Etcetera 27

Katie’s road to Rio

Number 27 Summer 2016

Editorial

Contents

A time to remember…

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“It’s been a great year to be an Accie!”Those - or similar - words have been spoken many times over the last few months - and possibly never more so than in the beautiful surroundings of the Glasgow City Chambers on the evening of 21 April at the Civic Reception held in honour of the Glasgow Academical Club.

8 Anecdotage

John Beattie and his team have done a wonderful job of celebrating all that is best about being a Glasgow Academical while keeping faith with their fellow Glaswegians - especially with those who struggle with problems The party’s almost over: it’s been a great year… common to the less fortunate. Loneliness and homelessness have been two of the problems that the Club has tried to address in its 150th year.

One name on the lips of many Academicals over the past couple of months is that of Dr Gordon Carruthers who died aged 92 at the beginning of March. He was a mainstay of The Academy for 37 years between 1948 and his retirement as Deputy Rector in 1985.

Gordon was one of a number of senior staff who interviewed me when - as student teacher - I arrived at The Academy looking for a job. As I remember things, my encounter with the Deputy Rector didn’t seem to be an interview in the conventional sense at all. I certainly don’t recall any questions - rather I took the role of the audience while Gordon told me - with great enthusiasm - all about life at Glasgow Academy.

And yet he missed nothing. As many have observed, he had a slightly disconcerting way of sitting like an owl with his head cocked to one side listening for every nuance in a conversation.With naughty schoolboys he had a particular trick of affecting deafness and asking miscreants to repeat their lame excuses until they either contradicted themselves or gave up trying.

ril 2016

22 Ap

erb e sup for th ured to k you ono b, than l. We felt h beautiful lu C ical Apri such a ord Academ s on 21 ay - in Dear L lasgow ity Chamber the exact d the G C , alf of inner at ththe niversary - to t of. eh b indeed d ar an On to be p ry kind yed the r 150 on and ere ve recepti nised on ou we feel lucky dlay w they had enjo g in ty co F ci re a an e b in ath uch g and lie Jon how m buildin om Bai present said city ords fr ing on ming w d all of those co el lunteer Glasgow w an b, on.

The icals vo rious d super e locati Academ support va y the foo pecially, th an - es e so m ntinuing to event to hav e co pleased , and we ar ty. ilities at e been f our ab year abili best o We hav during the best of our to the s e ty ct th ci je s to pro nt the ur charitie represe based from yo we will those d that anks to assure e th b y e m Pleas s on es. ld pas all tim u cou event. l if yo e gratefu t together th e b I would ion who pu at organis Provost

Yours

Gordon Carruthers may no longer be with us, but it is clear that his influence lives on in the pupils he taught.

With best wishes

eattie John B t en Presid c/o

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Gordon was one of the great characters of The Academy and he had a huge influence on several generations of boys.

The affection in which he was held is evidenced by the tributes that flooded in from Academicals of all ages after his death was announced.

s, The l Relation Externa

8HE w, G12 b t, Glasgo ical Clu Academ lebrooke Stree asgow The Gl Academy, Co 94 w Glasgo l: 0141 342 54 Te

Etcetera

Katie Archibald – Fast track to Rio

4 The Glasgow Academy and Gallipoli 11 Teachers remembered 13 Glasgow Academical Club 17 Fundraising update 18 Westbourne Section 20 Gordon Carruthers – an appreciation 24 Meetings, get-togethers and reunions 26 Moving up, moving on…

28 Announcements 32 Public Schools and British Colonialism 33 Obituaries 38 Inspirations 39 Dear Sir…

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: John Beattie E-mail: johnrossbeattie@btinternet.com Secretary: Stuart Neilson Tel: 07771 845104 E-mail: stuart.neilson1@btinternet.com 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

m.mcnaught@tga.org.uk

Cover photo of Katie Archibald - copyright. Reproduced with kind permission of Jamie Simpson/Herald & Times.

Katie Archibald – Fast track to Rio Katie and friends after speaking at Senior School morning assembly

Katie’s competitive spirit seems only to have been strengthened by such early challenges. It helped lead her from racing on grass at Highland Games events to racing on the hard track with City of Edinburgh Racing Club and on to Manchester where, very early on, coach Dave Brailsford identified Katie as “a really exciting prospect”.

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t is a crisp, March morning at Colebrooke Street. Katie Archibald (2012) is back for the first time to talk to the Senior School about how – in just a few years since leaving – she has raced to cycling success as a member of British Cycling’s Olympic Development Academy.

Despite some nerves beforehand, Katie very confidently explained how she decided not to take up her place to study French at Glasgow University to focus on cycling. And she encouraged the pupils not to be afraid to follow the less conventional route in pursuit of their goals.

Afterwards, once there had been a chance to say hello to a few former teachers, pose for photos with some of the pupils – and sign a few autographs! – Katie is relaxed and happy to chat about her path, or should I say fast track, to cycling with Team GB. Katie’s memories of The Academy include another FP taking assembly (Darius in 2011), of enjoying sport – especially hockey – but also of feeling she was something of a rebel. This is a streak she has not entirely lost: Katie is known for sporting a variety of hair colours (pink, blue, green…) as well as for her speed, grit and love of racing.

Nevertheless, at Glasgow Academy Katie was clearly able both in terms of sport and academically, despite her view that she was not always a good pupil. (A view, which did not seem to be shared by teachers, based on the warm welcome

she received during her visit.)

After a year out in France and then deciding to pursue her cycling while working in the family business (Archers Sleepcentre) as a telesales operator, Katie was recruited into British Cycling’s Olympic Development Academy in November 2013.

Since then she has racked up a number of titles, records and accolades: Katie became Scotland’s first female track cycling world champion in 2014.

That year she represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games and won a bronze medal in the points race before going on to win two titles at the European Championships. 2015 saw Katie become a triple European Track Champion in the women’s team pursuit (as part of the Great Britain team), the individual pursuit and the elimination race.

Sporting ability is in Katie’s DNA. Her father, Ian, was a bright athletics prospect in the 1980s while her brother, John, was a seriously fast junior Scottish swimmer.

Katie was also a West District and Scottish Schools swimmer – and she could have been forgiven for being put off cycling altogether… Aged just 7, she was cajoled to bike the 18 miles from Lochinver to Achiltibuie by older family and friends.

As Katie says, it was a ‘baptism of fire’ in the saddle. Later, in her early teens, Katie’s father set another challenge when he led the family up Mont Ventoux – legendary for being one of the most gruelling climbs in the Tour de France.

2016 has not been the easiest year. Katie recently came in for criticism for an accident on her motorbike, which ruptured a knee ligament. So her ‘beloved Triumph’ is now off limits in favour of her four-wheeled mini until August.The injury meant that Katie missed out on the World Championships in London in March and it was ‘very different and really difficult’ for her to watch her teammates struggle in qualifying, meaning a disappointing bronze on the podium.

But Katie demonstrates a care for and understanding of her sport which goes beyond her personal determination to succeed and a desire to support her team mates. She is passionate about the need for excellent facilities to allow talent in cycling to develop. She firmly notes ‘new velodromes enable cycling talent’ and points to Edinburgh’s Sir Chris Hoy, Newport’s Becky James and Glasgow’s Mark Stewart as prime examples.

Katie is definitely keen to get things right, whether on the track or in terms of public speaking. She requested that we film her talk in the Cargill Hall so that she can review it and see how she can improve for the future.This sort of conscientiousness – coupled with natural sporting ability and a determination to succeed – is exactly what has helped Katie achieve so much already, and put her on the exciting road to Rio. Whatever path she takes in the future, one thing is certain: the whole Glasgow Academy community – and many more besides – will be cheering her along in every race this summer.

Etcetera

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THE GLASGOW ACADEMY AND

Simon Wood, Glasgow Academy’s Head of History, is also the school’s archivist. The following article draws on Simon’s researches in The Academy’s archive as well as on his extensive knowledge of the period.

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n 1915 the Gallipoli campaign was conceived by Winston Churchill, then 1st Lord of the Admiralty.With the Western Front grinding down to stalemate, the idea was to attack ‘the soft underbelly’ of the Central Powers.

Britain’s ally Russia had also asked for help to relieve attacks make by Ottoman troops on their southern border.

The target was the Ottoman Empire (modern- day Turkey).The campaign was to be a joint Anglo-French one, with substantial numbers of troops coming from the Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

After some failed naval attempts to break through the Dardanelles Straits, a ground assault was sent in during July 1915.

Assumptions that the Turkish troops were poor were soon shown to be inaccurate.

Many Turkish units were officered by Germans.Their troops were well trained and well led.The attack soon ground to a halt in the heat of summer. Attempts to break the deadlock failed and the decision to evacuate Allied troops was made in December 1915.The final Allied troops were evacuated from the Peninsula in January 1916.Total casualties were 56,707 Allied dead.The Ottoman Empire also lost 56,643 dead.

The Glasgow Academy’s role in Gallipoli is both extensive and widespread.Those that served illustrate a snapshot of the school at that time, as well as the attitudes that pervaded Scottish society. I have trawled through the school archives and identified that at least 113 Academicals served during the Gallipoli campaign in a number of ways. As you would expect, the bulk of them served with the infantry, with two units,The Highland Light Infantry and The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), especially strong in representation.

I calculate that 38 Academicals served in the HLI and 25 served with The Cameronians. Seven Academicals served 4

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in three Cavalry units: The Queen’s Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry, Royal Horse and Scottish Horse.There were a number of other military units represented, but of special interest are the six Academicals who served in either the Australian Imperial Forces or the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.When combined, these two units formed the ANZAC Corps. Academicals were also well represented in the more technical units that supported the infantry, with seven serving in the Royal Field Artillery and three with the Royal Engineers.

There were eight Academicals serving in Medical units and six serving with the Royal Navy. One lucky chap was a member of the Royal Army Chaplain’s department!

As one might expect from a school that serviced the professional classes of Glasgow, 83 of those that served were officers, with the bulk being at the Lieutenant and 2nd Lieutenant rank. Of the 30 soldiers who served as non-commissioned officers and privates

Members of the Australian Imperial Force

and survived Gallipoli, most advanced to officer rank by the time they died or the war ended.The representation among the Cavalry is also of interest.The historian Trevor Royle has pointed out that such units, during peacetime, fulfilled a social role for the better off.That Academicals were represented in such units should, therefore, not be a surprise.The strong representation in the medical and artillery should also not be a surprise given that many Academicals went into the medical and engineering professions through the Scottish universities. Scottish education at the time was famous for its pragmatic courses.The image of the Scottish doctor and Scottish engineer is a bit of a cliché, but it is based in fact. However, the bulk of Academicals served with the infantry. Before 1914 there were already strong connections between a school like The Glasgow Academy, the military professions and Empire.The route from school to army and to life abroad

was a well-worn track for the sons of the professional Scottish classes. Many Academicals returned to Scotland on the outbreak of war and joined up. However, the fact that we see six Academicals serving in the ANZAC Corps also illustrates the strong links with emigration and Empire. One last observation relates to the fact that the Gallipoli campaign took place relatively early in the war. As such the mass volunteers that made up Kitchener’s Army had not yet come on stream.Therefore, the bulk of Academicals were either regulars or involved with the Volunteer or Territorial units.The low number of the HLI and The Cameronian battalions in which Academicals served illustrates that this was part of the initial expansion of the British Army.The vast bulk of Academicals serving with the HLI were part of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th battalions, for example.

Of these, ten Academicals in the HLI and nine Academicals in The Cameronians died.There were five other Academical deaths that I can identify. One Accie Aussie also died, as did two Accie Navy personnel and one Academical member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

The fact that so many Accies were officers helped inflate the casualty figures.This early in the war, officers wore distinctive uniforms and were targets for Turkish snipers. Officers suffered twice the death rate of the average soldier. Later in the

war, the British officer had adapted and looked very like the men they commanded. Every death is tragic, but the Academical casualties illustrated some very sad stories.You already know about the Galbraith brothers’ story as a result of my splendid colleagues in the Prep School [Etcetera 25], but the story of the 8th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) is especially poignant.

The 8th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) mobilised on 4 August 1914.The Battalion was approximately 1,000 strong, organised into four companies of approximately 250 men each. Of the 30 officers at the beginning of the war, 11 were Academicals.To begin with their duties were in Scotland: defending the coast and the Dundee/ Broughty Ferry Area.The unit was sent to the Dardanelles soon after, embarking on 17 May, 1915.This was to be their first action of the war abroad.

On arriving in Gallipoli they were soon in action.Their first assault was to take place with an attack on Turkish trenches on 28 June 1915.The attack went in at 11 am after an artillery bombardment.

The four companies went over the top and were just about wiped out within five minutes. 25 officers, 446 NCOs and men were casualties that day.

The above well-known photograph shows the Academical officers in

the Cameronians. Of the 11 in the photograph, eight were to die in that attack.They were: l Lieutenant Hew McCowan, aged 25 l Lieutenant William Strang MacLay l Lieutenant Thomas Stout, aged 23 (signaller) Thomas Stout was a member of the last 1st XV before the outbreak of war. ‘No more,’ wrote one Academical, ‘shall we see Tommy Stout scoring a try for the Accies, with that wonderful swerve of his and with his hair flying in the wind.’

The Chronicle remembers that ‘Tom Stout laid down his life in trying to save his superior officer. On seeing him fall he got in front of him and lifted him by the shoulders, and got another man to lift him by the knees.They managed to get him about three yards back, when Tom was struck by a bomb in the head and killed instantaneously.Tom was a good soldier and a great favourite with all. I do not suppose there was an officer in the Battalion who knew his particular job better than he did.’ l C aptain Charles Mowat, aged 30 l Lieutenant Archie Templeton, aged 25 l C aptain William Church, aged 32 (Scotland rugby international, capped in 1906 against Wales) Member of the Etcetera

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School and Academical Club XV l C aptain James WH Pattison (commander bombing party)

Glasgow Academy and The Glasgow Regiment

l Captain Ernest Templeton Young, aged 23 (Scotland rugby international) While a boy, Young played rugby union for Glasgow Academy and the Glasgow Academicals. While at Oxford he occasionally played for the University. He was also an international rugby player and was capped from 1909 to 1913. In March 1914, he played for Scotland in their last match against England before the outbreak of war and was one of the six members of his team to be killed. He also played for the London Scottish Football Club and so was one of their forty-five team members to die in WW1.

Eric Templeton Young (Photo courtesy of Magdalen College, Oxford)

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nspired by Hugh Barrow’s two fine articles about Glasgow Academicals in the Great War, may I add a few comments? Without gainsaying a word of Hugh’s remarks about the connections between Glasgow Academy and the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), as exemplified by the four gallant members of the Accie 1st XV of 1914 killed in action on the morning of 28 June 1915 with the 8th Cameronians at Gully Ravine on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the connection of our school with the Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was much stronger.

To look no further than Gallipoli, within two weeks of the disastrous attack in Gully Ravine, 157 (HLI) Brigade, also in the 52nd (Lowland) Division, was launched into the assault on the adjacent hill of Achi Baba Nullah.This brigade consisted of 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions HLI (TA) and 5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (TA). At the outbreak of the war, the fourth battalion in this brigade had been the 9th HLI (Glasgow Highlanders) (TA) but it was detached and sent to France in November 1914 and replaced by the Argylls. All four of these HLI battalions were strongly officered by Glasgow Accies.

Colonel J M Findlay, another Academical, who was himself badly wounded in the attack, put things in the following way. I can find no better words.

‘I wish that I could do verbal justice to all those gallant fellows who did so much on that fatal 28th June. The great fact which will ever remain in my mind about that day, is the absolute faith of all the men in the devotion and bravery of their officers and NCOs, and that, of course, implies the like qualities in themselves.’

Their names are remembered on the war memorial at Helles in Turkey as well as the memorial in the school.

The Cameronians are also remembered by their distinctive memorial near Kelvingrove museum.

Simon Wood (Academy staff)

By the time 157 (HLI) Brigade went in to action, eight service battalions of the HLI had been raised including the famous 15th (Glasgow Tramways), 16th (Boys Brigade) and 17th (Chamber of Commerce). Altogether 26 battalions of HLI were raised. By the time of the Armistice in November 1918, over 10,000 officers and rank and file had been killed in action, died of wounds or of disease. In recognition of the close connection between the City of Glasgow and the HLI, the honorific ‘City of Glasgow Regiment’ was bestowed upon the regiment in1923.

I am indebted to Jimmy Murray for the grim statistic he gave in the last edition of Etcetera that 327 Accies lost their lives in the Great War. Be in no doubt more were killed in action serving with the HLI than with any other regiment.

When Hugh and I were in the Glasgow

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Academy CCF in the late 50s and early 60s, we wore the dark green HLI glengarry and HLI cap badge.The pipes and drums were Mackenzie tartan in the HLI sett and HLI accoutrements. It was Kelvinside Academy which was affiliated to the Cameronians and wore the black Glengarry and badge.

But times move on. Already in 1959 the only regular battalion of the HLI had been amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers to form The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret’s Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) (RHF).

In 1968 the Cameronians were disbanded.

Finally, in the most radical shake-up of all, in 2006 the remaining Scottish regiments of the Line became simply battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland (RRS) as did the two volunteer battalions. I am told that eight years ago Glasgow Academy CCF started wearing a Tam O’Shanter with the RRS cap badge and a white hackle.This white hackle is also worn by The Royal Highland Fusiliers 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland. (Each battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland wears a hackle of a different colour).This white hackle preserves a link between our school and the successor of the HLI albeit a tenuous one because the HLI wore a red and white hackle and – on amalgamation with the Royal Scots Fusiliers – adopted the latter’s white one.

One of Hugh’s photographs shows a group of distinguished Accies in front of the war memorial, including Lt Col Sandy Fitzpatrick. He was not in fact commanding the 52nd (Lowland) Division but 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.This volunteer unit is based in the old Glasgow Highlander drill hall in Hotspur Street, Maryhill. I conclude with the somewhat melancholy observation that it is the sole successor of all those territorial and volunteer battalions of the HLI Cameronians and Royal Scots Fusiliers who gave such illustrious service in the two world wars.

Colin Winter (1962), late The Royal Highland Fusiliers

Gallipoli and the Maclay family

H

ugh Barrow’s recent articles about the Scottish Rifles at Gallipoli reminded me that some time ago I was given a copy of a letter written by one of the Academicals after the fatal attack.Two of the Academical officers in the photograph were the Maclay brothers, Lt Ebenezer Maclay and 2nd Lt William Maclay, always known as ‘Eben’ and ‘Billy’.

They were the oldest of seven children.

Their father was Sir Joseph Maclay, a Glasgow ship owner.

This letter was written by Eben, the only officer who survived the attack unwounded. It was written from Gallipoli, to his father, on the day Billy had been posted “Missing in Action”. I have permission from Eben’s nephew to reprint an edited version.

A few months before the end of the war, Eben wrote home saying that after the war he wished to become a medical missionary in Africa. He was killed by a sniper in April 1918, aged 27.

After the war the Maclays gifted their home on Park Circus to Glasgow University, Maclay Hall, in memory of their two sons.

Jimmy Murray (1950)

Gallipoli, Friday 2nd July 1915 My dear Father, Never so long as I live shall I forget Monday 28th June, 1915. In the history of the 8th Scottish Rifles it is one which will be remembered, not merely from the sadder side, but also for the magnificent part the battalion played and the manner in which it charged a very highly fortified part of the Turkish line. I’m going to tell you a great deal more than I suppose I ought to do, but, in view of what has happened and of the deplorably sad cable I had to send off this afternoon, I think you are entitled to it.

On Sunday forenoon word came along that we were to take up our old position in the firing line and attack next morning that part of the Turkish line directly opposite. Breakfast over, everything was soon in order and we were waiting the appointed time.The Artillery were to bombard first.This they started doing pretty early, but the main bombardment did not start till 10.30.Then I can tell you they went at it with vengeance.The noise was terrific. Shrapnel, high explosive and all the rest went banging away.When you get hundreds of guns and the naval guns you can just imagine what it was like.

At 11 am the artillery were to either cease fire or lengthen their range to allow us to attack without being shelled by our own side. Sharp to the moment, bayonets were fixed, and at eleven the artillery fire ceased, like the clap of a hand, and at the same moment our first line went over the parapet without the slightest hesitation and charged straight at the Turkish lines followed about seventy yards behind by our second line.

For some reason or other the Artillery had not touched our part of the line but concentrated on another part which was being simultaneously attacked.The result was of course deadly. Up popped the Turks who were holding the trenches strongly and subjected our men to a murderous rifle and machine gun fire. None waivered but went straight at their job.

I myself with one of my machine guns, the other being with Brigade, was to push up a communication trench which led to the Turkish lines and was held half by us and half by the Turks.This of course afforded shelter. Up we went but could not get far.The place was getting blocked and up a certain distance bombs were landing. Across the top too there was a murderous cross machine gun and rifle fire.We got back and took up a position to repel any counter attack.

The others had carried out their attack magnificently but could not get

on. Many must of course have got in to the Turkish trench but the great majority were mown down before they ever got there.When the attack was over the Turks were still holding the same line, so that if any of our men got over they were either killed or are prisoners. Only a few got back unscathed and the wounded were either assisted or managed to scramble back themselves.Then came the sad reckoning.

Not a single officer except myself was left whole.We can account for a certain number killed or wounded but many are missing and we can find no trace of them. All the officers who got back were wounded and beyond the two we know were killed, the remainder are missing.

Of the 700 who attacked there are now only 283 all told.Twenty five officers attacked. I am the only one left, with the Quarter Master, Dr Sloan and the Parson, and am in command of the remnant of the battalion.

Well now, about Billy,Wood and Jim. All are missing and beyond a little about Billy I can find nothing. Billy went over the parapet and towards the Turkish lines. One man tells me they got pretty well up to the Turkish lines and were lying taking cover. He says Billy was struck and fell and as far as he knows did not move again. A second man says the same but that he rolled twice his own length but does not know anything more. A third man says that he saw Billy rolling towards a trench and that he said as he passed that he was wounded.

Against this there is no word of him at any of the hospitals or clearing stations.

About Wood I can hear nothing except that one man said he heard someone say that he was struck almost immediately after getting over the parapet.

About Jim nothing is known, his whole company being missing.

I feel terribly for you all at home as I know you will feel it far more than me here. I am kept very busy which is a blessing. Don’t worry about me.With all love and sympathy. I do hope that some news will turn up before long as the anxiety is the worst.

With my love to you all, Your own affectionate son, Eben

Etcetera

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Anecdotage A funny thing happened on the way to The Academy (part 2) 6. Ken Miles – Hot water drinker I was a boarder at the Academy from 1960 till 1969. Ken was the Friday night relief housemaster when Frank Parkes took his moll out on the town. One evening, whilst on slave duty, I ascended the stairs laden with a tray containing a full pot of tea, best china, milk, sugar and luxury biscuits. A few minutes later there was a commotion at the top of the stairs.

I rushed to investigate and Ken, on seeing me (and in nasal tones only bettered by Kenneth Williams) shouted, “Macnab, this tea’s rather weak.” I returned to the kitchen with the tray.What were the clues? A half empty pot. A cup containing a trace of milky water. It was obvious to all and sundry that he’d downed the lot.

Of course I’d forgotten to put tea in the pot (complete accident).

Post Script: Ken visited regularly and I got to know this genial character well.

Nevertheless it was best to stay in his good books – his (rarely used) belt was a fearsome brute – aptly named “The Viper” (deadly, without antidote). I heard whispers that it was made from hippopotamus hide, in a tannery in Mombasa.

7. Piggy Walker’s fractional distillation of oil going up in flames

It all started off quite normally.We were all huddled together to watch an experiment consisting of a glass bulb at the base, a long glass central part with thin glass tubes emanating north, south, east and west like a demented octopus.

Dr Walker held a Bunsen burner to the base (which was filled with oil). Suddenly, the base caught fire which spread to a tentacle, then another, then another and soon we had a mini inferno on our hands.

Panic!

Watching Dr Walker trying to operate the fire extinguisher (most of the foam went all over him) while trying to read the instruction manual at the same time certainly had us rolling in the aisles.

Post Script: Dr Walker was one of the nicest, kindest, most intelligent teachers 8

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at the Academy. Sadly, he was not the most charismatic – which may explain his absence from these pages.

8. John Maxton – “I’m Henry the Eighth, I am, I am”

It was the hottest June for over 20 years.We were studying Henry the Eighth which meant one boy reading a paragraph from a book (out loud), followed by another boy and so on ad infinitum.The boredom and heat were stifling. An endless saga of betrothment, battles, banquets, balls and beheadings.We were into our third period of this and the wives and beheadings were beginning to pile up. On and on and on it went. More banquets. More balls. Until finally, at 3.40 pm on the hottest day of the year, I had the honour of announcing the immortal words – “In 1547, King Henry the Eighth died”.The jeers and cheers could be heard at Kelvinbridge underground station. Maxton exploded.

Post Script: Academy teacher – Cathcart MP – House of Lords.What a career! We wrote to each other a few years ago. He spoke in favour of advancing Britain’s clocks one hour to Central European Time, something that I strongly support to this day.

9. Lachie Robertson’s ‘Triple Salchow’

I was touch judge (easily my best position on the rugby field) at a match that Lachie was refereeing.The pitch was icy and barely playable and Lachie was wearing the wrong kind of footwear.Whistle in mouth, he was plodding about with a melancholy lope when suddenly, like an ice skater out of control, he slid, hopped, pirouetted and fell flat on his face on the muddiest part of the field.

Oh sweet revenge for all that tackling practice at Windyedge! But, boy, that man was tough! During another match the scrum-half hammered the ball up-field and it caught Lachie smack in the face. It would have sent Boggles into orbit but Lachie just shook his head, wiped the blood from his nose and got on with the game without fuss.

Post Script: I met Lachie twice during my post-school years.We shared a taxi from Heathrow airport into the city centre. He was in full Highland dress, much to the astonishment of the cabbie.The second time was the summer of 1984 when I visited Skye. On arrival, I approached the first old codger I saw and gave brief details regarding Lachie’s name, Academy

teaching and war record. In a flash he gave me precise directions to his home address on the other side of the island! Spending a quiet hour with a cool beer, reminiscing with Lachie about past Academy life with stunning background views of Rum and Eigg – one of life’s great pleasures.

10. Frank Parkes’ parking dilemma

Frank was, of course, the housemaster of the boarding house. Apart from Wilberforce (Shere Khan on parade, Tweety Pie in the Janny’s office), there was no greater Jekyll and Hyde character on the staff. On his Jekyll days he was smiling, confident, almost dapper with a jovial swagger.When Mr Hyde came out he had the tolerance and charm of a police dog with rabies. His catchword was “Mwa” (not to be confused with the Jimmy Cowper “Pwaah” or the Jordy Preston shower). In our dormitory there was a small hole at the back of a storage area through which regular smoking and drinking sessions took place (but not me, of course). One night we came in and were met by an awesome sight.

An enormous posterior, connected to two short fat hairy legs was struggling to reverse out of the opening. Up stood Frank, half a dozen fag butts in one hand, two empty beer bottles in the other and a face that would have sent Dracula scurrying to his coffin.

Of course (and I’m quoting from Angela Merkel’s parliamentary vocabulary so no censorship please) a violent “shitschtorm” soon enshrouded us. Beatings, lines, suspension of privileges showered upon us like confetti. But it was worth every penny. Needless to say, after a few weeks, the smoking/drinking sessions recommenced once all the fuss had died down.

Post Script: Some of the best conversations with Frank were at the dining table at the evening meal. He always took Friday night off, and often drove into the city centre for the restaurants/cinema/theatre.

On this occasion he was lamenting how difficult it was to park on a Friday night unless you set out very early.You could drive around for ages without success.

However, inspiration struck Frank one Friday night. Blythswood Square.We never did suss out if Frank knew that Blythswood Square was a safe haven for ladies of the night, but it was impossible to keep a straight face when Frank trumpeted triumphantly to us all – “Mwa, once round and I’m in!”

Well, that’s my top ten. I hope they brought back happy memories. Come to think of it, I could probably write about another ten events which had my pals in stitches but I didn’t find in the least bit funny. Like the day Ken Waine gave me a cricket bat spanking in the middle of the playground, or the time I got my pinkie stuck in Dodo’s roller.

But that’s another day…

John Macnab (1969)

Chief Petty Officer Hoskins

Every pupil during my time at the Academy knew about Chief Petty Officer Hoskins.Those of us in the Naval section were terrified of him, and I have a strong suspicion that the masters were as well.

He served in the Navy as a gunnery instructor at Whale Island in Portsmouth and, whilst he was in Glasgow, was our instructor. He was a strict disciplinarian and kept every one of us on our toes in the classroom or on the parade ground until we individually answered a naval question correctly. He was immaculately turned out and everything he did was carried out at the double.

We all learned a lot from him and most of my naval knowledge came from him. I didn’t appreciate it at the time; however, I realised later what a great example he proved to be.They don’t make them like that now – more’s the pity.

Bob Turpie (1955)

Two swordsmen meet their match!

The year was 1954, I think – Glasgow Academy, Primary Five. My best chum was Peter Graham, who was a typical Primary 5 lad, and an artist and modeller of quite exceptional ability.What Peter could make from a lump of Plasticene was little short of magical, and I still remember his Primary THREE drawing of a Colt Revolver, and his Plasticene ‘cowboys and Indians’ were so amazing that Mrs MacDonald sent for all the other teachers to see them and gaze in wonder.

Our Primary Five Form-Mistress was Miss McEwan, also Head of the Junior School. Miss McEwan was most thorough in her lessons, and covered a wide range of subjects, introducing all manner of interesting asides whenever possible.We enjoyed most of our lessons.

We even learned that the school grew cabbages during the war.This did not mean we approved of cabbages, though the principle of growing food seemed reasonable enough.

Arithmetic was always a priority, and for readers brought up in the age of decimals and the metric systems, Miss McEwan’s lessons to us would have been a complete mystery. We were boys who knew all about ‘pounds, shillings and pence’; why a Guinea was worth twenty-one shillings; tons, hundredweights, quarters, pounds and ounces; why 7,000 grains weighed one pound; a mile was 1,760 yards, or eight furlongs, 5,280 feet, and 63,360 inches; an acre was 4,840 square yards (i.e. one chain of 22 yards by one furlong of 220 yards); rods poles and perches were no mystery, and fractions were simply fun. A gallon of water weighed ten pounds, and a cubic foot of water was six and a quarter gallons.We knew how to work out the cost of coal, 3 tons, 13 hundredweight, 2 quarters and 11 pounds weight of it, at six shillings and sevenpence ha’penny a hundredweight.

The fact that this calculation took about a week, and that each boy had a different answer, none of which agreed with Miss McEwan’s, did not mean we did not receive praise for our efforts. Miss McEwan was always encouraging, but... as Peter and I found out one day, she could also be firm.

To all ten-year old boys of any imagination, a twelve-inch ruler (always made of wood in those days) was an item of almost unlimited potential. On the day in question, our rulers were our swords, for we were two of the Musketeers, or possibly Zorro and his enemy, it mattered not which, for much ‘sword-play’ took place, with rulers being struck smartly edge to edge, and care being taken not to poke each other in the eye. Inevitably, the formerly straight and smooth edges of our rulers became bashed and dented, drastically diminishing the quality of our pencil-lines on our exercise jotter pages.

Of course, Miss McEwan soon noticed this, and that Peter’s ruler and mine were the worst cases. A decree was issued – with immediate effect, ‘sparring with rulers’ was absolutely forbidden, under pain of the ultimate sanction, the dreaded belt. Up till then we had never seen Miss McEwan display, let alone use, her belt.

Apparently we were not persuaded this even existed, let alone that Miss McEwan would use it, and so we were not deterred.

That lesson ended just before the lunch break. During the break, Peter and I in full Musketeer Mode headed out into the playground, with our rulers, to resume our battles. Unfortunately for us, our activities seem to have taken place in view of the Staffroom window. By some means I do not now recollect, Peter and I were summonsed to our class-room (lower right on the corner) where Miss McEwan awaited us. She appeared to be very cross, and I still recall she used the ‘disappointed’ word, that we had disobeyed her so soon, and that we would now be punished as we had been warned.The belt duly appeared.This was no rigid tawse such as used in the senior school. Rather, it was a much lighter and softer item, but quite sufficient to bring tears to two small boys’ eyes.We both received a couple of stokes on each hand, and were sent outside again, leaving all other boys in no doubt that (a) ‘sparring’ with rulers was a bad idea and (b) Miss McEwan meant business. As an aside, no boy I knew ever actually wanted to be belted, certainly not a second time.

However, we had been belted and we survived without too much loss of face.

Oh yes, and I am able to assure all readers, Peter and I never again indulged in ‘sparring with rulers’.

Charles F Young (1961)

‘Footie’ in the playground Though we were a rugby-playing school, football was played with great intensity at the lunch break, using a tennis ball, or a bigger one, if someone had one.

Playground football teams were chosen in an interesting way.Two natural leaders, acknowledged by consensus as the best players, emerged as the captains, and the rest of us lined up against the wall and they chose their players alternately.Those last to reach a team, like me, accepted our humble place in the cosmos, but were glad of a game. The goals were marked by school hats placed on the ground.

With these rather fuzzy goal posts, there were disputes after any possible score and the matter was decided by the strength of feeling among the rival teams. Many stayed behind after school to play football until chased out by the janitor, and we would have further play at home.These strenuous hours of play, when added up, greatly exceeded the PE sessions.

David Hamilton (1956) davidhamiltonstandrews.com Etcetera

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Memories of the Boarding House

The photo sent by Archie Shearer [Etcetera 26, page 9] which you described as a fine body of men brings back memories of the Boarding House.There are two people missing, however.They are Mr Jack Coleman-Smith and his beloved wife Ethel.You will understand why I think of them with great affection and gratitude if I explain how I became a boarder.

I was a day boy living in town with my mother while my father continued to work abroad where the government had sent him during the war. She was suddenly diagnosed with spinal TB and would have to spend a prolonged spell in hospital.Within a couple of days I found I had been adopted by ‘the Coleys’ and had become a boarder in mid-term.

There was no bed for a newcomer so I was consigned to the sick room and a perfectly healthy boy was moved in with me for company. He was well chosen as, like me, he had nowhere to go at the impending half-term break and so we were both allowed to spend the holiday in the sick room. Mrs Coley took all this in her stride and one day the two of us were sent for a day out at a farm belonging to a third boy’s family. Oh what joy! – I learned to fire an air rifle and drive a home-made car with five forward and several reverse gears. I also owe much to the unknown person who took the initiative and found me accommodation

with the Coleys. I was still a boarder when they retired and we remained friends for many years.

I am sorry I cannot remember dates for any of this and cannot put a date to the photo. However, I do remember all the last names of those in the picture and most of the forenames.

Top row: Colin McCallien, Alan Stewart, Bill Aiken, (?) Phillips, John Bustin, Archie Shearer Front row: (Glenn?) Murphy, Robert Lightbody, Alastair Barr, Frank Cousins, Ian McColl, Keith Dunn, Colin Colquhoun

Colin McCallien (1954)

From John Bustin (1955) Memory at my age is a treacherous gift, with an embarrassing ability to fail.The names I have been able to remember are all shown below... I apologise to those of my Boarding House companions whose details escape me and to those I have named but whose initials may be incomplete or wrong.

Robert Lightbody, who is still going strong, may well be a source for the missing names as, of course, is Archie Shearer who sent you the photograph in the first place. Good luck!

John Bustin (Boarding House 1945-55) [Many thanks to J L Weatherall (1953) – now Vice-Admiral Sir James Weatherall – for contacting us to confirm many of the below names.]

HM’s Coronation at GA Boarding House!

From recall, GA must have been given a few days’ holiday for the great event [the Queen’s Coronation in 1953], so, all the Boarders (about 40) disappeared to their homes and I was left behind, as was my wish, for a few of the staff were going to be around to look after me – including the irrepressible Jean Wilson and the laughing ‘Cookie’Thompson.They’d been given the run of the place by the Housemaster – the famous Jack Coleman-Smith (‘Coley’ to all) – and his charming wife, Ethel.This included use of their lovely, huge Drawing Room… with a TV! For today’s folk, back in those days few people had TVs, but, when HM ordered that the Coronation was to be televised, sales went through the roof, although the B&W screens were only 9-10 inches in size. (Junior 5 class to convert into metric!)

Mrs Wilson and ‘Cookie’ had planned a party in the Coleys’ lounge and invited a bunch of their female friends, of the same ilk, so there was lots of laughs and giggling.

I don’t recall any ‘Champers’ being popped.That was probably ‘over budget’. Anyway, being 11, I was still on Lemonade and Irn Bru! Why didn’t I go home? In those days the journey there and back took two days which, I felt, was a waste of time and money. Also, my parents were fairly recent refugees, from the ‘Indian Raj’, who were spending ‘heaps’ on my education, at a good Scottish boarding school, rather than on a TV. (Should have been earmarked as a future Treasurer?!)

Second row: C J McCallien (Colin), A J Stewart (Alan), WHB Aitken (Bill), J M Bustin (John), ??

Front row: A G Murphy (Glen), R M Lightbody (Robert), A G Barr (Alastair), ??, ??, JKF Dunn (Keith), C M Colquhoun (Colin)

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Etcetera

Anyway, I had a great time with the laughing ladies – a memorable HM Coronation Day. I was possibly the only child in the UK who spent the 1953 Coronation holiday at school!

George Mackenzie (1959)

Teachers remembered…

The ‘Baggy’ Dominie

My previous reminiscence may have revived some memories of ‘Dodo’ Ogilvie, but it would be a pity not to follow that with some recollections 50 years on of my favourite teacher at the Academy.

‘Baggy’ Aston’s nickname was one of those felicitous sobriquets which managed to be a three-way wordplay. Thus his initials were ‘B G’ for a start; in addition – when he was a young, debonair member of staff (in my dad’s days) – he was reported to have worn fashionable trousers known as ‘Oxford bags’; and finally, we crossed his path in later years, when sartorial bags had been exchanged for bags under the eyes!

Baggy, for his part, made a point of allocating nicknames to pupils, based on their initials.Thus I became ‘Gus’ (and still have to swat away that discarded handle now and then); I G McKnight became ‘Iggy’, and so forth. It probably simplified matters for him, as there were five Grahams or Graemes (including Iggy and me) in our class where we first encountered Baggy.

He immersed us in Shakespeare from the beginning – the comedies, for a start – and soon we were memorising passages of The Merchant of Venice (‘The quality of mercy is not strained...’ and the like). As I recall, he didn’t shy away from discussing the negative character of Shylock – which could have led to accusations of anti-Semitism – but also drawing our attention to the good Jews in that play. It was in Fifth year that I most remember Baggy taking us through the great Shakespearian tragedies, using Bradley’s Shakespearian Tragedy as our reference text. In particular, the plot and character of Hamlet struck home to at least one of his pupils. Here was a moody, introspective main character – hard to call any of Shakespeare’s tragic figures ‘heroes’ when their frailties lead to their downfall!

– who is indecisive, and whom everyone treats as mad. Hey, I could relate to that!

Again we were encouraged to commit to memory some of the soliloquies, and I reckon I could still rattle off some of these, in part at least. Baggy took us as fellow-detectives in trying to make sense of some obscure passages: ‘That dram of eale doth all the noble substance of a doubt’ – erm, what? Bradley’s reference text sometimes came to our rescue when all else failed.

When not dissecting Shakespeare, Baggy liked to test our reasoning when faced with philosophical puzzles or observations of life.

He wasn’t too impressed with the world outside academia: ‘Chums, it’s easy to make money. I mean, look at the people who have plenty!’ He would sketch plots of tales with his own idiosyncratic embellishments: ‘Bags and bags of boodle’ would translate into ‘loadsamoney’, perhaps? In effect, the classroom was his stage, and every now and then he’d emit a yodelling cry ‘Bo-oy!’ or ‘Doo-oom!’ A particular foible of Baggy’s was the routine punishment with a wooden ruler. He’d hold out the victim’s hand, and drum out a steady rhythm: tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap,TAP,TAP, tap-tap-tap. On one occasion the class swot was subjected to the ritual, despite his innocence. ‘Life’s never fair!’ smiled Baggy sweetly to his offended victim.

I recall a verbal joust where Baggy had to accept ‘a very palpable hit’ from a clever pupil. Charlie was one of the brightest people I ever encountered – something of a universal man even in his teens, whose feats included straight ‘A’ grades in his Maths, Physics and Chemistry A levels, while the rest of us were happy to scrape pass grades in these tough Oxford & Cambridge exams.

Nor was he a geek – Charlie was trouble when unleashed in boxing bouts that Mr Quinn organised in the gym. Another of his skills was drawing a Chinese dragon (from memory!) in chalk on the blackboard at lunch-break – but I digress. One day Baggy asked for our reactions to the verse: There was a young man who said, “God Must find it exceedingly odd To think that a tree Should continue to be When there’s nobody about in the quad.

The challenge was to prove that things can exist without a physical witness. ‘Send round a video camera!’ exclaimed Charlie, to Baggy’s bemused mirth.Teacher nil, pupil one...

In Fifth year, Higher English was the challenge. Each year, Baggy placed a wager: if we all passed, he (or rather his wife) would invite the class round for tea and cakes; if not, no slap-up high tea. In our year (we discovered), Baggy was sure that ‘Jolly’, a somewhat glaikit lad, would come a cropper and his wager would be won, our cakes lost. I heard that he shed a tear when Jolly passed with the rest of us.

Sentimentality, or the tears of a defeated world-weary cynic? Perhaps a bit of both – in any case, tea and cakes were laid on at

Baggy’s, near the BBC in Queen Margaret Drive.Well, Great Western Road no longer sees that jowly figure, seemingly forever clad in his black teacher’s gown, astride his push-bike.

A couple of final recollections: first, my bold attempt to win the school senior mile race, running barefoot on the grass track at Anniesland, on Sports Day. Mike Flint was the certain winner on the day, but on the final bend I made my surge into second place.There was Baggy, shouting, ‘Come on, Gus!’ – to no avail. Spikes have better traction on grass, and the Academy Chronicle of the time shows only the top three finishers.Vae Victis!

I must say I missed Baggy’s classes when I moved over the road to study Engineering at Glasgow Uni. It was all very technical, and class sizes were huge and anonymous.

Accordingly, I decided to gate-crash one of Baggy’s English classes the autumn after I’d left. I think that Baggy must have understood my difficult transition from being Someone at school to being No-one (as yet) at Uni. ‘Gus!’ he hailed me before the astonished class. ‘You’ve left here, now go!’ or words to that effect.

Thanks Baggy – in retirement, I’ve returned to creative writing, and I’m loving it.

Graeme Orr (1965)

No sex please, we’re Accies!

Hearing of the recent death of Gordon (Jock) Carruthers, I thought back to his Biology lessons in the early Sixties.

Although my knowledge of Biology is shallow, it must have been just deep enough back then for me to add an ‘O’ level in the subject to my meagre, hard fought for, clutch of certificate exam passes gained at The Academy.

I well recall one sunny afternoon in the science lab, Jock pacing back and forth with his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his white lab coat, regaling us innocent youths with details of the frantic social lives of rabbits, the less than attractive antics of frogs and the positively dull doings of the amoeba.

It was only after the bell went, and we trooped out of the room, that some of my more street-wise classmates explained to me that we had just had our ‘sex lesson’.

Was that as good as it got, we all wondered?

Only time would tell.

Etcetera

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Long after that baffling lesson, thoughts of what any future encounters with the opposite sex might lead to were haunted by the spectre of Jock, those randy rabbits, frantic frogs and that underwhelming amoeba. I could have been scarred for life!

I’m sure this important subject is addressed much more effectively at today’s co-ed Academy.

Jim Shearer (1964)

Ken Waine

I first met Ken in the early 1960s when I took my rugby team from Glenalmond to Anniesland. My first impression was of a gentleman whose accent bore no relation to his surroundings. It was to be over a decade later, in February 1975, when I met Ken again at a party organised by the Governors for my wife and me to meet the staff before I moved to Glasgow later that year.

That impression of a gentleman was quickly confirmed when we met again and was confirmed over and over again during my Rectorship. Because Ken wore the dual hats of Head of PE and Games and OC CCF, our meetings were not infrequent.

He knew when to be formal and when to let the mask of formality slip. Having been a contingent commander myself, I had a strong fellow feeling for him in his CCF role. And under his other hat, he allowed me to referee a few games of rugby.

I well remember the only time we fell out.

Ken had come to see me about some other matter and after it had been dealt with, I came out with a thought which I had had for some time: would everyone not benefit if there were not an alternative to rugby for at least half of the spring term? I felt that many boys had had enough of rugby by mid-February and that much would be gained by introducing the option of another sport or sports. Ken pulled himself up to his full height and embarked on that familiar gesture of his – banging two fingers of his right hand into the palm of his left – and uttering, ‘I never thought to hear a Rector of Glasgow Academy propose less rugby! They need to learn the skills.’The conversation came to a very abrupt halt and I never found the right moment to bring the topic up again!

The Easter camp at the Kinloch Hotel on Arran, summer camps at the Ness Battery in Orkney and even at Cultybraggan were happy interludes from the routines of Colebrooke Street. Ken was always the perfect host and made me very welcome.

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Etcetera

But perhaps my fondest memory of Ken was his complete loyalty: it was not the obsequious loyalty of a sycophant, but the deference of someone who knew instinctively when to be formal and when to be relaxed. His loyalty kept him above Common Room politics, no easy matter when things were changing very rapidly in the social order and in education and the Common Room did not happily embrace change.

Roy Chapman (Rector 1975-82)

Maths teachers in my time…

My earliest recollections on this subject were under the tutelage of Miss McEwan, who at that time was engaged to be married. (This, however, has very little bearing on her teaching methods.) She was a stickler for rote and we had to learn the ‘times table’ off by memory. I found this task somewhat irksome and copied out the relevant tables into a crib sheet which came in useful under the desk when we were being examined on our prowess. Unfortunately this subterfuge did not go unnoticed by Miss McEwan, and retribution for this infringement of the rules deserved a dose of the ‘strap’.The ignominy of this punishment was further enhanced by the fact that Miss McEwan did not possess one of these instruments of torture herself and the culprit had to leave the class and beg from a neighbouring teacher the use of their strap so that retribution could be administered.This salutary lesson obviously had its effect, because – to this day – I can recite the whole gamut of the ‘times table’ at the drop of a hat.

In the interim Junior School years, things got rather more complicated as we also had to deal with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in quantities of Sterling, distance – inches, feet, yards, rods, perches?, furlongs etc – and weights, ounces, pounds, quarters, hundredweights and tons (not tonnes).

This we took in our stride – even to long-division, which was another trial borne with equanimity.

Then came Transition and Miss Gentles – who did not live up to her name. However, although a hard taskmaster, she did get results. Here we were exposed to all sorts of hypothetical maths situations, as where a bath has two different taps filling at two separate rates, and a plughole left unfilled emptying at a different rate.We were invited to find out how long it would take the

bath to fill – given the capacity. Another favourite, I seem to remember, was about two trains leaving two different stations at different speeds and along a specified length of rail line, and we were invited to calculate where they would meet. All good exercise for the mind, but of very little use in everyday life.

Having survived the transition into Senior School, most of my maths information thereafter was supplied by Robert (Boob) Runcieman – an affable character whose nickname well fitted his rather nasal delivery – and this was well before there were any sexual connotations to the expression. Although well-meaning, Boob did not instil in me a passion for things mathematical.The use of algebra and trigonometry, for example, seem to have little bearing on the hurly burly of everyday life outside of the classroom.

There is a small aside here – on my way to school in the tram, there was a young lady whom I rather fancied who boarded a few stops after mine. In an effort to impress her, I would have open in front of me the current instruction book on trigonometry as she passed me on the way to find a seat in the hope that she would notice this, and say to herself: ‘That’s a clever clogs there, and quite good looking too!’ Unfortunately, after several weeks of this ploy, nothing ever came of this intended liaison, and as soon as she had passed,Trig was consigned to the schoolbag and replaced by the current issue of The Rover or The Hotspur.

And so, we get to the crunch time – the Highers. Maths was not my strong suit and, in those days, it was pass all, or pass none.

After the written exams were submitted there was a thing called Orals.This was a chance for borderline candidates to redeem themselves via an oral test conducted by an outside examiner and in which the whole class took part. If you were called on to participate, either you had passed anyway or you were borderline. I knew I was borderline, so when I was called to answer my question unfortunately my mind was almost a blank.The answer which I waffled through was better-suited to a career in acting than to an exam in mathematics.

However, Robert (Boob) Runcieman did impart one gem of information which I can remember to this day – ‘You may think that Geometry is a waste of time, but it will teach you to have a positive approach to deal with problems which you will face in life.’

Thank you, Boob, for something which has stood me in good stead all these years.

Jim Cunningham (1949)

Glasgow Academical Club

Back in the big time!

Many congratulations to Accies 1st XV on securing promotion to the national leagues. Very well done to coaches Andrew Jackson (2000) and Ross Chassels (1995) and to captain Craig Wright (2003) on helping to make this long-term goal a reality.

Meanwhile in Ladies’ Hockey, the 2nd XI were promoted to West Division 3 and the 1st XI remain in West Division 1.

Glasgow Accies Curling Club celebrated GAC’s 150th with an Anniversary Bonspiel on Thursday 31 March at Braehead Ice Rink – with an excellent Dinner at the Pavilion thereafter. A great evening was had by all despite a team made up of Kelvinside Accies and Dumbarton clubs taking the honours!

Etcetera

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Club President John Beattie leads Accies out as players old and young take a stroll down memory lane in the anniversary celebration match against West of Scotland on Saturday 23 April.

West are also celebrating 150 years of rugby this year.

Cricket Section Team captains for the 2016 season are: 1st XI – Richard Andrew 2nd XI – Waj Bashir 3rd XI – Jim McLaren 4th XI – Martin Oliver (Sunday friendlies) Development XI – Cameron Russell/Dhruv Satpute (Sunday League) Midweek XI – Ronnie Singh Several new players have been attending winter nets and, although losing stalwarts Neil Dowers to London and Nirvik Ganapathi to Leeds, it is hoped that strength in depth will be maintained.

The junior section is very short of players for our U10 and U11 teams this season. Any new members at this age group will be particularly welcome. Please contact Colin Dawson at colindawson17@btinternet. com if you know of anyone interested. Otherwise the junior section continues to have healthy numbers and is looking forward to a successful and dry summer.

CAC Dawson www.glasgowaccies.cc 14

Etcetera

Men’s Hockey

Our Men’s Hockey team are comfortably placed this year in Division 2 of the Glasgow West District Hockey leagues and can boast an unbeaten record with notable victories over Kelburn Hockey Club, Rottenrow Hockey Club and Strathclyde University. However, we could manage only a 2-2 draw away to Giffnock.

Several former pupils and friends of Glasgow Academy are involved with and play for the team and we are always on the lookout for more!

Anyone interested is welcome, and can join us for summer hockey by contacting Stephanie Hermes of the Ladies’ Section.

Paul Harrison (1975)

London Academical Section The London Section is in excellent health with many new members, especially of a youthful age.We thank all Accies relocating to the London area for making contact and, more importantly, for attending our events.

The Annual Dinner of the London Section was held at The Caledonian Club on 4 March with Peter Brodie, the Rector, John Beattie, the President of the Academical Club, and Professor David Purdie all speaking.The Rector gave us a full account of academic and sporting successes at the School. John Beattie spoke of the pride of being an Academical and related amusing memories of being a British Lion. Professor Purdie replied on behalf of the guests with great humour and was a suitable finale to an excellent evening.

Mr David Gray, a former teacher at the Academy, proposed the Toast to The Academy and our President, Mrs Karen Greenshields, not only proposed the Toast to The Glasgow Academical Club but conducted proceedings throughout the evening.

An unplanned addition to the dinner

London Section immediate Past-President Cammy Wilson with President Karen Greenshields (right) and Zara Asante, who gave the vote of thanks on the evening. A qualified lawyer and part-time model, multi-talented Zara is currently aiming to represent GB in the triple jump at this year’s Olympic Games in Rio. We all wish her every success!

programme involved remarks by the Rector and Past-President, David Stirling, in recognition of David Hall’s 33 years as Secretary/Treasurer of the London Section. David’s retirement was marked with the gift of a framed picture of the school.

GAC 2016-17 Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the 2016/17 season at The Glasgow Academical Club and Glasgow Academical Sports Club became due from April 2016.

If you pay by direct debit and have already submitted a new direct debit mandate for the subscriptions account now administered by Glasgow Academy, you need take no further action, unless you wish to update any of your contact details. Annual direct debits for the 2016/17 season were uplifted on 1 April 2016. Monthly direct debits will continue to be uplifted on the 14th of each month.

If you pay by direct debit and have not already changed over to the new account, your subscription will have lapsed and you require to complete a new mandate form, which can be obtained from Laura Maciver at Glasgow Academy (Tel: 0141 334 8558; email: l.maciver@tga.org. uk).

Please note the date for next year’s dinner Friday 10 March 2017

The Glasgow Academy Foundation Canada We are pleased to be able to let Academicals in Canada know that on 28 April 2016, we received confirmation from the Canada Revenue Agency that The Glasgow Academy Foundation Canada has been registered as a charity.

If you live in Canada and would like to support Bursaries or developments at The Academy in a tax efficient way, please contact Mark for details: M.Taylor@tga.org.uk

Payment can also be made by cash transfer, card payment or by cheque – please contact Laura for further guidance.

Iain Jarvie, Membership Secretary

Etcetera

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Congratulations to former pupils Ross Curle (2005) and Rob McAlpine (2009) who were part of this year’s history-making Scotland Club XV squad. After beating England Counties for the first time in the history of the fixture in a record 9-try win, they went on to beat Ireland in Ireland for the first time. They are the first squad to remain unbeaten in a season and retain the Dalriada Cup. Ross captained the side and was named man-of-the-match against Ireland. Their coach was none other than Glasgow Academy’s own Phil Smith, Head of Rugby, SRU Coach of the Year 2015.

DEVELOPMENT

Seven easy ways to give to The Glasgow Academy 1. Set up a regular gift with your bank.

Just £10 a month will make a huge difference. Sort: 83 07 06 Account: 10351696 2. Donate by card (debit or credit) by calling External Relations on 0141 342 5494.

3. Gift shares directly to The Academy; it’s a very tax-effective way of donating.

4. Leave The Academy a legacy in your will.

5. If you are a US taxpayer, you can make a tax-deductible donation with a preference for The Glasgow Academy via the British Schools and Universities Foundation (BSUF). www.bsuf.org 6. Give online via our BT mydonate page: https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/ theglasgowacademy

7. Make a one-off gift by cheque sent to: External Relations The Glasgow Academy FREEPOST SCO7472 Colebrooke Street Glasgow G12 8HE

Events and Reunions Friday 3 June 2016 - Class of 1996 reunion, from 2 pm at Glasgow Academy. Email exrel@tga.org.uk for more details.

Saturday 18 June 2016 TGA Summer Ball from 6.45 pm at Crowne Plaza, Glasgow. Tickets available from External Relations.

Thursday 14 July 2016 Lower Vth 1965-66 Reunion Friday 7 October 2016 IVth Form 1966-67 50th Year Reunion Friday 14 October 2016 Annual Commemoration Service at Glasgow Cathedral, 2.15 pm Friday 11 November 2016 134th Annual Glasgow Academical Club Dinner, Cargill Hall. Ticket information available shortly.

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Lower Vth 1965-66 reunion Fifty years on, David Stirling and Graeme Mitchell are putting together a reunion for all those in Lower Vth in 1965-66. It will be on Thursday 14 July and will be a tour of the school followed by lunch, probably in the West End. If anyone who has not already been notified would like more information please contact Liz McGowan in the alumni office (e.mcgowan@tga.org.uk or 0141 342 5494).

If anyone else from around that time would like to join for the tour or for lunch they will be most welcome.

David Stirling (1968)

GA IVth form 1966-67 Class Reunion Dinner Date confirmed as Friday evening 7 October 2016 at The Academy, hopefully in the Well (depending on numbers). E-mails will continue to be sent out regarding details of times, who is attending/not attending/lost touch and confirmation of the venue in the school. If you were or think you were in this year at school and have not received any information regarding the Dinner, please inform Liz McGowan at External Relations, Glasgow Academy (e-mail: e.mcgowan@tga.org.uk).

Fundraising update The Saunders Centre has been the focus of our fundraising in the last few years. As the photos show, it is a fantastic addition to our facilities generally, and to Science and Food Technology teaching in particular.The auditorium is a stunning venue for a range of meetings, lectures, concerts and plays. Naming a seat in the

Watson Auditorium proved very popular and, at the time of writing, only a handful of seats remain available.

Thanks to the generous support of many members of our wider community, ÂŁ2M was raised in donations.This allowed us to complete a superb, high-specification

building.We will be delighted to welcome all former pupils, staff, parents and friends of the school for private or group tours both in term time and during the holidays. Please just contact External Relations to arrange.

Our fundraising over the next few years will focus on strengthening the Bursary Fund.We want to be able to offer more help with fees to talented children who otherwise could not benefit from an Academy education. Bursary donations also ensure we can help existing families when they face unexpected and/or severe financial hardship.

If you would like more information on naming a seat in the auditorium or about how you can make a life-changing difference through supporting Bursaries, please contact Mark.

0141 342 5494 M.Taylor@tga.org.uk

Etcetera

17

Westbourne Section Mrs Mary Buchanan (Westbourne Staff)

Shona (Ramsay) Thorn (1946) 29 July 1940 – 21 December 2015

Mrs Mary Buchanan was teacher of French and Latin at Westbourne School for Girls from 1976 till 1988. She was very conscientious in all school matters, and expected and got from the girls the highest standards of work and behaviour.

At the age of five or six Shona commuted solo by train from Motherwell to school at Westbourne. She made lifelong friends there, many of whom she was still in touch with until her unexpected death in December of last year.

Mary was a gifted violinist and, while a student at London University, became Leader of the University Symphony Orchestra. At Westbourne she took over responsibility for the school orchestra for a number of years and under her efficient direction the orchestra increased in size and scope. During that time she acted also as conductor at various school concerts.

After leaving Westbourne, Mary enjoyed an active and fulfilling life. She became Membership Secretary and then Chair of the Family History Society. Her organisation and meticulous attention to detail were recognised by the Society when, on leaving office, she became Honorary Vice-President for life.

Following her early rail travels, her parents moved to Bearsden a few months later – a less challenging commute for a young lady.

Mary Buchanan

Shona (Ramsay) Thorn

She was a lover of the countryside, and with her husband Donald walked many of the long distant paths in Scotland and England.They toured the continent in their caravan, allowing her to deploy her linguistic skills, including her newly-acquired knowledge of Spanish.

In later years, when ill-health overtook her, they were able to explore many areas nearer home.

Mary was a valued and respected member of staff and colleague.To her husband Donald, formerly Head of History at Glasgow Academy, and to her sons John and Alasdair, both pupils there, we extend our heartfelt sympathy.

Westbourne Grand Reunion We are delighted to confirm that the next Westbourne Grand Reunion will take place on Saturday 20 May 2017 at 7pm, at the Glasgow City Hotel, Cambridge Street, Glasgow (formerly the Thistle Hotel and soon to be rebranded as a Hilton Doubletree).

We’ve had a really good response from former Westbourne pupils who’d like to attend so if you haven’t noted your interest yet, but think you might be able to make it along, please contact Liz in the Academy’s External Relations Department 0141 342 5494 or e.mcgowan@tga.org.uk 18

Etcetera

After leaving school and taking a secretarial training course, she joined 3M.The Mitchell Street office in central Glasgow of this now multinational organisation was by no means the greatest of buildings and contrasted sharply with lavish company headquarters shared with IBM in central London. I recall the scenario as an Englishman working for the same company on secondment north of the border. I found it somewhat odd that the local pub was underground! It may well have been that it was in this or similar surroundings she took pity on an Englishman abroad and – discovering a mutual love of classical music, poetry and drama – she suggested that we might go to a concert together. I agreed and the relationship blossomed.

We spent the first six years of our marriage in Bishopbriggs and all of our four ‘half breeds’ were delivered at Redlands Hospital, pretty adjacent to the original Westbourne address.

This brief Scottish chronicle stops here because we moved back to Cheshire and close to my Lancastrian roots, for a brief spell.The next move was to Woking where we spent some 40 years in the same family home. In 53 years of marriage the family expanded with the arrival of eleven grandchildren, ‘quarter breeds’, who along with myself and other ‘seniors’ will remember a very fine and caring lady, and loving mother and grandmother. Shona appreciated the great benefits of a Scottish education and values taught from a very early age at Westbourne.

Mike Thorn

Dear Etcetera…

My maiden name is Pamela Barrass and I was in the same class as Clare France, Chloe Bell, Beryl Miller and Patricia Grant back in the late 50s.

I have lived in California for the past 50 years with my husband Alex overlooking the Pacific in Laguna Beach with our seven grandchildren nearby, the youngest being our twin grand sons, Mark and Christopher.

The First 100 Years…

The External Relations Department at Glasgow Academy would be very happy to give a good home to any spare copies of the book ‘Westbourne School for Girls,The First Hundred Years, 1877-1977’.We have only one copy in the archive, but it would be good to have a few available for the various research requests that come in.

Please contact exrel@tga.org.uk, call 0141 342 5494 or feel free to drop in to our office on Colebrooke Terrace.

I would love to have an update on Clare, Patricia and Beryl. I understand that Chloe passed away recently.

I will send a photo for you to use in the magazine.

Best wishes, Pamela (Barrass) Metherell (1959) Westbourne Prefects 1959 Back row (l to r): F Todhunter, S Park, J Doig, J Pattison, T Patrick, S Rogers Front row (l to r): P Barrass, E Hepburn, C France, Mrs Henderson, T Jones, N Strang, P Grant, B Miller (absent)

DEVELOPMENT

How to leave more to charity and your children at the same time Most people are aware of the Income Tax advantages of charitable giving by gift aid.

Many are aware that charitable bequests are exempt from Inheritance Tax.There is, however, another IHT relief.

GAWM Trustee Christine Abercrombie is a Chartered Accountant and a Consultant with French Duncan LLP.

If you bequeath a larger amount to a charity – at its simplest, at least 10% of your estate after deducting the £325,000 nil rate band – then the IHT charged drops to 36% on the taxable part rather than the usual 40%.This can be illustrated in the following examples:

Peter, Paul and Mary each have estates of £800,000. l Peter leaves his entire estate to his children.The IHT liability is £190k (£800k – £325k @40%) and his children receive £610,000. l Paul leaves £47k to charity and the rest to his children.

The IHT liability is £171,200 (£800k – £325k @40%) and his children receive £581,800. l Mary leaves £47,500 to charity and the rest to her children.The IHT liability is £153,900 (£800k – £47,500 @36%) and her children receive £598,600.

You will need to take professional advice and ask your solicitor to change your will if you want to benefit charity and other beneficiaries in this way.

Christine Abercrombie (Westbourne 1982) Etcetera

19

Gordon Carruthers – an appreciation a Deputy who was willing to challenge, to debate and to disagree if appropriate.

I quickly learned how much GHC was respected by the boys – there were no girls then! – and I always beat a hasty retreat if I went to his room and saw a boy ensconced opposite him. His pastoral work was second to none. And it was not confined to boys.

Many were the times he was “consulted” by parents over the freezer counter in Willie Lows in Bearsden – and not always about school matters. He was the recipient of many sensitive confidences.The boys also relied on him for advice about universities because he had admission tutors eating out of his hand and he was instrumental in directing many towards the university and course which was most right for them.

A

fter my appointment in December 1974 as Rector for the following session, I was able to meet GHC for the first time in February 1975 when the Governors invited me and my wife to go up to Glasgow to meet the staff. I had already met the Governors during my interviews for the post and I had been allowed to visit the Academy on the day of my final interview, the last day of the winter term 1974. For whatever reason, all the staff seemed to be hidden away in cupboards and the only people I met were Miss Rachel Teggart, the Rector’s Secretary, and the Janitor, Mr Donald (Doom) Macrae, resplendent in his full regalia of frock coat and medals. However, as OC CCF at Marlborough, I had heard about GHC on the CCF circuit because he had chaired one of the CCF Association’s annual dinners in London and been awarded the OBE for his services to Cadet Forces.

At our first meeting, GHC gave me a comprehensive ‘tour de l’horizon’ of the Academy and outlined the burning issues of the day. Older readers may remember

20

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that perhaps the most important one at that time was the issue of promotion from the Transitus to the Senior School: should there be an intermediate Primary 6 for everyone? Opinions were sharply divided.

Having had my briefing about the school in general, I could not wait to get started on the various issues and I bombarded GHC with ideas and papers.Very wisely – and for the first of many times – he counselled patience and it did not take me long to realise the importance of his profound knowledge of the school, its people and the merits of ‘festina lente’. However, I could not tar him with the brush of the “aye been” philosophy which caused me much frustration, especially in my early days. (For anyone unfamiliar with this philosophy, it is an attachment to the belief that ‘things hae aye been that way and they’re no gonnae change’.) GHC was always open to new ideas and willing to discuss them. He would quickly identify the practicalities, discuss a way forward and embrace them wholeheartedly – when appropriate and possible. If they were not, he did not hesitate to say so. It was very good for me to have

Inevitably, we were involved together in many disciplinary cases.When we were conducting a joint ‘interview’, he was Mr Good to my Mr Bad.The roles were reversed on only one occasion, but since the boy in the hot seat is now an eminent member of the Academical community, I will say no more! I learned a great deal from his ‘questioning’ techniques. He was very good at playing deaf and asking the interviewee to repeat his last statement. An excuse which had stretched the bounds of credibility the first time inevitably sounded pathetically lame the second time round.

And he also demonstrated the value of silence.Those being questioned were unnerved and felt that they had to say something – and it was usually something daft or incriminating. It is not surprising that as well as his role at the Academy, he was also a member of the Children’s Panel, thereby continuing his work in the wider community.

Our most difficult moment came on the afternoon of Higher Maths 2 during the height of the IRA problems. About five minutes after the start of the paper, a phone call to the school office said that there was a bomb in the school.The police informed us that the next move, i.e. whether or not to evacuate, was up to the school.The timing in relation to the Higher Maths paper seemed too much of a coincidence and after a very quick discussion, I decided to sit tight while GHC offered to make a lightning tour of public telephone boxes within a short radius of the school. Happily, he found nothing or nobody untoward and the incident proved to be a hoax.The

consequences if the decision had been wrong do not bear thinking about. I was eternally grateful that, although the decision was mine, I had had GHC to hold my hand and lend his unequivocal support.

When I left the Academy to go to Malvern in December 1982, I took with me much that I had learned from GHC and I counted myself very lucky to have had a Deputy who was also my mentor and friend. He used to give me a lift home on most days and this provided us with an opportunity to review the day and to share a joke because our respective posts only too easily encouraged us to take ourselves too seriously. His wry sense of humour defused many a tense discussion.

Others have written – or will write – about GHC’s teaching of chemistry, his term spent at Churchill College, Cambridge as a Schoolmaster Fellow, his Christmas pantomime productions, his starring roles as the dame, his role in the CCF and his teaching courses in Zambia during two summer holidays. Less well known is his role in his beloved St Andrews after his retirement from the Academy. He was elected to the Business Committee of the General Council of the University in 1973 i.e. while he was still at the Academy and he was Convenor of the Committee for three years. He was appointed as an Assessor to the University Court with a particular brief to represent the interest of students. He had the interests of the latter very much at heart and the students came to rely on him in the way that Academy boys had done.

Not surprisingly, he did a spell as Chairman of the Board of the Students’ Association.

The final accolade accorded to him by the University was the award of an Honorary PhD. For GHC, this represented the apogee of his career.

Sadly ill-health dogged him in his final few years. However, he was still doing The Times crossword right up to the end and his recall of Academy people and incidents remained prodigious. Lack of mobility made his visits to the University and the town centre fewer and further between. Particularly painful for him was to give up going to the University Chapel on Sundays – he was always part of the academic procession – and attending the Remembrance Service and parade each November.

I am sure that generations of Academicals and St Andrews students will have the fondest memories of GHC and will join me in celebrating the life of a man who devoted his life to education.

Roy Chapman (Rector 1975-82)

Tributes to Gordon Carruthers How very sad. He was extremely kind to me when I first started at school.

Anne Gilmour (former staff)

friend. He will be sadly missed by all of us who were privileged to know him.

Graham Black (1967)

That’s a blow. I think ‘firm but fair’ summed up Jock.

Sean Henney (1978)

Jock was an eternal treasure and thoughtful inspiration for all he guided – he lived the life well lived. Saddened by the news but always inspired by his memory.

Philip E Niedermair (1979)

A rich and full life at the Academy and in St Andrews. He was and will always remain an inspiration to me. My most sincere condolences to his nearest and dearest.

Pat Shaw (1970) What sad news of the end of a great innings by a figure that we will all remember with great respect and affection, whether in the classroom or in the field with the CCF. Michael Barritt (1966) I’m really sorry to hear this. As a pupil at the school through the 1970s till I left for University in 1984, I do remember Mr Carruthers very well, the absolute mainstay of the school.

Chris MacRae (1984) He was a big part of my school life and a long-standing friend of my late mother.

Phil Reid (1977) Gordon Carruthers was a tremendous character who delighted his pupils both in the classroom where his love and explanations of the mystery of physics was always a delight, but for the CCF and his exploits with the Christmas pantomime will always be remembered by many of us with great affection. He made life at the Academy always the greatest fun and it was a joy and a privilege to be in his company.

Gordon was one of the many masters with great talent at the Academy during that period, so for him to stand out in our minds as he does pays him perhaps the greatest compliment.

He will be sadly missed by us all; he was a truly wonderful character and a splendid teacher in all respects.

Allan Alstead (1954) Of all the staff who made my journey easier, it was Mr Carruthers.

Nick Lander (1984) Fond memories of Gordon, as the Colonel in charge of the CCF. A wonderful teacher and long-time family

I am deeply saddened to receive your email about Gordon Carruthers – or “Jock” as we all used to call him. He influenced me more than any other member of staff at the Academy, or indeed, at the grammar school I attended in the south of England before my father took a job in Glasgow after leaving the Royal Navy.

I attended The Academy between 1957 and 1960, joining Baggy Aston’s Fifth form. Being a “soft Sassenach”, the transition was considerable, but, with the help of the many good friends I made, some of whom I am still in touch with, I had a happy and successful career at the Academy before going up to Cambridge.

Though I was not taught by Gordon Carruthers, I saw a great deal of him in the CCF, and was fortunate enough to go on several of the leadership training courses which he used to run at Blackwaterfoot on Arran each Easter.

And then there were the CCF Christmas Concerts which were the “Best show in town” for many years which he produced jointly with Bill Coulthard.These may have been unlikely educational media, but they taught me a great deal and I remember them with gratitude and affection.You always knew where you were with Gordon, and, although he could be very forthright, it was always because your standards were not as high as he knew you could achieve. There was also a witty and generous side to him. It was he who taught me that schoolmasters were human beings too!

I visited him in St Andrews when The Open was being played there some years ago. His welcome was immense. All the photographs of the NCOs in the CCF in which I featured had been put out for me to see, together with those from the Christmas Concerts during my time at school. In retirement he took as great an interest in The Academy as he did while Etcetera

21

Brian Wilson (top left) in the pipe band – shortly after investing in those drumsticks, which he has hardly put down to this day!

he was a colossus of the common room there. He also regaled me with stories of life as a member of the University Court at St Andrews, including the time when he “presented” Jack Nicklaus with the certificate for his honorary doctorate; that was the picture which appeared in the press!

He put so much into his job it was unbelievable – especially his hand-drawn timetable for the whole of the secondary school posted on the wall outside his office.

Senior Under Officer in the CCF and Gordon was, I think, the Senior Officer so I had to work relatively closely with him. His performances in the annual pantomime were unforgettable.

RIP ‘Jock’.

Quentin Sellar (1978)

I look forward to reading the official tributes. After Ken Waine, Gordon is another example of the extraordinary calibre of the teachers we were fortunate enough to be educated by. As a retired schoolmaster myself now, the example I was given when I was at school has been something I have attempted to follow and I shall always be grateful.

Peter Larkman (1961)

‘Jock’ Carruthers had a profound effect on my character and he knew the value of giving difficult boys a sense of responsibility – at least in my case. He was very kind to my son, Andrew, during Andrew’s time at the school. My last meeting with ‘Jock’ was when he invited my mother and me to lunch at the clubhouse in St Andrews during one of my periodic visits to Scotland on business.

Both of them were former teachers; both of them had very proper manners; both of them were pretty-well stone deaf; and, to cap it all, both of them had forgotten their hearing aids! It was a bizarre, yet thoroughly entertaining luncheon conversation that was shared, unwittingly, with the entire dining room. I have always loved Jock and I will cherish his memory.

Antony Kozlowski (1962)

The school made major error in not appointing Gordon as Rector with Ken Waine his Deputy but in those days Oxbridge ruled the promotion ladder.

Peter Hillis (1971)

A true legend and a source of great advice to me personally. Please pass on my thoughts to his family.

Peter Muir (1987) Jock Carruthers taught me Mathematics in Trans B in 1948 and was very active in the corps. He was also very good (funny) in the school pantomimes.

Robert JG Turpie (1955) Very sad to hear this news. I had been meaning to call him as for the first time in over 50 years I’d had no Christmas card.

He was a wonderful man and played a big part in my nascent theatrical career.

A real Academy institution.

Tempus fugit!

Hugh Ross (1962) Sad indeed. Happy memories!

Colin Dawson (1967) 22

Etcetera

It was Jock who got me started in my drumming career. He said , ‘Seven Shillings and Sixpence will get you a pair of Premier G Drum Sticks.You can buy them at Henderson’s on Renfrew Street.’

That was in 1953.

God bless his soul.

Brian Wilson (1959) Gordon taught me biology although it has always been a regret to me that it was not possible to take the subject onto Higher. He was an excellent teacher. I was

Sorry to hear about the sad news. He was a good man.

Duncan McPhie (1986) Sorry to hear of Gordon Carruthers’ death. He was very active in the Academy during the time our elder son was in the school. Although we did see a little of him in St Andrews I am afraid we had lost touch in recent years.

Robin Robinson (1948) That is indeed sad news, although 92 is a great innings and from what I gather from those at the University, all the faculties were pretty much there.

Gordon Carruthers was the second person I ever met at the Academy, the first being Rachel Teggart. I came to the school for my pre-secondary 1 entrance test accompanied by my dad. GC greeted us and exclaimed, ‘Good afternoon, Good!’Timidly, I replied, ‘Good afternoon, Sir.’ to which the response came, ‘No, boy, I was addressing your father.You see I taught him when he was a pupil at this school too you know.’

Although he was only there for my first and second years at the Academy, he never forgot me and always made a point of

This picture of ‘Jock’ Carruthers with pipe was taken at Bisley by a young Cdt Gilchrist in 1964 when Jock visited the GA Bisley team down at the Bisley Camp, Brookwood. In the background from left to right is Capt Stevenson, the back of WOIC Wilberforce, (Carruthers), Cdt Galloway and Cdt Stanley.

Great days!

I was saddened to hear of the death of Gordon Carruthers. He arrived at the Academy the same year I joined the school in Form 1B. I often saw him in St Andrews when visiting our two boys at University and he always enquired about their progress such was his continuing interest in his former pupils. The attached photograph may be of interest to others of my vintage. Two questions. Who are his fellow sun seekers and where and when was it taken? Clue-’Red Skelton’. Answers to a.conner14@btinternet.com.

First correct answer will receive a copy of the image.

Alan Conner (1954)

James Gilchrist (1967) stopping me in the street if I bumped into him after I went up to St Andrews in 1990.

Kenneth Good (1990)

at Glasgow Academy, namely Miss Ritchie who was my first teacher on my arrival in Glasgow from England and Lachie Robertson of whom much has been written recently.

He was indeed ‘a mainstay’ of the Academy. My uncles both finished school when Jock was a young man. Pretty good innings right enough.When a boy was in trouble that was the man you wanted to appear in front of – firm and fair.

Turner McWhirr (1982)

It is with great anticipation that I wait for the delivery of the latest edition of Etcetera. I look forward to hearing news of old schoolmates and members of staff.

John (‘Basher’) Bull (1957)

I remember him well and fondly. He always encouraged us to do better and helped me a lot. My sympathy to the family.

Michael Scott (1960) Sad news but what an exceptional teacher and mentor; I count myself fortunate to have been on the receiving end of his wise counsel when I was in 5th and 6th years. I doubt that I will meet a man who could challenge Solomon on fair and just decisions as Jock demonstrated on many occasions. His teaching skill was superb. He transformed complexity into clarity and always with great humour leading to true learning and deep appreciation irrespective of the breadth of the subject. Undoubtedly one of the finest Masters and Deputy Rectors in the history of the Academy. Ken Waine and Lachie will no doubt give him a warm welcome as soon as Jock has finished dispensing wisdom to St Peter!

Iain Breckenridge (1984) It was with great sadness that I heard of the passing of Gordon Carruthers. He was my form teacher in Transitus and I have always looked upon him with affection. He was the ideal introduction in to the mysteries of the Senior School. It has been sad to hear of the deaths in the past few years of the teachers who had the most influence on me during my time

Yes, I am saddened at the death of Gordon Carruthers. It is a long time since I finished school at the Glasgow Academy in 1950, but I still have good memories of Mr Carruthers as a good all-rounder.

Ronnie McCulloch (1950) I firmly believe that Jock in his time as Depute /Acting Rector probably saved the school from collapse. A mainstay indeed.

R Andrew S Wilson (1974) Although I was never one of the most enthusiastic members of the CCF and studied science for only one year, I have two abiding memories of Jock Carruthers. He came to St Andrews to have dinner with a number of St Andrews students and was delightfully indiscrete. Apparently a letter had been sent to parents saying that fees would be increased to 3X ‘per anum.’ A parent had written back saying that he would continue to pay through the nose!!. No one of course can forget his professional performance at the Xmas Pantomime.

John Marshall

Etcetera

23

Meetings, get-togethers and reunions

Fisher and Ferns meet up

The meeting of the Sandy Fs

We were delighted to welcome some members of the Class of 2005 for a mini reunion at The Academy recently.They enjoyed meeting each other – and a few of their former teachers.

Four distinguished Academicals took part in the meeting of the Scotland International, a private high-level discussion group, at Gleneagles in November 2015.

They are (l to r) Lord Kerr, former Head of UK Foreign Office and ex-UK Ambassador in Washington; Professor Niall Ferguson, Tisch Professor of History, Harvard University; Sir Angus Grossart, chairman of Scotland International; Sir David Omand, former Head of UK Security and Intelligence Office.

Unbeknownst to both Sandy Fs, we had lived for several years in relatively close proximity in the City of Calgary.

Thanks to information provided by Mark Taylor, we were able to make contact and as a result my wife and I spent a most enjoyable afternoon at Sandy Fisher’s home.With the help of old school photographs, we recalled classmates, teachers and reminisced over some of our more colorful experiences at Colebrooke Terrace. Our wives – much to their credit – survived the ordeal. As we had not seen each other for over fifty years, it was also interesting to learn about our lives after the Academy and where our career paths had led us. Sandy F‘s (Fisher) career in architecture guided him to Northern Ireland, Jamaica and Canada while Sandy F’s (Ferns) career in credit administration directed him to The Land of the Klondike in Canada’s far north.

We are hoping that our get-togethers will continue in the months to come.

Sandy Ferns (1960)

Martin Strang (second row, third from right) and David Primrose (back row, second from left) in the photo of Miss Ritchie’s class which appeared on page 6 of Etcetera 25.

Ron Gilmore (left) and David Crawford (both 1983) take time out from their busy schedules to meet up in Glasgow for David’s fiftieth.

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Is that you? …This is me.

“Is that you? …This is me.”The words with which Martin Strang (1972) greeted David Primrose (1972), pointing to that 50-year-old photo of Miss Ritchie’s class (1964/65) which featured in Etcetera 25. David and Martin had last seen each other in 1968 when they had both left the Academy, with happy memories, to go to boarding school.Till then, the Primrose brothers (William, David, Bruce and Kenneth) had come into the Academy from Kirkintilloch whilst the Strang boys (Colin, Martin, David and Frank) had commuted from Bearsden.

As they spoke of the impact of faith on their lives, David told something of his story: At Fettes College, the choice to belong to the Christian Study Group was against the popular flow. Scripture Union camps, and the support of the chaplains, meant that I arrived at St John’s College, Cambridge with plenty of adolescent enthusiasm for my beliefs.There were several other mathematicians in the Christian Union which, along with college chapel and a local Baptist church, allowed me to explore my faith further.

Alison and I were engaged before we left Cambridge, with me training as a social worker and Alison as a teacher.We married the next summer, living outside Bristol where I worked as a Probation Officer. Now the vibrancy of student religion moulded into that of a village church, serving the wider community and following the rhythms of the year.

With that experience, we went, with two young children, through the Church Mission Society, to serve the church in Karachi, helping establish a recovery

Martin Strang (left) and David Primrose

programme for Pakistani heroin addicts.

We encountered tremendous generosity and warmth of friendship in that great city, and enjoyed travelling the length of that beautiful country.There was a freedom to discuss religion, and the healing ministry of Jesus was held in high regard by many Muslims. It was good to think through my own faith, both in the context of Pakistani Christians with a different cultural background to my own, and in the context of Muslims adhering to various forms of Islam.Whilst there, I was ordained as a deacon in the Church of Pakistan, which was a union of Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican and Lutheran streams.

We returned after six years. I studied theology, since when I have been a Minister in the Church of England.

After 18 years in parishes around Gloucestershire, I moved up to the Midlands, five years ago. Here I support the ways in which churches engage with their local communities, addressing themes such as the environment, older people and end of life, disability and dementia, and poverty in its various manifestations. It was in this capacity that I arranged to visit a new minister in Stafford, only to encounter a photograph with myself second from the left on the back row.

Martin writes:

As I welcomed David, I pointed to myself sitting on Miss Ritchie’s left. I was new in post as Minister of two parishes and I was glad to have his help as I considered how

to reach out to these communities.

I had just moved to Stafford, from Nottingham, where I had served as an Assistant Minister for 3 years, following my training at Theological College there.

Some people commented on it being brave to give up my Engineering career in my early 50s, and with a family of 2 young boys – Robbie (now 13) and Cameron (now 11). But, for me, it felt an absolutely natural move and what a privilege it has been.

30 years with Babcock, in Renfrew, London and Crawley, had, overall, been good – sometimes very good. A couple of postings to Chennai (Madras), India, to lead and support a Boiler Mechanical Design Team, had added to the interest of it all. As David asked me about Church life in that part of the Indian sub-continent, I remembered the bonds we had made with our Indian friends as we became involved at St Andrew’s Kirk in that city – originally Church of Scotland and now Church of South India. It had been strange to find myself standing beside my Great Uncle’s grave (dated 1909) in the graveyard there.

In between those two postings to India (in 2000) I married Rachel and, in India, she was able to use her OT skills to help Vidya Sagar (the Spastic Society).

That motivation to make a difference as a Christian in whatever environment we find ourselves had not always been important to me. For a period of 15 years, including all of my 20s, I had walked away from faith. But somehow God had other plans for me and, wonderfully, He brought me back to Him – enabling me to reconnect with my original grounding in things Christian.

That grounding, like David’s, had been an integral part of our upbringing, as both our families had been very much involved in the local church.

For David and me there were many similarities to our start in life – a photo with the same Glasgow Academy ties around our necks. And then a diverging of the ways – but, 50 years later, a photo with the same collars around our necks.

I enjoy telling this story to anyone in my congregations who will listen!

Martin Strang (1972) and David Primrose (1972) mstrang12@btinternet.com and david. primrose@lichfield.anglican.org Etcetera

25

Moving up, moving on… profile and take their career to another level.The programme takes them to two countries and they study (in English) courses such as Finance, Marketing, Strategy. It’s also a good catalyst for budding entrepreneurs or career switchers. www.edhec-mba.com

Lesley Henderson (2009)

The Rare Malt Whisky Company will celebrate their first year of trading at the end of April. Lesley said: ‘It has been a great start for us and we are now branching into hosting more whisky tastings on both the corporate and consumer side whilst still retailing rare bottles.The business was accepted to work with Entrepreneurial Spark, which is allowing us to gain insight on scaling the company.We have got ourselves out

Neil Amner (1987)

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce installed Neil as its new president in January for a two-year term. Neil is a partner with MacRoberts Solicitors and is well known as one of Scotland’s leading transport, environmental and parliamentary lawyers.

Ben Bannatyne (1989)

After spending 18 years in Central Europe, I am now moving to Amsterdam as President of Prologis in Europe. I would welcome the opportunity to meet anyone from the Academy who is also based there.

Michael Barritt (1966)

This June Michael will come to the end of a five-year tenure as President of the Hakluyt Society (www.hakluyt. com).The Society was founded in 1846 to advance public education by publishing accounts of travel by land and sea and of encounters between peoples.

Several forthcoming volumes have a Scottish link. In April an account of Sir Joseph Banks’ travels in the North Atlantic, including a voyage through the Western Isles, will come off the press.

Emeritus Professor Roy Bridges of the University of Aberdeen is preparing a comprehensively illustrated edition of Grant’s travels in Africa which will appear in 2018.The society is named after the great Elizabethan historian and writer, Richard Hakluyt, whose book 26

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The Principal Navigations is regarded as a classic alongside the King James Bible.

This year sees major celebrations of the 400th anniversary of his death.

Darius Campbell (1998)

Darius has been playing Rick in Funny Girl opposite Sheridan Smith.The production moved to the West End (of London!) in 2016.

Ryan Dalziel (2000)

Ryan has become the first Scot to win the coveted Porsche Cup, as the season’s top privateer. Ryan, who lives in Florida, claimed two wins, a further eight podiums and was placed third in the championship at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT-3R last season.

Niall Dickson (1966)

Niall has announced he will be standing down at the end of this year after seven years as Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Medical Council, which regulates doctors throughout the UK. He will also complete his term at Chair of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities.

Nikki Harle (1985)

I recruit candidates into an MBA programme in France.Typically they are people who have had good professional evolution but now want to boost their

Lesley Henderson

of the starting blocks but now is the time to work hard, persevere and hopefully become real contenders in the race.’ www.theraremaltwhiskycompany.co.uk

Ed Mackey (1972)

An exciting chance arose in August 2015 to speak on land mapping at a Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) – Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) workshop on earth observation sensors and imaging systems in Beijing, China. I gave a presentation on behalf of Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), where I head the Knowledge and Information Management Unit.The workshop enabled us to share experience with leading academic researchers and practitioners in Scotland and China with a view to possible research collaboration

Sarah Lawson (2008)

After graduating from Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Sarah is currently working to qualify as an architect. She has just been shortlisted for a drawing competition for the Alexander Thomson Scholarship, 2016.We wish her every success in the competition.

China is a revelation… and it’s true, the Great Wall is really great!

in habitat mapping, biodiversity assessment and natural capital accounting. Fascinatingly, the Huan Jing environmental satellite constellation of China has operational similarities with the Sentinel satellites which are now being deployed under the European Space Agency Earth Observation Programme, Copernicus.

The RSE-NSFC joint programme is a remarkable opportunity to engage in international research collaboration and cultural exchange at no financial cost – in this case to SNH / Scottish Government.

New books by Academicals Charlotte Brontë Revisited: A View from the Twenty-First Century by Sophie Franklin (2009)

Everybody knows Charlotte Brontë.

World-famous for her novel Jane Eyre, she’s a giant of literature and has been written about in reverential tones in scores of textbooks over the years. But what do we really know about Charlotte?

In this bicentennial year, Charlotte Brontë Revisited looks at Charlotte through 21st-century eyes. Discover her private world of convention, rebellion and imagination, and how they shaped her life, writing and obsessions – including the paranormal, nature, feminism and politics. It’s a celebration of all things Charlotte Brontë, and emphatically shows why she’s as relevant today as she ever was.

Keeping the Jewel in the Crown,

by Walter Reid (1962)

Walter Reid has written four books on political and military history, concentrating on British imperial policy, and his fifth book, Keeping the Jewel in the Crown.The British Betrayal of India, will be

published by Birlinn in May 2016.

In 1947, when India achieved independence, Britain portrayed the transfer of power as the outcome of decades, even centuries, of responsible planning – the honourable discharge of an historic responsibility. But Walter shows that the official narrative is a travesty of what really happened and reveals how Britain selfishly deceived and prevaricated in order to arrest political progress in India for as long as possible – a shameful passage in British imperial policy which led to tragedy and untold suffering when independence finally became inevitable.

studied French and German at Aberdeen University before going to Germany in 1910 and marrying a Hamburg medical practitioner. After his death in 1938 she planned to return to Elgin to visit her ailing parents when the Gestapo intervened and sought information about air bases in the north of Scotland.

In the end, she became a double agent – something that Miller discovered only by chance many years later. Several film companies are interested in the rights – so watch this space!

Hilda Campbell

‘A fascinating, robust and provocative version of the sunset of the Raj’ – Lawrence James (author of Raj:The Making and Unmaking of British India)

The Reluctant Spy, by Miller Caldwell (1969)

Miller’s latest book, his 20th, is scheduled to be published in late October. The Reluctant Spy tells the true story of Hilda Campbell, the author’s great aunt, who Etcetera

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Announcements

Marriages Rachel and Alasdair Stewart

Engagements Cheers! Congratulations to Emma Doherty (2004) (front of shot) who is getting married to Alastair Ritchie in May of this year. Meanwhile former classmate Kylie Walker (2004) was recently engaged to fellow professional golfer Scott Henry, and plans are underway for a wedding later in the year.

Samantha Kay (2003)

I have recently become engaged to Martin Findlay and we have booked our wedding for next year .

Natalie and David Fulton

Rachel Dickson and some fellow former pupils

Rachel Dickinson (2008)

Rachel married Alasdair Stewart on 21 March 2015 at Glasgow University Chapel. Fellow former pupils were among the bridesmaids and guests.

The couple live in London; Rachel is a junior doctor at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

David Fulton (1999)

I am delighted to announce I married Natalie Oswald, my girlfriend of six years, on 28 March 2015 at Dunkeld Cathedral.The Academy was well represented with the Best Man and four Ushers all being Academicals.We had a terrific day finishing off with a lively ceilidh and Natalie and I are enjoying our new life together.

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Stuart McKnight (1997)

Stuart married Lucy (Latimer) on Saturday 17 October 2015 at Achahoish Church and thereafter at Crear overlooking Jura in glorious sunny Argyll.

Nicola (Begley) Mazzotta (2007)

Nicola Begley (2007) married Simon Mazzotta on 16 May 2015 at the Holy Family and St Ninian’s Church, Kirkintilloch followed by a reception at The Grand Central Hotel Glasgow.

Nicola is now living in Melbourne, Australia and working as an A&E doctor there.

Stuart and Lucy McKnight

Nicola and Simon Mazzotta

Nicola (Begley) Mazzotta with her four bridesmaids, all Academy girls: (l-r) Rosemary Watson (2007), Fiona Ferguson (nee Begley) (2004), Victoria McAlpine Scott (2008), and Lynsey Rae (2007).

Catherine Weir (2002)

Catherine married Andy Chalmers on 19 June 2015 at Killearn Kirk.

She says: ‘I’ve attached the photo (below) because there are a lot of Accies in it – Jen Graham (2002), Andrew Ritchie (2001), Elaine Graham (2002), Lucy Johnston (2002), Jill Sherry (2002), Carrie Henderson (2002) and Helen Moore (2002).’

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Births John Howie (2002)

My wife Claire and I are delighted to announce the arrival of our first child.

Baby Annabelle Howie was born at Ulsan University Hospital (South Korea) on 22 October 2015 weighing a healthy 3.89kg.

Both sides of the family are over the moon!

Colin and Stephanie (Wright) Hutton (both 2002)

Colin and Stephanie were delighted to welcome Rory Marshall Hutton to the world on 27 January 2016, weighing 7lbs 7oz. A baby brother for Annabelle – and she is thrilled! All are well and enjoying life as a family of four.

Amy (Comins) Loebell (1998) On 16 October 2015 my husband

Martin, our 3-year-old son Henry and I welcomed our daughter Anna to the world. She was born at Furness General Hospital, Cumbria weighing 7lb 13oz.

Iain McNee (2003)

Iain and wife Rosie (nĂŠe Wright) are delighted to announce the birth of Donal Gray in February 2016. Donal is a wee brother to George Nicoll, born in October 2014. Iain qualified as a Chartered Civil Engineer in 2015 and has worked for Jacobs since 2008.

Sarah-Lynn (Ballantyne) Nyadu (2000)

Sarah and Yaw are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter, Isabella Charlotte Afua, born on 14 August 2015.

Jo (Fleming) Turner (1999)

Ed and I are delighted with the arrival of Judah David Turner, a little brother for Benjamin and Lucy. He was born on 8 March, and it is wonderful to have him as part of our family!

Annabelle Howie Rory Marshall Hutton and sister Annabelle

Anna Loebell

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The Turner family

Ross Weir (2000) The McNee family

Ross and Nat are delighted to announce the birth of Oscar Scott Weir. Oscar was born on 18 November 2015 in Cambridge. Both mother and son are doing very well.This is the closest thing we could find to a GA rugby top!

Cammy Wilson (1999)

Jenny and I are delighted to announce the birth of our first child, Anna Rose Wilson. Anna was born on Friday 19 February 2016 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London. Both mum and baby are doing really well and in good health, Dad still doesn’t know what’s hit him!

Anna Rose Wilson

Isabella Charlotte Afua Oscar Scott Weir

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Public schools and British colonialism

A

t a time when the history of British colonialism is being reopened by academics and the media alike, I thought it would be fitting to engage in a discussion about the role of private schools during the colonial epoch in this season’s Etcetera.

The reasons for the resurgence of interest in Britain’s colonial past – as demonstrated publicly at least by the likes of the BBC’s 2015 celebration of India season and Channel 4’s Indian Summers drama – is most likely down to the generational distance that now exists between ourselves and those responsible for colonial administration. Subsequently, Britain’s major funding bodies for social science research have appeared more prepared to finance colonial projects – although, for now, this area of enquiry still resides in somewhat of an academic ghetto.

For the record, it is not my purpose to enter into a debate about the morality of colonialism here. I am sure that many of the readers of Etcetera have strong opinions on this subject. Instead, it is important that, for right or for wrong, the contribution of schools like ours is recognised and understood.

Speaking of recruitment to the Indian Civil Service (ICS), Major Sir Ralph Dolignon Furse, Head of Recruitment at the Colonial Office between 1931 and 1948, believed quite simply that the public schools produced the ‘best sort of chaps’ to represent British interests in the colonies.This might not be such a profound compliment to institutions like ours today given the controversy that surrounds the colonial record, but it was meant to be so when it was uttered in Furse’s memoirs.

Furse was adamant that the public schools were the ideal preparation for a career in the colonies.The answer for his assertion lies in an emphasis on Classics, the role of games, and the heritage of Empire that emanated from the community of schools like ours. However, private schools did not teach boys about Empire per se but created a learning environment that encouraged the personality traits that were valued by colonial administrations.

Historian of British Imperialism, Bernard Porter, notes how the highest prize at

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Wellington College recognised in awarding its prizes largely replicated the values that the British colonial administration desired in its personnel.

The Glasgow Academy continues to present its Indian Trophy, normally to the head boy and girl, at the end of each academic year. It is a trophy made of melted down Indian Rupees and has been presented since the early twentieth century when there was considerable expectation that a career in the colonies would follow.

‘The Indian Trophy was given by Academicals in India in memory of John Maclaren, Writing Master for 47 years until 1908. It was awarded to the boy who seemed best to combine work with play, who was diligent and successful at his studies and ‘helped the general outdoor life of the School by his skill in games and by the general example of keenness that he set’. The first recipient, at the Prize-giving in 1910, was Charles Andrew – First XV for three years, First XI for four years (three as Captain) and holder for 43 years of the record for Throwing the Cricket Ball – 100 yards 1 foot – which he set in 1910 and which stood until 1953.’

Iain MacLeod

Wellington College, Berkshire, during the 1880s, the Queen’s Gold Medal, was awarded to ‘the boy who ha[d] distinguished himself during the year by cheerful submission to his superiors, courtesy to those beneath him, fearless devotion to duty, and unflinching truthfulness’ (2004: 55). Some schools added respect for women to this and boarding schools were known to add ‘sexual purity’, and especially the avoidance of ‘beastliness’ (homosexual practices).Thus, the criteria that

The role of school newsletters and magazines as pro-colonial propaganda was also important. Just like today, these publications carried letters from alumni across the world. In colonial times the readers were often provided with first-hand accounts of Britain’s colonial wars.This was particularly the case if the institution was a military feeder school like ours. In addition more light-hearted stories of high-spirited reunions in various colonial venues could also be found.This inspired many pupils to follow in the footsteps of those who had sat in the classrooms before them.

Finally, the value of the private school lay in teaching boys to subordinate their own desires to the good of the administration that they were a part of. In games this was the team, whether that be in rugby or cricket, but it could also be found in inter-house competitions – Morrison, Fraser,Temple or Arthur in our case.

The colonial era has now passed.

However, private schools like ours continue to produce young adults with characters and demeanours that are valued by public bodies and corporations alike.This is not to say that everyone who is enrolled in a private school will leave with such a personality, that other attributes are not equally valuable, or that one cannot acquire these values elsewhere. Nevertheless, as the impressive list of alumni signifies, our school continues to produce people who achieve and overachieve in modern society.

Colin Alexander (2000) Colin is Senior Lecturer in Political Communications at Nottingham Trent University. His current research focuses on the history of media and communications in colonial India.

Obituaries

Ronald T Boyle (1938)

6 January 1929 – 3 December 2015 Dr Ronald Thomson Boyle died peacefully at home (near Doncaster).

Beloved husband of Sue, devoted father of Sally and Sandy and a proud grandpa to Adam, Oli, Harry and Charlie.

Wing Commander Arthur H Aldridge (Academy Staff)

23 August 1920 – 20 December 2015 The son of a clergyman, Arthur Harold Aldridge was born near Florence, being partly of Italian descent. His first nine years were spent in Italy before he attended St Lawrence College, Ramsgate.

In 1939 he went up to St Edmund Hall, Oxford to read Modern Languages, but after a year he interrupted his studies and volunteered to be a pilot.

He completed his training in Canada and in August 1941 joined No 217 Squadron, a torpedo bomber squadron operating the Beaufort aircraft from St Eval in Cornwall. Aldridge received his first DFC for completing an attack on the German cargo ship SS Madrid. He survived the famous `Channel Dash’ – in which 40 RAF aircraft were shot down, and earned his second DFC in the defence of Malta where he sank two enemy ships and rescued a fellow wounded pilot whilst under heavy fire. Aldridge is also credited as the man who finally sank the Reichenfels and, in so doing, made a significant difference to the war in North Africa. He wrote of his war experience in The Last Torpedo Flyers (2013).

Aldridge left the RAF in early 1946 and resumed his studies at Oxford before teaching French and German at Glasgow Academy. In 1954 he took up an appointment at King’s School,Worcester, where he spent the next 26 years. A cultured man, Aldridge enjoyed the music of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, as well as the art of the Italian Renaissance.

He was also a keen tennis player in his early years, and cricket remained a lifelong interest.

Arthur Aldridge married Beryl Jones in 1948; she died in December 2011. A daughter predeceased him and their two sons survive him.

M Martin Brolly (1959)

6 June 1942 – 29 March 2015

Percy M Brazil (1942)

Maxwell Martin Brolly, always known as Martin, died last year. He leaves a daughter, Sarah, from his first marriage, wife Lesley and two step-children – Allison and Richard – and four step-grandsons. I do know that he was very happy at the Academy and enjoyed taking me there to visit a few years ago.

17 November 1924 – 23 October 2015 Percy was born in Glasgow to Ben and Esther Brazil. He attended Glasgow Academy from 1939 to 1942 and then studied medicine at the University of Glasgow, while simultaneously playing gigs as a gifted jazz pianist.

He immigrated to New York where he was an intern at Coney Island Hospital before becoming a research fellow at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. He met Betty Snyder whom he married in 1952 and had two sons,Tony and Robby.

After Betty died in 1979, he married Gladys Chang-Hardy. For many years, Percy practised Internal Medicine in Tarrytown, NY and was loved by his patients. He served as President of the Medical Staff at Phelps Memorial Hospital in the 1980s. His attempts to keep HMOs as community-based projects were ground-breaking and very progressive for the time. He moved to Sherman, Connecticut in 1991 and was at peace with the trees.

Percy died peacefully at Danbury hospital in October. He is survived, loved and missed by one surviving brother, Milton, in Scotland, his son Tony and wife Helen in France, and other step-children, grandchildren, nephews, and nieces in Australia, England, France and the U.S.

Fred Samuel Berkley

29 March 1924 – 22 December 2015 Fred passed away peacefully, after a short illness, aged 91. Much loved and respected husband of Sybil, as well as stepfather, step-grandfather, uncle, great-uncle and great-great-uncle.

Lesley Scott

William R (Pat) Bruce (1939) 19 April 1922 – 10 February 2016

Pat died peacefully, aged 93, at St Augustine, Florida, USA. Beloved husband of the late Nora, much-loved stepfather of Ann Shepherd and brother of Iain and the late Robin and Russell.

Major (MC) in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and International Sales Director with Proctor and Gamble, USA.

Bryce E Cassels (1952)

20 September 1938 – 1 March 2016 Bryce died peacefully, at Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock. Much loved dad, grandpa and brother.

Hugh Diack (1948 and Academy Staff) 27 February 1930 – 27 January 2016

Hugh was the youngest son of Rev Dr and Mrs Peter Diack. He followed his brothers, Peter (1943) and Alan (1945), to Colebrooke Street. An able pupil, he won a number of prizes while at The Academy. including for General Knowledge, Scripture and, on several occasions, Latin and Greek.

Hugh graduated MA from Aberdeen University in 1951 and then attended Aberdeen Training College. In 1953 he began his teaching career at O’Neill Corse School (near Craigievar), where he taught a range of junior school ages before joining the staff at Bridge of Don Academy in 1956. In September 1967 Etcetera

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Ferry (former GP at Princes Street Surgery), beloved husband of Dorothy, much loved father of Wendy, Hamish, Euan and Michael, and a dear grandfather and brother.

Rev James C G Greig

20 February 1927 – 15 March 2016 Peacefully, on 15 March, 2016, in his 90th year, Reverend James C. G. Greig, beloved husband of Elsa (nee Carlile), dearly loved father of Elspeth, Andrew and Jane, much loved father-in-law and loving grandpa of the family.

Hugh joined the staff at Colebrooke Street to teach English, History, Latin and Transitus classes for a year before returning with his family to Aberdeen.

He was appointed to teach English and Classics at Aberdeen Grammar School where he taught for the rest of his career, taking early retirement in 1990, at the age of 60.

Outside of work Hugh was a family man. He married his wife, Dorothy, in April 1957.They were to have two sons.The family spent lots of happy times on holidays and days out in the countryside, and in Aberdeen. Hugh enjoyed photography, reading and walking. Despite relying on a stick in his last few years, he continued to go walking whenever the weather would allow and was indeed out walking only a few days before his last stay in hospital.

Hugh died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

He was pre-deceased by Dorothy but is survived by his sons – Peter and Hugh – and two grandchildren, Kerry and Daniel.

Michael I R Dickson (1966)

30 November 1948 – 21 March 2016 Michael died peacefully, surrounded by his family, at the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, on Monday 21st March 2016.

Michael – of Earlsferry, Fife – was a beloved husband of Dorothy, much loved dad of Caroline (Cally) and Claire and adored papa to Isla, Holly, Maggie and Effy.

Alistair G Forrester (1960) 28 May 1942 – 25 February 2016

Alistair died peacefully, at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. Alistair, of Broughty 34

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James Greig was a brilliant linguist. At The Academy he became in the VIth Form one of Chris Varley’s specialists, and he won a Major Scholarship at Caius College in Cambridge. He was also an outstanding theologian, working at the frontiers of Theology. His theological work was described as combining the rigour of the scholar with the fervent sincerity of the man of faith. He taught himself Gaelic and was able to preach a sermon in Gaelic to a Hebridean congregation.

Another of his interests was the John Buchan Society. He was an early editor of the John Buchan Journal, setting high standards for articles. He also edited meticulously some reprints of Buchan’s work.

Mr A E (Sandy) MacRobert (1945)

Ian L Howie (1951)

8 April 1933 – 23 January 2016 Ian passed away at home in Lenzie. Father of Alan, Andrew and Suzanne, brother to Margaret, grandpa to Megan, Sophie, Alex, Maddie, Mia, Milly and Isla.

William Herbert I’Anson

5 November 1912 – 26 December 2015 Herbert died peacefully, aged 103 years.

A dearly beloved husband of the late Ena, much-loved father of Elspeth, Alastair and Heather, a loving and adored father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Rev David A Keddie (1958)

18 August 1940 – 20 February 2016 David was born in Helensburgh. After nine years at The Academy he took an honours degree at Glasgow University and a Bachelor of Divinity degree at

Edinburgh. During his studies he was student assistant at Greyfriars Kirk and then spent his probationary year at Blythswood St Stephen’s.

David’s first charge was at Kent Road St Vincent’s. He then moved to Kirn for a four-year ministry before taking up an appointment at Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary, Alberta in 1975. In 1977 he returned to Scotland to become minister of Drumchapel St Andrew’s.

In 1983 he left the parish ministry for teaching, initially as a teacher of religious studies at Clydebank High School, before he was appointed School Chaplain and Principal Teacher of Religious Education at Kelvinside Academy. He had a forthright approach, provoked thoughts with relevance to the society which students would enter and was known for stimulating conversation in the staff room.

He was also known as a pivotal figure in the provision of pastoral care, editing the school chronicle and leading pupil trips abroad.

In the early years of his ministry, David was Associate Editor of the Journal of the Church Service Society, which had been founded for the study of the reformed liturgy.The Govan church of Linthouse had been a centre of liturgical worship and it was fitting that David became minister of what by then had become Linthouse St Kenneth’s. He retired in 2005. During his ministry there David chaired the Research Ethics Committee of the neighbouring Southern General Hospital. He was also a regular contributor to Radio Clyde’s religious output. In his retirement, David gave valuable service as a locum in a number of places including St John’s Renfield, Jordanhill and Bearsden South. He was

an excellent preacher, a wise pastor, a greatly-respected teacher and a warm person.

David died peacefully at home, after a short illness. Dearly loved husband of Ann, loving father of Graham, Andrew, Morven, Iona and sons-in-law Thomas and Malcolm, devoted papa of Rory and the late Matthew.

Dr Brian D Keighley MBE JP MB ChB FRCGP FRCP Edin DFM (1966) 21 May 1948 – 9 November 2015

I well remember Brian as we enrolled for Miss Crosbie’s P1 class in 1953.

He was quiet, thoughtful and became engaged in many of the school activities.

At an early age one could see that sport wasn’t uppermost in his mind as he concentrated on academia and his exam results. On leaving school he went on to read medicine at Glasgow University and qualified in 1972, serving as a House Officer at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow.

In 1974 he did his training as a GP and joined the rural practice in Balfron where he lived and worked for the rest of his 38-year career.

Over the years Brian involved himself in many aspects of the rural community.

As a physician he provided a traditional and caring service. He was committed to the well-being of all his patients and cared for the elderly and infirm with a special personal concern. He was also present at many local events, serving as medical officer for the Drymen Show and becoming much involved with the Forth Valley Health Board as well as serving as a JP in later years. His responsibilities as a GP were extended by his work to ensure that the profession in Scotland provided a first-class service. Brian diligently represented the profession at many official committees and developed good relations Brian Keighley

with the Health Ministry in London and, after devolution, with the health officials in Holyrood. Always articulate and having the knack of presenting a case in a cogent and courteous manner, he played a vital role in gaining a higher profile for many important health service issues.

Brian was never afraid to speak out on behalf of healthcare. Indeed, although a keen follower of politics, he advocated that healthcare should be taken out of the political arena, often criticising the ‘short-term political goals’ that obscured the complex decisions that had to be made in the NHS for the longer term.

Brian served as a nationally-elected member of the Royal College of GPs (representing West of Scotland) from 2000 to 2008, was a member of the General Medical Council and, at the pinnacle of his medical-political career, he served as Chairman of BMA Scottish Council between 2009 and 2014. He fulfilled all these posts with style and energy, being a passionate supporter of the medical profession and the NHS, both of which he served with dedication and commitment.

Throughout the medical profession and corridors of power he was held in high regard and known affectionately by many as ‘The Laird’. First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, placed on record: ‘I worked with Brian when I was Health Secretary and he was a strong champion of GPs and the NHS.’ Brian was awarded the MBE in 2015. He was a keen angler and kept active through his love of squash, jogging and, more recently, golf. He is survived by his two sons, Douglas and Andrew, from his first marriage and by his second wife, Lesley.

His funeral took place on 24 November at Dalnottar Crematorium and thereafter a Memorial Service at Killearn Kirk on 14 December.There was a huge turnout of family, friends, former patients and colleagues who heard eloquent eulogies delivered in memory of Brian.

James, a loved and respected grandfather, father-in-law, brother, brother-in-law and uncle.

Peter A Lyon (1953)

18 October 1935 – 14 January 2016 Peter died suddenly at his home in Craven Arms, Shropshire, aged 80 years.

A loving husband of Tina, much-loved Father of Andrew and Wendy, Father-in-law of Richard.

Alastair L Mack (1952)

11 February 1934 – 6 March 2016 Beloved father and proud grandfather.

Ever loyal soldier, Balliol man, history teacher, Pictish scholar and general Scottish culture dabbler.

Neil C Maclean (1960)

18 October 1942 – 19 January 2016 Neil Maclean was born and brought up in Bearsden and attended Glasgow Academy before following his father to Fettes College. In 1964 he graduated with a BSc from St Andrews University and thereafter worked for a few years with British Aluminium. In 1970 he returned to Glasgow and married Elaine. He joined her father’s printing firm where his focus on honesty, integrity and building relationships developed the business very successfully. Neil and Elaine had two sons and a daughter and he was immensely proud when all three graduated from St Andrews.

In the 70s Neil immersed himself in the Glasgow Academical Club, particularly the Rugby Section. He played for the 1st XV but for more than 20 years he was the driving force of the 4th XV where the Neil MacLean

John M Watson OBE

Lt-Col (Ret’d) Alan Gordon Kennedy

30 March 1936 – 11 March 1916 Alan died very peacefully, at home, in his 80th year, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. Beloved and very loving husband of Joyce, much loved father of Alistair, Iain, Anthony and Etcetera

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emphasis was on fun, especially during the biennial trips to Dublin. Neil was a Past President of the Academical Club, Treasurer of the Rugby Section and Secretary of the Squash Section.

Neil served as a Governor of the GAWMT from 1988-1995 and was, for many years, the Editor of the newsletter, which was the forerunner of Etcetera magazine. He was an Elder in Cairns Church for over 30 years, a Past President of Milngavie Rotary Club, Secretary of the Boys Brigade Outdoor Centre at Dalguise and more recently Chairman of the Youth Cafe Project in Milngavie.

Neil’s restless and energetic nature meant that he participated wholeheartedly in any activity he was involved with.

After retiring, Neil and Elaine spent much of their time at their house in Ardnamurchan – fishing, walking and entertaining friends. Nothing gave him greater happiness than when Graeme, Lindsey and Stewart arrived with his beloved grandchildren and he could introduce them to the pleasures of the outdoors.

Neil died peacefully in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after a short illness.

John Y Ogilvie (1951)

14 August 1933 – 13 November 2013 I learned only recently that John had died.

He came to the Academy just after the war, during which his family had lived in Australia following their evacuation from Malaya prior to the fall of Singapore. In his years at the Academy he was always

‘Digger’. I don’t think I ever heard him called John.

He was the safest of all full-backs and played in the 1st XV for three years.

I believe that in his last year he used seniority to request a move from full-back as he found the Scottish winters cold.

Henry U’ren moved him to prop. I like to think this was not vindictiveness on Henry’s part but, rather, an ignorance of front row protocol.

After school, John studied Forestry at Edinburgh. He gained his ‘blue’ in the 1st XV there; in those days Edinburgh University was a senior club. He then was commissioned in the KOSB and served with the 1st Battalion in Malaya during the Emergency, on jungle patrol duties.

John worked for the Forestry Commission all his working life and lived latterly in Lochmaben. He was one of these men whom everyone liked. Some years ago I had lunch with him and Morag in Lochmaben. After lunch, John and I walked round the town. Everyone we passed knew him and greeted him with a warm ‘Hullo, John’. I was not surprised.

J S Murray (1950)

J Campbell Semple (1953) 5 March 1935 – 15 January 2016

Campbell Semple was a pioneering Glasgow hand surgeon who became one of Britain’s most respected medical legal experts. He was a leading authority in hand injuries, particularly high profile legal cases concerning vibration, white finger and repetitive strain injury.

After being educated at Glasgow Academy, he graduated MB ChB at Glasgow University and after specialising in Orthopaedics gained FRCS at both Edinburgh and Glasgow Royal Colleges of Surgeons. After university, Campbell went to do his National Service as a Medical Officer with the 17th/21st Lancers based in Germany and Oman.

A number of years later he renewed his connections with Oman when he became Orthopaedic Advisor to the Sultanate of Oman, a post he held for 10 years during the development of specialist surgical units in Oman. Campbell was a guest of the Sultan at a Buckingham Palace State banquet.

He accumulated his special knowledge of hand surgery at Oxford, Derby and

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Duke University, Durham (N Carolina) before returning to Scotland to become Consultant Hand Surgeon and develop a hand clinic at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow. He continued to operate with great distinction for many years as a private consultant and split his time between his offices in Harley Street and Glasgow finding himself in great demand as an expert witness.

Latterly he spent a lot of time at his cottage on the Morven peninsula overlooking Loch Sunart, reading, writing and indulging himself in his eccentric obsession for inventions, some connected to surgery – artificial finger joints, some to do with wind turbines and also the farming of scallops!

Campbell died in his sleep in Glasgow and is survived by his brother Alan, daughters Sally and Kirsty and grandsons Archie and Luke.

Alan Semple (1958)

Dougal M Thompson (1971) 1 June 1955 – 14 December 2015

Academicals of a certain age socialising at New Anniesland during the 1970s will fondly recall GAC President,WG (Bill) Thompson and younger son, Dougal.

Together they helped run the tote at various Donkey Derbies the club held, and Dougal’s monthly disco was a regular rugby club fixture. Known for his quick wit and repartee, Dougal was a natural comic and one party piece was doing a fine impersonation of David Bellamy, trouser legs rolled up, while standing in a bucket of water! With his enthusiasm and Dougal with his dad

keen taste in music, he also ran discos out of SSC House in Lansdowne Crescent, and at the Western Tennis Club.

Then he worked at the now defunct Wickets Hotel where his gregarious nature made him many friends in Glasgow, before moving to London and befriending some Kiwis, whose warm and laid-back nature he so easily identified with. A trip to New Zealand via Australia in 1979 ensued; however to his dismay – and probably to Lachie Robertson’s as well – he discovered that there was no sea ferry that sailed from Sydney to Auckland after all. Undeterred, he made it to Auckland where he soon obtained a job working in advertising sales for the Auckland Star daily newspaper. He was a hard-working, diligent employee and, with his friendly and engaging personality, was a success in selling advertising space to many local businesses.

He enthusiastically embraced the lifestyle that Auckland has to offer and pursued social running with the local Hash House Harriers, before turning his thoughts to his Holy Grail: running a marathon.

Months spent training led him to enter the New Plymouth marathon, in which

he came last, but ‘winning’ in the process, a two-drawer metal filing cabinet – a prize which went uncollected. His love of football took him to playing for Cornwall Park AFC junior teams for a number of seasons. He was an accomplished horseman but also enjoyed skiing, wind surfing, white water rafting, tried hang-gliding, sailing/cruising on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, board surfing and hill walking. Less of an enjoyment to us both was watching Scotland and the British Lions lose every test match they ever played against the All Blacks in Auckland. But at least we gave them a real fright in 1991 at Eden Park when Scotland lost narrowly 18-21!

Dougal was an altruist and his work interests lay in the field of personal development and self-improvement, and the study of cultural values that underpin modern corporate businesses. His work involved him in running team-building events and motivational courses for clients such as Air New Zealand. He often wore his kilt when delivering his lectures, and wore it with pride; latterly he took to wearing custom-made hats with quirky material. Dougal worked in Client Support and Research for Michael

Henderson Corporate Anthropologist, and lived on Waiheke Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.There, he was a community volunteer with Waiheke Radio, developing numerous shows, merchandising and sponsors and was also a trustee of the station. He was the MC of the local Comedy Club having briefly appeared there as a stand-up artist himself.

Dougal was always highly regarded by his work colleagues but it was his sense of fun, humour and spirit that endeared him to all that met him, and for which he will always be remembered, and loved, by his many friends in Scotland, New Zealand and Australia. Dougal is survived by his daughter Jennie, and her daughter Holly, who live in Christchurch, and brother Andrew who lives in Adelaide, and elder sister, Jane.

Brian Barclay (1971)

David G H Waugh (1957)

1 November 1939 -18 January 2015 David died suddenly at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital. Architect, planner, landscape architect, much loved husband of Mary and brother of George.

Remembering our WWI, Glasgow University FPs

Over the past year, Academy pupils have been regularly taking part in Glasgow University memorial services to commemorate former students who died in World War I. As close to the centenary of their deaths as possible, University alumni who died in The Great War 1914-1918 are being remembered at morning services in the Memorial Chapel.The fallen are remembered in prayers and through the reading of a brief biography. After each service a cross with poppy is placed in the University’s Memorial Garden next to the Quincentenary Ceremonial Gates at University Avenue.

When the University alumni are also former pupils of Glasgow Academy, current pupils attend to read the biography and plant the cross.We

are pleased to be working in partnership with the University on this important commemoration project.

For more details on the services and who is being remembered on each day please follow this link www.gla.ac.uk/events/ww1/events/ or email rollofhonour@glasgow. ac.uk

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Inspirations

Ewan Currie (1992) A year ago, during the last week of March 2015, life took an unexpected turn.What started with my ankle not working correctly on the Sunday was followed by two visits to A&E by Wednesday, scans by Thursday to be diagnosed with a brain tumour on Friday.

This started six months that I will never forget; however, I look back now, one year later, and my over-riding emotion is that I have been unbelievably lucky.

The Neil Maclean Fund

This fortune takes on so many forms: the non-cancerous diagnosis; the skilful surgeon and doctors from my operation; the extraordinary nurses who cared for me following my operation in the Western General ward 31 and Spire Murrayfield; the overwhelming support given to me from family and friends; my employer KCA Deutag and colleagues who could not have been more supportive; the Neuro physiotherapist who helped me walk again and last but by no means least my wife,Vivien, who took every step of the journey with me.

Neil Maclean will be remembered by many Academicals for his long association with the Rugby section. His wholehearted style of play (West believed he had been born off-side) and his ‘cardie’ with pockets designed to hold a pint of beer were two of his trademarks.

Ewan (left) with Kenny Thorns from Neuro Physiotherapy Scotland

Neil was chairman of Milngavie Youth Centre at its inception and remained a strong supporter until his death. Neil was anxious that the Youth Centre should provide outdoor activities to local young people who would not otherwise be able to participate because of lack of parental support or money.

Anything you can give, no matter how small, would be very much appreciated.

To try and give something back, I am going to complete a Triathlon in May 2016 exactly one year from my brain surgery operation to try and raise some money for the Neurosurgical unit at the Western General in Edinburgh. I am doing the triathlon with Kenny Thoms from Neuro Physiotherapy Scotland who, with exceptional patience, has helped me recover nearly all movement in my right leg.

Anything I can raise will all be used to purchase specialist tools to support brain surgery or to support research focused on improving care and treatment for anyone diagnosed with a brain tumour. www.justgiving.com/Ewan-Currie2

Survivor and thriver

Ewan Currie (1992)

Heather teams up with her mum at the 12-mile mark.

After consulting Neil`s family, a Fund is being set up in his memory for the purpose of providing outdoor activities so that young people from all backgrounds can have the same opportunities through the Milngavie Youth Centre.

To contribute, please send a cheque made payable to Milngavie Youth Centre (writing ‘The Neil Maclean Outdoor Fund’ on the back) to Gordon McCorkindale, 81 Finlay Rise, Milngavie, G62 6QL 38

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Whilst at school, aged 12, I ran the London Mini Marathon. It was an incredible experience and I remember promising myself then that I would one day return to attempt the full marathon. I never thought I would have to overcome cancer first. In April 2014 I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cervical cancer. At the time of diagnosis it was only the 19th reported case and the doctors gave me a two-year life expectancy. In April 2016 I found myself on the start line of the Virgin Money London Marathon dressed as Superwoman ready to fulfil a promise I made over 17 years ago. I am delighted to say not only did I complete the course but I also managed to raise over £3500 for Cancer Research UK. Some would call me a cancer ‘survivor’ but I much prefer to be called a cancer ‘thriver’!

Heather Williams (2004)

Dear Sir…

I

have just received the latest copy of Etcetera and immediately recognized the photograph of the attendees at Jimmy Scougall’s summer camp in Herefordshire.

I remember it as a very enjoyable camp in lovely surroundings. I also seem to recall that Sir Derrick Bailey’s brother was the English Test cricketer,Trevor Bailey.

I can help fill in many of the names in the photograph and from memory many of us went on Jimmy’s camp to Emborough in Somerset the following year.

Back row: Gordon Donaldson, Alistair Izat, Colin MacInnes Fourth row: Alan Bewick, Robert Young, Martin Brolly, George McKenzie, William Gardner, Grant Forbes, ? McArthur, Colin McFie, ? Fleming, Stewart Carswell, John Garland Third row: Gavin Roser, Alan Rennie, ? Renfrew, David Keddie, Brian Walker, Alistair Graham (not Dingwall), Jimmy McArthur, Frank Beckett, Ronnie Wilson, Hector Graham, Kenneth McGowan, Bill Bolton, ? Cleve, Alan Milne, ? Johnstone Second row: Graham Gemmel, Guy Drummond, Ramsay Sloan, George Porteous, ? Simpson, Stan Symington, Roy Craig, Bill Murray

Jock Wordie

I

was just reading up about the expedition that is celebrating the Centenary of Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition. Jock Wordie was the geologist and chief of the scientific staff on the expedition and as you probably already know was an Academical. I thought it might be nice to give it a mention in Etcetera.You can read about the current expedition on www.endurance100.org I’m sure those that organised the expedition – and who are raising money to digitally archive Wordie’s unpublished historical and scientific records – will welcome the publicity in a very appropriate publication.

With best wishes Peter Marr (1982) [As many will know, the Endurance100 expedition reached the South Pole successfully on 17 December 2015.]

Front row: Tony Walker, ? Jeffries, Eric Niven, 3 Bailey children, ? Dickson, Alan Johnstone

It is remarkable that I can recognise these faces from over 60 years ago and sometimes cannot remember who I played golf with yesterday!

Kind regards, Frank Beckett (1960)

W

ith reference to the letter and accompanying photograph from Peter Manson on page 8, I believe I recognize four of the boys on the third row.

Starting at the second boy from the left hand side – Alan Rennie, J Renfrew, David Keddie, Brian Walker.

Yours, Drew Isaac (1954)

T

hank you for the latest Etcetera magazine. I was very interested, among many other things, in the article on page 5 about Lt Colonel Ian Neilson, DFC TD. An amazing man! What caught my eye in particular was the reference to Auster aircraft being used on D-Day+2.

The husband of my late mother’s cousin in Adelaide owns one of these aircraft – his name is Michael Stacy, and he was the chief engineer in Australia for Mitsubishi cars. His was shipped from Glasgow to Australia around 1948, for use by the RAAF. He bought it and restored it himself and was still flying it until about 2 or 3 years ago, but he is now in his late eighties and I suspect not quite fit enough to fly any more. I will scan the article and send it to his wife, who emails me most weeks and coincidentally is overdue a reply to her last one.

I do remember her telling me some years ago that their aircraft was used for artillery spotting from D Day +2, so that certainly ties in with your article. I used to know the Australian registration number, but it is not to hand just now. I have photographs of the plane somewhere, which show it.Where exactly it is kept in South Australia is kept a secret, I suppose for insurance reasons.

Kind regards, Ronnie Land (GA 1948-1955) P.S. Regarding the Auster aircraft he flew, Michael Stacy has now emailed me the following from Adelaide : ‘A squadron of 12 Austers left Old Sarum on that day in company with a Vickers Armstrong Walrus amphibian for navigation and rescue if necessary. They landed behind the sandhills on the coast of Normandy and immediately commenced spotting for the Royal Navy battleships and cruisers pounding the retreating Germans. I have always understood my Auster was one of those twelve.’

I wonder if he is right?

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