Etcetera 20

Number 20 Spring 2013

The magazine for former pupils and friends of Glasgow Academy and Westbourne School

Salute to the Colonel

Editorial ‘I prefer to stand!’

Yesterday I had the privilege of joining the people of Stirling in celebrating the life of Scotland’s oldest soldier.

Lt Col Francis Saunders – known pretty universally as Frank – served in two world wars. Although only a boy during The Great War, he acted as a bicycle messenger scout in London and vividly recalled dodging bombs dropped from a Zeppelin – believing that every next one had his name on it. As we now know, he dodged not only German bombs but everything else that life had to throw at him and lived to the remarkable age of 106.

I first met Colonel Saunders at our inaugural ‘Summer Evening on the Terrace’ in 2006 when he was only a few weeks short of his 100th birthday.

Believing that we would have a ‘frail’ and extremely ‘elderly’ Academical in our ranks, we were determined that his visit, however short, would be as comfortable as possible. In the event, Frank was one of the first to arrive and stayed until the last possible minute, engaging pupils in conversation and refusing all attempts to make him to sit down. ‘I prefer to stand!’ was his repeated refrain to any who approached him with a chair.

Wanting to make a fuss of him, we presented Frank with a picture of The Academy. In response, he made a 10-minute impromptu speech in which he deftly corrected my mispronunciation of his surname (I called him ‘Sanders’) and rebuked us all gently for setting too much store by mere age alone. He was a most unusual enigma - an extremely modest man who clearly loved an audience!

In reaching his century, he followed a family tradition. His grandfather made it to 100, while his father, a master mariner, lived to 105. With typically wry humour, he said that the secret to his long life was ‘a strict regime in which I enjoy a drink and a smoke every day’. But it was not mere age alone that made Frank Saunders remarkable. He had a youth and an energy about him that men half his age rarely possess.

After the local government reorganisation of 1995, he stood as an independent candidate in the 1999 Stirling Council elections. When a newspaper described him as, ‘A brave heart at 92!’ he responded: ‘I don’t like the word “elderly”. I prefer “mature”. I am still in possession of all my faculties and I can easily walk 10 miles a day without any ill effect.’ He also revealed that he was doing all his own canvassing and clerical work.

At an event at Stirling Castle to mark the launch of Scotland’s Veterans Day in 2008, he asked for greater awareness of the efforts of the Armed Forces.

He said: ‘It is important to celebrate our veterans. I took part in many campaigns and was involved in the first Battle of Alamein. People were killed and it was not nice. The armed forces are still doing these things today.

People ought to appreciate them. I hope Veterans Day helps achieve greater awareness of their efforts.

‘It amuses me that I am the oldest veteran - but it saddens me that the others my age are all gone.’

Now Frank Saunders is gone too. Gone, but not forgotten.

Malcolm McNaught, Director of External Relations m.mcnaught@tga.org.uk

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Contents 3 Updates 4 Early-onset Anecdotage 5 Anecdotage 12 Reunions and get-togethers 14 Academical Club 16 Westbourne 18 ‘One small cut for man… one giant lawn for mankind!’

19 A Book of Thanks 20 From our overseas correspondents…

22 Family announcements 24 Obituaries 27 Picture Post Do we have your e-mail address?

It’s how we communicate best!

Keeping in touch The External Relations office is situated in Colebrooke Terrace. Former pupils are always welcome to pop in for a chat and look round the school. Just give us a call to arrange a time. Our address is Colebrooke Terrace, Glasgow G12 8HE and you can contact us on 0141 342 5494 or at exrel@tga.org.uk The Glasgow Academical Club 21 Helensburgh Drive, Glasgow G13 1RR President – Iain Jarvie E-mail – iainjarvie152@btinternet.com Secretary – Kenneth Shand Tel: 0141 248 5011 E-mail: kenneth.shand@mms.co.uk The Academical Club pavilion is available for functions.

Academical Club’s London Section Secretary – David Hall, 20 Cadogan Place London SW1X 9SA Tel: 020 7235 9012 E-mail: ecj@aralon.co.uk Like us on Facebook; join us on LinkedIn

Cover photograph: Michael Lyon, Stirling Council

Updates

Neil Brown (1992) shares a joke with some Afghan tribesmen Kath and Neil at the Queen’s colours parade last year.

Frederick Anderson (1868)

I am coming to the end of my military career and have attached a couple of snaps that would perhaps advertise the CCF well - Afghanistan last year. I have been married for 10 years to Kathryn and we have three children - Rosie (8), Angus (7) and Fraser (5).

In response to the article in Etcetera 18 (Sporting Academicals in Shanghai – Past and Present) Fred Anderson’s great-grandson, Richard Lucas, got in touch. He is offering a prize to members of our community who may be interested in researching and completing a biography on Frederick Anderson.

For more details on the rules, research expenses and prize on offer, please contact him directly via: Richard.lucas@richardlucas.com

Mahiul Muqit (1992)

It’s the way he sells them!

Neil Brown (1992)

Mahuil has been appointed Consultant Ophthalmologist at the world-leading Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.

After undergraduate studies at St Mary’s Hospital in London and Glasgow, he has trained as an ophthalmic surgeon specialising in Vitreoretinal Surgery.

Most recently he completed Vitreoretinal Fellowships in Oxford and Manchester.

whom I now know to be Ryan Seeley (2009), had some spark and character.

Ryan kindly offered to pick me up from the station in order to collect the new car, and within a couple of minutes we realised that we had both been to the same school! Good to know that entrepreneurial zeal is still imbibed at The Academy.

Alen McCulloch (1980)

I phoned up Henry’s (Skoda) a few weeks ago in order to research the possibilities for a new car for my father, Dr Ian McCulloch (1947). This is a dealer with whom I have never had any dealings, and I was delighted to realise immediately that the Sales Advisor was clearly keen and enthusiastic. Even on the phone I could tell that this man,

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Updates

Early-onset Anecdotage

Awards

School sports day in 1986

John Doak (1972) I am pleased to report that John Doak was included on Her Majesty the Queen’s 2013 New Year’s Honours List and has been awarded the Cayman Islands Certificate and Badge of Honour presented by His Excellency the Governor of the Cayman Islands in recognition of his services in the preservation of architecture and the history of the Cayman Islands.

The attached photo taken shortly following the ceremony shows my wife Jackie and my children Jaime, Jackson, Cameron Claire and Jonathan. (I’m the guy with the medal !)

I say ‘1986’ as I think Stewart Simmers is the chap in red rugby top and he would have left by 1987. As you can see it is the blue ribbon event of tug o’ war where Morrison House are about to win!

If memory serves, we had the advantage in that pull as we were pulling down hill on that section of the 100m track.

Julian Richmond (1987)

Teachers as far as I can remember: late Mr Tyson (always willing his charges to higher levels of effort!), Mr McNaught, Mr ‘Christ’ Gray, and Mr Woods in the background sporting a fantastic head of hair.

On the rope: Stuart Simmers (he seems taller in that photo than I remember him!), Julian Richmond, late Gordon McKay, Alan Breckenridge (I think he changed his surname to Pirie after leaving school), Kemp (forgot first name), Dunbar (forgot first name), Chewie (nickname)

J Niall Scott (former Academy parent) Niall Scott - father of five children who all attended Glasgow Academy was awarded an OBE in January 2013 for services to Community Relations and Young People in Scotland.

Congratulations, Niall!

Niall was a partner in the UK law firm McGrigors where he served as Chairman and Managing Partner. He is currently chairman of U.K. Fisheries Offshore Oil and Gas Legacy Trust Fund, a director of JW Galloway Limited and The Offshore Pollution Liability Association, as well as a board member at Scottish Ballet and The Treasury Solicitor. Niall is also a public interest member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a Trustee of several charities.

Mrs Ritchie’s boys (1979) Roddy Strang (1987) sent us a series of photographs of class groups from his schooldays. It’s interesting to note that, in the early ones, he can name (and spell) his contemporaries (almost) perfectly; by the end, however, he’s struggling and can’t even recall the Rector’s name. He says he must be getting old. Who are we to disagree?

Back row (left to right): Roderick Strang; Graeme Ogle; Ewan Cameron; Alistair Smith; Mark Dunbar; Michael Harper; Brian Massey; Callum McKechnie; Lincoln Browning Middle row: Andrew Waddell; Colin Kee; Derek Muir; Peter Murray; Andrew Fife; Paul Jarrett; Martin Benson; Christopher Park Front row: Jonathan Marks: Rudi Sternschein; Stuart Carlisle; Thomas Cordiner; Mrs Ritchie: Martin Sinclair; Guy Wardrop; Gilles Graeme; Robin Dorman On ground: Scott Simpson: Brian Morton: Austin Sellyn: Robin McClure: Martin Forbes

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Anecdotage

Globe Players 1955

‘Life’s never fair!’

I read with great interest Robert Trythalg’s article in the winter edition of Etcetera. I am in total agreement with his comments regarding Dodo.

Dodo’s constant use of the belt filled many pupils with fear before entering Room C. I, for one, suffered on more than one occasion. On reflection, I cannot but wonder whether he was cut out to be a teacher. I have little or no lasting memories of geography lessons.

Alan Diack (1945)

Geographical wordplay

The programme shows the cast of the Globe Players 1955 Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It includes such luminaries as Donald Dewar, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard and Norman Stone. This is of some interest since it was printed ‘in house’ by the Glasgow Academy Printing Club (of which I was briefly a member) in a basement room of Colebrooke Terrace. In these days it was all set by hand using individual lead type and then printed copy by copy on a medium-sized Adana printing machine.

Reading the last copy of Etcetera - Mr Ogilvie, the geography teacher, was mentioned and two of his treasured comments came to mind.

To remember the order of the Great Lakes it was ‘Strap me hard every omission’ (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario) and another about rain, went something like this - ‘The sun heats the earth, the earth heats the air, the warm air rises, the rising air is cooled, the cooling air condenses and falls as rain’.

These two have stuck for some reason.

Am I alone?

Alan Carlaw (1949)

Roy Burdon (1955)

Munros by moonlight My first teacher was a Miss McDonald who taught 3b when I stated in 1947.

Luckily Douglas McCreadie and I got the prizes that year and went up to 4a in 1948.The teacher for the next two years was a Miss Turnbull - quite a fierce lady, as I recall, but a good teacher and we all benefited from her strict discipline.

I started my law degree at Glasgow in 1958 and by then had climbed over 50 Munros, but became more involved with various mountaineering clubs and among my friends was a divinity student at Edinburgh -now the Rev Jock Stein - and it was his idea to attempt to break the 3 Peaks record and to add students from Oxford and Cambridge to make the challenge more interesting.

We chose June as obviously offering the longest light, but as luck would have it the day we started at the foot of Ben

Nevis was dismal and wet. 6pm and having run up and down in pouring rain we drove in our Morris Minor to Ballachulish to make the ferry crossing to the south side of Loch Leven and on into Glen Coe. Only Jock and I had driving licences and as I had volunteered for the first stint I got the chance to change out of my wet clothes on the ferry!

Arriving in the Lake District, it was a beautiful clear night with some moonlight to help us, but without the two English students we would almost certainly have failed. They were both experienced Fell runners and knew the area well. Having safely completed peak 2, we set off for Wales and opted to use the Mersey Tunnel as access to Snowdonia then up the Pyg track jealously watching tourists aboard the mountain railway as by now we were

pretty tired and it was a really hot summer’s day.

Anyway we got safely up and down. Our final time was 20 hours and 48 minutes, although with our agreement the fell runners reached the finish about 15 minutes quicker but it was the team time that correctly counted (and the two English students had done no driving!).

The rules for this challenge changed soon after our attempt and the drivers quite rightly were not allowed to climb, and soon the record was down below 19 hours. Apart from fitness, luck with traffic plays a big part and later attempts were with cars considerably faster than our wee Morris.

James Roxburgh (1958)

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Of helicopters and hamburgers…

In my days, everybody joined the CCF army section in their first year as a cadet, where they did ‘Cert A part 1’.

Having achieved Cert A part 1, the cadet could choose to remain in the Army Section, or join the RAF or the Naval Section.

I elected to join the RAF section.

AC McLean in CCF uniform outside the boarding house, his home for a number of years.

There was, of course, rivalry between the three services, and especially between the Air Force and the Army.

The RAF section was not noted for its skills on the parade ground as most RAF cadets were perhaps more technical than military.

Better than a hamburger? The ‘foreign’ cadets make the best of a ‘no-fly situation’.

uniform!). It seemed that by arrangement they had always burned the whin in Mugdock on the week before our arrival.

On one occasion Platoon 1 had been doing a radio course with the regular army, and it was decided to demonstrate As I recall, we had three ‘field days’ their skills on this particular Review during the summer term. Generally on day. The game plan was that the RAF these days we usually section would be ‘The RAF section was not driven somewhere went over to RAF noted for its skills on the in an enclosed truck, Leuchars where we had flights in good be dropped off and parade ground…’ old Annie Anson or a map-read our way back Chipmunk. We had time in the control to Mugdock where we should enter tower and, on one occasion, a sail in an undetected. Platoon 1, meantime, using air sea rescue boat out of Tayport. their radio skills, would communicate One exception to this routine was a visit with each other, capture all the Air Force cadets thus demonstrating how gauche to the USAF base in Prestwick. This, was the RAF section. in the mid-fifties, was more of a thrill than perhaps it would be today. We were all looking forward to a flight in some American transport. On arrival, the anticipation mounted when we saw helicopters! Much less common than today. What a field day this was going to be!

Unfortunately the Americans were not allowed to fly cadets – especially (to them) foreign cadets. However, we did get an American hamburger and Coca Cola in the mess!

Towards the end of term there was the ‘Review’. This was a full-dress occasion with the pipe band, inspection and march past, the affair being attended by officers from Home Command and other dignitaries. After the parade, the entire Corps went over to Mugdock Bank where we did soldier things like ‘personal camouflage’ (in an RAF blue

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Fortunately one of our number was a ‘radio ham’ and he came equipped. By whatever means, he managed to find Platoon 1’s wavelength and was able to call them up, which he did. He then moved the platoon further up the moor from our entry point and we all managed to arrive at our meeting point without incident.

Major Carruthers happened along as we were eating our sandwiches, and he asked, with a hint of pride in the army section, if we had all been ‘captured’.

He was dumbfounded when we told him that we had not even seen the army.

Clearly we did not tell him how we had evaded his boys, and perhaps if ‘Jock’ is reading this it is a revelation. All I can say is that it showed initiative on the part of the RAF section!

Alistair C McLean (1957)

A challenge…

I sometimes wonder what our colleagues who were at Westbourne must think judging by the extent of the correspondence from former Academy pupils which appears to show that we attended a school populated by hooligans and lazy boys and that we were ‘taught’ by a group of teachers who largely consisted of incompetents or sadists. I only hope that the wealth of tributes to Lachie may have convinced them that not every teacher fell into that category.

Of course there were those who should never have been allowed near children and there were a few pupils whom the Rector should have expelled for the good of all. However most of us received a good education and the exam successes including the Oxbridge awards surely shows that there were great teachers whose abilities are perhaps forgotten.

Mr Miles inspired in me an everlasting love of Shakespeare; and Mr Parkes was a wonderful Maths master whose ‘shortcuts’ and other tips still hold good.

Sadly Mr Parkes died before he had completed his time in Colebrooke Street and Mr Miles, seeing no possibility of promotion while Baggy Aston retained the Senior English teaching post, went elsewhere.

I believe many of us have good cause to be grateful to the Academy and many of the teachers. We acquired friendships which subsist years after we left - so let us emphasise the good and happy memories rather than highlight the actings of the few evil incompetents.

Name supplied (1960s)

Memories of Alan MacNaughtan, actor Alan had principal roles in many Academy productions, including Henry IV, Part 1 (see photo). He went on to RADA in London, where he won the coveted Bancroft Gold Medal and was immediately plucked by John Gielgud to play the King of France in Gielgud’s famous 1940 Old Vic production of King Lear.

After Broadway stints and British Council tours with The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

Dick Whittington This is a picture of the 1968 cast of Dick Whittington taken in the Dining Hall. Of course, as we are all in our pantomime attire, it is not easy

MacNaughtan appeared as the Bishop of Caerleon in the West End alongside Alec McCowen in Peter Luke’s long-running Hadrian the Seventh (Mermaid, 1968) before joining the National Theatre in 1972.

Alan MacNaughtan’s signature on the programme of the Globe Players’ production of Henry IV, Part 1

All the time, he was busy too in television where his many supporting roles included The Duchess of Duke Street, The Sandbaggers, Minder, The Professionals, How Many Miles to Babylon?, Strangers and Brothers, Glory Boys, Shadowlands, The

Insurance Man, Bergerac, and A Very British Coup to name a few.

to identify the cast. However Col Carruthers sits next to Jazzy Coulthard and then it’s me as Dick Whittington and with Martin Prowse at the end of the row where his French Horn sits.

Interestingly, I heard Martin play in the

Solway Symphony recently. In those days, the boys played the girls. I guess it’s the real thing now with boys as boys and girls as girls. Ah, what fun!

Alan MacNaughtan, actor: born March 4, 1920, died August 29, 2002.

Martin Milree (1938)

Miller Caldwell (1969)

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Where are those drumsticks?

On Monday 27 June 1955, there was ‘The Glasgow Academy Contingent Combined Cadet Force Forty Seventh Annual Review and Presentation of Prizes’ - the prizes to be presented by Mrs WJ McCallien. That year I won The ‘Challenge’ Drumsticks (presented by Mrs PP Mallum) and was told that I would receive them at a later date. I was proud as Punch. Then, in December 1954, there was the School Fire and to this day I have never seen The ‘Challenge’ Drumsticks as they were destroyed in the fire - or that was the story I was told.

So I am curious if they were ever found and if my name was engraved on the sticks. Anyway I just want to say as that was about 58 years ago, and I am still drumming up a storm here in Kassel, Germany. Check out my latest recording on www.brian-wilson-band.de Brian Wilson (1955)

The joys of travelling by bus…

I thoroughly enjoyed Jim Cunningham’s article in the last Etcetera about travelling to and from the Academy by bus. It was an integral part of the experience of those school years, and I can’t be alone in remembering with affection the blue Alexander buses that ran north-westwards out to Bearsden and Milngavie. I was lucky enough to live a few hundred yards from the end of the run of the number 12 to Drumclog Avenue (the 12 to Mugdockbank with which it alternated went on a little further). These were the ones to get, as far as I was concerned – the 12A went to Strathblane Road which left me with a good mile walk home – a long way at

the end of a day with a heavy school bag – and the number 13 (“Milngavie via Westerton”) only came halfway up the hill to where I lived.

Getting on at the first stop meant we had first choice of seats, which for many years meant sitting upstairs at the front until that was no longer deemed cool, and we started sitting at the back. But the real fun was the run home at the end of the day. In school terms we got on first, followed a few moments later by the girls from Laurelbank and sometime after that by those from Westbourne. By the time we got to the 4th and 5th year (not before, I think – we grew up more

slowly in those days) the speculation as to who would sit with whom made every journey home an adventure. At least as far as Bearsden, anyway – an awful lot of my contemporaries got off there, mainly because that’s where they lived, but some to catch the connecting bus out to Blanefield and Drymen.

I have no idea whether such a sub-culture still persists. I hope so, because it was great fun. But the buses don’t come up the Mugdock Road anymore, and they’re the wrong colour now anyway. Sic transit…

Tim Haggis (1968)

Ian Haddow Thought you might be interested in my school photograph taken I think in 1931. The teacher is Miss MacEwan and I am third from the right on the top row. Wonder how many are still around? I am now in my 89th year.

Ian Haddow (1943) Victoria BC, Canada

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Lachie the legend - and Lachie legends Colonel ‘Lachie’ Robertson o’ the Paras Colonel ‘Lachie’ was a legend to several generations of GA boys who came in contact with him - be it in the classroom, the rugby field, or elsewhere.

He was a teacher who was respected and loved by all. He moulded boys into men. He was a man’s man, a Gaelic speaking Highland gentleman from Skye and a Paratrooper, to boot. Anecdotes and tales of ‘Lachie’ are legion. Herewith a few, showing but a little of the man’s measure, the first two provided by ‘Toofy’ Brown, the rest are mine: * In 1956, in third year, two thirds of Lachie’s class was lined-up to be ‘Lochgellyed’ for failing an exam.

Questioning why Brown and MacLean remained seated, we replied that no exam papers had been returned to us.

‘Well, you would have failed anyway.

Out you get.’

Without protest - you didn’t protest in those days - we joined the queue. * At a parent teachers’ meeting, as concerned parents, Libby and I were keen to learn more about the academic progress of our young Jeremy. ‘He tackles hard!’ was his fulsome and only response.

To Lachie, this was more the measure of the man than percentage points in an exam. * Donald MacLean (Lachie’s nephew) went into a pub for an illegal beer, which he drank at the far end of the bar. Then he froze, as he saw the unmistakable outline of ‘Lachie’ entering through the glass door. He was off like a hare – out the back way. He thought he’d made a successful escape.

I meet up with him at his TA Para HQ, where the Glasgow company held their training nights. After the ‘Long time, no see’ stuff, Lachie introduced me to a few officers and NCOs and showed me around the place.

Then he had a ‘brainwave’! ‘George, we’re parachuting into Ireland, next weekend, on an exercise. It would be good if you could come along too. You could be an Umpire.’

‘But, Lachie, you’ll maybe get about 350-400 to the dinner, yet they’ve got 320 cases of Scottish tea for the evening.

Where did they all come from?’

‘Lots of the Glasgow lads work in the docks and I don’t like to ask too many questions’!!

God broke the mould of solid gold that once made Lachag Robertson ‘Cabar Feidh Gu Brath’

‘But, Lachie, I’ve never jumped out of a plane in my life.’

‘That’s no problem. We’ll show you how to land, kit you up and I’ll push you out the door.’

The officer and the author…

For CO ‘Lachie’, it was simple! * On next long leave (1970), I had, again, to meet up with (now) Colonel Lachie at his HQ, as before. Before getting to his office, you passed through a vast gym/drill hall. Along one side there was a HUGE stack of whisky. I counted 320 cases!!

After meeting Lachie, I enquired about the vast amount of whisky, stacked up by the wall of the gym.

‘Oh that…Well, you see, I’m about to retire and end my command and the lads are going to give me a big ‘Dining Out’ night. Many of the men are coming over from the other companies - in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh.’

George Mackenzie (1959)

Like many of your contributors to the last edition I was very sorry to hear of Lachie’s passing. I too had been privileged to be one of his pupils long ago, but it was only many years after leaving the Academy that I learned, quite by chance, that my father [the author George MacDonald Fraser (1944)] after being commissioned following the Burma campaign had briefly been Lachie’s intelligence officer, before being posted to North Africa.

This only came to light, for me at least, when the two met at the 150th Anniversary Dinner in 1995 and fell on each other like long lost brothers. They talked long into the evening, before Lachie had to leave and, although I was aware that they corresponded thereafter, I don’t think they ever met again.

Simon Fraser (1968)

More early-onset anecdotage!

BUT, in class, next day, he was called up to the front for a few strokes of the ‘Tawes’.

‘MacLean, you well know what that was for?’

‘Yes, Sir, for drinking in a pub.’

‘No, it was for running out the back, when you saw me enter, instead of staying and offering to buy me a drink – like a good Highland gentleman.’ * On my first long leave from the Far East, with 7th Gurkhas, Lachie suggested

Roddy Strang (1997) sent us this impressive-looking group from 1987. He knows who most of them are but cannot account for why they were brought together for this photograph. Perhaps someone can enlighten him…

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The Rector (a brief encounter) My routine, during the formative years of my life, was to spend ten years of it on a weekday basis with an educational establishment in Colebrook Street, in the Kelvinside district of Glasgow.

During that same period the Rector in charge of this house of learning was one Frank Roydon Richards – known to the hoi-polloi as ‘The Dick’. And during the countless hours I spent within the walls of this learning establishment, I only came in contact once, personally, with the Rector.

Now this may have been fortuitous on my part, in that only once did I transgress the house rules sufficiently to have a private audience with his highness, whereas others were probably in and out of the hallowed quarters like yoyos.

Now it may appear from the foregoing that we were completely unaware of this person in charge, but I would like to set the record straight before proceeding further. Every morning at the start of the day’s proceedings, all those who had turned up on time attended morning assembly (latecomers were in for a grilling by the prefects externally). At this assembly proceedings were conducted by the Rector, along with a smattering of teachers who had also made the deadline on time – but always the Rector in charge (I think it must have been in his contract).

Anyway, his presence on the rostrum meant that we had a daily appearance from him, so that we knew what he looked like.

And this was about the only visible contact we had with him during our time in these hallowed walls. Admittedly, once during my own time there we did have one period of Religious Education conducted by the Rector, but whether this was because it was part of his contract, or because of staff absence, we never knew.

There may have been other reasons for being called to a personal meeting with the Rector in his Office, but the one which was most apparent was as a final resort in the punishment regime. This was usually handled in the junior school by the administration of the strap (painful but immediate, and soon recovered from) or in the senior school by Detention (single or double depending on the transgression).

Detention was handed out by the teaching staff for minor misdemeanours during teaching periods. Anything more heinous was referred to the Rector for a caning.

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Detention was held after school in DD Ogilvie’s classroom (he probably had the administration of this extra duty written in to his contract). There was never any difficulty with a lack of accommodation within the classroom at these Detention sessions, so we must all have been reasonably well behaved – or the threat of Detention was sufficient to deter any untoward behaviour.

However, when one gets to the rarefied atmosphere of fifth year there is bound to be a rebellious streak in most of us who have had to conform to a very rigid routine, and such was my unfortunate lot. Unfortunately, for the purpose of these annals, I cannot remember what my personal transgression was, but I knew that it was against all the rules, that Detention would not cover it, and that I was for the high jump.

The normal procedure in circumstances like this was for some minor runner from the School Office to turn up at the miscreant’s particular lesson and request that ‘so and so’ should report immediately to the Rector’s office. This intimation was greeted by all and sundry present not cited with a sigh of relief, and the guilty party had to depart forthwith, for a bout of punishment.

This was the situation that I found myself in, when I knew I was beyond the Detention stage and could expect a summons for retribution at any time. In circumstances like this, it is only human nature to take any precautionary measures that might alleviate the oncoming ordeal.

My approach to this coming date with destiny was to wear a special thick pair of swimming trunks in addition to my normal garb. These, I reckoned, would go some way to absorbing the effect of caning.

So for about a week I went around looking a bit larger than life, in the expectation of a summons at any moment. Hope springs eternal, and at the end of this period, I reckoned that my fall from grace must have been overlooked, as no summons had been forthcoming – either that, or the Rector was far too busy to deal with minor infringements, and maybe there was an amnesty in place.

How we are lulled into a false sense of security! The day after I abandoned my armour and returned to normal garb, the summons to attend the place of

punishment was delivered. So, it was with some trepidation that I presented myself at the Rector’s mercy. After a few preliminary remarks about the reason for this retribution, I was invited to bend over a chair and the Rector produced a bamboo garden cane to administer what was due to me.

Now, I must admit with experiences of the strap in junior school I was expecting some considerable pain from the wielding of the cane, but the first stroke was well down on the Richter Scale of discomfort.

Fortunately, my reactions were fairly quick, and, to ameliorate any increase in pressure with subsequent strokes, I managed to produce a suitable expression of agony, which seemed to placate the Rector - and the further three strokes were of the same velocity. My histrionic talents seemed to satisfy the Rector in considering a job well done.

I cannot remember what passed between us in the way of dialogue at the end of this encounter, but I am adamant that at no point did we shake hands.

Jim Cunningham (1949)

Jack Gardner (1914) The Academy is delighted to have received a 100-year-old rugby cap belonging to the First World War hero, Captain John (Jack) Gardner (1914). The cap was presented to the school by Douglas Anderson (1944), the artist and military historian.

Jack Gardner won the cap in his final year at Glasgow Academy, shortly before he obtained a commission in the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the outbreak of hostilities in 1914. He was wounded on three occasions, was twice mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the Military Cross in May 1916 by which time he had been made a captain. He died of wounds received in action on 27 July 1917.

Veni, Vidi…

I have been reflecting on the various Latin teachers I had over the years at the Academy and on their variable competence levels! Latin was of course compulsory in the Upper School until the end of Upper 2, but as I had no interest or indeed ability in any of the sciences (give me a good book any time over a lab) Latin was always on my timetable all the way up.

My first Latin teacher was ‘Jasper’ Mundie who did his best to engage us with humour and a real enthusiasm – he was given to producing all sorts of allegedly relevant objects from the sleeves of his gown to keep us entertained. Sadly he left and went to Solihull. After that I had a year of Kenneth Miles. His main subject was English which he taught extremely well (his annual recitation of Gunga Din in broad Cockney accent remains a cheerful memory) but he also did some Latin – and made things clear and understandable. After that we had a young man called Roger Newis: he came direct to the school after his Oxbridge degree – having not bothered to take a teacher training course – and it showed. He was no doubt a classicist but certainly could not unpack Latin for us.

I think he was a passable cricketer which

is maybe why he got the job. Fortunately after him I had two years of Bruce Chalmers who was an exceptionally gifted teacher and who took us through the complexities step-by-step and never going so fast that you got left behind.

He was also possessed of a fine singing voice and sang at the music concerts always held at the end of the second term. I recall hearing some of the folk song arrangements of Benjamin Britten for the first time sung by him. Sadly he left the school too and I then had a Mr E E Peters, a fastidious and painstaking teacher who endeavoured to teach us the delights of scansion - all these strophes, spondees, trochees and iambic pentameters. He was also very good at showing us how to deal with the dreaded prose and the art of turning it into English constructions suitable for translation into Latin.

my sixth year I did some Greek with a Mr Reardon who, delighted with a volunteer, taught me sufficiently well so that when I had a few years later to learn Greek I had enough residual knowledge to ensure that I was not starting from scratch.

It is always said that Latin is good for developing skills of pure reason and thought as well as helping you to understand English more successfully – others would have to judge whether it had that range of benefits for me. I don’t think much Latin is taught nowadays – let alone Greek – and maybe we are the poorer as a result and I suppose that we were none the worse for having had to learn it.

David A Keddie (1958)

At the end of all of that - with my brain full of conjugations, declensions, indicatives and subjunctives, passives and actives, imperfects, perfects and pluperfects, ablative absolutes, ‘ut’ clauses, gerundives et cetera - I got my Higher Latin – mirabile dictu as you might say!

Sixty-two years on…

By this time I was thinking that I might become a Minister in the Church of Scotland and sensed that a bit of Greek would not go wrong and so in

These three fellows from 1951 Transitus ‘C’ Class have kept in touch over the years. (The whole class photograph was printed in the Autumn 2009 (issue 10) of Etcetera.) Can you name the three friends above?

A hopeless case, but nicely put!

I remember not a lot from my school days. I do, however, remember Archie Foster who taught Maths and I think it was room F. He had a wonderful handwriting on the green board. I was hopeless at Maths and still remember his patience. He died during the academic year and that was a great loss to us.

I also remember that Mr JAT Richards was an interesting strict teacher. He loved making us learn 10 lines of Shakespeare or poetry. I hated it then and hate it now. I remember going to bed with the book under the pillow.

On my report card in second year I was second from the bottom and he wrote, ‘Has tried hard in a good set.’ I can still picture his handwriting and his black ink.

He took us to the Western Baths one Wednesday for sport and someone was larking about. The result was that Mr Richards fell into the water fully clothed.

We laughed but the repercussions the

next day for the poor chap responsible, however it happened, were not pleasant.

I have few lovely stories and am thinking back to who inspired me. Sadly I am stuck although TG Wright helped me with my English and I passed my Highers. He was young and caring at the time. He may still be. I loathed rugby and I remember Mr WK Waine singling me out in the Cargill Hall and saying when we watched ‘They ran with the ball’ for the umpteenth time - that even I had shown some prowess in the ‘D’ team. I even played a couple of matches - although that might have been in the ‘C’ team.

I remember the bell ringing at 15.50 and dashing to Kelvinbridge to catch the underground so I could make the 16.05 connection at Bridge Street for the red bus. I never had a coat so that I would not be delayed in going to the well. That bus was the best one to catch. Although

I could not run on the rugby pitch, I could run away from school. I cannot imagine why, though, as I was only running to start the cursed homework which seemed to take hours to do.

I loathed parents’ evenings and my parents returning home. In those days we did not accompany parents as is the case in my daughter’s school today. It was never bad news and there was a lot of ‘He tries hard’ in feedback. In other words – a hopeless case, but nicely put.

Sadly, I do not keep in touch with any of my school colleagues apart from James Leggat and Jimmy Howie. I remember Jimmy bringing eggs into school for Mr Varley. Alistair Crabb was also a pal and he had the best-polished CCF boots that I have ever seen. He came to school in his own car and had his boots in a cloth bag to protect them from scuffing. Mine were poor - and still would be.

Edwin R Lucas (1970)

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Reunions and get-togethers IVth Form 1966-1967 Class Reunion Dinner The above event was held at the Clubhouse at New Anniesland on Friday 22 March 2013. We were very lucky to have Graham Scott, Chairman of the Glasgow Academicals’' War Memorial Trust as our Guest Speaker and Kenneth Russell was, as always, his witty self as Master of Ceremonies. A light-hearted informal evening was enjoyed by everyone with the usual hecklers in fine form.

Despite the banking crisis, Loukis Pattison managed to jet in from Cyprus and it was good to see Charlie Brown, Colin Manson and Iain Swan who had not been to the Dinner for decades. The photograph is intriguing - showing how everyone has survived!

Many thanks to the speakers, Charlie Parameswaran and his catering staff, the

organisers and all who attended.

If you think you were in the above year at Glasgow Academy and perhaps have moved house or simply have lost touch, please let us know your address and e-mail/mobile phone number by contacting Kenneth Russell, The Hilton, 38 Chester Road, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1EU kennethrussell@btinternet.com

The following were present: Brian Barclay, Mike Belch, John Blair, Atholl Brechin, Charles Brown, Brian Crombie, Neil Duncan, Alan Gibson, Jimmy Howie, Colin Manson, Ralston McKay, George McLaren, Wallace Mitchell, Derek Neilson, Loukis Pattihis(Pattison), Bill Peacock, Crawford Primrose, Douglas Robinson, Kenneth Russell, Donald Rutherford, David Stirrat, Iain Swan and Ian Veitch. Unfortunately, Paul Gee, Tim Haggis and Martin Muir all had to cancel at the last minute because of the weather and a son’s broken leg.

London Centenary Dinner The London Section held its annual dinner on Friday 1 February, this year commemorating the Centenary of the Glasgow Academical Club, London Section. The evening at The Caledonian Club was presided over by Gordon Low, President of the London Section and in addition to a number of visiting Academicals from Glasgow, Gordon welcomed guests in the form of Lord Strathclyde, whose grandfather was a governor of the School, Ian Welsh, President of the Glasgow High School London Club, Iain Jarvie, President of the Glasgow Academical Club, Peter Brodie, Rector of The Academy, Alasdair Graham, President of the Glasgow Hawks, Colin Turner and David Comins, past Rectors.

The structure of the dinner was slightly different from previous years, each of the courses being punctuated by speeches and incorporating a Burns night element in recognition of the time of year. David Stirling delivered a most enthusiastic Ode to the Haggis, and he was followed by Alasdair Graham proposing a Toast to the School. Alasdair brought back memories for many at the mention of Lachie Robertson.

Peter Brodie responded and reminded us of the fine academic and athletic record

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of the School, past and present and brought us up to speed with continuing developments in the creative arts. Earlier in the evening, Mr Brodie had made a presentation on the development project for Colebrooke Street and the audience was impressed at this expansion of The Academy’s facilities.

Following the main course, James Dinsmore gave an intelligent and witty Toast to the Glasgow Academical Club, to which Iain Jarvie responded with an entertaining but also informative summary of the activities of the Club.

Ian Welsh then delivered a jocular High School perspective on the traditional rivalry between the High School and The Academy, before we were honoured and delighted to have Lord Strathclyde, recently retired Leader of the House of Lords make closing remarks. Lord Strathclyde commented, with great humour on his link to the Academy, before moving on to the independence issue.

Gillian Waddell proposed, in her own inimitable fashion, the Vote of Thanks to all the speakers and the Committee for organising what proved to be a very memorable occasion. If you attended the dinner and found yourself NOT speaking on this occasion, do not worry - we will have our eye on you for next year!

Diary of Events - 2013 Class of 1971 Westbourne Reunion Friday 26 April Glasgow Academy Summer Ball Saturday 22 June Regular Giving Reception /Art Exhibition Monday 24 June Classes of 1956-1960 Reunion Friday 6 September Class of 1993 Reunion Friday 13 September Kelvin Foundation Lunch Friday 20 September Class of 1963 Reunion Friday 4 October Dallachy Lecture Thursday 24 October Class of 2003 Reunion Friday 25 October Gasbags and October Reunion Lunch Friday 25 October Academical Dinner Friday 8 November Classes of 1966 and 1967 Reunion November (date TBC)

Ten-year reunion The class of 2002 joined together for our ten-year reunion on Friday 26 October last year. It was great to see more than 30 people coming back to the school; everyone thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the changes which have taken place over the past decade.

Although the ‘official’ reunion started at 2pm on the Friday, there was a fiercely contested five-a-side football match the night before with the ‘ruggers’ taking the spoils against the football guys (no change there then!) A curry and drinks then followed to set us up for the main event the next day.

On the Friday, old friendships were rekindled during pre-reunion drinks at ‘Bar Oz’, before heading to meet some of our favourite teachers from days gone by. An excellent evening at The Lansdowne Bar rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable walk down memory lane.

The class of 2002 I’m sure will be back soon, and we are all looking forward to the next get together.

Glasgow Academy team wins Most Promising Product award Dolly Creations, The Academy’s Young Enterprise company, has won both the Glasgow Company of the Year and the Most Promising Product Award at the Young Enterprise Scotland Glasgow Awards 2013 held in March. As a result, Dolly Creations will be representing Glasgow at the YES Scottish finals on Tuesday 18 June.

Now they are offering Etcetera readers a chance to share in their success by buying their highly-successful product - Mini Me.

by

Rekindle the memories…with a personalised Glasgow Academy Mini-Me! Only £11.99 each or 2 for £20!

Contact: dollycreations@hotmail.com to place an order or to discover more about our company.

Colin Hutton (2002)

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Academical Club

Glasgow Academical Club Lottery

Rugby Section

Since the Lottery was re-introduced in

We are heading towards the end of a much-disrupted season due to challenging weather conditions. This has placed extra strain on all concerned, not to mention extra commitment from the players. We are currently in fourth position with three games remaining.

Despite the utter dominance of Marr RFC, the league has been a very competitive affair with close games and good rugby. Meanwhile the 2nd XV have dominated their league which has

been further hampered by sides failing to raise a team.

With the school season also coming to an end, we are keen to make close contact with those boys who may be looking for senior rugby in the future. No matter if you are leaving for educational pastures new, please remember that New Anniesland is your natural home and we will make you most welcome in the future. For those of you who may be returning to the west of Scotland after university, again please feel free to come along and enjoy the benefits of Accie life at New Anniesland.

Gavin Smith (1974) Chairman

2011, it has proved a fun and popular way to support the Club. The continued aim is to improve and broaden the facilities and activities in the coming years.

The Lottery will make a monthly draw – based on our target of 200 subscribed memberships we are aiming for this to be for a 1st prize of £500, a 2nd prize of £250 and a 3rd prize of £100 – the significant exception being July which will be a ‘jackpot’ month with a bonus prize – perfect for the Summer Holidays! Entry to all of these draws for 12 months will be in return for a monthly contribution of only £10: £120 annually per membership subscription.

An extra incentive is that for every entry received over 200, the prizes will increase!

Unfortunately it has taken longer than planned to get the renewal emails and letters out for this year – my apologies – these have gone out in early March.

Consequently the only draw through the winter has been a bonus draw for those entrants whose entry fees continued through that period. The draws will recommence in April, and draws will be held at monthly intervals with winners to be notified by the end of each month, and the winners’ names will be listed on the new Academical Club website. All of the profit from this goes back into supporting the Club and improving Club facilities.

In order to become or continue to be a member of the GAC Lottery, please contact Robin McNaught by email at gacprizedraw@ hotmail.co.uk, or at ‘Craigalvie’, Kilbarchan Road, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, PA11 3EZ for the entry form.

The winners from the last six months’ draws to Autumn 2012 have been as follows – £250 – Alan Stewart, Avril Stirrat, John Monaghan, Peter Jensen, John Goodwin, Brian Crombie £100 – Allan Alstead, Robin Hopkins, Hugh Kraaijeveld, Barry Sandilands, Dougie Robinson, Warren Luke £50 – Thomas Mann, Stewart Bannerman, Hugh Fulton, Raymond Mills, Andrew L Howie, Kenneth MacLeod £200 bonus draw – Celia Hill

Well done to all the winners - and thank you everyone in advance of your continued support!

Robin I McNaught (1982) GAC Lottery Convenor

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Glasgow Academical Club

Ladies’ Hockey mid-season update

Notice is hereby given to members that the Annual General Meeting of the Club will be held at 6.30 pm on Tuesday 4 June 2013 in the Pavilion, New Anniesland, 21 Helensburgh Drive, Glasgow G13 1RR.

Following on from the success of the Accies’ Ladies Hockey tournament held in

In addition to routine business, resolutions will be put to the meeting to modify the Rules of the Club to provide as follows: 1. that all categories of members of the Club shall be eligible for appointment as office bearers (other than the President and Vice President from time to time who shall be ordinary members, life members or honorary life members); and 2. that the AGM of the Club shall be held each year on the first Tuesday of June or such other date in June as the Board may determine.

The Secretary will make available copies of the Report and Accounts to any member, on request to the above address.

Kenneth D Shand Secretary

August (which we won), the 2012-2013 Ladies’ Hockey season is in full swing.

With continuing good attendance at training, along with the welcome addition of a number of new faces, Accies Ladies’ section is continuing to field two strong teams this season.

At the season’s mid-point, the 1st XI are sitting second in the national Championship League which is due to finish on 27 April and remain in contention in the plate competition.

After a recent bout of tough matches, the 2nd XI are currently sitting sixth in West District Division 1 and are also still in with a good shout in the Scottish District Plate.

The Ladies’ Section has again fielded two teams (the whites and the blues), in the West District Indoor League this season. This has been not only fun, but excellent for improving our skills, sharpness and fitness (a lot of sweating!).

With a good number of Club social events coming up, including the Accies’ Ball, and our End of Season Bash in May, the social side of hockey continues to make a just reward for our efforts on the pitch.

The Ladies’ Section continues to grow and evolve and we always look forward to welcoming new or returning players to training at 6.30pm on a Tuesday at Windyedge with a view to join our teams.

This season we have had the support from two sponsors Mansion House Glasgow (info@mansionhouseglasgow.com) and Carruthers Gemmill (www.carruthersgemmill. co.uk), which enabled us to buy new kit, pay for travel to matches and employ a fantastic coach. We would like to thank both our sponsors and hope that they continue to support us into the future.

Celia Hill

The Glasgow Academical Sports Club Annual General Meeting will be held prior to the above meeting commencing at 6 pm in the Pavilion, New Anniesland.

Over 50s at Anniesland Fancy a bit of fun at Anniesland?

A hard core of aging has-beens have been putting themselves through their paces in the gym at Anniesland since last August and, with the lengthening daylight hours, are now looking forward to a bit of touch rugby in April.

The 1st XI are in a strong position in the national Championship League.

If you fancy giving it a go, please let me know in order that we can gauge numbers... (Thursdays 4-26 April, 6.30-7.30pm... £2/session) All welcome. Hope to see you there.

Iain iainjarvie152@btinternet.com 07803 855394

The 2nd XI celebrating their success in the Scottish District Plate competition

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Westbourne Award ‘Westbournalia’

By Mrs R Henderson (Headmistress 1936-64) We are fine young ladies of a West End School, To learn much culture and decorum is our rule We’re never known to misbehave or be undignified, In fact of Westbourne Gardens we are the joy and pride.

We study French and German, and how to hold At Homes, To dress with charming elegance, with hair held back with combs; We learn to speak melodiously, and accents we do scorn, Our aim to be a lady, as to The Manor born.

We do some nature study, but Science we deplore, Gymnastics are unladylike, or sliding on the floor; We’re taught to aim at beauty, and always look our best, Always to be dignified – of manner that’s the best.

We learn to dance the lancers, but never Scottish reels.

We wear black hose and slippers with serviceable heels; We wear trim coats and boasters and silken dresses white At all times we endeavour to do what’s always right, We fashion old-world garments with tucks and many a frill, And fancy, frilly petticoats of cotton or of twill.

We learn to do embroidery and samples with our names, Your grandmamas still have them in pretty wooden frames.

We learn to sing sweet part songs and many a sad duet, And sometimes at a concert, we dance a minuet, We all keep pretty scrap-books, and post-card albums too; We’ve no time for naughty things that idle hands can do.

We paint in water-colours and even play the harp, We sometimes play at croquet and are never known to carp.

We’ve never heard of hockey or the entré ballet dance, At everything undignified we always look askance.

So know you great-grand-daughters, pray do not pity us, We loved our simple pleasure, without your modern fuss; And when you smile and tease us about 1877, Remember, being at Westbourne then, was a little bit of Heaven.

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Former Westbourne Pupil Awarded MBE Fiona (Pearson) Stuart (1964), who is well-known for her work as the driving force behind the Tullochan Trust, has been honoured with an MBE. Fiona was named in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for her work with young people in Dunbartonshire through Tullochan, the youth project she launched in memory of her father, Brigadier Alastair Pearson.

Birth Carla (Boni) Bankhead (1992)

Since its inception, Tullochan has helped change the lives of over 6,000 young people. Fiona said of the award: ‘I am very honoured but, as always, there are a great many people who have helped me gain this recognition. The staff and young people are all equally important and it is not really about me – it is about them.’

We have our second addition to the family: a baby girl, Lucia Bankhead, born July 2012 - a little sister for Fletcher.

Graduation

Miss Bishop was the Head of Home Economics at Westbourne School for 28 years. She trained at Glasgow College of Domestic Science, and had taught in St Helens, England for almost ten years before coming to Westbourne.

Gillian Cowan Williams (1979) I left Westbourne at the end of fifth year in 1979 and trained as an Occupational Therapist. Thirty years later I resumed studying (whilst still working full-time) and graduated from Glyndwr University, North Wales on 31 October 2012 with a Masters in Public Health which was awarded with Distinction. I am now studying for a Professional Doctorate in Public Health. You are never too old to go back to academia!

Deaths Miss Margaret Bishop 1921 - 2013

At all times she brought to her Department a real love for her subject and encouragement for the girls to develop their abilities and interests in all aspects of the work. They were taught the need for finesse and balance when cooking. There are no doubt many former pupils who still have the cushion they made in the early years of Secondary Schooling. For a number of years there was always an impressive display of sewing at the end of the session. There will be many former pupils who are grateful in later years for the lessons taught by Miss Bishop in all aspects of Home Economics.

For many years Miss Bishop translated articles into Braille, and she herself was latterly registered blind. She also served on the Killearn Abbeyfield Committee.

She was a keen gardener and for most of her life was the proud owner of Westie dogs.

EK Henderson

Hilary Duguid (1971) Hilary died on 17 January 2013 in Edinburgh. Wife of Mr Richard Neville-Towle and sister of Alison.

Marlene Scotland (Stirling) Steel (1955) 9 July 1940 - 5 September 2012 Marlene passed away, after a long illness, at St Edmunds Nursing Home, Grantham, Lincolnshire on 5 September 2012. Wife of the late Bill Steel, much loved mother of Kiki (1984), beloved grandmother of Robert and sister of Jean (1952). She will be sadly missed.

Sheila White Mrs Sheila White, on 31 March 2013, teacher of Transition at Westbourne School.

Miss Bishop enjoys a day out with one of her former pupils

Memories of Miss Bishop

pinkie finger to wipe ingredients from a spoon (as it’s your cleanest finger) still remain.

Miss Bishop was an amazing Domestic Science teacher, strict but fair. The things I learnt in cooking and sewing have lasted a lifetime. They are impregnated into my mind and always remembered whenever I cook. Westbourne girls who took Domestic Science learned how to beat a white of egg on a clean flat plate with a knife, or knew your pinkie (little finger) was your cleanest finger on your hand, or learned to cook everything from a boiled egg to mince to every kind of sponge and pastry. I’m sure not many Food Technology students learn to that depth nowadays. Once I had passed my first Higher she changed her attitude towards me and all of us. She trusted us to succeed and experiment when it came passing the next Higher we took. She gave us the confidence to succeed even above her expectations for us. She was an exceptional teacher who really knew her subject. I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands of young ladies who learnt all they know about cooking from Miss Bishop and have now taught their children and even grandchildren what they learnt. Thank you, Miss Bishop.

Again many of you will remember her West Highland Terrier, Jill, in her basket behind her desk in the classroom. No Health and Safety and Food Hygiene regulations in these days!

Looking through my Glasgow Cookery book from school days, I discover various scribbles beside many of the recipes e.g.

• Scotch Broth: the vegetables are finely chopped in order to expose as much surface area to the water as possible in order to get a variety of vegetables on the spoon. Too much turnip and soup turns sour.

• Lemon Soufflé: add melted gelatine from a height in order gelatine does not go stringy.

• Green Vegetables: add to boiling water in order to retain colour.

• Milk Puddings: use wooden spoon • Powdered Grain (e.g. corn flour, arrowroot or custard): blend with cold milk. Add hot to cold. Put back in pan and bring to boil.

• Tomato Soup: Croutons are served on doily.

Many of you will remember Domestic Science classes with Miss Bishop with fond memories and I was very fortunate to be one of them.

There are many more and I can picture Miss Bishop in her pristine starched white overall, tightly-belted at the waist, pacing up and down the Domestic Science Lab, with eyes at the back of her head. She missed nothing and let you away with nothing. She had very high standards and she expected the same from her pupils.

I am sure you all remember making mince vol-au-vent, mixed grill, pineapple upside-down pudding, short crust and puff pastry and much, much, more. Memories of having to take rubbish to the bin on a saucer, use of the

Many of you will have taken forward many of her teachings into your adult life as wives, mothers, partners and carers. I went on to take Higher Home Economics, as her subject became known, and at that stage she bombarded

Sarah (Aston) Chalmers (1966)

A Tribute to Miss Bishop

us with information re digestive systems and food charts, balanced diets and calorie counting etc. She encouraged and supported us with project work and cookery skills. She was a very good teacher.

It was quite by chance that - 15 years ago - I found out that Miss Bishop lived nearby. I got in touch and wasn’t sure what her reaction would be as I had heard she was now blind and was a very private person. She was delighted to hear from me and this was the start of our friendship.

I visited her on a regular basis reminiscing about Westbourne days, pupils, teachers, shows of work etc. She was always interested in any news of former pupils of Westbourne and her memory for names was incredible. I used to read extracts from the Etcetera magazine to her and I think she was always pleased when her name cropped up in articles sent in from former pupils.

She had a great love of dogs, birds, flowers, plants and above all of her garden. She was registered blind and coped with this with great courage and spoke about her dismay at not being able to sew or read.

Through the help and support of her friends, she was able to stay in her own home until October 2012 when her illness meant she had to move into residential care. She had lived in Killearn for 58 years and she hoped that one day she would return. This was not to be and she sadly passed away on 28 February 2013 aged 92.

I grew very fond of Miss Bishop over the years and I will miss her.

Carole (Day) Hill (1974

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P.S. Further to my comments in the summer edition of Etcetera 2012, I am happy to report that I did meet Suzanne Maillot, my pen-pal introduced to me in 1950

by Westbourne’s French teacher, Miss Lushington (pre-Miss MacDonald).

Although a little apprehensive at meeting for the first time in 62 years, we both enjoyed our five days together in Clermont-Ferrand in October 2012. A large bundle of her letters dating back to 1950 travelled with me and, amazingly, my letters to her are on the top shelf of a cupboard in her apartment! We are both 75 years old and retired doctors, but thankful to be enjoying good health and active lives.

and church and where she played in the square, or up in the woods near the Castle with her three brothers. We even traced the whereabouts of the one-time pen-pal of my classmate, Elizabeth Shaw!

It was delightful to explore our present-day interests such as music, art, swimming, cooking and walking in the hills. I enjoyed the trip to the farm to purchase a whole cheese, Le Bouron, typical of the area. Suzanne is very involved now in Astronomy. I was thrilled to see the sun and Jupiter through her latest telescope.

Clermont-Ferrand is an old and interesting city surrounded by 10,000 year old volcanic mountains (no longer active) and at the northern end of the beautiful Auvergne region. I experienced amazing hospitality; met some of her family and friends; toured round picturesque villages - many with 11th century churches in Romanesque style. It was particularly interesting to visit Pontgibaud, the village where Suzanne lived in early childhood, went to school

Amazingly, armed with our 1951 pocket dictionaries, we coped very well with French/English. For the first time we shared our childhood memories of WW2. She has the horrid memories of deaths of young men who had been involved in the ‘Resistance’ in her occupied village. I shared my early experience of our family’s narrow escape from the 1941 Clydebank Blitz.

Sadly, I did not have time to visit Martine Crombie (Mitchell) further south, but did manage to spend a lovely weekend with my younger cousin, Edith Benson (Robertson), en route for the homeward flight from Lyon.

Suzanne and I have worked hard over the last two years to improve our computer skills, thus enabling us to correspond much more frequently. We hope to meet up again.

Pupils nowadays have a greater advantage of travelling far and wide, and the use of modern technology.

I do think that good communication and meetings between young people world-wide can help to bring about world peace and understanding.

Jan Chisholm (1955)

‘One small cut for man… one giant lawn for mankind!’

In the winter 2012 edition of Etcetera, I enjoyed reading Dan Gardner’s account of how privileged he feels to have shaken the hand of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

Dan and I were great friends at The Academy, although we have lost touch since.

I thought he might be interested to know that my close encounter of the astronaut kind occurred some years ago when my wife, Jennifer, and I were visiting friends in the USA. Sharing their lovely home in upmarket Langley, Virginia, and wanting to be helpful during our stay, I offered to mow their lawn.

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As it happened, the family lawn mower was away for repair, but, I was told, the next door neighbour would be only too happy to lend me his. Before setting off to borrow it, I asked what this good neighbour’s name was. ‘It’s Buzz Aldrin.’...’Buzz Aldrin….the man on the moon?’…

‘That’s the one!’

Two gruelling hours in the sun later, the lawn was mowed, and Buzz’s lawn mower had made a successful re-entry to, and soft landing in, his garage. Mission accomplished!

I hope my old friend Dan has been able to dine out successfully over the years on his ‘I shook hands with Neil Armstrong’ gambit. I fear that my ‘I borrowed Buzz Aldrin’s lawn mower’ doesn’t quite have the same cachet!

Jim Shearer (1964)

)

Johnnie Beattie (2003) Johnnie’s move to Montpellier at the start of the season coincided with a welcome return to form.

Recalled to the national side in January, he has played a pivotal role in Scotland’s improved Six Nations performance this year - perhaps never more so than in their amazing win over Ireland.

A Book of Thanks

The generosity of former pupils has been key to the development of The Academy since 1845. You can make a lasting difference to the lives of generations by choosing to leave a gift to the school in your Will. Where an estate is liable to inheritance tax, there is an additional benefit because bequests to The Glasgow Academy are tax exempt.

All former pupils who let us know they intend to leave the school a legacy are invited to join the Kelvin Foundation*; however you may choose whether to make your bequest anonymously or in memory of a family member, friend or teacher. You can be certain we will not spend a single penny of your legacy on administration; you can even choose a specific subject, activity or Bursary you’d like to support.

We recently commissioned a Book of Thanks to our Legators - to mark our appreciation of those who choose to leave The Academy a bequest. The book will be on permanent display in the Rector’s Study; each page a lasting tribute to every former pupil who decides to make a parting gift - however large or small. *If you would like to learn more about The Kelvin Foundation, please contact Mark Taylor – in the strictest confidence – on 0141 342 5494.

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From our overseas correspondents…

Yukon Living

and where the lakes were pristine and only the lonesome call of the loon could be heard above the perfect silence. The Yukon scenery has to be amongst the most breath-taking to be found anywhere on our planet.

I immigrated to Canada in 1967, which was probably the best year to make the move as it was Canada’s centennial and - as a result - virtually everywhere you visited had some form of celebration going on.

Initially I settled in Toronto; however after three years I decided that it was time to make another move and I ended up in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. The decision to move North had been arrived at by a rather circuitous accumulation of facts accompanied by very little logical thinking and it wasn’t until several years later that I realised what a dangerous position the spontaneity of youth had placed me in. With 20/20 hindsight, I was soon to realise that my decision to go North possessed many more potential pitfalls than I had faced in my original adventure of crossing the Atlantic.

Thankfully I managed to avoid all of them.

I arrived in Whitehorse in late January and was immediately exposed to a Yukon winter. Temperatures of -40C and below were not unusual, so when the temperature jumped to -20C it felt quite balmy. Much to my surprise it didn’t take long to adjust and - after purchasing a down parka, a pair of substantial winter boots (mukluks would follow) and heavy woollen mittens - I was confident that I was sartorially competent to face any climatic contingency. Winter consistently lasted from October until April with very little respite from negative temperatures; however I was surprised, considering the northerly location, that the accumulation of snow was not greater.

At night your car had to be plugged into a block heater to ensure that the oil didn’t coagulate and an electric blanket was wrapped around your battery. In the morning the tyres would be flat at the point of contact with the ground and you would bump down the road for about a couple of hundred yards before they eventually returned to their normal shape.

I also learnt very quickly from experience that I should not touch any metal with my bare skin, as it would result in a rather nasty burn. However the one thing that I found more difficult to get used to was the long winter nights and conversely the long summer days. In winter, daylight would arrive around 10:30am and depart around 2:45pm. In summer, it was the reverse with close to 24 hours of daylight.

As I mentioned in a previous submission, I arranged a ‘longest day’ tennis tournament which started at 10pm and didn’t finish until early in the following morning,

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Etcetera

The Yukon scenery has to be amongst the most breath-taking to be found anywhere on our planet. during which time absolutely no artificial light was required. Of the two extremes, I think the summer conditions were more difficult to adjust to as trying to sleep while the sun was blazing through your bedroom window could be quite a challenge.

Daily life in Whitehorse was the epitome of living in a hassle-free environment.

From a business standpoint, you were far enough away from Head Office that you could quite safely ignore the majority of requests for your immediate action. A good example of the relaxed manner in which business was carried on was during the last week in February when Whitehorse hosted its winter carnival, which was aptly called Sourdough Rendezvous.

People came from all over the North to participate, let their hair down and relieve the monotony of the long winter darkness.

The event was a fun-filled ten days when virtually everything in the town came to a grinding stop. For example, if by chance you had a customer in the office and also an approaching curling time, the customer had the option of either coming back later or accompanying you to the curling rink. It was just that simple. This laissez-faire attitude during Rendezvous actually possessed a health benefit because in February cabin fever was definitely prevalent in the community.

However the benefits of living in Whitehorse stretched far beyond the city limits. Within thirty minutes you could be camped on the shores of countless beautiful and secluded lakes where the water was so hard that Coffee-mate would bounce to the top of your cup without dissolving, where you sat in awe of the massive mountains which surrounded you

Living in Yukon also provided you with the opportunity of walking in history.

Several times I visited Dawson City and climbed the Dome, which is a large hill overlooking the town, and – as Dawson has only marginally changed since the Gold Rush of 1898 – it wasn’t difficult to stand and imagine the anticipation that must have been continually present, waiting for the jubilant cries of a prospector to waft up out of the valley, signifying to all and sundry that a strike had been made, or the lookout racing down the hillside to advise the town residents that the first sternwheeler of the year had navigated the recently-icebound Yukon River.

But my most rewarding experience was when - accompanied by a friend - I floated down the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Carmacks in a 12-foot aluminium boat, a distance of approximately 375km. The only troublesome part of the journey was when the wind velocity increased just as we were traversing Lake Lebarge and for a few moments I thought that I was going to join Sam McGee in Yukon folklore.

The only difference was that Robert Service cremated poor Sam while I would ignominiously drown or more likely expire as a result of hypothermia. Towards the end of our trip, we realised that we had underestimated the time required to complete our adventure and consequently our food supply. So for the last day we had to live off the land and the remains of our second bottle of over-proof rum.

In those far off days it was often said, and with a certain degree of justification, that people who moved to Yukon were trying to lose themselves. They were either running away from a wife, creditors or the law. I hasten to add that none of them applied to me. However, on the other side of the coin, life in Yukon offered any ambitious young person the opportunity of gaining experience which on the ‘outside’ would have taken many more years to obtain.

Robert Service wrote a poem called The Spell of the Yukon and for me the final two lines sum up the Yukon perfectly: ‘It’s the beauty that fills me with wonder, It’s the stillness that fills me with peace.’

Sandy Ferns (1960)

Life after The Academy There is indeed life after The Glasgow Academy and for Jan and me that life, for a few years, is in the small island of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka sits in the Indian Ocean and looks like the pearl on the foot of India or, less poetically, a drip on the nose of India!

and, on occasion, downright horizontal.

Teaching in this climate has the added problem of how to anchor papers to the desk as the constant ceiling fans ensure that the potential for papers to fly around the room is very high. Open windows and doors ensure that the noise from the playground and corridors and often the class next door, add a very unwelcome distraction to staff and pupils alike.

Jan and I have been visiting Sri Lanka on holiday for many years and moving here seemed a rather nice thing to do as part of our retirement plan. It’s a beautiful island with a variety of climates.

In Colombo and the south, it is hot.

Temperatures average around 28-36 degrees for most of the year. However, go north to the tea plantation area and it is positively chilly.

Life is very, very pleasant here. We have a lovely house with a wonderful housekeeper who keeps both the house, garden and swimming pool immaculate.

There is a cook who comes twice/three times each week and cooks wonderful Sri Lankan food. We also have a driver who takes me to school and then takes Jan wherever she has to go and comes to collect me when school finishes.

The school day begins at 7.15 am and the teaching periods are 50 minutes in length. The young people are much the same as at Glasgow Academy... often lazy

I am reliably informed that there is a Highway Code here and that it’s the same as we have in the UK. Hmmm!

I see absolutely no evidence of this.

So, all in all a very pleasant, if somewhat confusing, life. As I said, there is life after Glasgow Academy.

take up most of my time interspersed with visits to and from daughter and grand children in Cheshire and son in Manchester. My wife, Margo (ex-Laurel Bank. Oops!) has become a useful golfer so our lives are fairly compatible.

Obviously any one reading this and passing near Newport, Shropshire is most welcome to give us a call and visit in order to reminisce over some fine wine or even good beer.

David Ferguson (1965)

Eye, eye!

We - Alan Semple and David Ferguson - met at the local Golf Club some 25 years ago and each became Captains of Lilleshall Golf Club, David in 2002, Alan in 2008. How many Golf Clubs in England have produced two Accies as Club Captains in such a short space of time? The other coincidence of our friendship we discovered whilst walking the fairways is that David has only one eye, the right one, and Alan now only has his left one! We recently played together in the Club’s Senior Open and won the prize of several bottles of excellent wine. Next year may be entry to the half-blind Golf Society (if there is such a society!).

Alan Semple e-mail: alanandmargo@ blueyonder.co.uk

My very early days at Colebrooke Street are fairly easy to remember since the 2nd back row of Miss McEwan’s class comprised Semple, Charles Miller Smith, George Sternschein and Norman Stone.

Norman, being a close neighbour, and I often walked to Colebrooke Street taking us about 10 minutes. On reaching the age of 14 or 15, Norman and I managed to be selected for the junior Water Polo team at Western Baths Club.

(Norman’s position was goalkeeper!)

I am convinced that cars on the island do not come equipped with indicators.

Instead a psychic ability is expected when it comes to working out in which direction the traffic around you is going to move. Horns are, however, very highly developed and are used to tell you that the bus is coming through and isn’t going to stop, or that you are not driving fast enough. They are also used to tell the traffic policeman that enough is enough and it is that the queue’s turn to move. I can only imagine the response of a Glasgow policeman if we tried that at home.

Tom Whiteside (former staff) Being part of Frankie Parkes’ boarding house ‘boys’ in the early 60s, makes 12/13 Belmont Crescent a very special place to remember. We always felt that any achievements, academic or sporting (including golf), were always acknowledged in our close-knit community. John Maxton (Lord Maxton) was my form master and rugby coach for two years, then after leaving school we had the good fortune to be opponents on a rugby pitch - man to man, scrum-half→to no.8 – followed by a ½ pint or two.

I have been involved in dairy farming all my life, but I am now semi-retired from managing the dairy enterprise at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire.

However I still spend a few happy hours helping final year students complete their dairy farming studies. My family are nearly all teachers. My wife, Louise, daughter and son-in-law are PE trained, whilst my other daughter is a primary school teacher. The whole family are active – hockey, tennis, rugby, running, climbing, hiking, skiing, golf – the list is very long. Hence my activity levels seem to be higher than the average 64 year old.

Alan Semple (1958)

I am now retired from Civil Engineering Construction having moved to Surrey from Glasgow and thereafter to Shropshire. Golf, walking and travel

There are road markings, but on many occasions the direction of the markings does not reflect the expected direction of the traffic! Somewhat disconcerting for the foreigners!

The eyes have it! Alan Semple (1958) and David Ferguson (1965) - two Accies who reside in rural Shropshire

I would like to hear from any Academical who remembers the early 60s.

David Ferguson e-mail: daveferguson1948@gmail.com

Etcetera

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Family announcements

we spent our first (day) date, Troon beach. Cara Laing and I plan to marry in October 2013.

Family news

Cameron Wilson (1999) Delighted to announce my engagement to Jennifer Hay on 29 December 2012.

We are set to be married at the Hay family farm, Raesmill, Inverkeilor in September this year.

Brown family news Andrew P S Brown (1999) had a wee boy christened in London on 24 February. He and his wife Nic had a baby boy, Fergus Vernon Scott Brown, last autumn. They celebrated his Christening at St Andrews, Earlsfield, London... then celebrated Scotland’s famous victory over the English with his extended family!

Andrew’s brother Alastair Brown (1992) and his wife, Laura, were in attendance along with their firstborn, Murray, now two. Incidentally Laura will have a child in the early summer - a busy summer all round!

Alastair and Andrew’s grandfather (Colin Scott Brown)was at The Glasgow Academy at the beginning of the First World War. (This information has been provided

by Colin Brown, their father, who couldn’t get into The Academy and was imprisoned at Glenalmond instead!)

Jonathan Fleming (1999) Having felt called to the full time Ministry of Word and Sacrament for the Church of Scotland, I returned to Trinity College, University of Glasgow in 2008 to study for the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (Ministry).

Births Christian Bruce (1990) which explores a selection of articles from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights - civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. This was part of their work to obtain a Rights Respecting Schools Award from UNICEF. Soon after completing my probationary placement, I was invited to preach as Sole Nominee for Erskine Parish Church, where I became Minister Elect on 2 September 2012, before being ordained and inducted on 15 November.

On 29 September, my wife and I were blessed with another daughter, Hollie Marlyn Fleming, who was born in Wishaw General Hospital. Enclosed is a picture of our 4-year-old daughter Rachel, a proud big sister holding Hollie!

Following a busy couple of months juggling a new baby and moving home to our new manse, we are settling in well and looking forward to the years ahead in Erskine.

In the course of my studies, I had the pleasure of serving as a student assistant in North Motherwell, Castlemilk and Bothwell Parish Church. With such a variety of contexts, I feel better equipped for ministry and the vast range of issues faced in parish life.

Tom Sutton (2007)

Soon after graduating with a 2.1 with Honours in June 2011, I was invited to join the Council of Trinity College, which I will serve on a three-year term.

Engagements

Following this I was a Probationer Minister in Hamilton: Trinity Parish Church, where I was fortunate enough to work with an incredible chaplaincy team which served several primary schools and Calderside Academy, Blantyre. During my time in Hamilton, I assisted in three large chaplaincy events: Bubblegum ‘n’ Fluff, where we explore the true meaning of Christmas, The Easter Code and R.E.S.P.E.C.T - a five-day workshop for S1 pupils

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Etcetera

Christian and Catriona Bruce are pleased to announce the arrival of Lochlan Gordon Bruce on 6 January 2013. Grandson to Iain Stewart Bruce (pictured) and David Gordon McCracken both Old Academicals.

Scott Jamieson (2002)

Tom - who was Dux of The Academy is now studying for a PhD in Homotopy Theory (a branch of Topology) at Sheffield University.

Chris Leggat (1998) The date was 10.11.12 and I got down on one knee on the very sand where

Scott and his wife Judith were delighted to welcome their second child – Adam – on 4 December 2012 at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. Weighing 9lb 10oz he was a fantastic early Christmas present for his big brother Matthew!

Andrew MacRobert (1982) Andrew and his wife Elizabeth are delighted to announce the birth of their son Rory Alexander Nathaniel on 22 February 2013.

Chris and Cara

Neil Thomson (1988) I’m delighted to report that my wife Helen and I had triplets towards the end of last year. Angus, Edward and Jenna arrived on 24 September 2012. We are obviously very excited but constantly exhausted!

Amy (Comins) Loebell (1998) This is the first child for my myself and husband, Martin Loebell. He is called Henry Peter Loebell and was born on 21 December 2012. He was 7lbs 12oz at birth and was born at Furness General Hospital in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria.

Robin and Caroline

Marriages Robin Baird (2004) On 20 October 2012 Robin and Caroline Pringle of Saline, Fife were married at Fingask Castle in Perthshire.

Friends and family joined them for a wonderful (and unexpectedly sunny) day in tranquil and stunning surroundings.

Robin’s brother, Christopher (2007), was best man.

Douglas J Clark (1998) Douglas married Joanna Portus on 15 December 2012 at St. Michael’s Church

in Ilsington, Devon. Accies on parade were Malcolm Junor (1996), Paul Di Paola (1998) and Colin Tennant (1998).

All wore their FP ties but would not stay in the same place at one time for a photo. A very happy day was had by all!

Hazel McNaught (2004) In a very happy ceremony at Alloway Parish Church, Hazel married James Buncle on 7 July, 2012. This was followed by dinner and dancing at Brig o’ Doon.

Douglas and Joanna

Colin and Stephanie (Wright) Hutton (both 2002) Colin and Stephanie were delighted to welcome their first daughter to the world on 17 December 2012.

Annabelle Claire Elaine Hutton was born at 9.50pm weighing a healthy 7lbs 11oz.

Already Annabelle is showing signs of being a keen sportswoman and I’m sure it won’t be long until we see her on the hockey pitch - maybe with her mum!

The sun did eventually shine on Hazel McNaught’s big day!

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Obituaries International Carbohydrate Organisation and served as President of the European Carbohydrate Organisation. He will be remembered fondly for his many contributions to the UK and international carbohydrate communities.

Grant’s passion for golf endured throughout his life and he was an active member at a succession of clubs local to where he happened to be living at the time. On a recent trip to Scotland, he greatly enjoyed completing a round of golf at Dumbarton where he had first played over fifty years previously.

Jon and Diana

John McLeish (1999) Jon married Diana Louise Scullion at St Salvator’s Chapel in St Andrews on Saturday 13 October 2012.

Andrew Meikle (1985) Andrew married Isabel Speirs on 5 Jan 2013 at Seamill Hydro. Andrew is the son of John Meikle (1948) and his wife Glenda of Springhill, Barrhead. Isabel is the daughter of William and Jeanette Speirs of Westacre, Fenwick. A great day was had by all!

Andrew and Isabel

Professor J Grant Buchanan (1944) 26 September 1926 - 17 April 2012 (John) Grant Buchanan was brought up in Dumbarton and attended Glasgow Academy between 1936 and 1944.

While at school, he won prizes in maths, science and English, became a Flight Sergeant in the ATC, played for the 2nd XV, captained the golf team and also served as a school prefect. He remained an interested and loyal supporter of the school throughout his life and was a member of The Academy’s Kelvin Foundation.

On leaving school, Grant gained a place to study Chemistry at Cambridge (Christ’s College) where he went on to take his PhD on the structure of vitamin B12. Postdoctoral appointments took him to the USA to UC Berkeley and to the Lister Institute in London. He was appointed to a lectureship at the University of Newcastle where he made important contributions to the study of bacterial polysaccharides and sugar epoxides. He was promoted swiftly to become Reader in 1965.

Grant moved back to his native Scotland in 1969 to become the first Chair of Organic Chemistry at Heriot-Watt University, where he remained until his retirement in 1991. However, his scientific work continued as a Visiting Professorial Fellow at the University of Bath where he taught undergraduates and supervised research projects.

He was also editor of Carbohydrate Research, the UK representative on the

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Grant met his wife Sheila in Highgate through a common interest in tennis and they wed in 1956. They had a long and happy marriage until she sadly passed away in 1996. They are now both lovingly remembered by their children, Andrew, John and Neil and grandchildren Iain and Rebecca.

W Colin Buchanan (1945) 20 September 1927 - 23 November 2012 Colin was born in Helensburgh and was educated at Glasgow Academy between 1940 and 1945. After service with the Royal Artillery, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Thomson, McLintock & Co in Glasgow, from where he went on to serve on a number of company boards.

In addition to sitting for many years on the Committee of the London Section, Colin was President in 1996/97. Colin’s wise counsel will be sorely missed as will his presence at our various functions, at which he was a regular attendee.

They say a busy man can always find the time and Colin Buchanan certainly proved this in his active participation with his many outside interests: the Royal British Legion (Gerrards Cross Branch), St James Church, Gerrards Cross, Denham Golf Club and his devotion to the Clyde steamers, in particular the PS Waverley.

A great family man, he will be sorely missed by his wife Isobel and children Barbara, Judy, Alistair, Moira and his 11 grandchildren: compensated surely by happy memories of an exceptional husband, father and grandfather.

A very happy memorial service was held on 4 January at St James Church.

How nice it was to see a full house of

so many friends supporting Isobel and family. We all admired Isobel when she spontaneously thanked everyone at the end of the service for their support.

DW Hall (1960)

Lawrence J Crawford (1949) 15 July 1930 - 3 February 2013 Lawrence James Crawford was born in Glasgow, the son of Robert James Crawford, a chartered accountant, and his wife May. He attended Glasgow Academy between 1936 and 1949 where he captained the 1st XV in his final year.

He also later captained the Glasgow Academicals 1st XV. During his national service, he was a lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry and served with the regiment in the Korean War. After working in the Bath Hotel in Glasgow and the Russacks in St Andrews, he and his mother bought the Kinloch Guest House in Arran in 1954. Brother Robin joined the business, which they ran together for 40 years until Robin’s death in 1999.

In his role as hotelier, Lawrence was famous for a straight-talking, no-nonsense approach. He was also a forward thinker and built the hotel swimming pool. It was an important addition to the local community and many on the island learned to swim there. In the 1980s he was named Scottish Brewers’ Local Hero – some say this was nothing to do with the quality of the beer but more down to him helping some of the local men find a wife by bringing in plenty of female summer staff!

He continued working until he was 77.

Stopping work did not bring an end to his organisational skills – becoming a grandfather gave him a new lease of life and new people to organise and educate.

Lawrence is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Janess, sons Robbie, Gavin, Stevie and Jamie and seven grandchildren.

Professor Gordon B Donaldson FRSE (1959) 10 August 1941 - 28 November 2012 Gordon Bryce Donaldson was brought up in Glasgow and was a pupil at the school from 1950 to 1959. He won a scholarship to study physics at Cambridge University and, after

graduating, remained at the university to study for a PhD at the Mond laboratory.

Donald R M McFarlan (1971)

He was appointed lecturer in Physics at the newly-established Lancaster University in 1966. In 1975 he won a Fulbright Scholarship for a sabbatical at the University of California Berkeley.

Later that year he moved back to Glasgow, taking up a lectureship in the Department of Applied Physics at Strathclyde University where he subsequently became head of department and was appointed Professor of Applied Physics.

Donald Richmond McQueen McFarlan was a pupil at The Academy from 1960 to 1971. He won the General Knowledge and English prizes on several occasions and was a prefect in his final year. He also served as a Lance Corporal in the CCF and as Secretary of the Art Club. Donald won a scholarship to study English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

He led specialised research in superconductivity and served as the National Coordinator for Superconductivity for three years in the late ‘80s. Particularly notable was his development of a technique to detect and distinguish tiny magnetic fields in the presence of background ‘noise’.

His invention, the planar thin-film gradiometer enables non-invasive assessment of any physical quantity that can produce a magnetic field. Its applications are wide-ranging, from medical imaging of brain function (such as in epilepsy patients) to non-destructive testing of materials (such as examining aircraft for minute but lethal cracks).

Gordon was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1991, later becoming Convenor of the Society’s Physics Panel. He was also a Trustee of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation, a member and later Chair of the Low Temperature Group of the Institute of Physics in London, and also served on the Ministry of Defence Scientific Advisory Council.

A sociable man known for his generosity and the encouragement he gave to colleagues, Gordon thrived on organising and chairing major international conferences. He also served on Strathclyde University’s Senate and the University Court. Gordon was also a dedicated teacher with a talent for pitching explanations at the right level for any audience. He was particularly fond of his How Things Work course.

The course was much in keeping with his passion for practical physics and engineering which he applied at home in designing innovative - and sometimes improbable solutions - to DIY problems.

He is survived by his wife, Christine, and a son and daughter.

6 May 1952 - 23 August 2012

His choice of degree course led to a career in publishing, initially with Collins in Glasgow. In 1976 he moved to work for Penguin in London. For most of his ten years there, Donald had one of the most envied jobs in publishing, as editor of the Penguin Classics. In 1986 he joined Oxford University Press where he was responsible for the Classics and Science titles before, just a year later, becoming Editor of the Guiness Book of Records, a job he was to hold for five years. On leaving the corporate world, Donald took on various freelance editorial commissions and also wrote a novel on Rob Roy. Donald and his family moved to Norfolk in 1997 where, as his wife’s career blossomed, he was able spend more time with his daughter and son and make use of the internet age to satisfy his insatiable need for ever more new information.

In tune with his passion for classic cars and motor racing, he was also able to introduce and share in the sport of karting with his son.

Donald was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and battled against extremely poor health early in 2012 to recover enough to make one last visit to his beloved west coast and spend some time in Appin.

He is survived by his wife, Kate, and a daughter and son.

James D Rogers (1963) 21 February 1946 - 16 January 2013 Jim passed away at Eagle View Lodge, Comox, BC, after a lengthy illness. He was in his 66th year. Jim is survived by his wife Shelley Nicholls of Comox, his brother Dr Nick Rogers (Karen) of Edina, Minnesota, USA, sisters Joan (Fred) Walker of Tenterden, Kent, England, Anne (Andrew) McCosh of Edinburgh, Scotland, many nieces

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and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Jim was born in Glasgow, and went to school at The Academy, Fettes College and Glasgow University. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Jim was transferred to Canada in 1976 and worked for Deloitte & Touche, Canada Permanent, Royal Trust and then had a successful business in Vancouver. Due to his illness, he retired in 2006.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank W Saunders MBE ERD (1923) 2 July 1906 - 19 March 2013 Francis (Frank) William Saunders was a pupil at Glasgow Academy shortly after the school was reconstituted as a war memorial trust. He attended at Colebrooke Street during Edwin Temple’s Rectorship and went on to have a remarkable career as a roads engineer, soldier, politician and mainstay of public life. Aged 106, he was the oldest man in Scotland when he died last month.

Frank was part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1939, earned a Mention in Dispatches and was evacuated on the fall of France. He saw action with the 8th Army in North Africa (as a member of the Marine Expeditionary Force in Palestine, Transjordan and Cyrenaica) and with the 2nd Polish Corps of the 8th Army in the Italian Campaign. He also served with 3rd Corps during the Civil War in Greece. In 1947 he joined the Regular Army Reserves in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and retired from the reserve in 1961. He also served as President of the Royal Engineers Association, Forth Valley branch.

During a long and distinguished career in politics, Frank served as both an independent and Conservative councillor as a member of Stirling Town Council and later Central Regional Council. In 1999, at the age of 94, he stood as an independent in Stirling in the council elections. He was the oldest candidate in Scotland.

Frank served on six public bodies: as a trustee of the Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery; on Kings Park Community Council; as a JP (supplementary); on Stirling Assembly (a sounding board of public opinion); on Stirling Civic

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Etcetera

Lieutenant Colonel Frank W Saunders MBE ERD

Bobby Scully with his two eldest grandchildren, Amy and Sophie, after Academy prize-giving.

Trust and as a member of the Citizens’ Advice Bureau. In 2008 he received the Freedom of the City of Stirling for his efforts both as a member of the army and as a public servant of the city.

director of several golf-related businesses, including Ryder, Strokesaver and Relais du Golf.

Frank Saunders visited Glasgow Academy on several occasions in recent years to attend reunions and other events - including just before his 105th birthday. He maintained a keen interest in his school and all its pupils. He became a member of the school’s Kelvin Foundation and was a strong supporter of The Academy’s plans to build a new Science and Technology centre.

Robert M Scully (1952) 25 August 1935 - 12 February 2013 Robert (Bobby) MacDonald Scully was educated at the High School of Glasgow (1940-42) until, at the time of the blitz, he moved to Brodick High School before returning to complete his education at Glasgow Academy from 1944-1952. While at school, he won prizes in Geography and English.

Bobby trained to become a Chartered Accountant and, after qualifying in 1958, he did his National Service in Germany and Holland where he was commissioned to serve as a lieutenant.

On his return, he took an appointment as manager of French & Cowan, a long-established firm of chartered accountants in Glasgow, of which he became a partner in 1962. He became senior partner in 1971 and led the firm with considerable success for many years before eventually retiring from French Duncan in 2001. He was also a

Bobby was active in many charitable bodies including the Glasgow Leukaemia Trust, Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland Benevolent Association. He served as a JP for many years and was a member of the Master Court of the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers. He also took a keen interest in the Academical Club, serving on the Board during the 1960s and 1970s and as Club president in 1984-5. Bobby represented the Club at rugby in the lower XVs until 1967 and at golf regularly over the years.

Golf was certainly a passion. It was at the heart of many close friendships and led to many holidays across Scotland and beyond. Bob served as Captain of Glasgow Golf Club in 1985 and thoroughly enjoyed his membership - and the conviviality - of Prestwick and the R & A. Other leisure interests over the course of his life also included travelling, skiing, reading, squash and membership of the Nomads Club.

Bobby was happily married to his late wife, Aileen, for over thirty years. He is survived and will be greatly missed by his partner, Gay, his daughter, Wendy, son, Graeme, and four grandchildren, Amy, Sophie, Emily and Cameron - all of whom are currently educated at The Academy.

Picture Post

Photo sent in by Alastair Porter (1947) Etcetera 19, page 7 Dear Malcolm

Dear Malcolm

My brother Hugh spotted our late father Murray McCash in Mr Porter’s photograph of the OTC in the latest version of Etcetera. We were certain we had seen the original recently when clearing our mother’s house. When I found it I was pleased to see that dad had practised what he preached, as he always insisted we write the names of the others in the photo on the card surround.

There appears to be a question mark missing! I failed lower maths (like many other subjects) but I did notice that there were seven people in the middle row.

The missing name is JCW Macdonald. I think he lived near Dumfries and was a time and motion study engineer.

With kind regards

You’ll see from the enclosed that Alastair’s memory has held up well over the 65 years although Col Parkes appears to have had a demotion in the intervening period.

Our father didn’t end up doing National Service due to partial deafness caused by mastoiditis. We think he preferred the golf course…

Robin Johnston (1948) And many thanks to HD MacEwan (1947) for calling us with his version of the names of the sergeants in Alastair Porter’s photograph: PD Grant / AM Reid / HD MacEwan / KC Blackwood / WG Watson ? / ANS Henderson / ? / Gerald Timbury / Tom James / David K Mason / KCW MacDonald Mackie / Armstrong / AL Henderson / Major Parkes / Porter / David AR Kay / Macgregor

2nd XV 1943-1944 (Etcetera 19, page 7) Alan Diack recognised at least one member of the 2nd XV of 1943/44 – himself.

We wonder how many others he has identified correctly…

Back row (l to r): Scott / Childs / ? / Douglas Halley / Ian Neish Front row: Peter Forrest / A Wylie / Alan Diack / Maclennan / JG Buchanan / ? / Bill Adams Seated: Hamish Inglis ? Annelle

Colin McCash (1984)

Etcetera

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B R I T I S H

L U X U R Y

I N T E R I O R S

b y

C L I V E

C H R I S T I A N

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Etcetera