Part 3 - Strathallan School

Transcription

SCHOOL UNIFORM
TO P TO TOE SERVICE
Official Outfitters to Strathallan School
MAIN
Start-rite STOCKIST
Come and see our full range of children’s widths and sizes from that
very first toddler shoe to teenage styles with an excellent
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SELECTION
DEPARTMENTS INCLUDE
SPORTS CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
RIDING WEAR
LADIES SWIMWEAR AND
KEEP-FIT CLOTHING
PUNCH AND JUDY BABYWEAR
“AT FENWICK S ONLY”
VISA, ACCESS AND SWITCH WELCOME
FENWICK’S
OF PERTH
21-23 HIGH STREET, PERTH
Tel. 0738-37843
Fax. 0738 441758
AND
4itken Niven
77-79 George Street,
Edinburgh EH2 3HT
Tel 031-225 1461
Fax 031-220 4271
OPEN Mon-Sat 9-5.30 pm
Cj Aj
The Strathallian
By Caroline Frame
Governors
C h a ir m a n :
P ro fe sso r A. J. K ennedy, M A , Ph.D .
J. W. Dinsm ore,
f r ic s
A . A . A rn eil, f r i c s
J. J. B lan ch e, c a
A . S. C o o k , Esq.
P ro fesso r P. G iffo rd (U niversity
J. H u n ter, Esq.
I. Q . Jo n es, m a , l l .b , w s
M rs A . L aing
o f St A ndrew s)
(U niversity o f
P ro fesso r J. W . P arsons, B .S c., Ph.D .
G lasgow )
A berdeen)
P ro fesso r J. L. K ing, m a . Ph.D.. f i m a
A . L o g an , Esq.
P ro fesso r G . S. L ow den, m .a ., l l . b ., c a
H is H o n o u r Ju d g e J. M cK ee, Q C . r d
W . A. M cM illan, b l
A . M. N icol, Esq.
R. S. P eters, m a
E. G . M. T a rg o w sk i, Q C
M rs K. M. W alker
D r A. P. D. W ilk in so n , m d .
BSc.
m b
(U niversity o f
. ChB
Bursar and Clerk to the Governors:
W . A. B ullard,
a c t s ., m b i m
Staff
H EADM ASTER
C. D. Pighills. MA (C antab)
TEAC H IN G STAFF
A . R. B all,
SUBJECT
E nglish
G e o g ra p h y /M a th s
D e sig n e r e chnology
C h em istry /M u sic
E nglish
M athem atics
French
E nglish
F rench/S panish
H istory
F ren ch /R u ssian
Jnr. C h em istry /P h y sics
D esig n /T ech n o lo g y
G eography
B iology
M ath em atics/P E
F rench/G erm an
M athem atics
G eography
E nglish/P .E .
E nglish
M athem atics
D ivinity
A rt
E co n /B u sin ess S tudies
E nglish
H isto ry /M u sic
C hem istry
D esig n /T e chnology
H istory
H istory
M ath em atics
M usic
French
B io lo g y /C o m p u te rs
P.E.
E co n /B u sin ess S tudies
M athem atics
F rench/G erm an
Physics
Physics
E n g lish/P hilosophy
H istory
Physics
B iology
B iology
G eography
F rench/R ussian
C areers
B A. (N ew E ngland, A ustralia)
D. J. Barnes,
B Sc. (L oughborough)
P. B elw o o d , B .Ed. (W olverham pton)
G . A . B olton, BA., M Sc. (L eeds)
J. L. B ro ad fo o t, BA. (L eeds)
J. S. B urgeS S , BSc. (M anchester)
J. F. C la y to n , BA . (L eicester)
C. N. Court,
B Ed., M .Phil (S tirling)
P. J. C ro sfield ,
BA. (D urham )
N. T. H. Du Boulay,
BA. (W arw ick)
M rs C. A . C. D u n can , m a . (E dinburgh)
A. L. K. D u tto n , C ert.E d. (S t J o h n 's . Y ork)
P. J. E llio tt, BSc. (M anchester), M Sc. (D undee)
M iss E. A . E n g lan d , BA. (O xon)
J. N. Ford,
B Sc (L ondon)
D. R. G iles, BA. (W arw ick)
K. G lim m , M A. (B erlin/K iel/E dinburgh)
T. S. G o o d y , B Sc (D urham )
P. R. A . G reen, M A (E din burgh)
P. J. S. K eir, B Ed (C ollege o f St Paul & M ary)
I. J. K eith, BEd (D undee C ollege Education)
G . K j t S O n , B Sc (A berdeen)
R ev. T. G. L o n g m u ir, m a (O xon).
T . J. M acL eo d , DA (A berdeen)
C. A . M ay es, B A (Essex)
A . M u rray , M A (G lasgow )
M iss L. H. N eale, M A (E dinburgh)
A. M. P earso n , MA (O xon)
A. N. P h illip s, BEd (L eeds)
R. J. W . Proctor,
BEd
M A (St A ndrew s)
B. R aine, BA (D urham )
D. J. R alfs, B Sc (N ottingham )
F. N. R eed, B A (R eading), G R S M ,
M iss M. R o d g ers, BA (S tirling)
A R C O , LRAM
G . R . R O S S , B Sc, M Sc (N ottingham )
Miss L. J. Smith,
BEd B A (D ep/O pcn)
N. S m ith , BSc, M A (L ondon)
D. R. S n ed d o n , B Sc (S trathclyde)
A. C. W . Streatfeild-Jam es,
ma
(O xon)
P. R. S u m m crsg ill, M A (O x o n )
J. K. T a y lo r, B Sc (L ondon)
A. Thom son,
BA (A berystw yth)
A . M. T o d , PhD (E din), BA (O xon)
P. T o d d , BA (C antab)
P. M. V allo t, BSc (N apier)
C. N. W alk er, BSc (A berdeen)
R. N. W allace, M A (B irm ingham )
A . J. H. W an d s, M A (St A ndrew s)
M rs J. W atso n , BA (L eeds)
D. A . R. W illiam s, M A (C antab)
M. W ilso n , r n
H ousem aster Ruthven
H ead o f D epartm ent
A d m in istra tiv e S ecretary
H ousem aster Freeland
H ousem aster Simpson
H ousem aster Nicol
C haplain
D irecto r o f S tudies
Senior M aster
H ousem istress Thornbank
H ousem aster W oodlands
H ousem aster Riley
PART-TIM E TEACH ING STAFF
M rs
M rs
M rs
M rs
M rs
M rs
M rs
E. A dam , BA (D ublin)
D. J. B aln av cs, m a (E dinburgh)
E. D. B uchan (Jordanhill)
E. C airn s, DA (E dinburgh)
A . C ro ft, M A (D undee)
J. F o rb es, M A (A berdeen)
E. H am ilto n , M A (A berdeen)
E nglish
G eo g ra p h y /E n g lish
G am es
A rt
B usiness S tu d ies
E n g lish
C h em istry
M rs D. H unter, d a (E dinburgh)
M rs L. J. Inncs, B Sc (A berdeen)
M rs S. L am ont, (D unferm line)
M rs K. I. M altm an, m a (A berdeen)
M rs I. I. M cF arlan e, m a (E dinburgh)
M rs F. N. N inham , B A (St A ndrew s)
M rs H. C. K. S egauld
Medical Officer
A . Forsyth,
m b. c
m D .o b s t
m rcg p rcog
A rt
Science
(ia m e s
French
E nglish
M ath em atics
G am es
School Authority
Head
Head
Head
Head
Head
Head
of
of
of
of
of
of
Academic Year 1991/92
Academic Year 1992/93
Captain o f School
A. M. G. Burrell
Captain of School
C. S. Nicol
Freeland
Nicol
Ruthven
Simpson
Thornbank
W oodlands
Head
Head
Head
Head
Head
Head
H. M. Lochore
N. P. Buckley
G. R. Maclellan
J. A. Leiper
L. S. Grant
F. M. Clayton
of
of
of
of
of
of
Freeland
Nicol
Ruthven
Simpson
Thornbank
Woodlands
A. S. Doodson
P. G. Ainsw orth
P. J. Ferguson
A. R. M cN am ara
E. F. Smart
P. M. Lockhart
School Prefects
S. Blackstock, N. A. Gray, T. M. Hughes, C. R. Mackay,
R. Mitchell, A. Mitchell, R. C. Obineche, P. Raper.
School Prefects
P. Aitken, E. D. Anderson, F. M. M. Hutchison, R. G. J. Johnston,
M. S. R. Tench, C. L. Tomlin, J. A. Tornos, A. F. C. Wood.
SALVETE
R IL EY H O U SE
C. J. Breaden, J. 1. Caird, J. R. C omm on,
T. A. G e m m i ll , M. J. H a r in g t o n , S. J.
Harvey, L. Higgins, A. D. Macm illan, E.
C. Matheson, D. Mirander, C. Narchi, J.
A.
P a t e r s o n , ( ’. A. S o u t h c o t t , I).
S t e v e n s o n , C. I. A . S t e w a r t , A. E.
Stringer, A. M. Wallace, H. Crump, A. N.
G. Thwaites. G. P. Anczak, C. L. Bradley,
S. D. B u c h a n , J. E. C a m e r o n , A. L.
C a r s w e l l , I). F . C r o s t h w a i t e , J. C .
Hepworth, A. M. Illingworth, R. I. Jones,
T. F. L a tte r, D. J. A. P. M c R e a d ie , J.
M c L a r d y , S. D. M c M i l l a n , C . J.
M c M u r t r i e , J. J. M. P e r r y , E. L.
Readman, S. A. B. Rider, M. A. S. Smith,
k . A. S. Young.
R U T H V E N H O U SE
J. R. Cessford, A. Choudry, K. Diana-Oli,
N. S. Fowler, C. I. A. High, P. C. Price,
C. J. Roberts, A. C. M. Thompson, G. J.
Tyldesley, D. Culliford, G. I. M. Duncan,
F. Syme, D. Blaimer, R. M. Griffiths, T.
G. K. K lo u b e r t , R. M o f f a t, W. W. L.
Tang, R. A. D. Williams, C. P. E. Crump.
F R E E L A N D H O U SE
K. P. Eadie, M. S. Elder, S. C. Scales, C.
SIM P SO N H O U SE
E. J. A d a m , R. S. C l a r k e , D. M. B.
J. W a n d s , R. E. W a n d s, C. R eid, P. J.
Watson, J. Frier.
N IC O L H O U SE
D. W . B u r n s , A. K. S e n i o r , A. D.
Tewson, P. A. Todd, N. E. Winsey, P. C.
J. Seymour, J. Figuerola, P. G. F. Haenle,
D. Shepherd.
Gilbert, R. A. Gove, G. J. Greenwood,
1. D. G r i e v e , J. H. H e p w o r t h , A.
Kettle, G. M. Kettle, S. C. Mitchell, R.
Sim , D. R. S m ith , M. A. S m ith , C.
Stevens, S. Gerber.
A.
R.
M.
A.
T H O R N B A N K H O U SE
G. C. A n d e rso n , F. C. B e th u n e , A. M.
Bradley, S. J. C. Caird, R. L. Clegg, D. B.
Mason, H. E. Nesbitt, K. E. Walker, G. P.
Wallace, E. K. Cathcart, K. Palmer, S. E.
S t e w a r t , J. F. M. I n g l i s , J. P. M a i r ,
K.Willmen.
W O O D L A N D S H O U SE
L. H. M. A l l i s o n , K. E. B u tl e r , K.
C ombe, E. S. J. Galt, K. A. Glim m, L.
G raham -C am p bell, J. E. Littleford, J.
Malcolm, H. F. Miller, K. L. Miller, S.
J. Prentice, E. A. Watson.
J.
J.
S.
L.
EDITORIAL
“A ch ance to c o m m e n t on the u nd er
currents, the m ood o f the school”, smiled
Mrs A d a m d u c k in g o f f into the d in n e r
queue, and I smiled innocently back. I’m
not, however, smiling now.
The trouble is the apparent lack o f an
e v e n t o r a s u b j e c t th a t s t a n d s o u t as
unique and says som eting specific about
th is y e ar. T h e sort o f t h i n g th a t teeth
could be sunk into and from which would
be draw n out some penetrating ob serv a
tion. There has been plenty of activity —
both academ ic and sporting — and 'T he
S tr a th a llia n ’ will give a pretty c o m p r e
he n siv e p ictu re o f this sort o f thing. It
will, however, all be very much the same
as the y e a r b e f o r e — the n a m e s h a v e
changed but the story remains the same.
It is therefore a consolation to glance
over a few previous editorials and realize
th at th ey h ig h lig h t th is c o n s i s te n c y as
well as anything. In issue after issue they
nestle inside the front cover, sheepishly
a d m ittin g their failure to find a n yth in g
different or significant to write about.
That this year should fit the pattern so
well is still a little surprising. There have,
after all, been major and obvious changes
— the accom modation programme has at
last been completed, everyone now has a
study bedroom . The threat to som ething
that might be called house-spirit arrived at
least in theory. If such a thing ever exist
ed the year has shown that the changeover
3
has not made much difference: apart from
the little extra privacy and being locked
up every night, things go on the same as
e v e r. No d o u b t th is is a r e l i e f fo r the
architects w h o have p reserv ed a hum an
factor amongst the bricks and cement. No
d o u b t , t o o , it is h e a l t h y f o r t h o s e in
charge o f the school, consistency indicat
ing that energies arc being as effectively
c h a n n e lle d as ever. An ad d e d b o n u s is
that most people continue to appear quite
content — apart from the writers o f edito
rials!
GORDON W ATT
An alternative perspective o f the year
is offered on page 63 by Claire Tomlin in
"Last Words".
STAFF NOTES
To reader and writer alike I suspect that
“ S taff N o te s” arou se a m ixture o f fe el
in g s . O n th e o n e h a n d w e a re s a y i n g
g o o d b y e to c o l l e a g u e s w ith w h o m we
have w o rk ed and lived for a n u m b e r of
y e a rs , an d in c e rta in c a s e s for a g o o d
m an y y ears; th is in e v ita b ly b rin g s a
tw inge o f sadness. At the same time we
are aw aiting their successors with some
excitement and perhaps, naturally, a little
ap prehension. A m o n g st our leavers this
year we have a n um b er w ho have filled
senior positions with such distinction that
th eir se rv ic e s have been so u g h t e ls e
w h e r e , a c o m p l i m e n t to t h e m a n d to
Strathallan. To all those families leaving:
“ th a n k y o u ” an d to e v e r y o n e , w h e th e r
leaving or about to arrive, all happiness in
the new life ahead.
Mr Forster came as Head o f English in
1983 and had the daunting task o f m o d
ernising a d epartm ent to m eet the many
changes that were happening as the result
o f g o v e rn m e n t legislation. In ’86 w hen
M r and M rs W illia m s retire d from
W o o d l a n d s , M r F o r s t e r an d his w if e ,
Paula, were an obvious choice to oversee
its fu r th e r d e v e lo p m e n t and e x p a n s io n
which eventually enabled the creation of
T h ornbank. S o m e h o w Mr Forster found
time to breathe fresh air into our dram a
d e p a r t m e n t and w e m ust not fo r g e t —
they w o n ’t — the active part he played in
R i l e y ’s ru g b y and crick et. T h e g irls at
Moreton Hall will certainly have a partici
p a tin g H e a d m a s te r. Mr A la n Ball w h o
succeeds Mr Forster in the English deparment has the distinction of being appoint
ed w ith o u t e v e r v is itin g the S ch o o l; it
seem ed a very long w ay from Australia
and after all he had had a brief introduc
tion to the School when the School toured
his country a few years ago.
Mr Elliot, who does not actually leave
until January ’93 after eight years at the
S c h o o l, c a m e to S tr a th a l la n to set the
sc e n e fo r the d e v e l o p m e n t o f the new
C D T department. His advice, energy and
com m itm ent have established this depart
ment as one o f the fo re m o st in the U K
a n d it is n o w o n d e r t h a t J o r d a n h i l l
C o lle g e w an t him to teach te a c h e rs to
teach. M r C liv e M o c k fo rd is le a v in g a
similar post at S underland University to
come back to the coal face having had his
appetite whetted by taking a sabbatical at
G o r d o n s t o u n . D u r i n g th e y e a r M r
W a l l a c e le f t to ta k e u p a H e a d o f
D epartm ents position in London and has
been replaced by Mr Peter Belwood who.
D r A ndrew Tod.
as a m ature graduate in the subject, has
come via industry.
Mr Pengelley came as Head o f History
d e p a r t m e n t in ’85 a n d is l e a v i n g to
b e c o m e S e n io r M a s te r at R o ssa ll. Not
only has M r P e n g e lle y s u c c e s s fu lly
steered the department through the multi
tude o f c h a n g e s that have a ffe c te d the
approach to teaching History at both Alevel and G C S E but he has b een fully
c o m m i t t e d to r u g b y , a t h l e t i c s . H o u s e
Tutoring and for a time acted as President
o f the C om m on Room. Dr Andrew Tod,
M r P c n g e l l e y ’s r e p l a c e m e n t , is no
s t r a n g e r to S tr a th a lla n h a v in g b ro u g h t
n um ero us hockey sides here in the past
from Stewarts Melville, Edinburgh.
Mr Stewart leaves the Physics depart
m e n t a fte r five y e a rs to j o i n G la s g o w
A cademy, his old School. His position as
Head o f Departm ent is taken by Mr Paul
S u m m e r s g i ll and M r Paul T o d d is the
new m em ber of staff having left research
into astrophysics at the Cavendish for the
more down to earth life as Schoolmaster,
firstly at Slindon college and now with
us.
M r L o v e l e a v e s h is p o s i t i o n as
Assistant Director o f Music, we think for
his old haunts in Ireland, and has proved
irreplaceable.
M r Paul Todd.
Prize Winners June 1992
The Smith Cup for Captain of School
Aleck Burrell
Edward Anderson
The Houston Prize for All Round Merit
Clodagh Meiklejohn
The Scanlon Cup for Merit (Girls)
Philip Laing
Dux
Ben Muir & Heather Dewar
The William Tattersall Art Prize
The Robert Barr Memorial Prize for Music
Richard Townhill
The Patrick Grandison Prize for Strings
Claire Corrie
Heather Dewar
The Wilfred Hoarc Senior Reading Prize
The Richard Moffat Prize for History
Louise Weston
Colin Macdonald
The David Bogie Prize for Economics
Gordon Watt
The Lord Kincaig Prize for English
4
Geography
French
German
Mathematics
Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Art
Design & Technology
Politics
Maths/C'hemistry
Business Studies
Fiona Hutchison
David Graham
Tracey Morton
David Clark
David Clark
David Clark
Lindsay Grant
Sophie Allen
Fiona Hutchison
Tessa Dunlop
Jam es Tornos
Claire Tomlin
SCHOOL PRIZES
T he C h airm an ’s A d d ress at the p re
sentation o f prizes by M rs D insm ore in
the M usic Room:
One o f the great attractions o f having a
f e t e e v e r y 5 y e a r s is th a t th e r e is no
Speech Day.
T h is, I h ave to ad m it, ta k e s a cerain
amount o f strain off me and I am sure that
you boys and girls are absolutely delight
ed. However, the down side is undoubted
ly arranging a suitable occasion on which
to present the prizes and I hope you d o n ’t
feel cheated that you h av en ’t had one of
the Good and the Great to give you yours
to n ig h t — th at th ere i s n ’t a c a p ta in o f
in dustry , a le a d in g a c a d e m ic or a high
ranking politician to hand on the benefits
of their experiences in the School o f Life.
So what, 1 asked myself, could I do to
co m pensate the “Y ear o f ’9 2” prizew in
ners for not bringing them a grand public
figure — a man — or w om an — o f dis
tinction.
What can I do or say that will stop that
glazed look (which 1 know so well from
the speech day platform ) spreading over
your faces? I thought — but only briefly
— of s i n g i n g .....but that would not have
been a success.
Educationalists might suggest a differ
ent format — overhead projectors, slides,
flip charts. E qually they m igh t say that
this seating arrangement and this number
of people — 1 w ould hesitate to call you a
mixed ability group! — is only about 5%
efficient — which would mean that only
5% o f you are listening to me — which
may well be just about right!
Educationalists — the more traditional
perhaps — might also say that revision is
the th in g to g et the m e s sa g e h o m e. So
taking my cue from the Earth Summ it in
Rio and in the k no w ledg e that we must
conserve our resources at every opportu
nity, I intend to give you a distillation of
the combined w isdom and advice that we
have had from the great and good over the
last few years, with just a bit o f Dinsmore
thrown in. I can guarantee that there is no
w aste, every w ord is genuinely recycled
and has been used before.
S ir N o r m a n , n o w L o r d , M c F a r l a n e
reckoned that if we all cleaned our shoes
w e w o u ld (at least by im p lic a tio n )
becom e Chairman o f G uinness — I have
b een p o lis h in g like m ad ever sin ce but
have re m a in e d m erely a co n su m er. But
then he also said that success comes to all
w ho have a thirst for it — so maybe I ’m
on the right lines after all.
Lord Fraser last year urged us to recog
nise the importance o f our parents — and
that’s a sentim ent alw ays worth repeating
— at least in our household — whilst Sir
Roger Y o u n g w ith a graphic analogy o f
the m an w h o p ainstakingly planted tens
o f thousands of trees in a barren valley as
his life’s w o rk, e m p h as ise d the need to
lay sure foundations to be able to enjoy
later the fruits of o n e ’s labours — if that
isn’t mixing my metaphors too much!
E ach o f o u r g u e sts in th eir ow n w ay
had particular as well as general advice to
give.
For example:
We m u s tn ’t become confused by what
is b ey o n d im m ediate u n d ers tan d in g but
should enjoy life for what it is now.
traits w h ic h are not inherited. T h e y are
taught and acquired for life. A sense of
caring, o f thinking o f others, o f m aking
e ff o rts , o f a s s u m i n g r e s p o n s ib i li ty , or
recognising and appreciating non-academ ic q ualities su ch as grac e and te n d e r
ness, reliability and loyalty and sensitivi
T h i s d o e s n o t m e a n “ liv e n o w , pay
later” .
F in a lly , fro m all the S p e e c h D a y s 1
have been at, “the m essage” I can rem em
b e r m o s t c le a rly , p e rh a p s b e c a u s e it is
sim ple, w a s delivered by a retired prep
s c h o o l h e a d m i s t r e s s at a p r e p s c h o o l
prizegiving. She described — very viv id
ly — two small children, standing at the
f o o t o f an e n o r m o u s f l i g h t o f s t e p s ,
dithering about and y am m ering that they
c o u l d n ’t p o ss ib ly c lim b th e m and th ey
could never get to the top. T h eir m other
looked at them sternly and said “ If you
d o n ’t begin y o u ’ll never know — so stop
staring up the steps, start stepping up the
stairs” . N ow I w o n ’t make you all repeat
that 10 times as she made us all do that
day but it was excellent advice for those
about to move on to another stage of their
liv e s. “ S to p s t a rin g u p the ste p s, sta rt
stepping up the stairs.”
You may also rem em ber how fond I am
of the old proverb w hich likens life to two
sailing ships leaving harbour at the same
time — one goes east and the other west.
It is the sam e w ind that b low s for both.
W h ich d irection they go in d e p e n d s on
ho w th ey trim th eir sails to th at w in d .
Boys and girls, even in these tricky times,
the wind o f opportunity is alw ays b low
ing. Your time at Strathallan should have
prepared you to use that wind o f opportu
nity to its best advantage to further your
talents and ambitions. So — stop staring
up the s t e p s a n d s ta rt s t e p p i n g u p the
stairs — and may G od go with you.”
We must discover our ow n limits, our
strengths and weaknesses and set our own
priorities to reflect these.
W e should be daring about our futures
and not be hid ebo un d by tradition. Life
without change w ould be very dull.
Sir G raham Hill, the then Principal of
Strathclyde University, started by gravely
announcing that he was a serious sort of
man. He admired, he said, the man who,
w h en asked how he w o u ld like his hair
cut, replied, “ In silence”.
Sir Graham w a s n ’t sure about awarding
prizes for academic excellence at all and,
i n t e re s t in g l y , r u n n i n g th r o u g h ea c h o f
these wise m e n ’s w ords — and they are
w is e m en — is th at c o m m o n thread: a
general ambivalence to aw arding prizes at
all. Their reluctance stems from the view
that “ you are what you are”. We all inher
it our various characteristics. Cleverness
is e sta b lish e d at birth — w h e th e r it be
intelligence or an ability to run fast or to
kick or hit a ball better than most.
W hat is intelligence? One o f the ques
tions in our scholarship entrance e x am i
nation this year was in two parts:
Q . l. What is a monetary policy?
Q.2. Give an example o f one which has
failed.
T his proved too much for most o f the
candidates. Som e said it w as som ething
o r o t h e r to d o w i t h th e E u r o p e a n
C o m m un ity and they had heard about it
on the T V n ew s but d i d n ’t really know
what it was.
Others gave up saying they h ad n ’t been
taught it and therefore it w a s n ’t their fault
they d id n ’t know about it.
But one young man wrote:
My father gives me 50p a week pocket
money — this is a monetary policy.
It isn’t enough — and this is an ex am
p le o f a m o n e t a r y p o li c y w h ic h has
failed!
My ow n view, for w hat it’s w orth, is
that it is absolutely appropriate to reward
excellence. We do this — more or less —
th rou gh ou t life. It is a far from perfect
system and regrettably it is a far from per
fect w orld. But y ou r p rizes today have
b een w on by d e v e lo p in g and u sin g the
talents that you have been given in a par
ticular field. It will have demanded co n
siderable effort, application and determ i
n atio n and I c o n g r a t u la t e you on y ou r
achievements.
Equally, however, — or even more so
— it is so im portant to develop character
5
ty-
W . D IN S M O R E
The Chairman o f the Board o f Governors.
THE FETE
By a substantial majority, pupils, acad
emic staff, parents and, indeed, Governors
rate g o in g to and even help ing out at a
Fete a more popular pastime than Speech
Day. Even the o rganisers have em erged
from the last fou r relativ ely unscathed.
All have sought retirement o f one sort or
another and none has had a second go but
equally none is less sane than before.
Planning starts euphorically a full year
ahead with the b ooking dates and major
facilities, the recruitment o f a core c o m
m ittee and the d e v e lo p m e n t o f a b ro ad
strategy. It is at this stage, however, that
o n e ’s skills in the m an age m ent o f c o m
munication are first tested. Too little and
too late in v ite s the little m an w ith the
large spanner to attack the working parts;
too m uc h and too early brin gs a d o w n
pour o f conflicting advice and suggestion
from an army o f Thomases, Richards and
Harolds.
T here is no doubt that it is in the last
weeks, days and hours that the mettle is
tested. W e ’re in to the latter half o f the
last and busiest term: there are exams to
set, invigilate and mark; there are reports
to write and tours to prepare; the games
pro g ram m e reaches a frenzied peak and
the troops are sh ow ing the first signs of
dem ob happiness. Will the sideshow con
struction be finished in time? Will there
be enough prizes for the Tombola; bottles
for the bottle stall and things to auction?
Should I have ever agreed to do this? Is
there a handy darkened room or enough
in the kitty for a one-way ticket to Train
R obbers’ Paradise?
It is th e n as D - D a y d a w n s th a t o ne
realises that the most important decision
o f all was taken months ago: the selection
o f o n e ’s helpers.
T h e a u c ti o n w h ic h b ro u g h t the p r o
ceedings to a close — a remarkable pro
fessional tour de force by Lindsay Burns
— w as in fact a double act. Brian Raine
had spent hours on the telephone, energet
ically assisted by the H ead m a ster, p e r
suading any num ber o f friends and co n
tacts to part with auctionable goods and
services. Brian, 1 ow e you one!
T he thousands o f Golden Oscars, Fete
Fliers and p ro g r a m m e s w h ic h launched
the F ete, all p r o d u c e d i n - h o u s e to the
hig h est stan d ard s, c a m e by co u rtesy o f
Peter Keir, Lyn Smith and Mike Wilson.
Paul V allot and his enthusiastic side
kick, David Giles, overcame some twitchi n d u c i n g last m in u te s n a g s to stage an
im pressive array o f sideshows — all built
and m a n n e d by pupil p o w e r — to test,
tease and taunt the skill of contestants.
Meanwhile, a w hole bevy o f ladies, and
at least half a dozen gentlemen, created in
the main marquee, at Florence P ro cto r’s
behest, a souk to rival anything between
P o r t S a i d a n d M a r r a k e c h : C o s m o ’s
G ro tshop; E v a ’s C alorie Corner; Gillian
and Jim m y D in s m o re ’s T om b ola; Helen
and A n n ’s Strathalliana and Bric-a-brac;
G re g ’s Greenhouse; L ou ise’s books and a
Mayes o f bottles along with Alastair and
A n d re w ’s W heel of Fortune and a forest
o f balloons.
A m ongst the hardest worked on the day
were those catering for the various gastro
nomic appetites o f our visitors. As usual
the bar, masterm inded in a repeat — but
th is tim e f a r e w e l l — p e r f o r m a n c e by
S im o n P e n g e ll e y w a s o n e o f th e first
facilities open and was certainly the last
to close as it catered also for the foot-sore
and weary from all other departments.
Janet W a ts o n ’s “Cafe a l ’A u bis” w as a
p o p u la r early v e n u e for th o se w h o se
cravng for coffee and croissants overcame
any hesitation at trying their French on
the Riley waitresses.
Alan Christie and Noel Smart had co
erced family and friends to help them run
a m a g n i f i c e n tl y s u c c e s s f u l and h ig h ly
p o p u l a r B u c k ’s F i z z , P i m m ’s a n d
Smoked Salmon rendez-vous.
M eanw hile, C raig and Carmel Y oung
with Chefs Jim, David and Gordon and a
small army o f assistants, were barbecuers
o f anything that Gordon Clark could pro
vide, vendors o f ice cream and purveyors
o f Pump Room teas in the Music Room.
E l s e w h e r e f o l k w e r e p e r s u a d e d by
Charles Court to cast flies; by Bill Bullard
to pot clays; by lan Keith to shoot air; by
Klaus Glim m to abseil the W est Face of
O ld R u t h v e n an d by R o y S n e d d o n to
bounce in Euan F rase r’s castle — while
Lesley Court and Julie Summersgill hap
pily, I’m told, creched children.
Jane Forbes exerted masterly control of
the public address information service as
a squad o f talented pupils show ed th e m
selves clearly destined for careers as D J ’s,
quizz-show hosts or station announcers.
Trevor Goody, a stalwart and enterpris
ing site manager, took on all sorts o f tasks
from building stages and shifting tons o f
furniture to keeping an eye on litter.
O ne o f the real h igh lig hts o f the day
Unexpected angles were achieved h \ M r Giles.
6
O ld friends and new.
Ice-creams and Roses.
w as the constant flow o f top-class enter
ta in m en t. Jo hn B ro ad fo o t, u ltim a te ly a
major beneficiary o f the Fete, and Adam
Streatfeild-James, took charge of Entente
Theatre pro du ctio ns w hilst Nick R e e d ’s
m u sician s w ere sim ply ad m irab le —
dance and jazz bands and a fiddle orches
tra drew even g reater cro w ds to the bar
area whilst the harp in the ‘Pump R oom '
c re a t e d the m i r a c l e o f a g e n te e l o a sis
amidst the hurly-burly.
Graeme Longmuir and Bert Baron suc
cessfully co-ordinated and controlled the
talents not only of the S ch o o l’s Pipe Band
but also of the Old Strathallian Irregulars
le d b y G o r d o n W a l l a c e a n d A l a n
MacMillan.
Other mem ories of the day: the sartori
al dash o f Proctor versus the swagger of
Keir; (the aforementioned Proctor well in
to next m o n th ’s salary and still bidding at
the auction); small children in large vel
cro suits hurling themselves at the barfly
w a ll; C o lin W a l k e r p e a c e f u l ly s e w i n g
torn canvas 30 feet up in the marquee as
the first visitors arrived; Elizabeth A dam
patiently picking up their rubbish as they
left.
Finally, to all those w ho helped: thank
y ou ; to all th o se that I ’ve f o r g o tte n to
mention: sorry; to all those w ho missed it:
y o u ’ll have just one more chance this c en
tury!
Successful? If you enjoyed it, yes; from
the point of view o f the Theatre Fund, yes
— to the tune o f £20,927.58.
J.F .C .
The Cafe a I'Aubis look orders in frant;ais only!
7
THE LIFE OF RILEY
It is 7 . 0 0 a m M o n d a y m o r n i n g .
E v e r y o n e lies a s l e e p , h a v in g d re a d f u l
nightmares about the day ahead o f them.
Are we in prison? Are we in training for
the O lympic Games? No, not quite. W e ’re
in Riley House, the junior boarding house
at Strathallan School. Suddenly our atten
t i o n m o v e s f r o m o u r d r e a m s to th e
increasing crescendo o f footsteps nearing
the door. Could it be a herd o f elephants?
A stampede o f buffaloes? No, it isn’t. It’s
Matron! E very o n e ’s worst nightmares are
b eg in n in g to b e c o m e reality — M atron
refuses to leave the room until everyone
is out o f bed and starting to get dressed.
This may seem quite sensible to you, but
as soon as she goes out o f the door every
one leaps straight back into bed again and
attempts to snatch a few more minutes of
warmth.
T h e re ’s no chance o f breakfast in bed
at Strathallan. Oh no! At 7.30 w e ’re all
o ff to the dining hall which is at the fur
thest rem oved corner o f the school from
Riley. Everyone shuffles over there with
their ties seldom tied in the accepted m a n
ner, their shirt tails and fronts w aving in
th e b r e e z e a n d t h e i r s h o e s , a l t h o u g h
meant to be black, ranging considerably
in co lo u r d e p e n d in g on w hat en cru sted
layers have been deposited upon them!
Do we stay like that all day long is the
question. No chance! The school prefect
on breakfast duty (w h o is slightly more
awake than most o f us) sorts us out before
too long.
On a M onday, after breakfast, we are
rew arded with the glorious fun o f doing
laundry. Do they honestly let us wash our
own clothes — I hear you ask. Nope! All
we have to do is bung our dirty washing
in a trolley and the clothes are taken to
F ishers’ Laundry in Fife. Easy, isn ’t it?
C leanliness is next to Godliness, they
say, and at 8.30am it is time for chapel.
The service appears to last an hour but is
actually about only a quarter of that time.
It is taken by the Rev, as h e ’s most c o m
monly known at school.
A t 9 .0 0am the dreaded classes begin.
These vary considerably depending on the
day. M ondays and Fridays are full days,
and also ho rrible d ays fo r lessons. The
o ther days are broken by afternoon s e s
sio n s o f g a m e s, ap a rt from S u n d ay s,
w h ic h are free d a y s (th an k G o d !) after
chapel in the morning.
G a m e s th e m s e l v e s a ls o v a ry — this
tim e d e p e n d in g on the term. E ach term
there are one or two types o f gam e which
are compulsory for us.
In the A u tu m n term , like m o s t o ther
schools, we play rugby — which is well
k n o w n in Riley as the c au se o f quite a
few bloody noses and black eyes!
T he Spring term is the term o f broken
n o s e s , b r o k e n a r m s a n d b r o k e n le g s .
W hat kind of sport do we do in this term?
Skiing, o f course! E xpeditions are made
Riley h im se lf— Nicol, the Gnome.
to G l e n s h e e w h e n c o n d i t i o n s p e r m it ,
a lth o u g h this i s n ’t a c o m p u ls o ry sport.
H ockey (also dangerous!) is played this
term, too.
The sun com es out in the sum m er term
when boys all over the school play crick
et. This is a lot o f p eop le’s favourite sport
but 1 c a n ’t say I share their enthusiasm! 1
am tr u ly so r ry fo r M r F o r s te r and Mr
M urray w ho had to put up with me the
whole term.
A f te r g a m e s th ere is s o m e free tim e
w h e n w e can relax for a w h ile b e fo r e
going to tea. Most people spend that time
in the co m m o n room eating tuck. Then
when we get to the dining hall we surpris
ingly find w e ’re not very hungry and we
w a n d e r b a c k to Riley ag ain . I t ’s qu ite
silly actually! After tea is activities time
w h e n t h e r e is a l w a y s s o m e t h i n g f o r
ev ery on e to do. M any clubs take place,
such as air rifle shooting (which is strictly
controlled to prevent pupils shooting one
another rather than the targets). There is
cano ein g (w hich is strictly controlled to
p r e v e n t p u p i l s t r y i n g to d r o w n e a c h
other). There is also C D T (which is strict
ly controlled to prevent loss o f limbs by
electric saws etc).
At 7.15pm prep begins. D uring this we
all sit in a Riley c lassroo m , each o f us
k e e p i n g as s i l e n t as p o s s i b l e . I f o n e
m ak es a noise, one is very likely to get
into serious trouble. One must not leave
the chair one is sitting on. One must not
lift o n e ’s pencil from the page one is writ
ing on. Breathing or blinking is normally
allowed, however!
A fter prep, which finishes at 8pm, we
go back and get ready for bed. W earing
our slippers and dressing gow ns we head
to the kitchen for supper. This consists of
a big feast ..... 3 biscuits — and only 3
biscuits. (Unless, o f course, Matron hap
pens to turn her back for a m om ent and
th en .....!)
W e have to be in bed by 8.00pm and
silent, reading a book at 8.45. After half
an h o u r , th e d u ty m a s t e r c o m e s in to
sw itc h o f f o u r lights. N o n oise is s u p
p o s e d to be m a d e a ft e r this. A s u sual
th e r e ’s absolutely no chance o f us s h u t
ting up for ages! T h a t’s the w ay w e are
and the masters all know it.
All in all, although this may sound like
hell to you, in fact it’s great fun and you
could say we lead the Life of Riley!
N IC O L N IC O L S O N
(1st Form )
N B T h is is the text o f the sp ee ch with
w h ic h N ico l w o n the u n d e r - s e v e n t e e n
Public S p eak in g class at the E d inburgh
Competition Festival.
Fun, glorious fun: Gnomes gam bol in the Spring.
B L A IR M O R E G A M E S
On Saturday, 6th June, Marcus Honig
and his team ven tu red to B lairm ore for
the J u n i o r G a m e s . T h e re w ere v a rio u s
other teams from all over Scotland as our
competition.
With caber tossing and ham m er hurling
o ver and done with the scores c o u l d n ’t
have been tighter. It was all down to the
dancing; the w eeks o f practise had paid
off and we finished a stunning 2nd. We
won the trophy but only by two points.
Thanks to Mr Keith and Mr Bolton for
ta k in g us and to M rs H a m ilto n for all
those secret dancing lessons!
Q U IZ Z E S
This year R iley ’s academ ic front w as
r a t h e r s u c c e s s f u l o u t o f s c h o o l , w ith
Stuart Catto in the w in n in g ‘T o p o f the
F o r m ’ team . He w as a lo n g s id e Jo h n
O sb o rn e , C o lin P erry and M atth ew
M o r l e y , in a r a t h e r o b s c u r e q u i z f o r
S c o tt is h P re p S c h o o l s , in w h i c h th e y
p ic k e d up 2n d P rize. S tu a r t C a tto and
Colin Perry also w on s c h o larsh ip s into
the Senior School. Well done to them.
V E R SE SP E A K IN G
It has been a successful year for poem
reading and verse speaking, h a sn ’t it?!
G oing to the Perth and Edinburgh festi
vals w as g o o d , but c o m in g first w as
e x c e lle n t. T h e hard w o rk d e fin ite ly
proved worth it. The First Year won their
e n s e m b le w ith “ T h e L ad y o f S h a l l o t t ”
and “ The Way Through the W oo ds”.
T h e g i r l s lay p r o s t r a t e , d r o o l i n g at
Nicol N ic o ls o n ’s feet after his stun nin g
p e r f o r m a n c e in th e u n d e r - s e v e n t e e n
speech co m p e titio n in E d in b u rg h . T his
w a s n ’t enough though — he continued to
win contests in Perth.
It w as a marvellous effort by the First
Year, not to mention the S econd Y e a rs’
appearance in both festivals. Well done to
everyone.
Hummer-hurling und cuber-tossing Gnomes ut Bluirmore.
FRENCH W EEKEND
A n e s s e n t i a l f e a t u r e o f th e s u m m e r
term for any Riley pupil has to be at least
one weekend spent under canvas and this
y e a r , w ith th e lo n g s p e l ls o f g l o r i o u s
unbroken sunshine, proved to be ideal for
this. H owever, one Riley w eekend away
from school w as rather different; canvas
w a s f o r s a k e n f o r th e c o m f o r t o f th e
M idd leton C o ttag es in G lenisla (kindly
l o a n e d to u s b y G e o r g e W a t s o n ’s
College) and the medium o f com m u nica
tion w as largely French.
P.J.C., M.A.R. and Anthony Coles led
a m erry b an d o f e n th u s ia s tic 2nd form
F ren ch s c h o la rs w h o sp e n t 24 h ap py
hours e x p lo rin g the Perthshire c o u n tr y
s i d e a n d th e r i v e r w h i c h m e a n d e r e d
through an enticing glade below the cot
tages. T he w arm w e a th e r and the long,
light evening made a camp fire com plete
ly irresistible, even though we were not
camping. Great delight w as to be had in
cooking the fare on the fire, though most
o f it w as either reduced to sm o uld ering
cinders or was merely warmed. Once the
sun had finally dipped below the horizon
all r e t u r n e d to b a s e a nd w e n t to b e d ,
claiming exhaustion.
P.J.C .
B O Y S ’ SP O R T S
The b o y s ’ sports this y ear have gone
quite well overall. The U13s , after h av
ing a disastrous rugby season, went on to
h ave a very s u c c e s sfu l h o c k e y seaso n .
They w on eight ga m es out o f nine. The
h o c k e y lovers w ere e x trem ely ann o y e d
when told that the Strath Sixes would be
cancelled due to bad weather. They had a
good chance of winning it.
The skiing was terrible with only one
visit to Glenshee.
The cricket season was mixed, with 3
wins, 3 losses and 2 draws.
Nevertheless, let us not forget the U12s
who had a respectable season.
G IR L S ’ G A M E S
Yet another day o f games as the Riley
girls march down to the playing fields! In
the su m m e r ro u n d ers is the g ir ls ’ sport
and in winter it is hockey. O f the sideline
g a m e s , la crosse is the most u np op ular.
Nobody can be bothered to carry a long
wooden stick with a net on the end! The
g i r l s ’ sp o r tin g y ea r has been g o o d and
they deserved every win that they got.
R U N N IN G
T h e Fun Run h e ld s o m e m a r v e ll o u s
performances, especially for Riley.
Supporting Gnomes on the sidelines.
M atth ew M orley cam e in 9th for the
whole School. Riley raised over £100 in
total in sponsorship money.
In the Loch R an no ch Fun Run Riley
boys (M atthew Morley, Ian Stewart and
Donald Matheson) came 1st, 2nd and 3rd
— a new record.
FREELAND
“ N o v i c e ” w a s w h a t N ik , T h e Quill,
H a r tl e y w r o t e in the last S t r a th a l li a n .
“ W h o ’s he calling “novice”?” I thought to
myself. I was, after all, an old hand at the
te a c h in g g a m e , even ju s t sim p ly old. 1
knew more tricks than Keith Salters at the
Fete bottle-stall and w as no g reen -h orn
C h ris to p h e r M ayes. T h is o ld - tim e r had
handled more dark hostiles than General
C u s te r H e a ly , m o r e s h o o t -in - th e -b a c k s
t h a n B i l l y t h e K id A n d e r s o n , m o r e
headaches in the night than Doc Socrates
H o llid ay and d e a d lie r d u o s than Butch
M icky and the S u n d a n c e Fez. N ot only
t h a t , b u t I ’d s h o t m o r e b u f f a l o th a n
B urg ie Bill S p a n n e r and s c a lp e d m o re
in d ian s th an Rod ‘T h e S h a n e ’ L am b . I
would just mosey down to the old Band H
Corral, past Fish y’s, the old slow-working
undertaker’s place, and pick ‘em off one
by on e: D e a d - e y e D ic k w a s b lin d a nd
only had one eyebrow , so h e ’d be easy;
T h e S m i th B r o t h e r s w e r e g o n n a be a
piece of cake; Quiet Martin w ould be so
busy s h o o tin ’ his m outh h e ’d forget his
gu n and L o ud J a m i e ’d be p la n n in g the
ro ute o f the next big cattle -d riv e so be
w o u ld n ’t even notice the fencing w aggon,
driven by Beserk Benjy, run him down.
Oh, I’d clean forgot to mention that Dan,
the Mountain Man, had already pedalled
out of town and that Steel-Jaw Robs was
lying out cold som ewhere back o f Jo d ie’s
place. T h a t left G e o rg e , the left-a rm ed
knife chucker, Woody, the shot gun outo f-the-w ind ow specialist and Doc Ford.
“Oh no, not Doc Ford,” I thought. “ H e ’d
be using psychology.”
There, I ’d got them all in, and if that
w a s n ’t e n o u g h , I ’d g o n e a n d lo s t th e
sh ow d ow n, too. I w as glad that I lost it
though ’cos then there c o u ld n ’t be one,
see?
T h e t r a il , lik e all t r a i l s , e s p e c i a l l y
a c ro s s u n k n o w n territo ry, had its go od
d a y s and b a d d a y s . M i n o r s k i r m i s h e s
ag ain st hostile tribes w ere la rgely s u c
cessful but a groaning trophy cabinet —
even only a metaphorical one — d o esn ’t
make a good House. Most pleasing were
the efforts everyone made, or offered to
make, in the Standards Cup and the spirit
in w h ic h the J u n i o r an d S e n i o r t e a m s
p lay ed . W o rk , I a i n ’t so sure abou t. If
there is one clear trail to E ldorado, that
su rely is it. T h e L o w e r S ix th certa inly
seem to have hitched their teams and have
set o ff in the right d irection . T h e Fifth
F o r m , t h i s s u m m e r , le f t F o r t G r e a t
C o n fu s e d S c h o o li n g E x p e rim e n t bein d
th em . 1 ho pe th ey can go so m e w a y to
watch last y e a r’s Fifth Form w ho passed
at ‘A ’ almost 40% of all exams sat. And
the Fourth and Third Form s? Experience
will tell any trail-hand that biting a horses
ears or blo w ing in its’ nose is the quickest
w a y to tr a in it. I t h i n k th e n o s e trick
might be working.
In general term s the boys in Freeland
h av e g iv e n a lot to the S c h o o l — and
received a lot, too. Eddie A nderson won
th e c u p f o r A l l - R o u n d M e r i t , K e ith
Salters the cup for individual sportsman
and Chris Moore the prize for Fifth Form
Dux. Nine mem bers o f the House played
cricket, twelve 1st X V rugby and five 1st
XI hockey. Boys across the House repre
sented the school in various teams, a good
n u m b e r in 1st colts sides. M urray Dick
ca pta in ed A thletics, Jaso n Low, the 1st
XI H ockey T o u r side and Martin Smith
led the U ndefeated Sevenths while find
ing breath to give the running c o m m e n
tary. Peter B row n distinguished himself,
on and o ff stage, in “The Happiest Days
o f Y o u r L ife” and in the Ju n io r D ram a
C o m p e titio n . M u s ic ia n s like M artin
S m ith , C h ris M o o re , Neil W ilso n, Bob
Mitchell and Duncan Forbes made signif
ic a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n s to v a r i o u s m u s ic a l
ev e n ts . J a m ie S m ith n ot o n ly w o n the
Sixth Form w riting prize but gained his
D u k e o f E d i n b u r g h G o ld A w a r d . N ik
Hartley and G avin and Neil W ilson are
well on their way to achieving the same.
T h i s li ta n y o f i n d i v i d u a l s b e c o m e s
increasingly confusing (and I am sure I’ve
m issed m any ac h ie v em e n ts) and boring
for th ose w h o are not lo o k in g for their
ow n names. So I ’ll try to pack my b e d
roll and head off into the sunset quickly.
My memories o f the first year? S panner’s
chair diving and J a s o n ’s return from his
H i s t o r y d i n n e r . A l s o , B o r g i e ’s F o rm
Orders and N eil’s and Paul’s fishing trips.
There were Socrates sports commentaries,
N ik ’s chivalric hospitality and the Tough
Ed Tales. T ough Ed Goes Fishing being
one of my favourites. I enjoyed R h esa’s
laugh and co u ld n ’t keep up with H enry’s
sprinting at Loretto. Ja c k 's ‘hand-stands’
k e p t m e a w a k e a n d B r u ’s h o c k e y ,
Stephen’s Cricket and B art’s smile omen
well for the future.
F i l l i n g S h e r i f f P r o c t o r ’s b o o t s w a s
n ever goin g to be easy; filling his gunbelt even harder. If I have got anywhere
near doing so it will be thanks to my wife,
Lesley, w ho helped the Third Form settle
in s o w e l l ; to G e o r g e K i t s o n , w h o
b e c o m e s S en io r T u to r next y ear and to
C h r is M a y e s w h o w o r k e d e n o r m o u s ly
hard w ith real e n th u s ia s m a m o n g s t the
F i f t h F o r m . T h a n k s , to o , to S i m o n
Pengelley w ho m oves to different plains
and G eo ff Bolton w ho has given such a
lot o f his time so selflessly. It’s easy to
o verlo o k the huge a m o u n t o f w ork and
care that Jessie Taylor, Moira and Mary
s p e n d on th e H o u s e . I h o p e th e b o y s
n e v e r fo r g e t it. L a s tl y , t h a n k s to the
S e n io r b o y s w h o did so m u c h to w o rk
with, rather than against, me.
C.N.C.
Above: Henry Duncan 's done it again.
Top right: M r M ayes plays tennis with Andrew Wood.
10
NICOL
This w as the year of the H ead m aster’s
‘final solution’ when every House got its
own pad, and escaped from the influences
o f the others -S S ism (old regim e), cuplessness, late nightism, sporting zealotry
— you name the House. To an extent the
characteristics o f each reflect the sch o o l’s
s tre n g th an d w e a k n e s s — frie n d lin e ss,
and i t ’s a pp are ntly in esca pab le partner,
casualness — but inevitably greater dif
f e r e n c e s w ill d e v e l o p . S o h e re is th e
H o u sem as ter’s end-of-year report on the
state of play in Nicol:
A f f a b i l i t y — g o o d ; m o s t p e o p le no
l o n g e r j u s t g r o a n w h e n y o u s p e a k to
them.
T id in e ss — im pro v ed , th ank s to Mrs
Murray and her splendid team, lockable
doors and Draconian fines.
S p o r t in g p r o w e s s — not s tro n g , but
getting better. Here, as usual, th ere’s a lot
to say. First the failures. We d id n ’t win
the senior rugby despite a spirited game
against a brilliant Freeland side, and, once
again, the juniors just missed a final win.
S q u a s h , te n n i s , g o lf , s k i i n g an d b a d
m i n to n d i d n ’t c o m e o u r w a y e it h e r in
spite o f som e notable individual perfor
m a n c e s . ( D a n ’s c r u s h i n g o f S u z i e
B lack stock in the squash court, only to
discover she w as not Jo Clark; our leader
bucking the trend by losing to girls at ten
nis; E w a n F a l d o ’s se c o n d p lace in the
golf). In hockey we reached three out of
four finals, only to succum b to Freeland
on e a c h o c c a s i o n . T h e s e n i o r o u td o o r
match was outstanding, with our team of
no-hopers, inspired by storm ers from Gus
and Pitchy, only going down 5-3. Another
g o o d e f f o r t led by D u n c a n C a m i l l e r i ,
nearly brou gh t an unlikely victory over
Simpson in the Junior cricket, but similar
enthusiasm got only third place in athletic
standards. We did win two team trophies.
T h a n k s to Nick B u c k le y ’s organisation,
th e e x - L e b u r n i t e s a n d th e u n g o d l y
S u n d a y h o u r, w e ro m p e d o f f w ith the
sw im m in g. Then, best o f all, b ecau se it
w as the last w eek o f term , w e w o n the
athletic s f i n a l s ’ cup. E x ce llen t ru n n in g
fro m c a p ta in Iain W ils o n , J o n a th a n
Ireland and Robert Mawdsley in particu
lar (although it w as really a team effort)
put us two points ahead o f Ruthven and
th r e e in fro n t o f F r e e l a n d in th e m o st
exciting competition for years.
In d iv id u a ls had th eir su c c e s se s. Phil
Ainsworth and Mark Tench proved their
w o rth in the 1st X V and C h ris B urnett
cap tained the u nb eaten U 14 side. Mark
T a y l o r , D u n c a n R o b e r t s o n ( b o t h fu ll
colours), John G reen and, occasio nally ,
G o rd o n M a c G re g o r-C h ristie , all played
fo r the h o c k e y X I; w h ile M a r k T e n c h
b o w le d his fastest for the c ric k e t side.
T here w ere m any in the athletics team,
and g o o d tim e s w e r e r e c o r d e d by Iain
W i l s o n ( a l s o a w i n n e r at th e L o c h
R a n n o c h M a r a th o n ), J o n a t h a n Irelan d,
Jam es Ducat and Robert Mawdsley. Nick
Buckley captained tennis (so they say!).
A r t i s t i c i m p r e s s i o n — a b o u t 8 .8 !
Hamish McCartan put on a glitzy perfor
m ance in the school play, and w as ably
supported by a suitably bom bastic Chris
Procter. Paul Manwaring was a key man
b eh in d the scen es. H a m i s h ’s hand w as
a l s o e v i d e n t in th e i n n o v a t i v e , b u t
obscure, Ju nio r House Play, where T om
Hughes did so much to ensure that it actu
ally r e a c h e d the stag e. Phil A in s w o rth
s o l o e d i m p r e s s i v e l y w ith th e S c h o o l
O r c h e s t r a . R aj d i d th e s a m e o u t s i d e
Chapel, and with Nick Morley and Struan
Fairbairn w as three quarters of the excel
lent jazz group. Pipe Band representation
w a s as s t r o n g as e v e r — u p to 10 for
som e events, and Hamish McCartan and
Drum Major Jam es Steel carried o ff cups.
V isu al a rtis ts a b o u n d e d : M a tth e w
P itchforth’s ‘Ten Green B ottles’ making
the corridor gallery. G ordon M cG regor-
Christie put in som e fancy work at every
dance.
W ork effort — amongst the juniors, the
b e st yet. V S and N S w e re rare o n the
orders, with the third form oustandingly
‘p l u s ’. Iain Senior, Ross M c M illan and
Nick Morley w on school prizes. At senior
le v e l D av id C la r k w a lk e d o f f w ith all
three science prizes (unique?), and has the
offer of a place at C am bridge and IBM.
He and the rest o f the public examinees
will have to w ait until A u g u st for their
fates.
Enterprise — top marks here, say 9.9.
J a m e s S t e e l ’s b u r y i n g o f h is 2 - y e a r extinct grand m o th e r on a S unday w as a
p a r t i c u l a r l y g o o d try , b u t w h a t re a lly
earned the marks were The Entertainment
and The Exclusive. At C hristm as David
Saffron wrote a Cinderella, and, complete
with New W ave D irector’s beret, attempt
ed to p ro d u c e the staff. No o n e learnt
their lines and no one came in on cue, but
aided by strategically placed balloons and
m o p head s, and not a little g la m o u r, a
good time was had by all. A disgusting,
m u ch a p p re c ia te d , so ng fo llo w ed , then
H am ish got his c o m e - u p p a n c e (b ut not
Heather) in P M V ’s re-run o f Blind Date.
T h e e v e n in g w a s th en ruin ed by yo urs
t r u l y ’s A t k i n s o n i a n d e m o l it io n o f the
audience. I h a v e n ’t been forgiven yet! In
the sum m er term The Nicol Exclusive hit
th e s t r e e t s . B e a u t i f u l l y p r o d u c e d by
David Man and his computer, it contained
not a little wit from C hris Procter, but,
sadly, no train timetables from Rabs. The
aim o f a fortnightly production m ay be
a m b i ti o u s but k eep the p re s s e s ro llin g
next term!
All this activity co uld not have been
ac h ie v ed w ith o u t m arv ello u s support
from the T uto rs. Paul and C la re V allot
have been indefatigable in their ministra
tio n s to all an d s u n d r y . In fact, ‘keen
Paul’ never seemed to be off duty. When
not out ‘collecting w o o d ’ Andrew Wands
kept w eek en d revelry and ca rry -o u ts in
check in his usual forthright way, while
our recru it, A dam S tr e a tfe ild - J a m e s ,
resisted all our best attem pts to put him
o ff h ou sem asterin g and leaves us to go
in to the m a e l s t r o m ( f e m a e l s t r o m ? ) o f
W o o dla nd s. W e w ish him and Kate all
success in their long sentence.
Renaissance M ann on M aneouvres: "It's not
every day that a House is blessed with a House
magazine. ”
The prefects, too, have been a coherent
b u n ch (e s p e c ia lly b e h in d the C C F hut
after m eals), and, led by the e v e r calm
N ick B u ck ley , they have b een the real
reason why the new system has got o ff to
a good start. My thanks and good wishes
to them and all the other leavers for happy
and successful careers in the big outside
world where they should discover there is
life after Nicol!
J.N.F.
RUTHVEN
It w a s w ith m ix e d e m o t io n s that the
‘Ruthvenites’ returned from all points of
the globe in Septem ber. T h e excitem ent
o f th e n ew b u i l d in g s , w ith stu d y b e d
room s (for alm ost all...); the uncertainty
of a new Housemaster (C ommunist, egal
itarian, Fascist, Liberal, Francophile...?);
and w hat was a House Matron? On most
counts, the uncertainty and anxiety were
misplaced!
In ty p ica l S co ttis h fa s h io n , w e o p t i
mised our sporting resources, played with
som e flair plus m u ch spirit and enjoyed
(almost) every moment. We won a cup!
Squash — on the very last Sunday night
o f th e fi n a l te r m — w e l l d o n e C r a i g
Gibson and Co.! We came second in nine
others. We participated in (perhaps?) the
m o s t c o m m i t t e d m a t c h o f th e y e a r —
S e n i o r R u g b y a g a i n s t S i m p s o n — we
lost! We played in (possibly?) the highest
quality matches o f the year; Junior Indoor
H o c k e y (w ith E uan M a c K a y m a k i n g a
s t u n n i n g d e b u t in g o a l ! ) a n d J u n i o r
Cricket (with Ben Ward leading by ex am
ple). Both were against Freeland; both we
lost! T hen (alm ost certainly), there w as
the most exciting finish o f the year when,
on Athletics Sports Day we finished two
p o in ts sho rt o f w in n e rs N icol after the
newly introduced 4 x 400m relays; yet we
had led after the 4 x 100m relays! Well
done to Ja m es Barlow, Ian Potts, Jam es
G am m ack-C lark, Andy McCulloch et al.
and congratulations to C ameron MacKay
on w inning the Middle Victor Ludorum.
And, of course, we almost participated in
the biggest inter-House event of the year!
T hanks to Eddie Wall and the 65-strong
c r o s s c o u n t r y te a m , ( v i c t i m s o f s o m e
rather muddled priorities?)
H owever, there is so much more than
Sport! The dedication show n to work by
som e o f our p ub lic ex a m in e es w as a
trem en d o u s m odel for others to follow.
They did not abandon their School c o m
m itm e n ts but sim p ly d e m a n d e d a great
deal more o f themselves! Messrs Graham
( x 2), B u r r e l l , T o r n o s , W a l l , F i t c h i e ,
Halliday, Wallace and MacLeod deserve
more than a little credit from the exam in
ers. Robin Stewart, that Gaelic speaking
1st X V s k i p p e r an d c h o r i s t e r w o n the
S e n i o r C r e a t i v e W r i t i n g P riz e ; J a m e s
T o rn o s w on the A -level C h em istry and
M a t h s p r i z e ( C a m b r i d g e ’s l o s s is
N e w c a s t l e ’s g a i n ) ; B r u c e M c C l u r e ,
Duncan M acDonald, Jonathan Ward and
D av id R o b erts o n all w on S c h o o l exam
prizes.
R uth ven p ro v id e d the co rn e r sto n e of
the Pipe Band; well done, Alex McLeod,
on th e m a r c h i n g m e d a l. W e p r o v i d e d
many an Orchestral M anoeuvre and sev
e ra l w e r e s u c c e s s f u l w ith the G r a d e d
M usic E xa m s; well play ed A lexis! The
Christm as Karaoke was a cultural extrav
a g anza to behold: w h o will forget John
S t e w a r t ’s rend itio n o f “ N o W o m a n No
C h ild ” or C am ero n H ill’s sing in g ... or
w as it a poetry reading? The size o f our
(planned) Cup Display Cabinet w as d ou
b le d w h e n th e ‘G r a n d M a s t e r ’, C h r is
M a r s h a l l , w o n th e S c h o o l C h e s s
T o u rn a m e n t. D avid G ra h a m an d A leck
B u rrell w e n t all the w a y in the S e n io r
D ebating Competition, their skill causing
much irritation amongst the vanquished.
Ben Ward won a prize for Verse Reading
at the Perth Festival. The Junior Play was
e x p e rtly directed by C a m e ro n Hill and
Richard Townhill, the latter show ing his
diversity by “starring” in the School Play
and w in n in g the Robert Barr M em orial
Prize for Music. Malcolm D ippie’s eightsom e reeling at Kilgraston will long be
rem embered, not least in Bridge o f Earn
Hospital!
W e had D uke o f E d in b u rg h G old —
congratulations Martin Ross, Rocky and
F X P ,; S il v e r — w ell d o n e , F itch; and
Bronze — Willie Broughton et al award
w in n e rs . W e had R L L S B ro n ze
M e d a llio n and A w a rd o f m erit m en;
guess w h o ’s in charge o f pool duty next
term?
In G ra h a m M a c L e n n a n , M artin Ross
and J a m e s T o r n o s , R u th v e n h ad th re e
senior men o f whom any House would be
proud. With care, conduct and time, they
have co n trib u ted in a m ajo r w ay to the
terrific a tm osphere and spirit within the
H ouse. T o the Prefects, m any o f w hom
found reward in a jo b w hich is not well
p a id , th a n k s fo r g e t t i n g so m u c h o f it
right! When you live in a close-knit c o m
m u n ity each in d i v id u a l’s ac tio n s affect
those around him. O f course, there have
been m o m e n ts o f very p o o r ju d g e m e n t,
albeit few and far betw een. Individuals,
on odd ocassions, and small groups, have
b ee n s e lfis h , in c o n s id e r a te , d is h o n e s t,
indolent. Some need to think more clear
ly. There are lines across which no indi
vidual sho uld step. A b o v e all, in A leck
Burrell, Ruthven had a Captain o f School
w ho was held in the highest regard by the
School. His speech at the Leavers’ Dinner
will live lo ng in the m em o ries o f those
w h o w ere th ere and w o u ld h ave m ade
anyone proud to be associated with him.
Without the hard work and dedication
of the Tutors, no House could function.
We will all miss Mr B roadfoot’s wisdom ,
ad v ice, and e n c o u ra g e m e n t next
year. To Mr. Murray (who is leaving the
flat — no, not to Garry Rogers — but tak
in g o v e r as S e n io r T u to r ) and M e s s r s
Giles and Green, our thanks for providing
so much more than the call o f duty! Oh,
a n d a s p e c i a l n o t e o f t h a n k s to M r s
B arnes for k eep ing the H ou sem a ster on
the rails and informed of what was really
going on in Ruthven! The civilising influ
en ce o f o u r M atro n (K ate C o n n a g h a n )
and our two cleaning ladies, Christine and
Sandra, has been marked. T hey put up
w ith a g re a t deal (t h a n k s D ip p s , R od,
T om and Frag) but their persuasive p o w
ers and never-say-die attitude are legend!
And so, a few w ords of advice for the
leave rs — w o rd s first p en n e d by Peter
Meinke and w hich are worthy o f further
examination:
Marry a pretty girl,
after seeing her mother;
Show your soul to one man,
work with another,
and alw ays serve bread with your wine.
But, Gentlemen,
alw ays serve wine.
Carols al the Christmas Karaoke.
D .J.B .
SIMPSON
Even at the fourteenth time o f asking, a
house report is never a simple task. At the
time of writing everyone has dispersed to
v a rio u s p arts o f the w o rld to en jo y , in
m ost cases, a w e ll-d e se rv e d break.
Creativity is not at its highest ebb. What
has given this year a distinctive flavour?
W h o has p e r f o r m e d in an d o u t o f the
c la s s r o o m ? H as the g e n e r a l to ne b e e n
right? Worst of all, w ho have 1 forgotten?
— Alan Keddie w ould never forgive such
an o m issio n . U ltim a te ly a h ou se is not
about its stars, its individual and collec
tive successes, but about the willingness
o f ea c h an d e v e ry m e m b e r to pull his
weight, whether he be a prefect or a third
former. The majority have been admirable
but there has been a minority w h o have
m a d e life a w k w a r d fo r e v e r y o n e else,
allowed others to clear up after them, and
removed or borrowed things with little or
no intention of giving them back. No one
enjoys chasing up the tardy, the reticent
and the recalcitrant all the time. I hope
th at the selfish few will e x a m in e their
co nscie nce s. In th ese aspects it has not
been a vintage year but there have been
plenty o f things to enjoy.
The move into the new block has been
an i n t e r e s t i n g e x p e r i e n c e . T h o s e
S i m p s o n i t e s w h o a t t e n d e d th e 7 8 / 8 2
Dinner at School in March, having shared
the old study block with three other hous
es, c o u ld not b e lie v e su ch lu x u ry .
Nevertheless, it has required a new style
o f o r g a n i s a ti o n an d a lot o f c re d it for
rap id a c c lim a t is a ti o n is du e to J o h n n y
Leiper, Phil Aitken and the prefects. No
o ne w a s g r a t e f u l to the e v e r - s e n s i t i v e
sm o k e d e te c to rs w h ic h to o k d e lig h t in
going off at anti social hours when pene
trated by errant nocturnal bugs.
O n th e a c a d e m i c s i d e th e r e w e r e a
num ber o f successes: G ordon W att won
the very competitive English prize; Colin
McDonald took the Econom ics Prize and
Ben Muir the prize for Art. Johnny Leiper
saw his M usic A w a rd as a long-service
medal, but it w as no mean feat to be a key
m e m b e r o f the O rch estra since his first
y e a r in R iley . A li s t a i r R e e k ie , M a rtin
Frost and Harry H ensm a n all picked up
creative w ritin g prizes. C on g ratu la tio n s
arc also in order to Richard Morris, James
Reekie, Allan Clark, Clark Cooper, Logie
Mackenzie, G raham Nicoll, Bill Stewart
and Ben Scott w ho maintained good mark
orders throughout the year.
In the School Play, Piers Raper carried
o ff the part of Paul — the aged headm as
ter — w ith skill, w h ils t Iain F e rgu sso n
was in his elem ent as Rainbow, the long
suffering janitor. He and Jeff Shillito also
c o m p le te d m a id e n p a ra c h u te j u m p s . In
the J u n i o r H o u se Play, G ra h a m N icoll
a n d A ly D u n c a n s h a r e d a w a r d s .
M u sically , J o h n L eiper, Laurie C ru m p ,
D u ncan Sm ith, D avid Y ou ng and PipeMajor David Fraser, ail made their contri
butions.
The Senior Rugby XV, having resisted
the challenge o f Ruthven in a tough strug
g l e , w e r e n o m a t c h f o r an i n s p i r e d
Freeland. The Junior X V collected the sil
v erw are desp ite m ak in g rath er heavy
w eather o f the final. David F raser’s men
w on the B adm inton, w hilst Illrd form er
Colin Mitchell won the school strokeplay
with a 67 at Auchterarder, and anchored
Sim on F o rs te r’s house te am to victory.
H e w a s a l s o s e l e c t e d to r e p r e s e n t
Perthshire Schools. There were plenty of
fin e in d iv id u a l p e rf o r m a n c e s : Ky Kay
played for the President’s X V and picked
up a bronze medal in the Scottish School
javelin; Allan Clark, D oug Clem ent and
L o g i e M a c k e n z i e all p l a y e d f o r th e
Midlands U15 XV. Nick (better known as
Isaac even to his mother) Mackenzie rep
resented the Scottish W ayfarers and is a
r e s e r v e f o r th e S c o t t i s h U 1 9 XI. H is
developm ent as a cricketer w as a tribute
to intelligent application of his ability and
hard practice. I hope that others will learn
from his e x a m p le . O th e rs d e s e r v in g of
m e n tio n are C o lin M c D o n a ld w h o w as
captain of squash; Lee W alker and Doug
Clem ent w ho have been put forward for
th e S c o tt is h U 1 6 R u g b y D e v e lo p m e n t
Squad: Ben A g n e w w h o play ed for the
Wayfarers U16 XI and David Fraser who
gained a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.
It is p e r h a p s ra t h e r late to w e lc o m e
Paul Crosfield as resident house tutor. He
has thrown him self into both school and
house activities with considerable enthu
sia s m . In itia l i m a g e s o f s a n c t it y w e re
soon dispelled and he has proved him self
to be excellent value, and an even better
m i m i c th an A. D. S te v e n s . My th a n k s
a l s o g o to G r e g R o s s a n d P a u l
Summersgill for doing far more than one
could ask as house tutors.
I would also like to thank the prefects,
the academic tutors, Susan and her longsuffering cleaning team, the kitchen and
the sew ing room for all their hard work.
Finally, all good wishes to the leavers
and may they flourish in a wide variety of
spheres.
N .T .H .d u B .
Sixth form ers flourishing al the new entrance.
Right: D rawing by J e ff Shillito.
13
THORNBANK
I am u n su re w h e th e r it is the ag e in g
process or perhaps this session has been
e v e n m o r e a c t i o n - p a c k e d , b u t it d o e s
appear to have passed very quickly. It has
not, o f course, passed w ith o u t incident,
hence the need for attempting to en com
p a s s the life o f th e H o u s e an d its 70
in m a te s (th e m a j o r i ty do feel — I am
informed — that there are similarities to
Cell Block H) during the 30-odd weeks of
the school year.
Life in the H ouse this year has had a
different feel. For the first time since its
existence some o f the new Third Formers
settled in less quickly and one, unfortu
nately, did not settle for long. Once over
this initial hurdle we all got down to the
ro u tin e and som e v ery c o m m e n d a b le
w o rk w a s p roduced. Illness b e c a m e the
next problem in the houses, and ours was
no exception, being hit by measles, chickenpox, flu and colds.
Despite personally feeling that we had
n e v e r re ally g o t g o in g , K. L a w s o n , L.
M cM ullan, E. M anning and F. Nicolson
w ere awarded school prizes at Christmas;
a cast including all Third Form and help
from Fifth Form and most of Lower Sixth
p ro d u ced a very g ood H ouse D ram a
C om petition play; many were involved
in th e H e a d m a s t e r ’s M u s i c k — th e
o rch es tra led by C laire C o rrie; L esleyAnn Dewar and others back stage in “The
H appiest D ays o f Y our L ife ” w orked
excep tion ally hard in a m ost successful
s c h o o l p l a y ; p r i z e s at th e P e r t h
C o m p etitiv e Festival V erse S p eak in g
were awarded to E Currie, L-A Dewar, C.
Healy, R. Milne, L. D oodson and L. A.
B ryans; “ La Pipe de M a ig re t” enabled
more starring roles for H. D ewar, L.-A.
Dewar, R. Tilford and L. Maclennan; C.
W i l s o n , E. N i c o l s o n , L. Y o u n g , E.
P r o c t e r a n d V. F o r s t e r e m b a r k e d on
C o m m u n it y S e rv ic e at B rid g e o f E arn
Hospital and finally C. Low, T. Morton,
R. P e a rm a n and L. Iro n sid e, w ere c o n
f i r m e d in M a y . O n th e s p o r t i n g fr o n t
T h o r n b a n k r e t a i n e d th e H o c k e y a n d
A t h l e t i c s t r o p h i e s a n d w o n th e
Badminton. I have to say, however, that
W o o d l a n d s w i n n i n g th e T e n n i s , th e
N etb all and c o m i n g a h e a d o f us in the
S w im m ing, plus being overall winners o f
the Shooting did have an edge on us this
year even if we have Scottish caps in our
m idst in C lodagh M e iklejohn and Lynn
Maclennan w ho gained places in the U18
and U 16 H ockey squads. Rachel T aylor
won the Loch Rannoch Run again and is
now b e c o m in g a c o llecto r o f C aith n ess
Glass.
I am m o re th an a w a re th at all these
effo rts take tim e, and tim e o u tw ith the
a c a d e m ic routine. T h e re are th ose w h o
give 100% and oth ers w h o do the bare
minim um to contribute to the comm unity
and w orkings o f the House. This feeling
sadly prompted me to post the following
notice h alfw ay th ro ug h the year: “T his
H o u s e r e q u i r e s no p h y s i c a l f i tn e s s —
everyone gets enough exercise jum pin g to
co n c lu s io n s, flying o f f the handle, ru n
ning down the Boss, knifing friends in the
back, dodging responsibility and pushing
their luck.”
Nevertheless, I still feel we have that
air o f being a happy house and judging by
the n am es w h o w ere a w a rd e d prizes at
Speech Day — all but three or four o f the
14
Upper Sixth — a hard-working House but
there is a lack o f consideration for others
cre ep in g in. T h e H o use C ouncil, w hich
meets every fortnight, has brought a lot of
p ro b l e m s to the su rfa c e — not ju s t all
w ashing problems and loo doors — and I
trust this w ill co n tin u e to fun ction in a
valuable way for all in the House.
T h e te am o f Prefects, o f cou rse, will
eagerly be awaiting the results on the aca
demic front and despite all their anxious
m o m e n ts d u rin g the e x a m p e rio d I am
sure all will gain success. They have been
an excellent group through their time at
S t r a t h a l l a n a n d as th e w o m e n o f th e
future w ith their forth rig h tn e ss, intelli
g en ce and p ers o n alities , th ey will be a
force to be re cko ned with. I w ish them
health and happiness in the years to come.
Like any good production it only func
tions well with a good b ack stage crew.
My thanks to Miss R odgers w h o in her
diminutive “quiet” way has coped excep
t i o n a l l y w e ll w i t h h e r f i r s t — o f t e n
declared to be her last — year in teaching
and in the House Mrs Barnes continues to
be that very valuable shoulder for me and
the girls as well as constant tea maker for
many o f the boys. My thanks to M orag
and M adge, our cleaners, w h ose efforts
are tireless. Sadly, Madge is moving on to
p a s t u r e s n e w and p r o b a b l y ti d ie r s u r
r o u n d i n g s — w e w i s h h e r w e ll. A n d
finally, thanks to the academic tutors, Mrs
W a t s o n , M rs A d a m , M rs D u n c a n an d
M iss Neale, w h o have do n e a valuab le
jo b in m aintaining the high standard the
House is capable of producing.
LJ.S.
WOODLANDS
Pupils’ end o f term reports are usually
full o f clic h e s: “ S a tis fa c to ry w o rk and
p r o g r e s s ” or “ A g o o d y e a r ’s w o r k ” or
“Could try harder” .
This end o f year report is also an end of
career report (at Strathallan, that is) for
m e an d th i r t e e n g irls: w e ’re all g o in g
som ewhere else, to try our luck at so m e
thing else, to make a new start.
What are we going to take away from
W oodlands, apart from the good w ishes
(or cheers?) o f those w ho remain behind?
1 recently received a letter from a for
mer pupil in W oo dland s w hich sum s up
what those o f us w ho are going are leav
in g b e h i n d : “ W i t h i n W o o d l a n d s y o u
could speak to anyone about anything as
every girl w as alw ay s happy to help in
any s i t u a t i o n . ” W e ’re l e a v i n g b e h i n d
friends and friendship, yet I hope that we
are all taking that sam e gift of friendship
w herever we go.
This year certainly has been especially
m arked by the g o o d a tm o sp h ere w ithin
the house, and this tone has been set by
the U p p e r S ix th , w h o a lt h o u g h no t all
particularly efficient as prefects, were, all
in their own very different ways, caring,
am using and generous, providing a good
e x a m p l e to o th e r s to fo l lo w . T h e tw o
Fionas — Clayton and Hutchison — were
very successful in their roles as Head and
Deputy Head o f House. Their efficiency,
r e l ia b i li ty an d c h e e r f u l n e s s w e r e o u t
standing, and they were alw ays capable of
p o lite ly in f o r m i n g th e ir H o u s e - m a s te r
where he w as going wrong.
So where did I go wrong? You will all
have yo ur o w n o pin io n s about that, but
please d o n ’t write to tell me because we
all make mistakes and so long as we d o n ’t
make the same mistake twice then w e ’ve
learnt som ething, gained a grain of w is
dom, which we can impart to others.
In the past three years (since the birth
of T hornbank) I have not made much of
W o o d la n d s sp o rtin g su ccess, ch iefly
because we haven't had many. This year
we have been significantly more success
ful, beating T hornbank in the tennis and
b e a t i n g a l l - c o m e r s in the i n t e r - h o u s e
s h o o t i n g c u p . W e ll d o n e to J o d i e and
Sally Cust and A melia Blair Oliphant and
any other hot shots I ’ve forgotten.
I d o n ’t u s u a l l y m e n t i o n i n d i v i d u a l
achievements in a house report, but Julia
W anless merits a special pat on the back
for her su cce ss in w in n in g the Scottish
S chool G ir l s ’ F en cin g T o u rn a m e n t, a
tre m e n d o u s p e rf o rm a n c e in a sp ort she
had only taken up very recently.
The end of term Fete gave everyone an
opportunity to see once more the winning
entry in the H ouse D ram a Competition:
W oo dlan ds’ “ Manhattan Blues” . This was
an absolutely o utstanding production —
the best ever, and again whilst it is invidi
ous to select individuals for specal m e n
tion I can no t let this o p p ortun ity go by
w i t h o u t h i g h l i g h t i n g th e a c t i n g a n d
s i n g i n g o f K a n a n u K ir i m i , C a t h e r i n e
J o n e s a n d C a t r i o n a M a c l e a n a n d th e
direction o f V icky M cM ah o n and Rona
M a cdo na ld. T he m u s ic and lyrics w ere
written and performed by Cari Silver, an
exceptionally talented person who surely
has a future in professional songwriting.
The team -work shown by the girls in this
production, their energy and enthusiasm ,
was a marvellous example o f the best that
a s c h o o l ca n p r o d u c e a n d I w a s v e ry
p r o u d t h a t all t h i s e m a n a t e d f r o m
Woodlands.
15
On that musical note I ’ll end, but not
before — on behalf o f Paula and myself
— th a n k in g M iss E n g la n d , M rs
B roadfoot (w ho, unfortunately, will not
be able to continue next year as a house
tuto r), M rs H a m il to n and o u r c le a n e rs
Betty and Vicki, for all their tremendous
support, their care of you, their hard work
and their good humour. T h ank you, and
thank you to all in Woodlands.
J. F O R S T E R
(H ou sem aster 1986-1992)
GIRLS’ HOCKEY TOUR — JULY
HONG KONG AND BEIJING
i
I
....
'
Tours start when the last familiar face
recedes from v iew and end s the instant
one reappears. For all concerned this was
a G i r l s ’ H o c k e y T o u r bu t by the very
nature o f where we were travelling to, it
w as going to be also an educational and
cultural experience.
“T h e use o f trav ellin g is to regulate
im agination by reality, and instead of
t h i n k in g ho w th in g s m ay be, to see
them as they arc.”
Hester Piozzi — Anecdote of
Samuel Johnson
T h e tim e w a s ripe for v is itin g H o ng
Kong and China. We preceeded Mr Chris
Patten, the new G overnor o f Hong Kong
by four days. During our twelve days in
H ong Kong and seven in Beijing we had
the opportunity to be tourists, live like ex
pats and battle our way through red tape
in a com m unist state. Much o f this report
will be reflections on these experiences.
The three w eek tour w as not a cheap
v e n tu r e . T h e m a j o r i ty o f the co st w a s
spent on flights and thanks to the help of
Mrs Ann Dewar, Mr Brian Raine and Mr
and Mrs Outlaw, our splendid ac com m o
dation in ,th e Eaton Hotel (H o n g Kong)
and the Beijing Grace (China) at approxi
mately £70-£80 per night cost us only £20
per day. Yet it seemed as if we had gone
to the other side o f the globe to be soaked
in rain — warm rain — but wet nonethe
less. In the E ato n H otel we w a tc h e d a
notice board daily give details o f the lat
est m ovem ents o f a typhoon. Its progress
did not trouble us too m uch during our
stay as it kept at Force 3. However, incon
veniently for us, it got on the move the
day w e fle w to C h in a . In b e tw e e n the
days o f rain, however, many were able to
take the chance o f colonial living at the
K o w loo n C rick et C lub, co u rte sy o f Mr
Joh n M ackinlay . W ith s w im m in g pool,
sun, tennis, ten-pin bowling, salad lunch
es and S u n d ay c a rv e ry b u ffe t, we
recharged our batteries after hockey train
ing sessions or draining matches.
Within the tw elve days, eight hockey
m a t c h e s w e r e p l a y e d at K i n g s P a r k
Stadium, just five minutes walk from the
h o t e l . W e w e r e s c h e d u l e d to p l a y at
Happy Valley but this w as cancelled —
u n k n o w n to M e s d a m e s B u r r e l l a n d
M o n c u r ! T h e tw o t e a m s . J u n i o r s an d
Seniors, c op ed e x tre m ely well w ith the
16
•*--
n im i
TM i
humidity and gave their all on the pitch
— an astro turf. The skills shown proves
that even the less able in the teams had no
difficulty in playing at a higher level on a
flat s u r fa c e . The te a m s p la y e d a g a in s t
r a n g e d fr o m s c h o o l t e a m s , c o m b i n e d
school teams, national sides and universi
ty teams. The results speak for themselves
about our success:
Junior Squad
Senior Squad
v DGS won 3-0
v K C C o st2 -0
v Combined Schools won 2-1 v Rhino Ladies Club won 2-1
v Rhino Boys Jnr won 3-2 v Colony Club lost 4-1
v Hong Kong Univ lost 3-1 v Combined Schools won 4-1
Won 5
Lost 3
T h e th r e e m a t c h e s lost — a n d h ere
come the excuses — were due to Rebecca
M iln e b e in g tak en ou t in the first tw o
minutes of the KCC game with an elbow
in the face — resulting in a suspected bro
ken nose; the J u n i o r s p la y i n g a m e n ’s
team from the U niversity (even M essrs
Keir and Giles could not halt the goals)
and The C olony Club w hich will repre
sent Hong Kong in Singapore at the Inter
Nations Cup. Perhaps Alison Ramsay and
th e S c o t t i s h T e a m w ill b e m o r e o f a
match for them.
“T h o s e w h o tr a v e l h e e d le s s ly fro m
p lace to pla ce , o b s e r v in g o n ly their
distance from each other, and attend
ing only to their accom modation at the
inn at night, set out fools, and will cer
tainly return so.”
Lord Chesterfield Letters
30 October 1747
T h is c o u ld not be sa id o f o u r g irls.
N ath an R oad, G ra n v ille Road, H aag en
D a a z , W i n e B a r s in A d m i r a l t y , the
Karaoke bar were regular haunts as was
T emple Street market on a nightly basis.
On free days between matches we had the
o p p o rtu n ity o f v is itin g O cean P ark,
W a te rw o rld , Stan ley M arket and g o in g
water-skiing. The twelve days seemed to
pass very quickly due to the busy sched
ule. Lasting impressions are o f the noise
o f traffic — Honk Honk rather than Hong
Kong; the stacks o f sex comic book stalls
at the sides of the roads; the night glow of
H on g K o ng Is la n d ’s sk y s c ra p e rs s h i m
m ering on the h arb o u r’s ripples; the old
m en ly in g in d o o r w a y s w ith no s h o e s
w e a rin g faded p y ja m a s u n d e r trou sers,
their tw is te d facial e x p r e s s io n s , o p e n m o u th e d b a red g u m s , b la c k e n e d teeth;
neon Canon, Rolex, Sanyo and the “Tim e
is M on ey” population walking the streets
with portable telephones conducting busi
ness as they m ade th e ir w ay u n d er
um brellas to yet another pressing m e et
ing. As we journeyed in the bus to the air
port we took a final note o f those things
that seemed so unusual on Day One, but
which were now commonplace.
Having rushed to check-in at Kai Tak
w e th en m ade o u r w ay , at p ace, to the
Dragon Air plane which was to take us to
C h i n a . W e s a t on th e t a r m a c f o r tw o
hours, re-entered the airport for 45 m in
u tes th en the p ilot d e c id e d in his o w n
words he “would go for it” . The typhoon
was gathering pace. O ur take-off w as dra
matic but not as terrifying as the few min
utes when the plane w as hit by lightening.
We had left b eh in d the city that n ev er
s l e e p s . W a s th is t r a u m a t i c j o u r n e y to
China an inkling o f what was to follow?
W e d id n ’t know exactly what w ould be
m ee tin g us; we c o u l d n ’t sp eak the la n
guage; we had watched the video o f ‘The
Last E m p e ro r’ — s o m e p r e p a r a ti o n w e ll, b e tte r to k n o w to o little a b o u t a
place than too much; better to go in cold
than w ait until you kn ow it ail. G a th e r
data raw, soak up everything; interpret it
later some evening in the future, back at
scho ol in the kitch en w ith frie n d s w ho
were on the tour, and those w ho were not.
On a rriv al we w e re o b je c t s o f g re a t
curiosity. The Chinese let their ja w s d an
gle. W as it the fact we were Europeans;
was it the matching tour T-shirts; was it
Prissy the Pig, our mascot; was it the fact
we were not short with dark crew cuts? I
made a mental note that staring is a sport
here. S ta rin g b ack had no im pact; they
neither smiled nor frowned. I also noted,
h ow ever, how sm o o th ly we passed
th r o u g h w ith o u r g r o u p v is a an d how
c h a r m i n g the h otel m a n a g e m e n t w ere
who met us at the airport, carried our lug
gage and saw us safely to o ur base. On
the journey to the hotel we observed how
green the countryside was. Neat fields o f
young cornstalks gasping for water lined
both sides of the road. An elderly w om an
balanced a yoke on her m eatless s h o u l
ders. The weight of the buckets dangling
from either end forced her forward as she
made her way along a dirt path lined with
straight trees. Already comparisons were
being made with our previous stop.
W e w e re v e ry m u c h to u r is ts for the
first three days. Like the A m ericans we
“ d id ” The T em ple of H eaven, The
S u m m e r P alace, T h e M in g T o m b , T h e
L a m a T e m p l e a nd T he G rea t W all. At
times it was hard to believe we were there
stan din g on the Great Wall o f C hina or
being in Tian An Men Square. And then it
was o ff to play hockey again. Our games
w e r e a r r a n g e d m i d w e e k e a r l y in th e
m o rn in g , du e to the heat, at the A sia n
G am es Stadium. Beijing has put in a bid
for the O lym pics in the year 2000. This
g ro u n d and T h e W o rk e r s S ta d iu m plus
the National Indoor Centre will be some
o f the facilities used if the city is success
ful. By now we were aware o f being in a
comm unist country. We had to change all
our money into FECs (foreign exchange
currency). The people had their own cur
rency and despite yuans being o f the same
value they were desperate for ours. There
w ere no b a n k s as such but c o m m e rc ia l
centres for those w ho worked in agricul
ture o r industry or en g in ee rin g or c o m
merce. With a lost passport, noted on day
one, the Red T ap e began. A visit to the
P e o p le s D e p a rtm e n t o f S e c u rity for
A liens (to us a police station). The loss
was reported. This form then had to go to
the British E m b assy w here a new p a ss
port would be issued. Sim ple? No! Then
back to the PDS to change the num ber of
the passport on the G roup Visa. Another
form is issued. T h is has to be rubberstamped by the Hockey Association who
i n v i t e d u s to p l a y . F in d th e H o c k e y
A s s o c i a t i o n b u i l d i n g , la n d u p in the
C h i n e s e S p o r t s T r a v e l O f f i c e a n d be
taken to the Liaison D e p a rtm en t w h ich
sent the C h in ese to the recent O ly m p ic
G am e s. Get form sta m p e d , b a c k to the
P D S w h e r e a m a n s a i d in q u i t e g o o d
E nglish “ C o m e back next w eek for the
v i s a ” . W e w e r e le a v i n g the n ext day!
E v e n tu a l ly the v is a w a s is s u e d , m u ch
later that d a y , an d on re tu r n in g to the
hotel I am informed the original passport
h as tu r n e d up. T h e r e is a p h r a s e used
often when taking pupils away — it’s all
part o f touring. I very much enjoyed the
bottle o f wine given as a peace offering.
T h e r e is n o t a lot to sa y a b o u t the
Hockey in China. Despite the magnificent
surroundings both teams were badly beat
en. T h e C h in e s e h ave a d o p te d the old
Russian technique o f producing top class
sportsmen and women. Take them out o f
school and their h o m es at an early age
and send them to s p e c ia liz e d c o a c h in g
c a m p s . I c a n f o r s e e th a t at th e n e x t
17
O l y m p i c G a m e s th e C h i n e s e L a d i e s
H o c k e y T e a m w il w in a m e d a l and in
e ig h t y e a r s ’ tim e it w ill be g o ld ! T h e
te a m s w e p l a y e d w e w e r e to ld w o u ld
ev entua lly m ak e up their national side.
Like so much we discovered in Beijing, it
w as an experience.
A s part o f o u r to ur we met President
H an at his h o m e , fo r m e r l y the Ita lian
Embassy. Perth is underway linking with
Hai Kou in Southern China and President
Han and the Provost o f Perth have been
li a is in g on th is m a t te r . A s the f o r m e r
C h i n e s e A m b a s s a d o r in th e U S A ,
President Han received us in true dip lo
m atic style at an officia l reception. We
p a s s e d on th e l e t te r fr o m th e P r o v o s t
along with gifts from Perth.
The Forbidden City w as last on the itin
erary. The roofs were beautiful; the rain
was not! Shoes o ff and paddling was the
only way to continue after the downpour.
Again, were we actually standing where
the Emperor had once stood? It w as hard
to take in.
T h e fo o d w a s a ls o h a rd to t a k e in.
“ Chinese food is not like C hinese fo o d ”
— d uck s feet, jelly fish, eels, pigs ears
and chicken hearts. T h ank g o o d n ess for
the largest M cD onalds in the w orld and
o u r K o r e a n m e a l on th e la s t n ig h t —
which Mr Outlaw organised for us.
On previous tours I have thought: I am
going to come back here. By this stage on
the tour 1 have to admit I was thinking I
had better rem ember what this place looks
like — I will never be back in China. I
experienced everything through a haze o f
d i a r r h o e a f o r w h ic h I h e ld th e e n ti r e
country accountable. It was hard for most
o f us to rem ember our last digested meal
or decent night’s sleep. However, amidst
the memories o f endless trips to the toilet,
taxi rides from our hotel to offices to cut
red tap e, the f e e l in g o f a d r i p p y n ose
c o m in g on — w e will all have tales to
tell. In our m in d ’s eye w e ’ll still be able
to picture the countryside, rem em ber the
feel o f a w o r n te n - y u a n n o te , se e th e
faces, recall the streets and m onum ents,
smell the smell and taste the food. Sally
Keir attempted to explain to the girls what
co m m u n ism w as and about the Cultural
Revolution. We are not experts on China
b u t I t h i n k w e all c a m e a w a y a little
wiser. China and Hong Kong are differ
ent, very different. C hina has its hands
full still trying to figure itself out and 1
f e e l M r P a t t e n w ill e a r n all o f h is
£150,000 p.a. trying to figure them both
out.
O u r gratefu l th an k s to all th ose w ho
h e lp e d us at h o m e a nd a b ro a d on this
to u r : to th e S c h o o l f o r t h e i r h e l p in
enabling us to go; to my fellow staff Mr
and Mrs Keir and Mr Giles, to the girls
for w o rk in g and playing so hard and to
their parents for making it all possible.
We have seen things as they are and we
will be able to watch with knowledge and
interest the d ev e lo p m e n ts in C h in a and
H ong Kong as 1997 approaches.
L.J.S.
CHAPEL NOTES
Walls dividing East from West - tum
ble; Prim e M in iste rs and P resid ents go
and come; hostages return to their hom e
land am id st m o v in g scenes at airfields:
G o d ’s in his heaven and a ll’s well with
the world.
A nd yet, famine stalks Africa, brother
Serb turns against brother Croat, snipers’
b u l l e t s w h i n e t h r o u g h th e s t r e e t s in
N o rth e rn Irelan d, a m o th e r is killed in
front o f her infant son in a London park;
“Is God in his heaven? Is all well with the
w orld?” pupils and staff alike ask.
N o C h a p la in w o rth his (or h er!) salt
w o u l d d a r e to p r o v i d e o f f - t h e - c u f f
answ ers either to pupil or to m em ber o f
staff. It is a long, hard slog attempting to
find answers to life’s problems.
However, there is hope! Every minister
o f the G o spe l believ es that through the
reading o f Holy Scripture and the exposi
tion o f that Word, God does indeed speak
to all his people. He speaks in other ways,
too: through poetry, drama, music, art, the
u n c o v e rin g o f the m y s te rie s o f science
and selflessness of human beings.
It is part of every C h ap lain ’s vocation
a n d m i n i s t r y to u n s t o p d e a f e a r s or
enhance open ears to catch the W ord God
speaks.
There are illusions about a C h ap lain ’s
work, often current in the church today.
First, it is frequently assumed that, as far
as work loads are concerned, the Chaplain
h a s the s o f t e r o p t i o n . W h e r e a s (it is
alleged) the parish minister is busy in the
L o rd ’s work all the hours God gives and
cannot take time off for fear that someone
or some important matter will be neglect
ed, the School Chaplain enjoys a leisurely
ex isten ce w ith a reg u lar p r o g r a m m e of
s h o r t t e r m s an d lo n g h o l i d a y s g i v i n g
ple n ty o f tim e for r e a d in g and s u p p l e
menting the stipend by w riting or m ark
ing examination papers.
But living and working on campus, in a
c o m m u n ity , en su re s that no m om en t of
the day is entirely free from School pres
s u res: p a sto ra l an d te a c h in g c o n c e rn s ,
preparation, ad m in istratio n , m a rk in g of
Preps, student assessm ents, these are but
come o f the many matters which fill the
C h aplain’s (or M aster’s) day during term.
During vacations the pressures are differ
ent but eq ually d e m a n d in g o f tim e and
e n e r g y : k e e p i n g a b r e a s t o f the la te s t
d e v e lo p m e n ts in ed ucation ; u n d e rgo in g
f u r th e r s e l f - t r a i n in g ; d e a li n g w ith o n
g o in g S c h o o l b u s i n e s s and fu lfillin g a
m i n i s t r y w i t h i n th e w i d e r c h u r c h by
p r e a c h i n g ( a t th e C a n o n g a t e K ir k ,
E d inburgh, v ario u s C h u rch es around
P e r t h , B r a e m a r a n d C r a t h i e , th e
U n i v e r s i t y C h a p e l s o f G l a s g o w an d
Aberdeen); playing the organ for Sunday
services on North Uist and leading co n
ferences in C ardross and Edinburgh are
all effective antidotes to inactivity. Over
and above what might be called the “ rou
t i n e ” natu re o f m in is try , this C h a p la in
se rv e s as V ic e -C o n v e n o r o f the K i r k ’s
P a n e l o n W o r s h i p , C o n v e n o r o f the
Liturgical C o m m itte e, C o n v e n o r o f the
E d i t o r i a l G r o u p p u t t i n g th e f i n i s h i n g
touches to the K irk’s magnum opus “The
Book o f C om m on Order” 1992, serves on
th e K i r k ’s B o a r d o f E d u c a t i o n , is
C o n v e n o r G C S E (R elig io u s S tudies),
Scotland. T here are m em bers o f staff in
every Independent School whose involve
m e n t o u ts id e the c a m p u s is a lm o s t as
much as it is within.
The other strange notion that some peo
ple harbour is that School Chaplains and
members of Staff in Independent Schools,
unlike Parish M inisters and te achers in
State Schools, d o n ’t live in what they call
‘the real w o rld '. The assumption is that
the latter face the rough and tumble of life
in a modern, secular society, while we are
cocooned in a cloistered world of our own
where all is sw eetness and light. Without
in any way denying the difficulties facing
local churches and State Schools as they
seek to m aintain faith and continue the
ed ucational experience in an indifferent
and hostile environment, to imagine that
life in an Independent School is free from
pain is wishful thinking. All Schools are
c o m p o s e d o f o r d i n a r y h u m a n b e in g s .
R e latio n sh ip s can b e c o m e strained and
c o m m un ication s break down; constantly
niggling frustrations can transform minor
problems into major issues and prejudices
into matters o f principle. In the close-knit
com m unity o f a School the devil’s oppor
tu n itie s for d is ru p tio n are, p e rh a p s ,
greater.
A c o n t r a s t i n g a r e a b e t w e e n an
Independent School and the Parish relates
to resources. The C haplain’s resources arc
given in a way that the Parish M inister’s
are not. Ministers can no longer take their
congregations for granted; church m em
bers are free agents whose comm itment to
the worship and witness o f any particular
Christian community cannot be assumed,
regrettable though that may be. Ministers
have to live with the tensions created by
the p ossibility o f their m e m b e rs voting
w ith their feet. C h aplains, and V isiting
Preachers to Schools, on the other hand,
are guaranteed a congregation! What they
make of that guaranteed congregation is
quite another matter, o f course!
C h a p l a i n s a re n o t r e q u i r e d to ta k e
financial res p o n sib ility for the C hapel.
They are provided with all resources to do
their job. They are fortunate indeed! They
arc a ls o f o r tu n a te in h a v in g a c c e s s to
libraries, c o lleag u es to prov ide support
and intellectual stim ulus and o p p o rtu n i
t ie s f o r s t u d y a n d s e l f - d e v e l o p m e n t .
Ih ese invaluable aids to ministry within
an I n d e p e n d e n t S c h o o l are s o m e ti m e s
taken for granted by the C haplains, and
nearly always have to be searched for by
the Parish Minister. In addition, Sunday
IS
by Sunday the Chaplain (and the School!)
is exposed to preaching other than his or
her own.
So, we are g ra te fu l to the f o llo w in g
V isiting P reach ers w ho cam e to us last
Academic Year:
A utumn Term:
T h e R evds C elia M a tth ew s, M ichael
Frew, Maxwell Craig (ACTS), Laurence
W h i t l e y , C a r l e e n R o b e r t s o n , T h e Rt
R e v d s V i n c e n t L o g a n ( w h o a ls o sa id
M ass in the C h ap el) and M ichael Hare
D uke (R o m a n C a th o lic B ish o p of
D u n k e l d a n d B i s h o p o f St A n d r e w s ,
Dunkeld & Dunblane, respectively). The
Very Revd Dr John W. Paterson preached
on R emembrance Sunday.
Spring Term:
Mr Sim on Dunlop (Perth), The Revds
C olin W illia m s o n , D av id O g sto n , Bob
S lo an , C h a rle s R o b e rts o n and Mr T im
Middleton (Scripture Union).
S um m er Term:
T h e R e v d D o u g l a s A. O. N ic o l
(D e p a rtm e n t o f N ational M issio n), The
Revd W. Uist M a c d o n a ld , V a le d ic to ry
Service: The Very Revd Dr W. J. Morris
(D ean o f the Chapel Royal, M inister o f
Glasgow).
At The C onfirm ation Service the s e r
m o n w a s p r e a c h e d by T h e V ery R ev d
P rofessor Robert D avidson (M od erato r,
1990) and the Eucharistic President was
the Rt Revd Michael Hare Duke.
Candidates:
( T h e C h u r c h o f S c o t l a n d ) A la n W.
K e d d i e , N ia l A. G r a y , S t u a r t W.
A n d e r s o n , M a r k I r o n s i d e , Ia in S.
D avidson, T racey J. Morton, R owan C.
Pearman, Neil McK Blatherwick, Lindsay
Ironside, Robert G. S. Mawdsley. In addi
tion, Peter D. Sochart and Catherine L. C.
Low were baptised and confirmed by the
Chaplain and David C. Saffron received
Conditional Baptism.
(T he S co ttish E p isco p a l C h urch )
A n d r e w R. M c N a m a r a ( b a p t i s e d ) an d
Jo n athan G. K. Foy were co nfirm e d by
the Bishop.
T .G .L .
Chaplain anil parent at the Fete.
CHARITY
The cobbles flicked sharply under her
stilettos, the points piercing the soft, rainsoaked path. Her ankle w as achin g and
she pressed a roughly-filed nail across the
skin to ease the pain about the deep plum
bruise. The sun was rising over the park,
peering through the mist, casting the long
delicate skeletons o f trees across the dewdrenched grass.
A thornbush grabbed at the g ir l’s leg,
tearing at the laddered tights. She hardly
noticed as she started to bleed; a trickle
ran across her calf to merge with the scar
let p a ten t o f her sh o es. T h e c r u n c h i n g
gravel clicked onto the tarm ac o f a ter
ra c e d stre e t o f V ic to r ia n b ric k h o u s e s
which poured into the distance like a line
o f pylons. She strutted dow n the street,
her hair tied back, revealing the edge o f
her mask o f make-up which sm eared over
her features in a fury o f pink-brown flesh,
puncuated by a slash o f cherry-red across
her lips.
A curtain moved and pulled aside on a
top floor window. The eyes followed the
girl down the street, rejecting with disgust
the black lace and g aud y dress h anging
like a harlequin o f silk about her waist.
T h e s h o e s c l i c k e d a c r o s s th e sla b s ,
heels grabbing at the cracks, to hold and
twist her feet. Yet, though worn, her tired
legs held firm in protest against the g ru
e l l i n g s t r e e t s s h e ’d w a l k e d the n ig h t
before.
A rail o f sp ik es p ass ed by her righthand side; paint flaked from the cast iron,
bulging in rain-tw isted blisters o f black
skin. The rings on her fingers scream ed
along the scratched paintwork and across
the sign which read ‘C athedral’, leaving a
deep w ound in the varnished wood. The
grey paving stones ended in an avenue of
lime trees w heeling off to the right. Along
it the girl w a lk e d , he r h eels less noisy
now, the click vanishing into a soothing
whisper o f the grass verge below her tired
feet.
A b o v e , th e s k y s e e m e d to s h r i n k ,
d w a r f e d b e h i n d the t o w e r i n g m a s s o f
stone which stood before her. The cathe
dral sat undaunted, its gothic spires pierc
ing the heavens, lacing them with stone,
crafted skilfully into the flying-buttresses
w hich leapt from the w alls to the heavy
earth in a flame of lattice work. Gargoyles
had strewn their rotting corpses across the
ro o f , m o u t h s a g a p e in tw is te d a g o n y ,
scream ing at the evil streets beyond the
iron fence. The giant portal loomed over,
e v e r d a u n t i n g , f r a m e d by s c u l p t u r e d
saints with stone minds and leaden smiles
which welcomed her with mock kindness.
Yet, above, seated in humble majesty The
Shepherd sat, his crook held out in friend
ship, draw ing all into the silence which
lay within. She entered.
The echoing heels returned across the
b u il d in g ’s dark interior. The pale stone
grew with light as the sun awoke the bril
liant g la s s w ith in its le a d - b o u n d cag e,
piercing the hollow mystery of the build
ing. Her shadow flickered across the pil
lared walls, her mind ablaze with kindled
thoughts.
S h e d r o p p e d th e c h a n g e f r o m h e r
n i g h t’s w ork into the sm all box. It fell,
not w ith a jin g le o f m etal but heav ily ,
silently, on the soft meaningless cheques
o f richer men: their token, her real gift.
R O B IN S T E W A R T
U V I W in n er
C reative W ritin g C o m p etitio n
OBITUARY
REVEREND F. BAKEWELL
O u r d e e p e s t s y m p a t h y g o e s to the
School C haplain, the R everend G raem e
L o ngm uir, on the death o f his adoptive
father the Reverend F. Bakewell.
Fred w as a disting uished H e adm aster
a n d M i n i s t e r , t h o u g h he h a d r e t i r e d
t h r o u g h il ln e s s b e f o r e th e y m o v e d to
Strathallan. Fortunately the bracing air of
Forgandenny and the O uter Isles rallied
his health for a num ber o f years and he
w as able, and w illing , to take D iv inity
classes and Chapel Services in G ra e m e ’s
ab sence. T h o se o f us w h o got to know
Fred, found a modest and delightful c o m
panion with a go od sense o f h um ou r, a
love o f conversation and scholarship, and
a fine taste in sherry!
Most o f the School knew him best from
his regular atten dan ce in h |s seat at the
back o f the Chapel, and from the sight of
this elderly man being taken for w alks at
the end o f a lead by one, and latterly two
deerhounds!
19
MUSIC
THE IMPLEMENTS OF WAR?
The course o f Scottish music has, like
that o f its people, had its ups and downs,
and use and abuse. Despite the few h av
ing suffered so stoically for the cause, it
comes as small surprise that the reward is
an indifference and a lack of real tradition
in high art f o r m s th a t lin g e rs in m an y
areas to this day. A full forty years after
the ’45 rebellion, the bagpipes were still
regarded as “the implements o f w ar” and
banned — and there are still those about
w ho believe that should still be the case.
In the 19th C en tu ry , the ferv o u r o f the
relig iou s revivalists fu rth e r e n c o u rag ed
the burning o f pipes and fiddles in many
Gaelic-speaking areas.
W hereas even in the 16th Century, the
burghers o f the northern European cities
w ere d e s p e r a te for Italian m u s ic al and
artistic novelties, no expense seem ed too
great to bring these across the Alps, no
s u c h c l a m o u r w a s h e a r d fr o m f u r th e r
north. T w o hundred years later a trickle of
polite minuets might have been heard in
the sm art d ra w in g -ro o m s o f E dinburgh,
but there was nothing north of the Forth.
And what happens today? Glasgow has
built itself a superb Conservatoire and an
even finer concert hall, and hang the cost.
“ Prince” follows Pavarotti, and the like,
in a seem ingly endless flood o f “ Mayfest”
spirit. The capital city, m ean w h ile, still
ponders w hether it should build an operahouse other than the arena that is more
suited to a bull sale or a b o x in g match
than a “ Bartered Bride” . As for anything
further north, the orchestras hardly dare
b rin g their b u ses a c ro s s the brid ge. So
what happens in the provinces? The tour
ing g r o u p s fro m O p e ra a nd B allet get
about, but 2nd XIs are rarely as good as
the Firsts.
In our own city o f Perth, nobody comes
to town except in the musical m ania o f
the Perth Festival. W h o then, how ever,
has the will or the wherewithal to attend a
c o ncert each night for a fortnight? It is
hardly surprising that even these are not
fully attended, but the cultural conscience
is salved.
T h e British orchestras seem to regard
the provinces in a most patronising m an
ner, playing at their obvious second best.
A t a recent visit o f an erstw hile d is tin
gu ished o rchestra, the p lay ers slouched
on to the stage, w h ich w as littered with
their instrument cases. It sounded like it
looked — tatty! Visiting foreign orches
tras play as if they w ere all exp ert and
s e n s itiv e c o n n o is s e u r s . In this c lim a te
w hat can the next generation feel but disg r u n t l e m e n t and a w is h fo r m i n im u m
involvem ent? T h eir vote is cast by their
d is d a in fo r the cu ltu ral w o rld , and the
average age o f a local audience is excep
tionally high! Are the arts really only cut
out for the elders of the tribes?
It is, therefore, with very great excite
ment and the pro sp e ct o f a cultural re
awakening that we all look forward to the
building and re-equipping o f a school the
atre designed to take the perform ing arts
into the nex t c e n tu r y . N ot o nly do we
need the new theatre for our own homeproduced performances, but we must use
it as Glasgow uses its Concert Hall. Not
for bull-fights and badminton, but a con
tin u o u s “ S tr a th f e s t” to set alig ht these
som nolent spirits. The arts d o n ’t always
come cheap, o f course, for they are at the
refined end o f our emotional and spiritual
aw areness. Just as Perth sup p o rts more
fine car marques and jewellery shops than
most towns o f its equivalent size, so the
arts have a model or style for everyone.
The financial barriers, real or imagined,
w h ich, to g e th er w ith the pleas o f ig n o
rance o f the arts, serve only as a conve
nience to excuse involvement.
M any o f o ur p u p ils d is c o v e r this for
themselves, from playing, singing or lis
te n i n g . O f o u r o w n m u s i c i a n s , m a n y
achieve quite astonishing feats o f virtuos
ity. We have much more than a handful of
highly gifted players w ho largely play to
them selves or within the confines o f the
p ra c tic e b lo ck , but w h o are ca p a b le o f
giving much pleasure to many.
T he ran g e and d iv e rs ity o f p u p il s ’
achievem ents is really quite astonishing,
and the list o f activitie s b ears re-statement, even if it is already known to some.
At the formal, and demanding, end of
th e p e r f o r m a n c e s p e c t r u m , th e r e a re
singers who are able to interpret dots and
blobs o f print into the beautiful and uplift
ing cathedral repertoire the Chapel Choir
d e a ls w ith on a r e g u l a r b a sis. I n e v e r
cease to be amazed at this miracle of per
fo rm ance w h eth er it is m usic from The
Messiah, a Mass or Messiaen. How fan
t a s t i c to be a b le to r e c o n s t r u c t th e s e
miraculous and life-enriching experiences
from h ie ro g ly p h ic s, w h e th e r in G aelic,
L atin , F ren ch , E n g lish or A m e ric a n
E n g li s h , an d w h a t d e m a n d s the la tte r
places on the performers!
Not e v e r y o n e can n a tu r a lly p ro d u c e
good music, even if they own their own
“ im plem ent”. Practice and hard grind are
s t il l th e o n l y s e c u r e s t e p p i n g - s t o n e s
a c r o s s to th e o t h e r s i d e o f t h i s ‘ L ac
d ’Indifference’. Many get very wet feet,
but to be able to put o n e ’s talents to use
as Hilary M oore did on her harp in the
t e a - r o o m o n th e F e te d a y , o r L a u r i e
C r u m p w ith his r e c o r d e r an d his p r e
recorded accom panim ents on tape, slung
over his back, surely this is the proof that
practice makes for perfection?
20
L i k e w i s e Raj A r u m u g a m a n d his
Dix ielanders; great music, a good te c h
nique and an audience, and you can have
fun for hours! Even in sweltering heat, the
group did this recently in Perth at a very
‘pu k k ah ’ garden party. And if straw hats
and strawberries makes for formal condi
tions, then the ‘sit them in silen ce ’ c o n
certs have been even more of a challenge.
If good technique counts for a lot, the
extra ingredient the b rass-group have is
precious indeed, and their perform ances
have been at an all-tim e high this year.
T h e i r p l a y i n g in P e r t h f o r th e A r t s
Festival concert lingers in the memory as
the so un ds o f Purcell did in the rafters.
No com m on town waits these players, but
a class act indeed. It is sad to say g oo d
b y e to t w o o f th e g r o u p — R i c h a r d
T o w n h i l l an d M a r tin S m i th , fo r w h at
shall we do for co m e d y rou tine during
orchestra rehearsals without Martin? His
exploding trombone routine on the night
before a concert will take som e beating!
At least the m u s ic stan d s will be safer
without the attacks from the slide o f his
implement!
Cellists, windplayers, pianists, fiddlers
with a rant or a rhapsody, they are all too
numerous to mention by name. Quartets,
quintets, duos and dozens; music is made
in all shapes.
If the arrival o f the theatre is to mean
a n y th i n g , let us h o p e it w ill s i g n ify a
wholesale aw areness of the importance o f
the con sum ption of the perfo rm in g arts,
whether am ateur or professional. Strictly
speaking they are luxury goods, and we
do not need them as we do food and fuels
but, in a civ ilised society , th eir im p o r
t a n c e to s h a p e a n d t e m p e r o u r l i v e s
should never be forgotten. I congratulate
all the perform ers and their teachers for
helping to bring these truths to life, and,
in particular, to the leavers and prizewin
n e rs fo r th e i r d e t e r m i n a t i o n , s t a y i n g pow er and en cou ragem ent show n to the
rest.
R obin Stew art: Director o f M u s ic ’s Prize
for his 100% attendance and unflagging
support o f the choir and music general
ly since Riley I.
J o n a th a n L eip er: D ire c to r o f M u s i c ’s
Prize for the “ E ndang ered Species —
the Viola-player” — and for all his sup
port.
C la ire C orrie: Patrick G ra nd ison Prize
for Strings.
R ic h a r d T o w n h ill:
R obert
B a rr
Memorial Prize for Music.
N .J.R .
Strathallan Orchestra and Choir provid
ed an opening lunchtim e concert for the
Perth Festival o f the Arts:
see right
THE MESSIAH
To the layman, The M essiah’ is simply
another example of 18th Century classical
music, w hereas for those w ho understand
m u sic it is possibly one o f the g reatest
pieces ever composed.
Our rehearsals began in earnest approx
im ately tw o m o n th s b efo re the co n c ert
was due to be given. It took a lot o f hard
w ork and dedication from Mr Reed and
the choir before a standard w a s reached
that merited the hiring o f an all-p ro fes
sional Scottish orchestra. For the majority
o f the tim e the a tm o s p h e r e a m o n g the
choristers was one of increasing anticipa
tion since very few o f them believed they
could sing such a difficult piece of music.
However, as the final perform ance drew
c lo s e r the m o u n t in g te n s io n w a s cle a r
w h e n M r R ee d in s i s t e d on r e h e a r s a l s
every day. It began to annoy the school
teaching staff when mem bers of the choir
arrived ten minutes late for lessons h u m
m i n g a n d w h i s t l i n g th e H a l l e l u i a h
Chorus!
A week before the final school perfor
mance, a separate concert w as put on in
Perth at St J o h n ’s Kirk. It was very dis
heartening when only 50 people turned up
but, nevertheless, the choir gave a reason
able acco u n t o f itself. H o w e ver, it w as
clear there w as a lot more work to do and
o n ly a sh o r t tim e left to do it in. T h e
major worry in the last week o f rehearsals
was that very few people would turn up to
listen to the concert on the day.
The four soloists, w h o came from the
A c a d e m y o f M u s ic , a r r iv e d at S c h o o l
with the professional orchestra at lunch
time on the day o f the final performance.
T h e rehearsal lasted three hours and so
e v e r y b o d y w a s f i n a l l y r e a d y f o r th e
eve n in g .
The concert began at 7.30 and the first
c h o r u s w a s “ F o r U n t o U s a C h i l d is
B orn” and everybody gained a lot o f co n
fidence when Mr Reed, who w as conduct
i n g , g a v e an e n c o u r a g i n g n o d . T h e
soloists w ere excellent and the orchestra
w as extremely precise and exact in every
thing they did. At the interval orders were
s h o u te d and e n c o u r a g e m e n t w a s giv en
since the hardest parts still rem ained. It
w as a great feeling w hen the Halleluiah
C h orus w as p erfo rm e d to a standard of
near excellence and the audience stuck to
the tradition o f standing during the recital.
At the end of the concert their enjoyment
w as clear when the audience showed true
delight in their applause and flowers were
presented to the fem ale soloists — w ho
left the chapel in tears o f joy.
Without a doubt it was the best perfor
m a n c e the S c h o o l C h o ir had e v e r p r o
duced. However, it would not have been
m ade possible without the great d ed ica
tion o f M r R eed, Mr C ro sfield and Mr
L o v e w h o p l a y e d the o rg a n for e v e ry
rehearsal. O f course, a big pat on the back
for all the choir is needed, too. Well done!
JO N A T H A N L E IP E R
PERTH FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
A sizeable audience suggested our past
reputation had borne fruit and the brass
group opened with Gabrieli’s “C anzo na”
— a resounding piece with built-in cresendo. The w hole orchestra then m oved
into the first m o v em en t o f B e e th o v e n 's
Symphony
No
1,
acco m p an ied
b y N i c h o l a s R e e d o n th e F r e n c h
h o rn . D a v id P o p p e r ’s “ R e q u i e m ” f o r
Three Cellos (Neil Watson, Kate Milnes
and D u n c a n F o rb e s ) w a s a d e m a n d i n g
piece, well tackled. Its elegiac tones were
c o n t r a s t e d w i t h w h a t th e p r o g r a m m e
called an “A merican interlude” : the voic
es o f the choir singing a variety o f wellk n o w n s o n g s fro m “ W e s t S id e S t o r y ”
gave way to the School jazz group, led by
Raj A ru m u g a m — the a ud ienc e clearly
enjoyed these contrasting pieces.
T e l e m a n n ’s T rio S o n a ta in D m i n o r
w a s a h i g h l i g h t o f th e c o n c e r t . N e il
Watson once more ably took up his cello
bow and with Christopher Moore on flute,
they accom panied Laurie C ru m p ’s virtu
o so p e r f o r m a n c e on the r e c o r d e r. T he
b r a s s c o n s o r t r e t u r n e d w ith P u r c e l l ’s
“ Queen M a ry ’s Funeral M usic” , and the
concert ended with the orchestra treating
us to R ossini’s “ Overture — The Italian
Girl in A lg ie rs” and the tones o f Philip
A in sw o rth ’s oboe singing in our ears.
The D ixieland Band.
J.T .F .
PIPES AND DRUMS
So the circle turns, and turns again.
A young and novice Band, with a few
h e a v y w e ig h t s — fou r p ip e rs and three
d rum m ers with the w elcom e addition of
M a r i j k e H a n s s o n - B o l t in th e D r u m s
Corps. Nevertheless, our usual and w e l
c o m e first e n g ag em en t w as at Perth Ice
R in k
for
th e
S co ttish
C u rlin g
C h a m p i o n s h i p s . H o w e v e r , th i s y e a r ,
b e c a u s e o f th e W i n t e r O l y m p i c s at
Albertville (JFC and T G L take note!), this
engagement was brought forward into the
holidays and thus only three pipers were
prepared to give up part o f their holiday
to return to Perth to play at the Opening
Ceremony — Hamish McCartan, Alisdair
Macdonnell and myself. However, at the
Finals, we fielded a full Band and were
again heard on television.
A n u m b e r o f i n v i t a t i o n s h a d to be
refused, due to sporting commitments, but
A l y t h A g r i c u l t u r a l S h o w , in f r o n t o f
7,000 people, certainly put Strathallan in
the lim elig h t to say n o th in g o f B o nn ie
S te v e n s ’ stra w b erries w hich w ere more
th an w e lc o m e , and ho w e n c o u ra g in g it
was to have one B an d sm an ’s parent come
all the way from America to hear her son
p l a y b o t h at A l y t h a n d at th e C C F
Competition.
Talking o f which, there is no doubt that
although Strathallan m ay not have been
Scottish S c h o o ls ’ C h am p ion Pipe Band,
they certainly deserved to be placed high
er than they were, as did one other school.
W e hear w h isp ers that there are m o ves
a fo o t to h av e the j u d g i n g p la c e d on a
more professional basis than at present.
T o have In structo rs from o th er schools
and R S P B A Ju d g e s rin g up to e x p re s s
their horror at the final outcome w as both
encouraging and disturbing. The only real
way forward is to have the judging put on
a p u re ly p r o f e s s i o n a l b a s is , i.e. A rm y
Judges and R SPBA Judges.
On our return to School after Easter we
f o u n d th a t o u r P i p i n g an d D r u m m i n g
P alace had b e e n d e m o lis h e d . T h is had
been
expected
once
th e
CCF
H e a d q u a r t e r s on E ast D riv e had b een
completed and was fully operational, but
perhaps not so soon. We were re-housed
in the old Sim pson dorms, but instruction
there w as curtailed as soon as ex am in a
t i o n s b e g a n in the tw o L e b u r n d o r m s
( s o o n to b e th e T h e a t r e ) . P ip e M a j o r
Barron de-camped to the vestry and once
his pupils found him all was more or less
well.
A m u c h - h e ra ld e d high po int w a s the
c o m b i n e d O ld B o y s ’ an d S c h o o l Pipe
Band playing at the Fete. The oldest play
ing m em ber had left School 31 years ago.
A fter an h o u r’s rehearsal they were off —
an d p ro d u c e d b oth a s tirrin g sig ht and
equally stirring sound. Lindsay Muir per
f o r m e d a S w o r d D a n c e a n d , as w a s
expected, retained all ten toes. At the end
o f the afternoon all agreed that this should
become an annual occasion.
It only remains for us to thank all three
I n s tru c to rs (P ip e M a jo r B a rro n , D rum
M ajors Clark and Braid), for nursing us
through our teething troubles, bullying us
tow ards higher standards, and giving o f
their time and considerable expertise in
class and on the square. Our thanks, too,
to M r L o n g m u i r w ho , d esp ite d ifficu lt
p erso n al c irc u m sta n c e s, n ev er failed to
m ain tain c on tact w ith us — directly or
indirectly.
S C H O O L P IP IN G & D R U M M IN G
C O M P E T IT IO N 1992
BASS SECTIO N
1st
Jam es Steel
SIDE
1st
2nd
3rd
D R U M M IN G
Richard Bevan
Marijke Hansson-Bolt
James Steel
JU N IO R M A R CH
1st
Alex MacLeod
2nd Alisdair Gaw
3rd Alisdair MacDonnel
S E N IO R M A R C H ,S T R A T H S P E Y &
R EE L
1st Hamish McCartan
2nd Alex MacLeod
3rd Ross C um m ing
S trath allan
School
is th e
o nly
Independent School to hold the most dif
ficult o f all Piping Competitions.
THE
5th
4th
3rd
2nd
1st
O PEN PIB R OC H
Alisdair MacDonnel
A ndrew Scott
Alex MacLeod
Hamish McCartan
David Fraser
B e f o r e a w a r d i n g “ T h e P r e s i d e n t ’s
C u p ” for Services to the Pipes & Drums,
M r L o n g m u i r an d all th ree in s tru c to rs
w a n te d to m ak e a special aw ard to our
first lady Bass Drummer, Bonnie Stevens,
w h o r e c e i v e d a s o l id g o ld a n d s i l v e r
medal in addition to jointly receiving for
th e s e c o n d y e a r r u n n i n g , a l o n g w ith
Jam es Steel, “T he P re s id e n t’s C u p ” for
services to the Pipes & Drums.
T.G.L.
D rawing by Hamish McCartan.
22
ST ANDREW’S NIGHT
C ornered in N o v em b er by Mrs A dam
to pen som eth ing witty and informative
for the school magazine, to be completed
by June 23rd, one naturally replies “ No
problem !” However June 23rd, remote as
it m a y s e e m to th e c o r n e r e d p u p il in
N o v e m b e r , a rriv e s a g reat deal so o n e r
than anticipated. Had St A n d re w ’s Night
b een a less th an m e m o ra b le e v e n in g , 1
c ould have found m y s e lf d e sp e ra te ly
ra c k in g the brain s o f m y p eers for any
memories which hadn't quite faded. As it
was, St A n d re w ’s Night proved one o f the
m ost e n jo y a b le e v e n in g s o f the School
calendar, and even if I had succeeded in
erasing it from my mind, the pupils, m as
ters and g u ests p resent w ou ld certainly
have filled me in!
O b v io u s ly the th e m e o f the e v e n in g
was Scotland and Mr Broadfoot, together
with his fellow -organisers, co ncentrated
on developing the different perceptions of
S c o t l a n d a n d h e r p e o p l e . T h u s , th e
e v e n i n g r a n g e d f r o m tw o o f L iz
L och ead's monologues, wittily recited by
F io n a G r a in g e r , an d H e a th e r D e w a r ’s
b r i l l i a n t p o r t r a y a l o f th e a r c h e t y p a l
B e a r s d e n h o u s e w i f e in h e r r e c i t a l o f
“ M e e t i n g N o r m a N i m m o ” , to E d w i n
M u i r ’s r a t h e r m o r e r e f l e c t i v e a r d
th o u g h t-p ro v o k in g poem “ S c o tla n d 's
W inter” recited by Zoe Stephens, Tracey
Morton and Louise W eston — the pitch
of their voices contrasting and blending to
great effect.
Raj A ru m ag um spoke George B ru c e’s
poem “ Urn Burial” before he joined with
Pauline L o ckh art to entertain us w ith a
v e r y li v e ly s e l e c t i o n o f f i d d le tu n e s .
M usic, as a lw a y s, play ed an im p o rta n t
part in the ev e n in g w ith the ten ors and
b asses o f the school choir singing “The
Isle o f Mull". The traditional participation
o f the pipes and drum s and the extremely
m o v i n g G a e l i c s o n g s p e r f o r m e d by
T racey M orton and Zoe S tep hen s — in
pa rticu lar T r a c e y ’s “ O m o d u h u th a ic h ”
(O h My C o u n try ), w as e s p e c ia lly
enchanting to all regardless o f ability to
comprehend the Gaelic language.
D avid Fraser, piper.
Tracey M orton and Zoe Stephens.
Below: D rawing by H eather Dewar.
The Third F o r m ’s perform ance of the
com plicated “C anadolia: an off-concrete
S c o tc h F a n ta s ia ” by E d w in M o r g a n , a
very am using play on Scottish names and
places, was superb; and all credit must go
to them and Mrs Forbes for co-ordinating
the c o m p le x p o em . C atrion a M c L e a n ’s
“ Over the Sea to Skye” was cleverly w rit
ten by her to parody the legend o f Flora
M c D o n a ld an d B o n n ie Prince C h a rlie ,
w h o w ere acted by L u c y -A n n e B ry an s
a n d th e v e r y a m u s i n g C h r i s t o p h e r
Dorman.
The ev enin g w as en o rm o u sly su c
cessful and dem o n s tra ted that there w as
ab un dan t talent w ithin the school.
T h a n k s m ust g o to M r Reed and the
M u s i c D e p a r t m e n t , th e s t a f f o f th e
English D epartm ent and Mr Y oun g and
his Kitchen staff w ho provided us with a
d e l i c i o u s b u f f e t d u r i n g th e i n t e r v a l .
Special thanks must, of course, go to Mr
Broadfoot w ho compered the evening and
helped organise much of the programme.
M r T h o m p s o n als o d e s e r v e s a sp e c ia l
m e n t i o n f o r o p e n i n g th e e v e n i n g by
gracefully falling o ff his chair — a most
am using unrehearsed performance.
L O U IS E W E S T O N
THESPIANS
T h e S c h o o l P la y t h i s y e a r , “ T h e
Happiest Days o f Your Life” written by
John Dighton, was a classic English farce
where in war-time Britain a girls’ school
and a b o y s ’ school ended up sharing the
same site — unbeknown to the respective
parents: True comedy material which the
cast successfully exploited.
T h e c o n v e n t i o n a l ‘b a t t l e a x e ’ h e a d
m i s t r e s s o f St S w i t h i n ' s ,
M iss
W h i t c h u r c h , w a s p l a y e d by F i o n a
Grainger. Her twin-set and pearls, w a lk
ing stick, wrinkled brown tights and fear
some aura spoke for themselves. She held
the play together with considerable skill
and if we c o u ln ’t laugh with her we cer
tainly laughed at her.
I, for one, felt Mr Pond, the Hilary Hall
h e a d m a s te r , p la y e d by P ie rs R a p er,
deserved a good stiff gin after suffering at
th e h a n d s o f th e d o g m a t i c M i s s
W h itch urch . Certainly, his g ru f f im p er
sonation o f a 1940s’ harrassed headm as
ter could only be worthy o f full praise.
The young blood o f the play provided
an a m u s in g r o m a n ti c e le m e n t as P eter
Brown, the archetypal ‘stiff’ Englishman
proved more concerned with his opposite
in St Sw ith in’s than his cricket and boys,
whilst Lesley-Ann Dewar as the object of
his desire was suitably evasive. Indeed,
her elegance contrasted sharply with the
hilariously vulgar but undeniably amiable
character of the caretaker, played by Iain
F ergu sson. His c on tin ual sw e a rin g and
n o s e - p ic k in g a n tics left e v e ry o n e save
Miss Whitchurch, rolling in the aisles.
And how could we forget Mr Billings,
played by Hamish MacCartan? (The boy
w ho spent twice as long as anybody else
app lyin g his m ak e-u p!) Indeed, Hamish
— forever confident — certainly did not
let him self down on stage. However, his
masculinity and good looks seemed mere
ly to pose problems this time as Gossage,
the s e x l e s s g a m e s m i s t re s s , p la y e d by
Catriona Maclean, lusted after his body.
The times when she preyed upon him in
her c lu e le ss m a n n e r c ertain ly prov ided
the comic climaxes of the play. I, person
ally, w as spellbound by C atriona’s natural
ability on stage as, with her “bright, keen
and jo l ly ” attitude, she left Mr Billings
som ewhat ruffled.
C a th e rin e Jo n e s w as an o th e r great
evoker o f laughter, wonderfully personi
fying an over-keen 1940s’ schoolgirl. Her
introductory words “ I'm Barbara Cohoon,
not spelt C olq uo ho un ” after being repeat
ed several times in a suitably ‘p lu m m y ’
voice became an amusing hallmark o f her
stereotype character. H er counterpart at
H ila r y H all S c h o o l , H o p c r o f t M in o r,
played by Nicol Nicholson, represented a
wily-natured little boy in his long shorts
and cricket cap.
T h e farcical nature o f the play never
dwindled. The introduction o f characters
s u c h as R i c h a r d T o w n h i l l a n d Jo
l.esley-Anne Dewar kepi a safe distance from Peter Brown.
M alco lm as the n erv o u s curate and his
w ife in j u x t a p o s i t i o n to p a r e n t s C h ris
Procter and Rona M acD o n ald , nouveau
riche in the extrem e, merely heightened
our mirth!
It w a s a t r e m e n d o u s p e r f o r m a n c e
w hich reaped the benefits o f much hard
w o r k a n d d e d i c a t i o n t h r o u g h o u t th e
Easter Term.
TESSA DUNLO P
Catriona Maclean, so life-like us M isv Gossage.
24
H am ish's m ake-up fails!
HOUSE DRAMA COMPETITION
A s as result o f many w eeks o f careful
planning, rehearsals galore, and very hard
w o rk on b e h a lf of the T hird and Fourth
Forms under the guidance o f various Fifth
and S ix th F o r m e r s , th is y e a r ’s H o u se
plays got off to a flying start.
Yet again, W o o d la n d s w o n the prize
with an o u ts tan d in g prod uction, mainly
ow ing to the high quality o f acting. The
story o f tw o nightclubs in the T w en tie s
trying to take away each o ther’s business
was superbly executed by the whole cast.
Kananu Kirimi played a convincing gan g
ster called T ouche w h o fell in love with
Belinda (C atriona M cL ean), a spy from
F ran kie’s. Katherine Jones excelled h er
self as Raquel, the singer who was jealous
o f B e l i n d a , as d id R e b e c c a D o v e r
( C la r in s ) and A m e lia B lair O lip h a n t
( F r a n k ie ) as the n i g h t c l u b s ’ n o to r io u s
owners. This, with special praise given to
Catriona M c L ea n ’s truly am azing singing
and acting, lead to an org anised , e n te r
taining and very successful entry from the
Woodlanders: “ Manhattan Blues”.
T hornbank had the rather aw esome task
of doing their play, “The Blitz” , directly
a f t e r W o o d l a n d s . N e v e r t h e l e s s , th e y
pulled it o ff in a so m e w h a t se rio u s but
thoroughly enjoyable way. Their alterna
tive to the usual jokey, hilarious exploits
o f som e o f the houses, was a rather sub
duing tale o f two sisters w ho had (literal
ly) lost their parents in an air raid. This
p o te n tia lly d if fic u lt s c e n e w a s ta c k le d
with confidence and proved to be a su c
cess with its flashing lights and realistic
s o u n d e f f e c t s . H a v i n g at t h i s p o i n t
grabbed the au dien ce’s attention, the play
managed to keep most people interested
w ith its n u m e r o u s ta l e n t e d a c t r e s s e s .
Camilla MacDonell played one o f the lost
sisters in a convincing way and was thus
re w a r d e d as the ‘ B est A c t r e s s ’ (a l o n g
w ith K an anu Kirimi). C a th erin e L o w ’s
po rtrayal o f the nasty lady w h o had to
look after the two young girls w as effec
tive and well done. T h e c o stu m e s w ere
good and added authenticity to the play as
a whole, even though the sudden ending
was a let-down to an otherwise entertain
ing and well-produced play.
Nicol had warned us in the programme
to be w ary! T h e play w a s aptly nam ed
“ Dress Rehearsal" because o f their lack of
rehearsals and their clumsy organisation.
Despite this, the idea behind the play was
original and extrem ely funny. W ho else
but Nicol would come up with three m as
culine nuns and some equally interesting
(!) m en on a m i s s i o n to s e d u c e th es e
nuns, in order to ensure the continuation
o f m a n k in d . D u rin g th is q u e s t, we
encounter an old man (David Mann) who
w as N ic o l’s saving grace because o f his
excellent acting and general appearance.
O n t h i s n o te , N i c o l ’s c o s t u m e s w e r e
a m o n g the b e st, w ith ea c h o f the cast
b ein g a p p ro p ria te ly and am u sin g ly
dressed. Mark Hunter, Michael Burns and
Noel Charlier were the nuns (described on
the N icol p ro g r a m m e as ‘u n s a v o u r y ’ !),
a n d J a m e s S t e e l e w a s th e M o t h e r
Superior. Also effective w as the lighting
and sound. Nicol managed to produce a
funny, if som ewhat informal, play. It was
c lea r the idea w a s orig in a l and carefu l
thought had gone on behind the scenes.
T o add to this, to u ch es such as special
e ff e c ts , u p s i d e - d o w n b o a ts , th e c a s t ’s
o b v io u s enjo y m e n t in the play, and the
eye-catching programme, made their play
compelling as well as memorable.
S im p so n a cte d w ith a s p o n ta n e ity
which had so far eluded the other houses.
Designed and structured to be a comedy,
their play w as indeed just that with the
a m u s in g a n tics o f tw o p o o r m en (A lly
Duncan and Graham Nicol) deep in debt,
searching for a way to make some money.
T h e ir ideas w ere cleverly p resen ted on
stage and proved to be innovative, funny
a n d in e v ita b ly d is a str o u s! W h o ’s e v er
heard o f two men busking with an electric
guitar, a freak rainstorm and the e x p lo
sion o f the gu itar?! S o u n d s lu d ic ro u s?
This was much the same path that the rest
o f the p la y to o k , w h ic h w a s c r a z y —
never a dull mom ent was had! It seem ed a
terrible sham e, how ever, that their life
lo n g d r e a m o f w i n n i n g the p o o ls w a s
destroyed by the strict deadline and the
fateful c h a n g in g o f the clocks! G raham
Nicol and Ally Duncan both won as ‘Best
A cto rs’ as well as receiving the prize for
‘Best S cript’.
R u t h v e n ’s p r o d u c t i o n w a s a w e l l directed comedy. Perhaps som e p eo p le’s
minds were prejudiced by the slightly less
s u c c e s s fu l v e n tu r e o f the y e a r b e fo re .
N ontheless, ev ery on e w as im pressed by
this y ear’s which entailed two rival gangs
o f d u s t b in m en in the y e a r 2 0 0 0 . T h e
‘g o o d ’ gang w anted to clean up the town
while the ‘b a d ’ guys resent the fact that
there w as nothing left for them to do and
w e re d e t e r m i n e d to d e s t r o y the o th e r
gang. One theme that ran through the play
w a s th a t it w a s s p o n s o r e d by “ P e p s i
C o l a ” . A listair W h ite p ro v e d to be the
s o u r c e o f m a n y j o k e s by his fr e q u e n t
in te rru p tio n s in a d v e rtisin g Pepsi! Ben
Ward played the part o f the leader o f the
good gang skillfully, along with baddiele a d e r M ic h a e l G o v in d . A lso a m u s in g
w as little (!) M ike S m i t h ’s k id n a p p in g
and the obscure hiding place o f a dustbin!
Altogether it was a well thought-out play
which was perhaps a little careless in the
acting at times, but funny and successful
as well. (Special mention must be given
to the ‘b a d ’ g u y s’ rap which was hugely
a p p r e c i a t e d by the a u d ie n c e an d c o n
tributed to the jokey atmosphere that had
been created.)
Freeland kept up the sam e high sta n
dard as it had in previous years, with their
production o f “G a z z a ’s European Tour".
25
T h is w as c arried out w ith an ex p lo siv e
e n th u s ia s m from G a z z a h im s e l f (M a rk
P r i c e ) a n d th e e v e r - p o w e r f u l H i t l e r
(C a m e r o n W o o d ). T his co m b in a tio n of
w ell-k n ow n figures, old and new, along
w ith Q and M ( J a c k F in l e y an d A la n
H a l l ) , ‘s t o l e n ’ f r o m th e B o n d f i l m s ,
p r o v e d to b e an o u t s t a n d i n g s u c c e s s
which worked well, bringing the audience
a thoroughly enjoyable story of G a z z a ’s
m ission to protect Hitler. Did he do it?
N o. H itl e r p e r i s h e d in the c a p a b l e ( ? )
h and s o f G azza: a huge s u c c e s s w hich
was produced superbly. It cannot be om it
ted that most of the ladies in the audience
say “Y e s” to Alan Hall in a suit!
Apart from a variety of mishaps along
the way, this y e a r’s house drama com peti
tion w as fa n ta s tic . E v e r y th in g w e n t
sm o o th ly from the o r g a n i s e r s ’ po int o f
view and the evening w as a m em orable
on e. W e ll d o n e to e v e r y o n e an d g o o d
luck to future competitors. Just rem ember
that in the end much fun should be had by
all!
J E N N IF E R M A C D O N A L D
MANHATTAN
¥ 61,/ BLUES
N O T A KING
“N o !” I bellowed
They looked around in dismay.
Looking at one another
They grinned.
A sudden pain seeped through my back.
Then another, then another —
“ I k n e w I s h o u l d h a v e l i s t e n e d to my
wife.”
They grinned again.
1 could only manage a few more words:
“ Et tu Brute!”
A L IS T A IR R E E K IE
FO R M III
CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
THE TRAIN
JOURNEY
I am staring mindlessly out o f the glass
window: the landscape passes like the turn
ing of pages in a child's picturebook, And
as the wheels grind round and round like
the slow turning o f a handle 1 am reminded
by the sharp clickety-clack, clickety-clack
o f the resolute h and s o f a clock. I look
o u t o n th e p i c t u r e b o o k w o r l d w h e r e
the haunted face o f the clock goes h a y
wire as if possessed, and then there is but
a m o m e n t w h en the c o w s h ave g o ld e n
horns, and the trees’ gnarled fingers haunt
the w o o d . A p p r o a c h i n g th e t r a c k the
criss-cross sketch of the landscape gives
way to the snake-like briar. Yet it is all so
sw ift that e a c h im a g e is n o th i n g m ore
than a memory.
S ud d en ly I am, o n ce again, aw are o f
th e c l i c k e t y - c l a c k , c l i c k e t y - c l a c k .
R eturning to the en capsulated reality o f
the carriage I see people slowly passing,
most w illing to wait but some impatient
to return to th e ir seats; so m e b ra n d ish
brow n p aper bags, no d ou bt filled with
some plastic-lidded cups and a warm , soft
sa n d w ic h or two. T h e y pass by — just
another face to be forgotten. I watch yet
another plastic cupful o f cocoa turn viscid
and cold.
Small children grow n tired o f endless
crisps and cans of fizzy pop, bored with
puzzles and joining dots, sit in the same
acc e p tin g trance as their paren ts. W ith
pouting faces and fixed eyes they slouch
with w rinkled trouser-legs. T he novelty
train ride has long w orn off, along with
their childish restlessness. Parents alike
stare blankly out of the w indow s, oc c a
sionally contributing to mundane conver
sation. Perhaps they think o f the jo u rn e y ’s
e n d . O t h e r s se e m e n r a p t u r e d by th e ir
petty pursuits. A man painfully searches
his mind for a missing word, so wrapped
up he d o esn ’t seem to notice the rare and
perfect beauty of the fleeting land. When
I see his shiny black briefcase I know that
he is blinded.
Presently I hear the click, click o f the
tick et c o ll e c to r ’s p un ch. He is resolute
and solemn in a weary sort o f way, almost
r e g r e t f u l th a t all is c o r r e c t a n d fo r a
minute we all could have been cattle on a
hefty truck. The ticket collector goes on
his way treading the threadbare carpeting
of orange and grey stripes.
1 turn once more from the plastic cups,
spilt crisps and the ru m p le d m ag azines
with their greasy fingerprints. I see, once
again, the green fantasy fields where the
c o w s lazily graze and w here c op se and
knoll lie far b e lo w the h u m m in g pylon
and far from the s t e a d fa s t steel o f the
track. And if their lives were short they
did not know it.
LUCY Q UARRY
SEASONS’ NEWS
P R IZ E W IN N E R S
FORM I
Nicol Nicolson
Ruth Sharp
Craig Larkin
1st
2nd
3rd
Good evening,
Here are tonight’s headlines:
FO R M 11
Colin Perry
1st
The long standing battle between
Spring and Winter has fired up again.
FORM 111/IV Catriona Maclean
Alistair Reekie
A melia Blair Oliphant
Harry Hensman
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
FORM V
Lucy Quarry
Martin Frost
1st
2nd
F O R M VI
Robin Stewart
Jamie Smith
1st
2nd
GREENLAND
An ‘off-concrete’ Christm as Fantasia
with apologies to Edwin Muir
W ho Saw?
S a n t a s a w C l a u s , K r is s a w K r i n g l e ,
F ath er saw C h ris tm a s, Sa int saw N ick,
Sinta saw Class, Christ saw Child, Pere
saw Noel and Black saw Peter.
How Far?
From Greenland to Gretna, from Scotland
to E n g la n d , from Jap an to C h in a, from
Brazil to Peru, from Togo to Turkey.
W h a t’s it like there?
Oh it’s merry, it’s jolly, it’s elfy, it’s cool!
What do you do?
W e l a u g h a n d w e e a t , w e g i v e an d
receive, and open. We mince pie, turkey,
bacon and even C hristm as pudding. We
play
at
D in g b a ts ,
M onopoly,
Blockbusters and 20 Questions. We sing,
and there’s aye a bit o f Nowell.
What is the best on that day?
Getting presents. Yeh!
And the worst?
Not getting presents, Boo!
Listen, w h a t’s that?
Silent Night, Mistletoe and Wine and the
First Nowell.
Tell us about last night.
Well, the party finished at ten...., but the
food was good.
But w ho was there?
Jim and Bob, Peter and Rob, John, James
and even Gary. Helen and Liz, April and
my sis Mary.
And what was the toast?
Christm as
Christm as
Christm as
A L IS T A IR R E E K IE
26
Winter claims responsibility for several
cases of hypothermia.
Spring claims:
“Winter has been in too long,
and now it is time to step d ow n ” .
Good evening.
Once again,
In the animal cycle
rows have been brewing.
W inter and Spring
are battling it out
to see who will control February.
Over to our correspondent in
Spring and Winters adjunct gardens —
John Horti-culture.
“The feelings here are that Spring
will ultimately dominate this
confusing struggle
As it has done for years.
However, we cannot presume upon
how long winter can retain itself.
As you can see over my shoulder
there are a few droplets of
iced water on fuchsia’s fingertips.
We cannot tell for certain,
The outcom e of the situation.
The general feeling is geared
towards Spring being Victorious.
This is John Horti-culture,
S eason s’ N ews,
Back to the main office.”
Thank-you, John,
There will be another bulletin
To report the victor’s meeting of
Sum m er in July.
A M E L IA B L A IR O L IP H A N T
TOOTLES
It w a s n ’t until we got home that I saw
him again. T h e car had hardly stop ped
before I ran to the boot and took the box
out and o p e n e d it. I r u m m a g e d aro u n d
inside the straw and on locating him lifted
him. I held him in the air and stared at
him . T h is h ad b e e n m y first c h a n c e to
examine him closely. We looked at each
oth er eye to eye. He stared out through
his half-shut eyes in a way which indicat
ed a sort o f “ W h o are y o u ? ” look. His
legs waved limply through the air, hang
ing out o f his shell. The shell itself was
still covered in little bits of straw, making
h is m a r k i n g s l o o k d i s t o r t e d . A f t e r a
minute or two 1 got bored with this and so
d e c i d e d to f i n d o u t h o w m a n y o t h e r
things he could do.
I put him down on the grass and w ait
ed. He sat there motionless. I began to get
impatient so I prodded him. In a flash he
had withdrawn to the comfort o f his shell.
This startled me but after a mom ent my
initial curiousity returned. I began to bang
on the outside o f his shell: gently at first
but as it a c h ie v ed nothing , I c o n tin u e d
harder. After a w hile it becam e obvious
th a t a n o t h e r a p p r o a c h w a s in o rd e r . I
s t o p p e d a n d g a v e th e m a t t e r a lot o f
th ought — so m uch, in fact, that in the
time 1 took Mum had decided it w as time
to come into the house. I picked up the
tortoise, still in its’ shell, and obeyed the
orders o f ‘She w ho must be o b e y e d ’!
Inside, I was faced with the same prob
lem, namely: how to make it get out of its
shell. T h en it hit me like a bolt from a
gun. Lettuce! T ortoises arc su pp osed to
eat lettuce. I did a quick recce around and
found a piece in the fridge. I put it in front
o f his nose and awaited the reaction. The
re a c tio n th at f o l lo w e d w as, to say the
least, no n-existent. I then tried pu sh in g
the leaf right up against his face but this
proved fruitless as the nearer it got the
more he pulled his head inside his shell. I
tried various other methods o f force-feed
ing. I broke it up into little bits and scat
tered them all aro u nd him. I tried j a m
m ing bits betw een his ja w s in the hope
that he would taste his favourite food. On
rem em bering that they liked red things 1
covered a piece in tom ato ketchup. Still
the thing w o u ld n ’t eat.
I d e c id e d it w a s tim e for a d iffe re n t
ap pro ach. I lifted him up and talked to
him face to face. "If you d o n ’t eat” I told
him, “you will die. And if you die I will
be very upset,” I continued, “because for
the price 1 paid for you I could have had
ten hamsters or forty goldfish!” His reply
came in the form o f a grunt followed by a
hiss. This took me quite by surprise and,
as a result, I dropped him. Fortunately for
him he landed in the soft straw-filled box.
This proved to be the first o f many lucky
escapes.
In the weeks that followed, my parents
constructed a cage for my bolshy tortoise
to live in. It c o n siste d o f a rectan g u lar
wooden frame covered with chicken wire.
Inside there was an upturned w ooden box
w h ic h s e r v e d as a s h e l t e r in the rain .
W hen we were quite content that it w as
up to standard we put in the last ingredi
ent — the to rto ise itself. W e all sto o d
there to see ho w he w o u ld react to his
newly formed environment. But he kept
true to his usual habit o f doing absolutely
nothing. I soon lost interest and went off
to watch ‘The ‘A ’ T e a m ’. Straight after it
had finished, w ell, actually it w as more
l i k e n i n e o ’c l o c k a f t e r ‘ M u r d e r S h e
W ro te ’, 1 went out to give the tortoise its
dinner.
As I g ot nearer, h o w e v e r, s o m e th in g
stra n g e stru c k me. T he tortoise w a s n ’t
where it had been sitting. This should not
have been surp risin g with any ordinary
p e t b u t w ith m y t o r t o i s e it w a s q u it e
alarming. I lifted up the lid o f the wooden
box in case he had gone in there but he
h a d n ’t. Frantically, I combed through the
grass inside the enclosure. T houghts raced
th rou gh my head. Had he b een stolen?
W as he at this very mom ent a prisoner of
mad tortoise-eating savages? Had so m e
one .....?
My eyes suddenly spotted something. It
w a s n ’t the tortoise though, it w as quite
the contrary. It w as a hole in the chicken
wire! It m easured about 10 x 20cm s —
just big enough for the toroise to get out
of. I thought it time I called in the profes
sionals.
“ M um !” I yelled at the top o f my voice.
“ Yes, what is it?” came a bored reply.
“ Mum, the tortoise has escaped.”
“ What? Are you sure ...?”
“ Yes, it’s made a hole in the wire.”
“Alright, I'll be there in a minute.”
O ver the next hours that followed the
w hole family groped around the garden
lo o k in g for the w re tc h e d th ing and i t ’s
p robably true to say that over an entire
acre we w ere on first nam e term s with
every blade o f grass.
“ Y o u and y o u r b l o o m i n ’ a n i m a l s ! ”
hissed M um angrily. “ I mean it this time,
this is the last pet any of you are getting!”
At around ten to eleven we found him
stuck under the rhododendron bush, thirty
yards from where he should have been. It
was eleven o ’clock before any o f us were
in bed.
In the w e e k s th at f o l lo w e d w e too k
m e a s u re s to ensure that the sam e thing
d id n ’t happen again. Around the bottom
o f the cage we put w ooden planks over
the chicken wire to prevent the tortoise’s
wire-cutting teeth ever being o f any fur
ther use. We also put the wooden box at
the side as well to hinder his escape even
more. This later proved less than a good
idea.
W e re tu rn e d ho m e on e nig ht a fter a
long, boring trip into E dinburgh trailing
around the shops. I w as just about to run
inside the house when a voice said:
27
“ Martin! C o m e and help carry in the
shopping!”
Reluctantly, I obeyed the comm and. A s
I carried the heavy Fine Fare bags into the
h o u se I n o tic e d a le ttu c e in s id e o ne. I
decided that the tortoise needed feeding.
On finishing my task I asked M um and,
being given the go ahead, ran out to feed
the tortoise. I w as just nearing the cage
w hen I saw a m o v e m e n t in the grass. I
stopped but on seeing nothing passed it
off as a hyperactive mole. However, as 1
turned I became aw are of a mobile stone
moving away from me. A s I got closer I
recognised its black markings as my tor
t o i s e . 1 t h i n k it r e c o g n i s e d m e , t o o ,
because as 1 came closer it put on a burst
of speed. This proved to no avail because,
flat-footed as I am, I can still outrun a tor
toise. As 1 picked him up he let his feel
ings be known by one o f his now famous
s n o r t s . W e c h e c k e d h is c a g e f o r th e
means of his escape but on finding none
put him b ack in — s a y in g th at he had
probably escaped w hen we had cleaned
out his hutch the other day. This, ho w e v
er, was not the case as ten minutes later
w e found him casually m archin g across
the front lawn. Curiously we placed this
now extremely miffed tortoise back in his
cage and watched to learn the secret of his
e sc a p e . He sat th ere still and th en , on
thinking that we had left, crossed over to
the corner o f his cage and slowly disap
peared into the ground only to reappear
on the other side.
"The bloom in' thing’s built a tunnel!”
e x c l a i m e d D ad . A n d su re e n o u g h , on
ex am in a tio n , we found a tunnel alm ost
half a foot down. To combat this problem
we dug the hutch in by a foot. T h is we
considered the m ax im um depth any tor
toise could burrow.
For m o n th s the to rtoise c o -o p e r a te d
with us and so in return we relaxed our
v ig ila n te ey es. W e n a m e d it ‘T o o t l e s ’
after the taxi and built an extension to its
cage.
As w in ter ap p ro ach ed we becam e
steadily more worried about hibernation.
W e b o u g h t b o o k s bu t th e y s e e m e d to
offer little in the w ay o f instructions —
j u s t t h i n g s lik e th e m e t a b o l i c ra t e at
w h i c h the t o r t o i s e w o r k e d . H o w e v e r
while we were w ondering what to do, the
tortoise had its own ideas . . . .
O n e e v e n i n g D ad r e t u r n e d w ith the
news that we were all going to the Lake
District for three days. The tortoise made
his move. On our return we found a plank
w r e n c h e d o f f and a n o t h e r h o le in the
chickcn wire. This time the tortoise d id n ’t
come back.
A g a in we w ere g iv e n the le c tu re on
‘the last pet you lot are h a v in g ’ but come
the s u m m e r I had a n o t h e r o n e c a l l e d
" T o o t l e s I I ’. A n d g u e s s w h a t — th e
damned thing escaped!
M A R T IN F R O ST
TELL US THE VERSE ..
T h is y ear an even g re a te r n u m b e r o f
pupils took part in speech perform ances
an d c o m p e t i t i o n s . N o v e m b e r sa w the
Perth B u rn s C l u b 's annual festival and
the scho ol’s St A n d re w ’s Night. In March
w e had the Perth C o m p e titio n F estival
Speech Classes and the Burns Federation
C o m p e t i t i o n . In M a y , th e E d i n b u r g h
Competition Festival w as held. The verse
speak ers’ final “appearance” for the ses
sion was at the Fete.
A total of 45 pupils competed through
out the three days of the Perth Festival in
the solo classes. O ur pupils alw ays pe r
form w ell in the Bible re a d i n g c lasses
w i t h p a r t i c u l a r l y f i n e r e a d i n g s fr o m
Nicola Miller, Amelia Blair Oliphant and
John Osborne. Amelia also gave a spirited
an d a g ile p e r f o r m a n c e o f a sp e e c h by
Puck in “A M idsum m er N ig ht’s D ream ” .
Ben W ard won the Shakespeare class in
the 15 to 17 age g ro u p . T h e w o r k s o f
lo cal p o et, W il li a m S o u te r , h a v e lon g
been a feature of the Perth Festival and a
stirring recitation o f “T he Children” and
“ T h e H u n t ” w o n a w ell d e s e r v e d first
place for Lesley-Ann Dewar.
A nother feature o f speech festivals is
the c h o ral s p e a k i n g o f verse. Both the
first form and the third form choirs were
p la c e d first in th e ir c la s s e s . T h e th ird
form even transformed them selves into a
(verbal) train for A u d e n ’s “ Night Mail"!
But the g re a te st su c c e s s in the Perth
Festival was the Solo (12-14) class, where
26 youngsters recited B elloc’s “ M atilda”
and our pupils took the first 5 places: 1st
( e q u a l ) - J o a n n a M a l c o l m a n d N ico l
N ic o ls o n ; 3rd ( e q u a l) - K irsty C o o p e r
a n d L o u i s a H e n d e r s o n ; 5 th - S t a c y
C o o k s l e y . A f t e r a c l a s s la s t i n g th r e e
hours, 1 think we w ere all glad that the
ghastly Matilda suffered a hideous fate.
A new venture this year for us, but a
long established tradition, nationally, was
the Burns Federation Competition for the
recitation of Scots verse. The finals were
j u d g e d by C h a rle s K en n ed y the S en ior
Vice President o f the Burns Federation.
The ju n io r w in ner w as C atherine G dula
and the senior, Matthew Morley.
Last session, four senior girls took part
in the E d in b u rg h C o m p e titio n Festival
speech classes. This year, however, a bus
load, armed with packed lunches and teas,
headed for Morningside, where they c o m
peted individually and provided support
for one another! The Bible reading again
inspired fine perfo rm an ce s, particularly
from A ndreas B ackm ann, Jam es Wright
and Kimberley A nderson (under 13) and
from Katherine High, w ho won the 14 to
17 class. T h ere w ere also merit c e rtif i
ca te s fo r A m e lia Blair O lip h a n t in the
prose reading, for Natalie Y oun g in the
S c o t s v e r s e ( u n d e r 12) an d f o r N ico l
Nicolson and Kirsty C ooper in the under
14 solo.
Finally, this year for the first time we
attem pted the under 17 public speaking
class. This was won by 12 year old Nicol
Nicolson who highly entertained the adju
d i c a t o r w i t h h is “ t o n g u e in c h e e k ”
account of being a student in Strathallan’s
j u n i o r h o u s e , “ T h e L if e o f R i l e y ” .
K ananu Kirimi w as placed second with
her humorous reflections on the absurdity
o f the f a s h io n in d u s try . T h ir d ( e q u a l )
went to Joanna Malcolm who considered
the effect o f different co lo urs upon our
m o o d s, and L o u isa H e n d e rso n , w ho
reflected on the importance of the tree to
humanity and life on earth.
That long day in Edinburgh was hectic
and, very complicated, as som etimes we
had p u p ils p e r f o r m i n g c o n c u rr e n tl y in
three rooms. A lasting memory from the
b u s i e s t p a rt o f the d a y is o f A n d r e a s
B a c k m a n n ca lm ly a sk in g me w h ere he
c o u ld go to ch a n g e d o llars and gild ers
into sterling. With relief, I told him banks
were closed on a Saturday!
I.M cF .
DEBATING
The acad em ic year 1991/1992 started
w ith a k een , f r e s h - f a c e d D e b a tin g
Committee, ready to rectify what they felt
were the downfalls o f the previous y e a r’s
Committee.
The first problem facing them was the
difficult decision as to the appointment of
S p e a k e r o f the H o u s e . T h a t, in itse lf,
threw up a debate between the supporters
o f Mr Daniel McGilvray (“ Dan the Main
M an” — “ Punter of the Round Ball extra
o r d in a ir e ” ) and M iss T e ssa D u n lo p
“ Hysterical and Historical Scribe o f the
Oxbridge Possibles” and “ Sum m er Term
T roglodytes T ro g lo d y te s”). On the flick
o f one of Mr L o ngm uir’s rare coins it was
d e c id e d to a lt e r n a t e the o c c u p a n c y o f
“The Speaker’s” Chair (replete with cush
ion filched from the Chapel).
The Debating Year, or at least the first
tw o te r m s o f the y ear, p r o d u c e d s o m e
memorable debates. Who could ever for
get Mr Philip A insw orth (“ Follow me, I
kn ow w h ere the rare m o th s hang o u t ” )
and Master (“ I can play the tunes — even
‘ S a n d y ’s N e w C h a n t e r ’” ) H a m i s h
M cC artan w ith their “ C o k e - C a n ” te c h
nique against Miss Pauline (“ I can sing
what you sing — A N D avoid the m oths”)
L o c k a rt p a r t n e r i n g M iss H ila ry ( “Just
carry the w retched harp — d o n ’t drop it
or y o u ’ll be s tru m m in g one in the next
life”) Moore.
T h e J u n i o r D e b a t e s sa w s o m e v e ry
p r o m i s i n g p e r f o r m a n c e s — e s p e c i a ll y
M iss A m e li a B lair O l i p h a n t ’s (“ D o n ’t
tangle with me or I’ll put a bullet through
your forehead” ) high-powered and intimi
dating attack on the Opposition.
Miss Dunlop and Mr Murray (“ I'm so
laid b a c k I d o n ’t ca re w h a t you do or
s a y ” ) D ic k d e b a t e d b r i l l i a n t l y in T h e
Bank o f Scotland D ebating C ompetition
and although they didn't win their Heat, it
was a noteworthy Debate.
T h e Inter-H ouse C om p etition (one of
the recent highlights o f previous Debating
Y ears) started o f f very w ell, but alon g
with debating in the S um m er Term, fiz
zle d o ut w ith the p r e s s u r e o f e x te r n a l
e x a m i n a ti o n s (b e g i n n in g at E aster and
f i n i s h i n g in th e p e n u l t i m a t e w e e k o f
term). Perhaps the Inter-House Debating
Competition should be handed over to the
Lower Sixth — but tha t’s another debate
for next y e a r’s C o m m ittee. The finalists
were to have been Thornbank v Ruthven
— and it’s no secret that their respective
Housemistress and Housemaster (who not
only supported their teams — at least that
team w hich w a s n ’t aw arded 7 ‘b y e s ’ to
allow it into the sem i-finals — and per
haps e v en c o a c h e d th e m ) w ere v isib ly
presen t w h e n e v e r their tea m s m ad e an
appearance.
C e r t a i n l y , as w a s s e e n t h i s y e a r ,
D e b a tin g is not fo r the ‘e f f e t e ’ — but
r o u n d s o f f the “ a l l - r o u n d e r ” . T h e real
w i n n e r s w e re all th o s e w h o to o k part,
e ith e r as te a m s o r as v o ic e s fro m ‘the
floor of the H o use’.
The S cho o l’s thanks are due to all who
d e b a t e d ; th e S c h o o l P r e f e c t s w h o
"p oliced" the D ebates (but never had to
e jec t a sin g le H o n o ra ry M e m b e r ) ; the
Junior Members o f the School w ho brave
ly stood up to speak and, in spite o f more
gentlem anly cat-calls than are heard “ in
th e O t h e r P l a c e ” , s t o o d th e i r g r o u n d
against the ‘Pigs from G erasa' and made
their point, often to great effect; and, of
course, to eve ry o n e w ho su pp orted and
voiced their own opinions in a “ standingroom o n l y ” C h a m b e r (M r Reed hav ing
retrieved his Music Room chairs before,
during and after Debates.
Especially, our thanks are due to those
w ho enlivened the few dull or aw kw ard
m o m ents with their own opinions (h o w
ever bizarre — future Captains o f School
— take note!).
F in a lly ,
Debating.
Good
Luck
and
Good
C H R IS T O P H E R P R O C T E R
(Scribe)
A TRIP TO BELGIUM ..
Substantially aids the GCSE History candidate: Discuss (109 marks)
On a co ld , dark O c to b e r ev en in g
a r o u n d fo r ty in t r e p i d 5th F o r m e r s cut
short their ten day release from school life
in order to play soldiers in the Belgium
trenches.
S u sta in e d by a n o u ris h in g sch o o l
b re a k f a s t w e left allie d g r o u n d w ith a
cheer and m urm ured cries from the dark
confines o f the back row, “ Nobody told
m e 1 n e e d e d a p a s s p o r t ! ” (W e ll d o n e ,
John.)
We arrived at Hull for the fifteen hour
ferry trip to Z e e b ru g g e e x trem e ly tired
from the journey and so all went straight
to sleep at exactly 10.00pm.
Heightened by new found “come dan c
in g” skills the night before, Mr Proctor
led the troops forth to our first encounter
w ith the w ar g raves. Row upon row of
c o u n tl e s s fallen s o ld ie rs sh o c k e d even
Alan into silence.
A fter a light continental lunch (a fo r
eign c o n c e p t to so m e in the gro u p ) we
d ro v e up t o w a r d s Y p re s an d b e g a n to
appreciate that the German side of things
really w asn 't much better. An enlighten
ing comm entary on the strategic positions
o f the surrounding country was admirably
k e p t u p by M r P e n g e l l e y , d e s p i te the
banjo duet serenading the back of the bus.
After a hard d a y ’s history and a not so
light dinner (m uch to A li's relief) it was
time to adm ire the sights o f Katrijk for
ourselves. All thanks must go to Comrade
Sangster for so com petently leading this
tricky m a n o e u v r e for o u r “ H I S T O R Y ”
reconnaissance.
The next morning it was off to France, to
Vimmy Ridge, to play in the stone trench
es com pletely u n abashed by large signs
d e c la r in g “ U N E X P L O D E D S H E L L S ” .
M a n y h ad fun in th e s h e l l c r a t e r b ig
e n o u g h to c o n t a i n W o o d l a n d s . A f t e r
p a c k e d l u n c h e s , w h i c h e v e r y o n e had
eaten at 8.0 0 a m , we a b a n d o n e d French
t e r r i t o r y , n o w k n o w i n g the w o r d fo r
tu rn ip m o u n ta in s — all o f w h ich w ere
dutifully pointed out by Rich Morris.
W e w e n t on to v is it the m u s e u m at
S o m m e w h ic h is filled w ith c o u n tl e s s
m em orabilia including n um ero us g rav e
stone slides which sobered us all a little,
as did Miss N e ale’s remark later — that
each name inscribed out of the 20,000 on
a w a r m e m o ria l (n e ar hill “ 6 9 ” ) w a s a
person with fam ily and friends and life
ahead o f him.
O ur em p a th y skills w here once again
i n c r e a s e d w h e n w e v i s i t e d th e W a r
M u s e u m at Y p re s w h ic h s u c c e e d e d in
b rin g in g the w a r out o f the text books.
The m ood w as continued as we heard the
so m b re stra in s o f T h e Last Post b e in g
p la y e d u n d e r yet a n o th e r m e m o r i a l to
more fallen soldiers at the entrance gate
to the town. On the way back to the hostel
that ev en in g we realised that alm ost all
the buildings in Belgium w ere less than
40 years old and even today throughout
the country there are constant reminders
o f a war which almost obliterated a “ neu
tral” country.
On Day 3 the history aspect o f things
w as ov er and we b eg an our day o f rest
and relaxation. We first visited Ghent —
“ a ch arm in g little to w n ” — assured our
tru sty lead ers. W ell, it m ay h ave b een
“charm ing” most days but on this particu
lar Sunday it was more deathly still than
the battle fields o f the Somme.
T h in g s picked up in Bruge w here we
all succum bed to tourist fever and squan
dered our last francs on lace, post cards
for Gran, and, of course, Belgian choco
late. Full m arks go to Lucy Y o un g and
Johnathan Foy for successfully testing our
infamous “ num bering o f f ’ system (41 is
usually after 40, Helen) by taking up per
manent residence som eplace in the town
— th e i r w h e r e a b o u t s w e r e n e v e r d i s
closed.
By 6.00pm we were back on the ferry
and after much hearsay about Mr R aine’s
fab ulou s karaoke voice, tem ptation w as
too much and we went (albeit reluctantly)
to i n v e s t i g a t e th e r u m o u r s . R e b e c c a
showed us how to dance a Strauss Waltz
gracefully, whilst M r Du Boulay, not to
be outdone, showed us The Twist was the
dance to avoid. The evening was drawn to
a c l o s e n ic e l y by a P e n g e l l e y , N e a le ,
Raine, Du Boulay and, of course, straight
m an Proctor, rend ition o f “ N o w T h a t I
C a n ’t D ance”. Examples to us all?!
Seasickness claimed many a victim the
next morning and the deck was extremely
p op ular, unlike ou r sup erb c a m e ra m a n ,
Chris Marshall, who caught all our m isde
m e a n o u r s on tap e, an d r e c e i v e d m o re
death threats than a G C S E examiner.
The faces w hen we returned to school
were a sight to behold. 1 think everybody
had a great time and, despite rumours to
the contrary, our ability to understand a
little more o f the 1st W orld W ar c o n d i
tions w as helped.
M ister Twister! (N.H. D u B. on the Boat).
29
N IC K Y M IL L E R
THE FRENCH PLAY
S o m e t im e b a c k in the m ists o f tim e
a n o th e r so rt o f n o tic e a p p e a r e d in the
French blocks to keep the numerous “ ne
parle pas ang lais ic i” (sic) co m p an y . It
w a s no les s m e n a c i n g and c a rr ie d the
o m i n o u s m e s s a g e th a t the d e p a r t m e n t
wanted A CT O RS. Roughly three months,
lots of coffee, numerous packets o f H ob
nobs and more, (procrastination!) those of
us w ho h a d n ’t run fast enough took the
plunge.
W e left the security o f Mr StreatfeildJa m e s’ living room and took to the stage.
( W e l l , O K — th e L e c t u r e T h e a t r e ) .
Francois, as Maigret the detective, raised
the level o f the French — sadly no-one
understood the accent. He said he enjoyed
his stint on stage but he never re-appeared
from backstage again. W hy? S o m ething
to do w ith th a t n ic e b e l t e d r a i n c o a t ?
Heather put up a virtuoso performance as
th e w a i t i n g w i d o w a n d o v e r - b e a r i n g
m am an — typecast? Surely not. The rea
son I know this is that no m am an in her
right mind would be daft enough to heave
th e w in e b o tt le s o u t o f the w in d o w to
keep things tidy. Anyway, dig that hand
b a g w o rk (she c a u g h t F ra n c o is a g reat
right hook with it!) Raj w as brilliant as
M aigret’s side-kick Lucas — most mem-
orable line “Oui C h e f ’. Laurie w as ner
vous but with H eather’s medieval mother
on his heels and T i l l y ’s lu st-c o n s u m e d
serving lass blo ck in g his frontal escape
ro u te , w h o c o u ld b l a m e h im ? L e s le y Anne got great at sw eeping the cafe floor,
Lynn w as a taxi driver struck by m otor
way madness and I needed no rehearsing
at all for my role! All things said, we had
great fun and the cast would like to thank
their script-writer-cum-director-cum resi
dent snoring person for giving support in
the front row. Thank you Mr StreatfeildJames for all your work and especially all
those biscuits you fed us!
F IO N A G R A IN G E R
COLOGNE
Achtung! Even to those w ho do not do
Germ an, this word may seem familiar. It
was a word which w as to come in useful
when eight o f us lucky Strathallians won
a b u s m a n ’s holiday to G erm an y for ten
days during the autumn term o f 1991. A
dau ntin g prospect — m aybe, but it was
worth a shot, if only to miss those boring
lessons for a short while.
A rm ed w ith d ictio naries, verb tables,
gram m ar books (as well as all our “holi
day w o r k ” from c o n cern e d te achers, of
course) we set o ff for Cologne with our
s te re o ty p i c a l G e rm a n F u h re r — K lau s
Glimm.
On arrival in Cologne station, we were
greeted by an assortment o f strange for
eigners (yes ‘R E A L ’ Germans, Tracey!!)
and rapidly whisked off to various corners
o f th e c i t y n o t k n o w i n g w h e t h e r w e
w ould ever return ...
Most o f us were staying with someone
o f our own age and sex, except for Jock
— was it love at first sight????? (perhaps
w e s h o u l d a ls o m e n t i o n th a t s h e h as
already been back to stay!). At least we
had the consolation o f kn ow ing that our
G erm an hosts all had something in c o m
mon: they w ere h um an beings and they
all went to the Liebfrauschule, which was
our main opportunity to meet up with the
other Scots and compare notes.
C o m m u n i c a t i o n w a s fa irly to u g h at
first as the extent o f our G C S E v o cabu
lary w as pushed to the limit, but at least
Paul fo u n d so m e use fo r his fa v o u r ite
word — “ D O C H ” — contradicting every
thing anyone had to say.
C laire and T ra c e y w e re p e rh a p s at a
slight advantage having done a year o f A
level German but, even so, were initially
reluctant to speak in the foreign tongue.
H o w e v e r, a tte n d in g le s s o n s c o n d u c te d
entirely in German and learning subjects
as d iv e rse as M ath s, P h y sic s and even
Divinity, our confidence and understand
ing were extensively broadened.
In ad d itio n to the sch oo l cu rricu lum ,
our hosts had arranged a daily programme
of activities and trips both educating and
e n t e r ta i n in g . T h e h i g h l ig h t m u s t have
b e e n a V IP trip to C o l o g n e C a th e d r a l
w h ich stand s high. W e w ere sh ow n the
renowned Ark containing the ashes o f the
three wise men and taken to the roof from
which we could watch firework displays
from the n e a rb y city o f D u sse ld o rf. A
truly breathtaking experience. Other out
ings included a day in Bonn, trips to vari
ous museums, as well as opportunities to
go shopping.
The weekend was left to the devices of
each individual family and although on
30
Saturday evening we all ended up togeth
er, S u n d a y w a s s p e n t s e p a r a te l y , w ith
pe op le v isitin g nearby to w ns and la n d
scapes, and C laire w as lucky enough to
visit Belgium and Holland.
On the last night, after som e in tern a
tional sporting events, a big buffet supper
w as o rg a n ise d for ev eryo ne. We e n te r
tained them with some Scottish Country
D ancing. H o w ever, not even this could
show adequately our enorm ous apprecia
tion for the effort and generosity of the
teachers, parents and pupils of the school.
We can never thank them enough.
Not only did our Germ an improve vast
ly, but also o ur c o n fid en ce and k n o w l
edge of the G erm an people. Jud gin g by
the e m o t io n a l d e p a r t u r e the f o l lo w in g
m o rn ing at the station, it w a s clear that
the e x c h a n g e had been a great su ccess
and th at s tr o n g b o n d s had b e e n e s t a b
l i s h e d b e t w e e n S t r a t h a l l a n a n d the
Liebfrauschule.
None o f this could have been possible
w ith o u t M r G lim m w ho w e all w ish to
thank for organising the visit. Having just
sat our A levels and G C SE s we appreciate
the value o f such an opportunity and we
hope that next y e a r’s exchange is every
bit as successful.
T R A C E Y M O R T O N & C L A IR E C O R R IE
IMPRESSIONISTS
In February, the Department o f Art and
D e s i g n w e r e p r i v i l e d g e d to j o i n th e
Design and Technology Department on a
combined trip to London.
Despite an unexpected shortage o f ade
q u a te f a c i l i t i e s o n th e train an d so m e
o th e r m in o r e n te r ta in m e n ts , as we
a p p r o a c h e d K i n g ’s C r o s s it b e c a m e
apparent the trip had becom e a little too
much for G eorge Obank, w ho obviously
t h o u g h t he w a s l a n d i n g at H e a th r o w !
This, in turn, con fu sed all o f us, not t o ;
mention some o f the other passengers .
On o u r arrival at the hotel w e noted
im m e d i a t e l y th a t the tr a v e l a g e n t had
g o n e to e n o r m o u s le n g th s to m a k e the
Design and T echnology D epartment feel
“ at h o m e ” an d c u n n i n g d i s p e r s i o n o f
rooms ensured, in the absence o f resusci
ta tio n e q u i p m e n t , m i n i m a l m o v e m e n t
from the Art staff. These celestial q uar
ters, however, were to deny us the oppor
tunity o f extending relationships with an
A m erican g irls’ school and their c h a rm
in g s t a f f , a l s o r e s i d e n t at th e h o t e l .
Reluctantly, we had to leave this task to
Mr Elliott and the boys, who, judging by
their a p p e a ra n c e next m o rn in g , had all
thrived on the experience.
T o ad d to all th is, as if o n e n e e d e d
more, a full day o f visits w as enjoyed by
all — to the Design Museum, the Design
C entre and the N ational G allery, where
the education department provided a lec
t u r e r to t a l k us t h r o u g h s o m e
I m p r e s s i o n i s t an d P o s t - I m p r e s s i o n i s t
paintings. This proved invaluable to the
s t u d e n t s w h o w e r e a b o u t to sit t h e i r
Higher History o f Art paper.
H av in g reach ed c u ltu ral satu ratio n
p o i n t th e p a c e w a s a l t e r e d a n d th e
rh y th m n in c r e a s e d th at e v e n in g , w h e n
everyone enjoyed a show called “ Return
to the Planet” — which, incidentally, Mrs
Cairns w as extremely relieved to do.
A fte r this p a c k e d day an d late night
(for so m e a little lo n g e r and later than
o t h e r s ) a v e r y ti r e d b u t h a p p y g r o u p
re tu rn ed to sch oo l m ainly to sleep , but
also to reflect on the wonders of this trip.
D .H .
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
It has been a couple o f years since I last
in c lu d e d a re p o r t in the m a g a z in e and
d u r i n g th a t tim e S t r a t h a l l a n h a s b e e n
m oving rapidly through its planned p ro
g ram m e o f changes. Buildings have been
e rected at a tre m e n d o u s pace and these
have all contributed towards the gradual,
y e t s i g n i f i c a n t c h a n g e f o r th e w h o l e
school.
T h e D e sig n and T e c h n o lo g y d e p a r t
ment has maintained its planned develop
m ent w ith a full six years co m p leted in
the new building, and we are now able to
see the benefits o f these facilities being
available for all students.
A-Level and Higher grade entries have
been increasingly more successful and the
gradual change towards a “Total Design"
approach means that we are now catering
for an ever-increasing diversity o f project
work within the full spectrum o f this su b
ject area.
G C S E w o rk has b een en jo y in g o v e r
w helm ing success, particularly within the
T e c h n o l o g y c o u r s e s a n d f o r m e th e
biggest rew ard co m es from the en thu si
asm that is being born out o f involvement
within this subject.
T h e N a tio n a l S c e n e is alw a y s in the
n ew s a nd it is h e a rt e n in g to learn that
after all the debate, criticism and report
ing o f this area nationally, we are right on
course and holding our ow n at the fore
front o f development.
All o f this is only made possible by the
continued hard work o f the team o f staff,
all of w hom have contributed enorm ously
to the success of this venture.
Mr Wallace left last Christm as to take a
Head o f Department post in London and
it is appropriate here to acknowledge the
huge contribution that he made since he
started here in 1986.
He has been replaced by Mr Belw ood
and I w ould like to take this opportunity
to formally welcome him into the team.
Both Mr P h illips and Mr W ilso n are
c o n tin u in g to co ntrib ute a great deal to
the continued development of the subject
and the d ep a rtm e n t in general. 1 w o uld
like to express my gratitude to them both
for their continued support.
F i n a l l y , w i t h an i m m i n e n t m o v e
planned for m yself to The University of
Strathclyde faculty o f Education, I would
like to wish all at Strathallan all the very
best for the continuation o f the happy and
purposeful atm osphere that will be essen
tial for the introduction of the forthcom
ing ch an g es, and to w ish m y su cces so r
every happiness in what is a great posi
tion.
M aking M ountains out o f M olehills on the Hockey Pitch?
31
P.E.
CAREERS
T h e year has seen the continued co n
solidation o f the existing careers service,
and a number o f new initiatives.
T h e “ a ll - i n ” A p tit u d e T e s ti n g in the
Fifth Form is now fully established. This
y ear 112 pupils to ok the tests. (For the
benefit o f y o un ger pupils and their par
ents I m ig h t add that an e x p la n a tio n is
g i v e n to p u p i l s w h e n t h e y a re in th e
Fourth Form, and at the end o f the Fourth
Form year parents are sent full in form a
tion about the scheme).
In the Lower Sixth there were 76 atten
d a n c e s at c a r e e r s e x p e r i e n c e c o u r s e s ,
slightly fewer than last year, but nonethe
less a healthy number. (Again for the b en
efit o f parents, the Lower Sixth are given,
in December, details o f courses available,
to take home).
In September the Upper Sixth attended
G la s g o w U n iv e rs ity O p e n D ay. W h ile
m uch w as learned, it is felt it w ould be
advantageous to have a major visit earlier
in th e a p p l i c a t i o n s e a s o n , an d so the
L ower Sixth attended Dundee University
Open Day in June. The initial reaction to
this change w as favourable, and it is like
ly to be the p attern for the future. The
U p p e r S ix th a ls o w e n t to the T a y s id e
H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n C o n v e n t i o n in
S e p te m b e r — a very valu ab le even ing ,
and there w as an additional visit for the
L o w e r S i x t h to a H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n
C o n v e n ti o n h o s te d by St L e o n a rd s , to
w h o m we e x p re s s o u r th a n k s for their
hard work and hospitality.
L ia iso n o ff ic e rs from all the A rm e d
Services continue to visit the School each
term, and they give invaluable advice and
introductions to interested pupils. Sadly,
the Senior Arm y Liaison Officer, Colonel
Robert Gurdon, retired this summer. His
help and encouragement over many years
has been second to none. We shall miss
his visits, and we are most grateful to him
for all his assistance.
An im portant new initiative, for which
w e must th ank M r Raine, has been the
introduction at the L ow er Sixth stage of
interview practice on a substantial scale.
This has been conducted by m em bers of
the R o tary C lu b o f P erth K in n o u ll. In
May, 36 pupils were put through the mill,
and their response w as ov erw h elm in g ly
p ositiv e, ev en from so m e w h o realised
they made a bit of a mess o f things. As
one girl said: “ I got it w rong, but at least I
now know it, and I can put it right.” We
are most grateful to our friends in Perth,
and I hope they will be prepared to co n
tinue and perhaps extend this very valu
able exercise.
A second initiative is the establishment
o f a Register of Old Strathallians prepared
to h e l p p u p i l s p a s t an d p r e s e n t w i t h
ad vice, and p e rh a p s w ith w o rk e x p e r i
ence. This schem e is being masterm inded
by the current President of the Strathallian
Club, S h e riff G ra h a m Jo h nsto n. There
has been an encouraging response to the
first wave o f enquiries. The intention is to
build up a list o f Strathallians, by profes
sion and location, so that a cry for help
can lead to a referral to a s y m p a th e tic
expert. We may not be successful in con
tacting all those interested, and any Old
S tra th a llia n w illin g to m a ke his or her
expertise available, or w ho would like to
know more about the scheme, is asked to
c o n t a c t e i t h e r G r a h a m J o h n s t o n or
myself.
At last we launched a Y oung Enterprise
company, “ B E A N C H IE S ”, which while it
suffered a num ber o f hiccups — mainly
th ro u g h la ck o f e x p e ri e n c e o f all c o n
cerned — neve rth eless d eclared a d iv i
dend giving a 20% profit to shareholders.
A report appears elsewhere in this m aga
zine. At the time o f writing it is uncertain
whether we can form a company for 9293, but I hope so.
As always, a number o f ladies and g en
tle m en have visited the S cho ol to give
lectures and presentations on a variety of
topics. We extend our thanks to:
M r W B aird, U n iv e rs ity o f D u n d e e —
“G oing to University”.
C olo nel Jo hn B lash fo rd -S n ell, D irecto r
O p e r a t i o n R a l e i g h — “ A L if e o f
A dventure”.
Professor A nthony Bussutil, University of
E d in b u rg h — “ F o re n s ic S cien ce and
Crime Investigation”.
Mr Phil Cooper — “ Substance A b u se”.
Mr Cowan Ervine, University o f Dundee
— “Careers in L aw ”.
M rs J e n n y G ib b o n s , G A P E n t e r p r is e s
Ltd. — “Taking a G A P year".
Mr John G ibson, Napier Polytechnic —
“T he S c o ttish C en trally F unded
Institutions” .
M r C h a rle s J a c k s o n , “ P eo ple F ir s t” —
“ Motivation and Goal Setting” .
Mrs Helen MacNeill, D ugdale-M acAdam
College — “Secretarial C areers”.
D .A .R .W .
COMMUNITY SERVICE
It h a s b e e n e n c o u r a g i n g to s e e an
increasing num ber o f people involved in
this w o rth w h il e ac tivity this year. T h e
elderly and the sick greatly v alu e their
w e e k ly v is its fro m S tr a th a l la n p u p ils.
T hey love the op portunity to chat away
and a natural ch ord o f affinity is often
struck. This year, as well as visiting the
B r i d g e o f E a r n H o s p i t a l a n d th e
Moncrieff Nursing Home, the pupils have
v e n t u r e d in to P e r t h w h e r e th e n e w ly
o p e n e d O c h il N u r s i n g H o m e has w e l
c o m e d them each w eek . A lso in Perth,
th e y h a v e e n j o y e d th e o p p o r t u n i t y o f
helping out n u rs e s on the paediatric ward
o f the PRI, a lth o u g h they u su a lly lo ok
fairly worn out after an afternoon’s work
there!
Musicians from the Choir joined us at
Christm as to produce a small carol co n
cert which delighted the residents o f the
homes. They sang along, recalling all the
w ords perfectly from the depths o f their
memories. “ Requests” for favourite carols
kept the choir on its toes, but efforts were
r i c h l y r e w a r d e d w h e n th e M o n c r i e f f
Home laid on a huge tea.
Strathallan pla yed host to m any p e n
sioners from the area at Christm as when
they filled the Chapel for the first o f our
Carol Services.
Lorna English, Carolyn Russell, Nicola
C ro w e and, m ore re c e n tly , C a ro ly n
Silver, have been braving the hyperactivi
ty o f D u n b a r n e y P r i m a r y S c h o o l , an
o c c u p a t io n th ey th o r o u g h ly en jo y , but
find fairly exhausting.
M a n y t h a n k s to all t h o s e w h o c o n
tributed this year. Next year we hope to
see even further expansion into the c o m
munity.
P.J.C .
I’aul H eslop's deserving case'
BUSINESS STUDIES
Part of the brief on my appointment two
y e a rs ag o w a s to i n t r o d u c e B u s in e s s
Studies into the Sixth Form curriculum.
In the school y ear recently finished we
have seen the first group o f ‘A ’ level stu
dents complete their course and are now
(at the tim e o f w r it in g ) a w a iti n g th eir
ex a m in a tio n resu lts — a lth ou gh by the
time this is read the students will be scat
tered arou nd the U K at v ario u s institu
tions o f Higher Education.
In a d d itio n to the A L ev el B u s in e s s
Studies class the d epartm en t also offers
th e n e w S c o t t i s h H i g h e r s C o u r s e in
M a n a g e m e n t an d I n f o r m a t io n S tu d i e s
(which was examined for the first time in
1992).
These ‘n e w ’ subjects are in addition to
the e x istin g co u rses in E c o n o m ic s at A
and H Level. Economics is a very popu
lar subject nationally and remains one o f
the “top 6 ” A Levels in terms o f numbers
o f students taking the e xam ination. As
the A and H Level courses are so similar
it proves possible for both to be taught in
o n e c la s s — tw o fo r the p ri c e o f o n e
(that’s Econom ics in action for you!). It
also means that all A Level students can
take the Higher as a back-up.
In o r d e r to c o p e w ith th e g r o w th in
popularity o f these subjects the school has
m a d e t w o n e w a p p o i n t m e n t s to th e
department — Mr Christopher Mayes (or
“ Mr M s” as he has been christened) has
j u s t c o m p l e t e d his first y e a r an d M rs
Anne Croft w as appointed on a part-time
basis to help reduce the size o f the MIS
sets.
For those w ho have not yet found their
w a y to th e E c o n o m i c s a n d B u s i n e s s
S t u d i e s D e p a r t m e n t w e c a n be f o u n d
above the Modern Languages Department
o ccup yin g the S ixth-F o rm -H all-that-w as
and the ‘Latin R o o m ’. The d epartm ent
now has three classrooms and an office.
The subject matter o f the various cours
es that we have on offer is too detailed to
be covered here, but should anyone wish
to f i n d o u t m o r e t h e n w e w o u l d be
pleased to see them o v er in the d e p a rt
ment.
Both the ‘n e w ’ courses are keen to pro
mote what is known in the jargon as ‘stu
dent-centred learn in g ’ ic using a variety
o f a p p ro a c h e s to te a c h in g and learn in g
w h i c h e n c o u r a g e an a c t i v e l e a r n i n g
process — the use o f case studies, m an
agement training games, business simula
tions (some done on the computer), p rob
lem solving and decision making exercis
es, etc. Other activities are planned and
we would hope to be able to incorporate
vis its to firm s and to get som e visitin g
speakers into the school.
D u rin g the a c a d e m ic y e a r 1991/92 a
te a m o f 4 B u s i n e s s S t u d i e s s t u d e n t s
( D o m i n ic S c h m i d t- R i e c h e , Rod L am b,
Jennifer Griffiths and Iain Wilson — see
photo) took part in the “ Y oung Business
People o f the Year 1992” Competition.
The competition was a computer simula
tion o f running a company selling dispos
ab le sh irts (w o u ld
you b eliev e
‘C a s ta w a y s ’?) and d urin g the g a m e the
team had to make various decisions like:
How many shirts to make
W hat price to charge
How many people to employ
H ow m u c h e q u i p m e n t/ r a w m a te ria ls
were required
How much to spend on marketing
This w as a national competition (U K)
and out o f an entry of 250 (with 100 more
schools w antin g to enter but unable to),
the team m a n a g e d to play thro u g h tw o
competitive rounds and qualified for the
national semi-final (24 teams). This w a s <
held in S u rrey and the sp o n s o rs o f the
competition, Argos, paid all expenses for
air flights to London. So very early in
M arch I co lle cted som e b leary -e y ed
youngsters at school in time for the 7.00
shuttle to Heathrow. We arrived back at
Strathallan at around 11.00pm the same
evening, without the first prize o f £5,000
but w ith a c e rta in a m o u n t o f cred it.
W h e n the final resu lts w ere calc u la te d
they finished in 13th place overall — the
highest position of any Scottish school.
T h e E c o n o m i c s c la s s als o e n te r e d a
national E co n o m ic s C o m p etitio n called
Forecast 1992 run by Lloyds Bank where
th e te a m h a d to f o r e c a s t ( g u e s s ? ) the
behaviour o f certain key eco no m ic vari
ables over a six month period eg
FTSE 100 Index
Inflation Rate
U nemploym ent Rate
Interest Rates
etc
U n fo r t u n a te l y th ey did not h av e the
same amount o f success as their Business
Studies counterparts with their forecasts
— b u t t h e n a g a i n n e i t h e r d id H M
T r e a s u r y d u r i n g th a t s a m e p e r i o d
(rem em ber Norman Lamont said that he
c o u ld see sig n s o f the g reen s h o o t s o f
economic recovery in 1991! Yet here we
are in 1992 and are still w aiting for the
recovery to begin!) and they, o f course,
had ra th e r m o re in f o rm a tio n and m ore
s o p h isticate d tools o f an a ly sis than the
L ower Sixth ‘E c o ’ class!
N.S.
YOUNG ENTERPRISE COMPANY 1992/3
“ R E C IPE FO R S U C C E S S ”
Dishes from all your favourite sporting personalities
REA D Y SOON!
E N Q U IRIES TO: K ATE T U R N E R — W O O D L A N D S
RUGBY
S tr a th a lla n S ch o o l R F C o p e n e d new
frontiers in its p re-season tour by being
the first Scottish school to tour to South
A m erica for rugby. A rgentina and Chile
were the two main countries visited and
Santiago and Buenos Aires the two main
centres. W e were extremely well looked
after by The G range School in Santiago
and St A n d re w ’s Scots School in Buenos
A ires. T h e fo r m e r cou ld not have been
m ore helpful ov er the u nfortunate ac c i
d e n t to J a m e s H e n d e r s o n . C u l t u r a l l y ,
socially and educationally it w as a great
e x p e r i e n c e and S t r a t h a l l a n b o y s w e re
good ambassadors. Unfortunately we did
not do well on the rugby field and, in ret
r o s p e c t , w e s h o u l d h a v e t a k e n six or
seven leavers w hich w ould have made a
big difference. Our best performance was
l o s i n g v e r y n a r r o w l y to T h e G r a n g e
School and reaching the sem i-final o f a
S e v e n s t o u r n a m e n t a r r a n g e d in La
Cumbre.
The team for the first two games back
at school was as follows:- R Johnston, H
Lochore, A Keddie, A W ood, M Silver, K
S alters, G A n d e rso n , R S tew art, S
Harrod, K Kay, R Mitchell, G Burton, J
Tornos, A Burrell (second half Rannoch
and The Grange), J Leiper, P Sochart.
T h e o p e n in g g a m e a g a in s t R a n n o c h
w as all too easy with a score-line o f 66-0
in o u r f a v o u r . O u r f o r w a r d s w e r e too
strong in the scrums and the loose but did
not dominate the line-out so easily. There
w a s a ls o g o o d an d c o n f i d e n t r u n n i n g
from the backs and an abundance o f tries.
o w n g o a l a re a . He lo s t the b a ll, th e y
scored and we lost 6-7.
At this.stage we should have played 3
an d w o n 3 — L oretto w o u ld th en, I ’m
sure, hav e b een a n o th e r sto ry. T w e n ty
m in u tes o f pressu re on Loretto in their
first half produced no score, yet against
the run o f play they broke away, due to
slack tack lin g, to score. A secon d goal
before half-time con firm ed that the end
result w ould be a victory to Loretto, as,
thereafter, we seemed to have lost belief
in ourselves. The final score was 0-12.
Robin Stewart, our captain, was o ff for
b o th the L o r e t t o an d the St A l o y s i u s
gam es, his place being taken by Martin
Ross and M ark T en ch , resp ectiv ely .
W ithin m in u tes again st St A lo y siu s we
were 0-3 down but came back decisively
and with four penalties by Mark Silver,
on e f o l lo w in g a te r rif ic peel by G a rry
Burton and Ky Kay, and we were well in
control at half-time. Tries by Mark Tench,
Peter S ochart and Jason Low, the latter
running virtually the length o f the field,
secured a good victory at 26-7.
A lec Burrell w a s still injured for the
Fettes ga m e and, in fact, the next three
games. Jam es Tornos played at wing for
w ard and Jason Low retained his place
due to an injury to Mark Silver. We were
so d om inant in the first 20 minutes that
we sco re d three tries th r o u g h Ky Kay,
Eddie A nderson and Hugh Lochore. The
first two scores came from good driving
and su p p o rt play by both fo rw ard s and
backs, the latter from a line-out was clas
sic, g o o d b ack p lay w ith a b e a u tifu lly
timed pass by Alan Keddie to finish it off.
U n fo rtu nate ly, we relaxed and it w as a
much tougher battle in the second half to
secure victory by 18-10. The final score
w as by Andy W ood, converted by Alan
K e d d ie .T h e g a m e a g a in s t G le n a lm o n d
w a s m a r re d by a bad a c c id e n t to th eir
excellent open-side flanker and with not
lo ng to go and the sco re at 4-4, it w as
decided to abandon the game. However, it
must be said that we were lucky to escape
with a draw. Our one score was perhaps
one o f the best o f the season. It started
w ith a d riv e on the b lin d sid e fro m a
s c ru m w ith P e te r S o c h a rt, E ddie
Anderson and Bob Mitchell followed by a
good ruck ball and out to the backs. An
inside pass from A lan K ed die to A ndy
W o o d f in a lly p ut R o b in J o h n s to n and
Mark Silver away but Andy was there to
pick up and score after M ark had been
tackled.
F o r the s e c o n d y e a r w e w e n t to the
H ow e o f Fife g ro un d to play the North
and M i d la n d s U 1 8 sid e. T h is tim e we
c o u ld and m o s t d e fin ite ly sh o u ld have
won. Not only did we cope well with the
district side but w e exerted trem en do us
pressure on their forwards. O nce again,
we could not convert pressure into points
and w e lost 3-10. There were good perfor
mances by many and Eddie A nderson had
Our next game was a unique return fix
ture by T h e G r a n g e S c h o o l, S a n tia g o .
This was a very competitive game and at
the en d o f th e f i r s t h a l f w e w e r e 4 -9
do w n , h a v in g c o n c e d e d three pe n a lties
against a try by Andy Wood. We entered
the sec o n d h alf d e te r m in e d to put o u r
selves in the lead and after a try and con
version by Mark Silver we seemed to be
very m uch in control. D eterm ined ta c k
ling by T h e G ran ge u nder c on siderable
pressure preven ted us from scorin g and
with not long to go a mistake in mid-field
led to a c o u n t e r a t t a c k by th e S o u t h
American side and a final score o f 10-15.
W ith high w ind s and lashing rain the
conditions could not have been worse to
play G la sg o w A c a d e m y and having the
majority o f possession was quite often an
embarrassment. H aving scored an excel
lent try early on (involving a miss in the
c e n tr e , f u l l b a c k c o m i n g in to the lin e,
wing and wing, forward taking the ball on
an d the f l y - h a l f K eith S a lt e r s , in true
‘E l l a - s t y l e ’, b e i n g t h e r e fo r the fin a l
pass), the gam e looked to be a foregone
c o n c lu s io n . H o w e v e r , in c r e a s i n g ly we
found it difficult to finish off movem ents
despite considerable pressure. With liter
ally only seconds to go and leading 6-3
o u r f l y - h a l f s e e m e d to h a v e a m e n ta l
aberration and tried to run a ball from our
Aleck B urrell and Ky Kuy coming o ff llic pilch.
34
an ou ts tan d in g g a m e but, sadly, m issed
the trial for the P res id e n ts X V and the
next g a m e ag a in st M e r c h is to n th ro u g h
injury.
From a rugby point of view it’s a pity
that we have a half-term as it see m s to
disrupt the p attern o f d e v e lo p m e n t and
w ith M e r c h i s t o n h a v i n g b e e n on to u r
while we w ere resting there is no doubt
that th ey w e re m u ch s h a r p e r and m ore
m entally atun ed. Fo r th em it se e m e d a
very easy victory at 13-44.
The next tw o g a m e s w ere, in fishing
te r m i n o l o g y , g a m e s w h i c h w e s h o u l d
have had in the bag but were allowed to
slip a w a y , both by o ne score. L e a d in g
Edinburgh A cademy by 3-0 and with the
o p p o sitio n h a v in g to d e fe n d th e ir ow n
line, lack o f concentration allowed them
to sw itch the ball from right to left and
send their left-wing away, the full length
o f the field. A n o th e r p e n a lty by M ark
S ilver b ro u g h t the score to 6 -6 at halftime. The loss o f Bob Mitchell in the sec
ond half did not help but it w as our care
l e s s n e s s a n d E d i n b u r g h A c a d e m y ’s
o p p o rtu n is m w h ich turned the g a m e in
their favour. Even then we created several
scoring chances in the latter phases of the
gam e w ithout capitalising on any. Final
result w as 6-12.
S t e v e n H a r r o d a n d B o b M i t c h e l l ’s
injuries near to the M orrison’s game did
n o t h e l p s t a b i l i t y w i t h i n th e p a c k .
N e v e rth e l e s s ,w e sta rte d the g a m e w ell
and were seven points ahead in 24 m in
utes w ith a try by G ra h a m M a c L e n n an
and a penalty by Mark Silver. Once again,
over-confidence caused problems and we
allowed M o rris o n ’s to get back into the
gam e. T a c k lin g m id-field and a lack of
c o m m i t m e n t in r u c k i n g , e s p e c i a l l y in
d efen ce w ere the m ain p rob lem s. Halftim e s c o r e w a s 7 -9 . A try by J o h n n y
L e ip e r an d c o n v e r s io n by M ark S ilv e r
to o k the s c o r e to 13-9 but M o r r i s o n ’s
were quick to respond with a penalty. A
knock-on by Mark Silver foiled a certain
scoring opportunity but a penalty brought
the score to 16-12. A final driving assault
by M orrison’s revised the score to 16-18.
A lthough we lost 3-23 to an excellent
and, as it proved to be, unbeaten Dollar
A ca d e m y side, this w as by far ou r best
p e r f o r m a n c e sin c e h a lf - te r m . W e held
Dollar to 0-3 at half-time with a powerful
performance by the pack and terrific midfield ta c k l in g . U n f o r t u n a te l y , c a re l e s s
kicking early in the second-half allowed a
very quick set o f Dollar backs to run from
deep and counter-attack well.
K e l v i n s i d e A c a d e m y w a s the fin al
gam e o f the w inter term. Garry Burton,
who had been injured towards the end of
the M o r r i s o n ’s g a m e , w a s o f f fo r the
r e m a i n d e r o f th e s e a s o n w i t h a n e c k
injury and Bob Mitchell w as injured for
both the D o llar and K elv in s id e g am e s .
A penalty by Mark Silver and a try by
Eddie A nderson after 10 minutes, sniping
on the open-side after a ruck gave us a 90 lead (conversion by Mark Silver). After
half-tim e tries by Jason Low and Mark
Tench w ith an oth er conversion to ok the
score to 19-0. A lthough not a great per
formance, it w as a satisfactory way to end
the term.
After Christm as we played an ‘A ’ X V
against H owe of Fife Colts and after lead
ing 30-0 with 3 tries by Jason Low, 2 by
R o b in J o h n s to n and one by G uy
S t e p h e n s , w ith th r e e c o n v e r s i o n s , the
younger, more inexperienced players who
were brought on found the up-hill condi
tions quite difficult and the score slipped
to 30-16.
St A n d re w ’s Scots School from Buenos
A ries m ade a return visit to Strathallan
a n d h a v i n g l o s t by a b i g m a r g i n in
A rgentina, the boys w ere determ ined to
giv e a g o o d a c c o u n t o f th e m s e lv e s.
Unfortunately, due to frost, the match had
to be switched to Edinburgh which meant
we lost out on local support. Nevertheless
the team gave an extremely good account
o f them selves and surprised St Andrews.
Had our place-kicker not missed a penalty
when we were leading 9-4, we may just
have sn e a k e d a re m a rk a b le v ic to ry .
However, the strength and experience of
the A rgentinian side allied to the loss of
Peter Sochart our No 8, w ho sustained a
neck in jury, finally tipped the balance.
P e ter’s loss from the back o f the scrum
and line-out was crucial as he had devel
oped into a fine player as the season pro
gressed.
T h is g a m e to ok m ore out o f the side
than was realised and losing a few crucial
players with injury, added to exam c o m
m itm e n ts , w e p la y e d R o b ert G o r d o n ’s
College four days later with quite a differ
ent side. The final result here, however,
w as still more disa pp oin ting (9-16) and
not the best way to end the season.
O verall this w as a very disappointing
s e a s o n b e c a u s e , had T h e G r a n g e and
Glasgow A cademy results gone the right
way, at least four o f the other gam es, if
not more, w ould have gone our way. In
fact, the only 2 sides to beat us conprch e n s iv e ly w ere D o llar and M e r c h isto n
and th roughout the season our forw ards
had the best o f more set-piece exchanges.
However, our loose play, continuity and
finishing were not alw ays so good.
Ky K ay, E d d ie A n d e r s o n and A n d y
W ood played for the Presidents XV and
A l a n K e d d i e w a s in th e s q u a d . B o th
Eddie Anderson and Andy W ood had tri
als for Scottish Schoolboys.
Full c o lo u rs w ere a w a rd e d to: Robin
Stewart, Eddie A nderson, Johnny Leiper
and Andy Wood.
H a lf co lo u rs w ere aw ard ed to: Robin
J o h n s to n , G a rry B u rto n , A lan K ed d ie,
Thus, a completely new second row pair
ing had had to be found for the previous
game and this one. Mark Tench and Niall
G ray p r o v e d to b e a r e m a r k a b l y g o o d
reserve pairing.
B o b M i t c h e l l , P h il A i n s w o r t h , M a r k
Silver, Ky Kay, Hugh Lochore and Keith
Salters.
Due to 2 c a n c e l la ti o n s w e p la y e d in
only two sevens tournam ents — Heriots
35
and Merchiston. The team for the former
w a s G B u rto n , H L o ch o re, J L eip er, R
O b in e c h e , P A in sw o rth , M S ilv er, A
McCulloch and after beating St Aloysius
by 18-10 a n d b e in g 10-0 up a g a in s t
Dundee HS we let our grip slip and lost
10 -1 2. A t M e r c h is t o n th e sid e w as: G
B u rto n , H L o c h o re , P A in sw o rth , M
S ilver, J Low, E A n d e rso n , A W ood.
After winning against Merchiston B 14-8,
S te w a rts-M e lv ille 2 2 -18 , G lasg o w
A cademy 16-12, we succum bed to a p o w
erful M e rc histo n side in the final 6-30,
after being well in touch at 6-10 at half
time.
T h e 3 r d f o r m s i d e , c a p t a i n e d by
Duncan Forbes, w as by far and aw ay our
m ost s u c c e s s fu l side th is se a s o n .
U nbeaten in the norm al run o f fixtures,
they contributed substantially to an U13_
side w hich played in the S S R U Jubilee
T o u rn am e n t. H av ing w on the M id land s
S e c t i o n th e y w e n t o n to the f i n a l s at
Murrayfield and lost in the quarter finals
to St A lo y s i u s . S te v e n C o o k s l e y c a p
tained this side in what proved to be an
excellent tournament.
The 4th form side provided the follow
in g f o r th e M i d l a n d s U 1 5 t e a m : D
C le m e n t, A C lark, M G re sh o n and L
MacKenzie.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank all co ach es for the tim e spent on
rugby outside their normal teaching c o m
m itm en ts. W e co n tin u e to field a large
number of sides at all levels and our only
problem is getting fixtures for the differ
ent te a m s. N e v e r th e l e s s , c o a c h e s d o a
tr e m e n d o u s jo b in m a in ta in in g interest
and enthusiasm. My thanks, in particular,
this season go to Sim on Pengelley, Colin
S t e w a r t a n d J o n a t h a n F o r s t e r , all o f
w hom are leaving for pitches new. Each
has contributed in his own way to the suc
cess o f the Club and we are most grateful
for their efforts. Sister W allace also left
during this year and we wish her all the
very best in her new appointment.
Finally, my thanks go to all those who
are forced by dint o f their jo b s to pick up
the pieces, dirty washing, w o u n d ed etc:
Mrs Clayton and her sew ing room staff,
Sister in the san, and Mr Y oung and his
s t a f f f o r c o p i n g a d m i r a b l y w i t h th e
‘Barbarian H ord es’ every week.
1S.R
RUGBY RESULTS
1st XV
v Rannoch
(H)
v The Grange School
Santiago
(H
v Glasgow Academy
(A
v Loretto
(H
v St Aloysius
(H
v Fettes
(A
v Glenalmond
(H
v North/Midlands U18 (A
v Merchiston
(A
v Edinburgh Academy (H
v Morrison’s Academy (A
v Dollar Academy
(H
v Kelvinside Academy (H
v Howe of Fife Colts (A
v Robt Gordon’s Col (A
v St Andrew’s Scots
School Buenos Aires (H)
Played 16, Won 5, Drawn 1,
Points for: 239
Points against: 206
Won
Lost
Lost
Lost
Won
Won
Drawn
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Won
Won
Lost
Lost
Lost 10
2nd XV
v Queen Victoria Sch (A) Lost
v Glasgow Academy
(A) Won
v Loretto
(H) Drawn
v St Aloysius
(H) Won
v Glenalmond
(H) Won
v Merchiston
(A) Lost
v Edinburgh Academy (A) Won
v Morrison’s Academy (A) Won
v Dollar Academy
(H) Drawn
Played 9, Won 5, Drawn 2, Lost 2
Points for: 156
Points against: 89
Played 5, Won 1, Drawn
Points for: 49
Points against: 62
42-10
2 4 -4
FORM 3C XV
(H) Won
v QVS
(A) Lost
v Loretto
Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1
Points for: 16
Points against: 48
66- 0
10-15
6-7
0-12
27 -3
18-10
4-4
3-10
13-44
6-12
16-18
3-23
19-0
30-16
9-16
9-16
9-16
3 2 -0
13-13
2 4 -9
2 1 -9
3-22
2 6 -4
16-4
12-12
6th XV
v QVS 3rd XV
(A)
v Loretto
(A)
v Glenalmond
(H)
v Merchiston
(H)
v Edinburgh Academy (A)
v Abbey School 2nd XV(H)
v Glenalmond
(A)
Points for: 128
Points against: 40
7th XV
v Merchiston
v Glenalmond
Played 2, Won 2
Points for: 76
Points against: 14
Lost
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Lost
(A) Won
(A) Won
FORM 4A XV
v Rannoch
(A)
v Glasgow Academy
(H)
v Loretto
(A)
v Q V S ‘A ’ XV
(H)
v St Aloysius
(A)
v Glenalmond
(A)
v Merchiston
(H)
v Edinburgh Academy (H)
v Morrison’s Academy (H)
v Dollar Academy
(A)
v Perth Academy
(H)
Played 11, Won 7, Lost <
Points for: 233
Points against: 140
Won
Lost
Lost
Won
Lost
Won
Lost
Won
Won
Won
Won
FORM 4B XV
v Loretto
v St Aloysius
v Glenalmond
v Merchiston
v Edinburgh Academy
v Morrison’s Academy
v Dollar Academy
v Glenalmond
Points for: 356
Points against: 68
v QVS 2nd XV
v Perth Academy
2ndXV
v Loretto
v St Aloysius 3rd XV
v Glcnalmond
v Merchiston
v Edinburgh Academy
v Morrison’s 3rd XV
v Dollar Academy
Points for: 149
Points against: 43
v Loretto
(A) Won
v QVS B ’ XV
(H) Won
v Merchiston
(A) Lost
Points for: 24
Points against: 40
(A) Won
2 1 -0
(H)
(H)
(A)
(H)
(H)
(H)
(A)
(A)
Lost
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Lost
Won
8-10
17- 0
13- 0
2 3 -0
9-8
27- 0
6-17
15-8
(A)
(H)
(H)
(H)
(A)
Lost
Lost
Drawn
Lost
Won
8-12
4-32
4-4
6-10
2 7 -4
(A)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(H)
(H)
(H)
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
88504812622428-
4
4
0
0
6
0
6
4
16-8
0-40
SSRU U13 SILVER JUBILEE
TOURNAM ENT
3rd XV
v Rannoch 2nd XV
(A) Won
2 2 -3
v Glasgow Academy
(A) Won
2 2 -9
(II) Lost
12-29
v Loretto
v Glenalmond
(H) Won
4-0
v Merchiston
(H) Lost
6-24
v Edinburgh Academy (A) Lost
4-26
v Dollar Academy
(H) Won
26-12
v Abbey School 1st XV(H) Drawn 12-12
Played 8, Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 3
Points for: 108
Points against: 115
5th XV
v Rannoch 3rd XV
v Loretto
v Glenalmond
v Merchiston
v Edinburgh Academy
9-10
18-4
18-0
24-10
3 6 -0
20-0
3-16
FORM 3B XV
Loretto
St Aloysius
Glenalmond
Merchiston
Edinburgh Academy
Morrison’s Academy
Dollar Academy
Glenalmond
Played 8, Won 8
Points for: 240
Points against: 24
Lost 3
FORM 3A XV
v QVS ‘A ’ XV
v Loretto
v St Aloysius
v Glenalmond
v Merchiston
v Edinburgh Academy
v Morrison’s Academy
v Dollar Academy
v Dundee Colts
Played 9, Won 9
Points for: 372
Points against: 6
36
(A)
(A)
(A)
(A)
Lost
Won
Won
Lost
(H) Won
(H) Won
(A) Won
(H) Won
(H)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(H)
(H)
(H)
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
4 2 -6
0-48
0-30
56-0
14-24
2 4 -6
4-16
12-10
2 3 -0
15-0
4 3 -0
4- 30
36-•6
58--0
4- 22
54-•0
100 ■0
48--6
52--4
8-4
16- 0
0-36
52- 0
36- 0
31-6
44- 0
47- 0
48- 0
58- 0
30- 0
26- 0
Perth Academy
(A)
Won
Harris Academy
(H)
Won
Dundee High School (H)
Won
Kinross High School (A)
Won
Earlson) at M urray-W on
18-6
St Aloysius ) field
Lost 0-14
FORM 2A XV
Q V S ‘A ’ XV
St Aloysius
Merchiston
Edinburgh Academy
Morrison’s Academy
Dollar Academy
Played 6, Won 1, Drawn
Points for: 100
Points against: 135
FORM 2B XV
Rannoch
FORM 1A XV
Edinburgh Academy
Merchiston
Played 2, Won 2
Points for: 40
Points against: 0
54- 0
5 4 -4
24-10
10-6
(H) Lost
(H) Drawn
(H) Lost
(H) Lost
(H) Won
(A) Lost
1, Lost 4
18-24
16-16
18-22
12-22
24-12
12-39
(H) Lost
10-14
(H) Won
(H) Won
28- 0
12-0
NARBONNE
For a num ber o f years Brian Raine has
b e e n o r g a n i s i n g t o u r s to N a r b o n n e in
so uth w est M editerran ean France. T h ey
have alw ays been well subscribed and a
credit to the many w ho have taken vaca
tion job s to pay for at least some o f their
costs.
Is it just a holiday? Is it a passport to a
F irst X V p la ce ? Is it j u s t a p r e - s e a s o n
training cam p or is it a rare cultural expe
rience? For those w ho have laid in the sun
or before a television for six weeks, play
ing rugby in 30 C. on hard grounds is a
salutary initiation. As Jam es Proctor will
attest, French rug by pro v id es no gentle
instruction. The phrase "laissez faire" was
perhaps invented by the French refereeing
panel. N ew law s are usually a basis for
n e g o ti a ti o n . N o w o n d e r F r e n c h m e n at
M u r r a y f i e l d f in d th e w h i s t l e s a little
pedantic.
A lth o u g h play ers are invited on their
merits, by no means all have serious aspi
rations to First X V places. H ow ever one
of Narbonne's merits is that with a regular
morning training session and with plenty
o f s t a f f a ro u n d , in d iv id u a l c o a c h i n g is
available. I suspect that A ndrew Shepherd
w a s no t t h i n k i n g o f s t a r d o m w h e n he
signed up, but som e gutsy perform ances
have put him in line for a place in the XV,
and it w ould be much to his credit if he
could win the full-back berth. Obviously
one o f the purposes o f Narbonne is to lay
the foundation o f a First XV, and we con
firmed that we have a solid front five, of
w hom Bob Mitchell and Rhesa Obineche
were outstanding. However there is work
to be done elsewhere. It is gratifying that
a n u m b e r o f th e y o u n g e r p l a y e r s like
S t e v e n H a r r o d , J a m e s H e n d e r s o n an d
Logie M a cke nzie coped m ore than a de
quately.
A n o th e r aspect o f N arb o n n e is that it
g i v e s n e w r u g b y s t a f f a c h a n c e to be
acquainted with staff and boys aw ay from
the c h a lk f a c e and b e c o m e a ss im ila te d .
David Barnes pioneered this som e years
ago and this time we had the benefit of
A l a n B a ll. He is a v e r y e x p e r i e n c e d
coach, who was in charge o f the St Joseph
College, Brisbane XV, w hom we met on
the "World Tour" but perhaps fortunately,
not on the pitch. He brings both expertise
and many new ideas, and will be a major
asset to Strathallan.
C o m p e t i t i v e m a t c h e s m a k e the to u r
much more than just a training camp and
the b e n e f i t s o f p l a y i n g t o g e t h e r so o n
becam e obvious. A modest performance,
at C aca sso n n e w as follo w ed by a much
more impressive one against the might of
N a r b o n n e y o u th . T h e d ra w at P orte la
Nouvelle w ould certainly come under Bill
Maclaren's description of "towsy".
The best w as kept to last. For much of
the ga m e at C ou rsan we did everyth ing
ourselves into a losing position. H owever
a try created by Andrew McCulloch, with
n o t i m e to g o , g a v e u s an o p e n i n g .
C o u r s a n r e t a l i a t e d b u t th e e v e r v i g i
la n t t o u c h - j u d g e , D . J B ., p o i n t e d o u t
that the scorer had crossed the deadball
line. This try was disallowed. The locals
w ere not pleased. A particularly bestial
lo o k in g p ro p e yed the to uch ju d g e and
m u ttered s o m e th in g abo ut "v iand e
m o r t e " . F r o m th e 22 , a s u p e r c h a r g e d
Eddie Anderson, on his last appearance in
a school shirt, led a surge down the lefthand touchline to set up a try in the dying
s e c o n d s o f injury tim e. T h e v ic to rio u s
players cam e o ff the pitch to be greeted
w ith the n ew s that G.S.C.E. results had
arriv ed. F o rtu n ately m a n y had g ro u n d s
for double celebration. Let us hope that
this last-gasp effort inspires the First X V
to snatch the cliffhangers during the term.
N arbonne is a lovely old market town
which has grow n elegantly and unostenta
tiously into a city. This ambiance o f the
b o u l e v a r d r e m a i n s as r e l a x e d as e v e r
despite, to the horror o f B.R., the e m er
g en ce o f " M a c D o n a ld s ." It is a city o f
characters, o f ch arm in g cafes and m uch
u n d e r - r a t e d w in e . T h e p a c e o f life is
n ever qu ick er than g e n tle m a n ly . Y et at
th e s a m e t i m e it h a s p l e n t y to o f f e r .
M e m b e r s o f th e p a r t y e n j o y e d tw o
Narbonne R.F.C. games, ten-pin bowling,
a m a g n ific e n t po nd , the b each and ju s t
chatting. Phil Ainsworth seemed to know
every girl in Narbonne — or at least they
all talked to him. A no ther feature is the
trips to C ap D ’Agde. The w ater park is
beginning to look a little tatty round the
edges, but it did not stop the horde experim e n t i n g w i t h th e m a n y s l i d e s . P e te r
G re en launched h im self as avidly as he
did into every rugby coaching book ever
w rilten . M ean w h ile R hesa, Bob and
Andrew Morens, our Chilean G.A.P. stu
dent set about cem e n tin g good relations
w i t h the D u tc h . U n f o r t u n a t e l y R h e s a
proved a better diplomat than photograph
er, but other evidence confirms his skill.
Lastly I would like to congratulate the
w hole party. T hey were as pleasant and
co-operative a group as I can rem ember.
Tiffs were kept to a minim um, and I think
that everyone enjoyed it.
Special thanks should go to Peter Keir
w h o has e sta b lish e d h im se lf as m ed ico
extraordinaire on all tours. He dispenses
plasters, sprays, and placebos with equal
g o o d h u m o u r b ut w h a t w o u ld he h ave
done without Garry Burton's injury o f the
day? T o be fair to Garry, he did seem to
be a favourite target o f French forwards!
Lastly to B.R. the ultimate complim ent is
th a t e v e r y t h i n g a p p e a r e d to ru n lik e
clockwise, at least to us.
N J .D u B.
FOOTBALL
1 9 9 1 / 9 2 w a s t h e f i r s t y e a r o f th e
Independent Schools Soccer League and
the S tratha llan te am had m ore m atc h e s
than ever before. As usual we were so m e
tim es successful, at o ther tim es less so,
but m ost m atches w ere w ell-fou gh t and
e n j o y a b l e , w h a t e v e r th e f i n a l s c o r e .
However, there were trials to be endured.
1 will not quickly forget playing St Serfs
in t o r r e n t i a l rain or th e f r u s t r a t i o n at
G e o rg e W a ts o n s o f p la y in g on a rugby
pitch, very difficult if your goalkeeper is
quite short (sorry Tubs).
My t h a n k s g o to G o r d o n for all the
work he did as captain and to all the play
ers for th e ir e n th u s ia s m an d c o m m i t t
m e n t . T h a n k s a l s o to C . M a y e s , P.
Belwood and A. Moreno for their help.
G .A .B .
Results:
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
WON
Watsons (H)
L OST
St Serfs (H)
WON
Stewart Melville (H)
L OST
W atsons (A)
LOST
Merchiston (A)
Stewart Melville (A) D RA W
LOST
Q.V.S. (H)
LOST
Q.V.S. (A)
WON
Merchiston (H)
37
M r B o lto n ’s Bag o f Balls.
HOCKEY
IN D O O R
With huge w ins over Harris A cad em y
(22 goals w as a record), Stewarts Melville
and G lenalm ond, we looked to have our
best e v e r c h a n c e o f th at e lu siv e
Glenalm ond Challenge trophy. At B ell’s
the pool and semi-final matches were won
co m f o rta b ly and w e faced an un k n o w n
E d in b u rg h A c a d e m y in the final. T h eir
two experienced club players made it hard
for us to b reak d ow n their defence. We
were one down, levelled, and hit the post,
only for them to snatch the win in the last
few minutes. Again we had the talent to
win but not quite the luck or determ ina
tion when it mattered.
OUTDOOR
The 1st XI got o ff to an easy start. A
young Stewarts Melville side w as beaten
11-0 (equalling the scoring record). A few
days later we faced the Scottish Under 16
s q u a d on ‘a s t r o ’ in D u n d e e , w i t h o u t
C aptain Malcolm Dippie, w h o had been
b ad ly d a m a g e d by a K ilg ra sto n d a n c e r
and thus lost his chance o f a second year
in the national U nder 18 squad. For the
first half we were outskilled, and although
looking dangerous on the break, we went
in 1-0 d o w n . W ith q u ick e x c h a n g e s o f
goals the game tipped to Strathallan, our
opponents were run off their feet and suc
cum bed 5-3. The ‘rev eng e’ match against
the A cademy w as played on a mud heap
in E d in b u rg h . W e ra in ed in s h o ts on a
S o m m e - l i k e g o a l in the first ha lf, bu t
could only score once. A ttacking a better
grassed circle in the second half was easi
er and w e sc o re d five m ore. S tra n g e ly
they provided little opposition.
G am es with W atsons are usually tight,
b u t w e h ad h o m e a d v a n t a g e a n d th ey
were not as strong as usual, so we were
comfortable winners.
Led
by
in te rn a tio n a lists
M ike
Yellowlees and G raem e M acK enzie, the
O ld B oys w ere a handful. W e held our
ow n until the last qu arter w hen ‘school
b u lly ’ ran through twice to inflict our first
defeat.
On MacD iarmid P a rk ’s superb surface
F e tte s w e r e c r u s h e d 8 -0 by s o m e fine
a tta c k in g h ock ey. (O nly o n e point w as
dropped to Fettes in this y e ar’s series of
games).
G o r d o n s t o u n a w a y is a n o th e r to u g h
one. T h ey w ere strong, fast and had an
o utsta n d in g ly skilful D utchm an . (W hen
will we get one?) We had our chances but
they probably deserved their narrow win.
We b o u n ced back next day a g ain st a
w e a k A b e r d e e n s id e a n d s c o r e d e ig h t
goals. The Harris gam e w as bizarre. 3-0
up in 15 m in u te s , we had to c o m e o f f
when a freak storm deposited three inches
o f snow. (This entirely local fall caused
cancellation o f the next d a y ’s Prep School
S ixes w hen the rest o f the cou n try w as
fine!)
The big g am e o f the season is alw ays
ag ain st Loretto. Pla y in g on u n fam iliar,
but good, grass and having two forwards
not match fit w ere handicaps, but Keith
S a l t e r s ’ s h o o t i n g p u t u s t w o up by
‘o r a n g e t i m e ’. T h e y s c o r e d , m i s s e d a
p e n a lty flick, and M ark T a y lo r w as
‘retired’ briefly by the umpire, before we
h eld on w ell, w ith g o a lk e e p e r D u n ca n
Robertson outstanding.
A strolling win over Monifieth was the
icing on the cake to a good, if not perfect,
season.
The ou tstanding feature o f the season
w a s o u r g o a l- s c o r i n g (5 in 11 g a m e s ).
This reflected the experience and speed of
fo r w a rd s Jas o n L ow , K eith Salters and
A lan K ed d ie . T h e fr e q u e n t ‘o n e - t w o s ’
p l a y e d by th e l a t t e r a l w a y s u n n e r v e d
defences. Fine concentration and keeping
from D u n c a n R o b e rts o n kept the b ack
s e c u r e , a nd in fro n t o f him full b a c k s
P h ilip A itk e n an d G r a h a m M a c le n n a n
p layed steadily. A n d re w W o o d w o rk ed
shrewdly in mid-field, where Mark Taylor
w a s a skilful h u m an dy n am o . M alcolm
D ip p ie ’s injury limited his appearances,
but he alw ays captained well and d o m i
nated attackers. Eddie A nd erso n played
increasingly effectively, and, as the baby
o f the side, John G reen ’s gam e came on
well. Once established in the side Martin
S m i th ’s pace and guile caused problems
on the right wing.
A n e x p e r i e n c e d 2 n d XI a ls o s c o r e d
freely (31 goals in 8 games). The 3rds had
a l e s s g o o d r e c o r d b u t th e 4 t h s w e r e
u nb eate n in th eir short fixture list. Not
b le s s e d w ith a g re a t talen t, the S e n io r
C o lts w o rk e d hard for their record and
were only beaten twice, once to an excel
le n t C u l f o r d s id e w h o w e r e w e l c o m e
tourists from St Albans. The outstanding
g r o u p w a s the J u n i o r C o lts. O n ly o ne
ga m e w as lost by the three sides. Riley,
too, had an unexpectedly good year losing
only to Cargilfield.
Altogether it was a good season blessed
by fine w eather which enabled players to
overcome the bum piness of our grass and
the fast deteriorating hard pitch.
M y t h a n k s g o to all w h o c o a c h e d ,
u m p ire d , c lo th e d , fed and w a te re d
S tra th a lla n p la y e rs in tho se h ectic five
weeks.
J .N .F .
Team from:
M R D ip p ie* (C a p ta in ), J C Low*
(S ecretary ),
D
C
R o b ertso n *
(Goalkeeper), K L Salters*, M A Taylor*,
A W K ed d ie, E D A n d e rs o n , A F C
W o o d , P A itk e n , G R M a c le n n a n , J G
Green, M A Smith, J P A MacDonald, G
A MacGregor-Christie, C F M acD onald,
C L C Hill.
* Full colours
Jason L ow receives his R unners-up cup —
Glenalm ond Challenge.
Touring Hockey X I in Barcelona.
38
PASSAGE TO CATALONIA
<
<
Most tour reports tend to the prosaic —
‘left S trath on T u esd ay , arrived A laska
the following Friday, beat World XI 10-0’
— th a t s o r t o f th i n g ; w h e n , as w e all
know, touring is kaleidoscopic. So yourc o r r e s p o n d e n t w ill p ro v id e a D IY
account, and invite the reader to cobble
to g eth er, in any ord er, m o m e n ts , so m e
h a lf r e m e m b e r e d , m o s t b e st fo r g o tte n ,
an d in th a t w a y g e t th e fl a v o u r o f the
b o y s’ hockey tour to Spain in April.
H ighlights:
Lunch at Tossa (staff only)
F r i e n d l i n e s s o f the H o tel T e r r a B ra v a
staff
R a b s’ gentle half time criticism o f Tubs
A la n ’s half time talk
The FC Barcelona stadium
Isaac’s lengthy conversations in Germ an
The Juniors actually win ning a game
Breakfast at the local cafe
Bottles o f San Miguel
A n dreas’s interpreting
Mrs V allo t’s morning surgery
J a s o n ’s speed
M artin’s smile
M iro ’s ‘thin g’ in Barcelona
A crostic over-shadowed at Tossa?
Low lights:
Leaving Strath at 5am
All food at the T erra Brava
T u b s ’ positional sense
H a n s’ m oney sock
The Real Polo Club coach
2,700 miles in the same bus
‘Dances with W o lv e s’ with Greek subti
tles
The price o f after-m atch rolls in Terrassa
A n d reas’s Catalonian
T en c h ie’s speed
M artin’s laugh
Any John Green joke
The manners of G erm an youth
‘Nice Jewish h ou ses’
Hitting the post at 1-1 in the last minute
o f the last game
And the real high point? — P ro c ’s dis
c o v e r y th a t s h e r r y is h a r d to f i n d in
Lloret.
A n d the u lt im a te low p o in t? — H a n s ’
socks.
A (v ery )C ro stic
This wav! 2nd X I v. SYH B U15 XI.
R E SU L T S
1st XI
Stewarts Melville Won
5-3
S Y H B Under 16 Won
Won
Edinburgh Academy
4-2
Watsons Won
3-5
Lost
Old Boys
8-0
Fettes
Won
0-1
Lost
Gordonstoun
Won
8-0
Aberdeen G S
Harris Academy A bandoned
2-1
Loretto Won
6-2
Won
Monifieth H S
2nd XI
Abbey
Harris A cademy
S Y H B Under 15
Edinburgh A cademy
Glenalm ond
Fettes
Loretto
Rannoch
Won
Won
Drew
Won
Drew
Won
Lost
Won
11-0
6-1
6-0
3-1
1-1
8-0
2-2
5-0
1-2
5-0
3rd XI
Perth A cademy
Glenalm ond
Fettes
Loretto
Rannoch
Harris A cademy
Drew
Lost
Drew
Lost
Won
Lost
1-1
1-2
0-0
2-3
Lost
Lost
Won
Lost
1-2
1-3
3-1
1-7
Ju n ior C olts
A XI
Glenalm ond
Watsons
Gordonstoun
Fettes
Harris A cademy
Loretto
Monifieth H S
Drew
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
1-1
8-0
6-0
5-0
2-0
4-1
2-1
Ju n ior C olts
G lenalm ond
B XI
Gordonstoun
Fettes
Loretto
Won
Lost
Won
Won
4-1
1-2
9-0
2~1
Ju n io r C olts
Lathallan
CXI
Lorctto
Won
Won
4-0
3-1
6-0
2-3
4th XI
Fettes
Loretto
M orrison's A cademy
Won
W on
Won
4-2
4-2
3-0
Senior C olts
A XI
Abbey
Culford
Watsons
Edinburgh A cademy
Fettes
Gordonstoun
Aberdeen G S
Harris Academy
Loretto
Won
Lost
Won
Won
Won
Drew
Won
Won
Lost
8-1
0-2
6-0
2-1
4-1
1-1
2-1
1-0
0-2
39
Sen ior C olts
B XI
Harris Academy
Perth Academy
Fettes
Loretto
CRICKET
F r o m an e x p e r i e n c e d a n d t a l e n t e d
group a good First XI season w as expect
ed and the team performed up to expecta
tion.
Probably it would be fair to say that the
batting, except for that o f Martin Smith,
lacked consistency and the strength lay in
the bow ling. In that area slightly d isap
pointing seasons (by their own standards)
from Keith Salters and Mark Tench were
more than compensated for by the seem
in g ly in n o c u o u s s w in g o f N ick
M a c k e n z ie , e n e rg e tic a lly s u p p o r te d by
Edward Anderson. If there was a criticism
it w o u l d b e th a t th e t e a m l a c k e d th e
killer instinct’ in the field. T oo often the
o p p o s i ti o n ’s g oo d batting w as rem ov ed
and then the tail allo w ed to occu py the
crease. To som e extent this reflected the
attitude o f the captain, Keith Salters, who
kept his own best performance, particular
ly b o w l i n g , fo r w h e n he f a c e d s t r o n g
opponents. For the most part the fielding
w as excellent.
T h e batting w as led by M artin Smith
w ho scored 505 runs at an average of over
40. Before the season he had never scored
a fifty. This year he scored five fifties and
several oth er scores o f 30+. Both Mark
T e n c h (1 6 2 run s, ave 2 0 .2 5 ) an d N ick
Mackenzie (175 ave 25.00) tried opening
w ith M artin but w ith o u t c o m p le te s u c
cess. Niall Gray had a poor season for one
o f such talent. His 29 runs at an average
o f 27.41 w as boosted by 116 against an
occasionals side hardly bristling with an
aggressive attack. More encouragingly he
scored an excellent 77 against Downside
in the F e s t iv a l . R o b in J o h n s t o n , a p a rt
from a good fifty against the W ayfarers,
h a d a v e r y d i s a p p o i n t i n g s e a s o n an d
Keith Salters w as his usual eccentric self
— 227 runs, average 22.70, including a
superb century against Loretto. Stephen
C o ok sle y, a T h ird Form er, looked very
p ro m isin g w hen brought in tow ard s the
end o f the season, and very valuable co n
t r i b u t i o n s w e r e m a d e l o w e r d o w n the
o rd e r, n o ta b ly from E d w a r d A n d e rs o n
w h o sco re d an ex cellent un beate n fifty
against Edinburgh Academy.
The bowling was generally very good.
Nick Mackenzie posed considerable prob
lems for his ow n keeper, Andrew Wood,
as w e ll as o p p o s i n g b a t s m e n . H is 35
w i c k e t s at 11.65 w e r e w e ll d e s e r v e d .
E d w a r d A n d e r s o n to o k 26 w i c k e t s at
15.11 and show ed enorm ous energy and
determination. Mark Tench had real pace
but lacked consistency — and luck. His
15 wickets at 16.00 were slightly disap
p o i n t i n g as w e r e K e ith S a l t e r s ’ 23 at
17.52. Nevertheless these four, ably su p
ported by Alastair D oodson, produced a
formidable attack, rarely mastered. It was
h elp ed by so m e e x c elle n t c a tc h in g and
ground fielding, especially from the cap
tain and Alan Keddie, w ho played primar
ily for that purpose.
1
am very grateful to N ick D u B o ulay
for his tireless coaching and umpiring and
to the team itself, as friendly a bunch as
one could hope to take. Next year will be
one o f major rebuilding but there is con
siderable talent in the younger part o f the
School and the long-term prospects look
very good.
T h e o t h e r te a m s in th e S c h o o l a ls o
played some excellent cricket. An enthu
s i a s t i c 2 n d X I , w e l l led by C o l i n
M cD on ald, had som e good w ins ow in g
m u c h to g o o d b o w l i n g and v e ry g o o d
fielding. Both the Second and Third XIs
had a n u m b er o f talented Fifth Form ers
who will be competing for First XI places
n e x t y e a r. T h e S e n i o r C o lt s , in m a n y
ways a difficult group, played with much
m ore disciplin e than ex p ecte d and p ro
duced good results. Certainly one or two
should make the First XI next year.
My thanks go to all those involved with
taking teams. It is a pity that it is so diffi
cult to find fixtures for B and C teams.
We are fortunate in having staff prepared
KINNAIRD
PERTHSHIRE — SCOTLAND
Kinnaird, a small privately owned
hotel offering nine luxury bedrooms
with a restaurant serving lunch and
dinner daily.
Situated on the B898 between
Dalguise and Balnaguard 20 miles
north of Perth.
Kinnaird stands in its own 9000
acre estate overlooking the Tay
Valley.
KINNAIRD, KINNAIRD ESTATE, BY DUNKELD
PERTHSHIRE PH8 0LB, SCOTLAND
Telephone 0796 482440
40
FAX: 0796 482289
to take these g ro up s so enthusiastically.
My thanks go also to Ed M cD onald and
his ground staff for a 1st XI wicket which
sh o w e d d istin ct im p ro v e m e n t in a year
made very dem anding by the festival. The
festival also put h eavy d e m a n d s on the
catering staff and they responded m agnif
ic e n tly . M an y p e o p le c o n tr ib u t e d to a
highly successful season all round. There
is no reason w hy the future should not be
equally good.
R .J.W .P .
F IR ST XI R E SU L T S
Dollar A cademy 83 (Anderson 3/26, Gray
3/21)
Strathallan 70 lost by 13 runs
Loretto 171-7 dec
Strathallan 172-6 (Salters 102, Smith 37)
won by 4 wickets
Fettes 78 (Salters 4/18, Mackenzie 4/21)
S t r a t h a l l a n 8 0 - 2 ( G r a y 3 4 ) w o n by 8
wickets
Merchiston 177-8 dec (Tench 3/30)
Strathallan 108-5 (Smith 56) match drawn
M C C 220-6
Scottish Wayfarers 132 (M ackenzie 4/44)
S trathallan 128 (Joh nston 5 2 ) lost by 4
runs
Strathallan 96 lost by 124 runs
Strathallan 239-6 dec. (G ray 116, Smith
67)
Occasionals 70 (Tench 6/7) w on by 139
runs
Strathallan 123-6 match drawn
Strathallan 197-7 dec (Smith 85)
Old Strathallians 125 (Grant Corbett 45,
R ich ard E g lin g to n 42, S a lte rs 4 /2 5 ,
Mackenzie 4/36) won by 72 runs
Stewarts Melville 77 (Mackenzie 5/21)
Strathallan 80-4 w on by 6 wickets
X L Club 137 (Anderson 6/30)
Strathallan 137 (Mackenzie 58, Smith 36)
match tied
Strathallan 220-5 dec (Smith 77,A nderson
55)
E d in b u rg h A c a d e m y 149-6 M a c k e n z ie
4/32) match drawn
Glenalm ond 240-7 dec (Anderson 3/55)
Strathallan 9 7-9 (5 0 ov ers) (M ack en zie
34)
Lancaster RGS 99-1 lost by 9 wickets
S trath a llan 197-7 (50 o v e rs ) (G ray 77,
Smith 62)
Downside 123-8 (50 overs) (Salters 4/40,
Mackenzie 3/51) won by 74 runs
BOYS’ TENNIS
This has been one o f our most success
ful seasons, unbeaten at home and with
just two defeats aw ay. With four o f last
y e a r’s first six still available and the two
new members, Alistair Walls and Richard
W a lla c e , both w ith to u r n a m e n t e x p e r i
e n c e b e h i n d th e m , th i s w a s o u r m o s t
accomplished squad for many years.
A s first p air, b r o t h e r s J o n a t h a n an d
Richard Wallace had an outstanding sea
son. Both have a wide range o f shots and
their p o w e r and a c c u ra c y m ad e them a
daunting team, win ning 23 o f their 25 sets
d u r i n g th e s e a s o n . T h i r d p a i r , C r a i g
Gibson and Michael Gordon, having had
plenty o f practice as good losers last sea
son, played with much greater consisten
cy and control. They won at least one set
in every match and played a significant
role in our successes. The only com plete
ly new pairing of Alistair Walls and Nick
0
B u c k le y p la y e d se c o n d pair. A lth o u g h
b oth w ere in d iv id u a lly very c o m p e te n t
th ey did not a lw a y s c o m p l e m e n t ea c h
other as a team. They had some excellent
matches against the stronger players only
then to lose inexplicably to a w eaker pair.
There were som e notable victories this
s e a s o n , p a r t ic u l a r ly a g a in s t E d in b u rg h
A cademy, Glenalm ond and our first vic
tory for se v e ra l y ears o v e r S te w a rts
M e l v i l l e . In th e M i d l a n d S c h o o l s ’
T o u rn a m e n t, D undee High School once
again proved to be our stum bling block;
last year in the final and this year at the
sem i-fin al stage. In a clo sely co ntested
match we lost tw o crucial tie-break sets in
the se co n d rou nd and the resu ltan t 2-4
deficit was just too much to retrieve in the
last round.
T h e t e a m , a b l y c a p t a i n e d by N i c k
B u c k le y , p la y e d so m e e x c e lle n t ten n is
this year and should form the nucleus of a
f o r m id a b l e tea m for nex t s e a s o n , w ith
five o f the squad still available next year.
C o l o u r s w e r e a w a r d e d to J o n a t h a n
Wallace and Michael Gordon.
T h e t e a m w a s s e l e c t e c f r o m : N.
B u c k l e y , M. G o r d o n C. G i b s o n , J.
W a l l a c e , R. W a l l a c e , A . W a l l s , K.
Anderson and R. Homer.
RESULTS
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Edinburgh A cademy
Merchiston Castle
Glenalm ond
Perth Academy
Dundee High
Rannoch
Loretto
Stewarts Melville
MCR
TIMOTHY’S
L icensed Restaurant and Cocktail Bar
24 ST JOHN STREET, PERTH
(A)
(H)
(H)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(A)
(H)
W on
Won
Won
Won
Lost
Won
Lost
Won
Won
5-2
5-3
4-2
6-3
4-5
6-3
3-6
6-3
7-2
D .J.R .
^
Renowned for their relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Specialising in Home Cooked Beef and Home Cooked Ham,
Fresh Salmon in Season, Lobster and Smoked Trout and
Timothy’s Own Smorrebrod.
^
Ring to reserve a table
Telephone (0738) 26641
41
jy
Girls ’ Hockey XI, winners o f the Scottish Schoolgirls ’ Outdoor Hockey Championship.
f ® VVJ-JAf M A S T O U A?si\CAM IL ilP M A M T r
<§© T T © DO W J 'ir J
© raw© a m m A e e ® y m
Did you k n o w th e African elep h a n t
Here’s a tip, never b et on an elep h an t
is th e o n ly anim al in th e w orld w ith four
to w in g o ld in a h igh jum p c o m p e titio n .
Sahara if you h aven ’t brought a lo n g an e l e
phant. It can u se its trunk to sn iff out w ater
3 m iles away. C lever th in g an e le p h
knees? That it m akes a p illo w for itself
from
b efo re it g o e s to sleep ? Or that it’s hard to
an t’s trunk, it can p ick up p in s, pull up
in su lt o n e b e c a u se it’s so th ick sk in n ed ?
trees, ev en u n cork b o ttle s o f w in e . (And
(O n e and a half in ch es thick to be precise.)
you th o u g h t your labrador w a s clever.)
T h e African elep h an t is very proud o f
Anyway, w h a t has all th is g o t to d o
its skin actually, m assaging it, p ow d erin g it
w ith banking? Well this m u lti-talen ted
w ith dust, and bathing as often as possib le.
pachyderm also has a p h en om en al memory.
(Is th is w h y it’s so w rin k ly?)
And that’s the p oin t. W hen the tim e co m es
Maybe the bath w ater it u ses isn ’t hot
for you to o p en a bank a cco u n t w e ’d like
en ou gh , b eca u se the African elep h an t also
you to b e a bit o f an African e lep h a n t and
g e ts a lo t o f co ld s. (So if you ever s e e o n e
(T h ey’re the on ly animal on earth that can’t
w ith an elep h a n t size tissu e, d u ck . Its
g et o ff th e grou n d .)
s n e e z e is s o p o w erfu l it’s b e e n lik en ed
to an e x p lo d in g boiler.)
N ow , th is c o u ld b e u sefu l. N ever
find y o u rse lf stran d ed and thirsty in the
42
rem em b er this nam e.
Qa Clydesdale Bank
W e c a r e a b o u t m o re th a n you r m oney.
30 ST VINCENT PLACE. GLASGOW (.1 2HL. TEL: 041-248 7070.
A member «>f IMHO
THE YEAR IN COLOUR
The W heeldons tuck in.
Post-H ighers’ Happiness on Loch Nevis.
Barbecue and Barfly Jum p take shape.
i
i
S i 15-*
■ New landscaping behind Nicol House.
Stylish break at the Fete.
Mrs. Clayton, Senior School Matron since
1981, orders gam es clothes and supplies
the new “woolly pully” as well as
running the Thrift Shop.
Mr. Belwood arrived in the Design and Technology Department since our last issue.
Miss England meets her
match at Ardintigh.
Com rades-at-arm s.
Mr. (>oody trading within tent.
Mr. Donald Cam pbell (back right) visits a Form III English class to talk about his Soutar
F e llo w s h ip
in poetry.
T here’s always hope!
Study at the Book Fair.
The Shooting Team, winners o f the Strathcona Shield.
B o w r in g M a rsh
& M c L e n n a n L td .
INSURANCE BROKERS
To
STRATHALLAN SCHOOL
THE BOWRING BUILDING
151 WEST GEORGE STREET
GLASGOW G2 2NZ
Telephone: 041-204 2600
re/eJf; 7 /)0 0
Facsim ile: 041-221-5409
Telegrams: MACAU GLASGOW
A M EM BER OF THE BOW RING GROUP AN D
m a r s h & M c l e n n a n c o m p a n i e s u . s .a .
43
ATHLETICS
The start of the season w as a disaster!
With only two w eeks until our first c o m
petition and the track being waterlogged
w e w ere unable to achieve any times or
distances before our embarrassing defeat
at the hands o f Edinburgh Academy.
W e could only improve. Our next c o m
p etitio n w as a g ain st M erch isto n .
Strathallan, being the underdogs, put up
an e x t r e m e l y s p i r i t e d s h o w a nd so m e
exceptional efforts were seen. Jason Low
had the guts to make the best o f a 100m
race ag ain st the in f a m o u s C ra ig Jo in e r
w ho ran an astonishing 10.8s. The other
g reat effo rts cam e from G raham
Maclennan in the 400m, probably the best
of his season and the only one where he
ran as a guest (unlucky Mac!) and David
Elliot who won his long ju m p , as a guest.
T h e final result, h o w e v e r, w a s that we
lost by 7 points.
Fettes was our first victory and I apolo
gise to anyone w ho feels they deserve a
mention for this competition but no out
standing perform ances spring to mind!
G len alm o n d saw the c o m m o n pattern
for all the competitions. The Seniors won
by 30 points (a large margin). However,
the middles managed to lose by 60! (N o
offenc e, th ey did h ave a stro n g m idd le
team .) A lec Burrell d eserv es a mention
here as he has alw ays accepted the short
straw and run the 1500m. A fter a lot of
g ru m b lin g I agreed to allow him to run
the 800m which he actually enjoyed and
showing his usual grit and determination,
and ran an extremely good time o f 2.09s
only to find h im self 3rd. (N ot to worry
Alec, the w inner got a silver at Scottish
Schools in an age group lower than us!)
Sports D ay Sm iles before the Junior G irls 800m.
being unavailable at the Scottish Schools
where it is almost definite he could have
achieved two medals.
Best of luck to next y ear’s team and let
us hope that so m e people can com e up
with a more original excuse for not run
nin g than “shin s p lin ts ” (w hich w a s so
co m m o n this season it w as g etting b o r
ing!) and that the field events do not have
su c h e n t h u s i a s t i c c o m p e t i t o r s as Ben
Muir and David Simmers.
Rannoch was fairly uneventful with the
middles drawing and the seniors winning.
R E SU L T S
Edinburgh A cademy
Fettes
Glenalm ond
Rannoch
Seniors
Middles
Seniors
Middles
Seniors
Middles
Seniors
Middles
Won
Lost
Won
Lost
Won
Lost
Won
Draw
The Scottish S chools had its am using
m o m e n t s e s p e c i a l l y w h e n o u r B ro n z e
M e d a l is t , Ky K ay ( c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to
him !) received a d ru gs test (serves him
right for being a human gorilla) and could
not p ro d u c e 100ml o f urine in I Hour.
Congratulations to Ian Wilson and Johnny
Ireland in a chie vin g their personal best
times at Scottish Schools.
My last m en tion is for Peter Sochart
w ho had an extremely successful season
im proving out o f all recognition in both
his events — shot and javelin — being a
c o nsta nt w in n e r at o ur school c o m p e ti
tio n s , an d m y c o n d o l e n c e s to him for
M urray Dick surveys the field.
44
M U R R A Y D IC K
SPORTS DAY AND STANDARDS
We w ere blessed w ith a g lo rio us day
for the inter-house finals. This year we
had a slig h tly d iffe re n t fo rm at from
before by having all the inter-house finals
on the s a m e d ay. T h is re s u lte d in the
le v e l o f e f f o r t an d c o m p e t i t i o n b e i n g
excellent. Sports day w as won only at the
last race w h e re F reelan d , R u th v e n and
Nicol all had the chance o f w inning the
inter-house trophy. Well done to the boys
from Nicol w h o eventually w on the day
— by one point. The g ir ls ’ trophy was
o n c e a g a i n w o n by T h o r n b a n k . T h e
introduction o f the 4 00m relay proved to
be a b ig s u c c e s s and p ro v id e d the day
with a good final.
T h a n k s to all th o s e p u p i l s an d c o l
leagu es w ho help ed w ith sta nd ard s and
sports day this year — without your help
it would be impossible— and also to Mrs
G illian D insm o re w h o kindly presented
the prizes.
P.G.
Junior Boys: Cameron W ood
V IC T O R E S L U D O R U M
Middle Boys: Cameron MacKay
Senioor Boys: Jason Low
V IC T R IX L U D O R U M
Junior Girls: Rowena Taylor
Senior Girls: Rachel Taylor
ROW AN CUP FOR STANDARDS
Freeland
B O Y S IN T E R -H O U S E A T H L E T IC S
C H A M P IO N S : Nicol
G IR L S IN T E R -H O U S E A T H L E T IC S
C H A M P IO N S : Thornbank
lain Wilson receives N icol's Cup from M rs Dinsmore.
45
SPORTS’ DAY WINNERS
B O Y S’ RESULTS
W in n e r
T im e /D is t.
R e c o rd
H o ld e r
Y ear
W o o d , C.
M ackay, C'.
Low , J.
12.49
12.00
Ling, T.
1971
11.94
10.90
W o o d , C.
11.13
26.58
11.00
24.50
O gilvie
L o c h a rt/L in g /S m e llie /K irk lan d
C ook, C.
1987
S
M ack ay , C.
Low . J.
25.11
23.52
23.20
22.80
L ing, T.
Ling, T.
1973
1974
J
M
M aw d esley , R.
W ilso n , I.
C ook, C.
M illar
1987
400m
S
800m
800m
M
D ucat, J.
Irelan d , J.
B arlo w , J.
62.05
5 6 .6 2
53.25
2 .17 .2 0
2 .12 .7 9
56.50
400m
800m
S
1500m
J
M
Event
A ge
100m
J
100m
M
100m
S
200m
200m
J
M
200m
4 00m
1500m
J
5 2 .5 0
5 0 .3 0
2 .12.90
1978
1971/1978
R oger, G.
1977
1982
L a w ren ce, C.
1984
1982
1985
D ick, M.
Irelan d , J.
2.13.21
1.55.02
L a w ren ce. C.
R oger, G.
4 .4 9 .0 0
4 .32.07
L aw rence, C.
1985
W ilso n , I.
4 .3 1 .0 0
4.14.05
B ond, R.
4 .09.02
1988
1989
2 .03.06
D ick , M.
5 .03 .0 0
M itch ell, C.
B arlo w , J.
1.42m
1.63m
B ond, R.
H olm es
H igh Ju m p
S
J
M
1.45m
1.775m
C’uth b ertso n , A.
1965
1984
H igh Ju m p
S
C u th ill, J.
1.70m
1.895m
R oger, G .
1982
L ong Ju m p
L o n g Jum p
J
W o o d , C.
4.79m
5.55m
Lear, C.
1967
M
M ack ay , C.
5.21m
6.17m
Law son
1967
L ong Jum p
S
M cC u llo ch , A.
5 .9 0 m
S m e llic , D.
Shot
J
W alk er, L.
12.38m
6.52m
11.43m
1978
1974
S hot
M
G reen , J.
10.18m
Shot
S
M cC u llo c h , A.
11,46m
14.73m
12.90m
C allan d e r
D iscus
J
M
M itch ell, C.
28.25m
3 6.27m
K nox, S.
N ico l, G.
27.73m
42.00m
K nox, S.
S
J
K ay, K.
36.72m
40.26m
M cK enzie, G.
Potts, 1.
28.13m
4 9.81m
M cB ride. J.
4 0.50m
4 3.97m
49.81m
M cB ride. J.
M cB ride. J.
5 0 .5 0
46 .6 0
1500m
H igh Ju m p
D iscus
D iscus
Jav elin
K nox, S.
M cK en zie. G.
1973
1979
1974
1976
1974
1969
1969
Javelin
Jav elin
M
M eik lejo h n , J.
S
S im m er, D.
4 x 1 00m
N icol
4 x 1 00m
J
M
R uthven
52 .5 8
48 .6 9
4x100m
S
F reeland
47.04
45 .5 0
4 x 1 00m
J
M
F reelan d
—
N icol
4.14.21
3 .54.88
Freeland
—
—
—
—-
S
F reeland
3 .41.03
—
—
—
4 x400m
4 x400m
57.07m
R uthven
S im pson
1971
1987
1972
1981
—
G IR L S ’ RESULTS
Event
100m
100m
200m
200m
400m
400m
800m
800m
1500m
1500m
High Jump
High Jump
Long Jump
Long Jump
Shot
Shot
Discus
Discus
Javelin
Javelin
4x100m
4x100m
4x400m
4x400m
Age
J
S
J
S
J
S
J
s
J
S
J
s
J
s
J
s
J
s
J
s
J
s
J
s
W inner
Taylor, R.
Moir, L.
Taylor, R.
Moir, L.
Low, C.
Murray, S.
Smith. A./Barlow. A.
Taylor, R.
Smith, A.
Taylor, R.
Bryans, L. A.
Corric, C.
Sang, T.
Til ford, R.
Sang, T.
Cust, J.
Krannenburg, H.
Young, L.
Doodson, L.
Dewar, L. A.
Thornbank
Thombank
Thornbank
Woodlands
Tim e/Dist.
13.61
13.61
29.92
29.31
67.91
68.44
2.32.28
2.40.44
Record
13.00
12.12
27.79
25.20
66.00
60.00
2.32.10
2.37.00
5.14.09
5.09.10
1.45m
1.55m
4.46m
4.58m
8.55m
9.49m
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
5.40.00
5.44.00
1,30m
1.46m
3.57m
4.05m
10.23m
7.70m
23.02m
19.00m
19.70m
20.98m
59.59
57.19
4.39.37
4.47.73
46
Holder
Streule, K.
Edmunds, A.
Reid. S.
Edmunds, A.
Reid, S./Taylor, R.
Reid. S.
Taylor, R.
Reid, S.
Barlow. A.
M ciklejohn, C.
Orr, K.
Rutherford, R.
Gordons, S.
Carruthcrs, C.
Smith, J.
Edmunds, A.
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Year
1982
1990
1988
1990
1987/1990
1990
1990
1990
1992
1990
1984
1987
1985
1989
1985
1990
—
—
—■
—
—•
—
—
—
STANDARDS’ RESULTS
A T H L E T IC S :
Simpson
Ruthven
Freeland
Nicol
Woodlands
T hornbank
100m
290
338
371
378
200
171
800m
192
337
338
321
154
193
200m
535
590
709
618
349
315
1500m
119
294
264
269
183
226
400m
261
512
598
544
172
223
SHOT:
Sim pson
Nicol
Ruthven
Thornbank
Woodlands
Freeland
376
294
316
256
265
474
LONG JUM P
Woodlands
Thornbank
Simpson
Freeland
Ruthven
Nicol
83
106
262
317
347
274
TOTALS
FREELAND
RUTHVEN
N IC O L
3071
2734
2698
S IM P S O N
THORNBANK
W OODLANDS
2035
1490
1406
F R E E L A N D are the winners o f the R O W A N CUP
P.G .
GIRLS’ ATHLETICS
We have enjoyed another good season
as t o u g h t r a i n i n g s e s s i o n s h a v e b e e n
interspersed with five matches as well as
th e
S co ttish
S ch o o ls
R elay
C hampionships and Individual events.
Once again matches ran with under 16
and over-16 age groups. The ju nio r team
w as very strong with the most outstand
ing performances com ing from Tui Sang
and A b ig ail B arlow , w h o b oth broke
scho ol re c o rd s w h ile tak in g part in the
Scottish Schools. Tui threw the shot putt
10.26 achieving a good position amongst
very strong competition. Abigail ran the
1500 metres in 5.15 in a great first effort
at the Scottish Schools. Ashley Smith also
h a d a g o o d ru n in th e 1 5 0 0 m e t r e s .
R o w en a T a y lo r has re m a in e d a lm o st
unbeaten in the 100 and 200 metres this
term . I say ‘a l m o s t ’ as w e all m e t ou r
m a t c h at St G e o r g e ’s ( y e t w e m u s t
rem ember they have over 800 girls). We
also faced strong com petition against St
L e o n a rd s but we beat R a n n o c h , F ettes
and Dollar A cademy.
R a c h e l T a y l o r h a s le d th e f i e l d in
senior middle distance this year, running
both 8 00 and 1500 m e tre s c o n siste n tly
well throughout this season. She made a
good effort at the Scottish Schools against
very strong opposition.
C laire C o rrie w a s u n fo r tu n a te in the
h ig h - ju m p as a lth o u g h she ju m p e d the
second highest height in the competition
with tw o other girls, on a count-back she
just missed the medals.
O n th e tr a c k , L i n d s e y M o ir, E ilid h
C u r r i e a n d S o p h i e M u r r a y , h a v e all
sprinted well this season and on the field
Rachel Tilford achieved a personal best in
both long ju m p and discus. L esley-A nn
D ewar im proved her javelin throwing as
did Lorna D oodson who, although she is
a junior, in fact threw for the seniors on
va rio u s o c casio n s and, m ore often than
not, won.
Sports day this year proved an e n ter
t a i n i n g a f t e r n o o n fo r c o m p e t i t o r s and
spectators alike, with great efforts from
everyone involved (including the weather-man!). The two relays caused the most
e x c it e m e n t o f the a f te rn o o n as, firstly,
Thornbank junior team dropped the baton
but in an excellent run managed to over
tak e W o o d l a n d s . T o e v e n th e b a la n c e
W o o d l a n d s s e n i o r te a m a ls o f u m b l e d
th e ir b a to n but c o u ld not c atc h
Thornbank. T hornbank, once again, won
the in t e r - h o u s e s h ie ld and R a c h e l and
Rowena Taylor won the senior and junior
Victrix ludorum respectively.
T h a n k s h ave to g o to M r G re e n , M r
R a in e , M r B a r n e s , M rs L a m o n t , M iss
E n g lan d , Mr P e n g elley and Mr
Summersgill for all their help this season
where the phrase “being cruel to be kind”
once again became more meaninful when
speeds, heights and lengths im proved as
th e g r u e l l i n g t r a i n i n g g o t w o r s e ,
“ f a r t l e k s ” g o t l o n g e r an d h ill s p r i n t s
became more numerous.
N o doubt I have forgotten to mention
one or two people and to them I apologise
but, finally, thanks go to everyo ne w ho
has taken part in the athletics this season,
and also to those w ho took part in match
es w ho do not normally do athletics.
Athletics at Strathallan was sum m ed up
by a girl I was speaking to from Dollar at
a m a tc h e a r lie r th is term , w h o said:
“T h e re ’s always such a great atmosphere
here and everyone gets on so w ell” . This
is certainly true o f this season and long
may it continue.
Senior G irls’ 100m fin a l — Lindsey M oir's determination p a id off.
47
C L A IR E C O R R IE
GIRLS’ GAMES
I have alw ays reported in the past on
the tr em endous enth usiasm and c o m m it
ment o f all the girls and the staff involved
in coaching them. This year has certainly
s e e n th e c u l m i n a t i o n o f e v e r y o n e ’s
efforts:M id lan d s Ju n io r Indoor H ockey —
Beaten Finalists
M id lan d s S e n io r O u td o o r H o ck ey —
W IN N E R S
M id la n d s S e n io r In d o o r H o c k e y —
W IN N E R S
U nder 16 M idlands District Team had 5
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s fr o m S t r a t h a l l a n and
they w on the Inter District Tournament.
U nder 18 M idlands District T eam had 4
representatives from Strathallan plus one
of last y e a r’s leavers, still o f age, w ho
captained the side.
Midlands District Indoor Team had 2 rep
resentatives from Strathallan. They were
b e a t e n f i n a l i s t s in th e I n t e r D i s t r ic t
Tournament.
S c o tt is h S c h o o lg i r l s ' O u t d o o r H o c k e y
C h a m p i o n s h i p — W I N N E R S ! Lynn
M ac L en n a n (U 1 6 ) and C lo d a g h
M eiklejohn (U 18 ) p layed for Scotland
a n d g a i n e d c a p s at th e E u r o p e a n
C hampionships and Clodagh also gained
caps in the H om e Counties.
In dep en den t S ch o o ls N etball T r o p h y —
W IN N E R S!
Midlands Schools Tennis Cup — Beaten
finalists.
A vintage year. Well done everyone.
L.J.S.
HOCKEY 1ST XI
B onn ie S te v e n s ( C a p ta in ) — M id la n d s
U16 & U18 indoor and outdoor
Jo Clark (Vice Captain) — Midlands U16
& U18 outdoor
C lo d a g h M e ik le jo h n — M id la n d s U 18
outdoor and Scotland
Rachel T aylor — M idlands U 16 & U18
outdoor
Heather Dewar — Midlands U18 indoor
Lynn MacLennan — Midlands U16 o u t
door and Scotland
Rebecca Milne — Midlands U16 outdoor
Zoe Stephens — Midlands U 16 outdoor
Fiona Clayton
Claire Tomlin — Midlands U16 outdoor
D ian e M e ld ru m — M id la n d s U 1 6 o u t
door
Suzanne Blackstock
S tr a th a lla n ’s h ock ey season this year
w as on the w h ole a success. W ithin the
junior ranks I know Miss Smith has seen
so m e e n c o u ra g in g talent and p o ten tial.
The teams perform ed to an above-average
stan dard, w in n in g the m ajo rity o f their
games. A special mention has to be made
of the 2nd XI who, under the good leader
ship o f E mm a Smart, finished the season
as a p r a c t i c a l l y u n b e a t e n t e a m .
Congratulations to all players in the 2nd
XI for a tr e m e n d o u s se a s o n and to Mr
Giles for his good training and encourag
ing attitude to both his team and the sport.
On b eh alf o f all the hockey players I
w ou ld like to thank all the co a c h e s for
this season. It’s been an informative and
successful exp erien ce for ev ery o n e this
year, as well as good fun.
To say that the 1st XI has had a good
season w o uld be an un d e rsta te m e n t. At
the beginning when we were putting the
1st XI together I know that Miss Smith
was not overly ambitious about what the
team was capable of. On paper I am sure
w e w e r e a te a m w h o d id n o t h a v e as
much talent as th ose o f p re vio us years.
H o w e v e r, on the pitch the te am pulled
together and there w as then eleven girls
on the pitch playing good hockey — but
not ju s t that, it w as go od te am hockey.
There was a real feeling of team spirit and
I would put our success down to the fact
that as a team we moulded together very
well. Eventually we stormed through the
season only bein g defeated three times,
two of which were to touring parties.
The time soon cam e for the M idlands
C h a m p i o n s h ip s . A fte r h a v in g so m uc h
s u c c e s s w e k n e w th a t if w e p u l l e d it
together and played as a team we could
win it. Well, thanks to C lo d ag h ’s invinci
ble left-hand runs, J o ’s great com m and of
the right hand side, Zoe and H e a th e r ’s
g reat team play and Fi C l a y t o n ’s great
goalkeeping we came through the tourna
ment as the M idland U18 C h am pions. I
c a n n o t ta ke any c r e d i t fo r th is w in as
e v e r y o n e o n th e p i t c h t h a t d a y w a s
tr e m e n d o u s and g av e 2 00 per c e n t.T h e
next step was as Midlands Champions to
try and win the Scottish C ham pionship.
N one o f us had really con sidered it but
once it came down to it everyone worked
h a r d in t r a i n i n g . A t th e S c o t t i s h
C h am p io n sh ip again e v erythin g clicked
into place and, despite the final against
Pennicuik going into extra time, Heather
Dewar saved the day with Rachel Taylor
and we b e cam e the Scottish C ham p io n s
beating Pennicuik 1-0.
This was not to be the end o f our glory.
W e w e n t to t h e M i d l a n d s I n d o o r
Championships. The tournament was hard
w o rk an d w e w e re c h a ll e n g e d b oth by
M a d r a s a n d D u n d e e H ig h S c h o o l but
eventually we w on the M idlands Indoor
Championsip. It was a tremendous feeling
to achieve the double victory and all I can
say is that the te a m ’s courage and spirit
and Miss S m ith ’s training won the day for
us.
We did take part in the Scottish Indoor
Championship but the tournament was the
w eek after the outdoor and the team was
simply physically and mentally exhaust
ed. W e w e re u n s u c c e s s f u l o n ly in the
result because it w as obvious that every
one had given everything they had and we
had also had fun which is the most im por
tant thing.
My last w ords have to be of thanks: to
Miss Smith who kept us going throughout
the training and the tournaments. She has
been a great coach throughout the season.
C ong ratulation s to all those in the team
w ho gained p laces in district team s and
e s p e c i a ll y to C lo d a g h M e i k le j o h n and
L y n n M a c L e n n a n o n p l a y i n g fo r
Scotland. I would like to thank everyone
in the team for m aking my job so much
easier. I know we have not alw ays seen
eye to eye but we alw ays worked things
out. A special thanks goes to Jo Clark, as
w ith o u t her I am sure the te a m w o u ld
have been lost and the support she gave
me was more than I ever expected. Well
done to everyone for a trem end ou s sea
son!
B O N N IE S T E V E N S
M iss Smith, dazzled by the 1st X I success.
NETBALL
T h e U n d erestim a ted , U nd efea ted, 1st
Netball Team!
The season started almost immediately
after the b e g inn ing o f the A u tu m n term
with a match against Perth High School,
and marked the be ginning o f a series of
v i c t o r i e s a g a in s t G l e n a l m o n d , F e tt e s ,
K ilg rasto n ,
D undee
H ig h
and
Gordonstoun — both previously unbeaten
by Strathallan since it was initially set up.
O ur confidence gradually increased with
the weekly Perth League matches against
the ladies’ team w ho we rarely beat but to
w h o m w e still m an ag e d to give a go od
game.
The climax o f the season came with the
S c o ttis h In d e p e n d e n t S c h o o ls c h a m p i
o n ship hosted by G o rd o nsto u n — our
m a i n r i v a l s ! W e a r r i v e d la t e F r i d a y
e v e n i n g t h r o u g h th e b l i z z a r d s a n d
finalised the conception of a ‘te a m ’ in the
show ers the next morning, although ini
tially with trepidation.
The te am s w ere split into tw o groups
each consisting o f 5 teams, and we played
‘round rob in’ in the morning — we came
second in our group and went through to
the semi-finals against Dundee High. The
adrenalin grew when the whistle blew —
w e w e r e in th e f i n a l s ! — a g a i n s t
G o r d o n s t o u n , and h e n c e f o r e c a s t i n g a
tough match. With nerves taut, the score
inched up 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, then in the last 3
m in u te s w e took a g ra d u a l lead by 3
goals. The final whistle blew — we had
d o n e it! W e h a d b e c o m e th e S c o t t i s h
Independent School Netball Champions!
M a n y t h a n k s to J o d i , P i p a n d Fi
G r a i n g e r — th e a c e s h o o t e r s ; S a l l y ,
Caroline, Tilly, Am elia and Vicki — the
de fe n c e , and T ory — the attack. G o od
luck next year and keep up the tradition
o f one year!!
F IO N A H U T C H IS O N
TENNIS
I think it is fair to say that this year the
Senior Tennis Team was stronger than it
has been for a while and the Junior Team,
t h o u g h n ot so s t r o n g , w a s y o u n g an d
h o ld s g re a t p o te n t ia l for n ext y e ar. In
addition the am ou nt o f fun we had w as
definitely increased which, together with
the standard o f tennis, m ade for a good
season.
Due to ex am s, v ario u s Fifth F o rm ers
and U pper Sixth m issed so m e m atches,
m e a n i n g th a t w e lo s t a f e w o f t h e m
which, with a full strength team, I think
we would have won — except, o f course,
M a d r a s an d M a r y E r s k i n e w ith th e i r
Scottish players. (T he reason for w hich
Katie Nicolson and Claire Tomlin lost at
the Kilgraston Tournament.)
S p e a k i n g o f w h ic h , th e g re a t e ff o rt
m ade there by M elissa G illin g h a m and
Carolyn W ilson must be co m m en d ed —
so near, yet so far.
I must thank the efforts made by all the
girls w ho made up the tennis teams: for
sw opping in at such short notice, chang
ing partners and being whizzed o ff as far
a f i e l d a s A b e r d e e n f o r th e d a y . O u r
biggest thanks must go to Miss Smith for
d o i n g all the w h i s k i n g o f f to v a r i o u s
places and taking us out to St A n d re w ’s
beach and bu yin g the S enio r T eam fish
and c h ip s and ice-cream after ou r very
brief Madras match. The chippie w as as
big a boost as actually being in the sem i
finals of the Midlands Cup!!
In conclusion, I have certainly enjoyed
tennis at Strathallan and that must be the
key element to winning — providing you
can hit the ball to start with. So, best of
luck for next year. W e ’ll see Madras beat
en some day!
C o lo u rs: K atie N ic o ls o n ,
Tomlin, Melissa Gillingham.
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49
C laire
SWIMMING
This season got off to an exciting start
at th e A b e r f e l d y p o o l w i t h a m a t c h
against Rannoch, where we were shocked
to find ourselves tw o points do w n with
only the Senior B oy s’ Free-style Relay to
go. A great perform ance from them got us
the points we needed for a draw, which
was the first non-win we had had against
Rannoch for at least the past four years.
A few w e ek s later and after som e re
o r g a n i s a t i o n o f th e t e a m , w e h a d o u r
r e v e n g e w ith a c o m f o r ta b le h o m e w in
against R an no ch. In the past few years
o u r m a tc h e s have o nly b een a g a in s t
Rannoch but, due to a very eager team,
our next match w as a three-way contest
a g a i n s t G l e n a l m o n d a n d F e t t e s at
G lenalm on d. This gala turned out to be
extremely exciting, with excellent s w im
ming from the whole team. If some very
d u b io u s d is q u a li f ic a t io n d e c is io n s had
g o n e o u r w ay we m ig h t have b eate n
Glenalm ond — w ho beat us by 15 paints,
w ith F e t t e s 16 p o i n t s b e h i n d us. T h e
results sheets show ed up a few in terest
ingly mis-heard names, like Aleck Burrell
g oin g do w n as Laurel, D ave Saffron as
Shaffer and myself as Boxall!
But, again, we swiftly had our revenge
in a home match against G lenalm ond in
which we finished 17 points ahead.
T h e h o u se s w i m m i n g a g ain sa w the
might o f Nicol leaving the others in its
w a k e .....
1 must thank Jodie Cust for organising
the girls’ teams and Ewan Sutherland for
organising the Juniors and for his help in
finding last minute stand-ins. On behalf
o f th e w h o l e t e a m I m u s t t h a n k M r
G limm and Miss Smith for making this a
very memorable and enjoyable season.
N IC K B U C K L E Y
CURLING
This season o f curling has been a busy
one as the school rink was asked to play
in the M iller D r u m m o n d T ro p h y , after
G lenalm ond pulled out. The team is also
in the Perth League.
Unfortunately, this y e ar’s rink has not
been constant. At the start o f the season
we were scraping for players, but as the
season went on we picked up a few more
fresh faces. However, we have not been
able to get much practice in this season,
which did not help much as it showed in
th e c o m p e t i t i o n s . W e d id lo s e a fe w
g a m e s , b ut w e w e re a b le to w in so m e
b ack and give so m e o th er rinks a good
game.
In the Miller Dru m m ond we got off to
a great start by beating Mary Erskine at
P e r t h , a n d t h e n w e w e n t on to b e a t
George W atsons at Gogar. Our wins sadly
c a m e to an e n d w h e n w e w e n t to
G r e e n a c r e s to g e t s l a u g h t e r e d by
Kclvinside. We faced Stewarts Melville at
Perth playing well but getting beaten by
two shots. W e played Merchiston away at
Gogar where we got another bad beating.
We had then to return to Greenacres and
face another bad defeat from Craigholme.
Our next game we were at home playing
G l a s g o w A c a d e m y w h o w e r e the hot
f a v o u r i t e s . W e had a g o o d g a m e an d
ended up peeling with them at five all. In
the Perth League we did not do too badly
as w e w o n a few an d p e e le d a c o u p le
a g a in s t the f a v o u r ite s , M o r r is o n s , and
w o n g a in s t P it lo c h r y — w h o w o n the
leag u e last se a s o n — so we w e re very
pleased.
O n b e h a l f o f th e t e a m m e m b e r s , I
w o u ld like to take this o p p o r t u n it y to
thank Mr Walker who took over last year
from Mr Proctor. Mr W alker drives us to
our matches and organises them.
Lastly, I w ould like to say that for the
first time ever colours have been awarded
to Peter Brown and myself.
G A V IN L E V A C K
SHOOTING
The new shooting range was completed
during the course o f last A utumn term —
after several delays. It is a 25 yard 6-lane
range, and forms the basement o f the new
C C F stores building. At the same time as
the range was under construction, negoti
ations proceeded with the intention of set
ting up a non-C C F shooting club, it being
felt that this area of school life had been
ov erlo o o k ed and u n de rfun ded for many
years. The best decision o f all was to ask
T om Colvin, legendary youth coach and
m any times ch am pion, to help us to get
th ings started. O u r success o w e s e v e ry
thing to him.
The considerable investment made has
been justified already: in the first term of
operation fifty boys and girls shot reg u
larly, firing no less than 20,000 rounds.
Q u an tity is not all: D u ncan T a y lo r (N )
won the Perthshire Junior Championship,
A m elia Blair O lip han t (W ) the Scottish
Junior title. The First Team won Division
5 o f the Perthshire Winter Leagues, also
d e fe a tin g K inro ss and M iln ath o rt Rifle
C lu b in a s h o u l d e r - t o - s h o u l d e r m atch .
M o re re c e n t ly w e w o n the S t r a th c o n a
Shield, beating all the other big shooting
schools in Scotland. It is hard to report all
events at this stage o f the year as many
are under w ay or have yet to be scored.
H o w e v e r, w e h ave e x p a n d e d from one
team to three for the Perthshire S um m er
Leagues and have seen some good scores
from the lower teams.
O v e r the c o u r s e o f the se a s o n so m e
n o ta b l e in d i v id u a l p e r f o r m a n c e s h av e
been ach ie v ed o th e r than th ose already
m en tio ned : Sally Cust (W ) and A m elia
B lair O lip h a n t h a v e r e p r e s e n te d Perth
County and together with Duncan Taylor
also shot for the Scottish S c h o o ls ’ team
against E ng lan d and W ale s. Riley have
started to shoot as well, under the expert
eye o f Ian Keith. He has uncovered quite
a few promising shots, indeed Riley came
second in the House Match this summer!
(W oodlands won.)
In the S um m er term we went regularly
to A lloa to shoot ou tdo ors at 50 metres
50
and 100 y a rd s in p re p a r a tio n for th ose
entering the Scottish Open at the end o f
term. A report on this in the next issue!
G a m e s ’ r e p o r t s are n e v e r c o m p l e t e
w i t h o u t s l i g h t i n g r e f e r e n c e s to te a m
members, and since I get to write this col
um n w ith little fear o f retrib u tio n here
g o e s : H u g h ‘ D id I r e a lly s h o o t t h a t ? ’
Lochorc has yet to come up with a silver
Spanner as C lub C h am pio nsh ip Trophy.
C om peting for the sam e were:
D u n ca n ‘S u p e r m a t c h ’ T a y lo r (99 .9 );
Jo d ie ‘W h ich w ay is u p ? ’ C ust (89.0);
S a lly ‘ P o s s i b l e ’ C u st ( 1 0 0 .1 ) ; A m e li a
‘I'm the w o r ld ’s most disorganised per
s o n ’ Blair Oliphant (99.5); A ndrew ‘I'm
not really left-handed, I just like having
my ow n g u n ’ Y eates (85.012); Francois
‘C ’cst la v i e ’ P ig a n e a u (9 5); P eter ‘ Is
s m o k in g really bad for your s h o o t in g ? ’
Sochart (92); Rachel ‘H aw k ey e' Tilford
(9 0 ) ; D a v id ‘C a n I b o r r o w y o u r g un
D u n e ? ’ Taylor (90,00001); Iain
Wilson (enr); Jeremy ‘R ap id’ Turner (98)
and Andrew ‘ The M ou th ’ Marsham (88).
A .S -J.
ANGLING
A ltog ether som e 45 pupils (all boys!)
w e r e m e m b e r s o f th e A n g l i n g C l u b .
Game fishing is not a “social” activity in
the accepted sense o f the meaning o f the
word “social” - though anglers have been
known to gather in hostelries after fishing
tr ip s. T h i s w a s d e n i e d the p is c a to r i a l
pupils o f Strathallan. Nevertheless, it is
not too d if f ic u l t to p ie c e to g e t h e r o u r
pupils’ forays to river, loch and reservoir.
Riley pupils scored the greatest success
on the School Pond - chasing the elusive
Leven trout, many o f which had success
fully over-wintered. Every Saturday after
noon a small band ventured down to the
R iv e r E a rn , le a r n i n g the ha rd w a y , to
place a d ry-fly ov er a rising b ro w n ie alm o st inevitably rising un der an o v e r
h anging tree. All reported the im p ro v e
m e n t in b o th s ize and n u m b e r s o f the
brown trout population, thanks to a ju d i
cious policy o f re-stocking.
T h r o u g h o u t th e S u m m e r T e r m the
w ater level w as too low to entice either
Sea Trout or Salm on into our reaches.
T h e re w ere so m e e x p e d itio n s further
afield , the m ost n o tab le b e in g to Loch
G l o w s o m e 2 0 m i n u t e s ’ d r i v e fr o m
S ch oo l, but than ks to the to po graph ical
ignorance o f one o f our number, the j o u r
ney took almost two hours with a detour
or tw o to St A n d r e w s a n d G l e n r o t h e s
(“ East”, “W e st” and “ S ou th”). However,
once on the w ater, fish w ere cau g h t by
every boat (except, inevitably, The R ev’s!
“ W h a t’s new ?” we ask).
The most prom ising o f all the expedi
tions up to a series of hill lochs was also a
disaster, but this time due to the w eather lo w m i s t b r i n g i n g v i s i b i l i t y d o w n to
a p p rox im a tely 3 feet, spellt disaster for
anglers.
David Bradbury stood in as Captain o f
Fishing due to my Tennis com m itm ents,
and, with the aid of com puter graphics, he
p ro du ced som e ey e-catc h in g notices, as
w e ll as ta k in g o v e r the a d m i n is tr a t iv e
tasks.
Both of us bid the anglers and fly-tiers
o f the fu ture ev ery s u c c e s s and “ T ig h t
Lines” as we thank Mr Longmuir and all
the a n g l e r s ( i n c l u d i n g the “ F r e e l a n c e
F ra n a tics”) for their c o m p a n y on riverbank, loch-side and mini-bus.
N ick B u ck ley
(C ap tain o f F ish in g)
M r Longm uir catches a fly fo r his line.
PARA HANDY
T h is sto ry c o n c e rn s m y s e lf (T om
H u g h e s) and a certain c a n o e i n g trip to
Stanley on the River Tay. It was the 7th
April — which w as a Thursday and there
fore the day o f my w eekly excursion to
terror, w etness and very low temperatures
in the river. Everything was normal if that
is how you wish to describe a Strathallan
canoeing trip with Mr Elliot and c o m p a
ny! Anyway, those w ho are familiar with
the river will know about its popularity
with c a n o e i s ts and also a b o u t the w e ir
located close to Stanley. This is where my
little drama starts.
W hilst m o v in g rapidly (in an u n c o n
trollable fashion) down this weir in what,
at that tim e, I c o n sid e re d to be a large
lump o f highly unstable fibre-glass, I, not
surprisingly — with my huge upper body
strength — got swept dow nstream a little
way past where the rest o f the group were
a s s e m b l i n g . W e ll , by “ a little w a y ” 1
mean pro bab ly about 300 feet or th ere
abouts. Whilst waiting a long time for the
rest o f the group to catch up a m ood of
boredom overtook me (as if at home) and
so I idly retrieved a stick from the fastflowing river and started to poke the river
bed just by where I had managed to lodge
myself on the bank. T o my amusement a
glove, red in colour, floated up to the sur
face. I removed it from the river with the
stic k and p la c e d it on the b an k . A fte r
doing this I could see what appeared to be
another glove with what to me looked like
a w hite object inside it. Oh, joy!! What
fun!! As I fished out this glove it struck
me (and I can assure you it stru ck me)
that on the end o f my stick was a glove
w ith w h a t I i m a g i n e d w a s a h o r r i b l y
decayed hand within it.
O h , ....!!
A n y w a y , I p l a c e d t h i s h a n d , in its
g l o v e , n e x t to th e f i r s t g l o v e 1 had
removed, and carried on with my journey
downstream since the others had by now
whizzed past me.
A fter capsizing a couple o f times and
s p e n d i n g a lot o f tim e p e r s u a d i n g Mr
Elliot 1 w as telling the truth, the decision
was taken to bring in the police to investi
gate the matter. After dropping the other
fellow can o e ists (w h o then m a n a g e d to
spread ru m o urs like wild fire — thanks
guys!) we led the police to the exact spot
w h e r e the h an d had b e e n fo u n d . F irst
impressions all round were o f horror and
surprise — it was real?? However, after a
su p p o s ed fing er w a s detac h ed from the
hand and no bo ne structu re w as found,
the general conclusion w as that it w as a
fake.
The rumours back at school were quite
amazing. The best one was that the river
was being dredged and police divers were
lo o k in g for the rest o f the body. W ell,
what can you expect!!
A nother fishing story from the White Knight.
TOM HUGHES
SQUASH
A mixed year with varied success. This
really sums up our performance. We had
a d i s a p p o i n t i n g s e a s o n in th e D u n d e e
District league having lost some key play
ers at th e e n d o f la s t y e a r . W h a t w a s
g o i n g to b e a v e r y e x p e r i e n c e d s i d e
turned into a team with just two old hands
fr o m la s t y e a r : m y s e l f a n d M r K e ir .
Despite having a young side, occasionally
b o o ste d by p a rt-tim e p la y e rs, the team
played to the best o f its abilities.
One o f those occasions w as the Bennett
S h ie ld g a m e a g a in s t G le n a lm o n d . T h e
Bennett Shield T rophy h a d n ’t been won
by Strathallan in four years, so it was time
for us to win it back. The final result was
a c ru sh in g 5 -0 v ic to ry for o u rse lv e s.
Special mention for this match must go to
Craig Gibson and Murray Dick w ho both
had matches that went to the fifth game.
Unfortunately this result could not be
rep eated in the le ague altho ug h players
c o m p e t e d w ith i n c r e a s e d c o n f i d e n c e .
What people must take note o f is that the
oppo sition we faced in the league were
experienced players each with at least 15
y e a r s ’ e x p e r i e n c e in th e c o m p e t i t i v e
game. So, although we were able to easily
beat Glenalm ond, when it came to bridg
ing the gap in the league — although our
perform ance w as one hundred percent —
it was only occasionally powerful enough
to win a match convincingly.
This y e a r ’s nucleus should be able to
use the experience it gained on and off the
court to go od use next y ear and turn it
into results.
T h a n k s g o out to all th ose w h o w ere
able to play for the school this year: Craig
G i b s o n , Paul H e s lo p , A n d r e w Q u in n ,
John Green, Murray Dick, Justin BorgenNielsen and Keith Salters. Special thanks
to Mr Smith who took us to Dundee one
night and actually played for us — unsuc
cessfully. Lastly, the team are in debt to
Mr Keir w ho finds the time to Manage,
Play and Chauffeur us around.
Colours were awarded to Craig Gibson
and myself.
C O L IN M C D O N A L D
C ap tain
BADMINTON
Dark w inter nights and sub-zero te m
peratures did not deter the eighty or so
e n t h u s i a s t i c m e m b e r s o f th e S c h o o l
Badminton Club this year. After a m od
est start and with the aid of some serious
c o a c h i n g , the o v e ra ll s t a n d a rd o f b a d
m in ton rose sig n ifica n tly as the season
pro g ressed .
M y t h a n k s g o to M r
Crosfield for his efforts in brin gin g the
3rd Years on, and to Mr Giles for doing
the same with the 4th and 5th Years.
T h e highlight o f the w in ter term was
the in te r-h o u s e c o m p e titio n w h ich w as
co nv incingly w on this year by Sim pson
H ouse. All six ho uses took part in the
r o u n d - r o b in e v e n t, p ro d u c i n g a highly
competitive and exciting afternoon.
In F e b ru a r y w e e n te r e d no less than
twenty-seven o f our most talented pupils
i n t o th e P e r t h a n d K i n r o s s S c h o o l ’s
Championships, held at the Bell’s Sports
Centre. We had a great deal o f success
spread broadly across the age groups with
A lex B la c k s to c k and M a rc u s H o n ig
r e a c h i n g the q u a r t e r fin als o f the U13
Singles and Stephen Cooksley battling his
w ay to the final o f the U 14 S ingles but
forfeiting victory to a brilliant opponent.
The U15 boys did particularly well with
D u n can D u n lo p , C o lin M itch ell and
Jam es Barlow all reaching the semi-finals
and Jam es proceeding to lose narrowly in
the final. Ian L e n n ie , C o lin M itch ell,
C o lin M a c D o n a ld and D av id F ra s e r
re ached the sem i-fin als o f the U16 and
U 18 d o u b l e s r e s p e c ti v e ly , an d for the
g irls S usie B la c k sto c k and C a ro lin e
Russell reached the quarter finals o f the
U 1 8 g i r l s ’ d o u b le s . D u n c a n and T e ssa
D u n lo p a ls o p l a y e d w ell to r e a c h the
quarter finals of the U18 mixed doubles.
It was an excellent day out and a great
way to end the season.
G E O R G E K IT SO N
STRATHSKI
term than most — at die Winter O lympics
in Val d ’Isere, where, in an unbelievably
thrilling atmosphere and with tremendous
pride I w atch ed R onald D uncan race in
b o t h th e D o w n h i l l a n d C o m b i n e d
Downhill events.
It is difficult to be optimistic in current
c i r c u m s t a n c e s bu t o p t i m i s t i c w e m u st
endeavour to be. One person w ho is play
ing his part in this is Hamish Steedman (F
’76 and recently returned from C anada)
who has started a Ski-ing Section to the
S tra th a llia n C lub . From the n u m b e r o f
keen skiers who have passed through the
School he should soon have up and run
ning the largest o f any o f the O S c o m m u
nities. We were going to have a combined
School and Club day in Glenshee this sea
son. For obvious reasons it could not go
ahead. We shall certainly try to put one
on in 1993.
You can contact Ham ish on 031-44555 36 at W o od lan d s, 6 High B uckstone,
Edinburgh, EH 10 6XS
T h e 1989 and 1990 ski se aso n s were
bad but as nothing compared to 1992. In
f a c t n o n e o f the p r e v i o u s 25 w i n t e r s
comes anywhere near rivalling this latest
“Green(?house) H orror”.
T h e o n l y S t r a t h a l l i a n s to sk i in
S c o t l a n d w e r e R il e y w h o w e n t u p to
Glenshee for an afternoon’s play on a 100
metre run o f m an-m ade snow!
Apart from the artificial slope races —
we performed with no great distinction in
the K P M G S c o t t i s h S c h o o l s e v e n t —
only one d a y ’s rac in g w en t ah ead a n y
where in Scotland during the whole s e a
son.
O ne can only g uess at the d a m ag e to
ski-ing in Scotland caused by this succes
sion o f poor winters. At the comm ercial
end o f the sp e c tru m , liv e lih o o d s arc at
stake w hilst both recreational and c o m
petitive skiers have each lost hundreds of
miles o f experience and enjoyment.
One private bright spot w as that I c o n
fess to having spent a more exciting half
J .F .C .
52
GOLF
D e sp ite so m e fin e in d iv id u a l p e r f o r
mances by some players, the overall per
formance o f the G olf Team proved a little
disappointing.
Although last y e a r’s captain had gone,
it was strengthened by the arrival in Third
Form o f Colin Mitchell from Craigclowan
w ho plays most o f his golf at Rosemount,
B l a i r g o w r i e , an d w h o a r r i v e d w i t h a
glowing reputation. So, on paper, the top
half o f the team looked just as strong as
e v er, but u n fo r tu n a te ly e v e n ts w ere to
prove otherwise ...
Captain Jam es Garvie began the season
in s p a r k lin g form by w i n n in g his first
m a t c h 8 a n d 7, a n d t h e n b e a t i n g th e
M e r c h i s t o n N o 1 by 2 h o l e s at
Auchterarder. This was quite a ‘feather in
his c a p ’ as the Merchiston boy played off
a handicap o f 1 and had qualified for the
l a t t e r s t a g e s o f th e S c o t t i s h B o y ’s
C h am pionships. U nfortunately, Jam es
w as unable to m aintain his form during
the season and finished with 3 wins out o f
6.
Vice-Captain Ewan Watson also started
th e s e a s o n w e ll w i t h a v i c t o r y a n d a
halved match but, like James, was unable
to m aintain his form and his final total
was 3 victories and 1 ‘h a l f from 7 games.
N ew boy Colin Mitchell to ok a little
time to settle in but eventually managed 3
w ins from 7 outings, largely playing as
N o 3 in the te a m . H is s e a s o n w ill be
rem em bered for two excellent individual
rounds: a 71 at Auchterarder to finish sec
ond in the Perth and Kinross Individual
‘O p e n ’ C hampionships to qualify him for
th e C o u n t y S c h o o l s ’ s i d e a n d in th e
S c o t t i s h S c h o o l s ’ C h a m p i o n s h i p s at
Kirkcaldy; a hole in one (fortunately, as
all golfers will know he w as wearing two
pairs o f socks! .... ouch!) but on a tough
course in difficult conditions Colin failed
to qualify for the Scottish S c h o o ls’ side.
C o lin ’s other highlight w as a round o f 67,
also at Auchterarder, to comfortably win
the in d i v id u a l title in the H o u s e G o l f
C om petition. Not surprisingly Sim pson,
r e p r e s e n t e d b y C o l i n , S im o n F o r s te r ,
N icky B arclay and D o ug C le m e n t won
th e I n t e r - H o u s e C o m p e t i t i o n f r o m
Freeland.
asset to the side. In his very first match, at
B la i rg o w r ie , he s h o t the s c h o o l ’s b e st
round o f 80 over the R osem ount course
and on a return visit for the match against
R o sem o u n t Ju n io rs on the L a n d sd o w n e
C o u rse he ea g le d the first (a 4 8 0 yard
dog-legged par 5). His driving pow er also
enabled him to drive the 280 yard par 4,
13th at Auchterarder, where he also m an
aged to e ag le the hole. R e gre ttab ly, he
was unable to maintain his form through
out although he w as alw ays an exciting
p l a y e r to w a t c h — p r o v i d e d that you
stood behind him when he was playing a
shot!
O f the oth er players, D avid C lark —
“The C in cin n ati Kid” as he is referred to
by some — never played badly, but kept
com ing up against players w ho were on
form on that particular day. Alex Macleod
played 3 times and managed a win against
M e r c h is t o n and if he can im p r o v e his
handicap then he could well play a bigger
part in the team events next season. The
o th ers tried th eir best w h en th ey ca m e
into the side but lacked match practice.
W ay back in Septem ber it was pleasing
to be able to play the Old B o ys’ Match at
Elie G olf Club, which was won narrowly
by the O S ’s.
A n y le a v e rs w is h in g to jo in the O ld
B o y s ’ G o lf S ectio n sh o u ld co n tact
Hamish Macfarlane, 9 Craigelvan Grove,
C ondorrat, C um bernauld, G lasgow , G76
4KU (0236 738 281). He will be delight
ed to hear from you and we look forward
to seeing som e of you again on the golf
ing fairways of Scotland.
One final note. W ho is he?
Last y ear he left his sh o es b eh in d at
Milnathort GC
T h is y ea r he left his c lu b s b e h in d at
A uchterarder GC
Next y e a r ......
A clue — (replies please to The Head
o f M o d e r n L a n g u a g e s at S t r a t h a l l a n
School).
RESULTS
League Matches:
v Crieff HS
(H)
v Auchterarder
(A)
v K.nross
(H)
v Morrisons
(A)
v Glenalmond
(A)
D
L
L
L
D
Friendlies:
v Merchiston
v Rosemount Juniors
D 3-3
L 3-5
T h e f o l l o w i n g b o y s r e p r e s e n t e d the
S c h o o l ( n u m b e r o f m a t c h e s p la y e d in
b ra c k e ts): J M G arv ie (C a p t) (6); E
Watson (7); C Mitchell (7); D Clark (4);
A D o o d so n (3); A M acleo d (3); N
B arclay (2); N Dobson (1); D R T aylor
(1)
P layers’ Results:
J M Garvie
E Watson
C Mitchell
D Clark
A Doodson
A Macleod
N Barclay
N Dobson
D Taylor
Played
6
7
7
4
3
3
2
1
1
Scores:
1 Sim pson 234, 2 Freeland 247, 3 Nicol
274
C Mitchell 67, A Doodson 82, E Watson
73
S Forster 85, J Low 80, D Taylor 85, N
Barclay 82, N Gray 85, A Bayne 116
A s tw o R u t h v e n ‘g o l f e r s ’ f a i le d to
c o m p l e t e t h e i r r o u n d ( i n c l u d i n g th e
Captain o f Golf) they finished last!
T hanks to Mr Proctor’s generous spirit
we were able to poach Alistair Doodson
from the Cricket 1st XI w hen he d i d n ’t
have a match and he certainly proved an
(H)
(A)
2-2
1-2
1-3
1-3
2-2
William Bark and Simon Jones on the School G o lf Course.
Won
3
3
1
0
2
1
0
0
0
Drawn
0
1
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
Lost
3
3
3
1
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NJ.S.
CCF
CONTINGENT COMMANDER’S REPORT
T hose o f you w ho follow this series of
ramblings by the Contingent C om m ander
may rem ember my closing statement last
year that this year will see som e changes
in the way we do our business. That com
ment was made with the prior knowledge
that N ew M a n a g e m e n t Strategy (N M S )
w as about to inflict itself upon the armed
se rv ic e s and the civ ilian b a c k u p in the
Ministry o f Defence.
N M S proposals are now bearing fruit
and the net effect is the rustication of the
M i n is t r y o f D e f e n c e fr o m W h i t e h a l l .
Many Service desks will move to Service
Establishments outside London and only
a small core remain in London. How, you
may well ask, does this effect the CCF?
— T h e Jo int C adet E xecu tiv e (JC), our
H ead O ffice if you like, will d is ap p ear
and its duties be re-allocated. A new triService Directorate o f Reserve Forces and
Cadets (D R FC) will be established as part
o f the C e n tra l S ta f f o f the M in istry o f
D efence. M any o f the cadet policy and
m a n a g e m e n t fun ction s, previou sly c o n
ducted by JCE, will be undertaken by a
Jo in t C ad et S e c re ta ria t (J C S ) w ith in
DRFC.
That was one change that we expected.
The other no-one could have foreseen or
at least no-one could have im agined the
time scale o f the change. Hot on the heels
of Operation Granby/D esert Storm came
an attempted coup in USSR and then the
total collapse o f the U S S R with N A T O
looking som ewhat bemused.
O ut o f all this c a m e the “ peace d iv i
d en d ” with rationalisation o f our arm ed
fo r c e s : the N a v y ’s s u r f a c e fleet to be
reduced considerably, a cut in the number
o f submarines, shore establishments to be
c l o s e d , c o m m a n d b o u n d a r i e s to be
altered, dockyard closures muted; A rmy
regiments to be disbanded or am algam at
ed and rebadged, B O A R to be drastically
reduced; Royal Air Force Air Stations to
be closed and the possible contractorisation o f many hitherto service-orientated
t a s k s s u c h as F i s h e r y P r o t e c t i o n an d
Search and Rescue. There can be few who
cannot rem em ber the ‘Save the Scottish
R e g i m e n t s ’ C a m p a i g n or the p o litic a l
furore over the proposals to study the clo
sure o f R osyth D o ck y a rd . It is hard to
believe that all this has happened within a
year and, naturally, this has led to redun
dancies in the A rm ed Services at Officer
and Rating level, som e voluntary, some
compulsory.
A mazingly, this has not had any impact
directly on the aim o f the C C F as a Youth
Leadership Training Organisation to date.
However, there are indirect consequences
o f all t h e s e c h a n g e s th a t w e a re j u s t
b eginning to see. The Navy can give us
less direct support in trained m an p o w e r
and perhaps less sea time in Grey Funnel
s h i p s as th e n u m b e r o f p l a t f o r m s
d ecreas e. T h e A rm y d o e s not have the
surplus o f am munition that tended to find
its w ay to support our infantry training.
Cadet Training T eam s are being asked to
s p r e a d t h e m s e l v e s m o r e th in ly du e to
increased tasks. Travel budgets have been
cut. All in all it will take time for these
changes to percolate down to us and one
thing is certain: we will have to help our
selves more and more in the future if we
are to survive. That does not worry me as
w e h a v e th e b e s t s e t o f “ s q u i r r e l s ”
around!
On to more local matters — our Range
and Stores are now fully operational and
a l r e a d y th e r a n g e is p r o d u c i n g s o m e
excellent results in shooting competitions
— let us hope that this will continue. Mr
Eades has an “ E m p o riu m ” with the best
view and car park in the school. Kit actu
ally stays dry now and we have already
removed the old range and “C CF Palace"
— if someone can tell me where the Pipes
and D ru m s are currently housed. I ’d be
glad to tell them!
The Navy Section have a new kit store
and office and the Royal Marines have a
store/brewing room that they can actually
get into without falling through the floor
or finding rat droppings in the mess tins.
Senior cadets think we are going soft —
and still cannot believe that it has all hap
pened.
In 1984 my predecessor requested that
girls be allowed to join the C C F — “ the
tim e is n ot r i p e ” , he w a s to ld . 1992
ap pears to be the ripening time for this
idea and girls will n ow be in b o th the
Navy and A rmy Sections and, if the red
tape can be unravelled, our first female
A r m y O f f i c e r w i l l h a v e j o i n e d us.
W elcome Miss Smith.
At the same time the C C F has become
optional for this y ear’s Fourth and Lower
Sixth Forms and in 1993 we will have a
totally optional CCF. The Navy Section is
starting a pre-submarines squad to placate
the J o c k s , bu t th e r e is no tr u th in the
r u m o u r that g ir ls w ill s o o n be a b le to
becom e Cadet Bootnecks. There are some
things only a man can do and at present
being an em bryo Bootneck is one o f those
rare d o m a in s. On a m ore se rio u s note,
welcome to all the girls who have or will
j o i n us in fu tu re — and bo y s, yo u are
about to get quite a shock if other mixed
C C F units are anything to go by. 1 look
f o r w a r d to th e firs t S t r a t h a l l a n G ir l s
H C T C p la to o n an d to o u r first g irl at
Bisley.
Sub/Lieutenant Ross has resigned from
the Naval Section, having done much in
his short time with the Section. It w a s n ’t
all that lo n g ag o th at 1 first to o k him
afloat in a Gemini at Port Edgar, and that
facility is re g u la rly u se d by the Naval
Section, thanks to the good liaison struck
up by him. The SBS was very much his
baby and many L ow er Sixth RN cadets
owe much to his determination to make
s o m e th i n g o f th em in that year. T h a n k
you Greg, and best w ishes in your new
venture on W ednesday afternoons.
As I write this I have just put the finish
in g d e t a i l s t o g e t h e r fo r o u r B i e n n i a l
Review by Vice Admiral Sir Hugo White
KCB C BE RN, Flag Officer Scotland and
Northern Ireland. Without prejudging the
outcome o f that review, the facts and fig
ures look encouraging and the C C F looks
forward to a new challenge, with perhaps
m o re w il l i n g v o l u n t e e r s g a i n i n g fro m
w h a te v e r they have put into their time
with us.
It remains for me to thank, on behalf of
all the c a d e ts , all the O ffic e rs and Mr
Eades — the true volunteers — for their
support, alw ays beyond the call o f duty.
W itho ut them the C o nting en t could not
exist.
Action-m an M cKendry with his gun.
C .N .W .
ARMY
“OPTIONS FOR CHANGE”
A s I sit dow n to w rite my first A rm y
report, the section has just returned from
its n o w a n n u a l so r tie to C u lt y b r a g g a n
C a m p n ear C om rie. A s usual, w h a t the
camp lacks in modern facilities it makes
up for in the quality o f training. Everyone
se e m e d to e n jo y it and I w o u ld like to
thank all the perm anent staff for another
su c c e s sfu l ca m p . T h e w e a th e r w a s not
alw ay s kind but on the w ho le the b oy s
stuck to their guns, took part with gusto
and, like th e ir p re d e c e s s o rs , did t h e m
selves and the school proud.
As usual at camp new friendships were
m a d e a n d o ld o n e s r e n e w e d : G r a h a m
M c K e n d ry fell in lo ve w ith “ the g u n ”,
M ark Price and J a m e s Steel built up a
meaningful relationship with a couple of
c h i c k ( e n ) s , w h i l e G a v i n s L e v a c k an d
Aldridge, with Price, took a fancy to my
packed lunch one day!!
I w o u l d l i k e to t h a n k C p l s W i l l i e
Livingston, Michael Halliday and Sgt Nik
H artley for g iv in g up th eir h o lid a y s to
come to cam p for a second time to keep
an eye on the “ troops” .
The talk in the O ffic ers’ Mess w as of
O p t i o n s fo r C h a n g e , a m a l g a m a t i o n s ,
early retiral, lay offs and disbandment —
so the perm anent staff w ere less at ease
than usual! W h ile the g o v e r n m e n t has
been changing the shape and role o f the
A r m y , so th e S c h o o l h as had its o w n
Options for Change. A s o f next year the
C C F will becom e voluntary and thus the
p r o b l e m s o f c o n s c r i p t s w ill be g o n e .
Inevitably there has been an exodus from
the top end but there will also be a larger
intake than n orm al, so the b alan ce will
change in the Arm y, not the overall n u m
bers. The second change which has been
adopted for next year is that the C C F will
b e c o m e an e q u a l o p p o r t u n it y a c tiv ity .
From the experience of other schools this
will be a good thing and girls will keep
the boys on their toes. The final change is
that pupils will opt for the Marines at the
start o f their C C F career and not after one
year. This will allow the A rmy Section to
train and choose its future N CO s without
having the worry that they may leave to
jo in the M a rin es w h ich , until no w , has
been the frustrating situation.
O f the other events to take place this
year there are too many to mention but I
w ill list th e m o r e i m p o r t a n t o n e s . O n
Field Day, during the M ichaelm as Term ,
the juniors went to visit The Black Watch
at B alh o u sie C astle and also did so m e
a d v e n tu ro u s training. My than ks to Sgt
B r a s s o f th e R I T f o r s e t t i n g t h i s up.
Meanwhile, the seniors visited T he Royal
S c o ts at Fo rt G e o r g e w h e re they w ere
treated to an e n jo y a b le , if tiring, night
e x e r c i s e a n d v is it ro u n d the Fo rt. My
thanks to all in The Royal Scots for their
help.
W e finally saw the com pletion o f the
new range. This facility is a g reat boon
an d w e c a n w o r k e v e n h a r d e r on o u r
s h o o t i n g . T h e s t o r e r o o m s a b o v e th e
range have given us even more space and
ability to organise our stores. I would like
to thank M r Eades, the unflappable and
patient guru o f the A rm y Stores, for his
ha rd w o r k a n d s u p p o r t t h r o u g h o u t the
year which has been invaluable.
T h e a n n u a l H C T C w e e k e n d at
C ultybraggan w as a closely fought co n
test. The team, led by WOII D Robertson,
fi n ish ed a d is a p p o in tin g 11th but w ere
still only 12 points behind those in 4th
place. I feel next y e a r’s side may lack the
experience to compete due to the exodus
o f seniors — but w e ’ll see.
C p ls Paul M a n w a r i n g an d J o h n s to n
acquitted them selves well on the U K L F
L ea d e rsh ip C o u rse and sh o u ld have
gained much from the experience.
G e n e ra lly the A rm y S e c tio n has run
smoothly this year, although we have had
our fair share o f A W O L s and con scien
ti o u s o b je c t o r s . T h e N C O s h a v e b e en
invaluable in the w eekly running o f the
Section. All too often I have had to pass
the b u r d e n on to th e m . U n d e r O ffic e r
Robertson, Sgts Proctor and Healy, along
with the up and coming N CO s Ainsworth,
Hartley, Russell and Raper: thank you. I
w o u l d a l s o lik e to t h a n k A d a m
Streatfeild-James w ho has kept the g ener
al co gs well oiled and turning and kept
the arm o u ry and range very efficiently.
Thank you, too, to Charles Court w ho has
thankfully taken time out from his new
responsibilities to help us w hen he w as
needed m ost and has alw ay s b een there
for moral support and advice w hen I ’ve
found m yself entangled in A rmy red tape.
Sadly,Charles has now decided to hang
up his combat jacket to allow us to get a
full-tim e officer into the A rm y Section.
W e arrived at Fort A ugustus together in
1974: he as a young m em ber o f staff and I
as a First Former. He soon found himself
p r e s s - g a n g e d in t o th e A r m y S e c t i o n
amongst many other duties. A s always he
put his ‘a ll’ into the jo b and he has been
giv ing o f his time on W ed nesd ay after
n o o n s e v e r since — be it as an assault
pioneer, infantrym an or m arksm an . His
ab ility to e n th u s e the co n sc rip ts or the
la id b a c k c a d e t n e v e r c e a s e s to a m a z e .
Charles also stuck to his guns and fought
the corner of the A rmy Section when o th
ers wanted to see it fold or thought it o ut
m o d e d or u n d e s ira b le “ in this day and
age”.
I w o uld like to thank C h arles for his
guidance and help in the past and 1 hope
that I can, in turn, develop the new-look
A r m y S e c t i o n in to an e q u a l l y u s e f u l
youth group. It is ironic that tw o of the
things Charles fought so hard for during
his tim e in the C C F only c o m e aro un d
after his retiral from it. The fact that these
ch an g es are takin g place is in no sm all
w ay due to his w o rk o v e r the past few
years.
Finally, I would like to take this chance
to welcome both Lyn Smith and the girls
w ho opted for the A rm y, as well as the
boys, to the Section and I hope that you
will all gain from it and enjoy it.
G ood fun fo r Franny.
P .M .V .
ROYAL NAVY
This year the divisional system, intro
duced last session, proved successful as
the n u m b e r o f c ad ets g rew to ov er one
hundred — at times training, both practi
cal and classroom orientated, would have
proved difficult otherwise. We have been
fortunate over the years in having dedicat
ed and e fficien t sen io r N C O s and after
t h e i r l e a d e r s h i p t r a i n i n g at B R N C
Dartm outh, once again the senior cadets
proved capable.
A large group o f new entry cadets set a
challenge — probably the least motivated
recuits for m any years. But at long last
changes are happening and soon all cadets
in the RN section will be volunteers. We
also look forward to w elcom ing girls next
term.
School training is often limited and it is
always worthwhile to have the opportuni
ty o f visiting RN establishments. On Field
Day H M S C am perdo w n provided motor
boat training combined with visits to both
Unicorn and Discovery. Once again, CPO
S to k e s a rr a n g e d a g o o d p r o g r a m m e at
HM Naval Base Rosyth which incorporat
ed a fleet tender cruise — while the senior
c a d e t s w e re lu c k y e n o u g h to v is it the
Clyde Submarine Base at Faslane.
D u r i n g th e y e a r th e R o y a l N a v y
Section has had several distinguished vis
itors. Our first was Lt. Cdr. Canford, RN,
the S taff Officer o f Tay Division RNR.
He inspected the Section and gave a talk
in the lecture theatre. The naval mem ber
of the Joint Cadet Executive also visited
u s in th e s u m m e r t e r m . C o m m a n d e r
Skinns, RN, saw a norm al trainin g day
with the assault course being fully used.
He then went to Lochore Meadows to see
the sailing pro gram m e.The senior cadets
had their night exercise at the beginning
o f December. As this involved night navi
g atio n c a d e ts w ere m a d e a w a re o f the
importance o f accuracy. Apart from slight
m i s h a p s all e n j o y e d th e e x p e r i e n c e .
D u r in g the w in te r te rm the N C O s put
m o r e e m p h a s i s on o u t d o o r t r a i n i n g
which, combined with chartwork and sea
manship, led to a high pass rate for the
A B ’s test and a m uch better navigation
sta n d ard for the p ro f ic ie n c y class. T he
p u r c h a s e o f c o p i e s o f the S e a C a d e t
P o c k e t H a n d b o o k p r o v e d h e l p f u l to
cadets in these examinations.
There has been good liaison with the
R oyal M a r in e s and N C O s o f both
Sections have integrated in training.
With most of the classroom work c o m
pleted the sum m er term w as filled with as
m any w ater activ ities as p ossible. Full
use w as made o f the boating and w in d
surfing facilities at Lochore Meadows. To
enable more cadets to take part a coach
w a s hired w e e k ly . O n ce a g a in w e are
grateful to Lt. Clayton and Sub Lt. Goody
for their instruction. We were runners-up
at the Scottish Area Sailing Regatta.
The Sailing Centre at Port Edgar co n
tinues to help us and Sub Lt Phillips took
g ro u p s for m o to r tr ain in g m o s t w eeks.
W e are grateful to C P O W arren and his
staff for their assistance.
School activities are necessarily limited
b u t, larg e ly d ue to e n th u s ia s t ic s e n io r
NCOs, a varied outdoor program m e was
carried out involving the assault course,
practical leadership tasks, raft race, etc.
The RN Football Team also proved invin
cible.
C a m p s and C o u r s e s are re a lly w h at
C C F tr a in i n g is all ab o u t. S tr a th a lla n ,
once again, sent many officers and cadets
to various establishm ents. At Easter Lt.
Cdr. M acL eod and four cadets attended
the A ir A c q u a i n t a n c e C o u r s e at H M S
Heron, Yeovilton. LS Stevens gained his
R Y A S p o r t s B o a t C e r t i f i c a t e at H M S
Raleigh and a most enjoyable w eek was
spent on R M A S Cricklade cruising in the
Firth of Clyde. W hen classroom naviga
ti o n is p u t to p r a c t i c a l u se o n w a t e r
c a d e t s , th e y see th e p o in t o f Su b. Lt.
G o o d y ’s classes. During the sum m er holi
days three cadets are attending the Royal
N avy A c q u a in ta n c e C o u rse on b oard
H MS Kent, Portsmouth, and five cadets
a re a t t e n d i n g B r i t a n n i a R o y a l N a v a l
C o lle g e — as s c h o la rs s e le c te d by the
Director of Naval Recruiting. Officers are
also in vo lved — Lt. Cdr. M ac L e o d , as
D iv is io n al O ffic e r at R N A S Y e o v ilto n
a n d S e n i o r R i v e r O f f i c e r at B R N C
D a r t m o u t h , Lt. C l a y t o n as S a i l i n g
Instructor during the HMS Kent Summ er
Camp.
In June an excellent d a y ’s sea training
w a s p r o v i d e d by G l a s g o w U n i v e r s i t y
Royal Naval Unit. Lt. Cdt. Engeham, RN,
and the crew of H MS Smiter gave the ten
Strathallan cadets a superb d a y ’s training.
A successful year ow es much to vari
ous people: to a first-class team o f offi
cers — Lt. Clayton as an excellent No 1,
Sub. Lt. G oody as Training Planner, Sub
Lt. Phillips for his m o to r boat- training
and Sub. Lt. Ross for his enthusiasm in
establishing the Lower Sixth Boat Group.
Sadly, Sub. Lt. Ross, because of his vari
ous school commitments, left the C CF at
Easter and will be sorely missed.
The senior N C O s this year were proba
bly the b est e v e r and sp ecial th an k s to
Under Officer Piganeau, Coxswains Dick,
Ford and Obank for continued loyalty and
support, even during the School ‘A ’ Level
Examinations. Congratulations to Goody,
Ford and Piganeau on gaining their Gold
Duke o f Edinburgh Award.
We thank C om m ander Woolley and Lt.
Cdr. Sanford of our parent establishment,
H M S C a m p e rd o w n , for their con tin ued
interest. Lt. Cdr. M cCrow has now retired
fro m the R N R . A s o u r P L O fo r m any
years M alcolm M cC row becam e a great
friend and a helpful mentor.
We also said goodbye recently to CPO
T h i r l w a l l . W e o w e him a lot fo r his
parade training.
A new C C F building incorporates the
RN Clothing Store. With the assistance of
C P O S h e m m e l l o u r s t o r e s are n ow in
good order and passed muster.
C PO R ic h a rd s has ag ain b een of
immense help as our direct link with CCF
Headquarters. We thank him for con tin
ued encouragem ent.
C C F H e ad q u arters in P ortsm o uth are
invariably helpful and we are grateful to
the Staff Officer, C om m ander Wilson; to
Andrew Hiscutt for his faultless adm inis
tr a tio n , to C o m m a n d e r G o s s as B o a ts
Officer and to C h ie f W ren Prior and to
Warrant Officer Chetw ood for C am p and
Course places.
T he Sea C adet C orps often assists us
a n d o n s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s S u b . Lt.
Saunders has assisted with practical train
ing.
We look fo rw ard to a new y ear with
v o lu n te e r intake and a R oyal N avy
General Inspection.
Promotions: To Coxsw ain — P Brown,
G Wilson and N Wilson.
Bird control unit at RNAS, Yeovilton.
T .J .M cL .
ROYAL MARINES
H a v in g b e e n a sk e d to w rite the RM
article, I reflected on w hether to record a
h is to ry o f w h a t m y c o m p a n i o n s an d 1
have achieved during our three year stint
with the Royal Marine Cadets or to write
about w hat w e ’ve all been up to during
this year. 1 decided that since th ere’s plen
ty to write about this year, the stories of
E x e rc is e F in al N ail, R oyal M arin e
Annual C am ps and Parachuting need not
be mentioned in any detail.
T h i s y e a r w a s u n u s u a l in th a t f o u r
Upper Sixth boys remained in the Section
for m ost o f the year, w hich m e ant that
there were always senior boys around to
pass on their ex perience. W ith W arrant
O f f i c e r N ic k D u n n , C o r p o r a l s M a r tin
Ross and Graham MacLennan and myself
as T r o o p S e rg e a n t, the tr a in in g cad re ,
c o up led with L ieu ten ant G lim m , w a s a
g o o d te a m . T h e r e c r u it s , h a v in g b e e n
weeded out from a long list o f hopefuls,
were themselves excellent to work with.
T h e e n t h u s i a s m an d ‘a t t it u d e c h e c k s ’
ensured a winning team and for me, in my
final year, it w as a superb end.
The initial lack o f w e a p o n s available
l im ite d s o m e o f o u r a c ti v it ie s , but we
were quick to ‘adapt and o verco m e’. We
all now w ear ’58 pattern w ebbing w h e r
ever we go; this meant that we alw ays had
our equipment ready to use and also gave
that added realism. A s always we allocat
ed our first training day to drill. The troop
prided itself in a lack of drill or ‘b u ll- as it
is justifiably called. Yet we were adm it
tedly not particularly crisp in our drill and
the ‘a b o u t turn on the m a r c h ’ still left
som e o f us puzzled. T o co m p en sate for
this we chose to run instead and this year
saw m o re ru n n in g as a troo p (w ith the
addition o f heavy w ebb ing ) than that of
previous years. Fitness training o f som e
sort — be it running, body circuits or run
ning the assault course — alw ays ended
our Wednesday afternoons and 1 hope this
will now become standard practice within
the Secion.
Our activities were not confined to fit
ness; camouflage and concealment played
a key part in our training with the foliage
and cam c re a m b e in g a p p lie d liberally
and reg ularly th ro u g h o u t the year. T he
P o n d e x e r c i s e w a s , fo r m e , th e m o s t
memorable o f our activities. This exercise
involved the troop in the middle o f winter
building flotation rafts from ponchos —
then sm a sh in g through the thick ice on
the pond and sw im m in g across the deep
end. The object was then to open up the
rafts and take o ut and c h a n g e into the
dry(ish) spare clothing. Without doubt it
was cold but what I thought was im por
tant was that after this we emerged a real
te a m , a n d a b o n d , w h ic h o n ly can be
f o r m e d t h r o u g h a d v e r s i t y , w a s b u il t
between us all.
With the arrival o f w eap on s we prac
ticed the art o f section attacks, skirmish
ing and am bushing. A m b u sh in g w as for
most o f us the most exciting and although
we d id n ’t consider the reality of what we
were doing, as expressed by a US training
manual “ ...Ambush means killing
we
did learn that a properly executed ambush
d o e s n ’t g iv e th e r e c i p ie n t s m u c h o f a
chance.
Having personally learned about pris
o n e r i n t e r r o g a t i o n at a RM T r a i n i n g
Camp, the Senior N C O s were able to pass
on these skills with “ helpful dem on stra
tions”. At the start o f our exercise the new
cadets were stripped down to their under
pants and stood in stress positions while
we carried out an unpleasant and effective
version of sleep deprivation, known now
as “ Mars Bar deprivation”.
T h is y ear inv o lv ed a lot o f practical
work which, although military in purpose,
can be applied to everyday situations. We
spent a lot o f time on the topic o f First
Aid and learned the rudiments o f keeping
people alive. This spanned from blisters
to hig h -p ercen tag e b u rns to cardio-pulmonary resuscitaton. Unarmed combat is
an important feature o f RM training and
its relevance is not how to ‘kick h e a d s ’
but to give a confidence in o n e ’s capabili
ties and personal abilities, a confidence
that is then su b co n cio u sly e x pre sse d in
o n e ’s body language (how you walk, etc.)
and it reduces the likelihood o f attack in
an in c r e a s i n g ly v io l e n t w o rld . F o r the
recruits navigation w as perhaps “dwelled
u p o n ”. Both Lt G lim m and the S N C O s ’
experience of missing bodies, missed ren
d ezv o u s and u n fu lfilled c h eck p o in ts
e n s u r e d a le n g th y b ut w o r th w h il e and
practical instruction.
Despite our personal dissociation, the
Marines are part o f the Navy and this year
saw a c lo s e r i n v o l v e m e n t b e tw e e n the
tw o . F o r the N a v y c a d e t s th is m e a n t
b u i l d i n g p o n c h o te n t s an d s e t t i n g up
e n c a m p m e n t s , f o r u s it m e a n t th r e e
M a rin e s a tte n d in g a P o w e rb o a tin g
C o u r s e . T h e C o u r s e e n d e d w i t h tw o
S N C O s b e i n g q u a l i f i e d as “ r e c k l e s s
i d i o t s ” by a s e c r e t l y a d m i r i n g N a v y
instructor, and also the recruitment of a
N av y c a d e t w h o had a c c o m p a n ie d the
Marines in the powerboat and had appar
ently liked the w ay we did things.
I feel I could continue endlessly with
this report but there are limits.... Yet 1
ho pe to have insp ired so m e interest in
those lo w er fo rm s b ecau se the ‘M arine
Experience’ is not to be missed. My only
warning is that you only get out what you
put in therefore for those of you with a
‘bit about y o u ’ who are prepared to give
things a go, 1 strongly advise you to sign
up for selection.
A LECK BURRELL
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57
DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD
To quote from that wisest of all publi
ca tio n s (the D u ke o f E d in b u rg h A w a rd
Handbook), “ If Snow & Ice are likely to
be e n c o u n te r e d , v e n tu r e s m a y on ly be
undertaken by expert organisations” : very
useful when you w ake up in the morning
in m id-M ay with three inches (or w as it
7.62cm) o f the stuff around the tents. Yes,
y o u ’ve g u essed it, s u m m e r had arrived
a n d e x p e d i t i o n s w e r e in f u l l s w i n g .
F ortun ately the ‘e x p e r t s ’ tak in g part in
the trip mentioned above coped admirably
but were very unfortunate since the sun
then came out and treated us to a w onder
ful spell of weather. Many groups seemed
to spend as much time cooling off in the
mountain streams as they did getting hot
w alking betw een them and those who for
got the suntan cream ended up almost as
well done as the steaks which kept creep
ing onto certain p eo p le’s m enus (w onder
ful what a Trangia and a bit o f initiative
can provide by way of cuisine).
During the rest o f the year participants
have been making use of the wide range
of sports and activities available to c o m
plete the Skill and Physical R ecreation
sections o f the award and thanks go to all
th o s e m e m b e r s o f s t a f f w h o h elp ed in
these and patiently sorted out the intrica
cies o f the new record books when c on
fronted with the oft repeated “ Please Sir,
can you sign me up for the D of E” .
For the service section over forty o f the
th i r d fo r m a c h i e v e d th e St A n d r e w ’s
A m bulance First Aid Certificate, several
peo p le ach ie v ed B ronze M ed allio n
L ifesa vin g A w ard s, and a n u m b e r took
part in the various activities of the school
Comm unity Service group. Robin Stewart
and Francois Piganeau acted as instruc
tors on the lifesaving course to qualify for
their Gold A wards and learned how nerve
r a c k i n g it c a n be w a t c h i n g th e i r o w n
Peter G oody with his Gold A ward at H oly rood Palace.
p u p ils g o in g th r o u g h the e x a m in a tio n :
“ But I must have explained that to them a
hundred times” or similar com m ents were
heard. It’s a hard life being the teacher!
Finally, here is a list of all those who
c o m p le te d th e ir a w a rd s th is year.
Congratulations go to all o f them.
BRO N ZE: Susie Dutton, Rebecca Dover,
Isla T y ldesley, Louisa Falconer, Kate
Hodgson, Wendy Rankin, Hilary Ross,
D av id H e s lo p , J a m e s B ird , Lucy
W e b s t e r, J o h a n n a M a t h e s o n , L esley
M c M u l l a n , K irs tin e L a w s o n , C la ire
D u c k w o rth , C laire H allid ay , H eather
Scott, A n n e W ilso n , R obert D u n d as,
W illia m B ro u g h to n , M ark H u n ter,
K ristin e B urr, A lis ta ir W h y te , Fiona
N ic h o ls o n , M ark D e v in e , D on ald
M c I n ty r e , N i c h o l a s M o r le y , R o b e rt
Mawdsley and David Macleod.
G O L D F ra n c o is P ig an ea u , T racey
M orto n, Jam ie S m ith, R obin S tew art
and Peter Goody.
J .S .B .
GOING FOR GOLD
T o D.O.E. or not to D .O.E .? T his is
the question. The answer for most is no.
For th ose seven intrepid exp lorers w ho
enjoy a p un ishing 50 mile hike through
wild country the answ er is YES.
From the mom ent we left school, spir
its were high and the mini bus' ability to
c r u i s e c a tt le g r i d s h e lp e d e v e n m o r e .
Even friendly P.C. Plod with his tales of
horrific ticks, ram pant clegs and ferocious
s n a k e s c o u l d n ’t p u t u s o f f o u r t h r e e
c o u rs e e v e n in g m e a ls w h ils t we sat
watching the sunset over Ben More.
Spirits remained at this high throughout
th e w a lk — p a rtly th r o u g h the id io tic
efforts o f Gavin w ho sang inconceviably
bad songs such as, "The Bear Went over
the Mountain" and attempted to convince
that these very sam e bears w ere in fact
knee high, ate grass, w ore w oolly coats
an d b l e a t e d c o n s t a n t l y . H o w e v e r , we
were later slightly shocked by the ability
of various forests to move and to become
an im penetrable jun gle w hich we had to
hack through machete-style. The amazingly
tame rabbits made up for this. They were
prepared to sit dead still when we came
up c lo s e and o n e e v e n let us to uch it!
(M yxomatosis? Ed.).
N ev erth eless, it w a sn 't all fun. I w as
constantly reminded about an army camp
that 1 w as to go to a fte rw ards and Neil
had a terrible time trying to keep his feet
dry, even th o u g h they w ere a lre a d y
d re n c h e d . But th ese bad tim es w ere
s w a m p e d by C h i e f C h i e f F ire C h ie f 's
evening bring-and-burn sessions. If it did
n't m o v e it b u rn e d . M o r e o v e r, D u ncan
invented a chilli-con-carne, with the help
of Andrew, which was enough to put the
reputation o f chicken vindaloo to shame!
Special mentions are also deserved by
Dave ( a keen physicist) w ho dem onstrat
ed the existance o f gravity with his ruck
sack and a ste ep hill and a s u p p o s e d ly
intelligent person w ho attempted to dou
ble park his tent. However, it is to Jenny
my greatest admiration goes for her brav
ery above and beyond the call of duty, not
only in putting up with us for a week but
also fo r living o f f F ra nk fu rters and pot
noodle during all that time. Amazing!
To conclude, it only remains for me to
say thanks to all involved especially Mr
B. and to w onder why more people don't
j o i n in the fu n , an d y e s G a v in , 1 did
enjoy A rmy Camp.
N IK H A R T L E Y
KNOYDART NEWS
O n ce m o re the se c o n d w e e k in Ju ne
saw a merry band o f UVI and staff co l
lecting gear and psyching them selves up
for the Post Highers week. JLB had been
forbidden to mention the w-e-a-t-h-e-r in
the hope that he, in his position as the rain
god of Knoydart, might go unnoticed by
the elements. Luckily this tactic seemed
to w o r k a n d b lu e s k i e s an d s u n s h i n e
b e c a m e the n o rm . T h e s t a f f a c k n o w l
edged that conditions resembled Hell but
then somebody had to relieve the house
masters o f their post-exam loose-enders.
A s a b lo w by b lo w a c c o u n t w o u ld
become tedious brief anecdotes will have
to su ffic e . (Ed: T h e rest w a s c e n s o r e d
anyway!)
Saturday: An advance party led by JSB,
JL B and D o u g las E ld er head ed o ff
to w a r d s S o u r l i e ’s b o th y . D e s p it e the
pro m ise o f m uch m on ey , a bog deep
enough in which to leave Peter Clow was
not discovered. Instead skinny-dipping in
the pools had to provide the amusement.
S u n d ay : W h ile the w a lk e rs e x p lo red
the upper reaches o f the River C arnach
and scaled the dizzy heights o f Sgurr na
Ciche the second half o f the group headed
straight for Ardintigh. EAE, with limited
canoeing ability and w earing no contact
lenses, followed the coloured blobs o f the
other canoes into Loch Nevis. Meanwhile
Miss Neale, congratulating herself on the
easy option o f going on the launch with
food, gear and Mr Wilson (soon to be ele
vated to the rank o f Admiral), w as oblivi
ous to the strangled cries o f the canoeists
still ashore whose packed lunches she had
kidnapped.
Monday: T h o se at the centre enjoyed
fine conditions for a canoe jou rn ey into
the in n er lo ch. T h e r e , J a m e s C u t h i l l ’s
sunburnt arm s, w hite torso and wet-suit
clad legs, re s e m b le d a n e o p o li ta n ic e
cream and Ben G ray dem o nstrated why
his cricketing skills had not kept him at
school w hen he tried to hook a jellyfish
for six and prom ptly capsized. Miss Neale
an d M is s E n g l a n d , s till at th e g o i n g r o u n d - in - c i r c l e s sta g e , n e a rly c a m e to
b lo w s as their c a n o e s c ra s h e d into one
another.
Later a new sport w as invented: Miss
E n g l a n d g a i n e d a lo t o f b r u i s e s , M r
Taylor used only his hands, while James
Healy le arned that you only had to get
one leg o v e r for success. W ha t w as it?
Climbing round a table, o f course.
Tuesday: A relaxing day was had by all
at th e c e n t r e . S o m e o f th e s t a f f s e a l la u n ch e d the d o u b le ca n o e s and pu pils
fo l lo w e d suit. J K T and PJE m a n a g e d ,
s u c c e s s f u l l y , to r o ll a d o u b l e c a n o e
to g e t h e r; B en G ray and M iss E n g la n d
failed in single c ano es separately. Miss
Neale and Dan led a party to the w oods to
c o ll e c t for a b a r b e q u e th a t w a s m u c h
enjoyed by all, especially the midges.
Wednesday: The second w alking expe
dition set o ff only after Ben had been per
suaded to take the kitchen sink out o f his
rucksack. The canoeists headed to w ards
Inverie by a route that was more circular
in some cases than direct. The way back
was punctuated by several seal-launches
and yet more plastic w as left on the rocks
beside Loch Nevis.
In the evening a foray was made in the
rescue boat to Sourlies Bothy at the end
o f the loch. Fears o f dehydration in the
heat had made it imperative to get in fur
ther liquid sup p lies. JL B and JS B also
had to give their order for the last night
meal at the hotel in Inverie. They bravely
w aded out through the shallows and Mr
Wilson, armed with menu, bottle and nap
kin, acted as waiter for the occasion.
Back at Ardintigh Dave and Trish, the
wardens, were having a ceilidh attended
by, am ong others, a man-eating one-timem u r d e r e s s calle d B a rb a ra , and D o n ald
T a r b e t w h o , at 92, had the day b e fo re
w a lk e d tw o m ile s to c a tc h the b o at to
Mallaig to check with the Doctor that he
w as sound in wind and limb.
Thursday: The sun beat down and after
the n ig h t b e f o r e ’s e x c e s s e s the a p re s midge (solarcain e) w as much in use —
the midges say it’s great for indigestion.
A frog was discovered and despite reliev
ing itself in its fright (bad luck, Robin)
showed itself willing to be kissed by Miss
England. As a result E A E w as aw arded
the dubious privilege o f being married to
Peter Clow, but several water fights later
they were divorced. R elations w ere fu r
th er c o m p lic a te d w h e n M iss N eale
a c k n o w le d g e d Peter and Dan to be her
so ns. M a n y w e re the cries o f “ M u m ! ”
thereafter.
M eanw hile, the launch — with green
welly atop a large branch, had been chris
t e n e d th e H M S W e l l y b o b w i t h M i s s
N e a le a g l a m o r o u s f i g u r e h e a d fo r the
morning. S omehow Miss E ngland’s expe
rience in the engine room in the afternoon
was neither so much fun nor dry.
In the afternoon the endless tedium of
sunbathing w as alleviated when Dan spot
ted so m eth in g o m in ou s. H o w ev er, loud
cries o f “shark” and much banging o f pots
and pans failed to alert the windsurfers —
good job it was a false alarm.
At the centre ev erythin g w as running
out. First it w as the w ater then the petrol
in the launch coming back from an excur
sion to S to u ll, a ru in e d v illa g e fu r th e r
down the loch. Luckily we just made it to
the jetty and wind-pow er did not have to
be used, though several would have been
willing, and able, to oblige.
Friday: By this time we had all become
pretty ad roit at flu sh in g the loo w ith a
b u c k e t o f sea w ater. S h o w e rs w ere
banned. In fact, only Dan and Peter had
that experience — pity they d id n ’t get up
first! ("Muni, Peter's wet the bed!” )
A game of canoe polo revealed aggres
s io n in m a n y u n e x p e c t e d q u a r t e r s —
Sim on Miller was especially impressive.
P erh ap s he w as ju s t keen not to fall in
a f t e r D a n h a d p r o n o u n c e d , in f a i r l y
colou rfu l lan gu age, that the loch w a ter
was rather cold.
M i s s N e a l e ’s e l e g a n t l y m a d e - u p
appearance had been a source o f w onder
all week but finally a use for all these lux
uries was discovered as the group joined
together to get revenge on PJE for all the
atrocities he had committed. A truce had
finally to be called to let him use the nail
varnish remover.
From then on it was all hands to tidy up
as we had the launch booked for six to
take us o v e r to Inverie. T here the staff
consumed a magnificent sea food supper
while the boys went off to put out the fire
in th e ir m o u th s, c a u s e d by a m e a l for
twelve being flavoured by chilli for thirty.
Saturday: Up at 6.30am (groan) for the
final pack and off. A lifestyle where the
hardest decision to be made w as what fac
tor suncream to put on and the main intel
lectual challeng e w as fin d in g n ew uses
for Flora Margarine, (M iss England had
discovered it to be very soothing on blis
ters, while PJE swore it to be invaluable
in a severe case o f spray deck nipple —
pe rh ap s we sh o u ld have tried it on the
A dm iral’s terminally frayed wellies), was
one that nobody really w an ted to a b a n
don. Except that is, for one, who, w hen
asked w h eth er he w an ted to g o b ack to
School said: “ Yes, ju st to tell eve ry o n e
what they missed.”
M iss Neale shows 'em how it's done.
59
E .A .E .
ARDINTIGH DAWN
Still and soundless lochside in the pastel
twilight gloom,
Midnight by the water, polished by m id
sum m er moon,
In the half-lig h t o f the sky, the Cuillin
Ridge defined,
Against an ochre cloud-base that the sun
set left behind.
By the silent lochside, in the m auve and
lilac dawning,
O y s t e r - c a t c h e r s d iv e an d c ry , to g re e t
another morning,
Eyes which grow accustomed to the fastincreasing light
See the glowing of another sunrise chase
away the night.
Now, back to a different life, reality re
born,
The mom ent passed. I c a n ’t believe now
that we sat and watched the daw n
B ut I w o n d e r , w h e n 1 see y o u , if you
think o f Ardintigh,
And the pale grey sunrise breaking on the
Cuillin Hills o f Skye.
Shadow s of the hills; the mountain mantle
all around
M irro re d on the g la s sy w a te rs , ech o ed
without sound,
Quiet voices murmur, and hours slip g en
tly by,
As the first light softly breathes its gentle
breath on Ardintigh.
Here, with you, 1 sit and watch the dawn
stretch to the sky.
T hrow its reaching arms across the bay of
Ardintigh.
Laughing at the thought that school is just
twelve hours away,
It all seem s quite unreal here at the break
of the last day.
(T h ou gh ts o f ‘P o st-H ig h ers’ W eek)
A n on .
D rawing by Eiliilh Nicolson.
SURVIVAL
This year one m em b er of the survival
party w as left b ehin d - thank go od ness
th is h a p p e n e d at the b e g i n n i n g o f the
week!
A fter an in tere sting le a v e r s ’ party in
Edinburgh, Clo dagh M. missed her con
nection back to School. (O f course it was
som ebody else’s fault, but we sh a n ’t m en
tion D ave Y o u n g by n a m e ). A fte r this
o m in o u s start, h o w e v e r, th in g s w ent
s m o o th ly and we rea ch ed the island of
Fladda without a hitch.
Having run these Survival W eeks for a
number o f years now, I was interested to
find out how a party composed entirely of
scho ol leavers w o u ld take to it. W ould
they all be terribly mature and in dep en
dent or would they still maintain the insti
tutionalised thinking instilled into them
by m an y y e ars o f sch o o l life? I w o u ld
have to wait and see.
On arrival on Fladda, w hich - for the
uninitiated - is a tiny slab o f more or less
b a r r e n r o c k in th e T r e s h n i s h I s l a n d s
between Mull and Coll, the first task was,
as always, the establishment o f some rea
sonable form o f shelter. There w as a dis
tinct shortage of b uildin g materials, but
the c o m m it te e m a n a g e d to p ro d u c e an
in g e n io u s c o n s tru c tio n o f p o n c h o s and
string that looked sufficiently stable and
inviting. There w as even enough time left
before dark for the huntin’ and fishin’ set
to sw ing into action and to let the resident
sea-gulls know that we had arrived.
The aroma o f cooking sea-gull brought
back memories, not all o f them sweet, and
I h a p p ily j o i n e d th o s e w h o d e c id e d to
give this culinary attempt a miss and go
on a b it o f a d i e t i n s t e a d . S e a - b i r d s
becam e an increasingly important part of
o ur lives. S o m e w e re ed ib le and cam e ,
like the puffins, with the highest recom
mendations o f the St Kildans - but we all
k n o w w h a t h a p p e n e d to t h e m , a n d
b e s i d e s , p u f f i n s are p r o t e c te d by law.
Others, like the elusive storm petrel, nest
in the rocks next to the shelter and while
away the hours o f darkness by squawking
incessantly. Eventually we settled for the
usual, a menu on which sea-gull and wild
garlic stew topped the list and which was
notable for its absence o f fish.
W hy fish in g sh o u ld p resen t such a
p roblem I will n ev er really understand.
After all, one is surrounded by waters that
are fished regularly by professionals who
seem to be able to m ake a living, never
mind a single meal, from their activity.
B ut s o m e h o w o u r m a k e s h i f t a rr a y o f
hooks on h o m e-m a d e floats fail to p ro
duce the goods and as the week went by,
the interest shifted from what appeared to
be a ra th e r futile e x e rc is e to w a rd s the
more profitable bird hunting.
R e g u la r r e a d e r s o f this c o lu m n w ill
have noticed that once again food (or the
lack o f it) appears to dominate the think
ing. 1 keep telling prospective survivors
that this is really the last item on the list
o f priorities, comii:g a long time after the
real essentials o f shelter, water and fuel.
But will they ever learn?
How important the shelter is was beau
tifu lly d e m o n s tra te d from Day T w o
onwards. The dry spell that had accom pa
nied the time o f the School Exams ended,
and o u r d e fe n c e s again st the rain w ere
tested se v e re ly e v ery night - and most
d a y s as w ell. W h a t w o u ld su r v iv a l be
without giant puddles of water gathering
on the p o n c h o ro o f d ir e c tly o v e r h e a d ,
t h r e a te n i n g to d ro w n the u n s u s p e c tin g
sleeper and regularly managing to do so.
It provides a lot of fun for those who are
s p a r e d the e x p e r i e n c e , until th eir turn
inevitably comes and they join the Chorus
o f the Drenched - a swearbox would fill
up nicely on these occasions.
With the rain came the wind - a gale,
in fact and the roof construction had to be
re - th o u g h t and re -w o rk e d u n d er s o m e
w h a t d i f f i c u l t c i r c u m s t a n c e s at tw o
o ’clock in the morning. Much praise must
g o to A lex and M artin for k e e p in g the
roof up and the spirits high, but even their
60
co m b in e d efforts could not p rev ent the
o c c a s i o n a l s e n s e o f h u m o u r fa ilu re in
some dark, wet corners.
T h e w e a th e r p la y e d a m a jo r part
th ro u g h o u t the w eek . T h e p ro b le m s o f
keeping dry and warm did not eliminate
all th o u g h ts o f fo od, but they certainly
pushed the talk of pizza and cheeseburg
ers into the background. A nd of course,
w h e n th e w i n d r o s e th e q u e s t i o n o f
whether the boat would manage to pick us
up at the end o f the w eek provided hours
o f s p e c u l a ti v e d is c u s s i o n and a ll o w e d
t h o s e w ith a s i c k s e n s e o f h u m o u r to
d e v e l o p th e t o p i c o f c a n n i b a l i s m to
almost danger level.
I w o n ’t k e e p y o u in s u s p e n s e an y
lo nger - nobody w as eaten, we did get
picked up, we did survive, and everybody
re c e iv e d the p re s tig io u s club tie in the
end.
But w hat o f my e a rlie r q u e stio n ,
whether a group o f people w ho had actu
a lly left s c h o o l an d w h o w e r e , to all
intents and purposes, free to do exactly as
they pleased would be different from the
usual group of survivors?
L et’s say that I had less to do than nor
mally. The decisions were initially taken
by th e g r o u p bu t a c e r t a i n l e a d e r s h i p
s e e m e d to e m e r g e q u ite n a tu r a lly ; the
d o e r s d id w h a t h a d to b e d o n e a n d
required only the gentlest of direction and
advice, leaving me more time than ever
before to read my book. In fact, if the sun
had been shining, I would have been able
to lounge on a rock and get tanned.
So if you read this, H e a th e r, Ju d ith ,
Alex, Nick, Martin, Jamie, James, Peter,
D ave, C h ris and M ark - if you can go
through life tackling problem s as ch eer
fully and e fficien tly as you ta ckled the
su r v iv a l w e e k I shall h ave no w o rri e s
about your future.
K.G.
AROUND THE SCHOOL
It is im po ssible that a pupil can pass
th r o u g h S tr a th a l la n S c h o o l w ith o u t at
least o n c e e n c o u n te r in g M r E a d e s and
yet, despite this, most people are unaware
o f exactly what his job entails, and often
fa i l to g i v e h im th e r e c o g n i t i o n he
deserves.
As in any sm ooth-running and success
ful org anisatio n it is usually the people
behind the scenes w ho keep it going with
their hard work and comm itment, and Mr
Eades is a good example of this: a consid
erable force behind Strathallan. In fact, he
has a hand in many aspects o f running the
non-academ ic life o f the school — from
w o rk in g
w ith
th e
H e a d m a s t e r ’s
Secretary’s office to being responsible for
the w e l l - b e i n g o f in d i v id u a l p u p il s to
w hom he b ec o m e s “ in loco paren tis” or
substitute parent when he transports them
for tr e a tm e n t at the h osp ital. T h is is a
duty w hich he carries out alm o st every
day w ith g reat c h e e r f u ln e s s and m u c h
sympathy.
On top o f that Mr Eades runs the sta
tionery store, patiently issuing pens and
paper to all, as well as doing the accounts
and collecting goods from Perth. He can
alw a y s be d e p e n d e d u p o n to find , and
acquire, the best and latest ink eradicator
or paper folder to o rder and alw ays has
time for a discussion on the merits of his
stock. He also runs the C C F store almost
sin g le-h an d e d ly — as Q u a rte rm a ste r
S e rg e a n t, b e in g r e s p o n s ib le for e v e r y
thing that comes into the store, as well as
distributing it.
A s a r e s u lt, M r E a d e s has h a r d l y a
spare mom ent as I found when trying to
“ interview " him, and 1 believe that it is
time that we thanked him for all his hard
work — but especially for his ability to
re m a in f r i e n d l y an d c o n s i d e r a t e e v e n
w h ile d e a li n g d aily w ith the p u p il s o f
Strathallan.
So, Mr Eades — we thank you!
M r Eades takes a bow.
A L A S T A IR E D W A R D S
Sister Isobel S tead in the San.
M arie — m iles o f essential repairs!
61
F R E E L A N D em barked on an odessey
o f adventure — the new and im proved,
first-ever study bedroom year. To add to
that there was a new housemaster, house
t u t o r a n d p o o l t a b l e . W h a t ’s m o r e ,
ba bysitting for Mr C ourt w as no longer
looked upon in the sam e light since his
sons own an Nintendo and you d o n ’t have
to w alk miles to his house. Better still,
along with Mr Mayes (and his inability to
buy tickets) came Harvey — the w o rld ’s
b e s t e x c u s e not to do p rep . H a rv e y , a
small furry rat-like animal is perhaps the
noisiest thin g in Freeland, puttin g even
the juniors to shame, and he continues to
b a r k d u r i n g p r e p d e s p i t e e f f o r t s to
‘bleach ’ him out! A s for the socialisation
o f the house, b re ad is plentiful and the
new house co-operative selling essentials
to the h u n g ry w o rk e rs has b e e n firm ly
established — things could hardly be bet
ter.
Nik Hartley
Nik Hartley plans a fa st get-away.
It took a sporting experience to wipe the sm ile o ff
Nick J o n e s' face!
N I C O L is a house. Quite a large house,
but no larger than any o f the other houses.
Yet, compared with other houses you are
stunned by the pure simplicity o f our por
tal, e s p e c i a l l y w ith its s h o e - c l e a n i n g
device (thanks, PM V ) and the d esign er
umbrella rack, which is one o f the more
ing en io u s in ve ntio ns o f the C D T Dept.
Moving in, one is awestruck by the m o n
u m e n t a l n o t i c e - b o a r d , the c o n t e n t s o f
w h ich are rarely read and n ev er u n d e r
stood!
C u lt u r e ! N e v e r h as a w o r d b e e n so
incongruous with the choice o f paintings
that litter our w alls and the varied range
o f music which is forced to be kept to a
maxim um volume due to the fact that it is
sw am ped by louder music if it is not.
You reach your study only to be met by
a little self-ad h esiv e y ello w slip telling
you that the d oo r is locked. You take a
deep breath as you realise you must face
the inevitable: Mrs Murray is effective in
keeping tidy the studies o f even the most
notorious mobster, and even the bravest
s h u d d e r s in his b o o ts w h e n he realises
that he has not changed his sheets ....
Roderick W illiams and Duncan Dunlop.
62
O nce the date o f the S I X T H - F O R M B A L L had eventually been decided, the
night w as a p p ro a ch ed w ith en thu siasm ,
and an unusual degree o f optimism - on
my part, at least. After the T hornbank and
W o o d lan d ’s girls were collected by their
‘e s c o r ts ’, all sixth fo rm ers m et fo r preBall drinks in the new exam hall, where
e v e ry b o d y quickly relaxed and got into
the sw in g o f things. Indeed, du rin g the
course o f the evening much swinging was
d o n e by a ll - e s p e c i a l l y in th e o ft e n
a m u s i n g a t t e m p t s at S c o t t i s h c o u n t r y
dancing by wary n e w c o m e rs to the ball
sc e n e . T h e sc h o o l b a n d , c o n s i s t i n g o f
H a m i s h M c C a r t a n , P ie r s R a p e r , N eil
R u s s e l l , R o b b i e W i l s o n a n d P h il
A in sw o rth, m ade their debut p e rf o r
mance, much to the delight o f the merry
m e m b e rs o f the six th form w h o reeled
and fre a k e d w ith g u sto to th e ir m usic.
Credit is due to all the staff who managed
not only to maintain a sense o f humour,
but also to jo in in the high-spirited and
so m e tim e s perilo us d ances. T h e end of
the evening saw many people definitely
in need o f a good n ig h t’s sleep, and the
realisation that it is actually possible to
have fun during the long, cold Easter term
began to cheer us all at dawn.
S*fs £, f.
. £. U. MOWAT
?\ I . SiVCf: 49UM
im &*: **£***#
If*
Mrruk
"Can 1 cope?" Robin Johnston escorting Tessa Dunlop.
J en n ife r M acd on ald
L A S T W O R D S — W e ll , the en d is
nigh and in this contribution to the school
magazine I think I am meant to sum up
the year, identify the m a jo r ev en ts and
c a t e g o r i z e the a t m o s p h e r e w i t h i n the
school.
That is quite some task when so much
has happened and when the year has gone
so quickly that everything is just a haze.
There has been o f course one major event
at Strathallan this year: the boys are final
ly all in their own houses and study bed
room s and roots are being made as they
tr y to f i n d an a l t e r n a t i v e e x c u s e to
accuse those on high o f being feminists
since accom modation is now on an even
par. Rumour has it that washing machines
may be installed next y e a r . . . mm m , well
it’s an interesting thought!!
One change that provoked some inter
esting reactions was the alteration o f our
b elov ed school uniform ; g on e w ere the
m u l ti - c o l o u r e d v - n e c k s , th e e x tr e m e l y
varied prefects’ attire and here were the
G uernseys and the go-faster stripes. Yet
we DID get to w ear our “ casu als” after
tea and after chapel on Sundays - and did
w e? W e ll, the n o v e lty w o re o f f pretty
quickly as the faithful old gam es kit w as
voted more comfortable and less trouble.
S ti ll , l o o k i n g b a c k to w h e n the g i r l s
d i d n ’t have to w e a r ties (one-nil to the
fem inists) and u pp er six basically wore
anything, the ch an g es w ere needed and
we do look pretty smart, on the whole.
While looking sm art the school m a n
aged to behave well generally, although
the fact that half o f it w as rendered im m o
bile by measles and various other diseases
in the first term must have helped. There
w e r e th e i n e v i t a b l e f e w h i c c u p s b u t
although this may just be because I’m in
u pp er sixth, I felt the school w as much
m o r e i n t e g r a t e d th is y e a r : l i n k s w e re
m a d e a c ro s s all fo r m s and s e x e s (h o w
m a n y are th e re ?) w h ile the p e e r g ro u p
b o n d s rem ain ed as stron g as ever. This
could be a result o f the new houses and
increased independence or just the w o n
derful upper sixth, although some people
may have som ething to say about that.
It’s been a good year and all that sticks
in my mind is a phrase that was cited at
th is y e a r s p riz e g iv i n g ; i t ’s n o w th ird
h a n d b u t its f u n d a m e n t a l i m p o r t a n c e
d o e s n ’t change with use - w hen th e r e ’s
that big mountain to climb, stop staring at
the steps and start stepping up the stairs.
Fin ally — N o real c h a n g e s? G o rd o n
W a tt e a t y o u r h e a r t o u t . . . w e w e re
stun n ed by M r P ig h ills’ ann o u n c em en t,
just after the beginning o f term, that he is
to retire at the end o f this year. A sense of
insecurity, yet o f anticipation creeps into
the soul . . . S ch oo l ‘p i g s ’ - y o u ’re on
your last legs!
A.D. Stevens and M atthew B arker in their "casuals" fo r the Fun Run.
63
C laire T om lin
FLOWER-POWER
A f te r a lot o f d is c u s s i o n s , an d even
more confusion, a theme was decided on:
h u m o u r s h o n e t h r o u g h y et a g a in w ith
"Hippies and Yuppies'.
D e s p it e all the n e w id e a s a b o u t the
dis c o , w e h ad to h a v e s o m e tr a d itio n s
kept (within school rules of course!) and
as it was a leap year the girls decided to
make the most o f that opportunity. Now
n o t o n l y d id w e h a v e to w o r r y a b o u t
what to wear, w hether it be hippie or yu p
pie, w e had to w o n d e r w h o to ask and
how ! T h e in v ita tio n s w e re ju s t a little
p e c u lia r, as we w ro te on a n y th i n g and
everything: bread, stones, leaves and even
with lipstick. Crazy we know, but fun!
As the night rolled closer everyone (or
the g ir ls a n y w a y ) w e n t m ad tr y in g on
clothes, (m ost o f w hich had com e from
grann ie's c u p b o ard ) and e x pe rim e ntin g,
and 1 mean experimenting, with make-up.
I've n ever seen flowers on cheeks, fore
h e a d s a n d m a n y o t h e r p l a c e s b e fo r e !
There w as a sudden interest from people
w h o w e r e n ’t going to help. We are still
not quite sure whether it actually w as help
or revenge! Believe me, if you had seen
som e people that night you w o uld have
wondered too.
At last, after what seem ed like an eter
nity, everyone made the final adjustments
to th e ir . . . um . . . c o s t u m e s ! ? S o on
queries o f "Do I look alright?' and "Are
you sure?" were flying from every room
as g irls lost, fo un d and lost e v e ry th in g
again.
Before we knew it we were over in the
"c o n v e r te d " L e b u rn d o r m s w ith m u s ic
blasting from everywhere. At first every
one just stood there looking gorm less but
as soon as good old fourth form arrived
the party livened up! Before long we were
am azed by the w ide variety o f dancing:
the "lads" were "headbanging" and ju m p
ing and at the sam e tim e to es and feet
w e re f l a tt e n e d into u n p r e d i c t a b l e and
painful sha pes by the d e m a n d s o f g y ra
tions and shakings.
The hours w ent flying past with loud
disco m u sic and (ho w shall we say) an
‘unforgettable’ performance by the school
R uthven's "Dudes " head fo r the dance.
64
band. Soon we were on to the slow songs
that at tim es, d e p e n d in g w h o you w ere
dancing with, seemed to last forever! The
DJ th e n a n n o u n c e d the last s o n g w a s
about to be played and everyone put their
greatest effort into some S E R IO U S dancing.
As for the scandal . . . well that's for the
people w h o were there to know and the
people who weren't, don't deserve to. The
only surprising thing that happened was
that much to everyone's disbelief we did
n't get the d isco b an n e d for next year.
Thanks Mr Vallot.
C A T H E R IN E LOW
BEANCHIES
L o w er VI w ere ordered to the lecture
theatre one evening to receive a talk about
Y o u n g E nterp rise. T h e talk started and
things didn’t seem too bad — most stayed
awake. Finally we were asked w ho w ant
ed to set up a company and play big boys
(and girls!) for a year. Some o f us, d es
perate to have something to write on our
C V ’s said we would have a go. T h a t’s all
it was at the time - a big joke.
We were soon straightened out. At our
first meeting with our advisers (actual big
boys and girls w h o v olu nte ered to help
keep us going along the right lines), we
w e re to ld to th in k o f the p ro d u c t s we
wanted to make and a name for our c o m
pany. Well we quickly decided to make
beanbags and scrunchies. No-one bothered
to c o n s i d e r th e f a c t th a t o n l y tw o o f
us could actually use a sew ing machine!
With all our im aginable skills put togeth
er w e f i n a l l y c a m e up w ith a n a m e B E A N C H IE S . (T he first fou r letters o f
b eanb ag and the last four o f scrunchies
for those w ho didn't notice). That was our
first major mistake. With a name like that
no-one was prepared to take us seriously.
Since one o f the rules laid dow n was
that o u r o n ly in itia l c a p it a l w a s fro m
shares sold in our company, the name was
at once a draw back. H ow ever, there are
many optimists at Strathallan, so we got
our m oney in the end, often from other
pupils eager to earn dividends from their
sweetie money.
After many fraught and tangled sewing
lessons, we produced our first scrunchie —
not too bad for beginners since the pulledtight d e sig n w ith elastic c o n c e a le d o ur
erratic s titch w o rk very nicely. M uch to
o ur su rp rise, o rd e rs flo o d e d in and the
ty p in g r o o m - tu r n e d - f a c t o r y - s w e a t - s h o p
was bright with Liberty swathes and enthu
siasm.
The next step - a major one - was trying
to fig u re ou t ho w to m a k e a b e a n b a g .
O n ly o u r M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r h ad the
fain te st idea - and th at w a s to ask her
m o th e r! H o w e v e r, e v e n tu a lly a p ro p e r
pattern was made from unpicking a wornou t p o u ff e and the p r o t o ty p e b e a n b a g
em erg ed . M r F o rster w as o u r first c u s
tomer. Either by great faith in our abilities,
or by sheer stupidity he ordered six bean
bags for W oodlands House. We now had
som ething to strive f o r . . .
In fact the w hole year w as a practice
run since e v e ry o n e , e ven M r W illia m s
and the ap pointed advisors, w as new to
Y oung Enterprise. Every month we had a
board meeting and thanks to Frances from
Marks and Spencer, one o f our advisors,
these took place in the MD's boardroom
in Perth. This became the highlight of the
month. (M. and S. biscuits are delicious!).
Here we discussed the problems we were
having in each department and generally
came up with sensible solutions to solve
them.
A t th e e n d o f th e y e a r , a f t e r m a n y
m ish a p s, m o stly in the c o m m u n ic a t io n
department, we did actually make a profit
o f around £200. The kindhearted Board o f
Directors decided not to keep the money
for them selves and instead all sharehold
ers received a dividend. Great rejoicing.
The Y oung Enterprise organisation set
an o p t i o n a l e x a m w h i c h all o f us
i n v o l v e d , s a t . A n d , y e s , w e all j u s t ,
p a ss e d , w ith one e x c e p tio n - M ariet
Semple, w ho received a distinction!
The scheme was tremendous fun and a
good time was had by all while learning
something about the big (bad!) world.
MARGARET LOW
C om pany M em bers
Managing Director
Marketing Director
Sales Director
Personnel Director
Accounting Director
Production Director
Secretary
Staff:
Jenny Griffiths
Andrew McNamara
Margaret C. Low
Mariet Semple
Christopher Moore
Gavin Wilson
Rachel Taylor\
Rona Macdonald
Matthew Park
Alastair Doodson
Alastair Edwards
Pauline Lockhart
Caroline Lusk
Iain Davidson
Justin Borgen-Neilson
RADIO FREAKS
This year, for the first time in my m e m
ory, Mr G oody ran an amateur radio club.
Meetings were on T hursdays during prep.
— at first in a m aths room , then in the
new radio “shack" in the Activities Block.
To many people, amateur radio sounds
boring, but most w h o have tried it have
found it a friendly, light-hearted hobby,
where everyone has a sense o f humour. A
typical example o f this is the entry in the
log b o o k — a call sig n e n d i n g “ O n ly
Drinks W hisk y” — an interesting version
o f the phonetic alphabet! (“Are we laugh
ing?” Ed.).
The purpose o f the club w as to learn
about all aspects o f amateur radio, then to
sit the R a d io A m a t e u r ’s E x a m w h ic h
would allow us to transmit alone. David
Clark w o uld ob viously succeed without
apparently listening to anything, but Peter
G oody was heard to express doubts about
hi own chances, despite bein g a m a th e
matician's son.
R o b e r t W h e e l d o n ’s c l a i m to fa m e
(apart from an episode involving a large
n u m b e r o f p a c k e d teas, ju s t b efo re the
exam s) w as his bizarre Australian ritual
of whistling at the radio, supposedly until
it chirped back. This practice lacks c o m
mon sense, but m ak es a great spectator
sport. W ho did he think he w o u ld fool
with that story about his cheap Australian
radio not having a whistle of its ow n?
“ S a n ta C la u s " d is ti n g u is h e d h im s e l f
with a 30 minute contact with a Swedish
fishing trawler but J a m e s ’ claim ed hour
long chat with an A dm iral o f the Swiss
Navy w as disco un ted at the time o f his
transmission. Jam es him self managed fine
a fte r n o ti c in g th at the ra d io c o u ld not
m a k e s e n s e o f h is m e n t a l ‘ b i n a r y ’,
although his action did inspire the w o rld 's
most famous saying, “ It is interesting how
o f t e n t h o s e w h o sa y m o s t, n o r m a l l y ,
refuse to speak on the air.” (What do you
m e a n , y o u ‘h a v e n ' t h e a r d i t ? ’) S o rr y
James, you w e re n ’t actually supposed to
answer that with your life story, although
it does explain one or two small points . . .
Sole r e p r e s e n ta t iv e o f F orm V, Neil
B lath erw ick (well kn o w n for ‘b la t h e r ’)
tu r n e d up late an d s o a k i n g w et e v e r y
w eek . Life sav in g, eh? D o n ’t b elieve a
word o f it. A mention must also be made
o f Andrew Yeates (no relation to the poet
o f almost the sam e name!), w ho discov
ered early on that he much preferred the
company of pianos to radios. We thought
he h ad a p o i n t a b o u t t h e i r q u a l i t y o f
sound but remain unconvinced about his
violin. ‘The G e rm an A r m y ’ also beat a
hurried retreat after being observed d u r
(i5
ing one lecture w ith a p lum e o f sm o k e
emerging from his left earphone.
Sadly, the only girl to survive beyond
the first w eek was Joanna M alcolm who
p e rs e v e re d th ro u g h c o n sta n t te a s in g ,
chalk dust and water spray but has yet to
transmit anything despite bein g in great
demand with other female operators. Has
all this vic tim isa tion been for no thing ?
Come on, you Amazons, we deserve bet
ter next y e a r . . .
M any th ank s to Bill for his lectures,
and to Mr Goody for setting it all up.
Congratulations to David Clarke, David
Fraser, Jam es Roome, Robert W heeldon
and Iain Sinclair on passing both parts o f
the R A E an d b e c o m i n g f u l l y - f l e d g e d
Radio A mateurs with a B class licence.
Let us hope that Neil Blathcrwick can
pass his remaining exam and become the
six th S tr a th a llia n L ic e n c e d R ad io
Amateur.
By the time you read this, the club will
be operational on “ Packet” with call sign
G M 7 N S S as w e ll as w o r k i n g H F on
G S 0 P S S — try us! New mem bers will be
enthusiastically welcomed.
IA IN S E N I O R
8 annevman
D e c o r a to r s
EST. 1921
Perth — Coupar Angus — Crieff
MEMBER OF THE SCOTTISH DECORATORS FEDERATION
VAT No. 268 8716 05
JOINERS AND CONTRACTORS
(Established 1919)
ESTIMATES GIVEN FOR ALL
CLASSES OF JOINER WORK
S T U D IO
PRIORY PLACE, CRAIGIE
PERTH PH2 ODT
Suppliers of Quality Paints and Wallcoverings
Tel: Perth (0738) 24673
55 Commissioner Street, Crieff PH7 3AY
Telephone: 0764 2540
18 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 5RW
Telephone: 0738 22591 Fax: 0738 39939
Doig & Smith
We have been
Electrical
Suppliers to
Strathallan
School for 25
years
CHARTERED QUANTITY
SURVEYORS
CONSTRUCTION COST
CONSULTANTS
PROJECT MANAGERS
HOUflnD H O U S E
tU C T R IC fllc O
LTD
Head Office:
6 Lyndoch Place
G lasgow G3 6AQ
Tel: 041-332 8907
London Office:
8 Lower Teddington Road
Kingston upon Tham es
Tel: 081-943 2570
E dinburgh Office:
45 York Place
Edinburgh EH1 3HP
Tel: 031-557 4492
H am ilton Office:
10 C adzow Lane
H am ilton ML3 6AY
Tel: H am ilton 285379
Ayr Office:
26 Miller Road
Ayr KA& 2AY
Tel: 0292 265916
1 BALHOUSIE STREET, PERTH
Tel: Perth 25165
66
CANDID
CAMERA
M r Vallol lays in supplies — changing mat and bottle.
Collapsed, D etached and Tired.
Life study on a train.
P or,rm t ° f ,he A r,‘st as a
man :
"Come on, mum!
67
Lorna Doodson enjoying her Chop Suey in China.
VALETE
FREELAND
UVI
A N D E R S O N E. D. C a m e 1987; III;
S c h o o l P refect; 1st X V R u g b y ; 1st XI
Cricket; 1st XI Hockey; 1st VII Rugby;
1st XI Football; Lance Corporal; Bronze
D o f E; H o u s t o n P r i z e f o r a l l - r o u n d
M erit . Ardarroch House , Rail, Perthshire,
Scotland. PH2 7RT
C A T H C A R T D. E. C am e 1990; LVI;
H ouse
P r e f e c t , 7 th X V
Rugby;
S w im m in g team ; B a sk e tb a ll team ;
S k i i n g ; C y c l i n g . C u lra v e n , B o rg u e,
Kirkcudbright, Scotland. DG6 4SG
D IC K M. J. C a m e 1987; III; H o u se
Prefect; 2nd XV Rugby; Athletics Team
(Captain); Sw im m ing team; Squash team;
C ro s s -c o u n tr y te am ; S ch o o l play ; Pipe
Band; Coxwain in Navy; Sports colours.
L O W J. C. C a m e 1 98 7; III; H o u s e
Prefect; 1st X V Rugby; 1st VII Rugby;
1st XI Hockey; A thletics T eam (Junior,
M id d le and S e n io r V ic to r L u d o ru m s );
Cadet in CCF; Bronze D o f E. 5, Spylaw
Park, Edinburgh. EH 13 OLS
O B A N K G. D. C a m e 1990; LVI; 1st
XI F o o tb a l l; 2 nd XI C r i c k e t ; 3 rd X V
R u g b y ; 4th XI H o c k e y ; S k i i n g T e a m
( C a p ta i n ) ; D e b a tin g ; C o x s w a in in the
N a v y ; B r o n z e D o f E. G reen W illow,
C u r ly H ill, Ilk le y , W est Y ork sh ire ,
England.
S A L T E R S K. L. C a m e 1 9 8 7 : III;
H o u se P re fe c t; 1st X V R u g b y ; 1st XI
Hockey; 1st XI Cricket (Captain); Bronze
D o f E. F o rt L o d g e, 9, F o rt R o ad,
H e le n s B a y, Co. D o w n N Ir e la n d .
B T19 1LD
8, Grant Avenue, Colinton, Edinburgh.
F O R D J. R. C a m e 1987; III; H o u se
Prefect; 2nd XV Rugby; 2nd XI Hockey;
2 n d XI C r i c k e t ; L i f e s a v i n g ; U n d e r Officer; Bronze, Silver and Gold D o f E.
N ic o l H o u se, S tr a th a lla n
Forgandenny, Perth. PH2 9EG
S c h o o l,
G O R D O N M. S. Came 1990; LVI; 7th
X V R u g b y ; 1st VI T e n n i s ; S o c i a l
C o m m itte e ; Petty O fficer. D eils C raig,
Strathblane, Glasgow. G63 9ET
G R A Y G. B. R. Came 1987; III; House
Prefect; 3rd XV Rugby; A thletics team;
S k iin g team ; C a n o e in g ; S w im m in g ;
Tennis; Golf; Corporal; Bronze D o f E.
E a s t F e n t o n , N o r t h B e r w i c k , E a st
Lothian. EH39 5AH
H EA L Y J. M. Came 1987; III; House
P r e f e c t ; 5 th X V R u g b y ( C a p t a i n ) ;
A th le tic s T eam ; C lim b in g ; S k iin g ;
R u n n in g ;
S w im m in g ;
B ask etb all;
Sergeant. Northfield, 11, M uirton Bank,
Perth. PH I 5DN
H Y D E A. L. C am e 1987; III; 7th XV
Rugby; 2nd XI Hockey, 2nd XI Cricket;
Canoeing, Bronze D o f E. 3, Killin Court,
Dunfermline, Fife. K YI 2 7XF
J O H N S T O N R. G. J. C a m e 1985; I;
S chool Prefect; 1st X V R ugby; 1st VII
Rugby; 1st XI Cricket; 1st XI Football;
1st V Basketball; Petty-Oflicer in Navy;
D r u m M a j o r . 29, F a lc o n G ard en s,
S M I T H J. A. C a m e 1984; I; H o u s e
P refect, 5th X V R ug by ; S a ilin g T eam ;
C anoeing; B adminton; Lifesaving; Petty
Officer; Bronze, Silver and Gold D o f E.
72, A r d e n s la te R oad, K irn , D u n o o n ,
Argyll. PA23 8H Y
G O O D Y P. C a m e 1 9 8 4 ; I; H o u s e
P re fe c t; R ugby 3rd X V ; A th le tic s ;
S a i l i n g ; L i f e s a v i n g ; S u r v i v a l ; R a d io
Club; Drama; Netw ork Manager; School
Magazine Editor; School Photographer; D
o f E Bronze, Silver and Gold; 3rd Form
Effort Prize; 4th Form Effort Prize; PO in
Navy. Lambs Park, Forgandenny, Perth.
PH2 9HS
LATTA W. A. Came 1987; III; House
P refect; R u gb y 3rd X V ; 3 rd F o rm Set
Prize; Lance Corporal; Chief Mechanic in
Motorbikes. Kiddingwood Farm, Duncan,
Kirkmahoe, Dumfries. DG1 1RD
M A C G R E G O R - C H R I S T I E G . A.
C a m e 1987; III; H o use Prefect; H ouse
Colours; Rugby 2nd XV; Cricket 3rd XI;
H o c k e y 2 n d X I; F o o t b a l l 1st XI
(C a p ta in ); M in o r S p o rts C o lo u rs for
F o o t b a l l ; A b l e S e a m a n in N a v y . 16,
Stranraer. DG9 8AF
Raeburn Mews, Stockbridge, Edinburgh.
W O O D A. F. C. Came
Prefect; 1st X V Rugby;
1st XI C r ic k e t ; 1st VII
Marines; Lancc Corporal
1986; II; School
1st XI Hockey;
R u g b y ; R o yal
Pipe Band. 25,
India Street, Edinburgh. EH3 6HE
V
A N D E R S O N S. W. C a m e 1 9 8 6 ; I;
S enior Colts Rugby; Senior Colts Cricket;
3 r d XI H o c k e y ; C a n o e i n g ; G o l f ;
Lifesaving; Lance Corporal; Bronze D o f
E. 34, M e n te ith View , D u n b la n e ,
Perthshire.
NICOL
L O C H O R E H. M. Came 1984; I; Head
o f House; School Prefect; 1st XV Rugby;
1st VII Rugby; 1st XI Hockey; Athletics
team . B u rg ie H ou se, F o rre s, M oray.
UVI
B U C K L E Y N. P. C a m e 1 9 8 8 ; IV ;
S chool Prefect; H ead o f H ouse; R ugby
5 th X V ; T e n n i s 1st VI ( C a p t a i n ) ;
S w i m m i n g ( C a p t a i n ) ; F u ll C o l o u r s
(Tennis and Swimming): Lance-Corporal,
H ead o f M o to rb ik e s . K artenaerlaan 7,
N36 OQU
2121 XJ Benebroek, Netherlands.
C h e m in de la G r e n o u ille tte , 3 1 1 7 0
Tournefeuille, Toulouse, France.
Peppermill Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242,
USA.
S M IT H M. A. C am e 1986; II; House
Prefect; 1st XI Cricket; 1st XI Hockey;
2nd XV R ugby (C ap tain ); O rch estra;
Choir; Dance Band; Brass G roup; Petty
O f f i c e r . H ele n sle a , 39 L o n d o n R oad,
Edinburgh. EH 10 4AR
L A M B R. C. Came 1990; LVI; 7th XV
Rugby; 4th XI H ockey; 3rd XI Cricket;
1st XI F o o t b a l l ; 1st V B a s k e t b a l l
( C a p t a i n ) ; S k i i n g , N C O in N a v y . 15,
C L A R K D. W. Came 1986; II; House
Prefect; H ouse Colours; Rugby 5th XV;
H o ck ey 4th XI (C ap tain ); G o lf 1st IV;
A c a d e m ic S cholarship; 3rd Form Prize;
4 th F o r m P r i z e ; G C S E E x a m P r i z e ;
M ath s P rize; P h y sic s Prize; C h e m istry
Prize, W in n e r 1990 D un dee U n iversity
School P roject C o m p e titio n ; D o f E
B ronze; School
M ag azin e. 4268
68
M cG IL V R A Y D. J. P. Came 1987; 111;
House Prefect: Rugby 7th X V (Captain);
Hockey 4th XI (Captain); Football 1st XI:
S w im m in g ; D e b a tin g ; D o f E B ro n z e ;
J u n i o r N C O in R A F . G a r tin s ta r r y
Lodge, B uchlyvie, Stirling. FK8 3PD
PR OC T ER C. I. Came 1987; III; House
Prefect: House Colours; Rugby 3rd XV;
Cross country; Debating; D o f E Bronze;
D ram a; S u rv iv al; C o m p an y S erg ean t
M ajor in A rm y . I.othlorien, 14, Wilson
Road, Banchory, Kincardineshire. A B 3I
3UY
R O B E R T S O N D. C. C a m e 1988; IV;
H o u se P refect; H o u se C o lo u rs , R u g b y
2nd XV; Hockey 1st XI, (Full Colours);
F o otball 1st XI; In do or H ockey (M in or
Sports Colours); Under-Officer in Army;
A rm y S um m er Stroll Team; Arm y H CTC
I earn. 3, Pitcullen Terrace, Perth. PH2
7EQ
1 A Y L O R M . A . C a m e 1 9 8 6 ; III;
House Prefect; Rugby 3rd XV (Captain);
Hockey 1st XI, (Full C olours); Football
1st XI; S um m er Hockey 1st XI (Captain);
A b le S e a m a n in N avy. D oune na Ree,
L ow er
P o w b u rn ;
F o rd o u n ,
Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire.
by
T E N C H M. S. R. C a m e 1 9 8 7 ; III;
School Prefect; R ugby 1st XV; C ricket
1st XI; Hockey 3rd XI; 4th Form Exam
Prize; PO in N avy . N ew ton o f Barras,
Stonehaven. AB3 2TU
LVI
B R A D B U R Y D. A. C am e 1988; III;
R u g b y U 1 6 ' R ’X V ; F i s h i n g ( V i c e Captain); P hotography; C om puting. The
C orporal in Royal Marines; B ronze and
S il v e r D o f E. 16c, D ru m m o n d Road,
Inverness. IV2 4NB
MILLER S. P. Came 1988; III; 7th XV
Rugby; Sub PO in Navy; Bronze D of E.
lld e r to n H a ll, W o o p erto n , A ln w ic k ,
Northumberland.
D U C A T J. B. C am e 1988; III; Rugby
5th X V ; A th le tic s . 19, M iU side D rive,
P IG A N E A U F. X. M. G. C am e 1987;
III; H o u s e P r e f e c t ; 3 rd X V R u g b y ;
S ho o tin g T ea m ; Sailin g T eam ; F encin g
T e a m (C a p ta in ); L ife s a v in g Instructor;
S c h o o l P lay s; U n d e r O f f i c e r in N avy ;
Bronze, Silver and Gold D of E; House
Colours. 21, Rue de la Fontain au Blanc,
Peterculter. AB1 OWF
78860 St Nom-la-Breteche, France.
H atton, W aulkm ill, R edgorton, P erth
PHI 3HJ
V
L O N G J. S. C a m e 1989; III; R ug by
U 16 A ; C r i c k e t U 1 5 ’C '; C o r p o r a l in
Army. Coxhill Farm, Old Carlisle Road,
Moffat, Dumfriesshire. D G 10 9QN
III
I N G H A M M. J. C. C a m e 1991; III;
Rugby 3rd Form A ’; C ricket 3rd Form
C '; H o ck ey 3rd Form ‘C ’ Straw fields,
Foulden, Berwickshire.
RUTHVEN
UVI
A R R E S T I S N. J. C a m e 1985; I. 65,
B ailie Drive, B earsden, G lasgow . G61
3A H
B U R R E L L A. M. G. C a m e 1985; I;
C a p ta in o f S ch o o l; H ead o f C o m b in e d
C adet F orce; S ch o o l P re fe c t; H ouse
P r e f e c t ; S m i t h C u p ; 1st X V R u g b y
S ev en s; A th le tic s; C ro ss c o u n try ;
S w i m m i n g ; F e n c i n g . The G ra n g e,
C h u rch S tre e t, G a la sh ie ls, E ttr ic k &
Lauderdale, Scotland.
C 'U T H IL L J. W. L. C a m e 1987; III;
House Prefect; 7th X V Rugby; Athletics
ream ; Tennis; Squash; Skiing; Canoeing;
Coxsw ain in Navy; Bronze D o f E. Easter
Kincape, St Andrews, Fife. K Y I6 9SG
G R A H A M D. W. D. C am e 1986; II;
H o u se P re f e c t; 1st XI C r ic k e t ; 1st XI
Football; 2nd XI Hockey; 7th XV Rugby;
S k iin g T eam ; D e b a tin g (C h a irm a n );
Squash; Golf; Tennis; NCO; Bronze D of
E; French Prize. 31, Garngaher Avenue,
R O S S M. C a m e 1 9 8 4 ; I; H o u s e
Prefect; 2nd X V Rugby; Athletics Team;
C r o s s - c o u n t r y T e a m ; C o r p o r a l in
M a r in e s ; S il v e r an d G o ld D o f E. 47,
Valentine Drive, Dane stone, Aberdeen.
S C O T T L. J . Came 1990; LVI; House
Prefect; 3rd XV Rugby (Captain); C ross
c o u n try T e a m ; F o o tb a ll T eam ; A ble
S e a m a n . Sym ington H ouse, Sym ington,
Ayrshire. KA1 5GB
S T E W A R T J. Came 1998; III; House
P r e f e c t; S w i m m i n g T e a m , c/o B C H
Graham Jardine Ins Brokers Int Ltd., 6
Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2N T
I O R N O S J. A. C am e 1985; I; School
Prefect; 1st X V Rugby; A thletics Team
(Full Colours); Lance Corporal in Army;
H o use Colours; M aths Prize; Chemistry
Prize. 85, Beech Avenue, Nairn, Scotland.
1V12 4ST
W A L L E. D. C am e 1987; III; H ouse
P refect; C ro ss -c o u n try T eam ; U nder
Officer; Bronze, Silver and Gold D o f E.
C re ic h O ld M a n se, B o n a r B rid g e ,
Sutherland, IV24 3AB
LVI
B A R C L A Y N. J. C a m e 1 9 8 8 ; III;
U 1 6 ’A ’ Rugby; U 1 4 'B ’ Crickct; Skiing;
G o l f ; S h o o t i n g . W o o d en d H o u se.
Madderty, Crieff. PH 7 3PA
K ED D IE A. W. Came 1987; II; 1st XV
R u g b y ( H a l f C o lo u r s ) ; 1st XI H o c k e y
(Half Colours); 1st XI Cricket; Basketball
I earn; 1st XI Football (Full Colours for a
M i n o r S p o r t ) ; H o u s e C o l o u r s . 17,
P it c u ll en C r e s c e n t, P itc u lle n G u est
House, Perth. PH2 7HT
Lenzie, Glasgow. G66 4LL
L O V E P. G. C am e 1990; LVI; House
P r e f e c t ; P e tt y O f f i c e r in C o r p s .
Midocean, Banks House, Onchan, Isle o f
M an , British Isles.
M A C L E N N A N G. R. C am e 1984; I;
S chool Prefect; Head o f House; 1st XV
R u g b y ( H a l f C o lo u r s ) ; 1st XI H o c k e y
(H a lf C olo u rs); S w im m in g T e a m (H a lf
( olours); Athletics Team (Full Colours);
C ro ss-co u n try
Team ;
L ifesa v in g ;
V
A IT K E N J. A. Came 1987; IIJ; 4th XV
R u g b y ; S e n i o r C o l t s ‘B ’ XI C r i c k e t ;
B adm inton; S w im m ing ; Bronze D o f E.
Castlebrae Lodge, Huntingtower, Perth.
P H I 3JP
S A N G S T E R W. H. Came 1989; III; 6
X V R u g b y ; 3 r d XI C r i c k e t ; L a n c e
Corporal in Marines. 2, Benmore Avenue,
Montrose, Angus. DD10 9E X
69
SIMPSON
UVI
A I T K E N P. C a m e 1988; III; S ch oo l
Prefect; 2nd XV Rugby (Captain); 1st XI
H ockey (H alf Colours); 3rd XI Cricket;
1st XI Football; Golf; Debating; Head of
M o t o r b ik e C o r p s ; D o f E B ro n z e and
Silver. Castlebrae Lodge, Huntingtower,
Perth. PH I 3JP
D U N N N. A. C a m e 1984; I; H o u se
P re fe c t; ls t / 2 n d X V R u g b y ; A th le t ic s
Team; Cross-country Team; Drama; Head
o f M arin e C o rp s and W a rra n t O ffice r.
B ir c h fie ld , B a r c la y P a rk, A b o y n e ,
Aberdeenshire. AB34 5JF
F O RSTER S. K. Came 1986; II; House
P r e f e c t ; 6 t h / 7 t h X V R u g b y ; 1st XI
F o o tb all; G o lf T eam ; N avy; D o f E
B ro nze. Thornbank House, Thornbank
Road, Stranraer. DG9 OEY
FR A S E R D. J. Came 1986; II; House
Prefect; 7th X V Rugby; 3rd XI Hockey;
S u m m e r H o c k e y ; B a d m i n to n ; S q u a s h ;
Football; Canoeing; Lifesaving; Survival;
Pipe M ajor; D o f E B ronze, S ilv er and
G o l d . B o g sid e o f B ro d ie , A u ld e a r n ,
Nairn. IV12 5LE
K A Y K. T. H. Came 1986; II; House
Prefect; 1st XV Rugby; S w im m ing Team;
Athletics Team; Victor Ludorum (88/90);
P i p i n g , c/o 9 S u n b o r r y P la c e, D ea n
Village, Edinburgh.
L EIPER J. a ! C am e 1986; II; School
Prefect; Head o f House; 1st X V Rugby;
2 n d XI H o c k e y ; 1st XI F o o t b a l l ;
Orchestra; String Orchestra; Choir; Able
Seaman in N av y. A iryhemming, Glenluce,
Wigtownshire. OG8 ONP
M A C K E N Z IE N. R. L. Came 1985; I;
H o u s e P r e f e c t ; 1st XI C r i c k e t ( F u l l
C o l o u r s ) ; 2 n d XI H o c k e y ; 1st XI
F o o t b a l l ; 3 rd X V R u g b y ; 2n d I n d o o r
H o c k e y T e a m (C a p ta in ); S k iin g ; G olf;
Tennis; Lifesaving; House Colours. Parks
Farm, Inverness. IV1 2AA
M A C M IL L A N D. A. W. C am e 1990;
LVI; House Prefect; 7th X V Rugby; 4th
X I H o c k e y . H ill L o d g e W est, 1
Cockburnhill Road, Balerno, Midlothian.
EH 14 7HY
M C D O N A L D C. F. P. C a m e 1984; I;
House Prefect; 2nd XI Cricket (Captain);
1st XI H ockey; 1st V S quash (C ap tain )
(F ull C o lo u rs for a m in o r sp o rt);
L ife s a v in g ; D o f E B ro n ze and Silver;
Economics Prize, c/o Mr A J McDonald,
HQ SSVC, BFPO 29
M U I R B. M. I. C a m e 1 9 9 0 ; L V I ;
House Prefect; 2nd XV Rugby; Athletics
T eam; Football Team; Skiing T eam ; PO
in Navy; William Tattersall Art Prize. 48,
C astle Court, K ings G ardens, N ew ton
Mearns, Glasgow.
R O S S G. C a m e 1 9 8 7 ; I I I, H o u s e
Prefect; 7th XV Rugby; Sergeant in CCF;
D o f E B ronze. M arnaba, Shore Street,
S trin g Q u artet; H o u se C o lo u rs ; P atrick
G r a n d i s o n P ri z e f o r S t r i n g s . P a rk o f
Shandwick, Tain, Ross-shire.
D E W A R H. L. Came 1987; III; House
Prefect; 1st XI Hockey; Athletics Team;
Indoor H o ck ey (Full C olo urs for M inor
S p o rt); S c h o o l P lays; V e r s e - s p e a k in g ;
D r a m a ; P h o t o g r a p h y ; B r o n z e D o f E;
House Colours; Art Prize; Senior Reading
Prize. 25, Halyburton Place, Cupar, Fife.
G R A N T L. J. C a m e 1985; I; S cho ol
Prefect; Head o f House; 3rd XI Hockey;
C h o ir; S c h o o l P lay ; H o u se C o lo u rs ;
Biology Prize. 6, Cunliffe Close, Headley,
Epsom , Surrey. KT18 6EG
M E IK L E JO H N C. K. Came 1987; III;
H o u se P re fe c t; 1st XI H o c k e y ; In d o o r
Hockey Team; Athletics Team; Rounders
T eam ; C ro ss -c o u n tr y T e a m ; O rch estra;
String Group; Choir; Lifesaving; Silver D
o f E; S canlon C u p for A ll-round Merit.
S C H M I D T - R I E C H E D. W . C a m e
1986; II; House Prefect; 7th X V Rugby;
C urlin g T eam ; Football T eam ; S quash;
Tennis; Skiing. Schwanenwik 10, D-2000
Hamburg 76, Germany.
S I M M E R S D. N. C a m e 1990; L V I;
House Prefect; 2nd X V Rugby; Athletics
T eam (H alf Colours); Football; Hockey;
T e n n is ; G o lf; P etty O ffic e r; D o f E
B r o n z e ; H o u s e C o l o u r s . R e m u e ra ,
Kirkhouse Road, Killearn, Glasgow. G63
9NB
W A T T G. H. C a m e 19 84 ; I; H o u se
P refect; 2nd XI C rick et; S k iin g T e am ;
L e a d i n g S e a m a n ; D o f E B r o n z e and
Silver; English Prize. 27, Quadrant Road,
Newlands, Glasgow.
Tongland, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4NE
Blervie, Forres, Moray. IV36 ORH
WOODLANDS
UVI
A LL E N S. B. Came 1990; LVI; House
Prefect, Skiing Team; Badminton Team;
A r t P r i z e . D ru im g ria n a c h , C u il Bay,
D uror o f Appin, Argyll
C L A Y T O N F. M. Came 1985; I; Head
o f House; School Prefect; 1st XI Hockey;
Bronze and Silver D o f E. Bank House,
Dornie, Kyle o f Lochalsh, Ross-shire.
C U S T J. E. C a m e 1988; III; H o u se
P re fe c t; 1st N e tb a ll T e a m ; S w im m in g
T e a m ; S h o o t i n g T e a m ; G o lf; C ric k e t.
C lutharden, 1, U pper A d ela id e Street,
Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire. G84 7HT
D U N L O P T. J. C a m e 1 9 8 9 ; IV ;
Badminton Team; School Play; Debating
( C h a i r m a n ) ; V e r s e - s p e a k i n g ; P o li ti c s
P r i z e . B a llin lo a n , D u n a lla s ta ir , By
Pitlochry, Perthshire. PH16 5PE
Y O U N G D. A. C am e 1984; I; House
P re fe ct; 3rd XI C ric k e t; 2 nd V Ind oo r
H o c k e y ; D a n c e B a n d ; C o r p o r a l in
M a rin e s; D o f E B ro n ze and S ilv er.
M O R R I S J. M. C a m e 1 9 9 0 ; L V I ;
House Prefect; 3rd XI Hockey, Rounders
T eam , V e rse -s p e a k in g ; H o use C olours.
G reenacres, F organdenny, Perth. PH2
9EG
S e lk ir k A r m s H o te l, K ir k c u d b r ig h t,
Galloway. DG6 4JG
Drive, Troon, Ayrshire.
M O R T O N T. J. Came 1987; III; House
Prefect; Librarian; 2nd XI Hockey; 1st VI
T ennis; Sk iin g Team ; C hoir; Orchestra;
W in d B a n d ; T y p i n g ; V e r s e - s p e a k i n g ;
Lifesaving; Bronze, Silver and Gold D of
E; H o u s e C o lo u r s ; G e r m a n P riz e. 12,
Street, Balfron, Glasgow. G63 0NF
T e r r e g le s A v e n u e ,
Glasgow. G41 4DQ
P o llo k s h ie ld s ,
N I C O L S O N K. L. C a m e 1990; LVI;
H ouse Prefect; 1st VI T en nis (Captain);
R o u n d e r s T e a m ( C a p ta i n ) ; B a d m i n to n
T e a m (C ap tain); N etball T e am ; M usic.
C a p e la n , 48 6 , L a n a r k R o a d W est,
Balerno, Midlothian. EH 14 7A N
P E T E R S R. E. K. C a m e 1991. U VI;
House Prefect; Badminton Team; Bronze,
S i l v e r a n d G o l d 1) o f E. B r a e o)
A uchendrane, Ayr. K A 7 4TP
S T E P H E N S Z. J. Came 1985; I; House
Prefect; 1st XI Hockey; Athletics Team;
S c h o o l P la y ; M u s i c ; B r o n z e D o f E.
K e n ta lle n F arm , A ro s, Is le o f M u ll.
P A 72 6JS
T IL L E Y P. C. M. Came 1985; I; House
Prefect; 3rd XI Hockey (Captain); Tennis
T e a m . 19, C h e s te r fie ld C o u r t, 110
E N G L I S H L. J. C a m e 1 9 9 1 ; U V I ;
H ouse Prefect; B ad m in ton T eam ; Golf;
Comm unity Services; Bronze, Silver and
G o ld D o f E. C oppings, 29, F ullarton
G R A I N G E R 'F . M. C a m e 1990; LVI;
H o u s e P re f e c t; N e tb a ll T e a m ; S c h o o l
P la y . M id -B a lg u n n in g F arm , B a lfro n
G R I F F I T H A. L. C a m e 1989; L V I;
H ouse Prefect; 3rd XI Hockey; Fencing
Team; Skiing Team; Rounders; Survival.
Via C ipriana 5, 00046, G otta Ferrata,
Rome, Italy.
H U T C H I S O N F. M. M. C a m e 1987;
III; S c h o o l P re f e c t; 1st N e tb a ll T e a m
(C ap tain ); R ounders T eam (C aptain);
Bronze, Silver and Gold D of E; C D T and
G eo g rap h y Prizes. K inlochlaich House,
Appin, Argyll.
L O W F. G. L. C a m e 1985; I; H ouse
Prefect; B adm inton T eam ; School Play;
M usic; H o u se C o lou rs. A rdseileach, 2,
A r d g a r e , S h a n d o n , H e le n sb u rg h ,
Dunbartonshire. G84 8W W
S T E V E N S B. L. C a m e 1 9 8 7 ; III;
House Prefect; 1st XI Hockey (Captain);
C rick et T eam (C a p ta in ); S w im m in g
Team; Athletics Team; Fencing; Corporal
in Pipe Band. The O ld Railway Station,
Walkerburn, Peeblesshire. EH43 6DD
D orchester Place, G lasgow . G 12 OBW
G ood luck to you all!
THORNBANK
UVI
C L A R K J. H. C a m e
Prefect; 1st XI H o ck ey
(F ull C o lo u rs ); 2nd VI
Play; Sports C omm ittee;
1985; I; H o u se
(V ice C a p tain )
T en n is; S chool
House Colours.
Little Lun, Windygates, Fife. KY8 5KU
C O R R IE J. C. Came 1987; III; House
Prefect; Netball T eam ; C urling Captain;
C ro ss-co u n try T eam ; A th letics Team
( C a p t a i n ) ; O r c h e s t r a ( L e a d e r ) ; C h o ir;
T O M L IN C. L. Came 1986; II; School
Prefec t; 1st XI H o c k e y ; 1st VI T e n n is
(C a p ta in ) (F ull C o lo u rs ); D e b a tin g ;
S ch oo l Play; Social C o m m itte e ; H ouse
Colours; Business Studies Prize. 6, Mount
LVI
J O H N S T O N E J. E. C a m e 1988; III;
H ouse Prefect; S kiing; V erse-sp eak ing ;
C o m m u n i t y S e r v i c e ; B r o n z e D o f E;
House Colours. Beechlea, 66, Burn Road,
P leasant M ews, M ount P leasant Road,
Brixham, South Devon. TQ5 9YA
Inverness.
W E S T O N L. M. C a m e 1 9 8 7 ; III;
H o use Prefect; 3rd XI H o ckcy ; S chool
P la y ; B r o n z e D o f E; H i s t o r y P r i z e .
V
Z e tla n d , 7, T h o rn R o a d , B e a r s d e n ,
G lasgow . G61 4BS
M c A V O Y G. C. C am e 1989; III; 3rd
XI Hockey; T enn is T eam ; School Play;
Verse-speaking; Athletics; Music; Bronze
D o f E. H o r s e h ill F a rm , W a tersid e,
V
Ayrshire.
T A Y L O R R. J. E. C am e 1988; II; 2nd
XI H o c k e y ; A t h l e t i c s T e a m ( J u n i o r
V ictrix L u d o ru m ); S w im m in g T eam ;
C ric k e t; C o o k in g . M ullinure, Arm agh.
M I L L E R N. C. M. C a m e 1989; III;
S w im m ing Team; Rounders Team; Choir;
Music; C omm unity Service; Bronze D of
E. R o selea , 4, T a ylo r S tre e t, F o rfa r,
BT61 9EL
Angus.
70
OBITUARY
C. P. HEWSON (Died 21st June 1992) Housemaster, Riley. 1958-1975
P h ilip H e w so n w as a re m a rk a b le
Housemaster, a rem arkable Schoolm aster
and a remarkable man. In a fast-changing
world, he represented what he considered
the u n c h a n g in g and essen tial v a lu e s o f
d e d ic a tio n , h o n e sty , hard w o rk and
in te g rity and , in h is h e y d a y , th e g o o d
sense to enjoy him self thoroughly as well.
To a generation o f Riley boys he w as a
fa t h e r - f i g u r e , a ro c k o f c o m m o n s e n s e
who cared deeply for all his pupils, a man
who could both be kindness itself to boys
w h o w ere in tr o u b le an d a s tic k le r for
authority and discipline with those w ho
caused it. As such, he gained the respect
o f all w ho w ere fortunate en oug h to be
pupils in Riley in his time, and the affec
tion and gratitude o f countless boys.
His rigorous approach to schoolmastering, which brooked no casualness or d ou
ble-dealing, stemm ed from the difficulties
w hic h b e set him in his early life, only
o vercom e by his single-m inded d eterm i
nation. T h ing s started well enough. The
second son o f a vicar, he receiv ed a 5year S c h o la rsh ip
f o r S t J o h n ’s
Leatherhead at the age o f 11. T w o years
later, his mother died. His father’s rem ar
r i a g e c o i n c i d e d w i t h th e e n d o f h is
Scholarship and he was forced to leave St
Jo h n ’s at the age of 16 without qualifica
t i o n s , as he h a d f a i l e d M a t h s in the
matriculation exams. He taught for a short
time at a Prep School in Surrey, and, soon
after the outbreak o f war, enlisted in the
army, being c o m m ission ed firstly in the
Northumberland Fusiliers and then in the
Indian Arm y. He spent much o f the war
in Burma, an experience which he never
discussed but which clearly affected him
d e e p ly . A t the e n d o f th e w a r he w a s
determined to enter University, but had to
earn m o n e y w h ile try in g to se c u r e the
n e c e s s a r y q u a li f i c a ti o n s . He ta u g h t at
Hurst Grange and at a D iplom ats’ School
in Paris, p a ss e d his e x a m s and en tered
Edinburgh University. As he had no grant
and little m on ey, he sp ent his even ing s
acting as a House Tutor in the Royal High
School b o a rd in g house. E ven tually, ten
years or so later than might normally be
expected, he secured his degree, and came
to Strathallan, as House Tutor in Riley, in
1953. In a span o f about 15 years, he had
u ndergone real hardship, real loneliness
and many real difficulties, and, in Burma,
had been close to death several times. It is
no su rp ris e , th e r e fo re , tha t in his later
y ears he w as so c o n te m p tu o u s and d is
m issive o f les se r m o rta ls w h o fou nd it
in co nv enien t to tackle m in o r p ro blem s,
like learning Latin Prep.
Many o f those w ho did not know him
as a H ou sem aster, knew him as a Latin
teacher. He w a s de v o ted to his sub ject
M r Hewson in 1953.
an d m e t ic u l o u s in his p r e p a r a ti o n and
teaching, and expected the sam e from his
p u p i l s . T h o s e o f lik e m i n d b e n e f i t e d
greatly from his instruction, enjoyed their
lessons and achieved good results. Those
w ho attempted resistance were, quite sim
ply, made to do it and to learn it.
All, even the weakest, gained from the
experience, even if they did not think so
at the time. He applied the same methods
to his R iley bo y s. He w a s too w ise to
expect boys always to do their best or to
behave them selves but, when support and
encouragement failed, nobody could have
been firm er in ex acting ju s t retribution.
On one occasion a boy had failed to co m
plete an im p o sitio n by the end o f term
and had g one hom e: a p h o n e call from
P h ilip to G la s g o w , and b a c k c a m e the
boy. His father, it should be noted, had
such faith in P h ilip ’s ju d g e m e n t that he
d i d n ’t q u e s t io n th e n e c e s s ity for this.
Certainly no other master in my time at
Strathallan w as held in such high esteem
by the parents.
T h e h ig h v a l u e p l a c e d on i n t e g r i t y
derived from his religious faith as well as
his early experiences. Chapel and Prayers,
m orning and evening, he regarded as vital
and he took pride in involving the pupils
a s m u c h as p o s s i b l e . E v e r y S u n d a y
evening, he had Scripture Union meetings
for the boys. This w as no lip-service to a
distant God, but a living faith which per
meated all he did.
With such high stan da rd s person ally,
he could not fail to be dismayed by what
he saw as the decline o f them, nationally
and in school, throughout the late 70s and
80s. He could not adapt to changing cus
toms, and in his last years at Strathallan
w a s a sad fig u re , hu rt by f a llin g s t a n
71
dards. Yet, in his housem aster years, he
had provoked much affectionate humour
w h e n as ‘ P o l l y ’ o r as ‘ N e b ’, he ha d
a m u s e d all and su nd ry by his c o m m o n
p h r a s e s - e v e r y o n e w a s ‘m a n ’; ‘m o r t ’
w as his word for a lot; anything w as bet
ter than ‘a slap in the belly w ith a wet
fish ’: and cricketers will alw ays rem e m
ber to ‘play it from under the c h in ’.
Yes, cricketers, and sportsmen in g e n
eral, w ere w hat Philip lived for most at
Strathallan. He was a quite unforgettable
coach. Totally dedicated to the cause, he
w ould spend hours and hours every week
developing b o y s ’ batting, and with what
re su lts! S e v e ra l u n b e a te n s e a s o n s , not
only at C ric k e t, but also at R ug by and
Hockey, bear testimony to his enthusiasm
and his p ro w e s s as a co ac h , and ev ery
game had to be played in the proper spirit.
N othing could have been a more app ro
priate epitaph than the night he chose to
d ie . O n t h a t S u n d a y , E n g l a n d a n d
Pakistan played out one of the most excit
ing Test match finishes for years; and that
night, Colin Montgomerie, a Riley boy in
Philip’s last term as Housemaster, nearly
w o n the U .S O p e n G o l f T o u r n a m e n t .
B a c k in th a t la s t t e r m , L a t h a l l a n h ad
b o w le d R iley o u t fo r 30. D isa s te r!
Philip’s teams were made of sterner stuff,
th o u g h , and la rg e ly th ro u g h C o lin ,
p ro m p tly b o w le d L a th a llan o ut fo r 27,
such a spirit did he inspire in his boys.
T h is w as ju s t one v iv id e x a m p le I
r e c a ll, b ut all f o r m e r R ile y b o y s , and
many others, will have their own personal
memories of things Philip did, or said, to
help them on their way through life. On
reflection, 1 am sure he will be regarded,
not just as a great Schoolm aster, but as a
real friend.
M. J. E. Wareham
M r Hewson in his retirement.
STRATH ALU AN CLUB
G R A H A M JO HN STO N — President of the Strathallian Club 1991/1992
Graham w as at Strathallan from 19551962 a fte r w h ic h he g r a d u a t e d LIB at
Edinburgh University in 1963 and BA at
University College, Oxford, in 1966. He
claims that both at School and University
his s p o r tin g c a r e e r w a s in te rru p te d by
examinations. In spite o f that he played a
lot o f c r i c k e t a n d w o n h is O x f o r d
University G olf Blue from 1966-68.
He b e c a m e a W rite r to the S ign et in
1970 (though the Signet never got any of
his writings!) and w as a partner in Hagart
& B u rn -M u rd o c h W S from 1973 until
1982 when he w as appointed Sheriff for
Grampian Highlands and Islands based at
Aberdeen. In 1985 he becam e Sheriff at
G l a s g o w and S t r a t h k e l v i n , w h e re O ld
Strathallians try to avoid appearing before
him.
H is a c h ie v e m e n ts — “ N ot a lo t,” he
says, but as Editor o f the Scottish Civil
Law Reports 1986-1992, Hon. Fellow of
the Institute o f Professional Investigators,
H o n . P r e s i d e n t o f th e F a m i l y L a w
A s s o c i a t i o n an d the S t r a t h c l y d e S te p
Families A ssociation, on the Council of
th e S h e r i f f ’s A s s o c i a t i o n a n d th e
Strathclyde Family Conciliation Service,
he m u s t be d o i n g s o m e t h i n g w ith his
spare time! He also is a part-time lecturer
at th e U n i v e r s i t i e s o f G l a s g o w a n d
Strathclyde and an Examiner for Glasgow
and Aberdeen Universities.
His interests? W ord Processing, (have
y o u e v e r h a d a l e t t e r fr o m his w o r d p r o c e s s o r ? ) . B r i d g e , C r o s s w o r d s and
Strathallan.
He is the middle o f three generations of
Johnstons at Strathallan and he has been a
hard-working President o f the Club, full
o f new ideas for c em enting the relation
sh ip b e tw e e n the S ch o o l and the Club.
Both are most appreciative o f all he has
done during his year o f office.
STATHALLAN SCHOOL SONG
As requested by Mr R. A. Wilson (1936)
we reprint the w o rd s o f the S trath allan
School Song. The w ords are by Maurice
Norton and the music by Cecil Sharman.
A p a rt from a sp ecial r e c o r d in g for the
school play it has not been sung for many
years.
1 We come from S cotlan d's counties,
And from lands beyond the foam,
T o partake o f Learning’s bounties
Where we make awhile our home.
Here is found the mould o f manhood,
W hich shall fit us for the strife,
Bidding us forget our ow n good,
A nd to play the game through life.
Chorus: Strath! Strath! This be our cry
W hen battle is rang in g and d an ger is
nigh.
Remem ber the honour surrounding the
name
A n d s t r i v e f o r th e S c h o o l a n d th e
game.
W hen hopes o f gain grow dimmest.
Then is forged the finer soul.
In the struggle at its grimmest,
When the varying fortunes roll,
T h e re ’s no place for idling coward,
Nor for him that spares his whole:
Only he with grit e n d o w e r’d
Shall at length attain the goal.
Chorus: Strath! Strath! etc.
72
3 When time shall far asunder
Scatter those foregathered now.
They will be to w orlds a wonder
With the victo r’s crown on brow.
Though they walk in shades Elysian,
Still in voices like a sigh,
Shall arise in their division
Echoes of their former cry.
Chorus: Strath! Strath! etc.
Copyright: Novello & C ompany Ltd.
R e p ro d u c e d by k in d p e r m is s io n o f
N o v e l l o , 8 - 1 0 L o w e r J a m e s S tr e e t,
London W 1R 3PL.
M usic printed behind Strathallian C lub
News on pages 78 and 79.
DINNER FOR STRATHALLIANS
LEAVING SCHOOL 1978-82
SATURDAY 28 MARCH 1992
100 STRATHALLIANS an’ a’ an’ a’
We were most encouraged by the large
numbers w ho managed to attend, and we
s p en t a v e ry fr ie n d ly , c h a tt y , (n o is y ),
companionable and happy evening renew
ing old friendships, seeing the d ev e lo p
ments o f the School, getting news o f Old
Strathallians and generally enjoying o ur
selves.
W e w e r e m o s t i n d e b t e d to th e
Chairman and Headmaster for the invita
tion and for the presence o f Sheriff A.G.
Johnstone, President of the Club, and 1. Q.
Jones, representing the Governors. A real
joy o f the evening was to welcome Lady
Members o f the Club for the first time at
o n e o f t h e s e ‘y e a r ’ d i n n e r s , s o m e o f
w hom had a b a n d o n e d h u sb a n d s and
babies to be with us.
Our special thanks go to Craig Y oung
and his staff for the excellent meal, and
for serving more than 50 cooked b re ak
f a s ts ; to th e S t a f f o f T h o r n b a n k an d
Woodlands for preparing and clearing up
the bedroom facilities; to Lyn Smith for
her help and forbearance in Thornbank; to
the B ursar’s staff for acting again as fur
niture rem overs; and to Mrs W ylie and
her S taff for g ettin g the Main B uilding
ready for us.
We are sincerely grateful, too, to Geoff
Bolton and his musicians for their excel
lent playing and to the Pipe Major — all
o f w hom gave up holiday time. Finally,
thanks to P. Aitken and P. Goody — our
amateur barmen.
S P E C IA L A W A R D S
Bear-baiting Cup: T. F. M cC lung & part
ners
Captain o f W inning Basketball Team: K.
Noble
C h a t-u p -C o z z y C o m p e titio n : Joint
Winners C. Rowe, L. G. Richmond
Dorm ouse Award: P. R. Peddie
Early Rising Competition: R. J. Barlas
Fisher’s Laundry Cup: W. Baird
Family Attendance Award: Turnbull Bros
pic
G r a b - t h e - S l e e p i n g - B a g C o m p : R . R.
MacLeod
Hunt the Handbag: E. McCrae
Master o f Disguise: J. R. Barcroft
Old Crocks Race: R. K. Dobbie
Strathallan H ong Kong Sevens Cup: M.
W. Lightbody & G. J. Forbes
Senior X-Country: G. F. G. Mackenzie
S w im m ing Cup: NO T A W A R D E D
S ile n t M o v ie s O s c a r:
M r G . B o lto n
R. A ru m a g a m
R . T o w n h ill
N . W ils o n
I h e F lo w e r o f S c o tla n d A w a rd : P ip e
M a jo r D . F ra s e r
T r a v e llin g S c h o la r s h ip : W . K le e m a n
T h e C h a ir m a n a w a r d e d th e 1 9 9 2 N o is e
A b a te m e n t A w a r d to th e a s s e m b le d
C om pany.
T h e S e r m o n w a s p r e a c h e d b y th e
R e v e re n d R . B e ar.
T h o s e a tte n d in g w e re :
A rum ugam R. (M usician) Doig R. J. S.
Bain D. J.
D rum m ond L. J. (R hodes)
Baird A. C. B.
Du B oulay N. T. H. (Staff)
Baird H. D .W.
Elkins H. D.
Baird W.
Fairbairn A. C.
Barcroft J. R.
Fairbairn T. C. G. (ex-Staff)
B arlas A. D.
Fairley A. E.
B arlas R. J.
Forbes G. J.
Bell S. R.
Fraser D. (Pipe M ajor)
B enzies F. S.
G alashan A. F. R.
Bolton G. (Staff)
G allow ay R. G.
B rew ster R. J.
G enasi P. P.
C aithness A. B.
G lennie A. D. S.
C aithness C. G.
G lim m K. (Staff)
C alder A. L.
H am ilton-Sm ith G. P.
C am pbell C. B.
H obhouse J. P. (B ridges)
C layton J. F. (Staff)
H ooper A. J. P.
C o a rd T .J.
H ughes J. T.
C olem an J. A. R.
H unter J. M.
D insm ore J. W . - C hairm an Irw in R. J.
D obbie R. K.
Johnston A. G. — President
Jones I. Q. — G overnor
K inder G.
K leem an W.
Lee P. S. H.
Lew is J. S.
Lightbody M. W.
L ivingston J. M. C.
M acEw an G. C. (G ilm our)
M ackenzie G. F. G.
M acL achlan K. 1.
M acLeod C. A.
M acLeod R. R.
M acLeod T. J. (Staff)
M acm illan F. S.
M acphie A. C . S.
M cC lung T. F.
M cC rae E.
M cD ougall J. B.
M cD ougall N. L.
M cG illivray C. M.
M cIntosh J. D.
M cK enzie-Sm ith A. J.
M cLaren A. H.
M cLaren D. A.
M cPhail J.
M illar C .J.
M uir P. L.
M urton L. J.
N iven I. A.
N oble K.
N orval A. G.
O gilvie I. G.
Peddie P. R.
Pighills C. D. - H eadm aster
R aeside C. N.
R aeside S. D.
R eynolds D. J. M.
R ichm ond L. G. (Fram e)
R obson D. A.
Row e C.
Russell M. A.
Shepherd A. 0 .
Shepherd K. W. A.
Sim pson S. D.
Sinclair G. F.
Sm illie K. S.
Spens D. M.
Steedm an C. M.
Stevenson S .A .
Straiton C. T.
T aylor D. N.
Thom pson J. A.
Tow nhill R. (M usician)
T urnbull J. M.
T urnbull S. R.
Turnbull W . J. C.
T yser W . P.
W alker 1. H.
W alson P. G. C.
W hite G.
W illiam s D. A. R. (Staff)
W illiam s M rs K. (ex-Staff)
W ilson N. (M usician)
W ishart G.
W ordie W . E.
HONG KONG DINNER
Brian Raine w a s host to a d in n er for
Strathallians, parents and prospective par
ents at the Hong Kong Overseas B ankers’
Club, The L andm ark, Hong Kong, on 7
April 1992, during his visit to the Hong
Kong Sevens. The C hief Guest was John
G r a y ( 1 9 5 1 ) o f th e H o n g K o n g a n d
Shanghai Bank.
Those accepting the invitation were Mr
D. and Capt A. Barton, Mr and Mrs R.
Dewar, Brian Parker, Chris Dobson, John
G ray , Jim m y Linn, Mr and Mrs A. M.
Paul, Rod Powrie, Alan Pearson, Tui Orr,
G lenn S m ith, Mr and Mrs S. M cB ride,
Viv Cornish, Mr and Mrs A. Ball, Capt
and Mrs D. Penry, Stuart Smith and Mr
and Mrs E. MacKay.
Brian w as particularly grateful to Roy
and Ann Dewar for all their help.
73
M r John Cray and M rs McBride.
THE LONDON DINNER — 1992
T h e L o n d o n D in n e r w a s h e ld in the
C a le d o n i a n C lu b on the 6th o f M arch .
Michael Bucher w as in the Chair and, as
u su a l, th e r e w e re no o ff ic ia l s p e e c h e s
though Graham Johnston, the President of
th e C lu b , a n d C o s m o F a i r b a i r n — on
behalf o f the Headmaster, both said a few
words.
Those present included:
D.
A n d e r s o n , N. A v e r n , D. B arr, P.
B e a t o n - B r o w n , S. B e a t o n - B r o w n , J.
B e c k m a n , A . B u c h e r , M. a n d M r s
Bucher, D. Bullough, G. S. Caldwell, N.
M. C o r b e t t , M . C r e s s f o r d , M . F.
d ’Angibau, J. S. d ’Angibau, I. Eastwood,
T. C. G. Fa irb airn, J. F. F aw cett, A. J.
Fleming, A. G. Johnston, T. L. Harrison,
W . N. S. H o a r e , K. R. H u n t e r , P. D.
H u n t e r , A . I n n e s , W . H. J a c k , R.
Kilpatrick, S. H. Lait, D. M. Lawson, J.
Lusk, G. M acD onald (and Mike), W. A.
M a c m i l l a n , B. E. M a r r , A . D. D.
M c C a l l u m , A. N a ir n , J. N a ir n , A. M.
P a te , N. D. L. P a t e r s o n , D. P ir r ie , S.
Ritchie, W. C. Roy, D. Sinclair, K. Skea
(and S teve), M. J. Steele, A. Stuart, D.
T h a i n , R. T h o m a s , J. W i l s o n an d A.
Whittingham. The Secretary apologises if
there are any omissions.
From: Emma McNamara (1991)
Cultura Inglesa Salvador,
Rua Plinion Moscoso 57,
Jardim Apipema,
40, 155 Salvador,
Bahia, Brazil.
January 1992
It has taken a while, but I think I have
almost got used to being a teacher. Quick, on
the spot grammar explanations seem to be
b e c o m in g e asier at last, and I now find
m y s e lf g iv in g logical a n sw e rs to th in gs
rather than scribbling awkward cartoons on
the board. The last month of the semester at
the Cultura was taken up with preparing for
and marking exams, and so was quite busy. I
think that this time is more daunting than
any other, and you are really inspired to try
your hardest at teaching, especially when
you look at the students’ worried faces, and
realise that their complete trust is in you and
that they are hanging on your every word
and taking it as gospel. Responsibility begins
to loom!
Despite this, the atmosphere in the class
room is relaxed and friend ly , especially
since a lot of my students are around my age.
It was even quite sad at the end of the semes
ter s a y i n g all the “ g o o d b y e s and g o o d
lucks”. Next semester I will be taking more
classes, (at least 4) and I just hope the stu
dents will be as keen and co-operative as
those of the previous semester.
Likewise, our work at the orphanage is
c o n t i n u i n g to go w ell. U n f o r t u n a t e l y ,
because o f our te aching program e at the
Cultura, we are not able to spend as much
time as we would like on this side of the pro
The London Club keeps a record o f all
S tr a t h a l l i a n s w h o are M e m b e r s o f the
Club and w hose addresses are in England
and W ale s. T h e y h ave a sp e c ia l
M em bersh ip with an introductory/reces
sion offer o f mem bership for only £5! All
those interested should please contac t a
M em ber o f the Committee.
The Comm ittee would like to thank the
following for donations:
R. A. B r o a d w o o d , 1. C a m p b e l l , G.
C a r r i e , C. M. T. C o r n i s h , B. J. F.
Crawford, J. A. Davidson, A. E. Dawson,
J. D o v e , R. C. D o w , A. J. D u r i e , M.
Evans, A. W. Ferguson, E. Ferguson, E.
M. Grant, R. Gjertson, J. T. M. Hart, W.
N. S. and Mrs Hoare, B. W. Hutton, E. J.
M. Inglis, F. C. Kelly, R. 1. M. Kerr, P. A.
K. Laband, R. D. Linton, R. Logan, D. S.
M acCallum, E. V. Mackay, R. Martin, D.
M c C a l l u m , A . M o r r i s o n , H. R.
P o stle th w aite , R. P eacock , H. Scott, S.
T h o m a s , P. J. T u l l o c h , A . D. G.
W iddow son and G. S. Watson.
The London Branch is most grateful for
the support from w ives w ho attended the
D in n e r , an d th e y w o u ld lik e to t h a n k
Helen Morgan for all her w ork in setting
up the database and other administration.
ject, but what time we do spend is enjoyable
and, hopefully, useful.
Despite their situation, the children there
are always extremely cheerful, and surpris
ingly the novelty of Claire and me appearing
at the orphanage every week has not worn
off. They still run up to us, screaming with
(what we interpret as!) delight! — here are 2
gullible victims who will sit patiently while
they play hairdressers — unfortunately a
favourite game — even with boys.
It is both am using and touching to see
what simple things grab their interest as it is
obviously a direct reflection of their depriva
tion. For example, my contact lenses are a
point o f marvel and complete fascination.
Every time we go there they religiously form
a queue to tap my “plastic eyes” (with fright
eningly grubby fingers!). If any stray com
puter print-out papers happen to blow over
the walls from the federal police next door,
they spend hours making kites or just chas
ing them round their playground.
The energy they possess is quite unbeliev
able. Unfortunately, it is all too often spent
on less pleasant pastimes, like tearing apart
large grassho pp er-like insects limb from
limb, and extracting the ‘juice’ by jumping
on them, but then I suppose an interest in
biology has to start som ewhere! Making
Claire and me sprint races non-stop for half
an hour, or watching us do cartwheels and
h an d stan d s is an o th e r favo urite form of
amusement.
Many of the children there also seem to be
budding “Capoeira” experts. Capoeira is a
very popular pastime here. It is a martial art
74
The London Dinner for 1993
will be held in the Caledonian
Club on Friday, 12 March.
Office bearers:
D a v i d A n d e r s o n , T h e O ld R e c t o r y ,
Lamarsh, Bures, Suffolk.
H o m e T e l: 0 7 8 7 - 2 2 7 2 7 1 F ax: 0 7 8 7 227014
Office Tel: 071 739 0336
Sarah
B eato n -B ro w n ,
c/o
AMA
Underwriting Agencies Ltd, 30 Botolph
Lane, London EC3R 8DE.
Office Tel: 071-283-2526 Fax: 071-2832527
H o m e A d d r e s s : 13 C h a l d o n R o a d ,
Fulham, London S W 6 7NH
Home Tel: 071 385 8377
Michael Bucher, 193 G oldhurst Terrace,
London N W 6 3ER
Home Tel: 071-624-0856
Business Tel 081 805 4848 Fax: 081 804
2426
which was brought over by African slaves
and has since dev elpe d into a ritualistic
dance. It is very complicated and involves
many intricate moves, giving the appearance
o f com bat, but with every ‘b l o w ’ that is
struck the two fighters/dancers skilfully miss
each other by a hairsbreadth, moving in a
flu id and b e a u ti fu l s e q u e n c e . C a p o e ira
necessitates a hard, dedicated training, a sup
ple body and a complete lack of fear for
o n e ’s personal safety. The children at the
o rp h a n a g e c e rtain ly have the latter two
a ttrib u tes and love to th row th e m se lv e s
undaunted from the top of their climbing
frame (this in itself would defy many safety
standards) or leap into petrifying back-flips
from the kerb of the road. They cannot seem
to understand why Claire and I will not do
the same!
Since being here I have also visited one of
the favelas in the city. One of my colleagues
at the Cultura happens to be a medical stu
dent and a group from his university are
doing a project on diarrhoea in infants in the
slum areas. One day I went with them to
help. What they do is to record cases of
diarrhoea and then do a survey involving a
questionnaire about how things are washed
and whether water is sterilised etc. and dioralyte solutions are handed out. The mothers
are given information about water and gener
al cleanliness. For all the money spent on
antibiotics, I think that just sitting people
down and educating them is twice as valu
able. It is astonishing how naive some of the
mothers are about hygiene — the correlation
between the cases of diarrhoea and houses
without water filters is shockingly accurate.
STRATHALLIAN GOLF CLUB
M A T C H V E R S U S K E L V IN S ID E
A C A D E M IC A L S J U N E 30th 1991.
This year the m atch w a s played at St
A ndrew s over both the N ew Course and
the Eden Course. Apart from the struggle
to raise the 8 players needed for play in
the morning and afternoon, the Old Boys
failed to capitalise on their 3-1 lead from
the morning's play over the Eden Course.
P ossibly o u r rela xed lunch or the high
n u m b e r o f p e rs o n n el b ein g un av ailab le
for the afternoon's play were to blame, the
final score ended up a 3 to 4 loss. Once
again we narrowly failed to grasp the tro
phy.
A N N U A L M E E T IN G P R E S T W IC K 25th A U G U S T , 1991.
A g o o d tu r n o u t o f 2 0 p l a y e r s w e re
treated to a Prestwick Course in excellent
c o n d it io n , bu t w ith b l u s te r y , s h o w e r y
w eather to contend with. The re-appearance o f Nick Fleming signalled his recap
ture of the Scratch Salver-his last appear
ance w as also victorious - with a com fort
able 7 stro k e m arg in o v e r D avid A. S.
W hite. The han dicap trophy saw a new
name on it, that of John E. Hamilton, with
a net score o f 67. The par of the course is
71, although on that day it w as probably
nearer 73, which w as a highly creditable
p e rf o rm a n c e p a rtic u la rly sin ce N ick
Fleming was beaten (!) into second place
with a 69 total.
After the usual Prestwick lunch with its
aperitif of Kummel or Port, David Sharpe
p r o d u c e d an a r r e s t i n g t o t a l o f 3 9
S t a b l e f o r d p o i n t s to c a p t u r e th e
S ta b le fo rd tro p h y , b e a tin g F erg u s
M c M i l l a n in t o s e c o n d p l a c e w i t h 37
points. Very good scoring round this dif
ficult co urse. T h e a p p e a ra n c e o f Nigel
Smith and George Kitson representing the
School Masters continues our links with
the s c h o o l , w h ic h is v e ry m u c h to be
encouraged, particularly as recent school
leavers do not appear to take much inter
est in the G o lf Section.
O L D B OY S V E R S U S T H E
SCHOOL
SU N D A Y , Sth SE P T E M B E R , 1991.
This fixture w as revived in an effort to
encourage the links betw een present and
past pupils. This year the event was held
at Elie G olf House Club, a location previ
o u s l y f a v o u r e d in d a y s g o n e b y. T h e
School were bolstered to 8 players with
th e a d d i t i o n o f S c h o o l M a s te r s N ig el
Smith and George Kitson. The format o f
b e tte r- b a ll fo u r b a lls w a s p la y e d for 2
ro u n d s o v e r the L in k s co u rs e w ith the
inevitable victory for the Old Boys only
being secured after som e tight matches,
the final result o f which did not reflect the
hard fought effort from the Boys. (For the
record, we won 5-3). It is hoped that this
fixture will be contested on a more regu
lar b a sis, a lt h o u g h te r m - t im e c o m m i t
ments do prove to be obstacles.
Q U E E N E LIZ A B E T H
26th/27th S E P T E M B E R 1991
T h is annual event, held at the Royal
Burgess Club, has not been w on by the
Strathallians before. This year's com peti
tion did not change that story, although a
b r i e f f l ic k e r o f h o p e e x is te d a ft e r the
S a tu r d a y v ic to rie s o v e r O ld F e tte sia n s
and Old Grammarians. The Sunday morn
in g M a t c h a g a i n s t M e r c h i s t o n i a n s
brought out the best in our team. The first
and second pairs had won and lost respec
tively, leaving the third pairing o f D.A.S.
W h ite and R. G o o d fe llo w c a rry in g our
h op es. T h is m a tch re q u ire d s o m e th i n g
special to d ecide the ou tco m e , w hich a
w in n in g M e r c h isto n ia n b ird ie 3, at the
21st hole, certainly was. For the second
time in 3 years, extra holes proved to be
the weak point in the Strathallian armour
an d the lo s s o f th e h o le w a s o u r ex it
point, but only after a very tight match.
T h e t e a m th a t w e e k e n d w a s J. T.
Moffat, K. C. Grant, R. 1. Williamson, A.
S. M c l n r o y , D. A. S. W h i t e a n d R.
Goodfellow.
SC O T T ISH W A Y F A R E R S
21st/22nd M A R C H , 1992
T h e w e e k e n d c a m a r a d e r i e and b o n
homie that the Stenhouse Quaich c om p e
titio n c r e a t e s w a s g i v e n e v e n g r e a t e r
enjoyment by the pleasant weather grant
ed to the competitors. For the second year
ru n n in g the O ld B oy s su rp a sse d t h e m
selves by not coming last, instead m anag
ing a very creditable 3rd place with 3 vic
tories from 5 matches. Our bogey sides o f
Merchistonians and L orettonians con tin
ued to collect our scalps — but one day
we will triumph!
The team that w eekend was S. Lowden,
G. S. L o w d e n , H. M a c F a r l a n e , S.
Stevenson, K. G. M acLeod, I. Q. Jones,
A. D. G. Duncan, D. Montgomerie.
G R A F T O N M O R R IS H Q U A L IF IE R
Sth M A Y , 1992
A record of only one Qualification for
the Finals was not endangered. This an nu
al six man team effort ov er B runtsfield
does not enjoy the best o f support. This
year ou r effort w a s further h in dered by
inclement weather in the form o f difficult
wind and driving rain. Whilst the co nd i
tions were the same for all 9 schools par
ticipating, the Strathallians were not able
to finish better than 7th.
The team that day was J. N. Fleming,
A. S. M c ln ro y , F. M c M illan , A. D. G.
D u n c a n , H. M a c F a r l a n e a n d J. S.
Lowden.
L O N D O N S C O T T IS H S C H O O L S —
DENHOLM
1st JU L Y , 1992
In re c e n t y e a rs th is c o m p e t it io n has
p r o v e d d i f f i c u l t f o r th e L o n d o n a re a
Strath allia ns — firstly in fin d in g s u f fi
cient players and seco n d ly in find ing a
respectable finishing placement. This year
the news is one o f a very good team per
f o r m a n c e . T h e f o u r m a n t e a m o f S.
Lowden, G. Allen, K. M acLachlan and D.
Thom as (Captain) produced an extremely
g o o d ‘best 3 ’ S ta b l e f o r d sc o r e o f 111
points to finish a highly creditab le 2nd
p lac e fro m 21 te a m s, b e in g b e a te n by
S t e w a r t s M e l v il le w ith 120 p o in t s . (I
wonder who their handicap Secretary is!).
W ell done g entlem en! B etter luck next
year.
Anyone interesting in joinin g the
Golf Section should contact Hamish
M a c F a r la n e , 9 C ra ig e l v a n G ro v e ,
Condorrat, Cumbernauld, G67 4RU.
New Recruits always welcome.
STRATHALLIAN SKI CLUB
Newly founded! Contact Hamish Steedman, 031 445 5536 at Woodlands, 6 High Buckstone, Edinburgh, EH 10 6XS.
ROUND TABLERS
Strathallan has recently produced a crop of Round Tablers in Tayside who have been or are about to be Chairman.
The Round Table Chairman is an organiser am ong equals, leads his meetings and displays dedication.”— The Tabler Magazine.
Does this reflect the Spirit o f Strathallan?
Douglas Benzies (1970-75) was Chairman o f Blairgowrie in the 1991/92 season.
David Pate (1969-74) is Chairm an of Forfar in the season 1992/93.
Alistair Inglis (1973-78) is Chairman o f Montrose in the season 1992/93.
Richard Voigt (1970-76) is Vice-Chairman o f Perth 200.
Mike Kirk (1970-74) is a longstanding mem ber of Perth 200.
Brian Raine was also a prom inent Tabler in his day with Perth 200.
Any other Strathallian considering joining Round Table should contact Douglas Benzies on 0250 875509.
75
METAMORPHOSIS
(A Colonial view of Strath from the inside, 1937-41)
"I think y o u ’ll find things a hit different
here from what y o u ’ve been accustomed
to”.
W ith a f irm g r i p on m y a rm H a rry
Riley, Esquire guided me through the por
tal into Main House. The car bearing my
parents out o f my daily life had already
disap peared behind the giant rh o d o d e n
dron bush as they began their return jo u r
ney to Alexandria. Christm as Term 1937
w as two days off. My first sight o f The
H ead m aster, as w as my last, four years
later, w as o f him w e a rin g his favourite
dark brow n suit with a light pinstripe, a
m o rtar b o a rd set sq u a re ly on his shiny
pate.
Attendance at the Boy Scout Jamboree
in Holland that July had set the seal on
my early years as a Colonial. In swift suc
cession there followed a rendezvous with
my parents in Paris, outfitting at Brown
M u f f ’s in D u n d e e , w h e r e I a c q u i r e d
a m o n g a m u ltitu d e o f o th e r th in g s, an
eno rm ou s brass-bound cabin trunk, then
an introductory visit to Strath.
I w as to be in Freeland House for the
whole o f my stay and was allocated a bed
in Bedroom ‘D ’, otherwise known as the
D r a w i n g R o o m (a s it had b e e n in the
original Ruthven manor). On the day fol
l o w in g m y a rr iv a l th e rest o f the 192
denizens began to appear.
“Are you a new b oy ?”
“ Y es”
“ Why are you so b ro w n?”
“ I sw im in the sea every day.”
“ W here?”
“Alexandria,in Egypt.”
“ E G Y P T !! H ey, listen fello w s. H e ’s
from Eee-gypt!”
What with Joe Louis doing his stuff in
the boxing world and my deep tan, it was
only hours before I acquired the nickname
“ Brown B o m b e r’ w hich stuck to me for
four years.For the first ten days 1 concen
trated hard on fitting in, doing all the right
things at the right time as to the manner
born. Not always easy.
“Stop running in the corridor!” I came
to a grinding halt in my belated trajectory
towards Chapel. “ W h a t’s your nam e?”
“ Er — W hitton” . We h a d n ’t been intro
duced so I ventured, “ W h a t’s yours?”
“ D o n ’t be cheeky, or I ’ll see you after
t e a ” . H o w w a s I to k n o w he w a s th e
Captain of School!
A life o f ordered routine w as generous
ly spiced with traumata. A fter breakfast
during my first w eek I was approached in
the corridor by a Freeland House Prefect.
“ Are you a sw im m er? ”
At last, I thought, here was my chance.
T e n y e a r s o f s w i m m i n g in th e
Mediterranean had given me unequalled
confidence.
“ Y es”, I waxed enthusiastic, “ I’m pret
ty fast”.
“ Right. S w im m in g bath to m o rro w at
seven for new b o y s’ trials”.
“After prep”, I muttered more in confir
mation than as a question as I began to
turn away.
“ B EFO R E B RE A K FA ST , BOY! Och,
y o u ’re no in b l o o d y E g y p t n o w y o u
know !”
My sunkissed flesh crinkled instan ta
neously as I dived into the glacial water
and the survival imperative got me tear
ing up the sw im ming bath for two lengths
an d o ut w ell a h e a d o f the o p p o s i ti o n .
Which was a pity really, because that put
me into the House team for keeps — and
I loathe cold water.
C u lin a ry d e lic a c ie s in clu de d ‘ru gg er
b o o t s ’ for lunch on Saturday. T his w as
roast b eef that required a masticatory per
severance that was startling for the unini
tiated. The pudding that B. S. Robertson
refers to (The Strathallian 1990/91) was
in e v i ta b l y n a m e d O x y g e n P u d d in g —
quite sim p ly b e cau se it w as colourless,
o d o u r l e s s an d ta s te l e s s ! M r C o le w a s
gratified that we had at least learnt som e
thing in his Chemistry classes.
At lu nch on on e o c c a s i o n M r W. E.
Ward the Maths and Physics Master took
his place in front of the soup tureen while
the order was passed up the table — “Ten
soups”. He had a keen sense o f humour,
and as the boy w h o w a s a s s is tin g him
e n d ed an o b v io u s ly a m u s in g a n ec d o te ,
Mr Ward laughed out aloud — L o!......his
false teeth fell into the soup! W hile he
fished around in the murky depths with
the ladle the am ended order was passed
up the table — “ No soups!” .
Easter and Christm as holidays I could
s p e n d at S t r a t h o r w i t h m y a u n t in
Yorkshire. On two occasions after the war
cut me o ff from my home in Egypt, I was
very glad to accept the w arm hospitality
o f Jeff Keighley’s parents and home. Jeff
and I were close friends for the whole of
the four-year period.
One Easter holiday while 1 was practis
ing g o lf stro k e s on the lawn, Mr Riley
(we alw ays called him The Boss) b eck
oned me into his study. I thought I was
about to be ticked off for slicing a mashie
shot so b ad ly th at the ball had c u rv e d
away to bounce o ff a concrete mullion in
the large window o f his study. Instead he
h and ed me a 12-bore s h o tg u n to g e th e r
with two cartridges. He sh ow ed me the
safety catch and how to break the gun.
“G o into the w oods and see if you can
get a rabbit for tea”.
I co u ld n ’t bring myself to tell him that I
7(i
had never fired a shot-gun in my life. So
o ff 1 went.
Years of living in the Middle East had
made me wary of snakes, so that while I
was pushing my way through the under
grow th on the hillside at the far side of
the la w n an d h e a rd a s u d d e n r u s t l i n g
a m o n g th e d r i e d l e a v e s to m y le f t, I
jum p ed . The gun, w hich I w as carrying
cocked across my body with the muzzle
p o i n t i n g to th e g r o u n d , w e n t o ff .
S u b s e q u e n t in v e s tig a tio n re v e a le d one
recently shot rabbit! The Boss invited me
to share it with him for tea. I d id n ’t think
it n ecessary to go into too m uch detail
about how I had tracked it.
Another very close friend o f mine was
‘C h u n g ’ ( G o o ’lo r d !) H a r k n e s s w h o , I
believe, w as later shot do w n and killed
while flying his Spitfire in combat. Since
his home was in West Africa (I think his
f a t h e r w a s a M e d i c a l O f f i c e r in the
Colonial Service) we often spent the short
holidays at Strath together.
‘C h u n g ’ w as nothing if not en terp ris
ing. After one sortie to Perth together to
see the C a n a d ia n ic e - s k a tin g ace, Red
McArtney soar over six (or was it seven?)
barrels laid side by side, nothing w ould
do but that we should emulate the feat on
the f o l l o w i n g d ay on the d e e p - f r o z e n
School pond. We would start simple and
work up. W inding his massive frame up
to an im pressive speed ‘C h u n g ’ hurtled
towards the single barrel we had placed in
position and heaved himself mightily into
the air. He rose a w hole inch above the
surface o f the ice, there was a loud dull
‘C L U N K ! ’, a h ig h - s tifle d “ G o o ’i o r d ! ”
(his fa v o u rite e x p le tiv e ) and he d i s a p
p e a r e d in a f o r w a r d roll w ith fla il in g
limbs. He w a s n ’t in the Sani for too long!
H arry Riley w a s a s tic k l e r fo r g o o d
manners, protocol and ‘playing the g a m e ’
and he required that School Sports Day,
when parents, relatives and friends visited
the School, should be regarded by every
boy as an opportunity to act as host.
On the occasion o f Sports Day in 1940
tw o m irag es a p p eared in the sky above
Strath and began to becon irresistibly to
both ‘C h u n g ’ and myself. One w as that
the film ‘D awn P a tr o l’ w as s h o w in g at
the cinem a in Perth. The other w as that
we thought we were som eho w absolved
from the need to act as hosts by the fact
that we were separated from our hom es
by ‘the e n e m y ’. Moreover we were both
daft on flying and it w a s n ’t many months
before both o f us seemed to be spending
the greater part o f our w orking life in a
c o c k p i t . A g a i n s t all o r d e r s w e b ro k e
bounds and took the train into Perth.
A great film, we agreed enthusiastically
as w e ca m e o ut o f the c in e m a into the
bright sunlight. Why d o n ’t we go so m e
where f o r .....UGH!!
The ground suddenly caved in under us
as w e s i m u l t a n e o u s l y s a w h im . H arry
Riley, Esquire, standing square in front of
the entrance waiting to welcome us back
into the Alvis, his ruddy cheeks aquiver,
eyes b lazing b ehin d his spectacles. The
j o u r n e y b a c k to S tr a th w a s o m i n o u s l y
silent.
A f t e r s u p p e r I w a s s u m m o n e d firs t
from the dorm itory by Jimm y Smith, the
School C ap tain . T h e Boss w a s fum ing.
The lecture w as distressful. The ensuing
ten minutes were am ong the most painful
I can rem em ber as ‘The B i f f cam e into
full play.
Still — it had been a super film.
But the S u m m er hols w ere so m ething
else. V ery sp ecial. In 1938 and 1939 I
was to spend the eight weeks at home, in
Egypt. I w as allowed to leave Strath three
days before the end o f Term to begin the
d e l i g h t f u l s a f a r i to th e s u n n y , b l u e
Mediterranean. First Mr Riley drove me
to Perth S tatio n in the A lv is , then f o l
low e d an o v e r n i g h t s l e e p e r to L o n d o n
where a taxi ferried me over to Victoria
Station to join the rest o f the Colonials to
be ‘taken charge o f ’ by the First Officer
o f th e c h a r t e r e d s h i p w a i t i n g at
Marseilles. Another overnight journey via
Paris and Lyons to Marseilles brought us
to the Khedivial Mail Line ship for a fiveday cruise to Alexandria.
T he d e c la ra tio n o f w a r cau g h t me in
Egypt. I had to fly back to Southampton
in the Imperial A irways flying boat Ceres
to avoid the risk o f being torpedoed, and I
realised sadly that the ene m y w ou ld be
ac tiv e b e t w e e n me an d m y fa m ily for
goodness knew how long.
As I. H. H. Fraser w rote in his article
(The Strathallian, 1990/91) the sinews of
war caught Strath in its coils slowly, but
in e x o r a b l y . A t th e p a p e r s t a n d in the
Comm on Room we read about the torpe
doing o f the ‘A th en ia’ and the sinking of
HM Submarine ‘T h etis’ with over ninety
crew trapped aboard, alive, to die a horri
ble slow death from asphyxia. Mr R iley’s
secret w ea p o n , the bu tter m ach ine, w as
introduced and duly installed. N ew s o f
the evacuation o f Dunkirk came to us in
the C om m on Room with a feeling o f total
unreality — w as this really happening to
u s? E v e n w h e n T h e B o s s at S u n d a y
c h a p e l c a lle d fo r p ra y e r s fo r th o se
involved, it was all hard to grasp.
M eanw hile the R A F w as ‘sw eating it
o u t ’ as it p r e p a r e d f o r T h e B a tt le o f
Britain.
The stark reality o f the w ar hit us one
day when Mr Riley addressed a meeting
of S5 and S6 boys in the Grubroom Study
(the G rubroom w as the lowest Authority
in the School hierarchy — there w a s n ’t
an y th in g low er). T h e re w a s a th reat o f
attack by parachutists. Strath must play its
part. A lo cal L D V (L o c a l D e fe n c e
Volunteer) Force w as to be formed im m e
diately and there was to be a School pla
toon. A s we headed for the rugger field
subsequently for a practice game, it was
in te re stin g to see h o w m a n y o f us had
acquired a n ew -found interest in gazing
skywards.
In the following weeks A rmy uniforms
were issued, we were given Black Watch
badges to fix to our forage caps, instruct
ed in first aid, and given hours o f footd r i l l a n d a r m s - d r i l l in th e g y m by a
Territorial A rm y Captain and a Sergeant
w h o had e m a n a te d from s o m e w h e r e or
other.
“You are now”, Mr W. E. Ward oscillat
ed precariously on the balls o f his feet as
he addressed all thirty o f his troops in his
capacity as C h ie f o f Staff, “sufficiently
trained to play your part as the Strathallan
Platoon o f the Local Defence Volunteers.
Every alternate night, w o rk in g w ith the
F o rg an d en n y L D V you will d efen d the
Railway Station.” This w as getting seri
o us. W e s e e m e d to have b een p itc h e d
suddenly right into the thick of battle.
It w as a black and freezing night. Two
o f us had the guard duty from 10pm until
2am and it was already past 2am. We had
lon g sin ce em p tie d the c o n te n ts o f ou r
thermos flasks, the temperature was well
below freezing and the ground w as car
peted with a thick layer o f frozen snow
and ice. Impatiently we stam ped noisily
up a n d
down
th e
p latfo rm
of
Forgandenny Station breathing out clouds
of steam. The relief guard would consist
o f two men from the village.
Suddenly in the pitch blackness beyond
the end o f the p latfo rm ram p we heard
b o o ts c r u n c h i n g a n d s l i t h e r i n g on the
lethal ice.
“ ' B o u t b l o o d y t i m e ” , g r u m b l e d my
partner, then, “ Halt! Who goes there?”
T he ch allen g e w ent unheeded. The
footsteps crunched closer accompanied by
an unintelligible muttering. Suddenly they
broke into an urgent stumbling run.
“ My G o d ! ” , b re a th e d my p a rtn e r,
“ W h a ’ if i t ’s t h e m . W h a ’ i f i t ’s the
Gerry”. In a split second two ancient P14
rifles were in two pairs o f hands, safetycatches off, cut-off out and LIV E rounds
up two spouts. We stood at either edge o f
the platform facing the ‘e n e m y ’.
“ H A L T ! — or I fire ” . We gazed
myopically into the pitch blackness.
After what seemed an age we managed
to interpret the hoarse breathless wheeze,
“ It’s — only me....dinna fire....it’s Jim....”
There followed im mediately an u n b e
lievable sim ultan eou s eruption o f sound
— a cry o f surprise as our relief slipped
on the icy ramp, the crash as he smashed
down onto the ice and the deafening roar
o f his rifle discharging.
To this day, as I gaze at the constella
ti o n s o v e r Z u l u l a n d in the q u i e t w e e
hours, I only have to recall this incident to
h ear the a n g y w h in e o f the b u llet that
struck the platform betw een my partner
and myself before soaring off as a richochet in the general direction o f Russia.
My last run in the Alvis was when Mr
Riley accom panied me to the Caird Hall
77
in D u n d e e to e n li s t in the R A F on 28
February 1941, my eighteenth birthday.
W hen we drove back to Strath that after
n o o n , w ith m y L o n d o n M a t r i c u l a t i o n
C e r t i f i c a t e b e h in d m e an d the K i n g ’s
shilling in my pocket, I realised sadly that
that day was the end o f another chapter in
my life.
That w as 51 years ago. Since then no
single p erson has had such a beneficial
effect on the formation o f my character as
Harry Riley, Esquire, by his example and
encouragem ent in loco parentis. For that I
shall always be grateful.
D A V ID W H IT T O N
D u rb an . J u n e 1992.
KEEPSAKES
O ld S tra th a llia n T ie s (m u ltip le b a d g e )
£ 5 .5 0
O ld S tra th a llia n S c a rv e s
£ 1 5 .5 0
O ld S tra th a llia n C u fflin k s - do u b le o v a ls w ith
en a m e lle d strip e s
£ 9 .0 0
S ch o o l S w e a tsh irts w ith e m b ro id e re d
b a d g e M , L. X L siz es
£ 1 3 .0 0
B ox o f 6 m elam in e place m ats, b lack on
w h ite . 6 d ifferen t v ie w s o f the S choo l
£ 1 8 .0 0
M e lam in e ch e ese /b rea d b o a rd
14” x 10” a p p ro x
£ 7 .0 0
B lack on w h ite. S choo l from the law n
C o a sters - b la c k on w h ite m e la m in e w ith
S ch o o l C rest
£ 1.50each
6 fo r £ 8 .0 0
B lue le a th e r k e y rin g w ith cre st in g o ld
£ 1.00
L ea th e r k e y rin g w ith e n a m e lle d cre st
£ 2.00
T in y cre st on pin b adge
£ 2 .0 0
C a r S tick ers
.80
A ll in c lu d in g p o stag e.
A p p ly to M atron at S choo l
B lue M u g s w ith S ch o o l crest in
g o ld
£ 2 .5 0 each
o r 6 fo r £ 9 .0 0
N .B . P ersonal collection only, from M atron, for
this last item .
STRATHALLIAN CLUB NEWS
A D A M G. M. (1988) still playing rugby,
he m a d e his d e b u t for A n g lo - u n d e r 2 1 ’s w h ile s t u d y in g at S o u th a m p to n
University.
A IT K E N D. S. (1986) is a m anagem ent
t r a i n e e w i t h th e M a e r o k L i n e a n d
recently had a posting in London.
A IT K E N K. S. (1984) She is nursing in
Aberdeen.
A L L IN G H A M M. J. de G. (1983) won a
Scotland B rugby cap and w as a m e m
ber o f the Scottish cricket te a m ’s tour
to South Africa.
A S H T O N T. C. ( 1 9 6 8 ) is s e r v i n g in
Germany with the 26th Field Regiment
Royal Artillery.
B AILLIE C. A. J. (1980) married Sylvie
T heraulaz on 29th August 1992. They
are living in Vevey, Switzerland.
B A R G O N E. R. (1979) After working in
the hotel in d u s try he took 1st C la s s
H o n o u r s in E c o n o m i c s at D u n d e e
I n s tit u te o f T e c h n o l o g y a n d is no w
w o r k i n g as a G r o u p P e n s i o n s
Administrator with Scottish Equitable.
His b roth ers, C live (1 9 8 4 ) and M ark
( 1 9 8 8 ) w e r e s t a y i n g w i t h h im in
Edinburgh when he wrote.
B E L L S. R. (1 9 8 2 ) is a C a p ta in in the
Arm y and at present is serving in Perth.
H e is m a r r i e d a n d is l i v i n g in
Forgandenny!
B EN SO N S. J. (1981) (Sally Rutherford)
H er seco n d child w a s due in M arch ,
hence her inability to attend the 197882 dinner. She won £40 backing Peter
Niven (1980) at Sedgefield Races!
B L A N C H E G. W . G. ( 1 9 7 8 ) o p e n e d
“ Paxton H ouse”, Berwick upon Tweed
in April. He is hoping for Strathallian
visitors.
B O O N K. (1 9 8 8 ) The Scotsm an had a
report in O ctober 1991 on the progress
o f the bo ys w ho toured N ew Zealand
w i t h the S c o t t i s h S c h o o l s in 1988.
Kristian w as purported to be w orking
down a coal-mine in Yorkshire.
B RASH A. R. (1967) Now Dr Brash, he
w orks
in
th e
D e p artm en t
of
P h a r m a c o l o g y in th e S c h o o l o f
M e d i c i n e at V a n d e r b i l t U n i v e r s i t y ,
Nashville, Tennessee.
B RA SH D. G. (1968) is a solicitor in pri
vate practice with Alex Morrison & Co
W.S. o f Edinburgh.
B R I A N S. G. ( 1 9 8 2 ) is M a n a g i n g
D irecto r o f a P etro le u m R etailin g
C o m p a n y w ith a s u b s i d i a r y c o n v e
nience s to re /n e w sag en cy . He lives in
Frodsham, Cheshire, with his wife and
R e b e c c a L o u is e a g e d 4, a n d P h il ip
James, w ho is 2.
B R O W N E D. J. S. (1988) has been w o rk
ing in France.
B R O W N E J. G. (1984) Jenny is now Mrs
R e e k ie and has a b ab y . S h e and her
husband live in Angus.
B U D G E A. D. J. (1958) is an agricultural
a d v i s e r li v in g in B a n b u r y , W e s t e r n
A u s tr a lia , an d has a p ro p e r ty on the
M argaret River in the South-west. He
keeps in touch with N. F. Clark (1958).
C H A P M A N J. H. (1983) is now living at
81 Kirk Road, Wishaw, and w as m ar
ried on 8th July.
C H E N E R Y R. A. (1 9 8 7 ) g r a d u a te d B.
Mus. from Durham University and is a
Lay Clerk at Wells Cathedral. He is a
p a rt-tim e te a c h e r at W ells C a th ed ra l
School.
C L A R K D. J. (1988) worked in a Kibbutz
at the end o f last year and toured Israel
and Egypt.
C L A R K I. A. ( 1 9 8 9 ) is in the R o y a l
S ig n a l s R e g im e n t and is v e ry m uc h
enjoying the Army.
C L A R K P. J. (1986) Pamela is working
for Morgan Grenfell in London.
C L A Y T O N M. J. (1990) plays shinty for
St A n d re w ’s University.
C O C K B U R N N. (1 9 9 0 ) is e n te rin g his
final year as Organ Scholar, reading for
a B .A . in M u s i c at K e b le C o l l e g e ,
Oxford. Congratulations to him on w in
ning the Sawyer and Durrant prizes for
the examination in performance in his
d i p l o m a to be an A s s o c i a t e o f the
Royal College of Organists.
C O Z IE R F. S. (1 9 83 ) A fter gain ing his
H o n o u r s D e g r e e in E n g i n e e r i n g at
Aberdeen University he returned to his
native T rin ida d w here he is a S enio r
F ield
E n g in eer
w ith
A nadrill
Schlumberger. He married Danielle in
August 1991.
C R A B B J. R. M. (1982) has emigrated to
A ustralia and in May married Andrea
Russell of Melbourne.
C R A B B S. A. (1981) Sandra also lives in
A u s tr a lia w h e re she w o rk s for Price
W a t e r h o u s e as an A c c o u n t a n t . S he
recen tly had a short term co n tra ct in
New Guinea.
C R A W F O R D H. B. (1938) continues his
w o r k as a g e m m o l o g i s t in C a s t l e
D o u g la s and he will fa cet, re p a ir or
identify any fine g em s to n es you may
have!
C R IC H T O N M. J. (1985) is the C ustomer
S ervice
R ep resen tativ e
o f th e
P r u d e n t i a l A s s u r a n c e C o L td in
Stirling.
C U R R IE G. A. (1990) is reading Social
P s y c h o l o g y a n d S o c i o l o g y at th e
University of Ulster, Coleraine, and is
thoroughly enjoying it.
C U R R IE G. M. (1 9 83 ) She is a Senior
Reporter with the Lancashire Post.
C U R R IE S. A. (1988) is reading Building
and Quantity Surveying at Heriot-Watt
University.
DAJA NI S. N. (1981) will w elcome you
at The Crown Hotel, A m m an. He was
very sorry not to be able to come to the
1978-82 Dinner.
D E L B A R R E N. M. (1 9 7 1 ) is liv ing in
Saffron Walden.
D EVLIN C. (1986) After taking her B.A.
at O xford in English she w as in p u b
lishing for a year but decided to go into
7S
teaching. She spent 10 w eeks teaching
practice at Strathallan during the Spring
T e r m 1 99 2. C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s on h er
appointm ent as the first full-time lady
m em ber o f staff at G lenalm ond College
in Septem ber 92.
D IA M O N D P. D. (1987) Which of us did
not turn to Channel 4 during January to
s e e G a m e s m a s t e r at 6 . 3 0 p m on
T u esd ay s? C o ng ratulation s, D om inik,
on the wonderful success o f your pro
gramme. We look forward to the next
series. Thanks, too, for telling Fiona o f
‘The Courier and A dvertiser' that your
time at school at Strathallan w as “defi
nitely the happiest of my life so far!” .
D I C K I N S O N E. J. ( 1 9 8 7 ) E l s p e t h is
working for Unilever.
D IC K IN S O N G. A. (1930) is still living
in Argentina but visited the U K in su m
mer on his way to a tour in China.
D INN EN G. S. (1969) has been working
in Indonesia and has plans for directing
a company investing in the leisure and
golf world. We wish him all success.
D IN S M O R E D. W. (1986) We particular
ly n o t e d h is a r t i c l e in The S u n o f
Saturday, 1st February: "R oller Les is
Sticking up for F reedom ”.
D O B B IE M. J. (1983) is living in Georgia
and has been working for Roy Miller,
R e p u b li c a n , r u n n i n g for e le c t i o n to
Congress. He married Mary Elizabeth
Karafotias in August.
D O W N E S D. J. (1990) is a trainee with
Provincial Insurance Co.
D R U M M O N D L. M. ( 1 9 8 2 ) (L in d s a y
Rhodes). Her daughter. Poppy, is now
tw o and L in d sa y is ta k i n g a te a c h e r
training course at the Northern College,
A b e rd e e n , to q u a lify as a te a c h e r o f
Drama.
D U N C A N R. J. (1980) represented Great
B r i t a i n in th e W i n t e r O l y m p i c s .
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s — I t ’s a lo n g w a y
f r o m S u n d a y S k i i n g at G l e n s h c e !
C o n g ra tu la tio n s , too, on his e n g a g e
ment to Lyn Gill.
ELDER R. J. (1966) is still working with
English National Opera at the London
Coliseum.
E L K I N S M. J. ( 1 9 7 8 ) is m a r r i e d an d
working and living in South Africa.
FAGG A. J. (1985) He graduated BA in
H istory from Hull U n iv e rsity and he
has been working as an assistant nurse
in the Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit
at the Royal E d in b u rg h H ospital. He
hopes to take an M.A. in Social Work.
F A G G J. D. (1 9 8 6 ) C o n g ra tu la tio n s on
t h e a w a r d o f a S c h o l a r s h i p at
M anchester University w here she has
t a k e n an M. Sc. in A u d i o l o g y . S h e
hopes to take a Ph.D. at an American
U n iversity re s earch in g into the p r o b
lems o f d eaf children.
F E R G U S O N S. A. ( 1 9 7 9 ) li v e s n e a r
Tring in Hertfordshire and w orks with
the Ministry o f Defence.
FINNIE S. (1988) is working with Jacob
and H owey Ltd in Plymouth.
F LEM IN G J. N. (1958) He much enjoyed
last y e a r’s Old Strathallian G o lf outing
at Prestwick. He is Lieutenant-Colonel
on the Staff o f HQ Arm y, Scotland.
F O RBES A. G. (1936) He was very inter
ested in M r R o b e r s o n ’s article about
S tr a th a lla n in the 3 0 ’s in last y e a r ’s
issue. He tells o f two chance meetings
with ex-Strathallan Masters during his
service in the 39-45 war. He m et Mr
R oberson in C atterick w h en on a 10m i l e r u n , a n d he m e t M r W e n h a m
w h e n b o a r d i n g a t r a i n at H o w r a h
Station when travelling from Calcutta
to Bengal. He has not seen either since!
F O R D T. H. (1987) C o ng ratulatio ns on
th e a w a r d o f a 1st in h is M a s t e r ’s
D e g r e e in C h e m i c a l E n g i n e e r i n g at
Newcastle University.
FOSTER J. C. (1979) He is married with
a daughter, and he practices Law with
H anson, H ashey in F red eric ton , New
B ru n sw ic k . He re p o rts an e x tr e m e ly
harsh w inter in C anad a in 91/92 with
tem peratures o f -30C.
G A D IE C. E. (^1986) She has graduated
w ith a 2/1 in T o u r i s m S tu d i e s fro m
Bournemouth Polytechnic.
G AD IE P. A. (1985) After graduating BA
in G e o g ra p h y at Sheffield U niversity
he is s e r v i n g w i t h 4 0 C o m m a n d o ,
Taunton.
G A N D H I S. K. (1 9 8 1 ) He is w o r k i n g
w ith the M in istry o f A g ric u ltu re and
F isheries in W e y m o u th , but he has a
house in Perth as well.
G E O R G E B. H. ( 1 9 4 1 ) l i v e s in
Lancashire and he had a surprise m eet
in g w i t h th e H e a d m a s t e r at th e
Caledonian Club Dinner in Southport.
G O O D B O U R N B. M. (1981) is living in
Herts and he is w orkin g for C eldis in
Reading.
G O O D B O U R N J. N. (1 9 7 9 ) , his w ife,
Hannah, and their two children live in
Harrogate where he is a com puter pro
g ram m er for Dunlop.
G O O D B O U R N M. G. (1981) w orks for a
consultancy firm in Birmingham.
G R A N T J. M. (1982) is married and was
sorry not to be able to attend the year
dinner but they were in Kenya seeing
his brother Ken — see below.
G R A N T K. V. S. (1980) he got married
in Nairobi in March to Karen Harvey.
He is working on a large water supply
project out there.
G R A Y J. M. (1 9 5 1 ) C o n g ra tu la tio n s to
J o h n o n h is a p p o i n t m e n t a s C h i e f
E x e c u t i v e o f th e H o n g K o n g a n d
S h a n g h a i B a n k in g C o r p o r a t io n . T h e
Financial Tim es reported that this was
the first time that the Bank has split the
roles o f Chairman and C hief Executive.
G R A Y M. A. R. (1 9 5 0 ) also lives and
works in Hong Kong. He is Managing
D i r e c t o r ( A s i a P a c i f i c ) f o r the
D e n n is o n Far E ast U nit o f A v e ry
Dennison Corporation.
G R E E N A. J. (1973) lives and w orks in
Edinburgh and he brought his family to
the Fete.
G R E E N R. H. (1972) lives in Edinburgh
a n d is a b i g w i g at th e R o y a l
Com m onwealth Pool.
G U N N R. H. D. (1964) He is Manager,
T r a d e F i n a n c e fo r the I n t e r n a t i o n a l
B a n k i n g S e r v i c e s f o r th e T o r o n t o
D o m in i o n B a n k , w ith w h o m he has
been for 24 years. He was, until recent
ly, in Taiwan, but has been posted back
to Toronto. En route to his present post
he h a d a S c h o l a r s h i p at th e M i n e r
Institute University o f New York, and
g r a d u a t e d fr o m M c G il l U n i v e r s i t y ,
Montreal, with a Fellow ship from the
Institute o f Canadian Bankers. Married
with two children he is a m em ber o f the
C a n a d i a n B o a r d o f T r a d e a n d the
F o r e i g n T r a d e C o m m i t t e e o f th e
C anadian Bankers Institute. He keeps
in touch with R. B. Gray (1960) who
also lives in Canada.
G U T H R IE A. N. H. (1966) is living in
G u i l d f o r d , n e a r P e r t h in W e s t e r n
Australia.
G U Y W. (1 9 8 4 ) T h is y e a r he w on his
PGA Players Card and qualified for the
O p e n C h a m p i o n s h i p at M u i r f i e l d ,
w h e r e he c a m e o u t e q u a l w i t h B.
Langer. Our warmest congratulations.
H A R R IS O N C. R. (19 81 ) w o rk s in the
D e p a r t m e n t o f W e s t e r n A rt in th e
A shmolean M useum, Oxford.
H A N N A H D. W . ( 1 9 5 8 ) is w i t h th e
Alliance and Leicester and has moved
from Paisley to Auchterarder.
H A SL A M R. G. (1990) is taking a BSc in
C o m p u t e r S c i e n c e at H e r i o t - W a t t
University,
H A T R IC K K. (1980) has gained a 2 i in
his degree in Molecular Biology. He is
going on to take a Ph.D. at the National
I n s t i t u t e f o r M e d i c a l R e s e a r c h in
London.
H EA D S. T. (1990) is studying Civil and
E n v iro n m en tal
E n g in eerin g
at
N ew castle U niversity. His family has
moved to the Isle o f Man.
H O L S T M. J. (1985) was married to Tara
Davies in Larne Methodist Church on
10 April 1992. He is studying for his
PhD at Peterhouse, Cambridge.
HO O PER A. J. P. (1980) He and his wife,
Judith, live in T w icken ham with their
d a u g h t e r H o l l y . T r a i n e d as a
M e c h a n i c a l E n g i n e e r at C a r d i f f
U n i v e r s i t y a n d as a C h a r t e r e d
Accountant he is running two London
Studio complexes producing television
commercials.
H O U IS O N -C R A U F U R D J. A. (1984) got
m a rrie d w ith at least six S trath allia n
witnesses.
H O U IS O N -C R A U F U R D S. D. (1990) is
at Strathclyde University.
H O U I S O N - C R A U F U R D T. E. (1 9 8 4 )
got married in 1991 and is living in St
H elen s. She is c o m p l e ti n g a n u rsin g
degree at Manchester.
H U L M E M. J. S. (1 9 8 2 ) is M a r k e tin g
M a n a g e r fo r N a t i o n a l H o m e L o a n s
Corporation. He lives near Birmingham
and is engaged to be married. He still
p la y s h o c k e y for O lto n W est
79
Warwicks.
H U N T E R J. S. (1966) has been appointed
a Governor of Strathallan.
ISM A IL R. (1987) Roxanne has graduat
ed at S O A S (London) in Law and has a
place at Bar School. She w as President
o f her college Law Society and a m e m
b e r o f t h e i r t e a m in th e N a t i o n a l
O b s e r v e r M o o tin g C o m p e t it io n . She
claims that all her activities have been
rather law-orientated.
JA C K W. H. (1932) lives in Westcliff-onS e a . H e w a s d e f i n i t e l y th e S e n i o r
Strathallian at the London Dinner.
K E N N E D Y S. M. (1988) has graduated
f r o m H e r i o t - W a t t U n i v e r s i t y in
C om b in ed Studies and is go ing on to
take a T eacher Training Course.
KERR R. P. (1974) worked for some time
in A f r i c a an d N o r w a y b u t is n o w a
m anager with an oilfield service c o m
pany in Aberdeen, living near Ellon.
K I N D E R G. L. H. (1 9 7 8 ) He ru n s the
W ynd Gallery in Lanark and would be
pleased to advise on picture framing or
anything connected with Art.
L A ID L A W C. D. G. (1971) is director of
C i t i g a t e an d s p e c i a l i s e s in PR an d
Marketing.
LAING H. R. (1982) He graduated from
Leeds University and lives and w orks
in Pretoria, South Africa. He married
C e li a B a rn a rd in th e D u tc h R e fo rm
Church, Pretoria, in 1989.
L AING P. M. A. (1991) w as incorrectly
published on Page 4 of last y ea r’s m a g
azine as having gone to Peterhouse. He
is, in f a c t , at T r i n i t y C o l l e g e ,
Cambridge, studying Philosophy.
LEE C. L. H. (1981) Christine has c o m
p l e t e d h e r P h D in M i c r o b i o l o g y at
Waikato University, Auckland.
LEE P. S. H. (1980) He and his wife live
in Paisley where she is a doctor and he
is a pharmacist. They have a baby boy.
L EST E R R. H. (1978) After gaining his
BSc at W olverhampton Polytechnic he
m oved to the USA where he now has
his G reen C ard . He is a se n io r sales
re p re se n ta tiv e for G la x o and o w n s a
b e a u t i f u l h o u s e in L a k e O s w e g o ,
Oregon.
L ID D E L L F. G. (1987) She has graduat
ed from A u cklan d U niversity but she
spent last Christm as and New Year in
the UK.
L I D D E L L S. J. ( 1 9 8 6 ) w o r k s in N e w
Zealand and Roxanne Ismail reports he
w ill p r o b a b l y be m a r r ie d w h e n y ou
read this.
LIG H T B O D Y M. W. (1982) was named
United Kingdom Independent Baker o f
the Y ear, m a rk in g the su cc ess o f his
in n o v a tiv e
bu sin ess
offshoot
“Celebration C ak es” . No design is too
difficult, so any Strathallian w anting a
very special cake can contact Martin.
L I N T O N D. G. ( 1 9 6 2 ) is w i t h the
S ecretary’s Department o f Manw eb pic
in Chester.
M acD O N A LD
M.
J.
(1 9 7 4 )
Congratulations on graduating Sum m a
cum laude for the degree o f Doctor of
Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta.
He was one o f two students to gain the
h ig h e s t H o n o r s A w a r d . H is p a r e n t s
were delighted to attend the graduation
and diploma cerem ony when the guest
s p e a k e r , in tr o d u c e d by e x - P r e s id e n t
J im m y C a rte r , w as Mr M ik h ail
G o rb a ch ev . M alco lm and his parents
all send warm est wishes to Strathallan.
M a c D O N A L D R. H. ( 1 9 8 0 ) is a p ilo t
with British Airways.
M c C O N C H I E D. R. (1 97 9) is living in
E dinburgh. He has co m p le ted a p o st
graduate course in computing at Napier
College.
M c K E N Z I E - D O N O V A N A. (1986) nee
M c K e n z i e - W a l k e r . S h e is li v in g in
London and she and her husband John
had a daughter, Elizabeth, on 12 March
1992.
M acL A U R IN B. A. (1981) Barbie works
for the B B C in television prod uction
and research. A m o n g st her w ork was
the documentary “ Happy Families” for
the W o rld E n v i r o n m e n t a l s e a s o n in
M ay. S h e has b e e n lu cky e n o u g h to
trav el to In dia, N ep al, T h a il a n d and
Ecuador.
M a c L E O D C. A. ( 1 9 8 0 ) is r e a d i n g
T h e o lo g y at St A n d r e w ’s U n iv e rs ity
with a view to becoming a Minister.
M acL E O D R. N. (1975) has left Loretto
and has become a Padre in the Army.
M c C A U S L A N D I. H. M. (1981) w orks in
Hong Kong as a consultant in financial
services for Mondial.
M c C L U N G G. E. ( 1 9 8 3 ) w o r k s w ith
Slaughter and May in the City.
M cK E E P. J. (1982) is teaching Maths at
Sherborne School and is House Tutor
o f School House and much involved in
games.
M c L E A N G. C. (1 9 8 0 ) w a s m arrie d to
Louise Clement on April 4th. They are
living in Hong Kong w here he w orks
for Allen and Overy.
M cL E A N C. E. (1981) (Lyn Belch) had a
baby girl, Laura, last September.
M c L E O D A. N. ( 1 9 6 4 ) l i v e s in E a st
Sussex and is a stockbroker in the City.
M cN A M A R A E. A. (1991) has spent her
g a p y e a r t e a c h i n g E n g l i s h at th e
C u l t u r a In g l e s a S a l v a d o r in B a h ia ,
Brazil, where her pupils have ranged in
age b etw een 14 and 50. She has also
seen the poorer end o f Brazilian society
helping in an orphanage where the chil
dren took on the task of trying to teach
her Portuguese. She has also managed
to travel in Brazil and spent Christmas
in Brasilia and New Year 91/92 in Rio
de Janeiro.
M A R S H A L L A. G. ( 1 9 7 3 ) is S a le s
Manager for the Rutland Exchange Ltd.
He and his wife, Wendy, arc living near
Dunning and their son, Andrew, is going
to F o r g a n d e n n y P r i m a r y S c h o o l! A
daughter arrived in September.
M A X W E L L J. ( 1 9 9 0 ) H e is at St
A n d r e w ’s U n iversity read in g French,
German and History o f Art. He fences
e p e e . In th e S t u d e n t P a p e r T h e
C hronicle’ he had an article on Cultural
R e v o l u t i o n r e p o r t i n g o n a tr ip to
Northern Italy, Trieste and Yugoslavia
w ith R ich ard D e m a rc o in D e c e m b e r
1991. (Ed: I do not think we can hold
them responsible for the sad events in
Yugoslavia since!)
M EIK LE L. J. (1986) Congratulations on
h e r 1st C l a s s H o n o u r s in E s ta t e
Management at Heriot-Watt University.
M E N N IE N. R. (1981) works for Allied
Dunbar in the South East.
M IT C H E L L G. C. (1980) gained his BSc
in L a n d E c o n o m i c s f r o m P a i s l e y
C o l l e g e a n d t h e n q u a l i f i e d as a
C h a r te r e d S u r v e y o r . He w o r k s w ith
J a m e s B a rr & S o n o f G l a s g o w . He
m arried H e ath er A d a m on 4 O cto b er
1991.
M O I R R. I. ( 1 9 9 0 ) p a s s e d o u t o f
Britannia Naval C ollege in D ecem ber
1991 and w as posted to 819 N A S at
P re stw ick
for
a ir
training.
C on gratulatio ns on being the RN Ski
Champion again in 1992.
M O N T G O M E R IE C. S. (1975) This year
all we will say is co n g ra tu la tio n s on
your continued excellence in your golf
ing career. We were delighted to read
that Tom Shields of the Sporting Diary
of The Herald is a keen reader o f the
Strathallian M agazine. In his colum n
he to ok us s lig h tly to task for b ein g
ra t h e r laid b a c k in o u r r e p o r t i n g o f
C o lin 's 1990/91 successes. We cannot
risk the same again this time!
M O R T O N H. G. (1961) As a child psy
chiatrist he acted as professional advis
er to Lord C lyd e's Orkney inquiry.
M U IR A. A. (1971) Patrick Russell was
amazed when A lan ’s 70ft luxury yacht
“T a b a s c o ” m oored in the bay outside
his house in Singapore. Barbecues and
“ a v e r y g o o d w e e k d o i n g the p a rty
r o u n d as an o ld b o y tr io w i t h Iain
Pickett (1981)”, over from Hong Kong,
ensued before “T abasco” moved on.
MUIR D. S. (1978) is still doing well in
Derby.
M U I R K. H. ( 1 9 8 0 ) g o t m a r r i e d in
A u stra lia on 11 J a n u a r y 1992 and is
d o i n g a m a n a g e m e n t c o u r s e in
Forestry.
M U R D O C H T. (1957) is living in New
Zealand and working with Carpet Wool
M a n u f a c t u r e r s . He t r a v e ls in S o u th
East Asia a lot.
N IVE N P. D. (1980) Congratulations on
r i d i n g R u b i k a to 14th p l a c e in the
G rand N ational at 28-1. He w as also
the first Scottish National Hunt jockey
to ride 100 winners in a season, came
3rd in the Jo ck ey s’ Championship and
w a s a c l o s e 3 r d in th e C h a m p i o n
Hurdle.
O R R K. F. ( 1 9 8 5 ) He is a p p e a r i n g in
“ Les Miserables” in Manchester at pre
s e n t a n d t h e n it is c o m i n g to
Edinburgh.
PATERSON M. D. L. (1988) has graduat
ed BLE (Land Econom y) at A berdeen
University. He has travelled extensive
8(1
ly in v a catio n s, and in 1991 w e n t to
Thailand, The River Qwai, China and
home on the trans-Siberian express to
Moscow and then took another train to
London.
P O R T E R J. A. L. ( 1 9 7 2 ) is f e e l i n g
ancient because his eldest child is at the
G C S E stage. He trav els a lot for his
photographic work and in Africa ended
up behind rebel lines looking down the
w ro n g end o f a rifle. This experience
was “ nothing, compared to Strath in the
old days” !
P O TT S A. M. (1980) w as sorry he was
unable to attend the 1978-82 reunion.
He had just come back from a visit to
Norway.
P O T T S W. M. ( 1 9 7 8 ) He is li v in g in
O k e h a m p t o n a n d , a c c o r d i n g to his
brother above, is a busy father coming
to terms with responsibility!
R H O D E S S. M. (1986) has been travel
ling the world mostly by boat. Her sis
ter, Lindsay, is not sure if her interest is
in y a c h ts or the y ac h ties. She is not
looking forward to returning to a prop
er job!
R O B S O N D. A. (1 9 8 1 ) m a rrie d Jan in
N o v e m b e r 1990, and they had a
Lightbody w ed din g cake. If you need
any sham poo — David is your man, so
our spies tell us.
R O G E R T. F. (1 9 4 4 ) A fte r his po st as
C h i e f E n g in e e r D e v e lo p m e n t o f the
Papua N ew G u in e a E lectricity
C o m m i s s i o n he h a s r e t i r e d to St
Catherines, Ontario, Canada,
R O S E L L E C. P. (1959) He is hoping to
visit Scotland — and — Strathallan in
June/July 1993. His address is P O Box
4051, Rio Rico, A Z 85648, USA. Some
tim e a g o a c o p y o f th e S t r a t h a l l i a n
addressed to his brother S R (1960) in
S pringfield, Illinois, w as returned by
th e A m e r i c a n p o s ta l a u t h o r i t i e s as:
A ddress Inadequte. We would be glad
to hear o f his proper address.
R U S S E L L M. A. (1978) is w o rk in g for
Ferranti-GEC in Edinburgh.
R U S S E L L P. D. (1 9 8 1 ) m a r rie d Ilo na
F in n igan in P en an g on 14 D e c e m b e r
1991 and they are living in Singapore.
R U S S E L L P. J. (1982) has been working
w ith H e w lett P ack ard in A m s te rd a m
but is returning to the UK.
S C O T T N. W . J. ( 1 9 7 8 ) is l i v i n g in
R e a d in g . He g o t m a r r i e d in S p r i n g
1992.
S H A N N O N K. J. (1975) He has lived in
V i c t o r i a , A u s t r a l i a , f o r e ig h t y e a r s
w here he is married with tw o d a u g h
ters.
S M I T H P. (1 9 9 1 ) P aulin a is at T rin ity
C ollege, C am b rid ge, reading O riental
languages and was not looking forward
v e r y m u c h to h e r o r a l e x a m in
Japanese. Still, punting in the sun has
some advantages!
S T E E L E T. A. (1 99 1) is stud yin g for a
B A in C o m m u n i c a t i o n s at N a p i e r
Polytechnic.
S T R O Y A N M. R. C. ( 1 9 8 3 ) T h e
F ishtrader M agazine o f Janu ary 1992
carried a page long article on F r e d ’s
co m p an y N ew E n g lan d L o b sters
I n t e r n a t i o n a l L td , in W a n d s w o r t h ,
L o n d o n . F re d d id his t r a i n i n g w ith
C le a rw a te rs in H alifax, N ova Scotia,
and then with a big London food dis
tr ib u to r. “ M a d ” w a s the w o rd so m e
people used to describe F red ’s decision
to start a new company in the pit o f a
recession, but he seems well set on the
road to success with a projected £1.2
million turnover in the c o m p a n y ’s first
year.
T A R G O W S K I E. G. ( 1 9 6 9 ) has b e e n
ap p o in te d a G o v e rn o r o f S trathallan .
He got some mentions in the papers as
Counsel for som e o f the O rk ney pa r
ents in the abuse enquiry.
T A Y L O R R. A. ( 1 9 6 5 ) is l i v i n g in
Havelock North, New Zealand, and he
w o u l d g i v e a b i g w e l c o m e to an y
Strathallians in the region.
I'ETHER B. S. (1986) is studying for a D.
Phil, at Sussex University.
T ET H ER N. J. (1985) has been teaching
at Aldenham, School for three years and
h a s c o m p l e t e d a M . A . d e g r e e in
International Relations.
T ET H ER R. M. (1989) is at Southampton
University and spent the su m m er as a
tr a i l l e a d e r o n w a l k i n g s a f a r i s in
L u a n g w a V a l l e y N a t i o n a l P a r k in
Zambia.
T H O M R. D. ( 1 9 6 8 ) is D i r e c t o r o f
F in a n c e a n d A d m i n i s t r a t i o n for the
R o y a l A c a d e m y o f D a n c i n g in
Battersea, which teaches ballet in over
50 countries.
T H O M S. M. (1 9 6 8 ) (fo rm erly C. M.).
He has changed his name from Charles
to S o l i h i n a n d he l i v e s in L a k e
Oswego, Oregon, USA, with his wife,
Alicia, 3 daughters and a son. He runs
seminars and workshops on osteopathy
and life enrichment.
T H O M S O N A. A. (1981) This is Angus
ex-S im p so n. He is living in A ustralia
and playing rugby.
U P R I C H A R D D. E. (1 9 8 4 ) is m arrie d
and lives and works in New York.
W A L K E R R. G. ( 1 9 7 8 ) is l i v i n g in
D a n v ille, C a lifo rn ia and w o u ld very
much like to contact Strathallians near
by.
W A T S O N B. C. ( 1 9 8 1 ) w o r k s fo r
Gleneagles Leisure Pursuits.
W A T S O N D. J. (1980) is married with a
baby and is a d irector o f a su rv eyin g
company in Gabarone, Botswana.
W A T S O N L. W . ( 1 9 8 5 ) is l i v i n g in
I n v e r n e s s and is w o r k in g for M o ray
Firth Maltings.
W A T T S. J. (1986) nee Mackie. She has
qualified as a Notary Public.
W1GHTON A. (1974) is an avid reader of
the Strathallian. In 1977 he got married
and he and Joan have 2 girls and a boy
aged 10, 8 and 5. He is Vice President,
S k ych arter Ltd, T oron to International
Airport, so for those w anting to charter
an executive jet, he has 6 Falcons and 2
Learjets. He has achieved his life am bi
tion to fly. He w ould give a big w e l
come to Strathallians going across “the
po nd and sa y s H ello from the “ old
Y an k” to all the boys from his era.
W IL S O N R. A. (1936) was delighted to
r e a d M r R o b e r s o n ’s a r t i c l e in las t
y e a r’s Strathallian. He, too, has many
m em o ries o f B reck en rid g e and of
Springy Forrest who he claims to have
tackled successfully — once! He was
also very anxious to be reminded of the
Strathallan School Song, part o f which
in cid entally , w a s recorded for use in
the School Play “The Happiest Days of
Y o ur L ife ” , p erfo rm ed this year. We
print the full text elsewhere in the m ag
azine.
W Y L T O N T. (1958) (T. W. Higginson).
Congratulations on his performance in
the B B C ’s aw ard -w in n in g episode of
“ C a s u a l t y ” . He has also a p p e a re d in
many television films.
Y EL L O W L E E S M J (1978) Not satisfied
with his Ph.D. in Scottish History he is
taking a degree in Law at E d inb urg h
University with a view to entering the
profession. He says he has retired from
International Hockey but is still coach
ing.
Y O U N G W . R. S. ( 1 9 5 7 ) l i v e s in
Western Australia, as does his brother
John (1960). William, accom panied by
D A F l e m i n g ( 1 9 5 9 ) c a l l e d in at
S tr a th a l la n in Ju n e on his first v isit
since leaving School.
OBITUARY
B A R R O W M A N J. M. T . (1983): We
w e re v e r y sa d to le a r n tha t J o h n w a s
drowned on 7 N ovem ber 1991.
B R E C H I N R. H. (19 48 ): on 28 A pril
1992. He w as a very enthusiastic Curler
and he organised the International Curling
S ilver B room C o m p e titio n w hen it w as
held in Glasgow.
F E R G U S O N G. P. H. (1 9 3 7 ) : on 19
September 1991. After leaving School he
t o o k an a p p r e n t i c e s h i p w i t h S c o t t s
Engineering and entered the family busi
ness. He served in Burma during the war.
He an d his w ife liv e d in G o u r o c k for
more than 40 years
G I L L A N D E R S N . A . ( 1 9 3 2 ) : on 10
April 1992. An appreciation will be found
elsewhere in the magazine.
G I L L A N D E R S S. R. ( 1 9 3 6 ) : on 29
April 1992, brother o f the above and o f
Eric (1928), and father of Torquil (1979).
He lived in Killinghall, Harrogate.
G R A Y A. G. R. (1935): He lived in Port
o f Spain, Trinidad.
L I N T O N W . S . ( 1 9 3 2 ) : He l i v e d in
South Africa.
M A R S H A L L G. A. W. (1943): On 4th
September 1992. He lived in Pennyghael,
Mull, and was the father o f Alan (1973).
M O R T I M E R J . R . G . ( 1 9 6 3 ) : in
London on 1 Septem ber 1991. He w as a
FRICS with his own firm, a keen golfer
with Royal Blackheath and a Past Master
o f T ram bands Lodge, London. Our deep
est sympathy goes to his parents and his
wife Ann on his untimely death after an
operation.
M U R R A Y R. I. M. (1966): in January
1992, aged 43. He was a founding partner
o f the G l a s g o w leg al firm o f D o rm a n
Jeffrey in 1979 and was described as “one
of life’s natural lawyers" at the time of his
death. He lived in H elen sb urg h and for
some years he was the Hon Secretary and
Treasurer o f the Strathallian Club.
N A IR N W. M. (1947): on 27 February
1992. A short appreciation will be found
elsewhere in the magazine.
P A T T E R S O N R. H. ( 1 9 4 7 ) : o n 5
October 1991. He lived in Troon and was
f a t h e r o f M i c h a e l ( 1 9 7 3 ) a n d D a v id
(1974). For many years he was a staunch
supporter o f the Annual Dinner.
R EID N. G. (1926): in November 1991.
An appreciation will be found elsewhere
in the magazine.
S T E V E N S O N R. H. V.: at the age o f 81.
He was the father o f Struan (1964) and he
farm ed at B allantrae. He w as a pio neer
w ith S im m e n tal cattle and he had been
P r e s i d e n t o f the A y r s h i r e N F U a n d a
m e m b e r o f the Potato M ark etin g Board
and the Milk Marketing Board.
W O O D J. M. (1929): On 14 April 1992.
He was a very well known figure in Perth
business circles.
FORMER MEMBERS OF STAFF
H E W S O N C . P.: All S trath allians and
particularly those who were in Riley dur
ing his H ou sem astership , will be sad to
hear o f P h il ip 's dea th in Ju n e 1992. A
separate obituary will be found elsewhere
in the magazine.
P O L L A R D S. C .: F o rm e r friend s and
pupils will be sorry to hear o f the death of
Stanley in January 1992. A graduate o f
O xford and an ex-Colonial Officer, who
had to walk out of Burma during the W ar
after the Japanese invasion, he was one of
na tu re ’s g entlem en, and he will be long
remembered by his Strathallan pupils for
his u p rig h t b e a ri n g a nd his in d iv id u a l
teaching o f Biology.
OBITUARY
NEIL A. GILLANDERS
OS 1932
GOVERNOR 1966-85 HON GOV 1985-1992
CHAIRMAN 1971-73 and 1975-77
It must be declared from the start that
this short and in a d eq u a te tribute to the
e n o r m o u s c o n t r i b u t i o n t h a t N e il
Gillanders made to Strathallan is written
by one o f his employees! I first met Neil
— Mr Gillanders, Sir, as it was then — in
a s m a l l c r o w d e d r o o m in the S ta t i o n
H otel, Perth in early Ja n u a ry 1975. He
w as Chairing the Selection Committee for
a n ew H e a d m a s te r. “ H o w w ell do you
know Duncan M cC allu m ?” was his o pe n
in g q u e s t i o n , w h i c h I s till r e m e m b e r
vividly today. 1 also rem ember my answ er
but that is irrelevant. What is relevant is
at that first meeting with the Governors I
s e n s e d an a tm o s p h e r e o f c o m m it m e n t ,
intelligence, hard work and fun, which is
the hall mark of the Strathallan Governors
and which in no small measure is attribut
able to the leadership of successive chair
men.
It had fallen to Neil to settle into retire
m ent an e x p e rie n ce d and long stand in g
H e a d m a ste r, D un can M c C a llu m and to
lead the search for his successor. With the
untimely death o f Bill Paton (C hairm an
1974) Neil found him self back at the top
table for longer than expected and having
to n u rtu re a v ery in e x p e r ie n c e d y o u n g
H eadmaster. Looking back what fun we
had, though it might not have appeared so
at the time. W h o w as to m o ve into the
new H ouses, the ap p o in tm e n t o f a new
B ursar and the c o n seq u ent restructuring
w h ic h r u f fle d a few fe a t h e r s . A h e art
attack in the C om m on Room, the Captain
of rugby to be sent home, it did not matter
what the problem was, nor when it hap
pened, N eil’s wise council and his seem
ingly inexhaustible patience were always
freely given and never once did he make
me feel that this was all my fault!
One day a friend o f N eil’s asked him to
bring his new H eadm aster to the Shoot.
This invitation for a d a y ’s shooting soon
e x te n d e d into full m e m b e r s h i p o f this
Shoot and from then onw ards a friendly
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n G o v e r n o r an d
H eadmaster became a friendship.
H o w N e il e n j o y e d h is s h o o t i n g .
M issin g and recallin g , so m e tim e later
admittedly, the absurdity o f the miss was
almost as much fun as achieving a good
sh o t o f w h ich th e re w ere m any. The
whole day was a ritual- the packing of the
lunch basket, for two if there was a guest,
and in the latter d ays the b a n d a g in g o f
limbs and the strapping o f painful joints
were all meticulously carried out, for Neil
was a meticulous person. His gin and ton
ics w e r e as c a r e f u l l y and as lo v i n g ly
p o u r e d o u t at lu n c h tim e , as w ere his
papers filed after a G o v e rn o rs’ Meeting,
and there were plenty o f both.
He w a s a l w a y s r e a d y to h e l p the
S chool. W h en he retired from business
life in Dundee he willingly to ok over a
School Appeal. After one o f our forays ,
this time to a reception in the Houses of
Parliament, he was determined we should
dine at one of his old haunts in Soho, but
that’s another story! It is sufficient to say
that yes, we did catch our sleeper back —
well just!
Neil, himself, retired from the Board in
’85 after almost twenty years but he never
m i s s e d a p a r t y o r a t t e n d a n c e at th e
Annual General Meeting. His connection
w ith Strathallan ex ten d e d m uch further
than my personal friendship. He left in
1932 having played for both the 1st XI
and 1st XV. He had tw o brothers at the
School as well as two of his own sons and
a s u c c e s sio n o f n ep hew s. He loved his
family and in the latter years when terri
bly restricted by his painful handicap his
grandchildren brought a particular joy. He
had a special way with all ages. He never
appeared at School without a little som e
thing for a boy or girl if they were related
o r he k n e w t h e i r p a r e n t s . L e t t e r s o f
encouragement came naturally to him and
all letters to him received a prompt and
happy reply.
P e rh a p s the final tribu te o u g h t to be
recorded in the remark o f a friend o f mine
who, having met Neil for a day on Loch
P u m m e l, s a i d , as his c a r d i s a p p e a r e d
down the loch road, “ It must be fun w ork
ing for a G entlem an”.
DAVII) PIGHILLS
82
W. M. NAIRN 1930-1992
W i l l i a m ( W i l l i e ) N a irn d ie d on 27
February 1992 after a long fight against
illness. He attended the School betw een
1 9 4 4 a n d 19 4 7 . H is b r o t h e r s R o y
(1 9 4 7 / 5 1 ) an d A n d r e w (1 9 5 7 / 6 2 ) also
attended the School. Willie was President
o f the Club in 1973/74.
A f te r d o in g his N a tio n a l S e rv ic e he
qualified as a Chartered A ccountant (one
o f eight m em bers o f the Nairn family to
d o s o ) b e c o m i n g a p a r t n e r in N a i r n ,
Bowes & Craig in 1955. Under his co n
trol the firm grew to become an integral
part of a national firm.
T h e p ro f e s s i o n a lis m s h o w n in w o rk
also showed in his leisure pursuits where
his love of fly fishing was predominant.
He w as C aptain o f Strath allan A n g lin g
C l u b a n d P h o e n i x A n g l i n g C l u b an d
S e c re t a ry o f the G la s g o w a nd D istric t
A n g l i n g C l u b ’s A s s o c i a t i o n o v e r the
years. His fishing exploits even reached
the national arena w here he represented
and capta ined the Scottish N ational Fly
F ishing T eam gaining many caps in the
process.
W illie w as also a fam ily man w ho
lo v e d e n t e r t a i n i n g an d h a v in g g u e s ts .
Clients and friends will always rem ember
his loyalty, advice and ability alw ays to
be there in trouble or joy.
Willie is survived by his wife, Cynthia
and three children, Fiona and Irene, who
are both established in the hotel and cater
in g i n d u s t r y , a n d R o b in ( S t r a t h a l l a n
1972/76) an accountant like his father.
R.V.N.
Strathallan School 1st XI Cricket Team 1926
J. D. Reid, R. Barr, J. J. M cFadzen, W. A. C. Lambie
J. R. Wheatley, T. M. Hart, N. G. Reid (captain), C. Bowman, A. H. Porter
L. M. Frazer, J. F. Dow.
N. GUTHRIE REID
All th o s e o f the o ld e r g e n e r a t io n o f
S t r a t h a l l i a n s w ill he s a d d e n e d by the
news of the death o f Guthrie Reid on 5th
N ovember 1991 at the age o f 83. He was
predeceased by his wife, May, and is sur
vived by their two daughters. He was the
last s u r v i v i n g f o u n d e r - m e m b e r o f the
C lu b a n d w a s its s e c o n d P r e s i d e n t in
1934. He took part with enthusiasm in all
the activities o f the C lub until ill-health
compelled him to give up. He did a lot for
S t r a t h a l l a n , s e r v i n g o n th e B o a r d o f
G o v e rn o rs as the C l u b ’s re p resen tativ e
Iro m 1 9 4 9 to 1 9 5 2 a n d l a t e r as an
Honorary Governor.
A rriving at Strathallan in 1923 he was
q u i c k l y r e c o g n i s e d as an o u t s t a n d i n g
s p o r ts m a n e x c e llin g at both ru gb y and
cricket, ultimately captaining the cricket
eleven in 1926 — the year the school beat
Harry B R o w a n ’s XI. The accom panying
photograph show s the Team.
Guthrie was employed by ICI in a m an
agerial capacity for thirty-six years until
he retired in 1969. He served as Major in
the H ig h lan d Light In fan try d u rin g the
S econd World War, being m entioned in
d espatche s, and being aw ard ed the TD.
H is q u a l i t y o f l e a d e r s h i p w a s f u r th e r
recognised as Deacon o f the W eavers of
83
the T r a d e s H o u s e o f G l a s g o w , an d as
Captain o f the Elie G olf House Club from
1963 to 1965.
G u th r i e w ill be r e m e m b e r e d by his
countless friends as a man of indomitable
cheerfulness, am iability and strength of
c h a ra c te r. S e lf - e f f a c in g and c a rin g , he
w as a true friend to all w h o knew him,
and will be greatly missed.
T he School is grateful to him for the
legacy which he left. This will be used to
fo u n d a G u th rie R eid T r a v e llin g
Scholarship.
R .S J.
H A LLS
OF
R E S ID E N C E
j r
B o s w e ll M itc h e ll &. J o h n s to n
18 Woodlands Terrace Glasgow G3 8DH Telephone 041-332 9184
Chartered Architects and Planning Consultants
Shell Distributor
CFT Fuels
Shell D istributor
YOUR LOCAL SHELL DISTRIBUTOR
FOR FUEL, LUBRICANTS AND
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0738-24408
CFT FUELS LIMITED, 7 FEUS ROAD,
PERTH PH1 2AS
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Building Contractor.
Union Street,
Cowdenbeath.
KY4 9SA
Telephone 510466
■
Printed by SUNPRINT, 38 Tay S treet, Perth a n d 40 C raigs, Stirling.

Part 3 - Strathallan School

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