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Daniel Stewart’s & Melville College Former Pupils Club
REUNIONS...
Melville Class of 1966 Standing at the back L to R: David Mitchell, Robyn Aitchison, Donald Muirhead and Alistair Duncan Seated L to R: John Elwell-Sutton, Neil Cavers, Mike Hunter, Bobby Clark, Richard Scott, Ian Romanes (with arms in the air), James Mason, David Nisbet and Richard de Soldenhoff. The Melville College Class of 1966 held a reunion on Saturday 17th September in the Orchard Bar, previously known as The Northern Bar, at Canonmills in Edinburgh to celebrate still being alive 50 years after leaving school! The evening was expertly organised by Bill Wallace whose father was a teacher at the School and around 15 people turned up. Although most of the early discussion seemed to revolve around ailments these were soon forgotten as the drink took effect.
Bill had put together a wonderful collection of old photographs including some of the staff and School buildings which were shown on a large TV screen. The evening was a great success but as one wag pointed out he wondered what the locals thought was going on in the back room where a bunch of old men were poring over umpteen photographs of small boys! How times have changed. Bobby Clark
DSMC Class of 1986
Left to right: Mr Bryan Lewis; Peter Knops; Andrew Wilson; Brian Gordon; Simon Lloyd-Dickinson; Bruce Howard; David Neilson; Paul Smith; Keith Dobson. Our 30th reunion was timed to coincide with the official MES date for leavers of all years ending in a six. To that end, the MES organisers had booked Inverleith Pavilion in anticipation of our first joint do. Unfortunately, this was thwarted by the democratic will of their membership! As a compromise, we
were invited to join the “girls” after 10pm for the irresistible doublewhammy of “48 year old hot chicks and an Eighties disco”. An alternative venue needed to be found and Usqua Bae, below Ryan’s Bar, was eventually selected. As a first, we arranged a buffet to soak up the copious amounts of craft beer and malt whisky consumed ahead of the “Twinning” event. Facebook has proved a boon in organising this event and we are now in touch with nearly two thirds of our year. We had over 40 attendees in the end, with MES achieving similar numbers. It has become traditional to award an (imaginary) quaich to the person travelling the farthest to attend. This year was, according to Google Maps, a dead heat between David Neilson (New Jersey) and Stuart Douglas (Ontario). Some of those unable to make the Saturday event met up on Friday night and a small party toured the school in the morning, guided by the retiring Bryan Lewis. The Boarders were particularly well
DSMC Class
of 1996 The Class of ‘96 enjoyed a wellattended gathering on Saturday 11th June in Edinburgh.
Around 25 of our year group came to the Wally Dug to catch up over a few beers. Some came from around the corner and some from as far afield as Singapore. We were lucky to have a few guests from MES as well - it was great to see the girls and confirm that we hadn’t changed at all in the last 20 years! There seemed to be broad interest in a tour of the School so we will try to arrange one for the next gathering in 2021. If you’re from the year group please do keep in touch on Facebook or through the FP Club so that you’re informed of the details. Simon Wray represented in the evening and a “Bug Hut” team photo preceded a toast to Ali Boyle, Lt. Col. Alistair D. Boyle, MBE, who had very sadly passed away just before our 25th. When we finally arrived at the pavilion in a convoy of cabs, it was uncannily like walking back in time and into a 1980s school disco. A sea of eerily familiar faces, Wham! on the decks, and shoddy moves all over the dancefloor. A photo booth, replete with dressing-up box, proved a big hit and, when the pavilion closed, “Twinning”, and twining, continued at The Ghillie Dhu into the small hours and beyond. Brian Gordon