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A Tale of Two Chairs
The Canadian office-bearers acknowledge with much appreciation those FPs from Canada, the United States and from Aberdeen who have stepped forward and made this project possible. Their generous support of this undertaking and their prompt response has helped to provide the School with the wherewithal to create a facility that S6 pupils will use for many, many years to come. The School has expressed its appreciation for our support.
Contributions for the Senior Pupil’s Study Area were received from the following: William (Willie) Balfour (1949-58), Roy Brown (1932-43), Peter Edwards (1956-64), Michael Green [in memory of his father Peter Green (194657)], Anne Gregory (in memory of Peter Green), Michael (Mike) Hardie (194859), Peter Jeffrey (1944-59), Michael (Mike) King (1951-60), John Michie (1944-58), John Muir (1958-71), Thomas (Tom) Paton (1952-60), Kenneth (Ken) Pirie (1948-57), Robert (Bob) Scace (1954-60), Lorna Stephen [in memory of George Stephen (1936-42)], Anthony (Tony) Stewart (1962-75), Gillian Thomas (1975-80), Alan Thomson (1951-64) and James (Jim) Watt (1950-56).
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Heartfelt letters of thanks from both Alison and Janet were received within a couple of days of the presentation.
A Tale of Two Chairs
Robert Scace (1954-60) has published a fascinating book tracing the thinking behind the presentation by the Canadian FP Centre of new chairs to complete the furnishings on the platform of the School Hall. Careful research has been undertaken to set matters in the context of a school whose pupils came at one time from a wider background than the city where it was located and whose former pupils have gone to all corners of the earth.
Robert has illustrated the growing tendency for Grammar-educated boys in the 17th and 18th centuries to move, initially to Europe, but later to the Americas and the Far East, to pursue a wide variety of careers in business, education, the armed forces and politics. Naturally, he lays emphasis on the historically close links between Scotland and Canada, and traces the large number of those links with the Grammar School.
The history of the existing platform furniture is traced and put into its historical perspective with its strong links with the FP Club. From this are developed the considerations dictating the scale and design of the planned new furniture.
