Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine 2019

Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine John Alexander Cruickshank (1926-29) VC was among the guests of honour at a gathering of members of the Royal Northern & University Club to celebrate the Centenary of the Royal Air Force last September. At a separate function in May this year John was the recipient of a new pipe tune composed in his honour, the original score of which now hangs in the Club. Despite the bravery which he showed in flying his extensively damaged aircraft back to Sullum Voe after sinking a submarine off Norway John remains a very modest man.

Craig Duncan (1985-90) after working in the oil industry has self-published a novel The Trader which has been well received. Encouraged by its success Craig is already working on a second novel.

Ian Alexander Fraser (1962-68) began his career in insurance with the Norwich Union in Aberdeen as soon as he left School. He later worked in Croydon and Inverness before returning to Aberdeen. He switched to Insurance Broking in 1978 before joining a local brokerage, Central Insurance Services, in 1985. He became a director some time later and retired in 2014. He is a keen golfer at Hopeman.

James Alexander Gauld (1955-66) went to the Royal Manchester College of Music to study tuba but trained as an opera singer. He sang with Glyndebourne and the Welsh National Opera before working back-stage at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. After several years singing in various opera houses in Germany he made a complete career change in 1996, working in IT as a network administrator and writing software for optical inspection instruments. Now retired he still lives in Germany.

Anthony Michael Holman (1955-68) MA lectured in Social Science and Management at Aberdeen college, finally as head of department. He was then a management trainer in the Oil & Gas sector, lectured at Robert Gordon University and was a learning and development facilitator with NHS Grampian before retiring in 2006.

David Law (2003-09) whose golfing prowess was recognised while he was still a pupil at School when it was noted in 2008 that he had had incredible success on the international scene as a member of the Scottish U-18 team, winning the Scottish Golf Union Junior Tours event. That success continues and he won his first European Tour title at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Australia in February. He had won last year’s SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge and finished 14th on the Challenge Tour to earn a European Tour card. Present in Victoria to watch him play were former School friends Iain Budge (2003-09) and Hamish Wilson (2003-09) who are now working in Melbourne.

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