AGS Magazine September 2000

THE

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR SCHUDL MAGAZINE

Volume 103

September 2000

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 116th year No. 238 (New Series 105th year No. 229)

September 2000

Vol 103

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 AB 10 1YF

Treasurer of the FP Club

Alan W. Marr, C.A. 4 West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen

Membership Secretary

Mrs Whilma Jeffrey, The Willows, Dalmuinzie Road, Bieldside, Aberdeen AB15 9EB

The General Editor is happy to receive contributions for the next issue of the Magazine at any time before mid-May 2001 Former Pupils are encouraged to make use of the insert regarding Notes, Marriages etc., to provide details about themselves or others Information may also be sent by Fax to 01224-640526 or by E-mail to briancrookshanks@lineone.net 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

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Contents The Editor's Perspective School Section — Rector's Report School Office-Bearers School Prizes 1999-2000 Extra-Curricular Activities School Sports Clubs Clubs & Societies Face the Music: "Oliver" Charities Group Young Scientists, Business People & Geographers Grammar Pupils on Trial Social Functions School Board Parent Teacher Association The Phil Love Trophy33 ' General Section The Primary Education Scene A Musician's Life Sport - Perseverance & Passion An FP Mediterranean Holiday From Tankers to Cruise Liners A Far East & Oz Trip Menton Revisited Birse Tea Former Pupils' Club Section Club Office-Bearers 2000-2001 Club Consuls Annual General Meeting Keeping in Touch The Club Centre - The Way Ahead President's Report Presidential Profile Centre Reports Club Centre Canada Edinburgh Glasgow London Yorkshire Sports Section Reports Annual Dinner The May Ball Reunions Aberdeen University Air Squadron Club Membership Subscriptions Notes about Former Pupils Marriages Obituaries Abstract of Accounts

page 4 5 7 7 11 19 26 26 27 30 31 32 32 33

34 36 38 39 40 41 42 44

45 47 47 48 50 52 52 56 56 57 58 59 59 60 67 68 68 73 73 74 87 88 100

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

The Editor's Perspective We have already established, as recently as in the last Magazine, that Editorial comment is a rare thing - rare, at least, in the sense of being unusual, and we have no plan to make this column a regular feature of a publication which has so long survived without it. Circumstances, however, sometimes dictate otherwise. One of the main features of the Magazine throughout its long and distinguished history is the section entitled "Notes about Former Pupils". and we have it on the best authority that i► is to this part that many members turn first when they open the familiar envelope. Over the years successive Notes Editors have diligently combed through newspapers, especially their obituary and marriage columns, to glean details of Former Pupils, and have then checked these against the records which the Notes Editor holds of all pupils who have passed through the School during the last hundred years and more, in order to verify that a particular news item relates to an FP. Such sources are supplemented by information supplied on the form issued with each Magazine to enable FPs to report on their own activities and achievements and on those of others too modest to write about themselves. We referred last year to the need for a flow of such information so as to maintain the "uniquely high standard of such Notes". We could hardly have known, as these words were written, that the high standard of which the Club has been so justifiably proud over many years was about to be tarnished by a misuse of one of the Information Forms issued with the 1998 number. A young FP, an active member of the Club, thought that it would be an amusing prank to send in fictitious information about a former class-mate. He did not, of course, submit this in his own name, but used the name of another class-mate, disguised with a false address and wrong years at School. The only correct information supplied about the subject of the Note was his name and School years - all else was a spoof. Considerable embarrassment was caused to the subject and to his family, and the Editorial blood pressure was dangerously elevated for quite some time with the possibility of legal proceedings appearing very real. The Executive Committee, in whose name the Magazine is published, has expressly deplored what happened. An apology has been expressed on behalf of the Club to the parties distressed by this quite unprecedented incident, and for the good name of the Magazine and the Club we trust that there will be no recurrence. Needless to say, unsolicited news, while still very welcome and to be encouraged. is looked at more critically than has been necessary before, and this is a matter for considerable regret. Please, however, keep news flowing - it is the life-blood of

the Magazine.

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School Section

School Section Rector's Report One of our Millennium events was the visit by a team of Her Majesty's Inspectors for the first formal inspection here since 1980 which produced one of the first new Standards and Quality inspection reports. published on 14 March 2000. Consequently there is considerable objective information about the school to inform our own cycle of planning and implementing change according to the national and local agenda. Within the curriculum, a major success story has been the introduction of Higher Still courses at Higher in most subjects and Intermediate 2 in a range of others. Course materials have been prepared and new assessment procedures established, particularly formal internal assessment of the 3 units which aggregate into each course. Involving invited consultants, induction days were successfully introduced for S5 and S6 to help set the scene for the independent learning skills and time management needed for success at these stages. Personal organisers were issued in association with this initiative, to help with planning and pacing. In terms of attainment, results at Standard Grade, Higher and Certificate of Sixth Year Studies have continued to be very encouraging and in line with, or exceeding. national targets set for us. Reflecting the political expectation of constant improvement, two of our in-service training days this session were led by speakers of national status, with the deliberate purpose of stimulating practical ideas for staff to consider the best of practice from elsewhere and to look for any ways in which learning could he further improved. For example, one focus was the national statistical evidence of boys being less successful than girls in national examinations. Time spent on this generated worthwhile possibilities which can be quietly trialled in classes. Another, but related, approach has been established through the introduction of individual Guidance interviews for each S4 pupil, particularly in relation to their future subject choices and career plans. Based on the success of this and the priority accorded it by HMI, this pattern of time for individual attention will be extended to other year groups. We continue to manage resources into place through our development planning process and the use of "ring-fenced" budgets for particular growth areas like ICI', a management procedure appreciated by HMI. The associated challenge is to bring into concert staff training, equipment provision and learning opportunities for all our pupils. On the non-virtual front, I have to report that we are really no further forward in the provision of a Games Hall on site nor in redevelopment of Rubislaw, both of which admittedly require major expenditure. The HMI report confirmed ethos as a major strength of the school with an established sense of purpose and good working relationships throughout the school. This is enhanced by the dedication of staff and willing involvement of pupils in extra-curricular activities. The range of participation and levels of success this past year have surpassed even our own high standards. Not only has there been success in sport, music and drama but also in debating and a whole range of quizzes and national competitions, as have been reported in school newsletters and later in this Magazine. In conclusion, I would like to focus on a quotation from the HMI report which recognised the day-to-day reality of education in Aberdeen Grammar School. "Teachers had very good working relationships with their colleagues and with pupils. They expected high standards of behaviour from pupils and used praise very effectively to motivate them and encourage high achievement. Pupils were very well behaved and courteous. They cooperated fully with their teachers to reach high standards in their work." Aberdeen Grammar School June, 200e)

WILLIAM J. JOHNSTON Rector 5

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Head Boy and Head Girl 1999-2000

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Rebecca C. Engwall and Ross Wattie

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School Section

School Office-Bearers Session 1999-2000 Head Boy: ROSS WATT1E Depute Head CHRISTOPHER P. Boy: THOMSON

Head Girl:

REBECCA C. ENGWALL

Depute Head Girl: RUTH J. McLENNAN

S6 Prefects: ALAN BRAZENDALE ANDREW M. HURMAN GREGOR S. KENNEDY THOMAS D. LESSELS ROBERT S. LOCKHART DONALD D. MILLAR DAVID R. MORRICE RAFE A. PILLING STEPHEN J. RATCLIFFE PAUL A. REPPER CAMERON N. ROBERTSON DOUGLAS C. SINCLAIR HANNO E. TRAYHURN CHRISTOPHER J. WHITCOMBE KENNETH C. M. WILSON

LAURA S. M. ARMSTRONG LOUISE E. BARRON SARAH J. CHILTON JENNIFER A. DOWDS CATRIONA DUNCAN KATHRYN E. FLINT SAMANTHA C. FYFE REBECCA M. C. HUDSON LYNN INKSON LAURA J. JUROSZEK MAIRI C. MacNEIL LINSEY J. McINTOSH SAMARA D. McINTYRE MHAIRI M. C. NEYEDLI FRANCESCA L. RENNIE SARAH C. SCOTT JUDITH F. WATTS RHIANNAN H. WILLIAMS KUN YIN

SS Prefects: RICHARD C. T. ALLAN SCOTT ANNISON NICHOLAS B. R. BAXTER PAUL DEAR CHRISTOPHER FLINT ADAM K. LEITH RICCARDO E. MARIONI NEIL A. G. METHVEN STUART D. STILL CHARLES E. G. THOMAS

LUCY G. DAVIES JENNIFER S. GANE LAURA M. GAWTHORPE MONICA C. HAZLETT FIONA L. LEMON HELEN L. PATMORE GEMMA K. REID CATRIONA G. SINCLAIR HANNAH M. R. WATT SARAH C. WATTLE CHRISTINE A. M. WEDDELL HAZEL S WILKINSON

School Prizes 1999-2000 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 Education The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Spanish 7

Luke Summers Laura S.M. Armstrong Andrew J.M. Kay Laura S.M. Armstrong Francesca L. Rennie Jennifer A. Dowds Maki C. MacNeil Mhairi M.C. Neyedli Stuart D. Still Carina Johnston Lyndsay J. Fraser

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Adam K. Leith The Former Pupils' Club Prize in Technical Subjects Charles E.G. Thomas The Samuel Pope Prize in Art Alistair Allan The Arthur L. McCombie Prize in Art History Lauren McGregor The Donald Paton Prize for Painting James R. Muir The John Muir Robertson Prize in Business Studies Equal Equal Cameron Robertson Donald J. Miller The ALBA Trophy in Business Management Stuart D. Still The Gordon McMinn Prize in Computing Studies Christine A.M. Weddell The Masson Bain Prize in English Equal Rebecca C. Engwall The William Brebner Prize in French Equal Kathryn E. Flint James Wyllie The Charles Alexander Walker Prize for History Lorna M. Hendry The Jenny C. Archibald Prize in Home Economics Catherine Alejo "The Silver Darlings Restaurant" Scottish Schools Christopher McDonald Good Food Medal Robert S. Lockhart The Campbell Connon Prize for Local Studies Katherine E. McBride The Derek Stewart Memorial Prize in Mathematics Fiona Duncan The Alexander Thomson Prize in Mathematics (S3) The Hamish Adams Greig Prize in Mathematics and Luke Summers Science in S5 Equal Christine A.M. Weddell The J. Mortimer McBain Prize to the best Equal Kathleen A. McAulay Mathematical Scholar in S5 or S6 Laura S.M. Armstrong The George G. Whyte Prize in Mathematics in S6 The Gavin Falconer Memorial and Former Pupils' Thomas Lessels Club Prize in Music Kathryn E. Flint The Dr J. Minto Robertson Prize in Shakespearean Studies Matthias C. Sasso The Alastair G. Simon Memorial Prize in Spanish James P. Engwall The Bon Accord Metal Prize in Technological Studies Rhiannon M. Will The May Thomson Scottish Poetry Prize Jennifer A. Dowds The Lions Club School Community Service Award The Aberdeen Grammar School Dramatic Society Equal Rebecca C. Engwall Kathryn E. Hint Award for outstanding contribution to Drama Equal Winner Greg A. Topp The Aberdeen Grammar School Junior Literary Runner-up Imogen C. Begg & Debating Competition The Rector's Shield for outstanding contribution Winner Rebecca C. Engwall Runner-up Kathryn E. Flint to running the Literary & Debating Society Sarah J. Chilton The Edith & David Bishop Prize for Public Speaking Rebecca C.Engwall Patrick R. Emerson Helen M. Graham Sarah E. Jones Equal Adelyn L.M. Wilson The Sir Ji. Robertson Award for outstanding Equal Jennifer A. Shaw Contribution to the School Newspaper Dustin J. MacDonald The Dr Alexander A. Cormack Prize Cameron N. Robertson The Andrew Middleton McLaren Prize for Enterprise Kathryn E. Flint The Philip Love Trophy The Aberdeen Grammar School "Face the Music" Award for an outstanding performance in the School's Jamie C. Begg Musical Production The Pied Piper 2000 Award for outstanding talent and Commitment from a cast or crew member in a Equal Anna Aiken Dramatic production Michelle Seivwright Equal

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All-round Trophy Winners and Runners-up

Back (L-R): Fiona Jeffers, Martin Jeffrey, Christopher Whitcombe. Ross Wattle, Stephen Ra►cliffe, Christopher Thomson, John Hendry, lan Sourer Fron► (L-R): Maid MacNeil. Kathryn Flint, Rebecca Engwall. Ruth McLennan

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Sports Awards Rory G. MacRae Byron The Neil Me'drum Inter-House Rugby Trophy - Si Douglas C. Sinclair Dun The Former Pupils' Inter-House Rugby Cup Ian G. Lumsden Byron The Former Pupils' Junior Rugby Cup Hanno E. Trayhum Byron The Former Pupils' House Hockey Cup Tara Klein Byron The Junior Hockey Cup for Girls Christopher J. Whitcombe The Isobel O. Anderson Medal for Swimming Christopher J. Whitcombe The Rector's Medal for Swimming David Taylor The Former Pupils' Club Rugby Football Section Trophy Ross J. Reid Melvin The School Inter-House Football Trophy Joel Klein The Ronald MacKinnon Trophy for Athletics Mhairi M.C. Neyedli The School Colours Committee School Cap Christopher J. Whitcombe All-Round Awards The David Alexander Irvine-Fortescue Prize - S2

The Norman Mackie Memorial Award in S3 for a pupil outstanding in scholarship, conduct & sportsmanship The Former Pupils' Club All-Round Award in S3 The Former Pupils' Club Certificate of Merit

The Former Pupils' Club "1965" Award for the greatest Contribution to the life of the School The Runner-up to the Former Pupils' Club All-Round Trophy for Girls 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

Equal Equal Equal Equal

Emma M. Armstrong Anna L. Campbell Barbara Duncan Katie M. McArthur Sarah A. Proctor Andrew J. Pringle Kathryn E. Flint Main C. MacNeil Stephen J. Ratcliffe Christopher P. Thomson Christopher J. Whitcombe Richard D. Gray Ruth J. McLennan Ross Wattle Rebecca C. Engwall Christopher J. Whitcombe

Colours Awards Basketball

Cap Full Colours Half Colours Junior Colours

Cricket Football

Half Colours Full Colours Junior Colours Full Colours

Hockey

Mhairi Neyedli Jenny MacRae. Lemma Reid Robert Lockhart, Stephen Ratcliffe Fiona Duncan, Amy Home. Sheila Howitt, Samara Moir, Lucie Morrison, Sarah Proctor Kyle Coetzer Jamie MacRae Adam Sheikh Alistair Flett, Andrew Hurman, Philip Maitland, Stephen Ratcliffe. Keith Smith, Hanno Trayhurn, Hannah Watt,

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School Section Half Colours

Junior Colours Rugby Ski-ing Swimming Table Tennis

Half Colours Junior Colours Cap Half Colours Full Colours

Richard Allan. lain Brand, Darren Greene, Andrew Goodenough, Laura Juroszek, Samara McIntyre, Mairi McNeil, Alice Mennie, Sophie Millington. Lyndsey Morrison. Joanne Reekie, Lynsey Robertson, Luke Summers, David Taylor, Rhiannan Williams, Kenneth Wilson Jory French, Ross Ovenstone, Hugo Pillath, Andrew Pringle David Taylor Laura Wood Christopher Whitcombe Craig Topp, Nathan Whitcombe Nicholas Baxter

Extra-Curricular Half Colours Full Colours Half Colours Jun. Colours Full Colours Drama 'Face the Music' Full Colours

Charities Debating/Public Speaking

Half Colours

Music

Full Colours Half Colours

Jun. Colours

Young Enterprise

Half Colours

Jennifer Gane, Catriona Sinclair Sarah Chilton, Rebecca Engwall, Kathryn Flint Patrick Emerson Katie Booth, Helen Graham Rebecca Engwall, Kathryn Flint Alan Brazendale, Victoria Kennedy, Tom Lessels, Rafe Pilling, Francesca Rennie. Julie Riddell. Cameron Robertson, Sarah Scott. Michelle Seivwright, Christopher Whitcombe Laura Armstrong, Jamie Begg. Lynsey Casson. Samantha Fyfe, Ashley Henderson, Fiona Lemon. Sarah Wattie, Marie Tay, Abigail Westwood Tom Lessels, David Morrice, Kun Yin Euan Allardice, Scott Annison, Samantha Fyfe, Adam Leith, Fiona Lemon, Helen Patmore, Kenneth Peddie, Gemma Reid, Elizabeth Sinclair. Luke Summers, Frances Sutherland. Hannah Watt, Sarah Wattie, Christine Weddell Hazel Anderson, Gemma Copeland, Rachael Duthie, Amy Home, Catherine McDougall. Alison McKay, Anna Mathers, Lucy Morrison, Hugo Pillath. Nicholas Rose Alan Brazendale, Ashley Henderson. Rafe Pilling. Cameron Robertson

Extra-Curricular Activities School Sports Clubs Basketball Basketball is a popular sport at the Grammar with girls participating in different teams of all ages. The first years have had a very successful year and recently took part in a prestigious tournament in Limerick, Southern Ireland. For the teams to be successful involves many hours' training. In first year, training consists of two hours a week, but by fifth and sixth year many players train for nearly ten hours. Our match fixtures have been hectic this year with most of the senior players participating in the Grampian Women's League and Cup, the Open School Girls' Grampian League and Cup, the Chairmen's Cup and the Scottish Schools Cup. The senior girls managed to seal victory in the Girls' Open Grampian Cup and League for the sixth year in a row, and the junior team also won their cup. Winning our sixth II

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Grampian Schools Basketball Senior Girls League & Cup Winners w v e- f k-uL

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School Section Grampian Cup in a row was a memorable occasion and a dramatic way to finish off our school careers. The game, against The International School of Aberdeen, was very close. At half-time the opposition were winning 17 points to 19. Our team displayed great composure and courage and fought back to eventually win 46 - 28, a sensational twenty point turn around. The senior team were very proud also to reach the finals of the Scottish Cup, but unfortunately we were defeated by Portobello High School after a close game. At the last colour awards our captain Mhairi Neyedli was awarded a School Cap for her participation in the sport over the last six years.Two of our 5th year players, Jenny MacRae and Gemma Reid, were awarded full colours. Fiona Duncan, Amy Horne. Sheila Howitt, Samara Moir, Lucie Morrison and Sarah Proctor, from 3rd year, were all awarded junior colours. This season, many of our younger team have represented Grampian Region and The North of Scotland in national competitions. Rebecca Hudson. Mhairi Neyedli and Jenny MacRae took part in an important tournament in Moyne, Northern Ireland. This took place in October and was enjoyed by all as a chance to play with different people from all over Scotland. At this point in the season we would like to thank our dedicated coaches Mr MacLeod, Mr MacLean and Mr Burns for their hard work and perseverance. The amount of time and effort that our coaches put in is very much appreciated and we remain indebted to them. The Senior Team comprised: Catriona Duncan, Joanne Falkner, Claire Fryer, Rachel Hudson, Rebecca Hudson, Mairi MacNeil. Jenny MacRae. Claire Murphy, Mhairi Neyedli. and Gemma Reid. The Junior Team comprised: Fiona Duncan. Amy Horne. Sheila Howitt. Tara Klein. Stephanie Lai, Katie McArthur, Samara Moir. Lucie Morrison, Lucy Nicoll, Sarah Proctor, Anusha Reddy, and Lynne Wightman. The First Year Team comprised: Lucy Arrowsmith, Charlotte Booth, Gillian Clark, Katherine Gane, Fiona Marshall, Amy Preston, Shona Richard, Natasha Scott, Jenny Smith, Fiona Taylor, Kirsten Wilson, and Verity Wyper. Boys' Hockey The Boys' Hockey First XI had its most successful season for many a year. Words alone cannot do justice to the poetry of this team in full flow. In a year of many memorable victories, the highlight came with the incredible cup run that culminated in the side advancing to the U18 RAF Scottish Cup Final. The game was a tight affair with the mighty Grammar eventually squeezed out 11-1. It was a disappointing end to a nevertheless exciting tournament that saw many Goliaths, such as Kelburne and old rivals Kinloss. slain on the road to the final. On the local stage the team fared similarly well. The league season finished with only one defeat, with the likes of Cults and Robert Gordon's dispatched with ease. The 4-0 mauling of the "unbeatable" MBC was a particularly impressive result, whilst public schools such as Watson's and Gordonstoun did not escape the Grammar wrath. The team was composed of thirteen able-bodied super-stars. In goal was little Keith Smith. This pint-sized wonder was practically impenetrable all season despite his diminutive physique. Captain Stephen "Dobbin" Ratcliffe's motivational skills were a great asset, as was his strong tackling, although his tendency to fall over for no apparent reason was not. Phil Maitland was outstanding as sweeper. His ability to clear the ball from any oncoming attacker was majestic, although getting up in the morning proved to be a problem. The left corner was protected by Kenbo Wilson. What this caveman lacked in skill he made up for in his sheer unadulterated massacring of the opposition. No man marked by Ken finished the game in a satisfactory physical state. Token 4th year David "Tryhard" Taylor completed the defensive lineup. The midfield unit proved particularly strong. The centre midfield was governed by the enigmatic Hanno Trayhurn, who showed glimpses of the old magic when he could be bothered. Allistair "Peanut" Flett spent much of the time marauding forward with scant regard to his defensive duties. Flett chipped in with some important goals. although his 13

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine performance at the FP Club after the cup final was less impressive. The skill of Ian Brand. Luke Summers and Richard Allan suggests another good season could be in store next year The attack gelled almost instantaneously. Andrew Hurman's departure, shortly after gaining full colours, should not detract from his pre-Christmas performances. His powerful running and clinical finishing were an added bonus to his primary function as minibus entertainment. Darren Greene's movement up front brought him an impressive goal tally, and meant that he linked up superbly with resident goal-machine Andrew Goodenough. "Goodies" clocked up the goals like there was no tomorrow and also had the proud record of being sent off most times. Thanks should be accorded to Mr. Swanson for his time, effort, driving skills, and putting up with numerous renditions of "Bohemian Rhapsody" emanating from the back of the bus. A big shout out also goes to all FIN like Ben Johnson and James Williams who helped throughout the season. Boys' Hockey - Second XI At the beginning of the season we had a relatively full calendar of fixtures, but due to circumstances outwith our control we ended up with only half the games we set out to play. By the end of the season we had only played six games, and two against the Auld Enemy. Robert Gordon's, of which we won one and lost one. We began the year with the long trek down to Edinburgh to play Edinburgh Academy on their grass pitch. Since this was the first time we had all played in the same team it took us some time to gel together as a group. After missing some early chances, we lost the game I O. The second game of the season was the first of our two encounters with Robert Gordon's. This was the first of our games on astro-turf, and we played well. We won the game 1-0 with Jonathan Radly scoring after a solid performance from the defence. We lost the second 2-0 on a frozen pitch - it was like playing on an ice rink. During the season we had two games called off against Dundee High and we did not travel to Edinburgh to play George Watson's. When George Watson's came up to Aberdeen to play us, they were faced with a frozen Chris Anderson pitch and a depleted Grammar team. I would like to think it was the pitch that made us play so badly, but I suspect that it was the activities of the night before. We eventually lost the game 3-2, with our goals coming from Jonathan Finley and Michael Kelly. The traditional 'best game of the season' had come around again to Gordonstoun. This is due to the fact that we get a three-course lunch after the game, but sadly I was rushed away from my pudding and did not get to sample the delights of the apple crumble with custard. This was probably the most exciting game of the season for us. The first half ended 0-0; after the re-start we rushed into a 2-0 lead, but then managed to concede two late goals. The score finished 2-2. with both our goals coming front Jonathan Radly. The last game of the season had come around again to Strathallan. Unfortunately the game had fallen on the day after the school show. I have to add a warning here - staying up late, getting up early and then playing hockey is not a good idea. After a few hours' sleep we arrived at the bus tired. We won the match 2-0 with goals from Jonathan Radly and Michael Kelly. I felt this was the team's best performance of the season, with a solid performance from everyone. I would like to finish by thanking Mr. Swanson. on behalf of the team, for giving up his spare time to watch us play hockey, pretty poorly. Colts' Hockey The Colts' season has been fairly zig-zag this year. At the start of the season our confidence was at a high due to training sessions and help from Ben Johnson and also from Ron Fraser. who was advising our 'keeper. We went into the season with a poor performance away to Edinburgh. which, of course, lowered our confidence. We then went on to face more tough teams, both home and away, 14

School Section

and it took us a while before we could even get on to the goal sheet, let alone get a win. However, our luck did eventually change when we went on to beat rivals Robert Gordon's — twice. The first match we won 2-0 and the second 2-1 - and without the help of a goalkeeper the second time! Unfortunately, during the winter many of our games and training sessions were cancelled and it began to show when we got back to the matches. We had a very close loss to Cults 4-3 at Chris Anderson Stadium. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the season was our 1-0 victory, away from home, at Gordonstoun. Our season ended with an unfortunate loss to Strathullan. Perhaps the biggest flaw in the team this year was the lack of interest from possible players, but many thanks to those who turned out. Another huge thank you also goes to Ben Johnson who helped us through those hard times and for lifting our feet off the ground. Finally, congratulations are in order for our top scorer, Craig Fraser, finishing on a tally of 7. Girls' Hockey There was lots of activity this season, with fine weather enabling us to play every fixture bar one. The seniors were able to field three teams this year. the second years had two, and the first years had more than enough for two eights. The third year. who had no team in first year, struggled to compete in their own age group. but by splitting the team between the third eleven and the second year 'B', everyone managed to progress at their own level. The team played together again in the third year tournament with much better results. Two trips were made to Gordonstoun. and a team of mostly sixth years travelled to play against Glasgow High School. The first eleven lost to Ellon in the semi -final of the Knockout Cup. going down on penalties after a tied game, but they brought glory to the School by winning the Senior Tournament. Ruth McLennan was an efficient captain who worked hard at creating a very good team spirit amongst the whole senior group. She failed, however, in her attempt to tidy up the notice board by bringing Mrs Welsh into the computer age. Even with a disc full of proforma spreadsheets Mrs Welsh lapsed back to her usual scrawly scraps. Promise next year. Ruth McLennan and Hannah Watt were both selected for the U-18 North District Squad, while Lynsey Robertson was selected for the U-16 Squad. Sophie Millington and Lynsey Morrison reached the later stages of the trials in their respective age groups. At present five second years and two third years are in the U-15 training squad, and three first years and two second years attend zone coaching. Summer hockey at Rubislaw has been well attended. although those who would most benefit from more hockey have not taken advantage of this programme. Memorable moments of the season were: - Helga the mascot: a sweet doll with Teutonic origins, you will all be thinking. Nein. Helga was a sturdy twig with a few small branches that Ruth lovingly carried in her hockey stick bag to each and every match. We wish Ruth and Helga all the best in their new life together in Edinburgh next year: the parable of the Robin, a psychological weapon to try to toughen up team shooting power yeh Christine Weddell; Ruth's 5 a.m. train ride from school duties at the Glasgow F.P.Centre Dinner, to lead the team to victory in the senior tournament; Coach Welsh frantically hunting for the cup prior to the tournament, looking in every corner of the school and bugging every janny and clerical assistant in sight fit was in the engravers where it had spent the year); an epic hockey girls' night out: and, lastly, a quote from second eleven captain Laura Jurosrek, 'What a shame!'. Finally, well done everyone fora fine season and thanks again to all the FP helpers. Oops, tho', - nearly forgot to mention all weather pitch in this report. OK. All weather pitch . The followinR Quiz is dedicated to Laura Juroszek and all Nice Players.

Guess who made the following statements, nice girl or demented coach: I. During a match a 5th year girl kicks the ball, runs over it, and then tops it three feet to the opposition. a) Well played. that was great! b) Well played? Well played? Helga could have played better than that. 15

Girls' Hockey 1st XI 1999-2000

AberdeenGrammarSchool Magazine

With the first cup of the Millennium

School Section 2.

3.

4.

We lose a match to a much weaker team due to our bad play. a) Really well played everyone. b) Safeway are looking for shelf packers on Saturdays. A robin and her chicks are pecking happily in the goal mouth during a cup match. a) Ooh, stop everyone, how sweet! b) SHOOT. The 5th years are criticised for being too soft and for not competing hard enough a) What a shame b) WW I was a shame, Chernobyl was a shame, failing your higher English or driving test is a shame, Maggie losing her dummy is a shame.... rant. rant into infinity.

HOW to score this quiz:

If your answers are all a), you are a very nice girl (and Safeways number is If your answers are all b), see you at Rubislaw, first Saturday back.

210502)

Senior Football This year has been a difficult one for the players and the coaching staff at the School. The year began with tw•o very hard games against Kincorth Academy. Roth games ended in defeat for us. Although this start to the season was unexpected the squad members resolved in their own minds to work and make a difference. This definitely took place throughout the rest of the season. With each game that the team played. the players responded in typical Grammar style. Demonstrating a fighting spirit, matched with a high level of fitness and passion, the Grammar team refused to lie down and give other teams an easy run. Three players headed this team spirit in particular and stood above the rest in terms of dedication, commitment and work ethic. Captain James MacRae had a stunning season in the centre of midfield. A relentless workhorse, who constantly led the team by example and offered support to to his team at every opportunity, James epitomised everything that a captain should be and was a strength to the team on and off the pitch. James was awarded Full Colours and the AGS Certificate of Recognition. Daniel Cumming. who had the role of Vice-Captain, equally filled his position in the same light. Although not the most skillful player in the team. Daniel gave all that he had in every game. He was, indeed, a true warrior in every sense of the word and a great credit to the team. The last of the three musketeers was Alex Home. Holding a central role in midfield, Alex constantly battled for every ball. A physically strong and athletic player, Alex had an effective input into every game. Daniel and Alex were each awarded the AGS Certificate of Recognition. There were many other players who impressed at one point or another. James McEwen, Andrew Beattie. John Roach. Craig Riddoch, Steven Ross. Steven Massie and Raymond Lee made up the 5th year contingent of the team. All represented their year well and should prove to be key players for the coming season. The remaining players in the squad, who all played for the shirt, unlike other teams this season, were of great value. James Muir held the back line together well. When mistakes were made and centre forwards were crashing through on goal it was James Muir who constantly made saving tackles at the back. He was a very reliable defender who kept a cool head at all times. Ross Reid, another midfielder, had a good work ethic and presence, although unfortunately for the team he remained out of the squad due to injury in the later part of the season. Up front the striking force was David O'Driscoll and David Purvis. It was a hard season for the forwards and goals were like gold dust initially. The first priority of the forwards this season was to get back and defend at all times. O'Driscoll, surprisingly to some, was the master of this. Not only was he keen to defend. hut he was the most skillful player on the pitch. Countless times O'Driscoll. who was often asked to work alone up front. made unending opportunities for the Grammar team to convert through his mastery of the ball. Whenever he had the ball at his feet he was a constant threat to the other team. David Purvis was the other half of this partnership. Purvis had numerous chances to punish teams 17

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine this season. Like his sidekick, he was a player who had good ball control and skill. He also worked well at feeding tempting passes through the defence for other players to take up the chance of shooting. Purvis worked equally well on the wing as he did in the centre. He had the ability and desire to take players on and get behind them quickly to deliver the ball into the box. All in all, the forwards worked well in very difficult situations. Last but by no means least, was Jonathan Brown. This player had the most difficult job on the team, especially at the start of the season. Goalkeeper Brown had some outstanding saves that kept the team in the game throughout the season. He had very quick reactions to shots and seemed to be one of those keepers who are always in the right position at the right time. He inspired confidence in the defence and the coaches, and should be praised for a job well done. Throughout the year players came in and out of the squad for various reasons. These players also gave all they had whenever they pulled on the Grammar shirt and it is only right and fitting to mention them also for a job well done. If it were not for these players then the team would have been short of a full squad on several occasions. So. well done to Gregor Kennedy (a fast, wide player) and Ross Campbell, Donald Millar and Douglas Sinclair (battling midfielders) On a final note, well done the coaching staff for all their effort. This was a hard season for them on the sidelines, as it required concentration, awareness and constant shouting! It is easy to coach good teams as they have a tendency to feed off one another and execute without problem the coach's requests. This team started off the season at the other end of the spectrum. However, as Grammar went out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round they looked and played like a totally different team. This has to do with the players' efforts but also the time spent by the coaches in organising the squad. So ... well done to Coaches McLeod. MacLean and Burns. You have accomplished what you set out to do - to field an Aberdeen Grammar School football team that plays, thinks and fights like the great teams of the past!! Goff - The Arthur MeCombie Trophy Due to the record number of entries for this Competition this year, it has not been possible to reach the final stage before the end of term and hence the winner is as yet unknown. The later timing of this year's examination diet, plus some inclement weather also held up the preliminary stages. It is intended to hold the final play-offs sometime in the new session, and the name of the winner should appear in next year's Magazine. Rugby Profile - David Taylor In recent years Aberdeen has seen a significant improvement in the quality of both senior and youth rugby. An example of this success has been the Aberdeen Grammar School FP Club's under-sixteen team, of which David Taylor (S 5/3) was a member in the 1999/2000 season. He has been a flanker for the last two seasons and before that played number 8. During the last season the Club side won the district cup and reached the quarter finals of the Scottish cup. Other highlights of their season were a win against Gala at Rubislaw and a close encounter against Melrose at the Green Yards, which they lost by just two points. With a number of his club-mates, David was selected for SRU district representation with the North-East Hurricanes. They had a good start to the season with a convincing win over a strong Strathmore team, but unfortunately finished the season mid-table. He was also selected for the North Schools Team, playing second-row. This side went on to win the Scottish Schools inter- district cup for the first time in the competition's 32 year history. The team won two games against South and Midlands, and drew with Glasgow. The final game against Lothian Schools at Countesswells, a 20-16 victory, was very special for the players and coaches alike and certainly raised the profile of North youth rugby. A personal highlight for David was scoring the North's second try to level the score at 10-10. Following this game he was invited to take part in the national Schools U-16 trial at Murrayfield. Whilst not making the team. he was one of several retained "on call". Over the last two years he has honed his handling and running skills by playing touch 18

School Section rugby in the Aberdeen summer league, principally for the KCA Drilling works teams (men's and mixed). Following a trial at Boroughmuir in June he has been selected to represent Scotland in a mixed side (men and women, under-35) to play in the European Touch Championship. David's season was completed when he was presented with The Aberdeen Grammar School FP Club Rugby Football Section Trophy, which is given annually to the School's 'Player of the Year'. Ski-Racing What could be more exhilarating than shooting down a slope with all that can be seen in front being crystal white snow glistening in the light? Or even finishing up with a trophy and the title - "CHAMPION"? Well nothing! Ski-ing has been an activity where the Grammar School Girls' Teams have been very successful. This year, Mr Montgomery got together teams of younger skiers along with the more experienced and older seniors - boys even managed to form teams! The teams did very well at the competitions which they entered, with a name near the top, most of the time, being Laura Wood. In the Scottish Schools' Ski Championships, the Grammar team did very well. Laura did exceptionally well coming third from the whole of Scotland. She later went on to compete in the British School Championships, and while the weather didn't shine in her direction she still came a well deserved eleventh. For all her outstanding performances, Laura received her well-earned Junior Colours. Well done. As well as the skicrs, there also need to be parents and helpers, otherwise there wouldn't be a team. Thanks go to Mrs Wood. Mrs Campbell. Mrs Fyfe and, of course, our greatest vote of thanks goes to Mr Montgomery, the big man behind it all !

Clubs and Societies Book Club It appeared after the Freshers' Fair in September that the club was going to have a healthy membership. This was primarily due to the Harry Potter phenomenon. However, as more clubs came into being, the Book Club sadly depleted until there were only five S 1 boys attending. As well as lively chat about all different books from childhood favourites to The Cappuccino Years, the young gents engaged in lively discussion about topical topics from Cloning Dinosaurs to the Problem with Pokemon. They were also of great help with the School's very successful Readathon, which raised a substantial amount for the Sargent Fund for Cancer Care. The ongoing task of cutting and counting Free Books for Schools Tokens has also been undertaken in part by the Club. It is hoped that some new SI pupils can be encouraged to attend the Club, especially in the wake of the publication of the fourth Harry Potter book and the solution to the missing girls may be to hold two clubs to cater for all reading tastes. Hillwalking Club Sunday walks continue to attract groups of between 15 and 20 pupils. mostly from SI and S2. We have also enjoyed the company of staff and pupils from the Total French School on some of these walks. Equipment is provided cheaply for hire to youngsters, as required, from the Out-door Education Department stock. We are grateful for the contribution from the FP Amenities and Endowments Fund to cover our insurance requirements. This year the hillwalking group has been active in a number of different types of terrain. The rugged coastline between Longhaven and Cruden Bay was very atmospheric in a mixture of sunshine and storm and the youngsters enjoyed Stains Castle at its spooky best. As we ate lunch on a remote stony beach some nosey seals bobbed up about twenty yards away, clearly amused by the noisy and colourful land creatures.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine A stinging wind and swirling mists on Bennachie. combined with the network of tracks in the forest (many not shown on the map), provided a test for pupils keen to test their navigational skills. In the depths of winter, Kirkhill Forest provided a relatively sheltered arena for a treasure-hunt-style day which was very popular with the youngsters. The type of activities which we can undertake is limited by the high level of qualifications now required for people wishing to lead youngsters on mountainous terrain. It hoped that we will eventually have several members of staff (and helpers also) with these qualifications, including Summer Mountain Leader Awards. This would enable us, for example, to organise wilderness camping expeditions to areas outwith Aberdeenshire: Literary & Debating Society This year the Debating Society took the North East, and in fact the whole of Britain, by storm. The competitive teams, up in numbers from last year, have all done extraordinarily well in the many competitions which they have been entered, in places as far flung as Durham and Invergordon! Sarah Chilton and Katy Booth (S4) won the final of the TSB North of Scotland Schools Debating Competition in November. and reached the finals of the Aberdeen University Debater in March. Rebecca Engwall and Helen Graham (S4) got through to the Scottish finals of the ESU Debating Competition. Kathryn Flint and Patrick Emerson (S4), despite being knocked out in the first round of the Law Society of Scotland Competition and forgotten about by Oxford (no. we're not bitter .... ) came an overall 8th out of 36 teams in Durham. Patrick was ranked joint 8th out of 72 speakers. and Kathryn was placed joint 18th. In addition to this, Kathryn had a trial for the Scottish Debating team for the World Championships in November. and the school also became an honorary university to act as a non-competing team in the European Debating Championships 2000 held at Aberdeen University (beating Robert Gordon's we might add!) It's official - Aberdeen Grammar School is now the top state school in Scotland for Debating. Hooray! On the public speaking side of things. Sarah Chilton, Rebecca Engwall and Patrick Emerson reached the finals (and should have won, of course!) of the North of Scotland Schools Public Speaking Competition, whilst the junior team of Patrick Emerson, Sarah Jones (S4) and Helen Graham got through to, but unfortunately couldn't attend, the final of the ESU Junior Public Speaking Competition in March. A mention also goes to Stuart Still (S5) and John Cochrane-Barnett (S5) who put in a memorable performance at the Aberdeen University debating competition. (Stuart: "Yes of course we should beat our children, Madame Chairperson, it'll give them tougher skin ") The year has been filled with surreal public speaking meetings (from Viagra to Supermarket Sweep, desert islands with Patrick to lovely young men in suits), bus trips and chips (thank you Miss Inns!), Percy Pigs and an endless supply of Polos courtesy of Patrick. And how could we forget February's Talent Show, which completely ignored all school procedure to pack in an estimated 700 people for the Monday final, and managed to terrify the four qualifying acts - Mr Cranium, abandoning their boiler suits for a more, ehm, refined look (liked the slippers, guys). Five, who were three, who were four, who were shirtless, the Rocky Horror Show girls wearing what amounted to just about a tea-towel between them, and the eventual victors. Queen. complete with wigs, leather trousers and very short shorts - not to mention Kathryn, Stuart and Chris Thomson. the rather underprepared presenters. Yes, the balcony was creaking We're delighted to say that we have seen a recent boom in very enthusiastic junior debaters, and it is very encouraging to know that the Society, which only made a relatively recent re-appearance in the School. is going from strength to strength. This enthusiasm was particularly apparent in May's in-school speakers' competition which saw Greg Topp and Runner-Up Imogen Begg win through over the sixteen participants in the Junior round, and Rebecca Engwall and Runner-Up Kathryn Flint triumph over the twelve speakers in the senior competition. We wish all the Grammar debaters the best of luck in future competitions and give a big thank you to everyone who has spoken in our lunchtime 20

School Section

Literary and Debating Committee Members •

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/

IL to R) Rebecca Engwall, Sarah Chilton and Kathryn Flint

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine debates - keep it up when we're gone folks! Thanks also to everyone involved in the talent show - be they onstage, backstage or spectators - for helping us to raise a much-needed f1014. And, of course, we couldn't write this article without saying an even bigger thank you to Mrs Godden and Mrs Straiton, who have given up their lunchtimes for the past three years to help us, and have been never-ending fountains of patience. knowledge and innuendo (!) One final word: For future reference, BP Amoco do the best buffets! Oh yeah, and Aberdeen Grammar School Debaters kick ass! The AGS Debating Committee 1999/2000 comprised President: Kathryn Flint Vice-President: Rebecca Engwall Secretary: Sarah Chilton 6th year rep: Laura Armstrong 4th year rep: Patrick Emerson 1st year Rep: Jordan Hewitt 2nd year Rep: William Jones Publicity: Samantha Fyfe & Colin McArthur We would like to dedicate this article to Mrs Godden for all her hard work and support over these past few years, and we wish her the best of luck with her new job in Inverness, where we hope that her pupils will appreciate her. The Lunchtime French Club This Club was started in September 1999 as a joint venture with the Total French School. It meets on Tuesdays between 12.45 and 1.15 pm. in the Language Block. The Club is open to all year groups and is an opportunity for pupils to meet, chat and socialise. Matthew Davidson. 51/5, comments, "At the French Club we talk about the traditions of France and compare them with Scotland. Other activities are watching videos, listening to music and 'do as you please days', when we play board games and chat. This is a good opportunity to meet the French pupils and make new friends. I think this is a great Club'. Music The School music department has been very busy this year preparing for both the October and Christmas concerts, and the School show -Oliver". We are now in the process of preparing for the Aberdeen Music Festival at which our String Group (chamber). Concert Band, A.G.S Fiddlers, Mixed Choir and many soloists will be performing. We hope they all do well. Congratulations must go to fifth year pupil Christine Weddell who gained the highest mark in the north-east in 1999 for Grade Eight Piano, for which she received the Gina Dallas Harper Award. She receives her tuition at the School, and we are sure that she will go on to great things. We look forward to next year's concerts under the guidance of our new Principal Teacher of music, Mrs Jean McLeod, with whom we hope that all of the above activities, and perhaps some new initiatives, will flourish. Rock of Ages Rocking into a third successful year is the small band of intrepid rockers who meet on a Tuesday lunchtime in ML I. A few more 1st years came early on in the session, but they have tended to fade away - standing outside in the pouring rain at lunchtime must be a more attractive prospect! The club consists mainly of S5 boys, some S6 boys and two members of staff. Not many girls, in fact not any girls now. Millennium Fever (remember that?) even affected us when we ran a session over a few weeks on "Our Albums of the Decade", covering the 60s, 70s. 80s and 90s. This produced several fascinating LPs which pupils took from their parents' record collections and which the teachers unearthed from their own collections. Innovations this year included a video lending library and the Internet arriving 22

School Section in the classroom. It is still early days with the Internet but the possibilities look good. The highlight of the year was, without doubt, the Rock of Ages Big Christmas Quiz. This took place over a couple of weeks in late December and attracted a pleasing entry. Teams of four competed over several rounds. Each round was themed e.g. Guess the Intro, two picture rounds of Rock Dudes and Rock Chicks, and Decade rounds of the four Rock Decades. The entire quiz was produced and presented by Mr McLean (Maths), whose Rock knowledge is formidable and whose skills with the computer gave the whole thing a professional gloss. A good time was had by all, the winning team being Oliver's Army. A couple of months later Mrs Wattie entered the club in the BBC Top of the Pops magazine School Pop Quiz. The magazine sent us the quiz, but due to lack of time only Oliver's Army took part. Ably MC'd by Mr McLean the lads put up a creditable performance despite some bizarre rounds such as matching the tattoo to the artiste. Much to everyone's surprise the team won through to the Regional Final. Well, the 'Region' turned out to be Scotland and we were breezily told to show up in Edinburgh with 50 supporters (please send names in advance) and with the entire party dressed in purple. Oh well, nice idea, but not today thank you. The Club is now on a brief hiatus due to Mrs Wattie having been off but we'll be back when the term changes in June, blinking into the sunlight of rock music's new millennium.

Role-Playing Club The AGS Role-playing club meets in room M2 on Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes courtesy of Mr. Maclean. and has grown by leaps and bounds this past year. The club now has ►wenty regular members, and others who participate on occasion. Previously, most books were supplied by pupils, but thanks to a grant from the Amenities Fund, the club now owns its own books, allowing a variety of games to be played, in a variety of settings, from fantasy to sci-fi, near future or modern. Yet again we entered a team in the Role-playing Competition, this time succeeding in winning our heat! We will be travelling to Manchester in September to represent the School in the National Final, to be held at the "Gen.Con." Convention. Spotlight Drama The Magical Mystery Tour It all began with a fantastic vision of sparkling, translucent fairies and scary witches As we started out along our long, winding, treacherous yellow brick road, little did we know of the hazards ahead. As this was the first time a group of pupils had undertaken the writing. production and direction of a play in the School, to be honest we had no idea what we were in for. After extensive auditioning we found ourselves the 'perfect' cast who, em, always turned up for every rehearsal and of course learned their words on time. Our sixteen-strong bunch of lovely country bumpkins ranged from 2nd to 6th year, and for some this was the first school show in which they had been involved; yet against all the odds they dazzled the theatrical world! (Well, the School at least!) So where shall we begin? Ah yes, Mr Burbage.... Patrick Emerson (54) with his boxers making their stage debut, Anna Aiken (56) and her wonderful Brummie accent, Rachael Armstrong (S4) and her hairy flowers, Stuart McHardy (54) and his uncanny ability to look good in a skirt. James Engwall (S4) and his interesting interpretation of the dance, Sybille Bernadin (S5) and possibly the most vertical hairstyle ever created, Gill Morrison (S6) and her onstage mimes of activities which we're sure are illegal, Rachelle Grogan (S4), the cutest person in the show (and in fact the world), Michelle Seivwright (S6) fondling James' hairy ears (?!), Lucy Davies (S5) and her attempts to appear in love with her Romeo (we're sorry ... ). Katy Booth (S4) convincing us she was mad. Sarah Jones (S4) and her refusal to put back her hair. Jennifer Casson (S2) and Emma Armstrong (S2) who introduced us to Bob and Joe, Charles Thomas (S5) falling asleep on the Rector and last but not least, Catriona Duncan (S6) with an accent worthy of Coronation Street. Phew!! 23

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine We started rehearsing in August with a view to performing in November, which in school show terms is known as 'cutting it fine'. Little did we know that our cast would still be stumbling over their lines days before the performance, that posters and tickets are an essential, that props and costumes don't just appear with a wave of a fairy's magic wand, and that three months is a surprisingly short amount of time. Our original tactic was to bribe our cast with sweeties into doing what we told them, but we later discovered that shouting very loudly was slightly more effective. Another integral part of the later rehearsals was our famous 'warm-ups' which consisted of standing in a circle shouting "I AM A SHEEP!" at the top of our voices. Oh yes. and how many different ways can you pronounce the letter 'a' ? Another notorious episode was our 'regional accents' read-through where we were treated to Shakespeare in Welsh, Irish, Pakistani. Glaswegian and Jamaican (among ) others Despite the men in tights and fairy wings, there were no cast romances (that we know of.) other than those on stage, and even these tested our cast's acting skills to the limits. 'Interpersonal Skills' were also stretched considerably (especially in the case of the directors...), but ultimately the sheer brilliance shone through! Where else would you find a curtain covered with hundreds of twinkly fairy lights, painstakingly hand-safety-pinned at great risk to personal safety, or enjoy a rendition of Kathryn and Becca's unique choreography (come on boys, slap those thighs!). In the end, cheesy Shakespearean jokes won out as Farmer George lost his cow, James lost his hat (accidentally on purpose). the cast lost their memories and we lost our tempers. and a good time was had by all. Despite the anonymity of the play. we had absolutely packed houses for the Thursday and Friday night performances, which left the crew frantically putting out more chairs. We received a fantastic amount of support from everyone in the School, regardless of whether they were directly involved or not, and for that we are extremely grateful! (Thanks also for all the cards!) As we raised more money than we had ever expected, we were left with the pleasant task of deciding how to spend just under £700 (what a nightmare!). In gratitude to the School for giving us the go ahead in the first place, we have donated the Pied Piper 2000 award, a trophy to be presented at the school Prize Giving each year for outstanding talent and contribution to a dramatic production. We are also donating £100 towards Patrick's fees for the place he won in the Scottish Youth Theatre Summer School this year. In addition to this, we are leaving a portion of the money in the bank for future pupil-run productions, in the hope that others will carry this on and turn it into a School tradition! We wish all future directors the best of luck. A special mention must go to Miss Adams for all the love and support she gave us when we were on the verge of nervous breakdown, and to all the other teachers who helped us in whatever shape or form! The Production Team comprised Rebecca Engwall, Kathryn Flint. Sarah Chilton and Laura Armstrong. 'The Magical Mystery Tour" was written by Kathryn Flint. with a little help from Shakespeare. What in the World? What in the World is a first and second year pupils' club supported by members of the Modem Studies department (ably helped out by sixth year pupils). It holds meetings every Friday lunchtime, which are open to all interested in S 1/2. It attempts to encourage an interest in Current Affairs and Politics by looking at them in a lively, fun way. The pupils are encouraged to decide what are the big issues of the day and discuss them in a (very) informal setting. Once per term the club produces the magazine "Right Now" which tries to be a topical, controversial look at issues which interest pupils. Our first issue led on the phenomenon of "Pokemon" mania. Pupils are encouraged to take part in editing. producing and distributing the magazine. Each issue tries to focus on one controversial question and involve the wider School in the debate - the next issue, for example, will be looking at whether the comedian "Ali G" is racist or not. 24

Face the Music - Oliver

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Oliver (Ross Oven.vomc 1 meets login (Jamie Beggi for the first time

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Face the Music: "Oliver" 'Please Sir ... can I have some more?" That is what we were all hoping the audience would be thinking when once again, after gruelling singing and acting auditions, the cast of Face The Music put on their dancing shoes to perform in yet another school musical. This year the well known show 'Oliver' was chosen and with Miss Adams returning to take on the daunting task of director we all settled down (eventually) and got to grips with the gritty musical every Thursday afternoon. Thanks to the four choreographers, Julie Riddel, Alison Burr, Marie Tay and Mrs. Wattle, a cast of 70 were taught to dance as hungry orphans, filthy pickpockets, enthusiastic villagers and in some cases flamboyant ladies of the night. Not only were we taught double scissors and shadow steps but, after a great deal of patience on the part of the choreographers, we even managed to perform these moves in time to'the music and each other. It could be said that 'Oliver' lends itself to a young cast and with a little imagination from the audience and, of course, a great deal of acting talent from the cast (?!) we had 17year-old girls as 8-year-old male pickpockets, not to mention the principal boys who played frighteningly convincing old men. Jamie Begg's interpretation of Fagin was particularly accurate and Kathryn Flint's blood-curdling screams as Nancy were certainly still ringing in my ears for weeks after the show had finished. This year definitely saw the biggest intake of 6th years for a long time and a few hidden talents came to the fore - probably surprising themselves just as much as anybody else. However, it was probably 'little Ross' in 3rd year, who played Oliver, who stole the show as well as the 6th year girls' hearts. Admittedly his angelic face was somewhat deceptive but so as not to ruin his future acting career all misdemeanours will be kept quiet. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that this year had an extremely talented array of principal characters, with strong singing voices combined with acting ability. However, to say that the show was a success from the beginning would be entirely untrue. For the first four months there were vicious rumours circulating that it was 'the worst show ever' - a rumour which seems to be spread every year without fail, but that is beside the point. By some miracle, and as a consequence of an extensive pep talk, the chorus pulled their socks up and managed to create a thoroughly entertaining musical - as full houses each night clearly indicated. A big thank you is due to all the members of staff who helped to make the show such a success. Miss Adams, in particular, was a Godsend to the chorus - whereas in previous years we have stood on the stage doing nothing we were now gin-drinking, sausage-frying characters with a suitably pleasing night life. And, believe you me, it was as much fun to act as it was to watch. Therefore, despite constant and exhausting rehearsals, hours of learning song words (for some, mind you, just a quick glance at a script before going on stage seemed to suffice!) and in the later stages having absolutely no time for homework (perhaps not such a bad thing!) I think everybody would say that participating in Oliver was an extremely enjoyable and worthwhile experience. The 6th years, in particular, will be sad no longer to have anything to do on a Thursday afternoon and we will all miss the nervous excitement of waiting in the wings before going on stage. Even if the audiences were not crying out for more, the cast certainly were.

Charities Group Homelessness is Scary Sarah attributes her homelessness to her relationship with her mother - "I was homeless for three years and I slept with friends and I slept rough in the Woodend area. I had no money for digs and the council wouldn't house me. It was not very• pleasant, but it gives me an insight into what homelessness is like, especially when people tell me I don't really understandfor I can tell them that I really do. 26

School Section "Homelessness is scary, it's depressing. The best way to explain it is that when I got my fiat that was me, 1 was happy. I didn't need anything else but the flat. Nothing could have been worse than where 1 was before. 11 was always going to be mine. I would never get kicked out". The above extract comes from a newsletter produced by the local branch of the Cyrenians, a charity which works to help homeless people, of whom there are a surprising number in our city. Since our last report, the School Charities Group has donated: £ 100 to former staff member Fran Tomlinson, who cycled through Zimbabwe to raise money for street-kids 100 to Mrs Welsh of our PE department for her continual and necessary work for Kosovan refugees 300 to Aberdeen Cyrenians 170 to Aberdeen and North East Society for the Deaf 300 to the Grampian Society for the Blind 300 to former Charities Group Chairperson Rebecca Gane, who is going to South Africa to teach English in a township 300 to Oxfam's Mozambique Appeal 50 to AGS Sixth Year Book Fund £1620 In addition, the Monthly Collection Scheme has yielded in the past year: f 177.20 to Aberdeen and North East Spina Bifida Association 139.12 to Grampian Autistic Society 198.35 to the Red Cross' Turkish Earthquake Appeal 137.63 to Save the Children 196.63 to the Aberlour Trust £ 848.93 Over and above these sums, Mr. Montgomery raised £22.50 for the National Aids Trust with one of his Social Education classes, The English Department raised over £3,400 through its highly successful Readathon Scheme. The Home Economics Department raised £90 for Barnardos' and £150 for Macmillan Cancer Research, Class 1/3 and their Guidance Teacher, Mrs Straiton, raised £107 for Mozambique at their Cake and Candy stall, and all the time Mrs. Welsh, of the PE Department is always raising money for good causes with her ongoing different projects. There are probably others who are raising money for good causes but who do not do so through the Charities Group and who therefore are not mentioned above. To them I apologise but someone somewhere must have noticed. Most of the money raised by the Charities Group comes from profit made by our daily Tuck Shop. This year's stalwarts have included - Neil Purvis and Colin Shaw 3/2; Callum Sinclair 3/5; Emily Montgomery and Lynsay Morrison 4/5, Jennifer Gane and Catriona Sinclair 516; and Helen Patmore 6/5 "Well Done Everyone" - and, by the way, "Thanks"!

Young Scientists, Business People & Geographers British Young Scientists 2000 This year the school again entered two of its budding scientists in the British Young Scientist Fair held at the Royal Society in London in March. Laura Armstrong and Judith Watts, both 17, displayed their project alongside projects carried out by some of Britain's finest young scientific minds. The project was a joint study undertaken as part of their CSYS course. It was carried out with the help, support and equipment supplied by members of the Clinical Biochemistry Department at Foresterhill, to whom the girls are very grateful. The project involved the investigation of the adulteration of urine samples, which were going to be screened for the 27

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine presence drugs of abuse, with household goods. Specifically, it aimed to find the effects that the adulterants had on the drugs screening and whether it was possible for a positive sample to be screened as negative as a result of the adulteration. The trip was an interesting experience for both girls, allowing them not only to gain experience at presenting their work but also to witness several other fascinating projects being carried out in the fields of biology and technology as well as chemistry. Young Enterprise In the beginning... There was the word. And the word was "Neophyte". A wholly unremarkable word except for the fact that it would come to represent the blood, sweat and tear of a select group of pupils that formed Aberdeen GAP. So, ladies and gentlemen, sit back and let me tell you the tale. It all began many meetings ago with a humble idea, "Why don't we make a CD?" Initially a task such as this seemed daunting and was dismissed as a joke. However the idea became a decision, and the decision a plan. And so it was done. The request for demo tracks was circulated and soon they carne flooding in. We were amazed at the response and our venture suddenly seemed a lot less impossible. However, to realise our dream we needed to raise money. and in large amounts. So the company set about organising fundraising events. We had known from experience that running cheap transport to University open days had proved popular. so the company organised a bus to take fifth and sixth year pupils to the Glasgow University open day so that they could educate themselves in the ways of "University life". Although this event was popular, we still needed a lot more cash. To this end a "Battle of the Brains - Teachers -vPupils Quiz" was organised in School which saw, thanks to a creative marking scheme, the pupils coming up top. Our largest and most memorable event was the "Euforium" live music event at the Forum. The event was supposed to feature six of the bands that would be on the CD. but things did not go according to plan. There is nothing more demoralising than to have half your acts and all the equipment cancel on you hours before they are supposed to play. Somehow we struggled on and after a few hundred phone calls we had everything sorted. The event went ahead successfully. While the money was collected the CD was compiled. The demos were sorted through and the best tracks selected. The end result was a CD containing 16 top quality tracks, to appeal to a variety of tastes. The artwork and inlay booklet were designed and all that was left to do was to have the CD duplicated. 500 copies were made in order to cope with the huge demand that was expected for this musical masterpiece. Well, huge demand may have been an over statement but when it was released, Neophyte sales were highly satisfactory•. Not only was the CD sold in School but it was also taken on by local music stores Fopp and One Up. The end result of our work was that, for the first time, an Aberdeen Grammar School company won the Grampian Regional Finals and the Chamber of Commerce award for Creativity, and will compete in the Scottish finals. Hopefully we will succeed there too, and carry on to bigger and better things. The team at Aberdeen GAP would all agree that nothing could have been achieved without the help and support of link teacher Mr Macpherson and our advisers from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Scottish Schools Worldwise Quiz - 1999 / 2000 Two teams from the School took part in the Grampian heat of this quiz in February 2000. Both teams did very well, coming first and second respectively. This is the sixth time that a team from the School has won the Grampian Shield in the twelve year history of the Quiz. The team members were: Team A - Craig Topp (S4), Aidan Flannagan (S3) and John McIntosh (S.2). Team B - Ian Flett (S4), Michael Repper (S3) and Malcolm McLeish (S2). Team A then represented Grampian schools at the Scottish final in Linlithgow in March where they came a highly creditable 4th out of a total of 12 teams from all over Scotland.

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The Bar Mock Trial Competition i .

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"l he Victorious Counsel - Abigail Westwood and Sarah Chilton

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Don't Waste this Christmas During the month of January, the School took part in a campaign, run jointly by Aberdeen Clean & Green and Friends of the Earth. which encouraged everyone to reduce waste by recycling Christmas cards. A prize of £100 was offered to the school which collected the most cards by 31st January 2000. The Geography Department was asked to co-ordinate the effort and a team of S1 girls volunteered to do the counting. S1/2 designed and distributed posters advertising the campaign, which immediately increased the flow of cards - some budding designers to look out for in coming years. We collected a grand total of 10,665 cards, which won the competition!!! Many thanks to all who sent in 'donations', and to the team of SI girls who gave up their lunchtimes to count every single card - a mammoth task! Grammar Pupils on Trial A teacher who allegedly assaulted a pupil on the hockey pitch was found not guilty following a trial at Southwark Crown Court in London - much to the disappointment of pupils from Aberdeen Grammar School. The pupils, who art all in the 6th year at the School. had put up a strong case for the prosecution of Miss Pat Parker and had hoped that their arguments would persuade the judge. Lord Nicholas Browne-Wilkinson to return a guilty verdict. On this occasion, however, he found for the defence put forward by St Patrick's, and found Miss Parker not guilty of the charges against her. The fourteen pupils had travelled to London to take part in the Bar National Mock Trial Competition which is run by the Citizenship Foundation and sponsored by the Bar Council and the Faculty of Advocates. They won their way through to the final, and were only narrowly beaten into the runners-up position by the Irish School. They further added to their prize tally when pupil Keith Smith. the team's court reporter, won third prize in the UK student legal reporters' competition. Schools which take part in the mock trial are given two criminal cases and asked to prepare defence and prosecution arguments for each one. They are only told which side they will represent a few weeks before the competition. The pupils then go into court and take part in a mock trial which includes the elements of a real trial, such as presenting their cases, cross-examining witnesses on the opposing side, and summing up. The Grammar pupils, who are all studying English or Modern Studies. secured their place in London when they beat 15 other teams from across Scotland to win the Scottish heat. They then faced up to 15 other UK Regional heat winners when they attended the finals in London. Each team was provided with help from a legal adviser from the Faculty of Advocates. Our advisers were Lisa Henderson, an advocate from Edinburgh. and Londonbased Professor Bert Kerrigan QC. who were able to advise the team on the differences between Scots and English law. They were accompanied on the trip by Jean Godden, principal teacher of English. and Gordon Hutcheon, principal teacher of Modern Studies. "This is the first time that the School had competed in this national competition and we were absolutely delighted that we came second out of the 160 schools which took part in the event", said Mrs Godden. "The 6th year Modern Studies course covers the law," added Mr Hutcheon, "so this was an excellent way for the pupils to become more familiar with the legal process. As teachers, we were very proud. The pupils were very confident and poised a real credit to the School". The 1999 Northsound Radio Hydroelectric Schools Challenge It was really a family occasion this year. In my third shot at the quiz I was joined by my sister Sarah. who was also no stranger to the event, having taken the School to the final in 1996. We were joined by two younger pupils, Stuart Juroszek and Patrick Kunka, who completed 30

School Section the Grammar side. In my previous two years the team had been twice knocked out in the quarter finals, and as this was my last chance, I wanted to make it count. The quiz was hosted by one of Northsound Radio's resident DJs, Gary Stein, who conducted the proceedings in a very professional style. It was all recorded over the course of two days at the Aberdeen Arts Centre and was not due to be broadcast for a few months, as a number of things required to be edited or cut, as is the case with all pre-recorded shows. Our first challenge was against St Margaret's School for Girls, who put up a good fight but lost gallantly. Up against us next were Hazlehead Academy, who had knocked us out last year, but this year the tables were turned and we notched up a record score against them. We took on Inverurie Academy in the semi-final, and although we didn't beat them quite so soundly as Hazlehead it was still a satisfying victory. The final against Aboyne Academy. last year's victors, was our biggest challenge yet. We were reassured by our supporting teacher. Mr May. that victory was within our grasp, and that we were to give it our all. Team tactics were called for, and it was time for us to put our heads together and pull through. Things were closely tied for most of the match, but in the last bells and buzzers round we came into our own, taking an astounding lead to finish victorious. The top prizes were f 50 in kindly donated Hydro-electric vouchers for each team player and £500. also in Hydro-electric vouchers, for the benefit of the School. The final, and most important, prize was a donation of £500 which was made to our choice of charity, Instant Neighbour. We are sure that our money will make a difference to the fund, as they really do need all the support they can muster. The money was publicly donated in January. and the charity's representatives were exceptionally pleased with this generosity by Hydro-electric who had funded the whole event. All in all the quiz was great fun, and I'm just sorry I cannot compete next year.

School Social Functions The 2000 Leavers' Ball The school Leavers' Ball has always been a traditional part of sixth year for everybody, and this year was no exception. Plans for the event were already being formulated the day after I999's successful bash. The Dance Committee was beginning to get into the swing of things under the guidance and leadership of Mr May. as we met to discuss band arrangements, catering, decorations and raffle prizes. Throughout the course of the year a dance of epic proportions was conceived. "The Garioch Blend" were called upon to provide the music, with a short break filled by radio personality Roy Rhodes. A sumptuous feast was arranged courtesy of an outside caterer, and the fourth year waitresses again provided a service that was worthy of a restaurant. The Dance Committee adorned the School hall with decorations and a huge blue, white and silver banner which read "Class of 2000". Our evening began with a delicious meal, with choices of soup or melon, roast beef, chicken or pasta. and pavlova or sticky toffee pudding. The meal was enjoyed by all, and it was followed by two very memorable speeches by pupils Ruth McLennan and Tom Lessels. After the Rector rounded off the meal we were ready to dance. with a brief pause for the Evening Express photographer of course! It was time for the Ball! All the traditional ceilidh dances came up and everyone was having a rare old time, especially when none other than our own Mr May came on stage with his accordion! Roy Rhodes took over later on. but "The Garioch Blend" were back in full swing as everyone danced the night away. The 2000 Leavers' Ball was a time for fun and laughter, but it was also an emotional time as it was the last chance for us all to be together as a year. Nevertheless throughout our school years we have all made important friendships, some of which will go on for the rest of our lives. All in all a great time was had ... by all! 31

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

School Board The School Board has again met regularly during the past session. Alan Fyfe has now left the Board and has been succeeded as chairman by Shandon Lea. Sally Gane and Ian Wattle have also completed their terms. Many thanks are due to those members, who have served the Board so well. Newly elected members this session are Roddy Begg, Alan Nicoll and John Cowie. The main regular items for the Board's attention this session have been the School's Catchment Area Rezoning and the Games Hall. The former item, at the time of writing, is undergoing informal consultation and the latter is, sadly, an issue that remains to be 'cracked'. However, we are assured that the Council is at least now taking this matter seriously, as well as the issue of refurbishment at Rubislaw Field. At the end of February, three members had a very interesting visit to the School, which remains an impressive organisation and is a credit to the Rector, Staff and Pupils. The Board has been particularly pleased to note the success of pupils recently in various national competitions. This will be my last session as a co-opted member since, from August, 1 should become eligible to be an elected parent member and statutory regulations would prevent my co-option. I do hope the FP Club has the opportunity once again to propose a co-opted member and I can thoroughly recommend the position to anyone who may be interested. I would like to thank the Club and the Board for allowing me to serve the School in this way.

Angus J. Thompson (1969-75)

Parent Teacher Association During 1999-2000 the PTA has continued to support the School by helping at parent evenings and school productions. The committee appreciates the help of volunteers for these evenings when refreshments are provided for parents attending the school. Donations received on these occasions are combined with monies raised at PTA events and revenue from the '200 Club' for the benefit of pupils. The main fund raising event of the year was the Ceilidh, held in February. The popular Ceilidh band Hally Racket helped ensure a good evening and made it an excellent opportunity for parents and staff to meet. A total of £874 was raised on the night. Monies raised last year were spent in September to buy more lockers for pupils. It is important that all pupils have the use of a locker, especially for the younger pupils who study many subjects and consequently have to carry a large number of books. All pupils at the School now have the choice of the use of a ►ocker. This year money has been given towards the cost of providing organisers for senior year pupils. These were instead of school diaries and they are designed to encourage better time management. It is hoped to extend this idea to other years in the future. Money was also given to help to subsidise the travel and accommodation costs of the team which represented the School in the National Final of the Bar Association mock trial, which was held in Southwark Crown Court in London. The team reached the final and has now been invited to enter the European final which will be conducted with the use of video. Linda Juroszek Chairperson PTA

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School Section

The Phil Love Trophy The task of re-writing some of the plays of Shakespeare would appear to be a daunting prospect to say the least. Even to attempt to re-organise some of his works in any way would strike fear into the hearts of the most literate of scholars. Not so for this year's winner of the Phil Love Trophy. Kathryn Hint decided she had "spotted a gap" in the world of drama when the search was on for this year's production. She selected certain extracts from Shakespeare, wrote a play around them and in the space of three weeks got it all down on paper. The outcome was a fabulous evening of entertainment. Her only previous attempt in this field was to write a short play for the Children's Theatre but she very much enjoyed this opportunity and monumental challenge to take on the scripting of Shakespeare revisited. Working with a small but talented group of pupils, she then co-produced the play, a report of which appears elsewhere in this Section of the Magazine. Everyone who saw it was left in no doubt about what can only be described as the amazing talent which Kathryn has, and audiences were treated to an experience which will probably never be repeated. Apart from this major dramatic undertaking, Kathryn this year came from back-stage and took the lead role of "Nancy" in the school musical production of "Oliver", in which she gave a most spirited performance, including her unforgettable rendition of the "Oom Pah Pah" song on top of a table in that flame red dress. In addition to the above pursuits, as President of the Literary and Debating Society Kathryn has devoted her boundless energy to leading the Society to success at local, national and international competitions. fuller reports of which also appear elsewhere in this Magazine.She also found time to assist with the Public Speaking group and helped to run the First Year French Club. Another huge undertaking performed by Kathryn was the post of editor of the Sixth Year Yearbook. perhaps the best edition to date - and all this whilst carrying out her duties as a Prefect in the most diligent manner. Outside School Kathryn's interests include membership of the Studio Theatre and Studio Youth Group, assisting with the Aberdeen International Youth Festival as a member of the youth team and playing the guitar for the past nine years. Next year she will set off for Edinburgh to study for a degree in Philosophy and Psychology, while her longer term career intentions are centred on writing, acting and directing. Kathryn is a truly remarkable young lady, fully deserving of the award of this Trophy, and we wish her all success in the future.

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

The Primary Education Scene Then and Now As the head-teacher of a Hackney primary school I am only too aware of the picture these words, Hackney primary, may conjure up in many minds - possibly something along the lines of a school in the loosest sense of the word, where the poor standards of pupil behaviour and learning are matched only by the extreme politics of the teaching staff. It is an opinion that I come up against on an almost daily basis, and it genuinely is as far removed from the truth as Hackney can sometimes seem from my own education in Aberdeen. Nearly 22 years ago I left my Aberdeen Primary School to start at Aberdeen Grammar School. I have been given the opportunity to reflect on my experience of the two systems, from both ends so to speak. Having scant experience of current primary education in Scotland, I would hazard a guess that any differences are really a feature of the dramatic changes in society in the past 20 odd years. I would suspect that many of the general issues affecting primary schools in Hackney would be identical in Aberdeen, any differences being in the detail. Thomas Fairchild Community School has one of the most disadvantaged catchment populations in the whole of England and Wales. Even though it is located less than 10 minutes walk from the City of London, the standard indicators of social deprivation place the school into the most deprived one and a half percent of all schools in England and Wales. From a roll of 290, nearly 74% of the children qualify for free school meals. The school community is represented by 27 nationalities, with 54% of the children speaking another language at home than English. Pupil mobility is also very high; in 1999 a third of the children who left for secondary had been at the school for less than two years. Altogether, 57% of pupils are on the school's register of special educational needs. I view these figures as a demonstration of just how rich an environment my colleagues and I work in, for we firmly believe that relative social deprivation is no reason for under-achievement. Clearly the school has added complications to overcome before we are able to concentrate on the primary purpose of ensuring that children leave proficient in English and Maths and as balanced, thoughtful human beings. There are times when even these basic priorities have to be put on hold, as for example when the school took a family of children with direct experience of the genocide in Rwanda. Schools are about many other things than teaching reading and writing - for example assisting this family when they became the subject of racist telephone calls was another role we were happy to fulfil. I believe that a school can only operate effectively if it works closely with all parents to continually support and challenge each child to achieve his or her full potential. Over half the children at Thomas Fairchild do not have an adult at home who speaks English, and thus they have no one to help with homework or support their own acquisition of the language. I know that only by making parental involvement in the school a priority and by directing substantial resources into translation and interpretation can one begin to make improvements. Through involving parents at every level the school achieves aboveaverage results for English when compared with similar schools in England. We offer many different opportunities for parents' own development at school, one such being eight hours each week of adult English classes. These classes are heavily oversubscribed and for many parents they have proved the first step in their entry into formal higher education. It is a powerful message to children if they see their own parents coming to learn at their school. My recollection of parental involvement in my own primary school is that links remained fairly underdeveloped. I remember that the primary reason for my parents being called into school was to discuss my behaviour. At Thomas Fairchild we strive for a real partnership with parents and families communicating good news - thus we send postcards about children's work and behaviour through the mail to arrive directly on morning breakfast doormats each week. Many of the families have no working adult at home, so large numbers of the children 34

General Section have no experience of what it means to work each day. This impacts on punctuality at school as for some families and children there is just no reason to get up each morning. We run regular raffles in which arriving at school on time in the morning entitles you to a ticket. Where I recall joyfully going home for lunch in Aberdeen I now use lunchtime debarment as a serious punishment just short of suspension from school. Indeed, lunch hour can be one of the richest times in the day when up to six different clubs take place, removing up to half the children from the playground. The segregation of boys and girls was still very much in practice when I left my Aberdeen primary school, yet now I look at a truly mixed and successful outside environment and I wonder what on earth was the purpose behind the divided playground. We do have a school uniform at the request of the parents, but have a continual battle to ensure that it is worn by the majority of children. By way of encouragement a weekly uniform prize is awarded (a school baseball cap) to a boy and girl who have made a special effort to improve their appearance. Partnership with the wider community has a huge impact on the school and our close proximity to the City of London has made this possible. Each week 85 volunteers come during lunchtime from a major city law firm to act as reading mentors for individual children. Such has been the success of this scheme that we have widened this to a pilot maths mentoring scheme with twenty children. For many children the relationship with a working adult who is not their parent nor a teacher has been a powerful motivation to succeed in school. For many children reading at lunch in the school library is now more popular than playing football (well nearly). At least twice a year the children are invited to have lunch in the company's impressive staff restaurant, visit the desk of their volunteer, and marvel at the facilities on offer. The school has developed a policy for the successful integration of children with special educational needs. With over half of the children on the roll identified has having a special need, equality of opportunity for all is deeply imbedded throughout all we plan and deliver. The school is fortunate to have established an integrated resource base for 15 children with speech and language impairments. This means that in every junior class up to three of the children are supported by specialist staff, thus remaining in a mainstream school, where only a few years ago they would have attended a special school. This is of huge value to all the children in the school, sending a message to everyone about the inclusive nature of what the school is about. Some of my clearest memories of primary school in Aberdeen relate to punishment, both corporal and otherwise. In my experience children, even from an early age, have a very clear understanding of what is fair and what is plainly unjust. I certainly witnessed children receiving summary physical punishment for quite extraordinary reasons and sometimes involving quite clear breaches of a teacher's power. Clearly, while this is now illegal, both north and south of the border, it seems inconceivable that actual physical assault could have been part of the education of children so recently. Quite rightly we have very strict guidelines on any physical contact between members of staff and children. Children now have a clear concept of their rights and are willing to articulate these in a way that would have been unimaginable when I was at school. I often wonder what understanding the children have of my role as head-teacher. I'm sure that for most of them much of my role rightly remains a mystery but I hope that I am at the very least a visible and approachable presence; indeed I keep a pile of cards outside my office for this very purpose. "Dear Mr Friend", they read, "I have a problem I would like to talk to you about..." I occasionally return after lunchtime, or from a class, to discover one of these pushed under my door with a request for intervention. A headteacher has a varied existence - one minute I may be unsuccessfully trying to unravel the shoe laces of two boys who have tied them together and then gone running around the playground, and then five minutes later I could be taking decisions over the annual budget of almost £900,000 - decisions which will directly impact on improving the life chances of those boys who have just welded their laces together. It is then that I appreciate that it is the most exciting and privileged position to be in. Alasdair R. Friend (1977-83) 35

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

A Musician's Life My time at Aberdeen Grammar School lasted between 1964 and 1969. which is a long time ago now, and most of the names have disappeared in the mists of time. My father. Douglas Tees, was Music Master at Robert Gordon's College, and he was very anxious that I didn't go there - so the Grammar it was, and he knew that there was a good music scene there if I needed it. The Rector was Mr. Skinner. I didn't have much to do with him, except that he must have been instrumental (as it were) in allowing me in my 5th year, to stop taking some subjects, and practise my viola instead - amazing! I had never heard of this happening before, and it must have given my desire to be a musician a real boost. In the same year I was awarded a place at the Royal College of Music in London and I was then desperate to leave school. With only two Highers under my belt I decided not stay on for the usual 6th year. In any event, I had already dropped the Sciences and spent time in the Technical Department making a device for a onehanded pianist! I also tried for O-level Art, but I was hopeless, and hated it really, despite the efforts of the extremely eccentric Art teacher, whose name I forget. We all simply knew him as "The Bush" on account of his white beard - with his hat on he looked just like Van Gogh. He was regularly under the influence. especially after lunch! Basically, I wasn't much good at anything except music. Donald Hawksworth. then head of music, was the main influence on me. with his love of Benjamin Britten. He had high standards and. with his experience of music-making of all sorts, he gave me a very good grounding, It was a sort of golden period for musicians at that time; I played in a very good string quartet with people who all went on to be professional players - Marshall Willox. (the son of Peddic Willox, my violin teacher) who now works in Holland; Lennox McKenzie, who now sits at the front of the London Symphony Orchestra; and Angela Stevenson. who was at the High School, and is also now playing in Holland. I had been in the National Youth Orchestra for two years along with a number of other youngsters from the City. John Dalby, who was head of Music Education in Aberdeen at the time, was also one of the founders of the NYO, and he therefore encouraged all the young local musicians to join it. This, together with my uncle being a well-known musician in London, meant that when I eventually went to "the smoke". I went there already knowing quite a few musicians. which was really useful later on when I was looking for work. I studied for three years at the Royal College of Music, and then had an additional year taking private lessons in London. At College, I also developed my interest in drum kit playing and I started to earn money doing shows and gigs. Quite soon, however. 1 realised that there was more future, and more of a living, being a classical musician. The drums took a back seat. By that time I was in a string Quartet with my cousin, and I was to remain with that group for thirteen years. As someone said, the only way to become a millionaire playing string quartets is to start as a billionaire! To play some of the greatest music in one of the most exacting disciplines, you have to be prepared to stay broke. So all along I was earning money as a free-lancer in London to finance my quartet playing. In 1977 the quartet moved to Liverpool for very little money (our family income quartered in one go). I stayed there for three years to rehearse, teach and perform at the University We then returned to London, and in 1984 1 left the quartet. My income immediately doubled and ever since then (after years of penny-pinching) I have been very lucky to earn a comfortable living as a freelancer, with a mortgage etc. In 1986 1 was invited to join a little chamber orchestra based in London, called the City of London Sinfonia. as principal viola_ With them I have performed as a soloist many times and I have recorded three pieces on CD with them. A year later, completely out of the blue. I had a call to join the Academy of St. Martin's in the Fields Ensemble, which consists of five to eight players. and with them I have travelled all over the world - to Australia, the USA and many other places. We have also made many discs together. I am still a member of both these groups, and I now also teach at Trinity College of Music in London. All along I have been active in the many recording studios in London. There are literally dozens of them. I have done the odd solo thing for television, but usually I am part of a group or orchestra. So I have performed the music for many. many films such as some of the James 36

General Section Bond films. Batman, The English Patient, Interview with the Vampire etc. and TV shows like Top of the Pops. The Wogan show, Parkinson, Poirot, Peak Practice, and Morse. In addition, I have recorded albums with people like Paul McCartney. Madonna, Annie Lennox. Annie was contemporary with me at school, and I remember her playing the flute in the Saturday morning orchestra. Although these last names sound impressive, my involvement with them is usually only slight, but it is fun to be in the same room with them. More meaningful for me have been some of the Classical stars like Yehudi Menhuin. Nigel Kennedy, Rostrapovich. Rudolf Kempe. and John Williams the guitarist When I was a mere 21 years old, I married a girl from Aberdeen. Catherine Brown, who was a pupil at the High School in the 60s. She was not a musician, and I didn't know her at school, despite the fact that we were contemporaries. We met in Aberdeen one Christmas. We have been married for 26 years now and we have two children, both of whom are away at University at the moment. The life of a musician is not as glamorous as people think, and I will never be very rich, but it certainly has not been boring. Among the down-sides are the unsociable hours and long periods away from home, which can make family relationships very difficult, and although Catherine and I have survived, the divorce rate amongst musicians generally is high. Another problem is the constant travelling which is very tiring (and decidedly stressful in London). The profession is very competitive - there are a lot of very talented people trying to make a go of it. Like a lot of things. when you start taking music and your playing too seriously, the fun goes out of it. In constantly striving for technical perfection, and playing the same music for years. there is a danger that a professional loses sight of what music is. I must say I do still regularly get a buzz out of performing, which can be very exhilarating. but I confess that there are times when it can become routine. Because I very often have to take my work home with me - organising my work on the phone, and practising - I sometimes feel jealous of people who can simply switch off when they get through the front door. And the up side? First has to be getting paid for doing something creative, closely followed by the sheer variety of work for a freelancer. Going to a different place every day and meeting different people, some of whom you might have known well once but haven't seen for years it's very sociable. To illustrate the variety of activities, just consider that one day I may have a chamber music concert in, say. Oxford, the next a film sound track in Hampstead; then a day's teaching at Trinity followed, maybe, by a day off; then it is a solo recital in North Wales, with an orchestral concert in Paris to follow, and then three days in a school in the East End of London and so it goes on. Another bonus for me is not having to wear a suit to work - T-shirt and trainers are quite in order for rehearsals and sessions, and I don't much like the 'penguin suits' we still have to wear for most classical concerts. There are other things one has to cope with, like not being aware of "the weekend" because every day is really the same. This can, of course, mean that travelling at weekends can be easier than on a weekday. My work as a freelance player comes largely by word of mouth and reputation, rather similar to a builder; if you do a good job, people talk, but if you do a bad job, people still talk! (that can he a pressure, but I personally don't think about it; I just try to do the best I can every time). A lot of my work comes in over the phone, especially the session work. Because of this, I am a member of a diary service, operated by a company with over 200 musicians on its books. They have a copy of my diary and, with some restrictions, they will accept work for me and ring me at home to tell me. I have to tell them if I want a day off or a holiday. Unlike actors, an orchestral musician doesn't have an agent. Finding a good instrument can he a problem for a string player. The best instruments are hundreds of years old and therefore have value as antiques. Recently, I played a Stradivarius which belonged to a museum and which was insured for £5 million. I wouldn't like to take that on the train or in the pub on a regular basis! Fortunately. for ordinary musicians there are instruments around which are either made anonymously or by modem makers. I have one each of these. They are still expensive, but more affordable than the alternative. 37

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Finally there is London. It is a big musical centre, where the standard of playing is extremely high, and where I can change the nature of the work I do if I like. However, it is not a place where we ever wanted to live or to bring up children. For twenty years now we have lived in a village in Hertfordshire about 35 miles from London. 90% of my journeys into London are by bike and train. My much preferred mode of transport in London is the bike. Some people think I'm crazy, but it suits me. I can go anywhere, and some parts are really attractive and quiet, the West End being the worst for traffic. I hope that I have managed to convey that I consider that I have been very lucky, and continue to be so. I don't think I would want to do anything else - even if I could! Stephen A. Tees (1964-69)

Sport

Perseverance and Passion

Anyone who attempts to convince me that influences in one's formative years are likely to have a life-long effect is preaching to the converted. My father, Fred, was involved in cricket, rugby, swimming, water polo, athletics and football to such an extent that it would have been a miracle if his huge enthusiasm for sport had not rubbed off on me in some form or other. The only reason he did not get involved with golf was. I am sure, that it would have taken up so much of his time that he would have had to retire from teaching at 25! I freely admit that distance running has become an all-encompassing pastime for me. but it is a travesty of the truth to say that I have been obsessed with athletics all my life. I had no interest at all until the age of 5. Then the excitement of school sports day (and the heats in the days before) and the encouragement of Daily Allardice and Dycie Paterson had an effect which lingers to this day, and was the catalyst for a long-term passion for a vital aspect of a well-rounded life .... sport. Sport mirrors life with its challenges, its difficulties. its demand that you be constantly in good shape for future tests, be they physical or psychological. And this is where the relevance of the other "P" word in the title of this article comes in - perseverance. My father coined a saying which I have used many times to my own advantage and to those whom I have coached or advised in the world of athletics. It is startlingly simple. Being an avid lover of the English language he said "There are two words in the English dictionary which you are quite at liberty to use separately, but you must never use them together. One is 'give' and the other is 'up—. It is so simple. Any time I have been struggling with a problem or in trouble in a distance race I have thought "don't give up" and that sorts out the fleeting problem. One of the toughest tests I have encountered in athletics was during the British trial marathon for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The race was held on a tortuous course in Cwmbran and the field assembled was the strongest in British marathon his►ory (certainly stronger than could be fielded today). The course was of 3 laps and the temperature was 75 degrees. Only three would be selected for the Olympics. Many dropped out after two laps, dreading the prospect of another 8 miles or so of hills. I had been informed I was lying 10th, then 8th then 6th without actually passing anyone, so it was obvious what was going on ahead. With one mile to go. the final cruel test was an extremely steep but thankfully short hill, and my legs went. Immediately, I remembered Fred's words, "Don't give up". I thought that others would come streaming past me. but those behind were also in such bad shape that no-one did. OK. I finished up as second reserve for the Olympics, !! but had I dropped out and found later that two had withdrawn in front of me Fred was immersed in sport to within hours of his death in 1983. One Saturday evening in July he had been working on cricket results at Grampian TV studios until around II p.m.. went home to bed and passed away during the night. I was due to organise a 10k road race on the Sunday morning, with competitors coming from all over Scotland. Give up? Fred would have said "get on with it" so, of course. I did. His passion for collecting all sorts of sporting memorabilia was in evidence all over his home....Wisdens. Playfairs, magazines, letters, press cuttings, programmes. photographs. notebooks going back years. They gave him a huge amount of pleasure as did his reminiscences to others. 38

General Section One of his favourite tales was about the occasion when he was fielding at Mannofield in a cricket match in which his side was being hammered. Two worthies were standing on the line spectating. and were not too caring about whether their comments could be heard or not. One said "Who's that". The response was "That's Edwards, 1 don't know about cricket but I believe he's a bit of a sprinter". "That's as maybe" said the first "but I know one thing. He's going to be chasing about after the hall so much this afternoon he'll be a marathon runner by tea-time". Another tale he enjoyed (getting back to the passion for sport theme) was on one occasion at King's College when I was 40 and he was 80. I had been struggling through a particularly wicked interval training session, watched by an acquaintance from university days, and on completion the latter asked when I was going to pack up running as I was too old. I was about to refute this when Fred emerged from the swimming pool building, towel and trunks under his arm. After a brief chat he went off for lunch. My acquaintance said "Well if that old codger can still be doing sport I suppose it's OK for you, who is he?". I said "That's my father". "Point taken" was the response. "stick at the running". Inspiration, passion and hard work. These are the keys to top sporting performance. Gelindo Borodin, the Italian Olympic marathon champion in 1988. visualised victory in his training runs as the theme from the second movement of Saint Saens' third violin concerto ran through his mind. That turned him on. I used to use the same trick ... but it was more Rolling Stones stuff. Sport carves out your character. Always be confident of your own ability and never be tempted to cheat with drugs or be put off by smart-ass tactics. One of my mentors back in the 1960's was the great Alistair Wood, European and Commonwealth marathon record holder, who stood no nonsense from any rivals (and also took no prisoners in training). In one of my first cross country races after leaving school I commented to a runner from another club as he was pinning on his number "I see you've got number one". "That's because I'm always first" was the response. The listening Alistair, quick as a flash, butted in "They gave him that number to match his I.Q". End of arrogance! The importance of humour cannot be underestimated, especially under stress. Many a severe training session can be completed more effectively with an input of "wind-up". The above-mentioned Alistair Wood and I were once tackling a crazy session of 60 x 200 metres at King's. Towards the end Alistair remarked that he was delighted there was only one 200 remaining. At this point I calculated we had two to do and told him so. He exploded amidst expletives about thick students who couldn't count. "OK I said. If you want to jack it in after 59 I don't mind, but I'm doing 60". He did two more. In a rare moment of praise he actually commended me afterwards for having sufficient oxygen still passing to my brain to count to 60 as he had given up counting after 40. 1 hope that those who read this dissertation appreciate the importance of perseverance, passion, hard work and humour in sport (which is, after all, supposed to be fun) and that following these principles will enrich their lives as sportsmen and women as it has done mine. Mel Edwards (1947-60)

An F.P. Mediterranean Holiday The Club Consul in Sardinia Reports Since my appointment, a few years ago. I had the pleasure last year. for the first time, of giving a "Benvenuto" to a Former Pupil who spent the month of June 1999 in a rented villa at Chia in South-west Sardinia. The EP. in question was Brian Granl McEwan (1946-51) who was there on holiday with his wife, Ann. Brian was a former class-mate of mine with whom I was fortunate enough to meet up (after forty-four years) at the 1944/55 Class Reunion in Aberdeen on 16/17 September 1994. 39

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

In Sardinia. I acted as Tourist Guide and chauffeur etc. and we were able to visit many Sardinian places of interest. I was also able to introduce Brian and Ann and their family to the Buono Cucina and Vini Sardi. Neither of us ever imagined that, more than forty-five years later, we would be sitting under a carpet of twinkling stars (temperature 24( C) on the patio of a villa with a calm Mediterranean 300 yards away reminiscing about our schooldays at the Grammar in the 40's and early 50's - but such is life! Brian and Ann enjoyed Sardinia so much that they have decided to return this May/June 2000 to the same villa, so I expect that the saga will continue, and I look forward to this very much. I would just mention that if any Former Pupils are down Cagliari way, whether for work or holiday, I would be very happy to meet them and help them out if they have any problems. I might even be able to direct them to some of the many attractions of this delightful part of the world. lain Wares (1941-52)

From Tankers to Cruise Liners An F.P. at Sea Having left School in 1966. and undergone courses of training in preparation for a career in communications with the Merchant Navy, my sea-going career proper began in 1969 with the P & O Trident tanker fleet. I had many wide-ranging and extremely varied voyages with these vessels from the Middle East to China, Japan and South America. I visited numerous interesting ports in the Mediterranean. in the Baltic and in the Caribbean. Naturally, there were also quite a number of calls to British ports. I found myself also working on board many of the company's general cargo vessels. often fitting in short voyages to the Continent to relieve the regular radio officers on their leave periods. My first experience of a passenger liner was on the old Himalaya in March 1973. and after a year cruising from Sydney for the Australian winter reason I was with the ship when she was taken to be scrapped in Taiwan in November of the following year. From there I travelled home to Scotland on leave via Hong Kong, Japan and thence by sea on a Russian vessel to Vladivostock. The journey then continued by a sleeping car rail journey across Siberia all the way to Moscow and then on to Warsaw, East Berlin. Hook of Holland. Harwich and, eventually. Aberdeen. The whole trip took two weeks. This exciting journey was made at the height of the Vietnam War and in a bitterly cold winter. I remember vividly masses of Soviet troops on board the train and also at every station, with fur-lined field caps and heavy winter clothing - all reminiscent of the scenario in the 'Dr Zhivago' movie. After a short spell on the old liner Arcadia I transferred to the famous Canberra for eleven continuous years. Fortunately I missed the action of the Falklands War in the early 80's as I was on leave myself at the time - a piece of very good timing! The company, mindful of stagnation problems. decided that it was time for me to move. and I was transferred on to the Island Princess, based on the Pacific coast of Mexico. I served on her for several years, and later on her sister ship, the Pacific Princess. based mainly on South America's Atlantic coast. This involved running between Buenos Aims. Montevideo and the Amazon River, which also included a day's stay at the former French prison complex at Devil's Island off the coast of French Guyana. I returned once again to the Canberra in 1993 until, after many years of happy cruising. based in Southampton in summer and departing on regular world cruises in winter, the decision was taken by management to scrap the vessel, she having come to the end of her economical life. It was with heavy hearts that we sailed the ship to Pakistan where she was deliberately grounded on Gandani Beach. near Karachi. on 31 October 1997 - all the more poignant as this was, of course, Hallowe'en. Later I sailed briefly on Sky Princess. based in Alaska in their summer and in Australia during the southern hemisphere's summer but, as this vessel is due to be sold to P&O Australia 40

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Holidays in 2001, I was transferred in the summer of 1999 to the Royal Princess on which I spent a very interesting summer season in the Baltic. mainly visiting the former Iron Curtain countries of Russia, Estonia and Poland. During the past winter, taking us into the new Millennium, the ship has been down in South America and cruising from there, among other places. to the Falkland Islands. Being a loyal F.P.. who had read last year's Magazine, I knew that Donald Alexander Lamont (1951-65) was the recently installed Governor-General of the Islands. 1 therefore ensured that he and his wife were invited on board Royal Princess for lunch and for a suitable celebration of our common roots in the old School. Donald and Lynda were given a tour of the ship and met the Captain and senior officers, who were all keenly interested in the Governor's distinguished ambassadorial career. By coincidence it was Donald's birthday and to mark the occasion the chef had prepared a special cake. Along with a few senior colleagues I was honoured to be invited for lunch at Government House a few days later. This was a wonderful experience with signed portraits of all recent monarchs adorning the walls - including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. We enjoyed a delightful lunch, which included an extremely large trout, locally caught. Once again talk was of School. and old masters and former classmates were discussed over a dram or two. I felt that the close bonds which link Former Pupils. wherever they meet, were once again demonstrated. As a memento of the occasion we handed over a ship's plaque and some other small gifts. As a footnote. I might add that among our passengers on that voyage were Lord Brabourne and the Countess Mountbatten, and both were entertained to afternoon tea with the Governor-General and his wife later that same afternoon. Frederick Ivor Lloyd (1958-66)

A Far East and Oz Trip (With F.P. Connections) In November '99 my son, Graham, and I set off on a whirlwind tour of the Far East and "Oz". Our overnight flight from Heathrow arrived at Bangkok after fourteen hours in the air. The local time was 4 p.m. We were met at the airport by my old friend Alistair North (1937-50) - Professor A.M. North, see Magazine 1999 at page 68. Alistair drove us in his large Shogun to the Asia Hotel in central Bangkok - we can thoroughly recommend this hotel, by the way! How he avoided the large number of cars, mopeds, 'put-puts' etc I do not know. Of course, Alistair had often scared the living daylights out of us in our University days as he drove at breakneck speed along the Loch Muick road on our way to climb Broadcairn or Lochnagar. We had a pleasant. relaxing lunch with Alistair and family at a riverside restaurant on Sunday. On the Monday we had an organised tour around the Golden Palace. and on returning to our hotel we each were measured for a suit at a tailor's within the hotel precincts. The suits were to be ready next day when we were due to fly to Sydney. after a four-night stay in Bangkok. Another long flight saw us arrive in Sydney about 5 a.m. A taxi took us to the hotel Gazebo, where we had a long wait to get our room. As we were walking about the large foyer I was greeted by a broad Buckie accent from an old colleague from my teaching days at Buckie High School - it is, indeed, a small world! We contacted Dr James Howison (1937-50), the Club Consul for Australia, who is an old friend. He picked us up and made arrangements for the few days which we were to spend there. Jim's wife. Robyn, did a first class job driving us round some of the sights of Sydney, including a trip to the Blue Mountains - well worth a visit. While in Sydney we also went on an organised boat trip round Sydney Harbour - again a trip which should not be missed, with its magnificent views of the Bridge and Opera House which are world renowned. The jacaranda trees were in full blossom with their lovely purple/blue flowers. We finished our brief visit to Sydney with an evening meal at an Italian restaurant with Jim and Robyn, and consumed a suitable quantity of wine. During our time there we also contacted Dr Patrick ("Paddy") Forbes (1937-50) and his wife Dorothy. with whom we have been in touch for many years. 41

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine We were soon off again, this time heading for Perth, where we arrived about 2 p.m. and were met by our old friend Leonard Bird (1939-46) who drove us to our hotel. During our few days in Perth, Len drove us about and also entertained us to a meal in Freemantle, along with another old acquaintance of Grammar School days. Bernard Anton (1936-46). It is always good to meet FPs abroad and swap stories. Len also drove me to Hillman to visit Mrs Lily Greig, the widow of James Greig (1938-41) who was another friend of mine. Jim spent most of his life in the Merchant Navy and held a master's ticket. On 18 November we were off on another long trip, this time to Singapore. We had hardly arrived in our room at the Hotel Mandarin in Orchard Road when the telephone rang. This was my old friend. Dr Jerry Lim, whom I knew when I spent five years in Singapore and had not seen for 35 years. We had been in regular touch all these years. and it says much for our eyesight that we recognised each other immediately when we met. The FP connection here was that Dr Paddy Forbes was Jerry's senior house officer when they were both doctors at Peel Hospital. Galashiels. Jerry and his wife, Pearl. drove us about in Singapore, visiting some of our old haunts - some of them unrecognisable from past times. A visit to Gleneagles Hospital was a must, my son Graham having been born there in 1963. In place of the lovely hospital with gardens round about was now a huge concrete building - no doubt it is efficiently run, but the ambience has gone. Singapore has become a mass of skyscrapers and in central Singapore one felt like Gulliver in Brobdingnag. and imagined that on turning round the next corner one would come face to face with a giant. I will always have a soft spot for Singapore, but my main disappointment was "The House of Tang" (C.K.Tang's) in Orchard Road. Over thirty years ago "Tang's" was a veritable Aladdin's Cave of carvings, camphor wood chests, Chinese furniture etc. Now it is like any other department store. Our visit to Singapore was concluded with an evening meal at Jerry and Pearl's flat. Jerry's son Robert and his wife May Nay were also there. Robert is the third or fourth generation of Lims to graduate in medicine from Edinburgh University. We spent a wonderful evening discussing old times in Singapore. This brought our Far East tour to an end. Only left was the long flight back to Heathrow. Sandy Stuart (1932-45)

Menton Revisited One wet dismal Sunday in 1998. Doug Georgeson. Dick Cradock, Charlie Ritchie and myself were reminiscing, as old men do, and the path down memory lane brought back happy memories of sunny Menton (the first town one enters on leaving Italy and entering France on the Riviera). In our cups. we recollected that during the war Dallas Allardyce, after he escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy, eventually made contact with a resistance cell in Menton. Rather like the scenario in 'Alto 'Alto. this cell used the Cafe du Commerce as its local, providing a rendezvous for such characters as Albert, the owner, Mimi, Madame Mirra, Gustav and Toto. Toto was the last, unfortunately, to pass away but, just before he died, he told his daughter, Simone, to keep contact with les Ecossais. Simone married Alain Jourde who last year retired from the post of Chief Inspector of Police in Monte Carlo. Alain and Simone, true to Toto's words, have kept up the Scottish connection and over the years have visited Edinburgh for the rugby and we still meet them for the French Game in Paris. Over the years Doug Georgeson has, more than anyone, kept the Menton/Aberdeen link going. 1 first visited Menton in 1957. as did Dick Cradock and Charlie Ritchie. But back to our saga in 1998. Dates were set for the following June and Derek Younger (Director of FP Rugby) was co-opted as a younger, fitter link in the party. Meantime. Alain and Simone had fixed us up with a rented apartment in the old part of Menton, and were to meet us in Menton on our arrival. In the weeks leading up to our departure, Doug Georgeson let drop hints that we should take our kilts with us in case we were invited out. Little did we realise that we were to be 42

Menton Re-visited

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(L-R): Dick Cradock, Ron Comber. Derek Younger. Doug Georgeson an d Charlie Ritchie

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine guests of honour at the Menton Town Hall during the European Elections Day. At the Town Hall. we were greeted with a champagne and canape reception and each of us was presented with a medal of Menton and a matching pen set inscribed with the Menton Coat of Arms. We. in turn, presented the depute-maire. Mme.Collette Giudicelly, with an inscribed quaich which was, of course, christened with malt whisky. After several drinks we were taken to a seafood restaurant on the waterfront (Sablet), where the wine was specially labelled to mark the event with Scottish and French insignia and commemoration of fifty years of the Aberdeen/Menton connection. Menton, like any other Riviera resort, has expanded but has managed to maintain its Moorish roots and curb vulgar facades and clubs. The harbour has increased three-fold and there are expensive and beautiful yachts as far as the eye can see. We visited the old Cafe du Commerce and had a meal there, but we all agreed that the atmosphere of the original had gone - no cous-cous or bouillabaisse. Apart from journeys to St. Remo and up into the Maritime Alps, the real highlight of our trip was the privilege of a slow speed conducted lap tour of the Monte Carlo Circuit, where Alain would stop and describe the speeds at each corner with accompanying graphic descriptions of the many accidents which he had seen during the Grand Prix seasons. Alain and Simone visited us in May this year. when we tried in some small way to repay the hospitality we enjoyed in Menton - long may the connection live. P.S. After a week of good food, good wine and bikini ogling, try explaining to your wife the fact that you were forced to spend a night in Amsterdam as your plane was late and so you missed the Aberdeen flight by fifteen minutes - c'est la vie. R. R. Comber (1947-52)

Birse Tea As readers will know, from reading the reports of the Yorkshire Centre, Birse Tea is provided for those attending the Centre's Annual Dinner to round off the proceedings. The late William Scott Gilchrist 11929-36), one-time Secretary of the Centre, researched the subject and in 1989 produced the following account of the origin of this brew. Tea first started to be drunk in Birse around the middle of the eighteenth century. To begin with it was only "used at breakfast by the higher classes in the parish" I Dinnie p.12); while everybody else still drank milk or home-brewed ale. By 1791, however, the Minister could note that "It must be confessed that what were articles of luxury in our hardy forefathers' day, are now become articles that are reckoned necessities, as tea". Today. tea is found in every house. It is usually one of the first items of hospitality offered to any visitor and it is also normally used for the fly-cup at work breaks. Coffee might be considered its only competitor. but coffee is not so universally enjoyed and is now about twice as expensive as tea. There is one local variation of tea which is still occasionally served in the parish. This is "Birse Tea", a cup of tea served with a dram of whisky in it. Sugar and milk are added whether these are normally taken or not. "Birse Tea" makes a very pleasant and reviving drink, even for someone who does not like whisky. Apparently its most frequent use was in the days when the post round was done on foot. It was offered to the postie to help him on his way through the winter snow! The origins of the name "Birse Tea" have been assumed to be linked with this parish. However, in William Alexander's classic of North-east life, 'Johnny Gibb of Gushetneuk' (1871), one of the leading characters serves this recipe of tea and her name is Mrs Birse. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has come across this term outside Birse or who has any ideas about its origins. W.S.G., 19-1-89

44

Former Pupils' Club Section

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, I965-66) EDWARD. J. WOOD (1908-21), MA (President. 1966-67) GEORGE E.C. BARTON (1923-26), MA (President. 1973-74) The Very Revd. J. FRASER McLUSKEY (1920-31). MC, DD (President, 1974-75) JOHN W. CRADOCK (1941-46), CA (President, 1977-78) T. GORDON COUTTS (1938-49), QC, MA, LL.B (President, 1980-81) JAMES A.N. WATT (1927-39), CA (President, 1982-83) BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46). TD. MA. LL.B (President, 1983-84) ERIC D. WATT (1937-50), BEd. (President. 1984-85) ALAN J. PETERS (1920-30), CA IAN LEWIS SMITH (1918-30). BSc. AMICE, MlnstR. DOUGLAS N. GEORGESON (1929-40) (President. 1985-86) ANDREW S. NOBLE (1939-52). MA. FCMA. FIMA (President. 1986-87) Prof. PHILIP N. LOVE (1952-58), CBE. DL, MA. 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), TD, BSc. MSc. CChem. FRSC. (President, 1990-91) ARTHUR L. McCOMBIE, MS, FSA(Scot) (Deputy Rector. 1973-90) DR. J.R.S. INNES (1923-35). MB,C11B. (President, 1991-92) A. KEITH CAMPBELL (1944-53). TEng ICED. MInstEA (President. 1992-93) IAN M. DUGUID (1938-43), OduM, MD. PhD, FRCS. FCOpth, LL.D, DO. (President, 1993-94) MELVILLE F. WATSON (1943-56), MA, LL.B (President, 1994-95) JAMES C. LYON (1953-59), RIBA. FRIAS (President, 1996-97) J. EDWARD FRASER (1936-49), CB, MA, BA. FSA(Scot) (President. 1997-98) RICHARD H. CRADOCK (1940-51) (President, 1998-99) CHARLES RITCHIE (1945-51) (President 1999-2000) BASIL D.D. EMSLIE (1929-35)

President: RICHARD F. TYSON (1944-49)

Vice-President of Club and Chairman of Executive: MARTIN JEFFREY (1942-57) BSc.

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

Treasurer: ALAN W. MARR (1969-75) CA

General & Notes Editor of Magazine: BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46) TD. MA, LL.B

45

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Secretaries of Centres Club Centre - BRIAN DEIGHTON, 172 Springfield Road, Aberdeen AB I5 7SD Canada - J. PETER JEFFREY (1944-59), 2635 Fifth Line Road, RR# I, Dunrobin, Ontario K0A ITO. Canada Edinburgh - NIGEL G. M. WATT (1963-69), WS, 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 81-IA Yorkshire - DOUGLAS SKENE (1959-64), Curlew Cottage, Main Street. Naburn, York YO19 4PN Secretaies 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), LLB. 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 - ANGUS J. THOMPSON (1969-75). 48 Camperdown Road, Aberdeen Women's Hockey - EMMA A. HENDRY (1985-91). 105 Brighton Place. Aberdeen Executive Committee The Vice-President of the Club. Chairman NORMAN GARDEN (1960-66), Vice-Chairman The Secretary, the Treasurer and the General Editor of the Magazine. ex officiis The Rector of the School, ex officio W. MICHAEL MURRAY (1945-54) ALAN G. CAMPBELL (1959-65) IAN P. SOUTER (1947-61 MELDRUM B. EDWARDS (1947-60) STEVEN J.C. ESSON (1951-64) ALEXANDER STUART (1932-45) INNES J. TAYLOR (1974-80) NORMAN GARDEN (1960-66) H. ALAN S. HAMILTON (1943-56) ANGUS J. THOMPSON (1969-75) G. FRASER WEBSTER (1949-62) GORDON M. INKSON (1986-92) MORAG WISELY (1988-94) HARVEY E. MORRISON (1951-65) 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 - DAVID S. LEIGHTON (1959-72) 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 BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS - Vice-Chairman BRIAN DEIGHTON - Secretary HARVEY E. MORRISON - Treasurer JAMES G. ANDREWS - House Convener 46

Former Pupils' Club Section B.S. ALLAN, N. FALCONER. N. GARDEN. H.A.S. HAMILTON, J.F. HENDRY. 1.S. HOPIUN, G.M. INKSON, J.M. JEFFREY. S. JOHNSON, B. JOHNSON, D.S. LEIGHTON, D. McDONALD, J.D. MOIR. R. NICOLSON, C. RITCHIE, A. STUART, G. TAWSE.

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 - GORDON B. SINGER (1949-50), Box 7, Site 5. RR #2, Okotoks, Alberta, Canada T0L ITO. Tel. 403-995-0331. Canada - IAN McG. MARR (1954-58), 4 Milne Crescent. Kanata, Ontario, Canada, K2K IH6, Tel. 613-592-2730. Canada - DAVID R. AULD (1947-61). 2187 Lafayette Street. Victoria. British Columbia. Canada. V8S 2P2, Tel. 250-595-0616. Corsica - IAIN WARES (1942-52), Via G.M. Angioi, 34 Cagliari 09124, Sardinia, Italy. Tel. 0039 070 652508 Falkland Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands - DONALD A. LAMONT, c/o FCO Stanley, King Charles Street, London SW IA 2AH. Hong Kong - MARSHALL H. BYRES (1960-69). Messrs. Ernst & Young, I5F 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

Annual General Meeting The ninety-seventh Annual General Meeting of the Club was held at the Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road. Aberdeen on Monday 27 March 2000 at 7.30 pm. Mr James M. Clark, the Vice-President. was in the Chair. Chairman's Report Deaths The Chairman noted with regret the deaths during the past year of one of the Honorary VicePresidents. William Lewis Connon, who had been President in 1979-80 and who had also been President of the Scottish Rugby Union in 1987-88 Rubislaw Field Meetings of the Rubislaw Field Committee had not taken place as often as had been anticipated, and the review of sports facilities which Aberdeen City Council has in hand as reported to last year's meeting had not yet been completed. The Executive will continue to press for progress with this matter as the School PE Department is having to work under impossible conditions, and FP Hockey has to train and play away from Rubislaw.

47

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Magazine The thanks of the Club are due to Mr Brian Crookshanks for the successful production of the 1999 Magazine and to the advertising team whose sterling efforts materially contributed to reducing the cost of production. Entertainments A most enjoyable Dinner had been held in October. and thanks were due to Gordon Inkson for organising this event. The first May Ball had been held largely under the auspices of Club Centre members and was reasonably well supported. A further such event, this time sponsored by the Club. is to be held in May. School The customary close links with the School had been maintained. Club officials addressed School leavers in April to promote membership of the Club and Club Centre, and members of the Executive Committee had interviewed the candidates for the All-Round Trophies. The usual Club Awards were made at the Prize-giving. and disbursements were made from the Amenities Fund to assist many School clubs and societies. Centres The various Centres of the Club continue to operate in Canada, Edinburgh. Glasgow, London and Yorkshire, and each held dinners, with varying success in terms of numbers, during the year under review. Each Centre 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 1999 Accounts (reproduced at the end of this Magazine) were submitted and approved. The Treasurer reported a loss of £861 compared with a loss of £635 in 1998. He observed that the Balance Sheet is in a healthy state and that Subscription income is slightly up when compared with the previous year. He commented that work is ongoing to check membership records. 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. In terms of the Club Constitution, the Annual General Meeting is always held on the last Monday in March The 2001 A.G.M. will therefore be held on Monday, 26 March at 7.30 p.m. in the Club Centre, 86 Queen's Road. Aberdeen

KEEPING IN TOUCH New System for Membership Records New Membership Secretary Back in 1946, I don't suppose that Scottie MacLachan, that marvellous F.P. (Secretary & Treasurer for 19 years), ever thought that the system which he put in place then for keeping the Club's membership records would still be in use some 50 years later! 48

Former Pupils' Club Section The card index system - state of the art at the time - now provides a fascinating record of Club members of earlier years, each with personal details, school years, subscription record, and house moves all meticulously recorded on the individual cards - white for Life members and blue for Ordinary. Then there were the dreaded blue and pink slips issued with the Magazine, reminding members of the fate awaiting them unless their sub. was paid promptly. It all seemed to work so well. Unfortunately, the system required the kind of administrative and secretarial support that is simply not available in today's offices. In recent years it has become an increasing struggle to keep the records as accurate and up-to-date as the Club would like. A few years ago, Neil Falconer did a first class job in transferring members' names and addresses to a computer system and this has been used to produce labels for mailing out the Magazine. Personal details and sub. records were still held manually and it was difficult to match the two systems up. In the early part of last year I decided that we had to bite the bullet and let the white heat of technology come to our aid. Although it was hugely valuable to take Neil Falconer's system as a starting point, adding the rest of the information proved to be a monumental task. It involved trawling through some 4,000 card records, plus numerous lists and subscription slips, to complete the record for each individual. At a rough calculation, it has already taken about 60 two-hour sessions to do this work, meaning 2 or 3 evenings a week for some 6 months - and there are still the amendments to finish. Definitely a once-in-a-life time job! Happily, we are making really good progress. We were able to put out an individual mailing to each of our 2,000 or so members earlier this year and that was a major step forward. The results of that exercise are now reflected in the neat piles of returned forms several hundred of them - currently covering our dining room table! But all of these will have been dealt with and the records up-dated before the Magazine is mailed out at the end of August. Many thanks to all those members who responded so promptly, but there are still many more of you from whom we would like to hear from. Do get in touch. The new system is based on a main line PC database package (Microsoft Access) which will give the Club a powerful and flexible membership record system capable of further development. I see no reason why it still shouldn't be in use in some form or other 50 years from now. Certainly it is going to be much easier and quicker to keep members' records upto-date (provided members tell us when they move house), chase for subscriptions and generally keep in touch. Potentially, it could also be of help to the various Club Centres as we can easily provide them with up-to-date lists of members living in their areas. Hopefully, the Centres will also help us with their "local knowledge". The new system has also underlined the fact that we have lost touch with many members in recent years perhaps as many as a third - and we now need to enlist the help of members to track them down. As a start, there is enclosed with this Magazine a list of 100 or so who must have moved in the last two years. since recent Magazines have been returned marked "gone away". Someone, somewhere must know where they have moved to? Later on, when we get our website up and running, we will have a section listing further members with whom we would like to get back in touch. Also, from now on. we will ask ALL members to return an acknowledgement slip which will be enclosed with the Magazine - there is one with this issue. This two-minute task, to be done just once a year, will help us to keep in touch and will put an end to the Club sending out Magazines to a member year after year without knowing whether it ever reaches the intended reader. This is a particular problem with Life Members as they do not need to be in touch every year to pay subscriptions. With the introduction of the new system, we felt that the time had come to create the post of Membership Secretary, whose main task will be to keep the records complete, accurate and up to date, deal with all subscriptions and sort out any queries which members may have about their membership. The Club's first Membership Secretary is Whilma Jeffrey who was appointed by the Executive Committee in May. As Whilma shared the task with me of inputting the information for the new system, she is already very familiar with it, which will be an enormous help. In the recent (and not so recent) past. Jock Hendry (Club Secretary). Brian Crookshanks (Editor of the Magazine). Alan Marr (Club Treasurer) 49

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine plus Marjory Murray (Jock's excellent secretary) have borne the brunt of the record keeping and we all owe them a great deal for their efforts. Hopefully, the appointment of Whilma will remove most of this load and allow them to concentrate on their respective roles in which they already devote a great deal of time to the Club. As part of the process of bringing technology to bear. I would encourage members to use E-mail whenever possible when contacting Whilma (and other Club officials). This will make life much easier for everyone and will allow Whilma to respond much more quickly. However. I do recognise that many people still prefer to write, and it is always extremely nice to get letters (often accompanied by news cuttings) from members with a little more news and gossip than is sometimes contained in E-mails. There is still a lot to be said for the old way of doing things on occasion! Please do keep in touch! The Membership Secretary can be contacted as follows: Mrs. Whilma Jeffrey. A.G.S.F.P. Club, The Willows. Dalmuinzie Road. Bieldside. Aberdeen AB 15 9EB Tel: (01224) 867922; Fax: (01224) 862020 E-mail: marti n.jeffrey btinteniet.com Martin Jeffrey

The Club Centre - The way ahead! You will know from the Newsletter which was sent out in June that the Club Centre has had a little bit of a bumpy ride over the last few years. It has been faced with a combination of a falling membership plus lower spending by current members, and this has led to losses totalling some £50,000. It was against this background that. some eighteen months ago. Ronnie Comber, the Club Centre Chairman, along with Jim Andrews and Alan Hamilton. started to explore the possibility of selling part of the ground at the rear of the main house for development purposes. This was a splendid initiative which resulted in the parent Club obtaining planning consent at the beginning of this year for an eight-flat development. It has been estimated that the current value of this consent is about £400,000. after allowing for a possible £50,000 payment to obtain the necessary access from the rear lane. The thinking was that if the parent Club (which owns the property) sold the development plot. they would then be in a position to make a loan to the Club Centre. This would allow the Centre to pay off its bank overdraft and loans and still have a reasonable amount of working capital left over. But would there be a price to pay in other respects? Clearly, a decision to sell off any part of the Club Centre site would have major long term implications for both the parent Club and the Club Centre. and it was felt that we should review all the development options before pressing the button. As a result, the Executive Committee agreed in March to set up a joint Working Group with a remit to review all the development options. The Working Group comprised two members of the Executive Committee (Jock Hendry and Martin Jeffrey), two members of the Club Centre Management Committee (Ronnie Comber and Harvey Morrison), and was chaired by Alan Hamilton. The Committee looked at several different options, ranging from selling the Steward's house at No I Bayview Road, through selling various development plots, to selling off the whole site. The Working Group presented their findings in the form of a very clear summary report to the Executive Committee in May and a very comfortable majority voted in favour of keeping the site intact and finding another way of re-financing the Club Centre. The main reason for this decision was that the value of the complete site has been estimated to be at least £300,000 more than if we were to sell off the "8-flat" development plot now, and then - at a later stage - the main house itself. A very big difference! In addition, of course, the Club Centre would suffer a major loss of amenity - and a revenue earner through BBQ's - if most of the back garden disappeared. While the Working Group was carrying out its investigations. I looked at various options for re-financing the Club Centre. As a result, we are now at the stage of finalising an interest-free loan which will be available for a period of three years. Most of this loan. which will be to the parent Club rather than to the Club Centre, will be made available to 50

Fortner Pupils' Club Section

the Centre in September to pay off its overdraft and provide it with a comfortable level of working capital. This arrangement will give the Club Centre the necessary breathing space to turn round its financial position and to work out its longer-term future. It will also save some £2,000 in interest charges in a full year. At its meeting in May, the Executive Committee also re-affirmed its commitment to the concept of a thriving Club Centre at 86 Queen's Road. or at suitable premises elsewhere, provided that the Centre: meets the needs of its Members on a continuing basis; • • is actively supported by its members; and • is financially viable The Executive Committee had previously committed to fully consult the membership of both the Club Centre and the parent Club before taking any decision about the disposal of any or all of the site at 86 Queens Road. With this in mind, a Consultation Meeting with Club Centre and Sports Section members was arranged for 6 June. At the end of a long and "interesting" meeting the overwhelming view which emerged was that members really wanted to keep the site at 86 Queens Road intact, if possible. and that they accepted the need for, and value of, the additional financial facility which was being negotiated. That meeting was followed three weeks later by a Special General Meeting of the parent FP Club on 27 June. Readers will know from the notice calling that meeting that two motions were on the agenda, and I can report that both were passed by overwhelming majorities. The first motion supported the Executive Committee's intention to go ahead and arrange additional finance, at their discretion. The second motion was a commitment that no disposal of 86 Queens Road. either in whole or in part, would take place without the express approval of the members of the parent FP Club at a Special General Meeting. So, at last, we have been able to bring to an end the period of uncertainty regarding the immediate future of the Club Centre. This will allow the Centre management to concentrate 100% on their task of attracting a wide range of members back into the Club Centre and creating the atmosphere that encourages them to spend their money! A lot of excellent work has been done in the last two or three months, much of it led by Brian Deighton, the recently appointed Club Centre Secretary. But there are several others working very hard, and this includes doing their stint behind the bar or participating in one of the ever-enthusiastic Ronnie Comber's working parties. There are some encouraging signs, but there is still a long way to go. It is important that we all give the Club Centre our full support whenever we can and in whatever way we can. Although the outlook is looking much more encouraging, and at least we now have a little bit of time to put things right. there are no guarantees. It is essential that both the Club Executive and the Centre Management Committee stand back and look very carefully at the longer-term picture. While the focus at the moment is clearly on dealing with today's problems, we must think about the kind of members we wish to attract in five years' time, in ten years' time and even longer ahead, and what we can offer them. What will these members be looking for at that time. and how will their social life style have changed in the intervening period? As part of this forward thinking, it is imperative that we have a contingency plan. just in case things don't go as well as we hope, and this is something on which we will continue to work in coming months. We will report our progress at the AGM in March. I hope that this keeps everyone in the picture regarding the immediate future of the Club Centre. It was a brave and imaginative decision, some thirty years ago, to go ahead and purchase the premises at 86 Queens Road. While those involved in that decision may be a little disappointed with the current financial situation, they must be absolutely delighted by the realisation that the original investment of some £28,000 is worth perhaps 30+ times that today. If only some of our individual personal investments could have done as well! I remain optimistic about the future, although there is much hard work and clear, realistic thinking to be done in order to come up with the right longer-term plan. I am sure that we will succeed. Martin Jeffrey Chairman, Executive Committee 51

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

President's Report The majority of my predecessors have commenced by referring to the speed with which their term of office has passed. Certainly I have no intention of disagreeing with them, as I still find it hard to appreciate that it has been and gone. When Jock Hendry telephoned to ask if I would consider accepting the position I was surprised, apprehensive, tempted to refuse, but nevertheless greatly honoured. I am very glad to have had the opportunity to represent the Club at the numerous functions which I have attended, and grateful for the enjoyment obtained from renewed friendships and hospitality received. My baptism took place at the School Prizegiving, culminating in the presentation of the All Round Trophies to Kate Hurman and Simon Small. A highly successful May Ball was arranged in place of the traditional FP Ball, normally held in December but which unfortunately had to be cancelled in the previous December due to lack of support. The replacement event, held in the Queen's Hotel, was well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by all, partly because f one or two impromptu items added to the programme by the Hockey Ladies, who set out to enjoy themselves and certainly succeeded in doing so. Thanks are also due to Gordon lnkson for his organisation of the event. The usual round of Dinners took place throughout the Autumn and Winter. including those of the Golf and Petanque Sections which were mainly notable for the amounts of alcohol consumed. Special mention should be made of two Dinners - the Yorkshire Centre Dinner at Knaresborough, which once again excelled in its own informal, homely fashion. and the final one of the season at Glasgow in March. This last was well attended, with mixed company and excellent speeches from the principal speaker. Jack Webster, and John Hanna whom I had not met since his rugby playing days. It would be remiss not to praise Basil Emslie for his unending dedication and enthusiasm in making this event so successful. Of course, the main event in Aberdeen was the Club Dinner in the Queen's Hotel at the end of October. The principal speaker was Professor Mike Meston. another Gordonian, who entertained us extremely well. Unfortunately, the number attending was down on previous years. as was also the case at the Edinburgh Centre Dinner - a disturbing trend. With regard to the decline in membership and the Club Centre position, I have endeavoured, in my visits to Centre dinners throughout the year. to inform members of events and developments within the FP Club and the Club Centre. Invariably the response has been on the lines, "We were unaware of this. If there are problems, why weren't we told? Can we do anything to help?" Hopefully. by the time this Magazine reaches you, the position will have started to improve, as steps have been taken to improve membership of both entities and also to return the Club Centre to a successful, profitable body. With a progressive approach, and a will by all Sections and members to make the FP Club a vibrant organisation, we can look to the future with confidence. My year concluded at the Annual General Meeting on 27 March when I handed over the Badge of Office to Dick Tyson, with congratulations to him on his appointment. I wish him a happy and successful term of office, and look forward to seeing him throughout the year. Charles Ritchie (1945-51)

Presidential Profile Richard Frederick Tyson (1944-49) President 2000-01 Probably our President is better known to you as "Dick Tyson". however I am more contemporary with Dick's father who, as many of you know, frequented the cricket field at Ruhislaw. There are no allusions to Dick holding high office in the sporting annals of the School. but it seems that an FP who had interests in the FP Cricket Section and in Aberdeenshire Cricket Club was instrumental in setting the young Dick off on a career in the wide world. 52

Former Pupils' Club Section

Richard F. Tyson (1944-49)

53

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

So it was to the North of Scotland Bank that he was directed with father's and this FP's help, and in due course, having sat the Bank entrance exam, he gained his first job at the St Nicholas Branch in Aberdeen. Of course, as befell most young men at that time, National Service was the order of the day, but instead of serving the normal eighteen months this was increased to two years. much to the chagrin of most of those who were serving at that time. While no doubt it helped to broaden the character of our President he. with many others, took exception to it, and was no doubt party to a near riot at Aldershot Barracks. He does, however, admit that he enjoyed the last nine months in the Sergeants' Mess. Knowing Dick and his subsequent career in catering and management, he could have found it extremely useful. I know well what went on in a Sergeants' Mess - well renowned for their catering and social activities! Having completed his army career, he returned to the Bank, but he must have enjoyed the forces, because as part of his character-forming he became one of the Gordon Highlanders Terriers. Furthering his bank career, he went further afield to London, joining the Bank of India and, extending his Territorial Army connection, became attached to the London Scottish TA. How many FPs have been given the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen and then marched through the city with fixed bayonets? Although Dick confesses that he was not a shining light, or excelled in sports as far as the School was concerned. I think that he may not have told the whole truth. He confided in me that London Banks were keen on sports, had excellent facilities, and his sports background (as well as his father's) had quite an influence on him, for he was captain of the cricket club and vice-captain of the rugby team - no mean feat from someone who does not admit to any great prowess on the School sports ground. Dick also admits to playing hockey in a mixed team. This game he claims to be 'very dangerous'. This was also my experience, as I myself played in the Hockey XI. Opposing girls' teams were very dangerous - they excelled at hacking lumps out of your shins while brandishing their sticks. Although Dick claims that he was a 'reluctant rugby player at School' I find this hard to believe, as I found out that later he was playing up to three times a week for various banks and London Scottish - not too reluctant, I would think! When taxed about his future in banking. Dick decided to give it up. and in 1956 took up a post with the Elder Dempster Shipping Line. He married Jean and, following a concentrated six month introduction to the shipping business, he went out to Lagos. Nigeria as the Assistant Passenger Manager. The 'reluctant rugby player' now met two FPs and he was soon playing rugby on Lagos racecourse, much to the consternation of the locals. The climate in West Africa soon forced Dick and Jean back to the UK and he then followed in his grandparents' footsteps by joining the catering industry. Later on, having had a number of years as a hotelier in the Home Counties, he became Area Manager of a London company and looked after their business in Yorkshire. This started their love of Yorkshire, and culminated in Dick having the honour of producing lunch for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh when they were formally opening a new hospital in Hull. Obviously the Duke thoroughly enjoyed his lunch for he shook Dick's hand and thanked him profusely before the Royal party left. Catering must be in Dick's blood, as he was elected to various Hotelier and Innkeeping Associations. Having been promoted. he went south once more, looking after fifty establishments, including the catering at the Tower of London. Having had all this valuable experience, it came naturally to set up in business on his own with Jean. so back they came to Yorkshire. They purchased a free house and stayed about ten years. Good quality establishments are in great demand for their food, and soon they were recognised by the Good Pub Guide. Good Food Guide, the Good Bar Guide and, of course, by Egon Ronay - what could be better than that? They were the victims of their own success and became too busy. They moved to York, where over the next nine years they bought and sold two hotel businesses, ultimately retiring in 1997. What can you say about our President and his wife Jean after all that? What would you say to an FP who confessed that he never excelled academically or at games, although he 54

Former Pupils' Club Section

A.G.S.F.P. CLUB CENTRE BAYVIEW HOUSE 86 QUEENS ROAD ABERDEEN ABIS 4YQ tt

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55

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine did play for the First Hockey XI. the Second Cricket XI and was a member of the ACF ? I would say that he would be a worthy President of the Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils' Club.

Centre Reports Club Centre One year on from our last report, the financial situation of the Club Centre has not improved, although three months into the year 2000 there are some small signs of a recovery. Whilst we have negotiated a £50,000 overdraft, this will only give us a breathing space during which we are pursuing various options which entail restructuring our finances and possible developments of our existing site and grounds. In this context both the Parent Club and the Club Centre have been working closely to try to bring about a long-term satisfactory and stable solution. At a special consultative meeting of the Club Centre. members were able to discuss the various options available and give their own input. The present situation is on-going and progress will be reported as soon as decisions are made - the FP Club and the Club Centre working in tandem at all times. We have excellent function facilities and we are actively pursuing the promotion of barbecues, dances and the fuller use of committee rooms. During the past year there have been the following departures among our personnel: Steve Esson, Secretary of the Centre since 1994, resigned at the end of 1999; three of our bar staff, namely Martin Reid, John Hay and Karen Bremner have all left our employment; and Bruce Allan has stepped down as House Convener, his duties having been taken on by Jim Andrews. Brian Deighton was appointed as Secretary in January. and in the three months since then he has, in conjunction with the Chairman, evolved a bar rota system using existing parttime staff and voluntary ordinary and committee members. Brian's hands-on approach is much appreciated. Snack food is once again available from the bar staff. Last September we held a Beetfest which was a great success but could have been even more successful had it been better supported - thanks to Brian Deighton for his sterling efforts. The Millennium Party held in the Club Centre was an undoubted success and should be repeated next December, just in case we celebrated the wrong Millennium. We actually managed a Bums Lunch again this year, but once more we could have done with greater support. Finally, thanks are due to the Hit Squad of garden tidiers - Doug Georgeson, Peter Henderson, Derek Younger. Charlie Ritchie and Martin Webster. THE CENTRE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT Editor's note: The above, in the main, is what was reported to the AGM at the end of March and should be read in conjunction with the Statement from the Chairman of the Club Executive which appears at page 50 above. Canada The Canadian Centre held its Annual Dinner on Saturday 18 September 1999 in Edmonton, Alberta. Fifteen FPs and guests attended the dinner at the Mayfield Inn in Edmonton. At the beginning of the evening Peter Jeffrey, in the absence of last year's President, Willie Balfour. presented the FP Club badge of office and the Duguid decanter to this year's Canadian Centre President. Garry Jenkins. During his speech Garry recalled his school days during the War, and dinner concluded with an informal session round the table talking about memories of School. Sandy Watt had many interesting stories of his years in the Boarding House and Peter Jeffrey read some entries about Canadian FPs from the 1795-1919 Roll of Pupils by Theodore Watt. On Sunday, we had a most pleasant gathering for brunch at Garry and Betty Jenkins' home. after which we bade farewell for another year. 56

Former Pupils' Club Section The following FPs attended the Dinner: H.N.MacPherson (1934-37), Edmonton Alberta; A.M. Watt (1937-50). Summerland, British Columbia: W.D. Jenkins (1939-44), Edmonton. Alberta: J.P. Jeffrey (1944-59). Calgary. Alberta; G.B. Singer (1947-48), Calgary, Alberta; D.R. Auld (1947-61), Victoria, British Columbia; I.McG. Mari (1954-58), Kanata. Ontario; and R.C. Scace (1954-60). Calgary, Alberta. Phil Ban-on (1948-56) will take over as the 2000 Canadian Centre President, and the annual dinner will be held in Ottawa, Ontario on Saturday 30 September 2000. All FPs and their spouses, whether resident in Canada or visiting, are cordially invited to attend. For details please contact: Peter Jeffrey, 2635 Fifth Line Road, RR#1, Dunrobin, Ontario K0A ITO. Tel. (home) 613-832-9125, e-mail pjeff65046@aol.com Edinburgh The Annual Dinner of the Centre was held in the Clubhouse of the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society on Friday 3 March 2000. President Douglas Harper welcomed the company of forty-six members and guests, who included the principal guest Professor Graeme Catto - Chief Scientist in Scotland and Vice Principal of Aberdeen University. - the President of the Parent Club, Charlie Ritchie, the Rector, Bill Johnston, Professor John Howie, the President of the Edinburgh Gordonian Association, Gary Allan and David Smith representing respectively the Glasgow and Yorkshire Centres. Head Girl. Rebecca Engwall and Head Boy, Ross Wattie. The principal toast of "The School and the Club" was proposed by Professor Catto in a most accomplished manner and excellent replies were made by the Head Girl, the Head Boy and the Rector on behalf of the School and by Charlie Ritchie on behalf of the Parent Club. The contributions of Rebecca and Ross were of a very high calibre and certainly highlights of the evening - they are both a great credit to the School. During the course of the Dinner the Centre, as usual, held its Annual General Meeting. Sandy Monro was elected as the new President. Nigel Watt was re-elected as honorary Secretary and Treasurer, and the new committee members are Mike Beattie, Keith Masson. Marie Moser and Robin Riney. At the end of the evening Sandy Monro thanked Douglas Harper for his chairmanship of the proceedings. The Centre's Annual Golf Outing took place at Bruntsfield on Wednesday 25 August 1999 when the weather was decidedly inclement but the course was again in wonderful condition. The usual challenge had been extended to the Glasgow Centre and thankfully their tireless secretary, Basil Emslie, had managed to raise a team comprising himself. Gordon Barron, Malcolm Daniel, Jim Guy and John Hannah. Twelve FPs participated - seven for Edinburgh and five for Glasgow. As in previous years the competition was by stableford with the best three scores of each side counting. At the same time everyone competed for the "Morr Brown" Trophy. Glasgow retained the splendid Trophy - kindly donated by Ronnie Smith some years ago - with a score of 89 points to the 82 points amassed by the Edinburgh team. Malcolm Daniel won the individual competition and thus took the infamous trophy west for the first time. He had an excellent score of 33 points; Ian MacLeod was second with 31 points (better inward half) and John Hannah was third, also with 31 points. The Trophy and prizes were presented by Ian MacLeod. This year's Outing will again take place at Bruntsfield on Wednesday 23 August 2000 at 3.00pm. Next year's Dinner will be held at Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society on Friday 16 February 2001 - the eve of the Scotland v Wales rugby international at Murrayfield. Any reader who has recently come to the Edinburgh area and who has not received any communication from the Centre is invited to contact Nigel Watt at his business address 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), A.L.Speirs (1926-38). R.A.Williamson (1928-36), L.G. Johnstone (1932-45). A.W. McIntosh (1932-45), W.M. Brown (1933-46), A.I. Cheyne (1936-48), J.E. Fraser (1936-49), W. Pratt (1936-44), 57

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine T.G. Corms (1938-51), A.J.K. Monro (1938-46). A.J. Gardiner (1939.50). J.M. Jeffrey (1942-57), 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), J.P. Cairns (1945-57), C. Ritchie (1945-51). D.P. Smith (1945-47), J.M. Clark (1947-59), R.S. Rilley (1947-55). S.A. Howard (1948-58), N.K. Campbell (1951-58), D.I.K. Macleod (1952-54), K.I. Masson (1959-72). G.J.G. Allan (1963-76), J.H. Rust (1963-71) and N.G.M. Watt (1963-69). Glasgow It happened again. Glasgow FP Golfers won the annual Golf Competition against Edinburgh. No cheating this time, but unfortunately for Edinburgh FPs Nigel Watt's back caused him not to complete his round. The results were: Edinburgh Glasgow lain McLean 31 Malcolm Daniel 33 31 David Kilgour 30 John Hannah Gordon Barron 25 James Risk 21 89 82 Malcolm Daniel won the Morr Brown Trophy. Our thanks are due to Nigel Watt who organised the outing, and although we were all soaked our spirits were revived with a most enjoyable dinner in the Bruntsfield Golf Club. Any golfing FP who wishes to represent the Centre at future Outings should please contact Basil Emslie at 8 Westerton of Mugdock. Milngavie, Glasgow G62 8LQ, 'phone 0141 956 4299. The Centre's Annual Dinner was held on Friday 17 March 2000 at the Swallow Hotel. Bellahouston. Willie Wood (1970-76). who was formerly the manager there, is now manager of Swallow Hotels' premier establishment. The Four Seasons in Manchester. He regretted that he was too busy to be able to attend our Dinner, but the Swallow kept up its high standard of both food and service. David Reid, our President, conducted the proceedings in his own excellent style, including a short AGM. Our principal guest was Jack Webster, journalist and author, the 1997 Speaker of the Year, a Gordonian and the person who put Maud on the big map. The attendance was 55, including 21 FPs and. we hope, two future members, Ruth McLellan, the Deputy Head Girl, and Tom Lessens. a 6th Year Prefect. The Rector's new approach of sharing his reply with Ruth and Tom was well received. The young ones, we are sure, made him proud. Charlie Ritchie, in his swansong dinner speech, expressed his appreciation of the activity of the Centre. and reported on the situation of the parent Club and the Club Centre, with naturally particular reference to rugby activities. He concluded by asking the School and FP members to continue in increasing membership as well as supporting the Club Centre. John Hannah, in his old School blazer, rounded off a splendid evening with a very humorous vote of thanks. David Reid, retiring from office, handed over the Badge of Office to new President David Allan, who expressed thanks to David for his term in office. New committee members elected were Malcolm Daniel. Marjory Coutts and John Hannah. Re-elected were David Reid, lain Fergusson. Gary Allan and Dr Lesley Galloway. Basil Emslie and Peter Cairns were requested/instructed to carry on as Secretary and Treasurer respectively. The following FPs attended the Annual Dinner. Jimmy Guy (1925-36),Basil Emslie ( I 929-35 ), Sandy Monro (1933-46), Ronald Walker (1941-46), Hunter Cairns (1943-56). Charlie Ritchie (1945-51), Peter Cairns (1945-57). David Allan (1945-58), Stan Howard (1945-58). Malcolm Gauld (1947-61). George Barron (1952-55). John Hannah (1959-71). lain Fergusson (1959-66), D. Skene (1959-64). Jim Leask (1960-66), Gary Allan (1963-76), David Reid (1975-80), Marjory Coutts (1975-81), Malcolm Daniel (1975-81) and John Stevenson (1975-81) Next year's Glasgow Centre Dinner will be held on Friday 16 March 2001. 58

Former Pupils' Club Section Any FPs resident 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 so that they can be added to the mailing list and advised of activities. London At our Annual General Meeting, held in the Caledonian Club on 12 May, Sir Alan Donald stepped down as President after some five years in office. Sir Alan had guided the London Centre through a difficult period with a particularly deft touch, doubtless honed during his distinguished career in the diplomatic service. We must also be particularly grateful for the time and effort which Sir Alan devoted to his period in office, despite his numerous business commitments, both at home and overseas. The benefit of Sir Alan's wisdom will not be lost to the Centre. however, because he has fortunately agreed to continue to serve as a member of the Executive Committee. The new President of the Centre is Grahame Young (1940-47). who has for long been associated with the Centre while pursuing a successful and varied career in banking and financial services, both in the City and the Far East. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Caledonian Club. Our Annual Dinner was held in the Caledonian Club on Friday 12 November 2000. when the guest speaker was that eminent Gordonian and stalwart of 'Scotland the What?'. Buff Hardie. The evening proved to be one of the most memorable of recent years, with Buff delivering a highly amusing and entertaining speech. Unfortunately, because of a prior commitment, Parent Club President Charlie Ritchie was unable to be with us, but the Rector, making a welcome reappearance at the London Dinner, rose to the occasion and gave a fine reply on behalf of the School and the Club. The Edinburgh Centre was represented by VicePresident Sandy Monro, the Yorkshire Centre by Wilson McIntosh and London Gordonians by their President, John Gibson. The following FPs attended the Dinner: H.M.R.Watt (1926-38), A.W.Mclntosh (193245), G.S.Williams (1933-46), I.M.Duguid (1938-43), A.J.K.Monro (1938-46), A.S.Noble (1939-52), A.G.B.Young (1940-47). Sir A.Donald (1942-44), A.S.D.Fraser (1944-57), M.Walker (1946-57), R.Kitson (1947-58), R.Reid ( 1947-52), J.Sinclair (1947-59), J.S.Tosh (1947-48), W.Mitchell (1949-55). I.A.Reid (1951-63), R.Caie (1954-65), J.Reid (1954-65), D.Hopkin (1955-61), J.A.Reid (1961-65), N.Mackie (1962-68), S. Nicol (1962-71) and W. Turriff (1990). In addition to the Rector. K.D.Henderson, formerly of the Staff, was present. Note for your diaries. In a departure from our normal practice we shall be holding a Cocktail Party and AGM at the Caledonian Club, London on Wednesday 1 November 2000. Yorkshire The Dower House in Knaresborough was the usual venue for the Yorkshire Centre on Friday 24 September 1999, when a party of 13 FPs and guests enjoyed their Annual Dinner. This year we were supported by the other Centres and as always by the parent Club although. as the smallest outpost, we do suffer from a declining number of local FPs. A special highlight was the visit of Basil Emslie. who travelled by train from Glasgow to York and spent an enjoyable lunch-time in the renowned Betty's Cafe, followed by a visit to York Minster, if only to confess to eating more than one cream cake. Yorkshire members do hope that Basil will visit them again during 2000 and they assure him that partaking of Birse Tea is optional. The FP Club President, Charlie Ritchie, gave the Yorkshire members something to think about as his report on the activities of the Club made it very plain that he is much concerned for the Club's future. This was the first time we had heard a Club President express such views, and we were impressed by his obvious sincerity, grateful for his candour and very aware that these were the views of a member who has been very active at the heart of the Club for many years. On the other hand, we were heartened by the Rector's address which, combined with information contained in the Magazine, showed that the School is thriving and, consequently, there must be a course of action which will ensure the Club's future. 59

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Shortly after our Annual Dinner. Freddie Gilchrist, widow of our late member and former Centre Secretary Bill Gilchrist, died and she will be much missed. Freddie attended several Dinners at the Dower House Hotel when it was the custom for members' wives to have their own table in the Restaurant and to join "the boys" for coffee and drinks in the Lounge after the meeting. Freddie's unmistakable dulcet tones added interest to her stories and forthright opinions. Bill's definitive version of the origin of Birse Tea, written in 1989 and reprinted elsewhere in this Magazine. will continue to serve as a reminder of them both. FPs present at the Dinner were: Norman Nicol (1926-39). Basil Emslie (1929-35), Wilson McIntosh (1932-45), Douglas Harper (1944-58), Richard Tyson (1944-49), Charles Ritchie (1945-51), David Smith (1945-47). lan Fraser (1959-68), Douglas Skene (1959-64) and Sandy Nicol (1962-71). This year's Dinner will be at the same venue on Friday 29 September 2000.

Section Reports Cricket After finishing as runners-up in the Strathmore Union in 1998, the First XI were optimistic that they would again have a successful season in 1999. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, this did not prove to be the case. In fact, not a single League fixture was won in the whole season and we finished bottom of the Strathmore Union. However, as there was no relegation in 1999, we remain in Division I of the Strathmore Union for season 2000. With the coming of the artificial pitch one would have expected an improvement in the batting but this did not prove to be the case. Only Jeremy Moir, with an average of just over 30, was consistent with the bat, and in fact only four other players aggregated in excess of 100 runs for the season, in each case at an average of under 20. The opposition, however, seemed to enjoy the improved facilities at Rubislaw and only Stephen Murphy and Jeremy Moir took in excess of ten Strathmore Union wickets during the season. Alan Redhead, the captain, did his best to improve matters, and certainly the team did not lack organisation off the field. However, he felt that he should step down from the captaincy and he has been replaced by John Lord for the 2000 season. Unfortunately, due to team-raising difficulties, especially for away games, the new season has started disappointingly and we are currently bottom of the Union and in considerable danger of relegation to Division 2. Having won promotion in the previous season, the aim of the Second Xl was to maintain its place in Grade 2. This was achieved, and we finished in the middle of the league. Although only four games were won during the season, we played consistently well and obtained a lot of batting and bowling points even in matches which were lost. John Youles, Harvey Morrison. Peter Redhead and Rob Fryer were the main contributors with the bat, while most of the wickets were taken by Peter Redhead, John Youles, Dharmendra and Duncan Hart. For season 2000. Rob Fryer has replaced Harvey Morrison as captain. Already four matches have been won and we should again finish in mid-table, which will be a respectable achievement. The Third Xl. under the captaincy of Andy Cripps, won Grade 5 and were therefore promoted to Grade 4 for season 2000. As they also reached the final of the Cup in 1999 they had a very successful season. Many players contributed to the success, and it was really a team effort rather than individual efforts that led to the team only losing one league match during the season. Jim Brainell has been appointed captain of the Third XI for the new season, but due to team-raising difficulties on both our part and that of the opposition, Third's have not actually yet played a match. even though they have been awarded two victories. The Section generally is short of players. which is most disappointing, especially in view of the new artificial pitch and the purchase. along with the School. of two new nets. It 60

COME CURLING .

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"Ours is a game for duke and lord, Lairds, tenants, hands an' a' that; Our ministers too, wha preach the Word, Whiles ply the broom for a' that. For a' that and a' that, The chiefs wha soop (sweep) and cast their stares Are greatest yet for a' that. . . ."

Those who enjoy curling know that these words describe its attributes of individual and team skills; and its friendly and sociable competitiveness. To share their enjoyment of the game, the AGSFP Curling Section will welcome new members, of both sexes, be they complete beginners, or of any subsequent standard. The `laid back' approach of the Curling Section encourages new and improving curlers and, for those interested, there are excellent opportunities for further development by way of tuition and coaching at the Ice Rink Club, Dyce. If you saw, and were inspired by seeing on TV, the Scottish Men's Team win the World Championships in Canada earlier this year, why not have a go at curling when the season starts again in September. For further information, contact the Secretary of the AGSFP Curling Club, Mr Bruce Allan, 55 Carden Place, Aberdeen, AB10 l UN (Telephone: 01224-642557).

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine is essential that we recruit some new players, and with only a limited amount of cricket being played at School we have to try and develop the under-15 and under-17 teams and then draft these players into the third team, so that we have young players coming through. Unless this is achieved, it seems unlikely that we will be able to run three teams, and the general standard of cricket within the Section is likely to go down. Curling The 'bijou' nature of the Curling Section detracts not the slightest from the enjoyment and enthusiasm shown by the players. Our four rinks of four players for internal leagues and external competitions cope well with the pressure, but we would be pleased to have some new blood to augment our numbers. All levels of player would be most welcome in the Section and would be helped in any way possible to familiarise themselves with the game. Within the Club, the Autumn League was won by Barton Brown's rink and the Spring League by Norman Patterson's Rink. Norman also won the overall league on the playoff. The Pairs competition was won by Norman's Rink by a peel and decided on Ends Up. The Knock-Out was won by Geddie Hay's Rink. In external competitions. Barton Brown's Rink has played up the middle of the Province League of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. Norman Patterson's Rink in the Grant Trophy won their game and was part of the winning Aberdeen (Area 9) contingent at this mason's competition at Letham Grange Ice Rink. For our annual match the Gordonian Curling Team, in determined mode, recruited international players to make sure of their traditional win this year, but the usual cheery atmosphere still prevailed at our after-game gathering at the Club Centre. Betty Longmead's Savoury Collation was excellent and rounded the evening off nicely. Our Annual Dinner was held for the fifth time in the Atholl Hotel on 7th April and was an unqualified success, thanks in large part to Joan and Mario Vicca 's arrangements in selection of wines and menus. 1 would ask again that anyone interested in joining the Curling Section should contact the Secretary, Bruce Allan. Tel 642557. Football During season 1999/00 the Section competed in Division 4 of the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association (AAFA) leagues after gaining promotion at the end of the previous season. 1999/00 was a long season with us playing 47 league and cup matches. Congratulations must go to Raymond Duncan who was the only player to play in every game. In total 31 players turned for Grammar FPs during the season with more than half of these players having attended Aberdeen Grammar School as pupils. Again we had another successful season, winning Division 4 with a points total of 92 from 36 league games. Kintore finished in second place with 77 points. We scored 151 goals during our league campaign and conceded only 56. This is the first time in the short history of the Football Section that we have been promoted as league champions. Unfortunately, in our league cup we were knocked out at the semi-final stage by Alford, who won 2-1 and then went on to win the final 3-2 against Carlton. The Player of the Year Award was jointly won by Tom Hyslop and Richard Nicholson. who both put a lot of hard work into arranging fund-raising events during the season and their effort was much appreciated. The Players' Player of the Year Award was won by Derek Allan. 39-year-old Derek scored 35 goals from 35 games, which by his own admission is not a bad total for an 'old mannie'. Derek was also voted Division 4 Player of the Year by other teams in the league, and will collect his trophy at the AGM of the AAFA at Pittodrie. The 1999-00 Squad comprised: Derek Allan, Marco Bonato, Richard Burns, Ian Corsie (Player/Manager), Glen Davidson. Paul Davidson, Robbie Davidson, Alan Davie, Alan Duff, Raymond Duncan, Maurizio Fazio, Darren Fraser. Steve Fraser, Tom Hyslop. Neil 62

Former Pupils' Club Section Jackson, Brian Lovie, Kenny Macpherson, Gregg Mann, Richard Nicholson, Craig Porter, John Ryrie, Dave Sinclair, George Skinner, Steve Slessor, Gordon Smith, Kenny Smith, Paul Smith, Craig Stuart, Ewan Wallace, Alan Western, and Mike Western. If there is anybody who is interested in playing with the Section, or even just in coming to our training for exercise, they can contact Kenny Macpherson on (01224) 646545. Golf Outings were held at Braemar (2) and Ballater, although the second outing to Braemar was rained off. We also returned to Taymouth Castle for a weekend's golf in August which continues to be the highlight of the season. Norman Garden, who is this year's Captain, was the champion with a display of awesome golf. Some success was achieved at Barnton in the Queen Elizabeth Coronation Tournament. Our team of Ian Creswell, Peter Robertson, Gordon Inkson, Derek Reekie, Fraser Webster and Dallas Moir got through to the third round and after 12 holes in our match with Perth Academicals we were leading in two out of three games and facing a place in the fourth round and another night in Edinburgh before the resumption of normal service, and we lost 3-0. The Section records the deaths of Bill Connon and Ken Hunter who were both founder members and Captains of the Section, and the untimely death of Ian Inkson. In 2000, in addition to the usual outings, we are playing at East Aberdeenshire which was designed by our former Captain, Ian Creswell. The signature hole is the 17th, named "Cresser's Best" and the green has been bunkered in a style similar to the 13th at Augusta National. Every Course Architect worth his salt is entitled to a little self-indulgence and the contributor noticed a bunker on the outward half in the shape of a letter "C", which is punctuated by an immovable piece of granite. Hockey The First team managed to finish the season having won more games than they lost. After a strong start, the reason we did not do better than our final league standing is purely down to inconsistency. There is no doubt that although our main aim was consolidation, we are now a better hockey playing side than we were (especially our tackles), and thus could quite easily have been in the running for promotion. What we failed to do was turn our domination of games into victories by our inability to convert the numerous chances we created at one end whilst giving away stupid goals at the other. This is something we have been guilty of for some time and it is fundamentally the only thing on the pitch that stands between us and promotion back to National 2. The Second XI had the potential to do a lot better than it had done in the previous year's regional league campaign. After some poor results it was thought that a mass clear out was needed. The Seconds are viewed as a feeder team to the First Eleven, and with this in mind as many as 6-8 schoolboys were introduced into the squad. Impressively they all kept their places as they put in the effort and were willing to learn and adapt. A good cup run followed where only the eventual winners, Gordonians, were good enough to knock us out. It is a testament to the boys that Gordonians almost refused to play the match as they felt that the schoolboys were all first team players, with this being only one of the many instances where the opposition filled their boots at the sight of schoolies lining up against them. The District's decision to split the leagues into three, comprising eight teams each, meant that Grammarians were again pitched against what on paper were quicker and fitter teams. Their thoughts of a tough season were proved correct. Grammarians did have some success in various cups, but the highlight for most was the victory over the School (finalists in the Scottish Youth Cup) in the John Drummond Trophy, proving that youth is no substitute for experience. The Thirds and Fourths both had unremarkable seasons except for a typically bloodthirsty encounter with MBC, showing dogged determination overcoming superior skills. 63

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine One area of the club which has proved successful has been the ongoing development of the Colts and our close association with the School. The Colts' team was formed last season to provide additional hockey and to help develop players from the School. After another successful, but more importantly enjoyable, season the evidence was clear that another team was needed to satisfy demand. So, for the second year in a row, our Section strength grows with the addition of a seventh team, the "BADGERS". Our aim with the Badgers is to allow the younger schoolboys to get a game where the key is getting the basics right, a lesson our first team players are still resisting. Once again the Section has enjoyed a very successful social season, with the next step being able to match these endeavours on the pitch. Finally, we would like to extend warm thanks to all those who have contributed to the working of the Club Centre - they make our defeats easier to forget and our victories last all weekend. Petanque Last season was almost a complete wash-out due to wet weekends. In fact we attempted thrice to stage the Club Championships but after the third wet Sunday we abandoned the competition and decided to play it this season (weather permitting). We were lucky with our Summer Solstice Singles, and a good barbecue added to an excellent competition which was won by Peter Henderson - a worthy winner of the Peter Tawse Cup. The Petanque dinner was again a magnificent meal accompanied by copious amounts of yin rouge - a note-worthy statistic is 1.4 bottles per head. We look forward to a drier (on the piste) season for 2000 - we remain ever hopeful. Rugby The Section has had one its most rewarding seasons, with all teams having a significant degree of success. The First XV, after losing four of the first five games, strode from bottom of the league to finish third, narrowly missing promotion to Premier Division I. This dramatic progress was attributable to the huge impact of the new Head Coach, former All-Black John Fleming, and the new assistant coaches. Jonathon Phillips and Colin Robertson. Holding it all together was Team Manager Brian Clark, Rugby Section President in a previous life! The SRU District Championship was re-introduced this year and AGSFPs were well represented with 12 players selected for the Caledonia squad (formerly North & Midlands). Caledonia, mostly made up of Premier 2 players, won the Championship by beating Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Borders. In the final match against the Borders, the Championship decider. FPs had 7 players in the team - testament to the quality we now have in the Section. In addition. honours are due to one of our most promising young players, Andrew Wilson, who tours New Zealand with Scotland Under-21 in June 2000. Further, three players (Graeme Hoyle. Alistair Ness and Ben Prescott) will represent the Club, playing for Scottish Universities in the Students World Cup in Rome in August 2000. The whole Club looks forward to the day. and it may not be too far away, when we have a Grammar FP pulling on a jersey for the full international team. The 1st XV Premier 2 results were:Played 18 Won 12 Drawn 1 Lost 5 For 478 Against 294 Bonus Points 11 League Points 61 John Fleming and his assistants are returning next season to finish the job and gain promotion to Premier I! The Second XV, managed by Maurice Waugh and coached by Phil Clegg. easily won their league, a third successive title, which now puts them in Division 3 of the national 2nd XV leagues. The influence of John Fleming and Phil Clegg on the players produced a 'mean machine', with many opposing sides commenting on the excellence of the forward 64

Former Pupils' Club Section

play and the slickness of the backs. Unfortunately, there were insufficient numbers to regularly field a 3rd XV, but it is hoped the overall success of the Section this season will attract more players to sustain regular games next year. The Youth Section once again had a very successful season with the total numbers of players registered touching the 200 mark. The 'Minis' were able to field teams at all age groups from P4 to P7 with a good standard of rugby on show at Rubislaw every Sunday. Once again we have been able to attract a significant number of new players to the game, including the introduction of at least 30 youngsters aged between 5 and 7 to the basics of rugby. In the 'Midi' section the SI squad qualified for the National finals, but unfortunately their progress to the ultimate final was halted by a one-try defeat by Dumfries. The S3 squad enjoyed an improved year in the north-east league, eventually finishing as runners-up to Elton. The Under-16s had an exceptional season, winning their league and undefeated in all their games. Thirteen of the squad were selected for the District Team (North East Hurricanes), one player went on to play for Scottish Schools and another to play for the combined Glasgow/Caledonia District side. At Under-IS level, the squad had mixed fortunes in the local league, but again we had three representatives in the North District Squad, with two playing for Caledonia in the Under-I8 inter-district championship. The Section continues to improve its position and provide a centre for developing rugby not only through its own Youth Section but also in association with other Clubs in the Aberdeen area. A very successful association was formed this year with Aberdeen University and this will provide a stepping-stone for recruiting top youth players and fostering links with other districts throughout Scotland. The benefits to both the Section and the University were noticeable this season with ten of our First XV squad playing for Aberdeen University and reaching the quarter-finals of the British Universities Cup. John Fleming constantly supported the Youth Section and provided structured coaching for the University. We hope that these areas will grow and provide a regular source of talent for the senior teams, creating the impetus for the re-establishment of extra-curricular rugby at the School. We have made good progress this season and it is now time to take that final step to the top flight. The Section Committee has worked very hard to build the foundations for success on the field, and the provision of top quality coaching staff typifies this drive for success. The preparation for the start of Season 2000-2001 commenced in June and there is a very noticeable determination and confidence within the Section to do well. Next season promises to be an exciting time - don't miss the action. Swimming The Swimming Section continues to meet weekly during the School terms, but decreasing numbers and ever-increasing Local Authority pool rental charges have combined to put the long-term future of the Section at risk. The Club meets on Tuesday evenings from 6.30 to 9 p.m. in three sessions - family, lane and free swimming. We are keen to recruit new members to the Section. These interested should contact any of the officials, or turn up at the School swimming pool at the beginning of the Autumn term in August. As the athletic physiques of the members will testify, swimming remains a supreme source of exercise for all. Members are reminded that children are only permitted to attend the Family Session, and must be supervised by an adult. Club officials appointed at the Annual General Meeting are:President: Peter M. Robertson Treasurer: Gordon M.Inkson Secretary: Angus J. Thompson

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Women's Hockey This year's offering makes for some very bizarre reading. Both the 1st and 2nd Xls have experienced some tremendous highs and lows throughout this turbulent season. The good news is that the highs have been as a direct result of both sides playing some of the best hockey we have seen from them for some time. However, there is no doubt that most importantly we have all had an enormous amount of fun during the hockey season - both on and off the pitch! Those of you who recognise the hockey girls having fun off the pitch regularly on a Saturday evening in the FP Club Centre will know how important this is to us. The I st XI had a steady start to the season and, as with last year, conceded less than ten goals in the whole league program. As the season progressed there was no doubt that we were in with a good shout at the league and but for two disallowed goals the league would have been ours. Right up until the last four weeks of the season any one of four clubs could have won it. and it was the closest finish to a title race North District has seen in years. In the Scottish District Cup Competition we made it through to the semi-final. Four Aberdeen Clubs contested the two semi-finals, a triumph for the North District in its own right. We played out a one-all draw with Aberdeen Ladies and then had to face the torment of a penalty shoot-out. After five flicks each, the score was four-all and the sudden death penalties began. We were in the hands of the Gods and it was not to be our day. On the third stroke in the sudden death section our flick was saved and our opposition went through to the final. We had a great set of supporters down to watch us on the day and the defeat was truly undeserved. Needless to say we will be going all-out to win the trophy next year. as we know we are capable of doing so. The highlight of our season came in the form of the Scottish District Club Championships. We had won a place at this competition having won the North District League in the previous season. We were therefore competing in our equivalent of the Champions League! It was a glorious day in St Andrews. including the weather. In a round robin event we played all of the other competitors in a tough day's hockey. Lots of our hard work and training over the years paid off in the form of some of the best hockey we have played for two or three seasons. We played as a complete unit and demolished our first opposition 4-I. (We were particularly delighted by the success of our short corner routine. which went like a dream.) In our next game we drew 0-0 with a very experienced side. We were very efficient in our third game and won 2-0. executing two very good chances professionally. Before our fourth game we knew we had to win and we could not have been happier with the 3-0 result in our favour. We then watched the final game of the tournament where the result meant that no-one had caught us on points and we were crowned Scottish District Club Champions. Our short corner routine worked well for us. We scored five of our goals this way. with Morag Wisely pushing every ball out perfectly for a stick-stop at the top of the circle from Nikki Fox followed by five, inch perfect, executions from Emma Hendry. Emma's tally for the day was in fact two hat-tricks, she having also netted a penalty stroke during one of the games. All the players would like to extend their thanks to the travelling support who cheered us on throughout our great day. It was the first time we have won this title, a fact of which we are very proud. The 2nd XI have been particularly well captained this year by Claire Hastie. She has rallied the troops week-in and week-out and it would be fair to say the 2nd Xl have played some of the best hockey we have ever seen from them. This makes it particularly surprising. and we are saddened to report, that they have been relegated this year. This follows a number of other strange results in the league. They were pipped at the post by a point and very disappointed to be relegated. However. on a very positive note, things are shaping up very well for the future. We have attracted a number of younger players who will gain in experience in the Second Division and undoubtedly it will not be too long before we have our 2nd Xl back up with the 1st Xl in the First Division. It will be an excellent opportunity for us to rebuild the Club and encourage more younger players to participate in the adult hockey scene. 66

Former Pupils' Club Section

As ever, we excelled at socialising throughout the year. A number of our members have announced engagements this year, which resulted in several extra nights of celebration. We also kept up our regular attendance at the FP Club Centre on a Saturday night where about the last subject matter is hockey by 5 o'clock! Once again we had a very successful Race Night and a thank you again goes out to all our sponsors for their assistance with this event. Finally, we will take our annual public opportunity to graciously thank Richard Wallis for all his expert umpiring assistance. A more dedicated and devoted assistant we could not wish for. We would also like to thank the supporters who have travelled both near and far to give us the extra encouragement we sometimes require to give a little bit of oomph in our matches. Your presence is always appreciated. Two of our members must also be thanked for their continued support of the School Girls' Hockey on Saturday mornings. Morag Wisely and Sari Johnson have both done this for more than a couple of years now and their efforts are very much appreciated. On a slightly different note we would like to congratulate Sari Johnson on her C Grade Umpiring Badge. This is a great achievement and hopefully the first of many more from the ladies' section. As a footnote to this year's Report we are delighted to advise that we have started working with the Scottish Hockey Union as part of their Club Development Program. This project is in its infancy at the moment but hopefully by this time next year we will be able to report some steps forward in the Club's development. We look forward to keeping you posted on all this. P.S. - For the record, new members are always welcome. Please contact one of the following for information on training etc: President - Wendy Watson - 325579 Secretary - Emma Hendry - 313386 1st XI Captain - Kim Stewart - 647481 2nd X1 Captain - Claire Hastie - 322832 Annual Dinner The 1999 Annual Dinner was held in the Queen's Hotel, Aberdeen on Friday 29 October, with the President, Mr Charles Ritchie, in the chair. The attendance was similar to that of the previous year. The Hotel provided an excellent meal which appeared to satisfy everyone, after which the traditional toast-list was followed. The principal toast, to "The School and the Club". was proposed by Professor Michael Meston who, like his immediate predecessor, is a past president of the Gordonian Association. In the course of his remarks he acknowledged the distinction between himself as an enthusiastic hockey player and cricketer, in contrast to the President's well-known dedication to and enthusiasm for the game of rugby. As has for long been standard practice, Prof. Meston had been given the chance to read recent issues of the Magazine as suitable preparation for his speech, and selecting from the information gleaned from these he expressed to the Rector his appreciation of the breadth of extra-curricular work undertaken by pupils in the School on top of what he knew to be a very impressive level of scholastic attainment. In his reply, the Rector highlighted various aspects of School life, drawing the company's attention to particular achievements in both academic and sporting fields. The President, in rather sombre mood, expressed his pleasure at the honour done to him by the Club in electing him to its highest office, and went on to address some of the problems currently facing both Club and Club Centre. In lighter vein, Brian Crookshanks proposed the toast to our guests, spicing this with several (mostly repeatable) stories. Mrs Pat Reed, representing Hazlehead Academy FP Club, replied. The arrangements for the evening were once again in the hands of Gordon Inkson. The following FPs attended the Dinner (in order of entering School): J.R.S. Innes (1923-35), J.C. Sellar (1924-34). B.D.D. Emslie (1929-35), A. Stuart (1932-45), I. Stuart (1933-46), B.K. Crookshanks (1934-46), M.G. Lyall (1935-48), I.M. Duguid (1938-43) J.W. Cradock (1940-46), A.G.B. Young (1940-47), H.B. Paterson (1941-50), H.A.S. Hamilton (1943-56), A.K. Campbell (1944-53), J. Gauld (1944-53), D.R. Harper (194458), R.F. Tyson (1944-49), C. Ritchie (1945-51), J.M. Clark (1947-59), F.K.S. Lawson (1947-62), M.L. Wolkoff (1947-59), R.W. Grant (1948-61), R.S McKay (1949-57), R. Gray (1951-65), J.F. Hendry (1951-65), H.E. Morrison (1951-65), J.C. Lyon (1953-59), 67

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

F.I. Lloyd (1958-65). M.A. Batchelor (1959-65), D.N. Yule (1960-66), N. Garden (1960-66), P.M. Robertson (1967-73), D.G. Moir (1969-75). A.J. Thompson (1969-75), D. Harley (1974-80), I. Taylor (1974-80). D.T.M. Reid (1975-80). R. Daly (1986-92), G.M. Inkson (1986-92), R.K.M. Pennie (1986-92), G. Robertson (1986-92), J.P.R. Williams (1986-92). D. Brown (1989-95). S. Duthie (1989-95), R. Fox (1989-95), D. Guyan (1989-95), M. Guyan (1989-95). R. Mackie (1989-95). R. Martin (1989-95), C. Milne (1989-95), N.C. Rennie (1989-95). N. Smith (1989-95), T. Trayhurn (1989-95), C. Veitch (1989-95), R. McLeod (Staff) and I.T. Stephen (Staff). The May Ball Following the success of last year's event and the recommendation of the previous year's Entertainments Committee. the second annual May Ball took place on 20th May 2000 at the Queen's Hotel. Aberdeen and was presided over by the President. Dick Tyson. The event was open to all FPs, Club Centre Members and the Sport Sections, with their guests. Although not as well supported as last year, for a variety of reasons, the cross-section of ages attending guaranteed a vigorous and enthusiastic evening. It should be noted that the majority of the company got fully into the Ball theme by attending in evening dress, a significant change from last year. This considerably helped the feel of the evening and made for an impressive sight on the dance floor. The Club President. who had travelled from Yorkshire, welcomed the company. This was his second evening of stamina-sapping endeavour, as he had attended the 1947/49 class reunion the night before. The successful format of last year was repeated, with an excellent buffet; repeat visits to the table were noted and showed a remarkable similarity to last years 'seconders'. There followed two games of Irish Bingo for prizes of champagne and wine. Anyone who does not know the game just has to imagine the opposite of the normal bingo game - enough said! The same band as last year, the Gordonairs. then started the main event of the evening, the dancing. Much could be said of dance floor antics, but suffice to say that everyone entered into the swing of things and many a birl and Chasse was performed with relish. The atmosphere of the whole event was considerable enhanced by the Ladies' Hockey Section. who provided free entertainment when the band had a break. Their enthusiastic participation put a spring in the step of everyone there. Well done! It was an excellent evening, thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended, and it is hoped to see all old friends and many new ones at next year's Ball.

REUNIONS The Class of `69 Members of the above august grouping met in June 1999 to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of leaving "The Grammar". A small, hard-working committee had devised an interesting programme of events over two days which attracted fifty-six former class-mates, who had travelled from far and near to be present - from Hong Kong, Canada, Belgium, Sweden, England and from many parts of Scotland. not to mention Carden Place!! The week-end commenced on the Friday evening at the FP Club Centre with an informal get-together over a few pints. It was fascinating putting names to faces after so many years - the deliberate lack of name tags adding to the fun. Some were instantly recognisable but others not so!! The evening passed all too quickly, but the ice had been broken and memories of happy days soon came flooding back. Next morning a tour of the School was arranged with the help of the Rector. Bill Johnston. the Depute Rector. Helen Inns, and the Janitor. Ron Foulger - the enthusiasm of these three ensured a most enjoyable trip down memory lane, and it was very reassuring to see our old School in such good shape, despite the lack of a games hall!! On the Saturday evening a dinner was held in the main dining room at Pittodrie Stadium. Our guests for the evening were the Rector and former teachers Arthur 68

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Class of 1969 Reunion

Back Row:

A. L. Hendry, M. B. Fraser J. H. Allen, J. W. Curran, B S. Boyd. R. F. Johnstone, G. L Lawson, Dr. S. W. Cummings, N. G. M. Watt. Philip G. Edwards, D. J. Simpson, D. F. McNay, N. M. Craig, A. Clark. Peter G. Edwards, J. K. Robertson Middle Row: Dr. R. A. M. Mann. I. L. Main L M. Tait, A. L McCombie, W. May, B. T. Jones, Dr. D. S. Carroll, W. A. Petrie, J. Davies. Dr. B. E. F. Angus. Dr. D. M. Reid, M. G. Baldwin, R G. Budge, J. T. Merson, A. M. San Front Row: J. A. H. Milne, A. J. Garvie, W J. Taylor; S. G. Boyne, A. Davidson. J. W. Stephen, K H. Geddes. M. T. Wilson, W. J. Johnston ( Rector), G. K. Yule, A. Watson, 1. C. C. Fraser R. Pirie, K. H. Smith, M. H. Byres, LE. McKinunie, J. D. Fowlie

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine McCombie, Bill May and Mike Wilson. Arthur toasted the Class of '69 and Head Boy, Marshall Byres, replied and then toasted the School, to which the Rector replied. Deputy Head Boy, Dave Carroll. gave an excellent vote of thanks, resplendent in his School blazer. Another highlight of the evening was a splendid rendition of "The Ashvale" by Bert Sim. Those attending were:- John H Allen, A Bruce Anderson, Gordon Anderson, Dr Brian E F Angus, Michael G Baldwin. Brian S Boyd. Steven G Boyne. Russell G Budge, Marshall H Byres, Dr David S Carroll. Alexander Clark, Denis W Coutts, Neil M Craig, Dr Stuart W Cummings, John W Curran, Austin Davidson. James Davies. John A Dickson, Peter (3 Edwards, Philip G Edwards, Ronald W Farquhar. James Fiddes, John D Fowlie, Ian C C Fraser, Ian S Fraser, Michael B Fraser, Alistair Garvie, Keith H Geddes, Alan L Hendry. Robert F Johnstone, Brian T Jones, George L Lawson, Ian L Mair, Dr Robert A M Mann, Ian E McKimmie, David F McNay, James T Merson, J Arthur H Milne, William A Petrie, Raymond Pirie. Richard G Posgate, Dr David M Reid. J Keith Robertson, Douglas Roy, Neil F Sandeman, Graham J Shanks, Andrew M Sim, Douglas J Simpson, Dr W Cairns S Smith, James W Stephen, Ian M Tait, William 1 Taylor, Alan Watson, Nigel G M Watt, John D Whiteford and George K Yule.

The Class of 1959 The school leavers of 1959 held their third class reunion on Friday 1st October 1999 with a formal Dinner at the Athol] Hotel, King's Gate. Aberdeen. The organising sub-committee of David Henderson, Ian Logan. Jim Lyon and Mike Wood, who had been responsible for the two previous reunions of 1984 (our 25th) and 1993 (to coincide with the F.P. Club's Centenary), were again entrusted with the task. They were ably assisted from afar by Ken Campbell in Edinburgh and Peter Jeffrey in Canada. The Dinner was attended by twenty-seven former pupils, and the Class was joined by the Rector and six of our former masters. After pre-dinner drinks, a splendid five-course meal, prepared and served by the Hotel staff, ensured that the evening got off to a flying start. Chocolates (fresh from Ghana) donated by John McLaren. also fresh from Ghana, and mints stamped with the School badge, donated by Jim Lyon. accompanied the coffee and speeches. Under the quietly efficient chairmanship of Mike Wood. the toast to "The Class of 1959" was given by Ian Logan. This was a very amusing speech, which brought back many fond memories of our schooldays, and was liberally sprinkled with his own vivid recollections of his formative years. Joe Leiper then proposed the toast to "Our Masters," another well received dissertation on the foibles, idiosyncrasies and amazing patience of our masters, who did their best with such poor raw material. Jim Michie replied on behalf of his fellow guests in his usual witty. inimitable way with wonderful word pictures of "The way it was", with stories that had us rolling off our seats, and wishing he would keep going. Sadly the evening had to end, but not before many old friendships had been renewed, many tales still left untold, and with hopes that another such evening could be arranged in the not too distant future. On Saturday morning a party of exiles, who had not had the opportunity to visit the School at previous reunions, was escorted round their old stomping ground by Miss Helen Inns, the Deputy Rector, and Ian "Twinks" Stephen, whose vast knowledge of the changes in the buildings proved invaluable to the group. An informal lunch at the F.P.Club Centre followed and then, sadly, we said our farewells - until the next time. It was very encouraging that some of our former classmates had travelled great distances to be with us and showed the commitment that confirmed that the effort of organising the event was well worth while. The company present at the Reunion was: The Rector - Bill Johnston; 70

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Former Masters - Kenneth Henderson, Ivor McGee. Ronald McLeod, James Michie, Ian Stephen and Bill Williams: The Class of 1959:- Bruce Allan, Roderick Begg, Kenneth Campbell. Nick Ducat. Douglas Fettes, Roderick Forbes. Stuart Fraser, George Graham, Mike Hardie, David Henderson, John Hutcheson, Peter Jeffrey, Richard Kitson, George Lawrence. Joseph Leiper, Ian Logan, James Lyon. John McLaren, Gordon Massie, Bill Milne, Alan Silver, John Sinclair, Nick Valentine, Andrew Walker, Robert Whyte, Michael Wood and Ian Yeats. We were joined on Saturday by Forbes Smith who had come all the way from Australia, only to miss the Dinner. J.C.L.

3rd Reunion of School Leavers 1947-49 In the now familiar surroundings of the Atholl Hotel, forty-one pupils of the War years gathered once again on Friday 19th May 2000 to catch up with the latest news of friends and current happenings. As usual the customary Friday afternoon coffees in the Beechgrove Suite helped to ease the way into the proceedings, exchanging greetings, viewing school photographs and generally charging batteries for the evening dinner. At 7.15pm, together with evergreen Guest of Honour Ron McLeod, forty-one pupils were welcomed by Allan Macdearmid, and after a most appropriate grace by Ron. $ la Robert Bums, the company enjoyed a renowned Atholl dinner After a suitable (and necessary) interval our classmate Eddie Fraser, Dux of the School in 1949 and President of the FP Club in 1997-98, rose to propose the toast to - The School and the Lads of our Years". Eddie expressed succinctly the affection that existed, and was gratefully accepted by the hesitant little lads of the Lower School, from these outstanding ladies on the staff in the late Thirties and early Forties. They were friends as well as teachers. Likewise, tribute was paid to both the secondary staff who held the fort until 1945 and those who followed after returning from War service, all of whom gave us the grounding that we needed to prepare for the future. It fell to Colin McPherson to reply and this he did in a spontaneous and refreshing manner that echoed many of the sentiments expressed in the toast. He also looked forward to the continued success of the staff of the School in preserving the values which have stood us in such good stead. Although by 11.45pm the evening was supposedly drawing to a close, in truth the "hard cases" were getting comfortably settled in the downstairs lounge bar for a thoughtful post mortem on the evening's proceedings which lasted well into the sma' hours. Amazingly, by 10 a.m. on Saturday, some fifty-five colleagues and wives had crowded into the Beechgrove Suite to get the low-down on episodes, mostly humorous, which took place over the seven hundred or so years of the School's history. Allan Macdearmid began by dealing with the early centuries. This was followed by an appreciation of the many talents of Ron McLeod by Fred Lynch, after which the master story-teller took over and further raised the laughter level when recalling experiences during his teaching career at the Grammar. The weekend activities closed with a thought-provoking vote of thanks to Ron McLeod and the organising committee given by Brian Gray, in which he deduced that nobody seemed to have changed all that much in the past 52 years. Was he right ?? The members of the class present were: Bill Anderson. David Brittain, Bill Brooker, Sandy Cheyne, Harry Connochie, Bill Coutts, Peter Cromar, Leslie Cruickshank. Bill Davie, Ian Donald. Keith Farquharson, Eddie Fraser, George Fraser, Brian Gray. Ken Haining, Myron Hampton, Alastair Hume. Sandy Ingram, Albert Lawrie. Jim Littlejohn, Herbert Longmore, Malcolm Lyall, Fred Lynch. Allan Macdearmid, Colin McPherson. Ron Milne. Bill Morrice, Brian Morris. Campbell Murray. Alistair Nisbet. Hamish Paterson, Ron Sangster, Bill Simpson, Moray Slater. Ian Torvaney, Arthur Tough. Richard Tyson, Martin Wagrell, Urlan Wannop, Michael Williams and William Wood. A.M. (1941-48) 72

Former Pupils' Club Section

Aberdeen University Air Squadron This merits a place among the Reunion Reports if only because it was organised by former Squadron members, most of whom are FPs. Aberdeen University Air Squadron held its second major Reunion of recent years (the last was in 1995) in early June 2000. The organising committee was made up almost entirely of FPs and included Martin Jeffrey (1942-57). Alastair Mathieson (1943-57). John Michie (1944-58), David Parkinson (1945-59), Frank Watt (1951-62) and Ron Grant (1948-61). The activities were spread over two days and included a visit to RAF Leuchars (the current home of the combined East Coast University Air Squadrons), an informal "get-together" at the Atholl Hotel (courtesy of David Parkinson) and a trip to Balmoral. The climax of the Reunion was a formal Dinner, held in the splendour of Trinity Hall, which was attended by nearly 100 former Squadron members, wives and distinguished guests, who included Air Vice-Marshall Burridge CBE, and Lord Sewell CBE as well as the current Squadron 'boss' and several of the flying instructors and students. Back at the Athol], which has become the Reunion's base, many old friendships were renewed, incidents recalled and toasts drunk to absent friends. Dave Parkinson (spot landings) and Martin Jeffrey (aerobatics) were not slow to remind their old colleagues how they had won the Scone Trophy (the Scottish Universities' Air Squadron Competition) for Aberdeen back in 1961 - the first time that Aberdeen had won the Trophy for about ten years. It had been a marvellous weekend, of interest to many FPs who have been Squadron members or have simply enjoyed the hospitality in the Mess at Bedford Road in the 50s and, in later years, at Fairfield House.

F.P. Club Membership Subscription Rates It has, unfortunately, become necessary to increase Subscriptions, and all rates were increased on 22 June 2000 - the first increase since 1982. The new Rates are as follows: Life Membership: New Life Members: £100 plus a £15 "Top up" every 5 years. The first "Top up" payment becomes payable 5 years after Life Membership is taken out. Existing life members: £15 `Top up" every 5 years Annual Membership: Ordinary Members: £11 (or El 0 if paid by Standing Order) Junior Members: £6 (or £5 if paid by Standing Order) - applies to Members under 23 years of age on 1 January) £5 (covering remainder of year of leaving plus 1 year) School Leavers: School Leavers £20 (covering remainder of year of leaving plus 5 years) (Extended): Special Note for Members over 75: Life Members aged 75 and over will no longer have to make any "Top up" Payments. Ordinary Members aged 75 and over will no longer be required to pay any Annual Subscriptions, but will become "Long Service" Members of the Club. Payment of Subscriptions: All subscriptions should be sent to the Membership Secretary as follows:Mrs Whilma Jeffrey, A.G.S.F.P. Club. The Willows. Dalmuinzie Road. Bieldside, Aberdeen AB15 9EB Tel: 01224 - 867922 Fax: 01224 - 862020 Email: martin.jeffrey@btintemet.com Mrs Jeffrey will also deal with all queries, changes of address etc.

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Honours and Awards New Year Honours Order of the British Empire Edward Michael Walker (1956-59) FRICS, was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1998 New Year Honours List in recognition of his services to Lothian & Borders Enterprise, of which he has for some years been chairman. On leaving School he trained as a quantity surveyor with the former Aberdeen County Council. After working with two construction groups for a few years. he founded Walker Group (Scotland) Ltd in 1969, which encompasses commercial and leisure development. residential development and project management. He is currently chairman of the Group and of a number of associated companies. He was Lord Dean of Guild of the City of Edinburgh from 1992 to 1996. He received the Captain of Industry Award from Livingston Industrial and Commercial Association in 1987. Honorary Degrees At the Summer Graduation Ceremony held by Robert Gordon University in July 1999 an Honorary Degree was conferred on a Former Pupil closely associated with the Cricket Section of the Club and who presently serves on the Executive Committee. The degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) was conferred on Ian Patrick Souter (1947-61) MA. CA. In presenting him. David Caldwell. Secretary to the University, said: "It is a special pleasure to be presenting Ian Sauter for the award of an Honorary Degree at today's awards ceremony of the University, because it allows me to pay tribute to him as a distinguished and highly successful member of his chosen profession, and also as someone who has made a significant contribution to public life, particularly through his association with this University. "Ian is an Aberdonian born and educated. He attended Aberdeen Grammar School, where already he had decided that he wanted to be a Chartered Accountant. Therefore when he went on to study at Aberdeen University. he chose to take a general MA degree. taking subjects that would be relevant to accountancy. So he specialised in Political Economy and in Psychology. He says that his training in Psychology has proved particularly useful to him in later life. "Following graduation. Ian Souter joined the small local firm, Bower & Smith. as an accountancy trainee. He completed his training in 1967, and from a number of offers chose to go to London to join Whinney Murray. because they offered him £50 more and the opportunity to play cricket. As Ian was, and is, a keen sportsman. this was a well judged incentive package! "He was made a Partner in 1975. and in the same year returned to Aberdeen. His firm were the auditors for BP. and the development of the North Sea as a major area for oil and gas exploration and production made it imperative to open an Aberdeen office. It was Ian's task to establish this office, which he did with great success. Among those who assisted him were two other partners who had joined from a local firm, and one of their early discussions was about which of them was to be the office's insolvency expert. "Chancellor, insolvency work is not widely perceived by the general public as being a glamorous activity. However. Ian admits to seeing excitement and glamour in it. At an early stage in his career, while undertaking an audit in Sheffield with an older colleague who was 74

Former Pupils' Club Section an insolvency expert, he was witness to this colleague being transported by chartered helicopter to Gloucester in order to be there in time for a critical meeting. So it was perhaps inevitable that Ian should become his firm's Aberdeen insolvency expert. "Dealing with insolvency not only requires great professional expertise, but also the vision to see how insolvency can find its more positive expression, that of corporate recovery. Ian's success is that he has demonstrated both capabilities and, moreover, that he has the important attribute of being able to demonstrate genuine sympathy and understanding for those facing a crisis. "Although spending an increasing proportion of his time on insolvency and corporate recovery work, Ian continued to be involved in audit work, notably for BP and in the public sector. He also became increasingly prominent in his professional body, holding office as Chairman of the regional branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland for three years in the late 1980s, and currently serving on the Institute's investigating committee which handles allegations of professional misconduct. "Chancellor, despite an increasingly busy professional life, Ian Souter accepted an invitation in 1986 to become a Governor of Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology (as the University was then called). This has been enormously to the benefit of the University. He served as a Governor for the maximum twelve-year period permitted by Statute, holding in succession the offices of Finance Convener. Vice-Chairman and then Chairman for four years from 1994 to 1997 inclusive. His financial expertise has been valuable to the University. but it was the combination of professional excellence with fine personal qualities that made Ian such an effective leader of our Governing Body. "Ian retired as a Governor last year, and yesterday he retired from the accountancy firm he joined over thirty years ago - during which time the firm has of course changed its name several times. Ian may be retired, but he is still a young man and will find much to do. His family have always been important to him - his wife. May, whom he met at the Pre-Torcher when they were both undergraduates, their grown-up son and daughter. Gordon and Katherine. and Ian's mother and aunt. His enthusiasm for sport. both playing and watching, is as strong as it was when he represented his school at rugby and cricket and his university at cricket and squash. He still plays cricket, and plans in retirement to spend more time on the golf course and on the curling rink, as well as learning indoor bowls. Ian Souter is a fine example for today's young graduates because of his professional success, but even more because of his exceptional personal qualities - his analytical skills, his lucidity, his dedication, and above all his warmth and generosity". At the Autumn Graduation Ceremony held at Aberdeen University in November 1999 an Honorary Degree was conferred on a Former Pupil who followed in a long family line of Grammarians who were also well-known and respected members of the legal profession in Aberdeen. The degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) was conferred on Michael Stewart Rae Bruce, the Hon. Lord Marnoch, (1943-49) MA, LL.B, QC. In presenting him, Professor Douglas Cusine said: "Lord Marnoch was born in 1938, the son of an Aberdeen solicitor. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and at Loretto and thereafter at this University where he graduated MA, LL.B. Thereafter he was called to the bar in 1963. While a junior at the bar, he was appointed as counsel to the Highlands & Islands Development Board, and also to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Fishing is certainly close to his heart. "He became a QC in 1975, and had a distinguished career at the senior bar. He appeared in a number of cases involving fishing rights where his expertise on the water no doubt proved useful. He became an advocate-depute (Crown prosecutor) in 1982, a post which he held until 1986. In 1986, he was appointed to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, a position which he held until he was appointed as a judge in 1990. As a judge, he rightly seeks to maintain the high standard which the Bar sets and counsel can expect to be tested, albeit not roasted, if they are ill-prepared. 75

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine "Among his hobbies are golf and fishing. and he is frequently to be found on the Deveron. always, I assume. during the fishing season. As is the case with many successful men. I am confident that his wife Alison keeps him on the right side of the law. "Because of his interest in, and concern about, fishing, he was Chairman of the Salmon and Trout Association from 1984 until 1990 and, since 1994, he has been its Honorary President. "Lord Mamoch's particular distinction for us today is the fact that he is the only member of the Supreme Court Bench in Scotland who is a graduate in law from this University and I am not sure when that was last the case, if it ever has been. We are therefore justly proud of that and of his achievements on all fronts." Alistair Bruce Anderson (1963-69) MA joined the Graduate Management Training Scheme in the Scottish health service in 1973 and after qualification held various management posts in Edinburgh, Dundee. Inverness and Elgin. He is presently working with Grampian Health Board as a director responsible for Priority Services and Community Care commissioning. His interest in hockey has continued with local clubs wherever he has been working, and he rejoined FPs when he returned to Aberdeen in 1993. More recently he has become involved in coaching with the MBC club where his family play. Jonathan Alfred Anstock (1955-68) MEd,BA emigrated to Australia in the early '70s and spent fifteen years as Sports-master, senior teacher and then House-master at the Armidale School in Armidale, New South Wales. He changed direction in the early '90s to become heavily involved in natural therapy and spiritual healing, and he is currently the Australian Counsellor for the Spiritual Emergence Network. He is also a newspaper columnist and the author of a book The Teaching Game - a spiritual view of education, its challenges and its possible future journey in social renewal. He has continued with his theatrical work in Australia and has cut a CD with his group. Shenanigans, titled 'Southern Cross'. John David Simpson Birkbeck (1949-58) after fifteen years abroad, employed in a range of posts related to agriculture in Tanzania, Queensland. Australia and Turkey, now lives in Thurso. He has since 1993 been an agricultural adviser in Orkney, Caithness and Sutherland. Steven Grant Boyne (1967-69) arrived at Jordanhill College of Physical Education in 1969 but had a change of mind and returned to Aberdeen. where he began a summer job which lasted nineteen years. the last eleven of these as partner in a company which serviced the oil and motor industries. Since then he is still doing the same job but now with his own company, and still based in Aberdeen. David Sutherland Carroll (1956-69) MBChB, after several years in general practice in Banchory, is now working freelance, engaged in a wide range of medical activities including writing, teaching, hospital work and occasional sessions in general practice. His main interest is in cancer and, as well as a clinical commitment to the region's hospice, he has a long-standing association with Cancer Relief Macmillan. He is examiner for palliative medicine diplomas of Dundee University and the University of Wales. Peter David Carry (1957-70), who has for several years been a partner in the well known firm of Jamieson & Carry, jewellers in Aberdeen, has been appointed to the board of Scottish Enterprise Grampian. His appointment is part of a move to extend local representation on the board. Frank Gardiner Cowie (1953-59) entered the Civil Service from School. and was with HM Customs & Excise until 1967 when he entered the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen. After qualifying in 1973 he went into practice as an architect in Edinburgh where he remained for 12 years. He then entered local government service and has been with Falkirk District Council and its successor authority since then. 76

Former Pupils' Club Section Michael Cowie (1960-66) MA, MEd. has graduated PhD from Aberdeen University after five years' part-time study. He taught in various schools in the Glasgow area before becoming principal teacher of modern studies at Hawick High School in 1979. He later returned to Aberdeen as assistant head teacher at Linksfield Academy. He then took up an appointment with the British Council as a head teacher in Botswana but was severely injured in a road accident while on holiday in the Namibian Desert. After a year in a spinal unit he returned to work as a research and development officer in the education department of the former Grampian Regional Council. Neil Menzies Craig (1956-69) MA after completing teacher training worked for two years as a research assistant on a Scottish Education Department project on "The Computer as a Tool in School Geography". He then taught Geography at Hazlehead Academy, but went on to obtain a teaching qualification in Computing. Since 1985 he has been principal teacher of Computing at Ellon Academy, where he is in charge of one of the largest computing departments in Scotland. Society of Advocates' President Neil Cromar (1957-63) LL.B. who has for many years been a partner in the Aberdeen law firm of Morrison & Richards, was the President of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen in 1998-99. He had previously served as Treasurer of the Society. Caroline Elspet Cumming (1987-93) LL.B. having completed the course for the Diploma in Legal Practice and her traineeship as a solicitor, has now been admitted to membership of the Law Society of Scotland. Stuart William Cummings (1965-69) MA, PhD is currently senior director in biostatistics and data management in Europe for the US pharmaceutical company Merck. He has been with the company since 1980 and lives in Belgium. Prior to joining Merck he was for a short time a medical statistician with Berk Pharmaceuticals near Guildford in Surrey. James Bryson Davidson (1947-60) BSc, after a few years as an analytical chemist with the Macaulay Institute, the Atomic Energy Authority at Dounreay and Farquhar & Gill in Aberdeen. made his Scouting hobby his profession. After over thirty years at the Scout Association's Training Centre at Gilwell Park he has retired from a Programme and Development Manager's post and returned to Aberdeen. He is taking up a voluntary position in Aberdeen Scouting to help occupy his time. John (Ian) Anderson Dickson (1956-69) followed his degree in architecture with a year's training period in Darwin, Australia, where he worked for the Department of Housing and Construction. On his return to the UK he completed his architectural training. Part of this was carried out with George Watt & Stewart with whom he remained as an employee, and he was assumed as a partner in the firm in 1980. He has recently been President of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. Thomas Nicholas Ducat - "Nick" - (1946-59) MA . after three years in administration with the Inner London Education Authority entered general teaching and has taught at Ardrossan Academy. Bankhead Academy and is presently at Harlaw Academy, Aberdeen where he is a principal teacher. One of his sons-in-law is Grahame Whyte, assistant rector at the School. Norman Esslemont (1948-52) has been appointed chairman of Aberdeen Enterprise Trust. Joining the board of the Trust is Ramsay Milne (1958-71) who is a long-standing member of Aberdeen City Council. 77

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Douglas James Fettes (1953-59) MA, PhD. joined the British Geological Survey in 1966 and is now Group Manager in charge of onshore surveys in Scotland and the North of England. He is living in Dalkeith. James Fiddes (1963-69) MA studied librarianship at RGIT after graduating from Aberdeen University. He held posts in libraries at Wigan and Falkirk before returning to Aberdeen in 1980 as librarian for the Faculty of Design (including the former Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Gray's School of Art) at what is now Robert Gordon University. He recently moved his two libraries into the magnificent new Faculty of Management building at Garthdee. He has for some years been involved in coaching primary school and juvenile football. Stephen Charles Findlay (1965-71) BSc is working in the oil industry. For the last few years he has been working in Algeria although his family home is in Muchalls. Charles Flynn (1953-59) has had a long career in television. After completing a course at the London Film School he was a film sound recordist and cameraman with Grampian TV until 1968 when he became a lighting cameraman on dramas and documentaries with Yorkshire TV. Since 1972 he has been a producer/director on factual programmes such as It's a Vet's Life and Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. He lives in Tadcaster. Simon Fogiel (1988-94) has been president of the 2000 Aberdeen University Charities Campaign. Simon holds an honours degree in mathematics and a diploma in information technology from the University. Roderick Duncan Forbes (1944-59). has now retired after twenty years in the licensed trade in Aberdeen. For sixteen years after leaving School he served with the Metropolitan Police. John Donaldson Fowlie (1963-68) joined the post office on leaving School and initially worked on postal mechanisation. He then moved to post office telephones as a technical officer. In 1978 he switched to telephone exchange construction. upgrading exchanges from electro-mechanical units to electronic units and then to fully digital units. He became an assistant executive engineer in 1990 with responsibility for network upgrades. In 1995, with the North-east of Scotland fully modernised and BT continually changing. he accepted a redundancy package. Following a short contract with Scottish Hydro-Electric he became self-employed and carries out electrical and communication work. Executive Vice-Chairman Norman Garden (1960-66) has recently retired from the post of Managing Director of SAIC UK. the UK subsidiary of the world's largest employee-owned science and technology company, based in California, USA. He has spent his entire career in the computer industry. firstly with ICL in England and Europe followed by a spell with Aberdeen City Council in the '70s, during which time he met and married his wife. Moira. before setting off on his travels again. In 1976 he joined Hertz Europe as their Pan-European IT Manager, based in London but with responsibilities for 14 European, African and Middle Eastern countries. In 1983. he joined BP Exploration in London as Manager, Major IT Projects, transferring to Aberdeen in 1983 and then to Norway in 1984 as IT Manager. He returned to Aberdeen in 1988 and moved to Glasgow a year later when BP bought Britoil. He was leader of the Global IT teams responsible for IT in all countries where BP Exploration operated. In 1995, he left to join SAIC as their UK General Manager responsible for all operations within the UK and for developing the company's global Oil and Gas business, building this from $8m to $100m per year. In 1997, he became Managing Director and joined the company's European Management Team. Norman gave up this role in February 2000 and, while still a Director, now only works part-time. His current activities include operating as a Business Angel on an individual basis or through his Investment Company. His investment focus is 78

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related to technology, particularly information technology and the Internet. He became Vicechairman of the Club Executive at this year's AGM. Keith Harvey Geddes (1963-69 after a few years in retail management with the Fine Fare chain of supermarkets then joined the Inchcape Group in Bahrain where he was responsible for the design and opening of the first self-service liquor shop at Bahrain airport in 1975. He then moved into shipping and worked, still with Inchcape, as a shipping manager in the Middle East, returning eventually to Bahrain as manager of the company's largest shipping agency. In 1985 he returned to the UK and after a brief spell with an engineering company joined Invergordon Distillers in Edinburgh. He has survived a management buy-out, a stock market flotation and a hostile take-over, and is presently an export sales manager. Susan Tennant Grant (1988-94) graduated MA (Hons) in line arts from Edinburgh University in 1999. She is presently employed as education officer at Peacock Printmakers in Aberdeen. Michael John Hardie (1948-59) MBChB, FRCP(C) has been an Assistant SecretaryTreasurer with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (the equivalent of the Medical Defence Union in the UK) since 1990, and lives in Almonte. Ontario. He spent two years in Aberdeen after graduation in 1965. before taking up a paediatric residency in New Haven, Connecticut. Deciding to have a look at Canada before returning to the UK he held a three year Fellowship in neonatalology in Toronto, liked the country and stayed. He held posts in London, Ontario and in Ottawa in paediatrics and obstetrics/gynaecology before leaving fulltime clinical practice for his present post. Douglas Ross Harper (1944-58) MBChB, MD. FRCSE. FRCS has recently taken up an appointment with Grampian University Hospitals Trust as its Director of Day Surgery. He was previously a consultant general and vascular surgeon at Falkirk for twenty-three years, for the last five of which he was also the Trust Medical Director. Then the Harpers resided at Bridge of Allan. where he was an elder of the local kirk. Scout Leader, tried to sing in the choir and hill-walked slowly - all interests from his schooldays. He is now living in Monymusk and is enjoying being back in the North-east. His brother, John Louis Harper (1940-54) BSc(Eng), graduated from Aberdeen in mechanical engineering and spent thirtyfour years with Babcock & Wilcox in Renfrew and at Rosyth Dockyard, taking early retirement in 1993 to form his own management consultancy. The brothers were the fourth generation of their family at the School David McDonald Henson (1956-59) took early retirement in 1999 from Kodak Ltd. with whom he had spent his entire career. For twenty years he worked in their Research division on general film processing technology, motion picture troubleshooting and, increasingly, on environmental issues. He then transferred to the Imaging Systems and Technology Department which gave him the opportunity to travel widely in Europe and also to visit the USA. Canada and Russia. He is himself a professional photographer, after qualifying in 1975. He is an enthusiastic flier, having held a UK private pilot's licence since 1982 and a US Seaplane rating since 1989. While most of his flying has been in Cessna and Piper singles, he has flown a Vampire jet and an Antonov AN-2 airliner, as well as flying sea-planes in Florida and British Columbia. Michelle Gabrielle Herd (nee Flecher) (1977-82) who has assisted in the management of Gerard's Restaurant in Aberdeen, has begun a new business venture supplying a wide range of organic and special-diet foods. She is in the final year of an honours psychology degree course with the Open University. lain Stanley Hopkin (1962-68) is employed with the Halliburton Group in Aberdeen as an accountant. He is currently involved in the world's largest ever implementation of an integrated computing package for the company, which itself is the largest oil service company in the world. 79

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Kenneth McKenzie Hutcheon (1947-59) was for several years manager in information technology with the Scottish Hydro Electric Board, with responsibility for quality, database and methods. He served as chairman of the ICL International Database User Group and organised meetings and conferences in various parts of the country. After retiring from the Board he took up an appointment as computing course leader with Robert Gordon University. developing new courses. He is now a part-time lecturer with RGU and with the Open University. His son Graeme Alexander Hutcheon (1977-83) is a software engineer with IBM in Vermont. USA, while his younger son Alastair Hutcheon (1979-85) is a computer consultant in Zurich.. His daughter Lesley Anne Hutcheon (1982-88) is a chartered accountant presently employed as a company tax consultant with Arthur Anderson in Edinburgh. John I I utcheson (1946-59) CA has retired after a career as an insolvency practitioner. He is actively involved in politics as secretary of Aberdeen South Liberal Democrats, which has seen him acting as Election Agent in local, Westminster, Scottish Parliament and Euro elections - successfully in the first Scottish Parliament election. He is treasurer for the Victoria Trust for drug rehabilitation. William Robert Hutcheson ( 1962-68) LL.B, CA, after graduating in law from Aberdeen University in 1971 joined Thomson McLintock (the predecessor firm of KPMG) and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1974. After a spell in industry, Bob transferred to KPMG in London before returning to Aberdeen four years later. He was made a partner in the firm in 1980 and in October 1999 became the Aberdeen office Managing Partner. Jeffrey Hyland (1946-58) joined the Clydesdale Bank on leaving School. After serving with various branches in the north-east he became manager of the Lossiemouth and Hopeman branches. He took early retirement in 1994 but continues to live near Elgin. Farmers' Champion David Jack (1944-50) BSc. DipAgri, DipTropAgri, was the subject of a Note in last year's Magazine. It is pleasing now to report that his tremendous contribution to agriculture and his tireless efforts on behalf of his fellow-farmers have been recognised. He has received the Press & Journal 1999 Award for services to agriculture from the Royal Northern Agricultural Society. He is a past president of the Aberdeen and Kincardine area executive of the National Farmers' Union, served as a board member of Buchan Meat Producers for thirteen years from 1969 and was a director of the North of Scotland College of Agriculture in 1988-91. The citation for his new award refers to his very quiet but very effective contribution to the development of Scottish farming over the past 25 years and to his pioneering of the concept of farm assurance in the cereals sector which has given Scotland a unique position in the cereal markets of the world. John Peter Jeffrey (1944-59) MSc. FIEE, CEng, PEng, who joined Ferranti Ltd in Edinburgh after graduating from RGIT and Aberdeen University, has worked in the aerospace and defence business since he emigrated to Canada in 1975. His work has been project-oriented and, with his family, he has enjoyed the experience of living in Toronto, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary. He has recently moved from Calgary to Ottawa. where he has joined Nortel Networks as Director of Project Management. He was one of the founder-members of the Canadian Centre of the FP Club and is its Secretary. His many current interests include the restoration of British sports cars. Alexander Durward Johnston (1945-54) FCIBS, after National Service with the RAMC in the Medical Directorate at HQ. BAOR, joined the Clydesdale Bank, serving in various branches in the Aberdeen area. He entered the Trustee Department in Aberdeen in 1961 and held posts as Trust Officer and Assistant Manager before promotion to Assistant Trustee Manager in the bank's Glasgow Head Office. He returned as manager of the Trustee 80

Former Pupils' Club Section Department in Aberdeen in 1975. On retiral in 1995 he joined Bell Lawrie Whyte. stockbrokers, for two years as business development manager and he now acts as consultant for Shareholders Investments Research plc. He was active in the Aberdeen and district centre of the Institute of Bankers for many years. He is a keen curler, enjoys walking in the Braemar area and, when not travelling, plays golf and bowls. Norman Gin Johnston (1951-54) FRICS, FCIOB, retired from Tilbury Docks plc in January 1996. After leaving School he spent ten years as a quantity surveyor in Aberdeen. He qualified in 1960 and was awarded the Earp-Thomson prize. He moved to Salisbury in 1964 to join Reema Construction as chief estimator, progressed to director in 1967 and managing director ten years later. In 1986 he returned to Aberdeen as managing director of the newly merged Alex Hall and William Tawse construction operations. In 1988 he was 'head-hunted' to join Tilbury in Berkshire as main board director responsible for all group construction activities. lie enjoys retirement in Berkshire playing golf, bridge and arranging winter holidays. Robert F. Johnstone (1963-68) ACII, after a few years as an Inspector with Guardian Royal Exchange and Eagle Star Insurance joined Furness Houlder. insurance brokers, as account executive in Aberdeen in 1977. In 1979, with another FP, he set up a new company in Aberdeen, Johnstone Whyte (Aberdeen) Ltd. Since 1988 he has continued the business (now known as Johnstone Rose Ltd.) on his own, operating as insurance brokers and independent financial advisers. Richard F. Kitson (1947-58) MA, after working with the Ford Motor Co. at Brentwood, in Essex joined a major UK sign company in 1975 as purchasing director, becoming managing director in 1980. Since 1986 he has been director of servicing with Maiden Outdoor Advertising. George Low Lawson (1963-68) after a course in computer studies began work with 1CL in London in 1970. He returned to Aberdeen as a computer programmer in 1973 before joining Rank Xerox in Aberdeen as an office equipment salesman nine years later. In 1995 he left to establish his own business, Bon Accord Business Equipment. Joseph Leiper (1953-59) MA, DipEd. ACII, after a brief career in insurance studied English at Aberdeen University before entering the teaching profession in 1972. A year at Gordon's College was followed by eight years at Bankhead Academy, latterly as Assistant Head. In 1981 he was appointed Depute Rector at Elton Academy before moving to his present post as Rector of Oldmachar Academy in Aberdeen. He has been a member of the Business Committee of Aberdeen University since 1986 and has been Vice-Convener since 1997. A keen sailor, he was Secretary of the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club in 1992-1995. He is a former stalwart of FP Hockey. William West Leiper (1944-55) and his brother David John Leiper (1946-57) are the directors of the Aberdeen family fish merchants' business of Andrew Christie Jun. William follows in his late father's footsteps as a director of the Aberdeen Fish Curers' and Merchants' Association, while David is currently chairman of the Scottish Merchants' Federation. Frederick Ivor Lloyd (1958-65) is a Senior Communications Officer with the P&O Shipping Company, with whom he has been employed since 1969. An article by him on some of his experiences over the years and an interesting encounter with a School contemporary appears elsewhere in this Magazine. Ian William Logan (1945-59) LL.B, CA, after qualifying as a chartered accountant joined J & J Crombie as accountant/secretary. He was for twenty years from 1975 Financial Director of Bon Accord Sparkling Drinks in Aberdeen. He was appointed Financial Controller of the 81

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Royal Aberdeen Workshops for the Blind & Disabled in 1995, and in 1998 became General Manager. He is a former Deacon of the Weaver Incorporation of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen. David McDonald (1961-67) is now employed by the new Planet Scotland Internet service which was launched in various parts of the country in December. After several years with the city's Leisure Department, he had until recently been running the licensed premises 'Goldies' in Aberdeen's Crown Street - as might be guessed from the pub name, Dave's enthusiasm for Golden Oldies rugby continues unabated. John Harvey McLaren (1946-59) RIBA, FRIAS, who has worked as an architect both in government and private practice, was from 1973 to 1995 a director of J&F Johnston Ltd. He founded J&F Johnston Overseas Ltd in 1984 as a subsidiary, and thereafter headed a management buy-out in 1995. He established J&F Johnston Ghana in 1994. and is presently Managing Director of both companies. Although he prefers to be described as a general practitioner, his main work is hotel design for operators who include Golden Tulip International Sheraton, Four Seasons and Holiday Inn in Egypt, Ghana and Lebanon. Nearer home he has been involved in Historic Core conservation programmes in Jedburgh and Kelso, and in the restoration of Midmar Castle. Damien Martin McLeod (1969-73). a director of Alex Scott, Kiltmakers in Aberdeen, is the retail adviser for Scotland to Scotland Gifts.com, a new service by the Aberdeen-based Nettrak Global. The service provides Scottish producers of all sizes with access through the Internet to a global market where there is reckoned to be a huge demand for Scottish gifts and produce. David Alexander McLeod (1973-79) has recently returned from West Africa to Aberdeen, where he is the regional business developmentfmtegrated solutions manager with the Halliburton Company. Whilst working in West Africa he spent time in Angola. Gabon and Nigeria in various management positions. He is married to Gillian McCready (1976-81). Ian Ronald McLeod (1952-63) LL.B, a partner in Wilsone & Duffus. advocates. Aberdeen, has been elected President of the Scottish Law Agents' Society for 2000-2001. Ian McRobbie (1964-67) MA is now living in Selkirk and working as a civil engineering technician with Scottish Borders Council. Having left School without qualifications he was in a variety of jobs, including one as a trainee turner in Cologne, before returning to college in 1974, taking his 'Highers' and going on to study German at Aberdeen University, from which he graduated in 1980. He worked in the construction industry, at first self-employed and then with a well-known local builder, before joining Highland Regional Council in a similar post to that which he now holds in the Borders. Gordon George Massie (1953-59) has recently retired after thirty-four years with Comhill Insurance. He has been manager of various branches in the English midlands and south coast, latterly, since 1992. at Southampton. Having become accustomed to the warmer south he has no intention of returning to Aberdeen in his retirement. Alexander Milne (1947-50) trained originally as a clockmaker before undergoing National Service with the Black Watch in Dortmund, Germany and in British Guiana. On demob he went hack to the jewellery trade, but after ten years retrained as an instrument mechanic and returned to Aberdeen to a post with the engineering department of Grampian Health Board. He later went back to college where he gained an HNC in mechanical engineering and a postgraduate diploma in management studies. He then achieved a management post with the Health Board engineers. He retired recently after 26 years' service. William Hendry Milne (1956-59) MA, after a year in insurance graduated from Aberdeen University with an honours degree in history in 1966. After teacher training he taught for 82

Former Pupils' Club Section seventeen years at Elton Academy, for twelve of these years as principal teacher of history. Since 1984 he has taught at the Aberdeen Waldorf School. Charles Mulvey (1945-59) MA, has since 1981 been Professor of Economics in the University of Western Australia and was in 1999 the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Commerce. After graduating from Aberdeen University in 1963 he spent nine years as a lecturer in economics at Trinity College. Dublin and was then for a similar period Reader in economics at Glasgow University. Edinburgh Centre President Alexander John Kirby Monro (1933-37, 1940-46) BSc(Econ), LL.B. DipPhysEd, who is currently President of the Edinburgh Centre, lives in Scone, Perthshire. He retired in 1989 from the post of Principal Teacher of Physical Education, Games and Swimming and teacher of Economics at Perth Academy. He continued to teach part-time at Dundee High School and Craigclowan Preparatory School. Perth until 1995. after which he attended Dundee University where he graduated in Law in 1999. He is Honorary President of Perthshire Rugby Club which at present plays in National League 2, and occasionally referees. He gave evidence on Schools' Rugby earlier this year to Lord Mackay's Investigatory Committee on Scottish Rugby. In such spare time as remains he is a percussionist in the Tayside Rehearsal Big Band. Ian Barclay Munro (1911-22), who must be one of the oldest members of the FP Club. is still active at 94 years of age, as evidenced by a recent press report. The Extra, a news-sheet circulating in the Glasgow South and Eastwood area. referred in June to his work as President of the South East Health Forum, a patient watchdog group which is fighting for the provision of a new, custom-built hospital for the south side of Glasgow. The campaign is receiving cross-party support in the area. The Forum is also opposing the Health Board's preferred option of transferring vital services from the Victoria Infirmary to the Southern General Hospital. Neil William Murdoch (1965-71) BSc is employed with the National Rivers Authority and lives in Exeter. David James Murray-Smith (1947-59) BSc, MSc, PhD after a brief spell with Ferranti Ltd. in Edinburgh turned to an academic career in Glasgow University in 1967. He is presently Professor of Engineering Systems and Control and began a 4-year term as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in 1997. He earlier held a personal chair at Glasgow in the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Russell Keith Mostyn Pennie (1986-92) is a civil engineer. He joined Balfour Beattie Ltd. immediately after leaving School and thereafter trained in civil engineering at Aberdeen Technical College and at Robert Gordon University. He worked on various contracts with Balfour Beattie throughout Scotland. but principally in the Central belt. He then joined MTM Construction Ltd. as a civil engineer in 1997. and has since been involved in various local engineering contracts, including large road-building schemes in the Aberdeen area. William Alexander Petrie (1963-69) ACII is now in business in Kirkwall as an insurance consultant for an Orkney firm following a career with Norwich Union which took him all over the country. Initially he joined the Royal Bank of Scotland in Aberdeen and then after a short time with Guardian Royal Exchange he moved to the Norwich Union in 1973. He held posts in various branches, mostly in England, before becoming resident manager for the Channel Islands. based in Jersey. In 1991 he returned to Scotland as Sales Manager at Glasgow and finally was appointed Regional Commercial Development Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland. He took early retirement and moved to Orkney in 1997. 83

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Kenneth Edward Pirie (1948-58) has spent forty-one years in insurance starting with the former London & Lancashire Insurance Co. in Aberdeen. In 1968 he moved to Canada where he is now President of Marshall & Pirie, insurance adjusters in Ottawa. He was the founding President of Ottawa Scottish Rugby Football Club. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Insurance Institute and of the Insurance Institute of Canada. Murray George Pittock (1973-78) has been Professor of Literature at the University of Strathclyde since 1996. He is also a member of the University Court and head of the Glasgow-Strathclyde School of Scottish Studies. His most recent book is Celtic Identity and the British Image (1999). Richard Grant Posgate (1963-69) MA has been a teacher of English at Cults Academy for the past twenty-five years. James M. Rae (1964-71) MA now has his own consultancy practice, his own particular area being public relations and government affairs. He is currently working on the first ever decommissioning of a North Sea oilfield. His home is still in Aberdeen. but business has for some time taken him away for a great deal of every week. David Macaulay Reid (1956-69) MB,ChB specialised in rheumatology and held various hospital posts in the NHS or University in Aberdeen and Edinburgh before appointment as a consultant in rheumatology in Aberdeen in 1986. He moved back to the University, first as a senior lecturer and later as Reader. His main work now is running an active bone research group. Henry (Harry) William Reid (1952-61) is to step down shortly as editor of The Herald, a post which he has held since 1997. His career in journalism began in 1969 and he has served in various capacities with the Glasgow newspaper since 1983. Sandy Robb (1953-59) joined the Civil Service on leaving School and spent twenty years with the Inland Revenue, mostly in Scotland but including a period in London. In 1979 he changed course and entered the teaching profession. Since 1980 he has been on the staff of the Primary Department of Robert Gordon's College. Tracey Jayne Robb (1981-87) LL.B has been assumed as a partner in Ledingham Chalmers. advocates in Aberdeen where she specialises in commercial property development and construction law. Tracey was first reserve goalkeeper for the British Women's Hockey team at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and represented Scotland at the last Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. James Keith Robertson (1958-68) LL.B graduated in law from Aberdeen University in 1972. He served his apprenticeship with a sole practitioner in Grantown-on-Spey. After qualifying he became a partner in the firm and took charge of a new office in Kingussie. He is now himself a sole practitioner with offices in Kingussie and Aviemore. He is a keen horseman, competing in dressage, showjumping and one-day events. Timothy John Rolfe (1982-86) BSc. who has been a pilot with Bristow Helicopters since 1990 has now been promoted to Training Captain, still based in Aberdeen. Last year he graduated BA with Honours in Psychology from the Open University. Neil Frank Sandeman (1956-69) studied hotel and catering management at Napier University, Edinburgh and, following spells in Germany, Cornwall and the Lake District, returned to a management position with an Edinburgh hotel. In 1974 he joined Heriot Watt University where he is now responsible for a Restaurant and Banqueting operation catering for up to 1000 delegates, plus a vending operation and the other duties associated with feeding and catering for 4000 students and staff. 84

Former Pupils' Club Section Graham John Shanks (1956-58, 1963-69) has now set up in business on his own account after twenty-three years with British Telecommunications, latterly as senior Community Partnership Manager for Scotland, the north of England, Midlands and Wales. His interest in things military via the CCF at School continued and he served in the Royal Engineers TA, ultimately attaining the rank of Major. Peter James Sharp 11964-77) LL.B, who is the senior litigation partner with Aberdeen law firm Ledingham Chalmers, has been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in employment law. Alastair James Smith (1956-69) BSc. PhD, who followed an Honours physics degree from Aberdeen University with postgraduate studies in solid state physics, has been in Canada since 1977. He joined Ontario Hydro in its nuclear option and served in various technical and managerial positions, latterly as Nuclear Safety Manager at the Pickering nuclear plant. In 1998 he started his own business providing technical and managerial consulting services to the Canadian nuclear industry. Caroline Sarah Smith (1993-98) was the winner of Aberdeen City Council's 1999 Young People's Award in recognition of her work as a volunteer at Woodlands Hospital. For the past two years she has helped during the hospital's social therapy sessions with physically disabled adults. As part of the Award she enjoyed a four-day visit to one of Aberdeen's twin cities, Regensburg. She hopes to train as a speech therapist, but first is spending a year in Vietnam where she is teaching English to adults. William Cairns Stewart Smith (1956-68) MB,ChB, MD, PhD, who has since 1996 been Professor of Public Health at Aberdeen University, is a recognised world expert on the disease of leprosy. After three years in India, where he undertook leprosy surgery and was involved in measures of leprosy control he took a Master's Degree in Public Health, an MD in leprosy and a PhD in cardiovascular epidemiology. During 1982-90 he led the Scottish Heart Health Study based in Dundee. He was then for five years Associate Professor in Singapore working as Director for leprosy programmes in South-east Asia under the World Health Organisation which has been monitoring global leprosy and the effectiveness of a current programme to eliminate it. The disease is curable and since 1985 has been eliminated from 98 countries. It remains a problem in only 12 and the WHO aim is seriously to target these countries with a view to the complete elimination of the disease. Alexander Logan (Sandy) Speirs (1926-38) OBE, MD, FRCPILond & Glasg), DCH, was a welcome member of the company at the recent Edinburgh Centre dinner. He is now living in retirement in Bridge of Allan after a long career as a consultant paediatrician in central Scotland. He is very proud of his links with the School which he can trace back long before he was born, his father, the late Alexander Speirs. having been a popular maths and science master at the School from 1900 to 1935. Sandy tells the Executive Chairman in a recent letter that he still has a number of old photographs - which would doubtless be of interest to School and Club historians. Andrew David Stephen (1965-71) BSc is engaged in the oil industry and, after working for several years in North America, is now based at the BP-Amoco office in Aberdeen Ian Clark Stephen (1945-57) joined the former Clydesdale & North of Scotland Bank on leaving School. In 1961 he transferred to the Chartered Bank (later the Standard Chartered Bank) and served all over the Middle and Far East, finally in Kuwait. He retired in 1997 and now lives in Paphos, Cyprus. Senior Army Officer Ian McPherson Tait (1956-69) joined the Army from School, went straight to Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1971. For the next ten years he served 85

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variously at home and abroad, including a three-year degree course in Highway and Bridge Engineering at the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham. On promotion to Major in 1983 he spent two years on attachment with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle and on his return qualified as a chartered civil engineer. Promoted to Lt Col in 1992, he commanded the RE combat engineer training regiment near Camberley. After a period at the Ministry of Defence he was promoted Colonel in 1997 and spent a six-month tour in Sarajevo with NATO. He now commands the Construction Engineer School at Chatham. Conn David Taylor (1958-63) has been appointed Divisional Director in Aberdeen of HSBC Insurance Brokers Ltd. David Jonathan Taylor (1986-91) has graduated in Arts from Aberdeen University. He is already the holder of a degree in publishing studies from Robert Gordon University. After a year touring Canada he plans to continue his studies, possibly in London. to obtain a PhD. William James Taylor (1963-69), who initially joined the Clydesdale Bank Ltd on leaving School joined the British Airports Authority in 1974, working in their financial section at Aberdeen Airport. Two years later came a complete change of career and since 1976 he has been a member of the Airport Fire Service. He played hockey for various FP teams until injury ended his sporting career. Heavily involved in Scouting he is currently Assistant Area commissioner (Area Support) for the City of Aberdeen and Scout Leader of the 46th Group (Bridge of Don). Donald MacBeth Thomson (1962-65) is now Assistant Director of Finance with Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust. His hobbies include singing in the Bearsden Choir conducted by Jim Hunter, an assistant music teacher in the School in the early '60s. who still refers to the School trip to Regensburg of that era to share classical music experiences. That trip, which was a trail-blazer in its day, will be well remembered by many. His eldest brother, Kenneth James Thomson (1949-63) MA, MSc is now Professor of Agricultural Economics at Aberdeen University. A third brother, Alan David Thomson (1951-64) MBChB lives in British Columbia where he is adviser to the Provincial Government on health strategy. Nicol Stuart Valentine (1948-59) has since 1976 been managing director of Valentine Chauffeur Drive in Aberdeen. After a spell in clerical work in accountancy and insurance he returned to college and qualified as a primary teacher. He then switched to his present trade and was for four years manager of Campbell & Sellar, motor hirers and engineers. Mario Luigi Vicca (1952-56) MA. LL.B. who recently retired after almost forty years as a partner in the Aberdeen law firm of Storie Cruden & Simpson. is an external member of the City Education Committee as representative of the Roman Catholic Church. Also recently retired from the same firm is Melville Forsyth Watson (1943-56) MA,LL.B, who as well as his legal practice was also for many years a part-time chairman of the National Insurance Appeal Tribunal in Aberdeen. Melville was President of the FP Club in 1994-95. Michael Wood (1953-59) BSc. DSc was on the staff of Glasgow University for six years until 1963. He then joined the Geography Department of Aberdeen University where he has been a senior lecturer since 1983. He is a former president of the British Cartographic Society and of the International Cartographic Association, and has since 1991 been President of the Society of Cartographers. He has held visiting lectureships in Zurich and in the Netherlands. In 1997 he was awarded an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Geographic Society. 86

Former Pupils' Club Section Ian Martin Yeats (1946-59) MA, BA(Oxon), BCL(Oxon), MA(Oxon) has been a Barrister and lecturer in law at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London since 1966 with the exception of a period in 1974 when he was a visiting lecturer at the University of Adelaide. He was Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Laws from 1979 to 1999, since when he has been Dean of the Faculty. George Kynoch Yule (1963-68) trained as a mechanical engineer in Aberdeen before moving to Manchester in 1971 where he was for a couple of years a professional footballer with Bury FC. On his return he worked for a period as a project engineer with various companies in the offshore gas and oil industry. In 1979 he joined Shell UK with whom he spent almost twenty years. In 1997 he became General Manager UK for Bentec Drilling and Oilfield Systems, a German company where he successfully developed their business. At the start of 1999 he and some colleagues launched their own company, Clean Ocean Ltd, seeking to provide environmental solutions to the problems of ocean pollution both in this country and overseas

Marriages Anderson (1983-89) - At St Andrew's Church, Moffat on 10 July 1999, Craig Allan Anderson, youngest son of Mr & Mrs William Anderson, 6 Woodstock Road. Aberdeen to Fiona Elizabeth Steel, only daughter of the late Mr Allan S.C. Steel and of Mrs Margot Steel, of Johnstone Bridge, Dumfriesshire Anderson (1985-91) - At Craigiebuckler Church, Aberdeen on 24 September 1999, Euan Leask, Edinburgh to Lesley Anderson. younger daughter of Mr & Mrs Robert Anderson, 35 Woodstock Road, Aberdeen Cox (1982-88) - At Cults West Church, Aberdeen on 16 July 1999, Steven Charles Cox, eldest son of Mr & Mrs Charles Cox, 10 Mile End Place. Aberdeen to Leigh Troup. eldest daughter of Mr & Mrs Stan Troup. 11 Earlswells Road, Cults Ewen (1979-85) - At Ross Priory, Gartocharn, Dunbartonshire on 22 July 1999, Dr Hosni El-Taweel, Qena, Egypt to Fiona Morag Ewen, only daughter of the late Lt Col Robert Ewen OBE, TD, MA and of Mrs Eleanor Ewen, Holmwood, Station Road. Cardross McColl (1988-93) - At Mannofield Church. Aberdeen on 10 July 1999, Graeme Roderick McColl, second son of Mr & Mrs Roderick A. McColl. 11 Burns Road, Aberdeen to Lisa Clift, daughter of Mr & Mrs Leslie Clift, Mill Cottage. Banchory Devenick Maclean (1976-82) - At Grim's Dyke Hotel, Harrow Weald, London on 7 August 1999. Donald Robertson Maclean, younger son of Mr & Mrs Malcolm Maclean, 6 Carlton Place. Aberdeen to Juliet Millen. younger daughter of Mr & Mrs Thomas Millen. of Pinner. Middlesex Merson (1963-69) - At Rubislaw Parish Church, Aberdeen on 17 April 1999, James Tannock Merson, 73 Woodend Place, Aberdeen to Kathleen Marcella, Aberdeen Pike (1982-88) - At St Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen on 15 April 2000, Stuart Janet. of Arbroath to Laura Pike, daughter of Mr & Mrs George W. Pike, 35 Richmondhill Place, Aberdeen Wiseman (1984-90) and McAllister (1985-91) - At Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen on 12 June 1999. Martin Baddon Wiseman, only son of Mr & Mrs Alexander Wiseman. 80 Cornhill Road, Aberdeen. to Elaine Lindsay McAllister. younger daughter of Lawrence Lawson McAllister (1959) and of Mrs McAllister. 5 Seafield Drive East. Aberdeen 87

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Wood (1981-87) - At Ardoe House Hotel, Blairs, Aberdeen on 27 December 1998. Graham Watson, son of Mr & Mrs George Watson, 41 Brighton Place, Aberdeen to Sara Jane Catherine Caroline Wood, elder daughter of Mr & Mrs Alastair J. Wood. 4 Cairnaquheen Gardens, Aberdeen Wood (1985-91) - At King's College Chapel, Aberdeen on 17 July 1999. Wayne Smart, son of Mr & Mrs Smart. Dundee to Anna Rachel Theresa Isadora Wood, younger daughter of Mr & Mrs Alastair J. Wood, 4 Caimaquheen Gardens. Aberdeen

Obituaries Jeffrey Guyan Anderson (1963-67) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 29 April 2000 after a long illness. He was aged 49. After graduating from Aberdeen University he trained as a primary teacher and taught in a number of Aberdeen schools before appointment as head teacher at Walker Road Primary School in 1988. In 1993 he switched to the administrative side of teaching and became an education officer with responsibility for preschool education, overseeing the expansion of pre-school places and developing a mixture of partnership and local authority provision as well as quality assurance systems in nursery education. He is survived by his partner, Melanie. and two children. Philip Argall 'Darner Bate (1917-27) BSc. MA(Oxon) died on 3 November 1999 aged 90. Born in Glasgow, he came to Aberdeen when his father was appointed Curator of the Art Gallery and Museum. While at the School. he saw the instruments of the orchestra demonstrated by the Scottish Orchestra and was inspired to take up the clarinet. He won a Carnegie award to study pure science at Aberdeen University and after gaining an honours degree in 1932 he intended to do post-graduate work in geology. He had been a member of the university dramatic society, and was frequently employed casually by the new drama department of the Aberdeen station of the BBC. He changed course, joining the BBC in London. where his main career developed in the music department with which he became a studio manager in 1937. Rejected on medical grounds for war service with the RAF he was briefly involved in military censorship. On recall to the BBC he was the producer of the famous and much broadcast recording of the percussionist James Blades drumming out the "V for Victory" signal, the recognised symbol of European resistance. For some years after the war he was a music producer in television in the live series The Conductor Speaks in which all the foremost musicians of the day took part. From 1956 until retiral in 1968 he was employed in senior training positions. His lifelong interest in collecting musical instruments began in his schooldays when he picked up several at Cockie Hunter's famous store. He became deeply involved in the history and study of musical instruments, was the author of several publications in this field (the most important being a series of monographs on wind instruments), and was a significant contributor to the 6th and 7th editions of Grove's Dictionary of Music. He presented his collection of over 300 musical instruments and related library of methods and tutors to Oxford University in 1968 on condition that it should become a teaching collection and that a specialist curator be appointed to care for the instruments and to lecture on them. He and others have since added considerably to the 'Bates Collection', and the University awarded him an honorary MA in 1973. He is survived by his wife, whom he married in 1957. James Alexander Bothwell (1944-58) died suddenly after a short illness in February 2000 aged 59. Dr Douglas Harper (1944-58) writes: " Jimmy was a good all-rounder, his academic strength balanced by an ease in all sports, and in his final years he represented the School in both rugby and cricket. Nor were wider interests neglected as he took part in the 9th Scouts, debating, the Cadet Force and, from his father James Edward Bothwell (1915-23), there came a love of mountains. Above all, he had a great sense of fun, and while on occasion he was quick of temper he was also quick to laugh. 88

Former Pupils' Club Section "On leaving School he entered university to study law, but soon decided that it was not for him. Wanderlust took hold and he purchased a Landrover and headed for India with farepaying passengers, before selling the much-wanted vehicle. The 1960s saw him making regular trips, each time taking a bus load to India or Nepal and selling the bus. Soon he was holding on to the bus and running organised parties, forming, with his wife Moya, the company Aardvark Travel. This company ran expeditions in India, Africa and South America until 1980. He then returned to Aberdeen and started his own travel firm, the Aberdeen Flight Shop. "All his days he had been a collector of Asian and contemporary Scottish art, and he founded a gallery in Stonehaven. He encouraged in particular young Scottish art students and from time to time he would sell a long-haul ticket for a painting, or for that matter a cow and some chickens! This would surprise none of his contemporaries at School. Jimmy followed an unconventional road, but brought warmth and colour to all who walked with him. He is survived by Moya and their two children, Tom and Claire". John Rust Buchanan (1925-36) died peacefully at an Edinburgh nursing home on 26 March 2000 aged 81. After leaving School he trained in the licensed grocery trade and joined Andrew Collie & Co. in Aberdeen, of which his father was the principal. After war service, in which he was commissioned in the Royal Artillery, he returned to Collies. becoming managing director in 1964. He remained with the firm until its demise some years ago with the advance of the supermarket industry. Former Club and SRU President William Lewis Connon (1930-40) BL, died suddenly in hospital in Aberdeen on 2 January 2000 aged 77. Vice-Captain of Rugby and Athletics for Melvin House, he was scrum-half of the School First XV of 1939-40 and was, in addition, actively interested in the literary and debating society and scouting. He went briefly to University before volunteering for the RAF in which he served as a wireless/radar mechanic both at home and overseas. He returned to complete his studies and graduated in law in 1949. He was apprenticed to Mackenzie & Wilson. advocates, was a qualified assistant with them from 1949 to 1953 and thereafter until retiring a few years ago he was a partner in the firm. A man of sound common-sense, he earned a reputation for giving his many clients good and helpful advice. He was a member of the FP Rugby Section from the time of his return from war service, and was an effective prop forward in the front row of the outstanding sides of the late 1940s. He also played in the successful seven-a-side teams of that time. Around the same time he became a member of the Golf Section and served a term as captain of that Section. He was elected to the Executive of the FP Club in 1948 and was for a number of years Entertainments Secretary, with responsibility for very successful Annual Dinners and Balls. In 1965 he became Vice-president of the Club and Chairman of the Executive and much of his two years in office was taken up with the ongoing discussions which preceded the change-over to comprehensive education. In 1979 he was elected President and brought to his year of office all the enthusiasm that his love for and pride in the School had engendered in him. Bill was a keen golfer. and his reputation for administrative efficiency led to his becoming secretary of Murcar Golf Club and of the Northern Open Golf Championship, President of the North-east District of the Scottish Golf Union and a member of the executive committee of the Scottish Golf Union. He was also, for many years. closely involved in the promotion of boys' golf in the North-east. In 1959 he became Secretary of the North District Rugby Union and nine years later was elected as North District Representative on the Scottish Rugby Union. In 1973 he became a special representative and senior member of the SRU Committee. He was heavily involved in the development of many of the innovations of that period in relation to coaching, sponsorship and advertising, among other things. He was convener of the Championship Committee responsible for the planning and introduction of the new SRU Championship of the late 1970s. He was for a period one of the SRU's two representatives on the International Rugby Football Board. In 1986-87 he served as senior vice-president of the SRU to President 89

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine Dr. D.W.C. (Doug) Smith (1930-41), a unique FP and Aberdeen double act. He went on to succeed Doug as President for 1987-88. Bill was a fine raconteur, with a delightful sense of humour, who enjoyed the company of his fellow men and women, both giving to and taking from such company great pleasure. He is survived by his wife, Doreen. to whom he had been married for just six months short of 50 years, and by three sons and three grandchildren. Robert Lawrence Campbell Chalmers (1943-47) BL died peacefully at a nursing home near Aberdeen on 30 September 1999 aged 64. He was the elder son of the late Lawrence Chalmers, farmer of Lethenty, Inverurie. He went from the Grammar to Drumtochty Castle and then to Fettes College. His National Service was with the Royal Tank Regiment and he later saw commissioned service with the Gordon Highlanders (TA). He graduated in law from Edinburgh University in 1960 and served his apprenticeship with Dundas & Wilson CS, Edinburgh. He was an assistant solicitor with various firms in Glasgow. Perth. Macduff and Aberdeen, and was for a time with ICI in Birmingham. He commenced practice on his own account in Ellon in 1978. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. His brother is Patrick Edward Bruce Chalmers (1943-49) who is a former Controller of BBC Scotland. George Stephen Shand Cook (1948-59) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 18 August 1999 aged 58. He trained as a quantity surveyor in Aberdeen and worked initially with the building firms Doric Construction and Peter Cameron. He then moved south for a number of years and became building director of Condor Ltd.. a construction company in the Midlands, based at Burton-on-Trent. On his return to Aberdeen he joined BP Ltd as manager of their office management division until suffering redundancy on the merger of BP with Amoco a few years ago. At the time of his death he was contracts director with Gardner Merchant Ltd. George is survived by his wife, Isobel, his son and daughter, and by two grandchildren. Victor William Crockford (1953-67) died suddenly, while at work in Peterhead, on 11 May 1999, aged 50. Bill Urquhart (1955-69) writes: "Vic had more friends at School than most of us, which we put down to the fact that he repeated 4th year (he said only once, but we were never entirely convinced). Although he was unable even to spell 'diet', Vic displayed an amazing suppleness and dexterity in his position of goalkeeper for the School 1st Hockey XI. He was a vital part of one of the finest School teams that Grammar has had and, as a fitting reward for a season without defeat, he was picked to play for Scottish Schoolboys and won caps against England. Ireland and Wales. He joined FPs and played for many years in goal for the 2nd XI. He was a prominent member of the FP Club in the halcyon days of the '70s and '80s. In season 1981/82 Vic's contribution to the Hockey Section was rewarded with his election as Captain of the Section. "On leaving School, Vic started work with MacFisheries, which was the beginning of a lifelong association with the fishing industry. He started on the retail side as a trainee manager and worked in Leith for a period. In 1973. by this time back in Aberdeen, he switched to the wholesale side of the business, mainly involved with quality control in the Export Division. "When MacFish closed their operation in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh in 1982, Vic moved to Clipper Seafoods, where he stayed for a couple of years. He then worked for two smaller companies before joining R. Croan & Sons, part of the Denholm Group. These were the days of the Klondykers. and Victor would often amuse his friends with tales of large Russian skippers and even larger vodka bottles. "In 1990 he moved with Michael Croan when he set up Croan Seafoods, and finally in 1993 he became a director of Freshcatch Ltd. This new responsibility took him all over the world, visiting Canada, Germany, France. Russia and especially the Far East in search of new markets. Just prior to Vic's untimely death, the company had embarked on a large expansionist programme. 90

Former Pupils' Club Section "Vic genuinely loved his job. He worked extremely hard and was respected by all who knew and worked with or for him. I never knew Vic to knowingly undertake an action that would harm another human being. He was a man in whose company I felt completely at ease. He was truly my friend and he is sadly missed. Vic is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son". James Cruickshank (1927-28) BEM, died peacefully at home in Inverness on 10 October 1999 aged 86. Originally from Fyvie, he came the School at the age of 14, entering Modern IVa. He then joined the old North of Scotland Bank, serving in various places in the Northeast. In 1950 he took up a post with the National Farmers' Union and was for some time Area Secretary to the Banffshire Executive of the Union and Group Secretary of all seven Banffshire branches. Ten years later he was appointed full-time Area Secretary of the Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire Executive and Secretary of the Aberdeen District Branch. He was later Area Secretary of the larger Aberdeen, Kincardine and Banff branch of the Union. His sterling work for the fanners in his area was recognised by the award of the British Empire Medal. He retired over twenty years ago, and is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Francis Robert Dalziel (1939-52) MA, PhD died peacefully in Adelaide. South Australia on 21 May 1999 aged 64. He studied at Aberdeen University where in 1955 he shared the junior honours class prize in psychology, going on to graduate with first class honours in that subject the following year. He was awarded a Carnegie Scholarship for post-graduate research in psychology and obtained his PhD in 1958. He was a lecturer for two years in Indiana before taking up an appointment as lecturer in psychology at Adelaide University. Australia where he spent the rest of his career. At the time of his death he was a senior lecturer. He was unmarried. Brian Stuart Cooper Donald (1948-51) LTh died suddenly in hospital in Aberdeen on 5 August 1999 aged 66. He completed his National Service in the Royal Air Force, attaining the rank of Flight Sergeant. In his late twenties he was called into the service of the Church of Scotland having, while a member of Rutherford Parish Church in Aberdeen, been encouraged to think about training to become a Missionary. Following his studies at Christ's College and Aberdeen University he gained his degree and then trained at St Colm's College, Edinburgh. In December 1967 he was appointed by the Church of Scotland for service with the Church of Pakistan. On his return to Scotland in 1972 he was ordained and inducted to Rutherglen East Parish Church. In 1979 he was called to the charge of Monquitter and New Byth in rural Aberdeenshire where he served faithfully for eighteen years. In Buchan Presbytery he served as Moderator in 1987/88, and was also its precentor and pianist for several years. His sudden death, just a year after retirement, was a shock both to his family and to his many friends and colleagues. Alexander James Duffus (1932-38) BL died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen, after a short illness, on 7 October 1999 aged 75. He completed his school education at Glenalmond before war service with the Royal Air Force, attaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. After the war he attended Aberdeen University where he graduated in law in 1950. He served his apprenticeship with Wilsone & Duffus, advocates, with whom he then served as an assistant before being assumed as a partner in 1953. He succeeded the late James Bryce Esslemont as senior partner in 1976 and retired in 1991. although he continued actively as a consultant with the firm until a few months before his death. He was a director of several companies including the Northern Board of the Commercial Union Assurance, Aberdeen Savings Bank and later TSB Scotland. He was a member of the Council of Trinity College, Glenalmond for many years, serving latterly as its chairman. He was for many years adviser to Hall & Tawse and played a prominent role in the formation of Aberdeen Construction Group for whom he continued to act until they were taken over by Raine Industries plc. 91

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Ian Ronald McLeod (1952-63) LL.B. one of his partners, writes: 'The death of Alec Duffus marks a sad moment in the history of city legal firm Wilsone & Duffus, as well as, of course, for his family, friends, former colleagues and clients, by all of whom he was very highly regarded. Although the Duffus family were not founders of the firm, which was set up in 1796, the firm name was changed to Wilsone & Duffus when his grandfather was assumed as a partner in 1892. At the time of the firm's Bi-centenary in 1996 he gave a short interview to a journalist, whom he told that money isn't everything, and that his philosophy was very much that clients came first. He was a quiet, kindly man who, although he kept himself to himself, was always interested in what was going on about him. He enjoyed shooting in the winter, in particular pheasant shooting, and was fond of a good whisky". He was the son and grandson of former Presidents of the FP Club. both of whom were also in their time partners in Wilsone & Duffus. His grandfather Alexander Duffus (1871-76) was President in 1910-11, while his father James Catto Duffus (1897-04) was President in 1951-52. His brother Dr Adrian Michael Campbell Duffus (1932-38) died in 1997. Alec Duffus is survived by his wife and by three sons, one of whom, Peter James Duffus, was at the School in 1959-67. Kenneth Stroud Duncan (1948-54) LL.B, died very suddenly and unexpectedly at his home in Surrey on 18 November 1999 aged 63. After leaving School, where he was scrum half in the 1st XV of season 1953-54. he entered the Civil Service in the Department of Inland Revenue. He served as an Inspector of Taxes and, in 1965, qualified as an Associate of the Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants, of which he later became a Fellow. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Taxation in 1969 and thereafter took up a post in the tax division of Texaco Trinidad Inc. in Trinidad. While there he was awarded his first International Cap (at the age of 34) when he was twice selected for Trinidad & Tobago National XV as scrum half. He also acted as Club Consul for Trinidad. After four years he returned to the UK where he became tax adviser to the Esso Petroleum Co. in London with responsibility for advising the company's board of directors on all taxation matters, including Customs and Excise duty. In 1974 he graduated LL.B with honours from London University and he became a Barrister-at-Law of Gray's Inn in 1976. He was later employed with Gillette and then with Duracel Europe. where he was director of taxation. He served on the ACCA Council from 1980 until his death, and was President in 1993-94. He represented the UK profession on the Ethics Committee of the International Federation of Accountants. Before his involvement in rugby at School he had been a keen footballer. After leaving School he took up golf and enjoyed playing throughout his life. He was, in recent years, also a keen bowler. Ken is survived by his wife, Norma, and by a son and daughter. Robert Patrick Duthie (1923-35) died peacefully on 20 May 2000 after a long illness, aged 81. He joined the Aberdeen City Architect's Department in 1947 and spent his entire career there. He was appointed Chief Assistant Architect in 1955 and became Depute City Architect in 1970. Some twelve years ago he and his wife left Aberdeen to live with their daughter in Poole, Dorset. Sadly his wife died not very long after the move, but Bob stayed as the much respected patriarch of the family in Dorset. He was proud of his old School and often spoke of it. He is survived by his daughter. Former Hockey Stalwart William Gatt (1944-48) died in hospital in Aberdeen on 16 July 1999 following a long illness. He was aged 67. Keith Campbell (1944-53) writes: "Bill arrived at the Grammar from Skene Square School, where he was Dux, in 1944. During his time at the School he took a keen interest in sport, especially hockey which was to play a great part in his life. He was a scout with the 9th Troop. On leaving School he took up employment with the Commercial Bank in Aberdeen and later in Huntly. He spent his National Service in the signals section of the RAF, mainly in the Middle East, in Transjordan, Turkey and Iraq. He returned to banking for a brief spell 92

Former Pupils' Club Section in 1952 and subsequently joined the Health Service as an accountant with Aberdeen Special Hospitals. He was variously assistant hospital secretary, Royal Aberdeen Sick Children's Hospital and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, assistant sector administrator, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and hospital services administrator at the City Hospital, Aberdeen until he retired due to ill health in 1992. Having spent almost 40 years in the Health Service, he was known, respected and admired for the meticulous and fair manner in which he carried out his duties in sometimes difficult circumstances. "Bill took his organisational skills into FP Hockey both as a player and an official. He was Club secretary for many years. His love of the Hockey Section knew no bounds and his contribution will be remembered in many ways. One of his great achievements was masterminding the Section's 50th Jubilee single-handedly. He was inspirational in setting up The Grammarian Gazette which brought a great sense of camaraderie within the club and a great social awareness of how proud one was to be a member of the FP Hockey Section. 'Ihe greatest moment during Bill's involvement with FP Hockey was when FPs won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1964. This joy was repeated in 1966 and Bill was a proud member of that team. "Bill's sporting activities were not confined to hockey. He played badminton, tennis and golf, each with a keen sense of competition coupled with a large measure of enjoyment. His hockey career extended until the mid-1980s. The onset of diabetes did not deter his participation. Many an FP or Grammarian will recall Bill enjoying his half-time sandwich to balance his sugar levels so that he could play a full part in the game - but then Bill was determined to do any task to the best of his ability. "Between 1957 and 1961 he served on the FP Club Executive. He was a keen churchgoer and ran the Sunday School at Woodside South Church. He is survived by his wife, Helen, and by a son and daughter." John William Reid Gray (1931-45) MA, LL.B died suddenly at his home in Ballater on 5 June 1999 aged 72. At School he was President of the Literary & Debating Society in 194445 and one of the School editors of the Magazine in that session. He proceeded to Aberdeen University where he graduated in Arts in 1949 with honours in Moral Philosophy/English, and in Law in 1952. While at the University he was President of the Debater and an editor of the student newspaper Gaudie. He was also involved with student Shows. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1954 and shortly thereafter was appointed by the Colonial Office to be a resident magistrate in Uganda. One of the cases which he heard was a breach of the peace charge against Sergeant Idi Amin. Following the granting of independence to Uganda he returned to Scotland in 1962 and was for a short time a depute Procurator Fiscal in Glasgow. In 1964 he was appointed lecturer in Scots Law at Dundee University from which he retired in 1986. He was unmarried. Alexander Ross Hewet (1926-32) MA died suddenly in hospital in Aberdeen on 24 April 2000 aged 86. While at Aberdeen University he took a leading part in the Students' Show of 1936 along with two other FPs. He graduated in Arts later that year, with Honours in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. He held teaching posts in Leith and at Trinity Academy, Edinburgh prior to war service as a Lieutenant in the RNVR engaged in scientific research. He took up a post as a maths teacher at Robert Gordon's College in 1945, moving as principal teacher of maths at Banff Academy in 1951. He was appointed lecturer at Aberdeen College of Education in 1962 and became a senior lecturer in 1968. He retired over twenty years ago. He is survived by his wife, to whom he had been married for 54 years, and by a son and daughter. Former Golf Section Captain Kenneth William Hunter (1928-41) died peacefully at his home at Balloch. Inverness on 13 December 1999 aged 76. After leaving School he served in India with the Royal Engineers and Indian Engineers, attaining the rank of Captain. He then served his apprenticeship as a civil engineer with Arch Henderson & Partners (Aberdeen), later working with 93

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine William Tawse before joining Lewis Middleton as an engineer. He rose to be managing director. In 1972 he founded Hunter Construction (Aberdeen) Ltd with six of a workforce there is now a staff of 150 carrying out a wide range of projects in the north and north-east of Scotland. Ken was managing director and later chairman of the company. He was a past president of the Aberdeen Association of Civil Engineers. He was a member of the FP Rugby Section in the immediate post-war years and played as a forward in the celebrated XV of 1947-48 when FPs were the unofficial Scottish club champions. He was a Scottish rugby trialist and also played for Highland when he worked for six years in Inverness. He was a keen golfer and was for many years a member of the FP Golf Section, which he captained in his turn. He was a member of Royal Aberdeen, of which he was captain in 1979. and also a member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. When he retired he returned to the Inverness area, where he continued his golf with Nairn West and the Fortrose and Rosemarkie clubs. He is survived by his wife and a son and daughter. lain James Inkson (1957-62) BSc(Eng) died suddenly in hospital in Aberdeen on 14 March 2000 aged 55. After leaving School he initially joined the New Zealand Shipping Company as a ship's engineer, but returned to study at Aberdeen University. where he was a keen member of the Naval Unit. After obtaining a degree in engineering he taught at Summerhill Academy for a time before taking up a post with the oil company Odcco. In the late 1970s lain commenced employment in Aberdeen with Baker Oil Tools, later becoming their chief design engineer. lain and his family spent three very happy years in Singapore during 19811984 when he was involved in the new Baker Oil Tools plant there. lain was a keen follower of, and participant in, all sports, but principally cricket. He and a number of school friends were involved in setting up the highly successful Saracens Cricket Club, an off-shoot of the YMCA team, who refused to play on Sundays. lain was the opening bowler and, assisted by a number of exceptionally gifted West Indians working in Aberdeen, Saracens enjoyed great success, including becoming Grade I champions. lain was a member of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club and of the FP Golf Section, and greatly enjoyed attending their outings and the Taymouth Castle weekends with his son Gordon Mackay Inkson (1986-92). lain is also survived by his wife Marianne. with whom he celebrated their Silver Wedding in 1998, and by his daughter Susan Rose Inkson (1988-94). His younger brother Dennis Wright Inkson (1960-66) lives in Aberdeen. David Paul Johnston (1958-71) MA died at Aberdeen on 13 September 1999 after a long illness. He was aged 46. Dave ("Stoney") was a keen musician and a follower of Aberdeen Football Club. At School he acquitted himself well on the wing in the year rugby team, as well as being a stalwart of the Folk Music Club. From School he attended Edinburgh University where he graduated with an honours Arts degree. Thereafter he taught in several international schools in Europe and the Far East. He returned to Aberdeen in 1996 with his wife and two young children when his condition was diagnosed. Following his return, Dave formed a band and participated in fund-raising activities for the Anchor Unit cancer charity which provided him with much support during his final years. During this time he also re-kindled acquaintance with schoolmates Neil Murdoch. Steve Findlay, Andrew Stephen and Jim Rae. Dave is survived by his wife, son and daughter. His brother,Victor William Johnston (196066) MB,ChB is in general practice in Inverurie. John Fraser Kirk (1937-47) MA. BD. PhD died peacefully in hospital in Edinburgh on 25 October 1999 aged 70. While at Aberdeen University he played hockey for FPs. After graduating in Arts with honours in Classics he went on to take a degree in divinity in 1955. He was for a time an assistant in St Cuthbert's. Edinburgh, was licensed in 1955 in Rubislaw Church, Aberdeen. and was called to St Serf's. Dysart. Fife. In 1962 he moved to St James'. Forfar and eight years later was called to Morningside Parish Church. Edinburgh where he remained until retiring a few years ago. He was from 1959 to 1977 Senior County Chaplain 94

Former Pupils' Club Section to the Army Cadet Force in Fife, and in recognition of this was awarded the Cadet Forces Medal and Clasp. In 1979 he received a doctorate in philosophy from Aberdeen University. John was a member of the Edinburgh Centre of the FP Club and was regularly in attendance at its annual dinner. He is survived by his wife and a son and daughter. Alistair George (Peter) Littlejohn (1940-53) BSc(Eng) died peacefully on 15 June 1999 aged 64. At School, he was a Prefect in his 6th year and was Keith House captain, House Athletics captain, School Sports editor of the Magazine, and a successful wing forward in the First XV. He proceeded to Aberdeen University where he graduated with First Class honours in civil engineering in 1957. He was employed as a civil design engineer and as a hydraulics research site engineer in Knutsford for two years before moving to a similar post in Trawsfynydd in 1959. In 1966 he became a senior site engineer and building project manager with Nuclear Civil Construction, a subsidiary of Trollope & Coils, in Liverpool. On appointment as a director of Trollope & Coils in 1971 he moved to their head office in London and became managing director six years later. Thereafter he transferred to Higgs & Hill (Design & Build) as their managing director, still based in London. He retired in 1992, but continued to work as a pan-time consultant. He is survived by his wife Mairwen and by a son and daughter. His elder brother was James Henry Littlejohn (1936-49) who now lives in Edinburgh, and his younger brother, David Littlejohn (1944-56) died in 1997. David Lorne McDougall (1922-28) CA died peacefully in hospital in Victoria, British Columbia on 26 January 2000 aged 83. His family left Aberdeen before he entered the Upper School, and he completed his education at first in Norfolk, Nebraska and later in Winnipeg. His first job was as an office boy for the Searle Grain Co. in the Winnipeg Grain Exchange. Soon he entered the Civil Service of Manitoba when, in 1934, he was appointed to the staff of John Chives Murray Ligertwood (1903-06) who was then Comptroller-General of Manitoba. He spent eighteen years in the audit branch of the Manitoba Government, qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1959. During 1939-1945 he served in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (Reserve). He left the Canadian Civil Service to become Secretary of AEI Telecommunications (Canada) Ltd. in Winnipeg, from which post he retired in 1981. In Winnipeg he was active in the Junior Chamber of Commerce and in various clubs and societies. In 1986 he moved west to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, where his brother and a cousin then lived. There he was able to enjoy his hobbies including photography and music, and to involve himself with the Saltire Society of Victoria, the English-Speaking Union of Canada. He was also active in charity work, especially with the Canadian Cancer Society. His brother Charles Ivan Rees McDougall (1925-28) died in 1994 and his cousin Ian Anderson McDougall (1918-26) died in 1996, both of them in Victoria. Another cousin is Douglas Herdman McDougall (1921-33) who is a retired accountant living in Aberdeen. William Milne (1927-39) died in hospital in Aberdeen on 5 March 2000 aged 79. While at Aberdeen University studying medicine he volunteered to join the Royal Air Force. Following active service he was discharged on medical grounds. Instead of resuming his medical studies, he joined the family business of Donald Sinclair Ltd., herring merchants and fish curers in Aberdeen with whom he spent the rest of his working life. He was in his younger days a keen member of the FP Rugby Section and was also a member of the Golf Section. He is survived by his wife and by a son and daughter. William Brewster Rae (1920-24) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 26 August 1999 aged 91. After leaving School he served an engineering apprenticeship with William McKinnon & Co. in Aberdeen before becoming an engineering assistant on the Da1k-oh Tea Estate in Bengal in 1930. By 1938 he had moved to Assam and the rest of his career was spent on various tea estates there. He retired in 1963 and returned to live in Aberdeen. In retirement he followed a life-long interest in antiques. He is survived by his wife Margaret, 95

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine with whom he celebrated their Diamond Wedding in October 1998, and by a son and daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Henry William Rankine (1925-35) BSc(Eng), AMICE, MIStructE died peacefully at his home in Gullane on 9 May 1999 aged 81. A son of the manse he came to Aberdeen as a boy of seven when his father was called to Trinity Church •in Aberdeen. From School he proceeded to Aberdeen University where he graduated in 1938 with a degree in civil engineering. He worked briefly with roads departments in Banff County and Hull City before war service as an officer in the Royal Engineers. After action in Greece he was evacuated to Crete and there taken prisoner by the Germans. He remained as a POW in Germany until 1945. In 1947 he joined the staff of the Aberdeen County Surveyor and Engineer, becoming divisional road surveyor for the South division of the county in 1951. From 1962 until 1975 he was County Road Surveyor for East Lothian and thereafter he was a consultant to Mason & Partners, consulting engineers in Edinburgh. until retiring in 1978. Dr J.R.S. (Donny) Innes (1923-35) writes: "Bill was a keen golfer and a loyal member of several clubs including Royal Aberdeen, North Berwick and Luffness New, of which last he was made an Honorary Life Member, an honour and privilege of which he was rightly proud. He was a fervent Clubman. originally of the University Club in Rubislaw Terrace and then of the University and Northern Club in Albyn Place, of which he remained a country member until his death. "In his later years. when almost totally confined to his house in Gullane. he became a crossword addict and indulged himself completely in the daily news, reading avidly most of the reputable broadsheets, and from this exercise he developed a reputation as a significantly worthwhile commentator on domestic and world affairs. He was always an excellent conversationalist and had a very pawky sense of humour". Bill's younger brother James Ian Raeburn Rankine (1925-37) died a few years ago. He entered the Merchant Navy in 1937 as a cadet with T&J Brocklebank & Co., Liverpool and obtained his 2nd Mate's "ticket" before the outbreak of war in 1939. He remained in the merchant service until 1946, after which he was for a time with the Ordnance Survey in Edinburgh. Thereafter he was employed in the Edinburgh Corporation Planning Department. He retired several years ago. John Ferguson Semple (1929-41) BSc, AMICE, AMIME, MEI(Can) died peacefully in an Aberdeen nursing home on 4 January 2000 after a long illness, aged 76. He graduated first in 1944 with a science degree in mechanical engineering, after which he served until 1947 in REME, for much of that time in South-east Asia Command. attaining the rank of Captain. He returned to Aberdeen University and in 1948 graduated again, this time in civil engineering. He was for a time an assistant in the Aberdeen County engineer's department before joining S.B. Russell & Sons Ltd in 1951. Two years later he took up a post as resident design engineer with a company in Montreal, moving to Urwick Currie Ltd, also in Montreal, as management consultant in 1955. While in Canada he was actively involved in the Territorial Army, serving with the Royal Engineers. He returned to the UK in 1959 as consultant to Urwick Orr & Partners, moving the following year to Aberdour. In 1962 he became managing director of Kinord Associates in Aberdeen. with whom he remained actively associated until the early '90s. A keen climber and hillwalker in his younger days, he was a lifelong golf enthusiast and was a member of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. He is survived by his wife, daughter and grandchildren. He was the youngest son of the late Dr Robert Semple (1894-1905). His eldest brother was Dr Robed Semple (1923-34) who died in 1988. His surviving brother is Brigadier Roderick F.M. Semple (1927-38) Michael John Anthony Stubbs (1954-60) died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 3 April 2000 aged 57. He came to the Grammar from a school in Cardiff, and for much of his life lived in the Ferryhill area of Aberdeen. Latterly he had lived in Rosehearty. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. 96

Former Pupils' Club Section

James Ferguson Tinto (1923-30) MA died suddenly at his home in Aberdeen on 19 December 1999 aged 84. He had a lifelong interest in and enthusiasm for drama, which led to his becoming an accomplished actor and performer. He was often heard on BBC Radio in the 1950s. He was a late entrant to the teaching profession after taking an honours Arts degree at Aberdeen University in 1962. He taught English at Aberdeen Academy for five years before moving to the Grammar in 1968. where from 1973 until his retiral in 1981 he was assistant principal in the English department. Well-known for his left-wing political activism throughout his life, he was heavily involved with the Educational Institute of Scotland of which he was assistant regional secretary in the late 70s and early 80s. He was one of the longest-serving members of Aberdeen Trades Council and in retirement was active in the Grampian Senior Citizens' Forum, fighting for pensioners' issues. The Magazine of June 1981, at the time of his retirement, contained the following tribute: "He became not only a school character, but a figure well-known in teaching circles in Aberdeen and nationally through his service to the EIS and his championing of teachers' interests. Those who know him best know also his intellectual acumen, and the keen sensitivity expressed in a life-long and participatory interest in drama. Jimmy inherited his mental gifts, and developed his warm humanity in the hard school of life". He is survived by his wife, his daughter and his son, James Calder Tinto (1968-74) Former Members of Staff Richard Galloway (Staff 1966-68) BMus, FRCO died suddenly at his home in Clackmannan. on 27 May 2000 following a short illness. He was aged 57. He was a well-known, respected and highly accomplished figure in the world of choral and organ music in Scotland and beyond. He came to the Grammar in January 1966 as a young recently qualified teacher to join the Music Department. He had the distinction of being awarded the Harding Prize at his FRCO examinations and had held the James Smart Memorial Organ Scholarship at Edinburgh University in 1961-63. He moved on at Easter 1968, still only twenty-five years old, to be principal teacher of music at Dunfermline High School. He became assistant music organiser for Fife and then music organiser for Central Region in 1985. He retired in 1994. He was organist at St Andrew's Cathedral while in Aberdeen, and later was for thirty years organist and director of music at the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling. He is survived by his wife and a son and daughter, the latter being appointed principal oboeist of the BBC Philharmonic just a week or so before her father's death. Ethel Massie Hill (Staff 1950-71) MA died peacefully in hospital in Aberdeen on 14 October 1999 aged 88. Born in Balmedie, she completed her secondary education at Aberdeen Central School before going to Aberdeen University where she graduated in Arts in 1932. After training she took up her first teaching post at Bridge of Don, and while there she was became secretary of the Aberdeen area Youth Panel. She moved for two years to Victoria Road School before joining the Lower School staff of the Grammar in 1950. There she was a highly regarded teacher much loved by her young pupils, all of whom she could clearly recall in later years, and oftener than not she could tell what they were now doing and what family they had. The closing of the Lower School in June 1971 theoretically made her redundant, but she remained to assist in remedial work and in teaching English to some of the younger classes in the Secondary Department. She retired in 1974 and for many years was active in the pursuit of her hobbies and interests until a fall led to increasing incapacity. Eric Elmslie Morrison (Staff 1947-1959) MA.LL.D died suddenly but peacefully at home in Aberdeen on 3 January 2000 aged 81. Dux and Gold Medallist of the Central School in 1936. he graduated at Aberdeen University in 1940 with first class honours in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. Commissioned in the RAFVR he served in North-West Europe. In 1946 he was for a time an assistant in the Nat Phil Department at Marischal College before joining the staff of the Maths Department at the School. He was appointed lecturer in Maths at the University in 1959, becoming a senior lecturer in 1979. He was a member of the 97

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

University Court from 1968-79, Editor of the Aberdeen University Review for twenty years from 1969 and Convener of the Business Committee of the General Council of the University from 1979. His tremendous service to his Alma Mater was recognised in 1987 when the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on him. He is survived by his widow. His son Harvey Elmslie Morrison (1951-65) CA is Treasurer of the Club Centre, and his grandchildren both attended the School - Isla Elmslie Morrison (1989-95) and Geoffrey Elmslie Morrison (1992-98)

98

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Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Abstract of Accounts for Year ended 31 December 1999 Former Pupils' Club Income and Expenditure Account

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 - Amenities Fund School - Prefects' Badges Accountancy Fee Corporation Tax Entertainments - deficit Miscellaneous

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR

100

1999 £

1998 £

1,425 939 3,500 202 739 3,570 150 1,389 27 11,941

1,156 846 3,500 269 739 4,010 84 1,952 24 12,580

4,718 517 3,500 1,197 520 249 500 558 150 535 358 12,802

4,650 590 3,500 1,507 620 403 500 345 558 152 192 198 13,215

(861)

(635)

Former Pupils' Club Section

Balance Sheet

HERITABLE PROPERTY

1999 £ 113,644

1998 £ 111,716

INVESTMENTS

13,292

13,292

434 7,512 13,075 21,021

599 4,566 11.191 16.356

91,810 834 10,376 103,020

91,810 114 5,882 97,806

(81,999)

(81,450)

44,937

43,558

17,841 1,923 1,050 20,814

16,080 1,923 1,050 19,053

972 696 2,338 6,487 13,630 24,123

841 627 2,194 6.352 1.4,491 24,505

44,937

43,558

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

101

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine

Abstract of Accounts for Year ended 31 December 1999 F.P. Club Centre Income and Expenditure Account 1998 £

£

£

BAR ACCOUNT 122,344

5,395 63,634 69,029 5,484 63,545 58,799

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)

114,359

BAR SALES COST OF SALES Stock on Hand at 31 December 1998 Bar Purchases Less Stock on Hand at 31 December 1999

5,484 60,687 66,171 5,067 61.104 53.255

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

10,813 6.753 213 2,531 12 73,577

31,052 19,972 16,124 522 1.669 3,500 630 1,458 1,796 7,460 5,500 4,663 1,798 96,144

DEFICIT FOR YEAR

102

(22,567)

Former Pupils' Club Section

Balance Sheet 1998 FIXED ASSETS £ 1,640 10,225 11,865

As per last Balance Sheet

Added during Year

£

£

£

£

1,640 10,225 11,865

128 128

245 1,553 1,798

1,395 8,800 10,195

Furniture and Fittings Equipment

Depcn.

CURRENT ASSETS 91,810 5,484 3,308 250 100,852

Loan Account - AGSFP Club Stock in Hand Sundry Debtors Cash in Hand

91,810 5,067 3,064 250 100,191

CURRENT LIABILITIES 32,670 13,231 7,084

39,144 17,821 6,706

Sundry Creditors Bank Overdraft Subscriptions in Advance

63,671

52,985 47,867

36,520 46,715

59,732

LOANS 9,300 7,450 16,750

AGSFP Rugby Section Scottish & Newcastle Breweries plc

42,982

NET ASSETS

9,300 17,000 26,300 20,415

CAPITAL ACCOUNT 13,495

Appeal Fund & Other Donations

13,495

SURPLUSES 29,487 42,982

Amount per last Balance Sheet Deficit for Year

103

29,487 (22,567)

6,920 20,415

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