1962-68 Reunion

sleuthing by many, we managed to make contact with eighty of our year and it is hoped that this will be the first of many reunions to come.

The School visit was a great success, with an interesting and informative reintroduction to the School by Janet Adams, the Deputy Head Teacher. We then set off in two groups to walk, once again, through some familiar areas and some completely new ones. We were expertly led around with Catherine and Fiona leading one group and Deirdre and Cara leading the other. It was great to be shown around the School after so long. The main changes were in the area affected by the fire in 1986 but many other areas were immediately recognisable. The School had just finished an Inspectors’ visit a few hours earlier and, at the end of the tour, we were able to visit the staff room where we were rewarded with some platters of sandwiches. Whilst in the staff room, a small collection was made by us to help to contribute to school life and a cheque for £483 was delivered to the School shortly after our reunion weekend.

After the school visit, the group split up and disappeared in different directions to continue renewing old friendships. The reunion dinner was held in the Great Western Hotel on the Saturday evening with a ‘dry’ run held by a number of us on the Friday night.

During Saturday, a number of events took place including a run along the beach, a wee walk in the country and a visit to Rubislaw to see the FP rugby team play Cartha Park. In the evening, it was all hands to the Hotel and a meal with some refreshment! As part of the reunion, we were delighted to have two of our teachers in attendance – Patrick Scott and Bill Williams. Bill May was also invited but was unfortunately a late call off due to family reasons. A first class meal was served and there was quite a bit of banter as the evening progressed. Our MC was Rory McKay who was our Head Prefect and he ensured the evening got off to a good start by explaining how lucky we all were to have attended such a good school and then by thoroughly embarrassing the writer in presenting him with a Quaich with the School badge engraved. Much appreciated but far too much for sending out a few emails. Despite it being fifty years since we left school, we were all pretty recognisable despite a few hairs missing on top, a few hairs grown on chins and slightly larger waist sizes – apart from the three who were wearing their school blazers at the dinner!

It was great to see so many making the effort to get back to Aberdeen for our first reunion. We had attendees from Canada, USA, Italy, Holland, Germany, the rest of Scotland and that wee place just south of Scotland. Here’s hoping for more reunions to come and if they are as good as this one then it will be thoroughly worthwhile. Thanks to all who contributed to the reunion by attending, chasing contact details, arranging the school visit, supplying memorabilia and making it such a memorable occasion.

Attendees: Bill Alexander, Gordon Anderson, Kerr Anderson, Neil Andrew, Ray Binner, Alan Buck, Jim Cooper, Robert Cranston, Ron Davidson, Derek Dey, Sandy

Donald, Lyall Farquhar, Royan Fettes, Pat Findlay, Sandy Gauld, Ron Gauld, Graham Good, Robin Grant, Tony Holman, Iain Hopkin, Mike Hulse, Gordon Hutcheon, Dave Jaffray, Albert Lumsden, Rory MacKay, J Lachlan MacKenzie, David Norbrook, Grant Mathison, David McDonald, Ken McEwen, Robert Muir, Ewen Rennie, John Shearer, Ali Smith, Forbes Stuart, Fred Swaffield, Donald Thomson, Ian Urquhart and Bill Urquhart.

Reunion of Class of ‘59

Iain Hopkin

In May this year, the Class of ’59 held a reunion to mark sixty years since leaving school. The organizing committee - David Henderson, Peter Jeffrey, Ian Logan and Michael Wood - decided that this reunion would consist of lunch at the Deeside Golf Club and a coffee get-together the next day at the Mariner Hotel. On Monday, May 20th twenty-nine members of the Class gathered for lunch at Deeside Golf Club, and the organizers were delighted with the turnout. We were fortunate to be able to hold our reunion in such a lovely location, and everyone enjoyed not only the excellent meal but also the beautiful view over the Dee Valley.

Ian Logan welcomed everyone to the reunion, and David Henderson recited a grace specially composed for the Reunion of “the 29 of ’59”. During the meal there was a warm atmosphere of friendship and many conversations recalling our schooldays of long ago. At the end of the meal, Peter Jeffrey proposed a toast to the Class of ’59 and read interesting extracts from letters sent by Michael Hardie in Canada and Bill Anderson in Brazil.

Peter added to the event by handing out a copy of the very first class photo of each attendee, without names and dates. The challenge was for each person to identify themselves and claim their photograph - it took some people a very long time!

Coffee at the Mariner Hotel the next morning was for the Class of ’59 and wives/partners, and this was another lively, enjoyable event. We were delighted to welcome Sheila Lyon as our special guest; her late husband Jim, who helped organize all the previous reunions, was sadly missed.

Our 60th class reunion was a memorable occasion, and we look forward (optimistically!) to the next one. The organizing committee would like to thank the Class of ’59 for attending the reunions whenever possible, and for keeping in touch. There is still a wonderful link after all these years! Those present: David Birkbeck (Fortrose, Ross-shire), Ivor Douglas (Alveston, Bristol), Nick Ducat (Inverbervie), Doug Fettes, (Dalkeith), Charlie Flynn (Tadcaster), David Henderson (Aberdeen), John Hutcheson (Aberdeen), Peter Jeffrey (Vancouver Island, Canada), Stephen Kinnaird (Aberdeen), Dick Kitson (Henley), Bob Lamb (Aberdeen), George Lawrence (Aberdeen), Joe Leiper (Aberdeen), Ian Logan (Aberdeen), Bill Milne (Aberdeen), John Murray (Anstruther), David Murray-Smith, (Glasgow), David Parkinson (Aberdeen), Kenneth Pirie (Vancouver Island, Canada), Alastair Robertson, (Pitlochry), Mike Rollo-Stuart (Aberdeen), John Sinclair (Bedford), Ian Spiby (Livingston), Peter Stevenson (Banchory), Clem Stewart (Stonehaven), Andrew Walker (Aberdeen), Bob Whyte (Aberdeen), Michael Wood (Aberdeen) and Ian Yeats (London).

J. Peter Jeffrey

Former Pupils’ Club Founded 11 September 1893 Club Office-Bearers, 2019-2020

Honorary President:

ALISON MURISON MA (Head Teacher)

Honorary Vice-Presidents:

T. GORDON COUTTS (1938-49), QC, MA, LL.B (President, 1980-81) BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46), TD, MA, LL.B (President, 1983-84) Prof. PHILIP N. LOVE (1952-58), CBE, DL, MA, LL.B, LL.D (President, 1987-88) A. KEITH CAMPBELL (1944-53), TEng (CEI), FInst AEA (President, 1992-93) J. EDWARD FRASER (1936-49), CB, MA, BA, FSA(Scot) (President, 1997-98) DOUGLAS G. FOWLIE (1950-64) MB,ChB, FRCPsych. (President, 2002-03)) IAN H. McLEOD (1951-55) (President, 2004-05) GORDON G. MILNE (1950-61) MB.ChB (President, 2005-06) DAVID L. ALLAN (1945-58) QPM, LL.B, MPhil, FCMI (President 2006-07) GARY J.G. ALLAN (1963-76) QC, LL.B (President 2007-08) JAMES M. CLARK (1947-59) (President 2008-09) NEIL BORTHWICK (1952-65) BSc, PhD (President 2009-10) DONALD A. LAMONT (1952-65) MA (President 2010-11) TRACEY J.H. MENZIES (1981-87) MBE, DCH, LL.B (President 2011-12) NIGEL G.M. WATT (1963-69) LL.B, WS (President 2012-13) J. MARTIN JEFFREY (1942-57) BSc (President 2013-14) MARGERY G. TAYLOR (1975-81) (President 2014-15) MELDRUM B. EDWARDS (1947-60) MBE, BSc, MICE (President 2015-16) DOUGLAS R. HARPER (1944-58) MB,ChB, MD, FRCSE, FRCS (President 2016-17) GILLIAN A. THOMAS (1975-80) (President 2017-19)

(Specially Elected)

ALISTAIR M. NORTH (1937-50) OBE, BSc, DSc, PhD, FRSE, FRIC (Elected 2004) J. PETER JEFFREY (1944-59) MSc (Eng) (Elected 2010) H. ALAN S. HAMILTON (1943-56) (Elected 2012) GRAHAM LEGGE BEd, MEd, (Rector 2004-15) (Elected 2016)

President: IAIN S. HOPKIN (1962-68)

President-Elect: ALAN W. MARR (1969-75)

Vice-President of Club and Chairman of Executive: ALAN G. CAMPBELL (1959-65) CBE, LL.D, LL.B,

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

Treasurer: JOHN C.A. MICHIE (1944-58)

General & Notes Editor of Magazine: BRIAN K. CROOKSHANKS (1934-46) TD, MA, LL.B 38