office - Tel: +273233, fax: +272271, e-mail: roddy.begg(kadmin.abdn.ac.uk. Roddy still manages to pursue his lifelong passion for the amateur theatre, directing with Studio Theatre Group. Russell Craig Borthwick (1979-85) is now consumer marketing director for the NorthEastern Evening Gazette in Middlesbrough. He lives at Ryton, Tyne & Wear. Brian Stewart Boyd (1963-69) joined Aberdeen City Police (now Grampian Police) in 1971. He has had experience of most aspects of police work. much of it community-based. In 1993. along with the deputy head of a primary school, he collaborated in the writing and development of a teaching resource for children aged 5-14 dealing, amongst other things, with the issue of drug misuse. This was published in 1995 and is now widely used both in Scotland and England. He now works full-time in schools. He represented Grampian Police at a gathering of drugs educators at 10 Downing Street last year. Russell George Budge (1956-69) BSc. DipEd. after teaching briefly joined the Royal Navy, as an instructor before re-training as an engineer officer. After several years of sea-going. he has more recently been ashore specialising in the technical development of naval surveillance and tracking radars, and command and control systems. In 1991-93 he was seconded to the Sultan of Oman's Navy when he led a multinational force of 115 personnel repairing and refitting Omani patrol ships. Currently he is a Lieutenant-Commander in the MOD Procurement Agency at Bristol, purchasing air traffic control radar for all three services. 71
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Marshall Henry Byres (1960-69). after graduating from Aberdeen University and then from RGIT, entered the Inland Revenue as an inspector of taxes. He served in various parts of the country, including Aberdeen, and latterly was District Inspector of London Provincial 23. based in Edinburgh. He then moved to the Far East. settling in Hong Kong where he is now partner in charge of the tax practice of Ernst & Young. chartered accountants. He will become Managing Partner of their China practice at the beginning of next year. Marshall has for some years been the FP Club Consul in Hong Kong. Patrick Edward Bruce Chalmers (1944-49) BSc(Agri). who, as an Aberdeenshire councillor, was chairman of Grampian Police Board, did not seek re-election in May of this year. After studying at the North of Scotland College of Agriculture and graduating from Durham University. he joined the BBC in 1963. Apart from a short period in London in general management his career was in Scotland, and he was for several years from 1983 Controller of BBC Scotland. David Main Craig (1937-50) MA, PhD, studied at Aberdeen and Cambridge before spending two years as a lecturer in English at the University of Ceylon. He was then tutor-organiser for the Workers' Educational Association in North Yorkshire before being appointed a lecturer in English at the then newly founded University of Lancaster, where he remained until his retirement as Professor of Creative Writing. He is a keen climber and a lover of the Highlands, and has written on a variety of subjects including climbing, rocks and the crofters evicted in the Highland Clearances. He has lived for many years in Cumbria. but is a frequent visitor to his native Scotland. He is a grandson of Dr H.F. Morland Simpson, Rector of the School from 1893 to 1920, and a nephew of Dr. W. Douglas Simpson (1901-13), Librarian of Aberdeen University from 1926 to 1966. Gordon Kenneth C'rookstanks (1979-85) has recently completed a further course with Bristow Helicopters, with whom he has been a pilot since 1990. and has now been promoted to Training Captain. He is still based in Aberdeen. Distinguished War Veteran John Alexander Cruickshank (1926-29) VC, about whom a note appeared in the Magazine of 1995, was among the specially invited guests of honour in July 1998 when one of the last surviving Catalina flying boats visited Dundee. His interest in this aircraft stems from his service on them with Coastal Command during the Second World War, in the course of which his singular valour in the aftermath of the sinking of a German submarine off the Norwegian Lofoten Islands led to the award of the Victoria Cross. The amphibious aircraft which was on display at Dundee is now based at the Air Museum at Duxford. Cambridgeshire. John William Curran (1963-69) LL.B, graduated from Aberdeen University in 1972 after which he served his apprenticeship as a solicitor with Edmonds & Ledingham in Aberdeen. He was assumed as a partner in the firm in 1977 (now Ledingham Chalmers) where he is a specialist in commercial property. He was for thirteen years a semi-professional footballer in the Highland League, playing for Rothes FC and then for Keith. Christopher David Dargie (1990-96) is studying for his HND Sport Coaching and Sports Development qualifications, and aims to be a Rugby Development Officer. He has been coaching for four years and has gained his Level I and 2 SRU Coach Awards, with the distinction of being the youngest Level 2 coach. He also holds the New Image Teacher's Certificate. He captained the School team, has played for FPs and, in addition to playing for District and Scottish Schools at U15, U16, U17 and U18 levels, he has been a North Midlands triallist. 72
Former Pupils' Section Peter Brand Donald (1944-48) has retired after twenty-eight years as manager of His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen, thus bringing to an end a 65-year link between the Donald family and the Theatre. His elder brother, James Forrest Donald (1938-44) retired a few years ago when the Theatre passed into the ownership of the local authority. Alexander (Sandy) Loudon Muir Downs (1949-61) has recently retired, having spent his working life with Commercial Union Assurance and its subsidiaries. He started his career in Aberdeen before moving to London and eventually retired as Life Manager (life and pensions) for the area of East Midlands and East Anglia. Sandy, and his wife, Elaine, have moved to Shropshire where he spends his time designing and building his 3-acre garden. with occasional forays to the golf course. His brother William Gordon Downs (1950-63). having spent most of his working life within the financial services industry. was forced, through ill health, to 'retire' from the company of which he was a financial director. After a few months of recovery, with the loyal support of his wife, he returned to work, part time, within the sports industry. In 1994 he was appointed as divisional manager for Readers, who are the oldest manufacturers of cricket balls in the world, having been estabished in 1808. Gordon's division covers all aspects of sports and industrial netting such as football, tennis, cricket etc. He covers the whole of the UK in this capacity and has chosen as his base Penthyn Bay, near Llandudno, on the instructions of his eldest granddaughter! Lennox Robert Dunbar (1964-69) . who is principal lecturer in printmaking at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen. recently held an exhibition of his work in Aberdeen's Peacock Studio and Galleries. Many of his works are described as allegorical, reflecting his life and interests in the North-east of Scotland. Most of the mixed-media prints included in this exhibition were concerned with changes in the landscape, the demise of the small farm, deforestation and reforestation, and the poverty encountered on a daily basis. The artist is an associate of the Royal Scottish Academy. Peter Gordon Edwards (1956-64) entered personnel management in London. He was for several years employment manager with the Ralph M. Parsons Co until 1980 when he transferred to an affiliate company in Calgary. Alberta to work on a major of /tar sands project. After the cancellation of these projects he was appointed Human Resources Manager with a Canadian oil and gas company. In 1989 he joined an executive search consultancy and is currently a partner in Calgary with Conroy Partners, a member of the 1.I.C. Group. He is a member of the Canadian Centre of the FP Club. Martin Charles Fraser 1(1983-89) recently opened, in partnership with a colleague, the business Total Organics, in Aberdeen's Holburn Street. This is a retail outlet dealing in everything organic "from fruit, meat and wine to chocolate and boxer shorts." Started with a capital of £12,000 the firm is budgeted to turn over £100,000 this year. The new enterprise has won the first prize of £1,000 as Grampian regional winners in the Shell Livewire Business Start Up awards. Alasdair Ritson Friend (1977-83) worked as a journalist in Edinburgh before retraining as a teacher in 1992. Since then he has worked in Oxford and London. being appointed as a deputy head teacher in 1997. In February 1998 he was appointed as head teacher of Thomas Fairchild Primary School. Hackney. London. Bruce Knight Gardner (1961-67) MA. BD has graduated Ph.D. at Aberdeen University on a thesis establishing a clear link between the writing of Genesis and the Dead Sea Scrolls. After teaching at schools in Cumbernauld, Banff, Buckie and at Aberdeen Grammar School. he entered the ministry as assistant at Kemnay Parish Church. After six years as minister at Carloway. Lewis he went in 1994 to Peru as a missionary pastor-teacher. Last year. he was inducted to the charge of St Ninian's and Forglen, Turriff. He is married and has a family of four. 73
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine John Thomson Clifford GiIlan (1934-46) MA, LLB, has now fully retired from Wilson & Duffus, advocates. Having been a partner since 1975. he continued as a consultant with the firm after retiral from full-time practice in 1994. Graham Good (1962-68) CA. who is company secretary to the John Wood Group in Aberdeen. has been appointed a non-executive director of Northsound Radio. Grant Alan Hamilton (1988-94) graduated in Business Computing from The Robert Gordon University in 1997 and is now working as an information technology consultant with Stolt Comex Seaway Ltd. at Bucksburn, Aberdeen. He still plays rugby for FPs 2nd XV. Michael Campbell Hastie (1961-64) who is in business in Aberdeen as a quantity surveyor. has ended quarter of a century as a local Conservative councillor. First elected in 1974 to the former Aberdeen District Council, he represented the Seafield ward on the new Aberdeen City Council from 1975. That seat disappeared under boundary re-organisation this year and he decided not to seek nomination for the re-arranged seat. He remains a Justice of the Peace and presides from time to time at Aberdeen District Court. Alan Leith Hendry (1963-69) BSc(Agri) graduated from Aberdeen University in 1974 with honours in agricultural economics. In 1977 he joined the Scottish Department of Agriculture and was based in Aberdeen. Keith and Benbecula before taking up his present appointment as Senior Agricultural Officer in Perth. He remains actively involved with football having, among other posts, been manager of Benbecula Football Club. Now based in western Perthshire he is involved with the running of Strathearn juvenile teams. Duncan James Hopkin (1955-61) BSc. MSc, FCIS. MRSC, CChem, MIMgt is now a member of the management team of the Imperial Fire & Marine Re-Insurance Company Limited following private acquisition from its American owners in August 1996. The Company provides a world-wide re-insurance service through its London operation and its newly opened overseas operations in Bahrain, Malaysia and Tunis. He joined Imperial Re from the Guardian Royal Exchange Group where he was Director of UK Human Resources. Prior to that he was Company Secretary and Group Head of Human Resources for the ING/Orion Insurance Group. He is a committee member of the London Centre of the FP Club and a member of the Rotary Club of the Channel, Folkstone which has awarded him a Paul Harris Fellowship for his contribution. David Scott Hutchison (1977-83) BSc.BD, LTh, has retired on grounds of ill health from the Aberdeen charge of St Fittick's. Tony, where he had been minister since 1994. North-east Farming Spokesnum David Jack (1944-50) BSc. Dip.Agri. Dip.Trop.Agri.. who has been chairman of Scottish Quality Cereals for almost five years. has stepped down from that post. The group acts as the cereal sector's quality assurance scheme. He laid the basis for the group's work while chairman of the Scottish National Farmers' Union cereal committee in 1992, and he was determined that quality assurance and traceability should become a reality for Scottish cereal crops. After leaving School and completing his agricultural studies, he served with the Overseas Civil Service for a number of years before becoming a farm manager at Montrose in 1959. He has farmed at Jackstown, Rothienorman. since 1963, and has been prominent in the affairs of the Scottish NFU for many years. Brian Tomlinson Jones (1956-69) BSc(Eng) joined the Aberdeen City Engineer's Department alter graduating. In 1975 he transferred to Grampian Regional Council's Department of Water Services where he was heavily involved in the provision of the infra-structure for the booming North Sea oil industry. He became a Chartered Engineer. In 1980 he became involved in the operational side of the water industry, latterly in a management position. 74
Former Pupils' Section In 1996 he was transferred to the North of Scotland Water Authority and is now Production Manager for the Grampian area, with senior management responsibility for the water treatment works and reservoirs serving the North-east of Scotland. He has recently become a government-appointed Reservoir Supervising Engineer to provide expertise for the safe operation and maintenance of large reservoirs.
David King (1978-84), whose marriage is reported elsewhere in this Magazine. is now employed by the Ministry of Defence and is working on the design of potential new satellite surveillance systems. He is living in Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire. John Christopher Knox (1967-69) MA. after studying politics and economics at Aberdeen University. worked for two years as a volunteer teacher in Cameroon, West Africa. He then entered journalism, first with the Alloa Advertiser, then the Southern Reporter and finally the Birmingham Post. In 1982 he joined the BBC in London. transferring to BBC Scotland in 1983. He now works as a sub-editor in the newsroom in Glasgow and lives in Edinburgh. Julie Elizabeth Knaggs (1979-85) is now married to Chris Avey and living in Trinidad and Tobago. She is employed with SmithKline Beecham but is currently on maternity leave following the birth in April of their son, Sam. Her sister, Laura Anne Knaggs (1978-83) is married to Bruce Davidson and also lives in Trinidad and Tobago. They have three sons, Christian, Mikey and Ben. The third sister, Natalie Mary Knaggs (1978-82), is married to Dave Perry. They also have three sons. Nicholas, Daniel and Luke. and their home is in Doha. Qatar. Martin Jeffrey 11942-57) BSc has recently entered the field of "business investment". Since graduating from Aberdeen University in 1960. apart from a spell with the Ford Motor Company in the early '60s, he has spent his entire career in the computer industry. First came twenty years with IBM in various sales and management roles in Scotland, London and the North-west of England. Then in 1984 he left IBM and helped to set up a Personal Computer business with two former colleagues. He became managing director in 1986 and the company, Computers for Business (Scotland) - trading as Computerland - went on to become one of Scotland's top PC systems and service companies. In 1995, the SkillsGroup plc, a quoted company, approached the company and a sale was completed later that year. After over-seeing the transitional twelve months, Martin then took a "sabbatical" before deciding to get back into the industry. His current investment focus is very much on computers, communications and services, with a particular interest in Internet developments both in the UK and the USA. He is presently Vice-chairman of the Club Executive. Ambassador and Consul Donald Alexander Lamont (1951-65) MA returned in 1994 to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office after serving as HM Ambassador to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. For the following three years he was Head of the Republic of Ireland Department, having the good fortune to take on that job shortly after the first IRA cease-lire. Over this pcriod there were several significant developments in the relationship with Dublin, including a visit by HRH the Prince of Wales and the first official visit to Britain by a serving Irish Head of State, President Mary Robinson. He was also involved in the launch of the Irish Scottish Academic Initiative, which then included Aberdeen and Strathclyde Universities and Trinity College, Dublin. In 1997 he was seconded to the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina where he served for eighteen months as Chief of Staff and Deputy High Representative. He has now moved to the South Atlantic on appointment as Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. While there, he has agreed to act as FP Club Consul for that area and looks forward to hearing front any members of the Club who find themselves in that part of the world. 75
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine James George Lobban (1954-60) MA has completed thirty years as conductor of the Aberdeen Bach Choir. During this time the choir, which was founded in 1956, has greatly expanded its repertoire in the field of Renaissance and 20th century music, and has given a considerable number of major performances of the works of Bach. After graduating in 1964 with honours in music at Aberdeen University, James joined the staff of Inveruric Academy and was soon appointed principal teacher of music. Since 1976 he has held the same post at Hazlehead Academy, in addition to which he has for almost twenty years been organist and choirmaster at St Machar Cathedral. He was for several years principal examiner in music for the Scottish `O' Grade and Higher Music Examinations. The Choir won a National Lottery award to commission and perform a new choral work by a Scottish composer and John McLeod (1946-50) was entrusted with the commission. The first performance of The Chronicle of St Machar, a cantata, was given in St Machar Cathedral in April this year, with a repeat performance in early June. This second performance was preceded by a selection of compositions by pupils from Aberdeen schools (including the Grammar) involved in Certificate Music Courses, which were based on themes representing scenarios from the new work and utilising instruments available in the schools concerned. John is one of Scotland's most prolific composers and has won many prizes for his works which have been performed by leading orchestras and soloists world-wide. From 1991 to 1997 he was Head of Composing for Film and Television at the London College of Music, and Thames Valley University and was at the same time a visiting Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music. Linda Margaret McCartney (nee Inch) (1977-83) is now living in Toronto where her husband has taken up a one-year hospital appointment. Steven Macdonald (1986-91) realised a dream when he was accepted for service in the Royal Navy. He is an operator-mechanic and and earlier this year was serving on the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible in the Adriatic, where the vessel was involved in the coordination of the bombing over Kosovo. Last year he saw service in the Gulf of Oman during the allied enforcement of the no-fly zone over Iraq. David John McKay (1967-71) who, has operated the cycle retail business of Alpine Bikes in Aberdeen for the last nine years. has now acquired the Edinburgh business of Cycles Williamson . Alpine Bikes already operates in Glasgow, and all told has a staff of fifty across Scotland. David's elder brother James Forbes McKay MA, LLB, has resigned from the Procurator Fiscal Service and has now set up in practice on his own account as a solicitor in Elgin. After serving as a Depute Fiscal in Greenock he transferred to Aberdeen before being appointed Procurator Fiscal at Forfar. He has been Fiscal at Elgin since 1995. Maitland Mackie (1946-54) has been appointed chairman of the Scottish Agricultural College. formed in 1990 on the amalgamation of the former three Scottish Colleges. Partly government-funded, the College is one of Scotland's top 100 businesses , but the new chairman pledges that it will not lose sight of its 'missionary role' in the farming and broader rural economy sectors. At about the same time, he has stepped down after five years as chairman of Grampian Enterprise Ltd., having been one of the original board members when it was established in 1989. He is owner and chairman of the family business which farms 2000 acres of arable land in Aberdeenshire and includes a dairy unit producing premier quality ice cream. He founded the Scottish Pig Initiative, chaired Farm Assurance Scottish Livestock, and is presently a director of the Rowett Research Service, a member of the Meat and Livestock Commission Research Committee and a non-executive director of TSB Scotland. He stood unsuccessfully for the Liberal Democrats in Banff and Buchan in the elections for the new Scottish Parliament. He was challenging the SNP leader. Alex Salmond. 76
Former Pupils' Section Ian Ronald McLeod (1952-63) LL.B, has been elected Vice-President of the Scottish Law Agents' Society. He is a partner in Wilsone & Duffus, advocates, Aberdeen, and has been a Council member of the Society for many years. Derek George Marnoch (1940-52) MBE, BSC(Eng) AlCMA, is to retire later this year from the post of chief executive of Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce. Elected as President of the Chamber in 1982 he relinquished office the following year in order to take up the salaried post as chief executive. The organisation has more than doubled under his leadership to around 1300 members and the staff has increased seven-fold. The Chamber has achieved accreditation status from British Chambers and in 1995 hosted the annual conference of British Chambers of Commerce. He is also chairman of the Grampian Education Business Partnership and a member of the Post Office Users' Council for Scotland and of the Scottish Exports Forum. Ian Edward Massie (1961-74) qualified as a chartered accountant in 1980 with Messrs. Whinney Murray in Aberdeen, and joined Paull & Williamsons as assistant manager of Scottish Northern Investment Trust plc. In 1985 he moved to Edinburgh and joined Dunedin Fund Managers where he became a director in 1993. In October 1993 he was diagnosed as suffering from acoustic neuroma and after its removal four months of rehabilitation followed. In 1996 Dunedin Fund Managers merged with Edinburgh Fund Managers where he is currently a director involved with investor trust shareholder liaison. He still follows closely the fortunes of Aberdeen Football Club, and lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two children. Angus Roderick Durk Miller (1939-44) OBE. who, on his marriage in 1961, adopted his wife's surname of Farquharson has been appointed Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. He was a Deputy Lieutenant from 1984 and Vice-Lord Lieutenant from 1987. An elder of Birse and Feughside Kirk, he is a general trustee of the Church of Scotland, honorary president of Kincardine & Dceside Scouts and a director of Lathallan School. Living at Finzean House on the Finzean Estate, he received his OBE in 1985 for services to forestry and to the community in Aberdeenshire. F.P. Councillors Alan Ducat Milne (1950-58) MB.Ch.B, who has been in general practice as a doctor in Aberdeen for many years. is retiring later this year. He was elected to Aberdeen City Council in May as Conservative representative for Cults. There he joins Ramsay Milne (1958-71) who is the Labour member for Mastrick. Since the retirals of Michael Hastie and Robert Middleton noted elsewhere above, these are thought to be the only FP members of the City Council at present. Charles Mulvey (1945-59) MA, has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. After graduation he was a lecturer and later senior lecturer in economics at Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities. He is presently Professor of economics at the University of Western Australia. Peter Alexander Murphy (1945-51) MA, has recently published a book on the life and work of one of Scottish education's most controversial figures, the late R.F. MacKenzie. The hook, The Life of R. F. MacKenzie - A Prophet Without Honour, is the culmination of five years' work for its author, who was principal teacher of English under MacKenzie at Summerhill Academy in Aberdeen from 1968-71. After teaching at Torry Secondary School, Peter was an assistant teacher of English at the Grammar before promotion to Summerhill. From there he went as headmaster at Logie Secondary School. Dundee from 1971 to 1976. Thereafter he was Rector of Whitfield High School, Dundee. He is now retired and lives in Carnoustie. 77
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine his David Mark Wotherspoon Nicol (1933-44) has rejoined the FP Club following Royal in the years four for served he School leaving After Angus. Letham. retirement to his Engineers, the last two with British Troops in Austria. where he was able to indulge previenthusiasm for hill walking in the mountains of Styria and Carinthia. Here also his represent ously undistinguished Rugby career reached its zenith when he was selected to the intransiBTA against Czechoslovakia. a match which never took place because of 1948 he gence of the Russians who occupied Prague at that time. After demobilisation in variously studied architecture at the then RGTC. During his six years there he was member Secretary and President of the Students' Representative Council and a founder and Secretary of the new Students' Union. On graduation in 1954 he joined Hertfordshire building County Council where he was involved in their huge post-war school for programme, with an interlude of three years with British Rail designing a new station Peterborough, abandoned following the accession of Dr Beeching as controller of BR. latterly From 1967 until his retirement in 1987 he was Development Architect and major Buildings & Works Officer to Queen's University, Belfast during a period of (1936Steven M.M. Andrew FP, Another students. full-time 7000 2000 to from expansion FP 50) was Assistant Secretary to the University and Secretary of the local Centre of the Club at this time. While in Ireland, through the involvement of his children in competitive swimming, and variously at Commonwealth and international levels, he was successively President he Secretary of the Ulster Branch of the Irish Amateur Swimming Association, of which strenuous is an Honorary Life Member, and Secretary of the IASA. He now finds a Club. outlet for this administrative bent as Secretary of the Friockheim & District Probus Obituary His brothers were both FPs - Thomas James Traill Nicol (1930-35) whose Officer in appears elsewhere in this Magazine and Kenneth Moir Nicol (1934-45), a First the Merchant Navy, who died in 1994. of the David Romer Paton (1941-43) has recently stepped down from the chairmanship Scottish Council Development & Industry which he had held since 1996. He first became 1990. involved with the Council as chairman of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce in chariA Director of a number of companies and patron and trustee of several voluntary, table and business bodies, he is also currently chairman of Aberdeen Harbour Board. leaving Russell Keith Mostyn Pennie (1986-92) has spent much of the seven years since indigenous School in travel. He remained in Mongolia for over a year as a member of an He horseback tribe, where he adopted the cultural name 'Monkai'. meaning 'incomer'. them then moved on to Australia where he settled with an Aboriginal tribe teaching English and various social skills before returning to Aberdeen in 1998. A keen member this organiof the Church of Latter Day Saints, he has begun to research the history of sation and hopes eventually to publish a book on this subject. with the Kenneth Edward Pine (1948-58), who began his career in the insurance business in the former London & Lancashire Insurance Co.. and has now spent over forty years of the insurance industry, is proprietor of a loss-adjusting firm in Ottawa. He is a Fellow founding a He is Canada. of Institute Insurance of the Fellow a and Chartered Institute president of Ottawa Scottish Rugby Football Club. Research Raymond Pine (1963-68) spent ten years as a scientific officer at the Rowett in Institute in Aberdeen. During this time he gained a Higher National Certificate Chemistry from RGIT. In 1978 he joined the oil industry working for Inchcape Testing In Services-Caleb Brett. and was latterly a director on the UK board of the company. a Management, Resource Smedvig of director managing become to invited 1992 he was Norwegian drilling company based in Aberdeen. In 1997 he rejoined his former company developand is currently director of upstream services, with responsibility for laboratory ments in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. 78
Former Pupils' Section Distinguished Medical Researcher David John Porteous (1959-71) MBChB, is presently head of the molecular genetics section of the Human Genetics Unit at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital. He has received the 1998 Margaret McLellan Award for his research into genetic background and the use of gene therapy in cystic fibrosis. The award. which is made biennially, is administered by Tenovus-Scotland, an independent charity which funds general medical research. Professor Porteous' research has covered the whole spectrum of human genetics, and he has worked extensively on the management of cystic fibrosis. Charles Duncan Rice (1949-60) MA, PhD. has been appointed a joint vice-chairman of Grampian Enterprise. having been a member of the board since 1996. The board plays an important role in developing the strategy of Grampian Enterprise and assessing projects and programmes for investment. Jennifer Lynn Houston Robb (1980-86) and her sister Tracey Jayne Robb (1981-87) created their own piece of sporting history last year. On the same weekend in July 1998 Jennifer made her rowing debut for England in the Home Countries Rowing Regatta, whilst Tracey competed for Scotland against England in a hockey international. For the record, Jennifer won and Tracey lost! Jennifer is Corporate Finance Manager for KPMG based in Reading, and Tracey is an Associate with Ledingham Chalmers. advocates in Aberdeen, specialising in office, retail and industrial property work. Tracey competed for Scotland last year at the Hockey World Cup and at the Commonwealth Games. and an article by her on the latter appears elsewhere in this Magazine. Hamish John Brooks Sandison (1963-69) LL.B, joined Aberdeen City Police straight from School, gaining experience in all forms of police work, uniformed and plain clothes. In 1975 he was seconded to Aberdeen University to study full-time for a law degree. After graduation, he returned to what was by then Grampian Police in the rank of sergeant and was engaged in various operational and administrative roles, all in Aberdeen. He is at present Inspector in the Force Control Room at Police Headquarters in the city. Lynne Elizabeth Sassella de Zinascio (1983-89) obtained a designated degree of M.A. in Accountancy at Aberdeen University's Summer graduation last year. She hopes to take up industry-related work. David Pringle Smith (1946-47) retired from Royal Insurance in 1995. He is currently Treasurer of Voluntary Action - Leeds, an umbrella charity founded by Leeds City Council and Health Authority aimed at assisting local charities. He is captain of Keighley Golf Club and lives in Ilkley. Yorkshire. Alexander Anson Talt (1963-69) MB,ChB, graduated from Aberdeen University in 1974, after which he held a variety of hospital posts in Scotland and England and then in Australia. He is now a consultant psychiatrist in Fremantle hospital. Perth. in Western Australia. He reports that his professional life revolves around dealing with people not dissimilar to those from the Sandilands and Ferrier areas of Aberdeen, so that there are many interesting social problems to compound serious mental illness and polysubstance abuse. He continued to play hockey until last year, but now coaches a boys' hockey team. Gillian Margaret Taylor (1975-81) who is presently based in London and on contract to English National Opera, returned to Aberdeen recently to sing at a Gala Dinner arranged to promote the work of the Haddo Arts Trust. She studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, and sang for a number of years with the Scottish Opera. 79
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine David Richard Drysdale Wallis (1979-85) B.Ed. DipEd, studied primary education at Northern College of Education in Aberdeen, graduating in 1990. He was appointed as a at class teacher at Abbotswell Primary School. Kincorth. After three years' part-time study Aberdeen University he gained a Diploma in Advanced Educational Studies. In May of this year he was appointed Deputy Head teacher at Victoria Road Primary School. Torry. Outside work, his main interest is hockey. While still at School, and for a few years after leaving, he played for FPs before taking up umpiring. He is now a Grade I international umpire and has been lucky enough to travel to many tournaments around the world to umpire hockey matches. as far afield as the USA and Malaysia. The highlight of his umpiring career to date was his involvement in the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in September 1998. lain Wares (1942-52), who lives in Sardinia and is Club Consul for the area, was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1997. He is a founder member of Sardinian Dowsers. and became their president in January 1999. In the following month they affiliated to the British Society of Dowsers. His brother Roy Wares (1946-52) BSc. MSc, PEng, who lives and works in Vancouver, is in the middle of a two-year term as a commissioner of the British Columbia Securities Commission. He is a consulting geological engineer with more than thirty years' experience in the management and supervision of mineral exploration, development and regulatory programmes in Canada and the United States. After graduating from Aberdeen University in 1964 he completed graduate work in geology at Queen's University. Kingston. Ontario in 1971 and graduate studies in regional resources planning at Aberdeen in 1979. He is registered as a professional engineer in British Columbia and as a professional geologist in Newfoundland. John Deas Whiteford (1967-69) MA, BD has been minister of Newlands South Church, a large suburban congregation on the south side of Glasgow, since 1997. After graduating in Arts at Aberdeen University in 1972 he completed a Diploma in Social Work at Glasgow University and was employed as a social worker in Elgin until 1978. He later studied Divinity at Glasgow University, graduating in 1988. He was then inducted to Stonehaven Dunottar, where he ministered for eight years before being called to his present charge. Graeme Joss Wilson (1938-48) continues as chairman of William Wilson Ltd. as the company approaches its centenary. Founded in 1900, the firm now employs 500 people at 31 branches across the UK. A grand-nephew of the founder of the business, he has himself been involved with the company since 1955. Among other family members active in the management of the company is his brother Alexander Wilson (1940-50). Outside business Graeme has two main interests - scouting and the theatre. In 1987 he was awarded the Silver Wolf by the Scout movement for his long and dedicated work for scouting having been Scout leader at Banchory for twenty-five years. He has been involved in theatrical productions since 1955 and is keen to continue acting, which gives him much pleasure. Marriages Bevan (1990-95) and Milne (1990-91) - At Kingdom Hall. Aberdeen on 7 November1998, Marten James Milne, son of Mr & Mrs Hamish Milne, Aberdeen to Victoria Bevan daughter of Mr & Mrs Alan Bevan, 120 Forest Avenue, Aberdeen Cowie (1981-87) - At Beechgrove Church. Aberdeen on 5 July 1997, John Lachlan Dow. son of Mr & Mrs John G.Dow, 14 Westhill Heights. Westhill to Diane Alexandra Cowie. daughter of Mrs Kathleen Torpey. Dyce. Aberdeen Miles (1976-82) and Findlay (1978-84) - At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 19 September 1998, Martin George Findlay. son of Mr & Mrs Ian Findlay. 22 Whitehall Place. 80
Former Pupils' Section Aberdeen to Corinne Jane Miles, daughter of Mrs Susan Miles, 55 Braeside Terrace. Aberdeen Kidd (1984-90) - At St Ninian's Church, Aberdeen on 31 July 1998, lain Harrower, son of Mr & Mrs Bill Harrower, 68 Bumieboozle Crescent, Aberdeen to Michelle Edna Kidd, eldest daughter of Mr & Mrs Colin Kidd. 167 Raeden Crescent. Aberdeen Kilkerr (1980-85) - At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 20 June 1998, Graeme Bisset, son of Mr & Mrs Owen Bisset. 104 Craigiebuckler Avenue. Aberdeen to Michelle Kilkerr, daughter of Mr & Mrs Brian Kilkerr, 43 Valentine Drive, Aberdeen King (1978-84) - At St Michael & All Angels Parish Church, Penkridge on 30 May 1998 David King to Suzanne Catherine Styles. Milton, Staffordshire MacDonald (1978-84) - In New York on 28 June 1997. James Telfer MacDonald, son of Mr & Mrs Alister G. MacDonald, 9 Argyll Place, Aberdeen to Shelly Freimark, Mobridge, South Dakota, USA. Maclean (1975-81) - At St John's Church. Tideswell. Derbyshire on 10 April 1999, Calum Murdo Maclean. elder son of Mr & Mrs Malcolm Maclean. 8 Carlton Place, Aberdeen to Martine Soukal, only daughter of Mr & Mrs Brian Soukal, Birmingham. Mitchell (1983-89) - At Craigiebuckler Parish Church, Aberdeen on 10 July 1998, Derek Mitchell, son of William Douglas Mitchell (1946-61) and of Mrs Mitchell, 14 Viewfield Crescent, Aberdeen to Catherine Anne Smith, daughter of Mr & Mrs Andrew L. Smith, 10 Kinkel! Road, Aberdeen Mamie (1986-91) - At St Mary's Church. Paisley on 17 April 1999. Christopher Mamie, son of Mr Raymond Mastic and of Mrs Wilma Paterson, Aberdeen to Andrcna McWattie, only daughter of Mr & Mrs lain McWattie, Paisley Skokie (1979-85) - At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 5 September 1998. Dr. lain R. Gibson, son of Mr & Mrs Ronald H. Gibson, Strathyre to Dr Janet Mabel Scott Skakle, daughter of Res George Scott Skakle (1927-39) and of Mrs Skakle, 30 Whitehall Terrace, Aberdeen Stewart (1945-58) - At St Leonard's Parish Church, St Andrews on 30 May 1998, Donald Robert Stewart, 32 Lcarmonth Place, St Andrews to Jean Margaret Horobin, 18 Newmill Gardens, St Andrews Willox (1983-88) - At Pittodrie House Hotel on 6 February 1999, Ronald George Dickie, only son of Mr & Mrs Ronald Dickie, Keith to Fiona Margaret Willox, eldest daughter of Mr & Mrs Edwin Willox, Aberdeen
Obituaries David James Mearns Anderson (1968-74) MBChB, MD, FRCSG, MRCOG, died at his home in Barnsley on 8 July 1998. aged 42, following a brave ten-year fight against cancer. A prefect in his 5th and 6th years at School, a staunch member of the 1st XV ("hardworking. with an intense desire to get on with it"), a keen debater and efficient secretary of the Literary & Debating Society, and actively involved in the production of the School Magazine. he went on to Aberdeen University where he graduated in Medicine in 1960. At once feeling drawn to surgery he spent his early training in varied SHO posts in Liverpool and Plymouth gaining experience in the wider aspects of intra-abdominal surgery, after which came a general registrar rotation in Sheffield. After a cervical malignancy research post in Aberdeen. which led to his Doctorate, he spent four years as a consultant in North 81
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Carolina. He was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Barnsley from 1996. where he developed a one step out-patient service for post-menopausal bleeding and succeeded, by active management, in reducing waiting lists for treatment. He was also involved in teaching. David was a bon vivant who loved entertaining, and was a knowledgeable devotee of rhythm and blues. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. His brother Edward Shepherd Anderson (1971-77) is .a partner in ARR Craib Transport, Dyce, one of the largest road haulage businesses in Scotland. Former President Eric Ros Birkett (1920-22) CA. died in hospital at Inverness on 22 July 1998 after a short illness. aged 93. Baptised Frederick Arthur Birkett, he changed his name to Eric Ros (using the single Gaelic 's') in 1929 in recognition of his mother, her forebears and the clan of his allegiance. His early years were spent in Skye where in summer he often went barefoot to primary school. In 1913 he won a scholarship to John Watson's School in Edinburgh where he was dux in 1918. He took a keen interest in the School for the rest of his life, was its Treasurer of its Former Pupils' Club in the mid-30s. its President in 1956-57 and, as oldest former pupil, was Honorary President until resigning in 1996. He moved to Robert Gordon's College in 1918, and only in 1920, having won another scholarship, did he come to the Grammar to complete his schooling. His two years there must have had a profound effect on him, as throughout his life he took immense pride in the School and its FP Club, to both of which he rendered loyal service. He was a founder member of the Edinburgh Centre in 1932. a long-serving member of its committee. and auditor of its annual accounts for over thirty years. He was President of the Centre in 1954-55. His affection for all things Grammarian led to his appearance, dressed in the old to magenta and green striped blazer of the Club, as a familiar figure giving fiery support FP rugby and hockey teams visiting Edinburgh, and on one occasion he marked New Year by climbing Ben Nevis and taking a photograph of a pole. wrapped in FP blazer and scarf. remark on the summit - to prove that the Grammar surpasses all else. He was proud to that his association with the School covered over a tenth of its long known existence. His elevation to the Presidency of the FP Club in 1968-69 gave him immense pride and he enjoyed presiding over the Annual Dinner in Aberdeen and his visits to the Centres of the Club during his year of office every bit as much as the members enjoyed his company and his infectious enthusiasm and zest for living. After qualifying in Edinburgh as a chartered accountant, he joined John Menzies & Co. Ltd. in 1930 at their head office in Edinburgh. His abilities soon led to his appointment from as Secretary of the company. which post he held until his retiral in 1969. He was also, who 1949, a director of the company. The company described him as one of those people become ethos, who its and work they which firm for the with associated "inextricably are almost celebrities within that community". Outside business, his two main interests were his love of words and language, and his passion for all things Scottish. He was a keen crossword solver and an enthusiast for all types of word-game, while his knowledge of Scottish history, geography and culture was encyclopaedic. He travelled widely throughout Scotland, but especially in the West and in of the Hebrides. Accounts of many of these journeys can be found in a large number reading fascinating make which 1930s in the Magazine to this contributed he which articles still. After retiring in 1969, he and his wife travelled extensively to practically every corner of the world, and took tremendous delight in these fresh experiences. Ros Birkett was a 'character'; a letter to his widow from the son of long-standing and friends perhaps expresses best what all who knew him feel: "He was such a fixed unchanging presence to us for so long that he appeared to be beyond the normal laws and constraints of life. His ever-alert mind and his many talents and interests were always an inspiration. It was an honour to have known him". 77. Jobe Bruce Billion. (1925-38) MBChB, died peacefully at home on 30 May 1998. aged University, A second row forward in the School 1st XV of 1937-38. he went on to Aberdeen 82
Former Pupils' Section graduating in medicine in 1943. After experience at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary he was called up to the RAMC, serving in the UK and in India between 1944 and 1948. He was later a member of Leeds University OTC(TA) with the rank of Major. After various posts in Sunderland and Leeds he became a specialist in 1952. In 1963 he was appointed as a consultant physician at Nottingham. where he also became involved in clinical teaching. He retired a number of years ago. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. John Sinclair Calder (1926-40) died at Forres, Morayshire. on 7 December 1998 following a long illness. He was aged 77. Along with his twin brother he was a member of the School 1st XV for two seasons. He served with the Observer Corps in Aberdeen for a time before being called up to the Artillery of 51 Division. He later became a Captain in the Gordon Highlanders, serving at one time as Morality and Investigation Officer for Rangoon and acting as Deputy Provost-Marshal for that port. He was selected to play rugby for the Army. After demobilisation he attended a course on business training before qualifying as a Physical Education teacher. He was a member of the FP 1st XV in 1950-51. After teaching in Aberdeen for several years he moved to Morayshire, teaching for some time in Forres, where he continued to live after retiring. He is survived by his wife and a son and daughter. His twin-brother was Alastair Davidson Calder (1926-40) MBChB, who was a doctor in general practice in Canada and the United States and who died in February 1986. Austen Ogston Carnegie (1932-45) MA. died at Glenrothes. Fife, on 8 November 1998. aged 71. After military service he studied English at Aberdeen University, graduating with honours in 1951. After teacher training he took up a post at Murroes, near Dundee before soon returning to Aberdeen, where he eventually taught at Northfield Junior Secondary School. In 1959 he was appointed principal teacher of English at Auchterderran secondary school in Cardenden. Fife. From 1970 until he retired in 1984 he was Depute Rector of the school. An elder of the Church from his days in Aberdeen, he was an elder of St Columba's Parish Church, Glenrothes from its foundation and very actively involved in its development. He had a great love of music and his large CD collection included a wide range of classical music and jazz. He was a member and former President of the Glenrothes Probus Club. He was predeceased by his wife in 1990, and is survived by a son and daughter. His elder brother, Leslie Thompson Carnegie (1925-38) CBE, BL, died at his home in Dumfries on 6 July 1998 aged 77. He graduated in law at Aberdeen University in 1941 and spent the next five years with REME as an administrator. ►atterly in the Middle East with the Legal Aid (Welfare) Section. He served his apprenticeship as a solicitor with Aberdeen Town Council and was then a legal assistant to the Town Clerk. In 1948 he moved to a similar post with East Lothian County Council. becoming Depute County Clerk there in 1950. He was appointed County Clerk of Dumfries in 1954 at the then early age of 33, probably the youngest person to hold such an office. Twenty years later, on the re-organisation of local government in Scotland. he became Chief Executive of Dumfries & Galloway. a post which he held until retiral in 1985. He was made an Honorary• Sheriff of Dumfries-shire in 1960 and at his installation the Sheriff Principal, the late Sheriff Charles B. Milne (1893-96) remarked that "to some of us the law in relation to Local Authorities seems to be a jungle of Statutes, Acts of Parliament and Statutory Rules, but it is not incomprehensible to Mr. Carnegie: he understands it, if no other man does." He was also a Justice of the Peace from 1957. and was at one time President of the Society of County Clerks of Scotland. He was honoured with the award of the CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1980. He is survived by his wife. They had no family. Alexander de Buy Catto (1934-38) died suddenly at his home in Aberdeen on 25 October 1998, aged 77. He was a senior technical assistant with the former North Eastern Counties Joint Valuation Committee and thereafter with Grampian Regional Council until his retiral several years ago. He had a life-long interest in cricket and played regularly for the 83
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Mannofield XI in the immediate post-war years and until the mid-50s. He was noted as a successful bowler. During 1959-73 he was a member of committee at Mannofield and in 1977 he became an Honorary Vice-President, an office which he held until his death. He was predeceased by his wife. Charles Alexander Clark (1932-37) MA, BA. died on 19 May 1998 aged 77. A member of the School cricket 1st XI in 1937, he went on to study at Aberdeen University where he graduated in Arts with honours in economics in 1941. War service followed. spent mostly in India and Burma with the Royal Air Force. He was for a time stationed in the North West Frontier Province in India. He then underwent teacher training at Moray House. Edinburgh after which he taught in Aberdeen and lectured in Education for Management at what was then Robert Gordon's Technical College. In 1955 he completed an external degree in history at London University. After six years as principal teacher of history at Kirkwall Grammar School he returned to RGIT as a lecturer in liberal studies and later in economics. In 1967 he was appointed head of the economics and social studies departments at Dundee College of Commerce. He retired in 1982. Nationalist Stalwart Bruce Mayor Cockle (1930-43) MA died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 9 February 1999. following a long illness. He was aged 73. After graduating in Arts from Aberdeen University in 1951 he trained as a teacher. He was appointed teacher of Geography and English at Bervie Junior Secondary School. and was special assistant there from 1965-69 before obtaining a similar post at Mackie Academy. He became assistant principal teacher of guidance there in 1972. In 1947 he was appointed organiser of the Aberdeen branch of the Scottish National Party, and throughout his life he devoted much time and effort to the nationalist cause. He was responsible for setting up most of the party's organised structure in the North and North-cast in the 1950s and 1960s. where in later years the party had most of its success. He was a tireless campaigner for Scottish independence and remained politically active right up to the end, despite his long illness. He is survived by his wife. Frank Clark Cannon (1932-44) MA. LL.B. died suddenly at his home in Aberdeen on 21 December 1998. aged 71. After leaving School he undertook military service with the RAF before being commissioned in the Gordon Highlanders. He then completed his studies at Aberdeen University. graduating in Arts and Law in 1951. Apprenticed to Alex Stronach & Son, he was then a legal assistant briefly with Brander & Cruickshank and for nine years with Burnett & Reid. all in Aberdeen, before setting up in practice on his own account in 1961. On the sudden death of his brother Campbell Connon (1926-38) in 1963 he took over his business which then became known as Campbell Connon & Co. He retired as a partner in 1992 but continued to be very actively associated as a consultant to the time of his death. He was a life-member of the FP Club and of the Club Centre, and was one of the organisers of the Class Reunion in 1992 of the years 1932-45. He served the Club as Advertising Manager for the Magazine for about ten years in the late 1950s and early 1960s. One of his particular enjoyments in recent years was to teach his grndchildren to swim at FP Swimming Nights on a Tuesday. The following tribute by Jock Hendry, a partner in Frank's firm for the last twentyfive years, appeared in the Journal of the Law Society of Scotland:- "Frank Connon died suddenly in December 1998 at a time when his enormous zest for life in all its aspects remained undiminished and always seemed boundless. He always displayed an infectious enthusiasm and a ready sense of humour in his many and varied interests which extended beyond the practice of law to voluntary community work, the theatre, a wide variety of sports, extensive travel and very recently a particular special achievement in having taken part in the London to Brighton veteran car rally which, for him, was the crowning event in a lifelong interest in veteran and vintage vehicles. "This year will see the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of Aberdeen Solicitors' Property Centre. a co-operative group which was the brain-child of Frank Connon and one 84
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or two others back in the late l960s. Those whose idea it was no doubt had vision but could not have anticipated the outstanding commercial success which the Property Centre network has subsequently proved to be the length and breadth of Scotland. "Frank Connon never left you in any doubt as to his view on any particular topic, and whereas he was always ready to stand his ground he was equally ready to acknowledge with respect the existence of the 'other view.' Down the years the legal profession in Scotland can boast many celebrated members but in the case of Aberdeen it is hard to contemplate how a man of Frank Connon's immense stature can be replaced having practised his professional skills for more than fifty years. "Frank Connon also had the quality of a kind, warm and generous personality and he was a highly valued professional adviser as well as a close friend to many and in addition was a completely devoted family man to Sylvia. his wife of more than forty years. and his children Roger, Nikki and Neil, as well as the grandchildren, all of whom he cherished dearly. "The legal profession has lost a true and all round stalwart who left behind amongst a number of instructions an express direction - 'there shall be no mourning at the time of my death.— Orville Louis Paul Fraser (1923-28) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 2 December 1998, aged 86. After leaving School he trained as an accountant, and was for many years employed by Aberdeen Motors in that capacity. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force, and for part of that time was with the accounts section in Kenya. He returned to Aberdeen Motors after the war. but when the Aberdeen Motor Trade Training Scheme was set up in the early 1960s he took a leading role in its administration. He was the senior Elder of St Ninian's Church in Aberdeen. He is survived by his wife and a daughter, another daughter having predeceased him a few years ago. Stanley Mayer Fraser 11908-19) died peacefully in hospital in Perth on 6 February 1999 aged 96. After leaving School he served an apprenticeship as an engineer with Messrs Alexander Wilson (Aberdeen) Ltd. In 1925 he went out to Assam to take up a post on a tea estate. He spent the whole of his working life on various estates in that area, becoming acting manager in the late 1930s and in 1940 manager of an estate in Sylhet. From 1931 he was a trooper in the Surma Valley Light Horse. He was a keen sportsman, and as a young man was a good golfer and very good tennis player. He was a member of the Bengal & Assam Centre of the FP Club. He retired in 1957 and lived initially in Ferndown. Dorset. later moving to Perthshire where he made his home in Comrie. He was predeceased by his wife ten years ago. They had no family. Stanley Fraser was the youngest of seven brothers who all attended the School in the opening two decades of the century. the others being Archie Reith Fraser (1902-07) who died in 1926. Douglas Christian Fraser (1907-17), Edmond Nlaitland Fraser (1906-13), Ernest Cecil Fraser (1909-I I ). Garnet Robertson Fraser (1907-08) who died in 1986 and George Theodore Fraser (1903-08) who died in 1929. Former Magazine Editor Alistair George Grade (1953-66) died very suddenly at Aberdeen on 14 October 1998, having apparently collapsed after jogging. A keen hillwalkcr and fitness expert. his death was totally unexpected. Captain of the School 1st XV in 1965-66 he began his media career as a journalist with Aberdeen Journals, writing for both the Press & Journal and the Evening Express. In 1968 he took second place in Scotland in the Law examinations set by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. He joined Grampian Television as a newsroom researcher in 1970. progressing to reporter and news editor before his appointment as head of the news and current affairs department in 1986. At the beginning of 1998, following the merger of Grampian TV with the Scottish Media Group, he was appointed Controller of Grampian Television, with responsibility for deciding which programmes to run as well as for producing news, current affairs and broadcast services. 85
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Alistair was Editor of this Magazine commencing in June 1968 and ending in June 1974, a task which he performed with his customary meticulous care and great good humour. In looking back on that period, which covers the time of his first joining Grampian. it should be remembered that there were two issues annually until December 1971, which placed a huge burden on the Editor. Alitair is survived by his widow and three children, all of whom attended the School Sarah Joanne Grade (1984-90) Emma Suzanne Grade (1986-91) and Alistair Benjamin (Ben) Grade (1989-95). His brother is also a Former Pupil - Ian Grade (1949-62) MA. Alexander William Hampton (1945-59) MA died very suddenly while on his way to work in Aberdeen on 10 September 1998. After leaving School he studied at Aberdeen University where he graduated in Arts in 1964 with honours in psychology. After a short period as an assistant personnel manager with a firm in Peterhead he was appointed welfare and lodgings officer of the former Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology in 1967. He went on to become assistant registrar, and as such head of student administration in what became Robert Gordon University. He took early retirement in 1996, since when he had been working in an Aberdeen solicitor's office. A regular member of the School Hockey 1st XI in season 1958-59. he went on to play for FPs for many years. He toured with the Scottish team in the 1960s and '70s. He also played football with the local amateur side Cliftonvak. He is survived by his wife and by a son and daughter. Angus William Lindsay (1935-38) BSc died suddenly in Edmonton. Canada on 4 December 1998 aged 77. House captain of Keith in session 1937-38 his further studies were interrupted by war service. He joined the Royal Artillery as a Bombardier, was later commissioned, and served in North Africa. Sicily. Italy and Germany. He was wounded in action at Monte Cassino in 1944. He graduated with a B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from Aberdeen University in 1949 and spent a year with a firm of geophysical engineers from Houston engaged in the exploration of desert areas in Lebanon. Syria and Iraq. In 1950 he joined the Colonial Engineering Service and was for a time executive engineer in British Honduras in charge of the construction of the largest road project in Central America, the Humming Bird Highway. From 1956 he was employed by Gulf Oil Corporation in the Middle and Far East. and in Central and South America. In 1974 'in retirement' based in Winnipeg he travelled widely as a consultant on various engineering projects until 1982, when he joined the Canadian Executive Service Overseas as a voluntary consultant in international disaster relief. He is survived by his wife, one son and four grandchildren. His brother Stanley Frederick Lindsay (1930-32) MB,ChB, died in 1971. John Kinnear Mackay (1919-33) MC. MB,ChB died peacefully in hospital on 30 March 1999 following a short illness. He was aged 84. The second son of the late Lewis Mackay of Birse Lodge. Aboyne, he attended Aberdeen University. graduating in medicine in 1939. After a short spell as an assistant general practitioner, he became a regimental medical officer in Franck and in the UK before serving as a company commander and second-incommand of a Field Ambulance with 8 India Division in Italy. He was awarded the Military Cross in April 1944. After the war he became a general practitioner in Middlesbrough. While at University he won the University Golf Championship in 1938, and in the same year was North of Scotland amateur billiards champion. In 1982 he was President of the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs. Formerly resident in Redcar, he lived in retirement in Aboyne. He was predeceased by his wife in 1997, after fifty-three years of marriage, but is survived by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ian Hastings McLaren (1920-23) ARIBA. ARIAS. died peacefully on 25 November 1997. just three weeks before his ninety-third birthday, and was cremated at Macclesfield. Born in Edinburgh, the only son in a family of four, he was prevented by scarlet fever from travelling when the rest of his family emigrated to Canada. He was left in the care of Dr J.L. McIntyre and his wife, of Cults. World War I intervened, and when he eventually re-joined his family 86
Former Pupils' Section he felt a stranger and, given the chance, he returned to the Mclntyres and in 1920 to the Grammar School. He studied architecture at Aberdeen Art School and. while still a student, he designed and built a club house for Cults Tennis Club, with which he was very actively involved. After qualifying in 1929 he moved to London where he worked for a large property company before setting up his own private practice as an architect in Wimbledon. He married his wife, whom he had met in Cults, in 1933, and designed and built their new home in Oxshott. Surrey. Later, having taken over the practice of H.A. Scrase & Partners, architects in London in 1939, he became the senior partner. A childhood injury prevented him from war service, but he was heavily involved in the moving of factories out of London to safer areas. He became expert at dealing with bomb-damaged buildings and was an authority on shoring these up to keep businesses going. He was injured when a double-deck bus fell on him during an air raid, but kept going in the spirit of the times. In 1951 he carried out the reconstruction of the Royal Scottish Corporation building in Fleur-de-lis Court. near Fleet Street, which was then a popular meeting place for Scots in London and had been badly damaged during the war. After the war he became involved, with his three sons, in the Scout movement, and at the age of 48 became a Scout Leader. When the family moved to Churt in Surrey in 1960 he continued with Scouting and became District Commissioner for Haslemere. Ian retired aged 70 and moved in 1974 to join one of his sons in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Sadly, his wife died in 1979 and he found the following years difficult, becoming gradually less active until he lost his mobility. Mentally active to the end, he will be remembered for his great joy and spirit, his humour and his friendship. In the 1983 Magazine. he enquired, through the Notes section, whether anyone still remembered him. The next issue brought a response from a fellow architect, George Leslie Cruickshank (1918-23). although sadly he had died before the follow-up note was published. Ian never forgot his old School and was proud of his membership of the Club. He is survived by his three sons, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Eric McLeod (1936-49) CA. died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 20 August 1998. alter a long illness, aged 67. A prefect, vice-captain of Melvin House and a member of both hockey and cricket 1st Elevens at School. he went on to study accountancy, qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1954. He trained with G & J Mcl3ain in Aberdeen and became a partner in the firm - the forerunner of what is now KPMG. In 1968 he joined Paull & Williamsons, advocates, as manager of their Private Clients Tax Department, but ill-health compelled him to retire in 1982. By that time, and for the rest of his life, he had to spend two nights of each week in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary receiving dialysis, a burden which he bore with amazing equanimity. He was a successful low handicap golfer and a member of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. Despite his disability, he retained his great interest in sport throughout his life. He is survived by a married daughter. Herbert Martin (1935-44) died at home in Aberdeen on 22 September 1998 following a long illness. He was aged 68. After leaving School at the age of fourteen, he went into the family butchery business at 31 George Street, Aberdeen. At the age of twenty he branched out into his own premises at 200 George Street where he continued until his retirement in 1997. He was a member of the Flesher Incorporation of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen, and had held the usual offices of First Master, Boxmaster and Deacon of that trade. He is survived by his wife. Pam, with whom he had celebrated their Ruby wedding just a few months before his death, and by three sons. William George Campbell Melvin (1921-321 whose father and grandfather were both educated at the School. died in hospital in Aberdeen on 10 November 1997 aged 83. After training as a civil engineer he gained early experience as a contractor's engineer in Skye, later being appointed to Aberdeen City Council and then to Aberdeen County Council. He served in the Second World War in the Royal Engineers with 14th Army in India and Burma, attaining the rank of Captain, His retirement years were spent happily on Deeside where he could enjoy the countryside and the hills he knew so well around Ballater. 87
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Canadian Centre Founder-Member Gilbert Douglas Menzies (1934-44) ARIBA, ARIAS, FRAIC died in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on 14 January 1999 after a long illness. He was aged 70. Born in India. the younger son of the late Major-General Thomas Menzies (1905-10) CB, OBE, RAMC. he was born in India. At School he was awarded 2nd XV House Colours for Byron House. He went on to study architecture at Edinburgh School of Architecture, qualifying in 1950. before National Service in 36 Engineer Regiment. Royal Engineers. He later had commissioned service in the Lowland Divisional Engineers Reserve. He emigrated to Alberta in 1954 where he joined the Ministry of Public Works of the province. In 1958 he was appointed a supervising architect and went on to be a development manager and Assistant Deputy Minister. He was responsible for the design of a variety of public buildings throughout the province such as the Provincial Museum & Archives in Edmonton and the Law Courts in Calgary as well as a number of major University buildings in Edmonton and Calgary. He served on the council of the Alberta Association of Architects for six years, was its President in 1973, and was appointed a life member in 1986. He officially retired in 1985 but was recalled after a month as a part-time consultant. He later established his own project management practice. Douglas was a keen trout fisherman, an enthusiastic gardener and, in addition to being a skilled photographer. had a magnificent collection of classic cameras of which he was proud to claim that all worked Douglas was a very enthusiastic FP and a strong supporter of the Club. serving as Club Consul in Edmonton for over thirty years. He was responsible. along with J. Peter Jeffrey (1944-59), for establishing the Canadian Centre of the Club in 1993, and was its first President. It was entirely appropriate that the inaugural dinner of the Centre was held in the historic Fort Edmonton Park in Edmonton. Douglas is survived by his wife and two daughters. His elder brother Thomas Menzies (1931-40) MB.ChB. FRCS. FRCS(E), FRCS(Glas), who was a consultant surgeon in Glasgow. died in 1992. Ronald James Neave (1959-63) died suddenly in hospital in Aberdeen on 28 May 1998. after collapsing on Newmachar golf course. He was aged 51. A keen rugby player in his schooldays, he continued to follow the game with interest. He became involved in the oil industry in the early days of North Sea exploration, originally with Dyvi Offshore. In the mid-1970s he became purchasing manager for Bawden. A few years ago he bought over what is now Rig Services Aberdeen. and at the time of his death he was managing director. He was a frequent visitor, as one of the Aberdeen delegation, to the annual Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. He was heavily involved in charity fund-raising work, mainly through SPARKS (Sport Aiding Medical Research for Kids) to which he gave enormous commitment. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. Thomas James Trail Nicol (1930-35) LVO, MBE, MC. MA, BD. DD. died peacefully in hospital on 28 July 1998 after a short illness. He was aged 81. J.R.S. (Donny) lanes writes: "Tommy Nicol completed his secondary education at Aberdeen Grammar School in 1935 having, in the course of his father's several ministries, also attended the Edinburgh Academy, Dundee High School and Glasgow High School. At School he became Senior Prefect, Captain of Melvin House and a vital member of the Swimming, Athletic and Rugby teams: in the latter he occupied the second row of the scrum with another giant of athletic powers, W.J.G. Meldrum, and the pair created havoc in the opposition of those days by virtue of their exceptional size, strength and speed. "On leaving School. Tom attended Aberdeen University, where his two grandfathers had occupied professorial chairs, one of Botany, the other of Biblical Criticism. He graduated MA in 1939. and on the outbreak of war he enlisted in the army as a private soldier, being commissioned soon after as a Second Lieutenant in the Black Watch. He was subsequently released to complete his divinity degree. and having done so he returned to the army as a Chaplain attached to 5th Battalion Black Watch with whom he went to 88
Former Pupils' Section North Africa in 1942. He was awarded the Military Cross for outstanding bravery in the field during the engagement at Wadi Akarit. He remained with the Battalion for the occupation of Sicily in 1943 and the D-Day landings in Normandy, when he gained further acclamation from his Commanding Officer for his inspirational behaviour. "After the War he returned to civilian life for a brief spell when he accepted a call to St Luke's Church. Droughty Ferry. Feeling that his true vocation was that of Army Chaplain, he was released, with the goodwill of the congregation, to rejoin the Army and his old regiment with whom he saw further service in Korea, Kenya and Germany. He finally completed his military service as Assistant Chaplain General at Scottish Command, and while stationed in Edinburgh he was, in 1972-73, President of the Edinburgh Centre of the FP Club. On retirement from the Army in 1972 he was called to Crathie Church as minister and appointed domestic chaplain to the Royal Family in Scotland, an office which he held until 1979. after which he retired to live in St Fillans on Loch Earn. There he lived happily with his wife, Mary, enjoying the many pastimes he had pursued in his youth - hillwalking, gardening. fishing and golf. He continued to take a keen interest in the various activities of the Church of Scotland, and of his Alma Mater who saw fit in 1968 to award him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was also Honorary Colonel of the University OTC at this time. "He suffered a heart attack in 1984 hut made a good recovery and moved to a smaller house in Comrie where he devotedly cared for his wife who, sadly, has been plagued with persist-ent ill health for several years which she has borne bravely, until he himself was overtaken by a stroke from which he died quickly. He is remembered by his colleagues and his many, many friends for his humanity, for his life of good companionship, for his cheerful convers-ation and welcoming dram. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two daughters and six grandchildren". The Notes Editor recalls with great affection Tom's spell as Chaplain at Catterick where he, as a National Serviceman, was organist at St Aidan's, the Garrison Church of Scotland, in 1953-54 His brothers also attended the School - David Mark Wotherspoon Nicol (1933-44), about whom a note appears elsewhere in this Magazine. and Kenneth Moir Nicol (1934-45) who, having settled and married in Aukland, New Zealand as a First Officer in the Merchant Navy, died in 1994. Donald Ellson Philip (1924-32) AMIET, died peacefully in a nursing home near Aberdeen on 15 March 1994 aged 80. Most of his life was spent in the English Midlands. After training as an engineer he was employed by the British Thomson-Houston Company Ltd. and during the war years was engaged on munitions manufacture. In 1948 he obtained the Diploma of Associate Membership of the Institute of Engineering Technology in automobile engineering. He was thereafter employed at the Armstrong-Whitworth aircraft works. In 1961 he was one of a number of FPs who sought to form a Midlands Centre of the Club, to meet possibly in Birmingham, but to his regret there was insufficient interest in response to an appeal in the Magazine, and the proposal was not pursued further. After a long spell of indifferent health he retired early and returned to Aberdeen. where he was for a few months resident at the Club Centre. He was always a staunch supporter of the FP Club, but just how staunch has only now come to light. It is a matter for regret that his death five years ago went unnoticed, which is the reason for this very belated obituary. In April this year, however, intimation was received of a legacy of £1000 to the Club from his estate, to be used as the Club may decide. Alexander Gordon Scott (1925-29) DSC died after a short illness on 21 December 1998 aged 83. Born in Calcutta. he came to Scotland at an early age. living in Elgin and attending Inverness Academy before coming to Aberdeen at the age of ten. On leaving School he joined the training ship HMS Conway on the Wirral and after completing his training he entered the Merchant Navy. At the outbreak of war in 1939 he transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve and was at one time assigned to Russian convoys. In May 1945 he was awarded the 89
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Distinguished Service Cross for courage, skill and determination in attacks on enemy submarines. In the same month he was also mentioned in despatches. After the War, having decided on a career in the laundry and dry cleaning industry, he was awarded a scholarship by the Laundry Industry Education Board which enabled him to undergo intensive training in all aspects of the industry. He was for a time assistant manager of the Dublin Laundry Co. before in 1951 becoming part-owner of the former Aberdeen Steam Laundry Co Ltd. which, under his management, became the Claremont Laundry in Aberdeen. A former boxer, rugby player and referee, he was above all a keen golfer, playing at Royal Aberdeen. He was for several years a member of the FP Golf Section, serving as Captain in season 1968. He is survived by his wife, his son and daughter, and six grandchildren. Distinguished Rugby Internationalist Douglas William Cumming Smith (1930-41) OBE, MB.ChB, MFDM(Lond) died in Midhurst. West Sussex on 22 September 1998 after protracted ill health from emphysema and its associated disorders. At School he was an outstanding athlete, rugby and cricket player. He studied medicine at Aberdeen University. Before graduating in 1947 he showed further athletic prowess and captained the University rugby team. Some of his School and University athletic records remain unbroken; his time of 10 seconds for 100 yards, established in 1941, had not been beaten at the School up to the time of metrication. and so remains the School record. He played for FPs in their highly successful 1947-48 season. A wing three-quarter, he gained the first of his eight Scottish International caps in 1949 and then went on to tour New Zealand as a British Lions player. He returned there in 1971 as manager of the highly successful British Lions team which was acknowledged then as the best Lions team ever. He was awarded the OBE in the New Year Honours of 1972. In 1986 he was elected President of the Scottish Rugby Union. He also maintained a close association with London Scottish Rugby Club which started when he joined the Army as a National Service doctor, being dispatched to Germany the day after call-up to play for the Army team. He was a player and later an official of London Scottish for many years during which he gave the Club much helpful advice and support. In Essex. he was a highly successful, caring and efficient general practitioner, besides being a very popular and helpful member of the community. He combined his G.P. obligations with an appointment as medical adviser to Proctor & Gamble. Doug was a long-standing member of the London Centre of the FP Club, served on its committee for many years, and was its President some years ago. He was also a former President of the Caledonian Society of London. On retiring from practice he moved residence from Essex to Midhurst. He is survived by his wife. June. and his three stepchildren. Ian M. Daguid (1938-43), who was a frequent colleague of Doug. on the rugby field, remarks that from all these occasions he cannot remember a foul being given against him, a wonderful commentary on his integrity. Charles Lewis Colby Soutar (1933-41) MA. LL.B. died peacefully in hospital in Dundee on 17 January 1999 after a short illness. He was aged 76. A member of the School Cricket 1st XI with full colours, and Vice-captain of Keith House Cricket in season 1940-41, he served as a pilot in the RAF from 1942 until 1946. After initial training in Rhodesia he saw service in various theatres, including the Middle East. He then attended Aberdeen University. graduating in Arts and Law in 1950. Apprenticed to Messrs Watt & Cumine, advocates, he was a legal assistant with Davidson & Syme. WS Edinburgh for a year before returning to Aberdeen in 1951. He joined Cooper & Hay Aberdeen as an assistant. becoming a partner in 1958. He was admitted to the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen in 1963. In 1966 he left to take up a post as a solicitor with Ayr County Council. moving to Perth Town Council in 1969 and to Dundee Corporation the following year. From 1975 he was chief solicitor in charge of conveyancing with Tayside Regional Council. He retired some years ago and lived in Broughty Ferry, but used the time which retirement gave him to travel quite extensively. He is survived by his wife and one son. 90
Former Pupils' Section His brother Walter Henry Soutar (1933-40). who was engaged in aeronautical engineering for much of his career, is now retired and living in Spain. John Stephen Williams (1984-90) died tragically in a road accident on the outskirts of Aberdeen on 20 September 1998, aged 25. He was returning to the city, after spending the evening in company of friends and his two brothers, when the car in which he was a passenger was involved in a collision with another vehicle. At the time of his death John was assistant bar manager of the "Word and Web" in Aberdeen's city centre. He was the eldest of the three sons of Michael James Williams (1936-45) MB.ChB. MD. His younger brothers arc James Patrick Williams (1986-92) and Peter Michael Williams 11990-96) Former Members of Staff Stella Angus (Staff 1944-66) MA, died peacefully at Ashford General Hospital on 12 July 1998 after a brief illness, aged 92. A graduate of Glasgow University she qualified as a teacher at Jordanhill College and taught in Lanarkshire schools before marrying a country schoolmaster, James Angus in 1933. They moved from Bettyhill. Sutherland, to Cairnbanno and then to Arnage, Aberdeenshire and two sons were born. In 1943 her husband and one son died within three months of each other. It was at Arnage that she first came in contact with Aberdeen Grammar School when a party of pupils helped with the lo al harvest: Andrew Milne ("Happy Harry") was one of the masters-in-charge and the Rector, James J. Robertson came to visit. The following year. now living at Culter and with her other son a pupil at the Grammar. she took up a temporary post in the Lower School - which she occupied until retirement in 1966. In Aberdeen she was involved in a multitude of interests and activities which she pursued all her Life - the British Federation of University Women, her local church, the Geo-graphical Society, the Historical Association, the Deeside Field Club. the National Trust, the Chamber Music Club and the Scottish Conservative Association. She indulged her interest in travel, and following retirement in 1966 she enjoyed a six-month round-theworld trip. She pursued all her interests in Aberdeen until 1997 with diminishing strength and failing eyesight. until her ever-alert mind agreed she should move to Princess Alexandra Home in Stanmore to be nearer to her son. A popular and effective teacher, much loved by her pupils, she herself enjoyed her years at the School. She was able to enter into a wider range of activities than had been possible in small country schools, and she formed many abiding friendships, and not just with Lower School colleagues. Contacts made with the families of Andrew Milne and Peter Cook were maintained in retirement: she was a prolific letter writer and until soon before her death was still in touch with Andrew Milne's daughter Elsa in Idaho and with Peter Cook's widow, Ina. Some 700 boys must have passed through her hands at the School and she could remember most of them and give details of their later progress and family circumstances. She was always proud of the later achievements of "her" boys; perhaps the classic accolade was bestowed whenever some name was mentioned, and she would smile and say "that was a nice child". Her son is David Nicol Angus (1943-53) MA, who lives at Greenford, Middlesex.
c
Barbara Collie (Staff 1928- ?) MA, who died in a nursing home near Fraserburgh on 9 June 1999, aged 97, will be remembered by a small number of older FPs not just simply because she was for a few years a teacher in the Lower School, but also because of her marriage to James William Collie, a science master in the School from 1926 until his promotion to be headmaster of St Paul Street Primary School in 1949. He died in 1952. Mrs Collie is survived by their married daughter and two grandchildren. Wilfred Norris (Staff 1950-57) BA, B.MUS, FRCO died in Blanefield Nursing Home near Stirling on 14 February 1999 aged 82. A former pupil. Douglas Robert Kynoch (1948-56) writes: 91
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine "Born in Rotherham in 1916. he was one of five children, all of whom played musical instruments. He graduated with honours in both Arts and Music at Sheffield University. where he was an athletics blue. as well as playing tennis and cricket. It was at university that he met his wife. Nan. whom he married in 1942. After military service in the Royal Artillery during the war, he took up teaching in England, before moving north on being appointed Head of Music at Aberdeen Grammar in 1950, It was not long before he found himself acting as coach to the cricket team. In the seven years he spent at the School he was known for the energy and enthusiasm with which he fostered musical talent: and under his direction the School undertook two ambitious concerts in the Music Hall, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas being performed at the first and Thorpe Davie's The Thistle and the Rose at his farewell concert in 1957. Mr Norris was also for a time musical director of the Lyric Opera Company and organist at Queen's Cross Church. He moved to Glasgow on his appointment as Principal Lecturer in Music at Jordanhill College of Education, where he re-organised and upgraded the department. In addition to mounting oratorios and concerts. he turned his hand to composition. his work including a number of church anthems and a piece called The Bon-accord Overture, recalling his sojourn in Aberdeen. He was organist at Scotstoun East parish church, then at Bearsden South. where a service of thanksgiving for his life was held on 10 February 1999. Mr Norris is survived by his wife, his son Philip and daughter. Carol, who saw him through his final difficult years. in which he suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
92
Former Pupils' Section
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 2000 to 31 December 2000. 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 cheque or bankers order, 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.
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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Abstract of Accounts for Year ended 31 December 1998 Former Pupils' Club Income and Expenditure Account 1998
1997
1,156 846 3,500 269 739 4,010 84 1,952 24 12,580
1,987 883 3,500 238 259 4,010 45 2,335 70 13,127
4,650 590 3,500 1,507 620 403 500 345 558 152 192 198 13,215
4,837 547 3,500 1,443 500 450 200 450 558 60 152 467 13,164
(635)
163
t
INCOME Subscriptions Transfer from Life Members' Account Donations - Club Centre Donations - other Dividends Magazine - advertising Magazine - donations Magazine - Beyond 500 Miscellaneous 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
94
t
Former Pupils' Section
Balance Sheet
HERITABLE PROPERTY
1998 f 111,716
1997 £ 111,716
INVESTMENTS
13,292
4,160
599 4,566 11,191 16,356
635 5,023 20,118 25,776
91,810 114 5,882 97,806
91,810 213 5,347 97,370
(81,450)
(71,594)
43,558
44,282
16,080 1,923 1,050 19,053
16,776 1,923 1,050 19,749
841 627 2,194 6,352 14,491 24,505
693 540 2,050 6,124 15,126 24,533
43 558
44,282
CURRENT ASSETS Stock Debtors Bank Accounts
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
95
Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
Abstract of Accounts for Year ended 31 December 1998 F.P. Club Centre Income and Expenditure Account 1997 £
£
£
BAR ACCOUNT 122344
131,913
BAR SALES
4,956 68.290
COST OF SALES Stock on Hand at 31 December 1997 Bar Purchases
5,395 63,634
73.246 5,395
Less Stock on Hand at 31 December 1998
69,029 5,484 63,545
67,851 64.062
12,313 15,903 633 3,626 92 96,629
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 97,402 (773)
58,799
GROSS PROFIT MISCELLANEOUS INCOME Annual Subscriptions Gaming Machine Revenue (Net) Snooker and Pool Miscellaneous Income Interest Received (Net)
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
12,350 9,758 262 3,507 62 84.738
33,854 19,705 12.361 393 5.572 3,500 630 712 1,899 940 6.033 5,500 5,562 2,097 98,758 (14.020)
DEFICIT FOR YEAR 96
Former Pupils' Section Balance Sheet 1997
FIXED ASSETS £ 1,930 11,480
Furniture and Fittings Equipment
13,410
91,810 5,395 3,723 1,093 250 102,271
31,642 7,387
As per last Balance Sheet £ 1,930 11,480
Added during Year £ 552
Depcn. £ 290 1,807
f 1,640 10,225
13,410
552
2,097
11,865
CURRENT ASSETS Loan Account - AGSFP Club Stock in Hand Sundry Debtors Cash in Bank Cash in Hand
CURRENT LIABILITIES Sundry Creditors Bank Overdraft Subscriptions in Advance
91,810 5,484 3,308 250 100,852
32,670 13,231 7,084 52,985
31 _9_,029 63,242
47,867 59,732
76652
9,300 10,350 19,650
LOANS AGSFP Rugby Section Scottish & Newcastle Breweries
9,300 7,450 16,750
57,002
NET ASSETS
42,982
13,495
CAPITAL ACCOUNT Appeal Fund & Other Donations
13,495
43,507 57 002
SURPLUSES Amount per last Balance Sheet Deficit for Year
97
43,507 (14,02.0)
29,487 42,982
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also holds true for the work we carry out for our clients.
n merology services include:
• AUDITING M ACCOUNTANCY • PERSONAL TAX MI BUSINESS TAX • VAT • PAYROLL • FINANCIAL PLANNING • COMPUTER CONSULTANCY
As one of the North East's longest established practices, we have the resources and commitment to provide concise, accurate advice, without any jargon, to individuals and to every type and size of business. To find out how we can make the numbers work for you, use the (telephone) numbers below.
CHARTERED
ACCOUNTANTS
4 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen AB11 6YL
Telephone: 01224 590227 Facsimile: 01224 575409 28 Broad Street, Peterhead AB42 6BY Telephone: 01779 476384 Facsimile: 01779 470797 Kew ervd to tarry On aurfo, work aryl
,a ( bartered Ikt i t/0111.1111S of S, 'Aland
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BELL LAWRIE WHITE Portfolio Managers, Stockbrokers, and Financial Planners • Investment advice • Comprehensive portfolio management and administration service • Other services - PEPs, Investment Trust Management Service, Charitable and Pension fund management • Tax and Financial Planning
Contact Mr Norman Law 25 Albyn Place, Aberdeen ABI01YL Telephone 01224 589345
A division of Brewin Dolphin Bell Lawrie Ltd A member of the London Stock Exchange and regulated by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited Registered in England no.2135876 at 5 Gilispur Street. London EC I A 9BD
Jameson CDCarry .-JEWELLERY
142 UNION STREET ABERDEEN Tel 641219
imemm t
Construction Limited MTM House, Blackburn Industrial Estate Blackburn, Aberdeen AB21 ORX
I
BUILDING INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDING DESIGN & BUILD/TURNKEY PACKAGES FREEHOLD INDUSTRIAL SITES AVAILABLE PROPERTY & HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
CIVIL ENGINEERING ROADWORKS & CAR PARK CONSTRUCTION SITE SERVICING & DRAINAGE BITMAC CONCRETE & PAVING SURFACES SPORTS & RECREATIONAL PROJECTS For quality Industrial. Commercial and Residential Developments
(01224)
790888
FAX: (01224)
790922
CAMPBELL CONNON Solicitors and Estate Agents 36 ALBYN PLACE, ABERDEEN ABIO I YF Telephone: (01224) 585585 Fax: (01224) 580766 We are an efficient go-ahead, modern firm of experienced solicitors who believe in putting our clients' interests first always and who will happily deal with Estate Agency, Conveyancing, Trusts and Executries, Civil and Criminal Court Work, Company, Commercial and Licensing Law, Debt Collection, Estate and Property Factoring and Wills. If you require any of these services (or other legal assistance), please contact any of John Hendry, David Morrison or Hamish Mitchell who will be happy to assist you.
CAMPBELL CONNON Also at THE HALL, CHARLESTON ROAD, ABOYNE, ABERDEENSHIRE AB34 5EJ Telephone: 013398-86732 Fax: 013398-87303
Grammar FP Magazine goes online! Grammar FP are getting together with InterNet For Business Ltd to put AGSFP on the World Wide Web. IFB Ltd. are Aberdeen's largest local Internet Service Provider and they put dozens of businesses online every day. Not only that, their MD is also a Grammar FP! Because InterNet For Business Ltd. is an Aberdeen based company it is ideally positioned to work with the Executive, ensuring that what goes online meets the needs of FPs the world over. If you have access to the Internet you can now point your browser to
hup://www.agsfp.iftnet and take part in deciding what the Grammar FP Web Site µill contain. We hope that the site will provide a point of contact for 4 Former Pupils and act as an electronic meeting place. If you want
I N REC
to find out more shout taking part in this exciting new development you can email the executive right now on agsk@ifbaret
A
and give them your suggestions. But. if you're not already connected to the Internet and would like to be. contact IFB Ltd. on: 01224-333-370,
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fax us on: 01224-333-371. or email: info@ijb.net
7Aerie's a world?j' informal/on Oi/1111'e/ie.. Getting connected to the Internet isn't just for boffins and their computers, it's a lot more than that. It's a Cook Book with millions of recipes from all around the world. It's hooking a weekend in the Cotswolds, or a second honeymoon in the Algarve. It's help with homework and hobbies It's keeping touch with relatives and FPs on far away shores, sending them letters, pictures. sound, all at the touch of a button.
IFB can help you get started, it's fast, it's easy and it doesn't cost the Earth. Phone: 01224-333-370 today and see what the Internet can do for you. InterNet For Business Ltd. 387 Union Street, Aberdeen. AB! I 6BX
Pc Oldc frigate 13ar 57 Netherkirkgate Aberdeen Telephone: 01224 640505
An Oasis in the City Centre We are just off St. Nicholas Street beside Marks & Spencers. OPEN ALL DAY FOR A GREAT PINT
STORIE CRUDEN
SIMPSON
SOLICITORS & ESTATE AGENTS ADVOCATES & NOTARIES Established 1876
NEED LEGAL ADVICE CALL US NOW FOR A PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICE
1°,2 PROPERTY SERVICES]
r2 FAMILY LAW
Estate Agency, House Purchase Conveyancing. Leasing, Agricultural Law
Wills. Executries.Trusts. Investments and Financial Advice
ra COMMERCIAL LAW
IN 'COURT WORK
Company Work, Partnership. Commercial Leasing. Contracts Law
Civil Litigation. Criminal. Accident Claims. Divorce, Separation, Employment. Debt Recovery and Bankruptcy
I
CITY OFFI E
BRANCH OFFICE
2 BON-ACCORD CRESCENT ABERDEEN
UNIT 22 WESTHILL SHOPPING CENTRE
Tel: (01224) 58726 I
Tel (01224) 740718
Fax: (01224) 580850
Fax: (01224) 743986
G MACHINES 116 Cornhill Road Aberdeen AB25 2EH Tel: 483331 Suppliers of all types of Gaming Machines
Fit for Anything Thanks to my bed from
NORTHSLEEP LTD. 19-21 St. Clair Street, Aberdeen
Tel: (01224) 632334 (Opposite King St. Safeway Car Park) Mon-Fri: 9-5.30 • Sat 10-5 • Sun 11-4
M Richard Irvin Building Services
For all your building services needs
A i
Heating - Plumbing • Electrical • Oil & Gas Boiler Servicing • Air Conditioning Ventilation • Service & Maintenance - Planned Preventative Maintenance Irvin Group Complex Albert Quay, Aberdeen A811 5ES Tel 01224 576280 Fax: 01224 582758
24 HOUR EMERGENCY CALL OUT
A 01,0100n of When, .fvo & Sons 'Jo
ABERDEEN
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GLASGOW
INVERNESS
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& E SHEPHERD
Aberdeen 1/122,4 640557
c artered surveyors
r 01292 267987 Donfries
01387 264333
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Local knowledge
01383 722337 Dundee ' 01382 266451
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Edinburgh 0131 225 1234 k 01324 635999
Surveyors we can offer a multi-disciplinary
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service to meet all propert requirements.
01346 5 17456 Glasgow 01.11 141 7080
We currently have more than 60 Chartered
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Surveyors active in the market and our network of
01463 712239
offices across the length and breadth of
01563 520318
Scotland affords our clients a wide range of local
01502 2054-12
contacts, which when
01506 416777
combined with local market
01674 676768
Kilmarnock Kirkcaldy Livingoon Monti-ow
wlnlhernell 016911 252229 NIusselburgh 0131 653 3456 Perth 01738 638188 Peterhead 017'9 470766 Saltenats 01294 464228 Stirling 01786 450438 tit. Andreu.,
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01334 477773
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HAB HARPER
H.A. Barrie Harper M.A., LL.B.
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
99 BON-ACCORD STREET ABERDEEN AB11 6ED TELEPHONE: (01224) 574030 FAX NO: (01224) 592177
FOR ALL YOUR ACCOUNTING NEEDS
WILLIAMSON & DUNN CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Providing a Personal and Comprehensive Audit, Accountancy and Taxation Service I. C. TAYLOR, H. E. MORRISON, G. S. FLETT, K. S. TAIT, G. R. PYLE, A. MACKINTOSH, K. KIRKLAND 3 WEST CRAIBSTONE STREET, BON ACCORD SQUARE, ABERDEEN AB11 6YW TEL: 01224 581288 • Fax: 01224 583948
Tke dace for Vottitroorsic
• 20 complete bathroom suites • free delivery • showers & enclosures • whirlpools • working displays • taps & accessories • fitted furniture • wall & floor tiles • advice and personal attention from experienced staff • established 1900
0
William Wilson We're big in bathrooms
Hareness Road, Altens Industrial Estate, Aberdeen
Tel. 01224 290293 APOLE rAKKIAKT
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 6 DAYS A WEEK SATURDAY 9.30 - 4 00pm
t:!D VISA
/
JOHNSTONE ROSE LTD Independent Financial Advisers and Insurance Consultants * Pensions * PEPs
* Life Assurance * Investments
All personal and Commercial Insurances * Liabilities - Offshore & Onshore * Shops, Offices, Pubs, Hotels, Guest Houses * Car * House * Travel Contact: Bob Johnstone, Rose House, 27 Rose Street Aberdeen AB10 I TX NI , ./ I Member of Telephone (01224) 627270
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Fax (01224) 649797
THE BRITISH INSURANCE BROKERS ASSOCIATION
FLOWER Interflora
A LOVELY NEW IDEA .
Dm-A-BEAR REND A BEAR ANYWHERE AY tINIIGI'AI. GIFT IDEAL FOR ANN , Nt A+IoN
Delivered lit hand: Straight to the heart. -
AMERICAN VISA
14°
11A ROSE STREET, ABERDEEN • TEL: 01224 643344 34 SCHOOLHILL, ABERDEEN • TEL: 01224 624634
THE PRINCE
REGENT HOTEL
Privately owned city centre hotel with large car park Our new Grill Room THE REGENCY GRILL offers good value grills specialising in Aberdeen Angus steaks as well as something for everyone — vegetarian, healthy options and hot n' spicy. A variety of real ales and fine malts are available in the ALBERT BAR where teas and coffees are served throughout the day. The REGENT ROOM is available for seminars, meetings or small parties — competitive delegate packages. All BEDROOMS newly refurbished — weekend discounts on Friday and Saturday nights. 20/22 Waverley Place (off Albyn place) Aberdeen ABIO 1XP Tel. 645071 Fax 648157 STD Code 01224
Michael C. Hastie Chartered Quantity Surveyors Project Management Consultants -
i
Core Services: QUANTITY SURVEYING PROJECT MANAGEMENT Consultancy Services: CONTRACT ADVICE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE & EMPLOYERS AGENTS BUILDING REINSTATEMENT VALUATIONS (FOR INSURANCE) CONTRACTUAL CLAIMS EXPERT WITNESS PLANNING ADVICE
567a Great Western Road, Aberdeen, AB10 6PA Tel. No. (01224) 325000 Fax No. (01224) 312596
CHRISTIE & SURVEYORS, VALI I-i
&
V
• IS
Christie & Co. is acknowledged as the leader in the provision of valuutimi and agency CeViCeS for Hotels. Leisure. Restaurants & Wine Bars, Frcehouses. Retail and Healthcare businesses. We have 13 offices throughout the UK including au office in Edinburgh and Glasgo%1 and are committed to supporting the above Industries promoting, pi ofessiunalism. quality and good service. For further details please contact David Reid, Director Tel: 0141 204 3000 • Fax: 0141 204 1693 Christie & Co Scottish Offices: Charles Oakley House 125 West Regent Street Glasgow G2 2SG Tel: 0141 204 3000 Fax: 0141 204 1693
5 Logie Mill Logie Green Road Edinburgh EH7 4HG Tel: 0131 557 6666 Fax: 0131 557 6000
i
George Bennett Mitchell & Son ( 11 \ RTERED ARCHITECTS
For a Full Professional Service Covering Domestic, Commercial, Educational Healthcare & Housing Projects
1 West Craibstone Street ABERDEEN AB11 6DL
Partners: Bob Alexander - ARIAS, RIBA
Tel: 01224 588277
Alan Hamilton - ARIAS, RIBA
Fax: 01224 591701
}
Published by Ideal Publicity, 26 Claremont Street, Aberdeen AB 10 6QS Tel: (01224) 213703 Fax: (01224) 212443 Printed by Galbards, Queen Anne's Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk Tel: (01493) 604281 Fax: (01493) 655454
NR31 OLL