Etcetera
Number 10
Autumn 2009
The magazine for former pupils and friends of Glasgow Academy and Westbourne School
The
Westbourne
family
reunited
Editorial
Cheers! - Carol Shaw (1961), Jennifer Burgoyne (1968) and Vivien Heilbron (1961) at the
Westbourne Grand Reunion
Contents
3
In the footsteps of greatness
4
The war years
6
Canada crossing
7
The Western Club: A haven in the
city
8
Westbourne Section
10
Academical Club news
13
Events
16
How to half-succeed at The Academy
18
Moreton Black remembered
23
Tributes to John Anthony
24
Announcements
30
From our own correspondents
32
Regular Giving
Some coffee morning!
In February of this year a small committee led by the redoubtable Miss Betty Henderson
got together to arrange what many assumed would turn out to be a coffee morning.
Eight months - and a huge amount of work - later, 420 ‘girls’ met at the Grosvenor
Hilton on Saturday 24 October for the Westbourne Grand Reunion. The evening was a
great success, as you can tell from letters like the one below:
Dear Joanna,
I just want to say a very big ‘thank you’ to you and to everyone who organised the wonderful event
on Saturday evening. It was tremendous fun; it was very inspiring; it was a nostalgia feast and I
shall never forget the decibel level achieved at the drinks party before the dinner itself! I'd liked to
have made a recording for the archives. Alison Kennedy made a valiant effort to exert control and to
her credit, in the main, she succeeded. There was one corner of the room, however, where even she
and her mike had to concede defeat. I suppose the culprits all found their tables in the end.
The food was delicious and it was so thoughtful to include a full roll-call of all the guests in the
beautifully-printed programmes. There was such a feeling of being at a really special event and I’m
so glad I made the journey from London. Next time (and I hope there is a next time), I'm going to
make sure that my sisters, Lorna and Lesley, are there too.
I went to sleep that night feeling very moved and very happy.
Please pass on my sincere thanks to all the members of the Westbourne Grand Reunion Committee
– perhaps special thanks should go to Jimmy McCulloch whose generous sponsorship of the drinks
reception got the evening off to such a fantastically lively start!
Especial thanks to you also for making sure that I got a ticket, even though I was a bit late in
applying. You did us all very proud indeed!
Best wishes,
Vivien Heilbron
Yes, it was quite a ‘coffee morning’ - and one that will not quickly be forgotten by any of
the ‘Westbourne girls’ who attended it.
And among that group I am delighted to include myself!
With best wishes
Malcolm
2
Etcetera
Do we have your e-mail address?
It’s how we communicate best!
Keeping in touch
The External Relations office is situated in
Colebrooke Terrace. Former pupils are
always welcome to pop in and have a chat.
Just give us a call to arrange a time. Our
address is Colebrooke Terrace, Glasgow G12
8HE and you can contact us on 0141 342
5494 or at [email protected]
The Glasgow Academical Club, 21
Helensburgh Drive, Glasgow G13 1RR
President - Jimmy McCulloch
E-mail: [email protected]
Secretary – Kenneth Shand
Tel: 0141 248 5011
E-mail: [email protected]
The Academical Club pavilion is available for
functions. Please contact Ken Barron at
[email protected] for details.
Academical Club’s London Section
Secretary – David Hall, 20 Cadogan Place
London SW1X 9SA
Tel: 020 7235 9012
E-mail: [email protected]
In the footsteps of greatness...
The Academy has a strong history of mountaineering and exploration going back to Sir James Wordie who was a member
of Shackelton’s epic Antarctic Expedition and includes prominent figures like WH (Bill) Murray, the acclaimed Scottish
mountaineer and writer. The first edition of Etcetera in November 2006 carried details of Glasgow Academy’s
expedition to East Greenland. This year, twelve new recruits to that great Academy tradition found themselves in an
even more remote part of Greenland as Head of Outdoor Activities, Neal Gwynne, and his team set off on another great
Arctic adventure to climb peaks never before attempted.
Below, one of them – Sam Reilly – reflects on the moment when they conquered one of the mountains that no-one had
previously climbed:
height, the terrain underfoot deteriorated into uneven
rubble, yet the views behind us became majestic.
By around 6.30am, I had finally woken fully, with the sun
now poking its head above the peaks and the realisation
dawning on me that today we were attempting our next
‘first ascent’ – a thought which in itself was enough to
brush away the final few lingering cobwebs. With few,
short stops we made progress up the slope, with the odd
scramble up rocky bands. On one of the last of the slopes,
Nigel spotted some bright yellow flowers poking through
the rock; Arctic poppies, which had never been found
above 700m in this area, were blooming at 1400m.
Moments like these serve as a reminder that Greenland
holds mysteries and rewards which can be found nowhere
else, and so it was with renewed vigour that we walked
closer to our second unclimbed peak. However, walking
soon became a luxury, as when we reached a thin ridge
with massive canyons on either side slow, scared shuffling
was all we could manage. Aptly dubbed ‘Crap Yourself
Canyon’, the ridge nevertheless provided some stunning
views, some unforgettable moments, and a large
adrenaline rush which enabled us to storm up to the
summit.
Friday 10 July
Despite the incredible glacial views from our perch on the
hillside, last night we all experienced the horrors of
bivvying – mosquitoes, lumpy ground, and Arctic winds
that chill to the bone. We began to trudge up the
mountain side at 4.15am, with a combined total of 15
hours’ sleep between us, in a dreary fashion that wouldn’t
have seemed out of place in ‘Night of the Living Dead.’
Before we had truly awoken we had climbed an extra
300m; it was 5.15am, and we had an absolutely stunning
glacier not 100 metres to our right as we headed left up a
steep ridge. We could also see the Vestfjord glacier
directly behind us, glowing with the early morning sun
and extending all the way out to the sea. We caught a few
glimpses of Arctic hare – large and lean with powerful legs
and snow-white fur. They are far less timid than you
would think, as they have probably never encountered
humans before and thus have never developed a natural
fear of them. They hopped about, sniffing and munching
grass, just a few metres from us. As we steadily gained
Today, at 9.30am, the group stood upon a never-beforeclimbed peak for the second time, having conquered a
mountain standing at 1774m, and the giddy high we
experienced on Monday was in no way diminished by
repetition. The same ethereal sense of weightlessness
swept over us, as we surveyed the unbelievable panorama
below. To the west, the Greenland ice-cap stretched
several hundred miles; straight ahead the glaciers and
peaks of Gåseland, our home, and directly below the great
stone canyon dropped straight down to the floor. We
could not help feeling like kings and queens, overseeing
our great kingdom of rock and ice. It was with a just
sense of satisfaction that we turned for home, and we
were soon on the other side of the knife-edge ridge,
breathing a huge sigh of relief. It was then a fairly
straightforward climb down loose rocks towards the camp,
although I’m sure our knees would disagree. Barring the
odd shout of ‘below’ as dislodged rocks hurtled down the
slope, the descent passed fairly uneventfully and before
we knew it we were back at the bivvy site.
We now lie gloriously situated on the hillside, in bright
sunshine and with a sense of tired achievement and
anticipating the week to come.
Sam Reilly, S6
Etcetera
3
The war years remembered
2 October 1939 is not one of the
universally-recognised milestones of
World War Two, but it was a rather
important – if not universally popular –
date for pupils at Glasgow Academy.
Less than a month after the official
outbreak of hostilities, the War Office
gave The Academy the all-clear –
making it the first school in Scotland
to which pupils were allowed to return
for lessons after the summer holidays.
And so Thursday 2 October 2009 was
deemed an appropriate date on which
to launch Seventy Years On: A School at
War by former pupils Andrew Wylie
and Douglas Anderson. Seventy years
on to the day, almost 70 people
gathered in the Senior Library in The
Academy’s Main Building at 11 in the
morning to remember what it was like
to be at school while their parents got
down to the serious business of
keeping Mr Hitler at bay. After a brief
address by the Rector, Peter Brodie,
Andrew and Douglas reminisced about
their time at Glasgow Academy, much
of which coincided with the war years.
A Transitus choir was also on hand to
lead the audience in some nostalgic
war-time singing – and the years rolled
away.
The book itself is full of clear-eyed
reminiscence sprinkled with sharp and
witty observations all wonderfully
illustrated with Douglas’s charming
drawings. The authors’ twin idea of
reminding an older generation of what
they may have forgotten and
introducing younger people to a world
outwith their experience is effortlessly
realised on its pages.
MATTERS SARTORIAL
Wartime clothing shortages produced
their problems. Forsyth’s in Renfield
Street and Rowans in Buchanan Street
were the traditional source of all
school uniform. What with limited
availability, and clothes rationing,
many parents had to do a juggling act
between what was in the shop and the
coupons in hand. Items of clothing
were made to last and parents set up
Douglas and Andrew’s proposal of
writing a history of the war years from
the vantage point of a school boy was
one that the External Relations office
was delighted to encourage from its
inception. It is our joint hope that
any profits from the venture should be
used to remind today’s Academy pupils
in some tangible way of the reasons for
the foundations of the Academicals’
War Memorial Trust. Whether this
means erecting a new memorial or the
restoration or an existing one depends
on how much the book realises.
an exchange system. It was still
possible to get a pocket embroidered
with 1st XV colours that could be
sewn on to an old blazer, but the glory
of a velvet cap with a white tassel was
to be unobtainable for many years.
School caps were still, compulsorily,
worn and on occasion could be in
short supply. It was not that the
reserves of uniform suddenly dried up;
simply that replacements were not
easily secured.
Inevitably the regulations regarding
school uniform had to be relaxed and,
as blazers were outgrown, sports
jackets, suits and kilt outfits became
the norm. In the very earliest days a
few blazer pockets bearing the old
‘GA’ cipher survived but these soon
disappeared and the new heraldic
badge, introduced in 1938, prevailed.
Unlike boys today, shorts were worn
up to the age of about thirteen when
the adolescent donned the eagerly-
It’s a great idea and terrific little book.
We hope that you will give it your
support.
Etcetera
3
garments were hung in the cloakroom
stalls lining the sides of the Well and
allocated by class.
awaited ‘longs’. Wartime ‘utility’
trousers were tailored without front
pleats or turn-ups, an economy of style
that may have upset the very fashionconscious. But there were other ways
of expressing yourself like the school
scarf, worn indoors, tucked into the
buttoned jacket. Metal lapel badges
were popular with the younger set,
and breast pockets bristled with
writing hardware – rather like Cossack
cartridges.
For the athletically inclined, to get
hold of a pair of second, or third hand,
‘spikes’ was a considerable achievement. Rugby balls were used long
after they were really oval, and boots
that fitted were much coveted.
Cricket bats, and linseed oil were in
very short supply and cricket balls
were treasured. Rugby shorts could
be of poor quality and tore easily.
The best were made of some sort
of tough linen, a precursor to jeans,
and frequent washing produced a
delightfully ‘worn’ look. With rugby
shirts you were grateful for what you
got!
Unlike the youth of today, many
more layers of clothing were worn.
Climate change was not a fact of life,
neither was central heating in pupils’
homes. In the classroom it was
normal to wear an under vest, shirt,
pullover, and blazer or jacket (and
scarf). Out of doors the school cap
was obligatory, not only because of
school rules, but through social
custom. In winter, overcoats or rain
coats (the latter with a removable
thick wool lining) were worn along
with scarves and gloves. Outer
As the years passed, an inevitable
shabbiness became apparent in many
aspects of life. School footwear could
be a matter of parental concern, and
the transportation of schoolbooks by
‘wee boys’ in traditional leather
satchels carried on the back changed
to a miscellaneous collection of attaché
cases. There was the memorable
occasion when a somewhat pompous
youth turned up with an enormous
brief case – shades of things to come?
Towards the end of the war, military
issue canvas respirator cases became
popular, being a convenient size
having internal pockets and easy snap
fasteners. And they conveyed a
suitably martial air.
Attitudes had so changed and the
wartime pupil accepted, without
question, that much of what he used
and what he wore would be, in the
words of the motor trade, ‘pre-used’.
The same description could apply to
schoolbooks. Lawrence and Lang, at
the foot of Colebrooke Street did a
roaring trade in second hand editions
of the books prescribed for different
forms. Sometimes a lot of hard work
was saved if the purchase had
originally belonged to some earnest
student who had pencilled in difficult
words – particularly valuable in French
and Latin! New books were usually
printed on a brownish, rather grainy,
paper and ‘utility’ pencils were
unvarnished and deserved their name.
Seventy Years On
ORDER FORM
The Glasgow Academy 1939-1945
A School at War
Please send me:
copies of A School at War
(Suggested donation £5 per copy. Postage & packaging £2)
I enclose a cheque for £
(payable to The Glasgow Academicals’War Memorial Trust)
Name:
Address:
Tel:
email:
Return forms to: Mark Taylor
External Relations,The Glasgow Academy, Colebrooke Street, Glasgow G12 8HE
Orders can also be placed by phone / email: 0141 342 5494 / [email protected]
4
Etcetera
Drew Isaac and classmates – but which one is
Drew, and who are the others?
for the most part – miles of brush and
tundra, so different from the verdant
scenery of Scotland. I also recall that
sandwiches could be purchased on
board for 25 cents which more or less
resembled a shilling in those days.
Canada crossing
M
y parents and I left
Southampton on November
18 1952 on board the Cunard
liner, RMS Samaria, headed for
Montreal. Two days out at sea, the
Queen Mary, bound for New York,
telegraphed the Samaria advising that
she had encountered a severe storm
and suggested that we alter our course
accordingly. This we did and headed
north of our previous planned course.
As a consequence, it took us three
extra days to reach our disembarkation
point which was now changed to
Quebec City rather than Montreal as
the St Lawrence River had already
started its winter freeze. Had the
Samaria endeavoured to reach
Montreal, she may very well have
become stuck in the ice and would
have had to remain until the spring
thaw, which would no doubt have
cost the Cunard Line a few extra
thousand pounds.
The Samaria crossing was great fun for
an eleven year old, especially not
having to go to school for a few
weeks. There were movies shown at
10am and 10pm daily, so a friend of
mine and I would take our leave of
our respective parents then head off to
the purser’s office to obtain our free
tickets and enjoy the movie of the day.
I had just learned to swim (at the
Whiteinch Baths) and was
disappointed that the Samaria did not
have a swimming pool. Still, there
6
Etcetera
was a games room which included a
dart board and a table-tennis table and
it was here that I was taught how to
put a spin on the ball, by the father of
another passenger my age. The father
was a diamond cutter by trade and,
upon arrival in Canada, all his luggage
was thoroughly searched by customs.
Later, when we were on the train
heading for Western Canada, he told
my father that he asked the customs
official whether he knew what a raw
diamond looked like. The official had
to admit that he didn’t. As they were
heading for Vancouver on Canada’s
west coast, that family was to be on
the train two days longer than the
Isaacs.
Upon arriving at Quebec City on
November 26 1952 and walking down
the gangplank and on to Canadian soil
for the first time, I remarked to my
father that Canada couldn’t be that
different from Scotland as I turned his
attention to a large billboard
advertising Coca-Cola.
After clearing customs, we were met
by a representative of the Presbyterian
Church in Canada and subsequently
headed for Weyburn, Saskatchewan via
the Canadian Pacific Railway. As an
eleven year old, and having never
been on a train in Scotland for more
than two hours at a time, I had great
difficulty in accepting the fact that we
would be on the train for four full
days. The trip seemed endless seeing –
Weyburn was a town of approximately
7000 inhabitants situated between
Saskatchewan’s capital city of Regina
and the US border. It is one of
Canada’s finest wheat-growing areas
and a bit of a culture change from
Glasgow. There were only a few
paved roads, the remainder being
either gravel or dirt tracks which
resulted in the famous Saskatchewan
‘gumbo’ once the spring thaw arrived.
Cars got stuck in it and – when you
were walking on that type of surface –
your shoes or boots would attract what
felt like a ton of the stuff.
When we arrived in Weyburn, winter
was on its way with temperatures
oftentimes dipping to 40 degrees
below zero. Parkas, toques (woolly
hats), mitts, and ear-muffs were
appropriate winter garb – slightly
different clothing from Glasgow
Academy haberdashery that Rowans
or Pettigrew and Stevens sold.
Subsequent to the spring thaw I was to
experience a Saskatchewan summer
with temperature soaring to 40 degrees
celcius, and lots of mosquitoes (bigger
brother of midgies) and tomatoes that
grew to the size of grapefruit.
Canadians are a very friendly bunch
and, as I have experienced in living
and working in five of Canada’s ten
provinces, the Scots have been very
welcome in this great country.
Indeed, Canada’s first two prime
ministers – Sir John A Macdonald and
Alexander Mackenzie – were both
Scots, so the country got off to a good
start.
Since my arrival in Canada in 1952,
one classmate of the 1950-51 Transitus
‘C’ class, Raymond Mills, has
continually kept in touch. Raymond
and his wife Alison usually meet my
wife Diane and me for a meal on our
return trips to Scotland, the last one
being this past May.
Drew Isaac (1954)
The Western Club
A HAVEN IN THE CITY
Recent years have not been kind to Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Clubs in Glasgow. Names like the Kelvin
Club, the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, the Press Club and the Carrick are now no more – victims of a
combination of cultural change, short-term policy-making and decaying premises.
The Western Club has not only
bucked this trend but has actually
proved to be something of a safe
haven for some Clubs that would
otherwise have slipped out of
existence as noiselessly as the decaying
Carrick – an old sailing ship moored
in Glasgow – slipped into the murky
waters at Customs House Quay.
Perhaps, however, the Western Club
may also have disappeared had it not
been for a combination of good luck
and good judgement. And here David
Roser (1958), Chairman of the
Committee of Managers, can
reasonably claim to have had a hand –
although he is far too modest ever to
make the point himself. David is only
one of a healthy Glasgow Academical
contingent, which includes Sir Mat
Goodwin, now a trustee of the
Western Club, in the total
membership of almost 700.
Over lunch in the well-appointed
dining room, David explains that the
Western was founded in 1825 ‘with
one main precept: to serve wine
without death in the bottle’ – a
reference to the common practice of
adulterating drinks with various
noxious substances. With this rather
modest aim, the Club has seen out the
last 184 years, moving in the process
from St Vincent Place to Buchanan
Street and finding a home for the last
forty years in a quiet corner of Royal
Exchange Square – recently voted one
of the ten most architecturally
attractive squares in Europe.
Over the years the Western has
merged with the Junior Club, the
New Club and the Kelvin Club –
which is when lady members first
appeared – and has become the
adopted home of RNVR Club
(Scotland). By the mid-1990s,
however, the club premises was
looking a little tired and the
Committee of Managers decided to
sell of one of its fine paintings – valued
at £270,000 – to finance the muchneeded refurbishment. After a
thrilling auction, the huge canvas of
North Berwick Links went for
£660,000 and the work could go
ahead. This – and the fact that the
former ground-floor bar is now rented
commercially – ensures that members’
subscriptions are kept to a minimum.
And £470 seems very reasonable for a
joint husband and wife membership –
if both are over the age of 60 – when
one considers that the Western
employs 24 members of staff, many of
whom have to deal with the huge
amount of administration brought on
by our increasingly health-and-safetyconscious culture. Some of the staff,
like the Secretary and the Head Chef,
have been with the Club for over 30
years. Perhaps that’s the reason that so
many of them know members by
name.
David Roser (1958) outside the Western Club
Nowadays the Club markets itself as a
‘Haven in the City’ – a place to come
and meet others in civilised and
sophisticated surroundings. But will
anti-social working practices and the
widespread availability of electronic
networking sites such as Linkedin
eventually be the death of all clubs like
this? The answer from David Roser is
an emphatic ‘No!’.
‘We are seeing a great dumbing down
of society at the moment with fewer
having the opportunity to talk face to
face, and to develop discussion. But
people will always want to socialise.
And where better to do it than in such
pleasant surroundings in the heart of
the city with both food and
accommodation as good as you could
find at any four-star hotel?’
Where better indeed?
Etcetera
7
Westbourne School Section
The Westbourne Grand Reunion
Over 400 ‘Westbourne girls’ gathered in Glasgow on Saturday 24 October to prove that the
spirit of Westbourne lives on. Below are just a few of the many pictures that Etcetera
photographer Colin Gray took on the evening. You can see others by logging on at
http://glasgowacademy.web-intouch.com/
8
Etcetera
Engagements
Updates
Debra Campbell (1991)
I just got engaged to my fella, David
Johnson, and we are currently
expecting our first baby on 28
February next year.
Gail McNeill (1992)
I left Westbourne after 6th year in
1992 – I was the last ever Head Girl!
I married Andrew Johnston on 19 July
2008 and I am now living in
Aberdeen. I teach English at Mackie
Academy in Stonehaven. I’m in touch
with a number of my classmates via
Facebook and I’m really looking
forward to the reunion. Anyone else
can contact me on this e-mail address
[email protected].
Ruth Baillie (1993)
To Ruth Donnelly (nee Baillie) and
her husband David, a son, Lewis
Jenson, born on 28 June 2009, a little
brother for Stephanie.
Deaths
Births
Doreen Kennedy (1936)
On 17 August 2009, Doreen Cairns
(nee Kennedy).
Carla Boni (1992)
We have a new arrival – Fletcher
Bankhead born 28 August 2009,
weight 7lbs 8oz.
Sheena Gillies (1966)
Suddenly, on Friday 16 October 2009,
sister of, Morag, Helen and Edith.
Funeral in London.
Lorna Cochrane (now Mirmelli)
(1986)
I have just moved back to Glasgow
after 12 years away, working abroad in
Warsaw, Madrid and Amsterdam, and
then in London and Surrey. Now
living in Bearsden with David and our
children Ross (5) and Eve (2).
Etcetera
9
Academical Club news
Senior Cricket Report 2009
Season 2009 did not prove particularly
memorable for any of Accies’ four
Saturday teams. The 1st XI retained
its position in WDCU Division 1, but
only after a monumental late-season
surge and some favourable results
elsewhere. The 2nd XI consolidated
its position in WDCU Division 2; the
3rd XI once again missed out on
promotion by a narrow margin; and
the 4th XI finished a creditable third
from bottom.
The section anticipated that this might
be a difficult year for the 1st XI, with
a number of key players from previous
seasons having left, as well as the
decision being taken not to sign an
overseas player to save money towards
upgrading the nets at New Anniesland.
The first half of the season was
characterised by uncertainty, with
Accies using almost 30 different players
and failing to record even a single
victory. At this point the team was
rock-bottom with 20% of the available
points and staring relegation in the
face.
10
Etcetera
In the second half of the season,
however, things turned around.
Accies played with a much smaller
squad of about 14 regulars. The team
raced to the semi-final of the SCU
Trophy and won six of the last eight
league games to rise to second from
bottom and out of the drop-zone.
Key factors were the batting
performances of Fraser Murray (398
runs), Richard Andrew (352 runs) and
skipper Brian Dundas (350 runs); and
the bowling performances of Richard
Andrew (36 wickets, best bowling six
for 12), Habib Zai (27 wickets) and
newly-registered Pakistani professional
Zafar Ali (21 wickets).
Unfortunately, with a Western Union
side being demoted from the National
League, second last wasn’t enough to
ensure safety; Accies had to endure an
agonising fortnight for champions
Kelburne to win their play-off match
and save Accies from forced relegation.
The 2nd XI had a solid – if not
spectacular – season, finishing in sixth
place, an improvement of one place
from last season. Highlights included
Raj Soman’s unbeaten 131* against
Cambusdoon and Rob Fornear’s
consistent bowling which earned him
17 wickets.
The 3rd and 4th XIs both competed
in the lowest league in the West, the
WDCU Division 5. Once again, the
3rd XI played well, but squandered
important chances to finish outside the
promotion spots. The 4th XI did itself
proud to finish third bottom, with a
draw against the 3rd XI providing the
highlight. Accies’ top Division 5
batsmen were Myles Shields (299
runs), Raj Patel (244 runs) and Jim
McLaren (176 runs). With the ball,
Myles Shields took 25 wickets, and
Haydn Gleed 19.
Eventually, what could have been a
disastrous season for Accies finished in
mediocrity. If the 1st XI is able to
rediscover its late-season form in 2010,
there are surely better things in store.
Neil Dowers (2005)
Junior Cricket Convener’s Report
The tables above tell all – 33 means
over 40% fewer matches completed
this summer compared with 2008,
mainly due to the awful weather in
late July/August. Not since 1998 have
fewer matches been completed in a
season. Overall we lost twice as many
matches as were won compared with
even results last year.
The Juniors (U18s), managed by
Wajid Bashir and Richard Andrew,
had another disappointing season
during which a total of 21 players
were used. The highlights were wins
over Greenock, Ferguslie, West of
Scotland and Kilmarnock. However,
extremely heavy defeats were inflicted
by Clydesdale (three times – ouch!)
and Prestwick. Five of the washedout matches, including once again the
annual match against the Forty Club,
were in August, which I hear was the
third wettest on record! Nirvik
Ganapathi wins the batting award
whilst Euan Crawford took the
bowling honours. Nirvik Ganapathi,
Habib Malik and Ally Spike were all
selected for the Glasgow U17 team to
play against Dumfries and Galloway
but, sadly, the opposition failed to raise
a team.
The Minors (U15s), managed by
Tracy Allen, had an indifferent set of
results although the weather hit the
lads severely with no match completed
after 24 July. A total of eighteen
youngsters turned out for this team
during the season. Ewan Stewart – in
his only club innings – fell six runs
short of his maiden century against
Hillhead. Chris Allen collected the
batting award whilst Alasdair Ferguson
grabbed the bowling award. Chris
Allen, Andrew Allen, Suhaib Siddiqui
and Ewan Stewart were all selected for
Glasgow North Area U15s.
Competition
Juniors (U18XI)
WDJCU Premier
Juniors (U18XI)
Cup
Juniors (U18XI)
Friendlies
Minors (U15XI)
WDJCU A
Mini-Minors (U13XI)
WDJCU A
Mini-Mites (U11XI)
WDJCU A
Totals for 2009
Totals for 2008
Played
Won
Lost
Tied
Cancelled/
Abandoned
Final
Placing
10
4
6
0
5
6 of 9
1
0
1
0
0
-
0
0
0
0
1
-
7
2
5
0
7
10 of 15
8
3
5
0
2
7 of 10
7
33
56
2
11
28
5
22
27
0
0
1
6
21
17
10 of 14
http://www.cricketscotland.com/node
/11858.
Dhruv Satpute achieved Western
Junior Cricket Academy status, whilst
Zuhayr Siddiqui and Clemmie also
turned out for Glasgow North Area
U13s.
The Mini-Mites (U11s), with a squad
of twenty-two players and managed by
Colin Dawson, had another most
enjoyable if unsuccessful season in
terms of results. Like the U15s the
weather put paid to all the scheduled
matches after 24 July – a complete
disaster for a group of youngsters
desperate just to play a game of
cricket! Talent is again there but
requires nurturing. Batting, like last
year, was again ineffective with great
difficulty in making contact with the
moving ball whilst most matches
produced a large total of wide balls.
Although the norm is a team of eight
players, in fact almost all of the Accies’
teams consisted of ten players and the
various captains coped admirably with
the various fielding permutations
required. Thomas Aston receives the
batting award and Simon McAlpineScott receives the bowling award – for
the second year running!
My thanks go to the parents who
offered support and transport to away
matches, to Hari for his coaching and
enthusiasm, to my other coaches and
managers, namely Richard Andrew
and Waj Bashir, Tracy Allen and
Farhaj Siddiqui and Raj Soman, and
finally to Robert Cheape and his staff
for the usual excellent pitches. Let us
just hope that next season is a lot drier
than 2009!
Colin Dawson (1967)
Belmont Street Bridge by Alice Goldie, age 16
The Mini-Minors (U13s) by their
standards had a poor season and were
again managed by Farhaj Siddiqui. A
squad of twenty-eight players turned
out during the season. Dhruv Satpute
collected both the batting and bowling
awards showing genuine all-round
abilities. Clemmie Mitchell has been
invited to attend a Scotland U15
Development Squad and is mentioned
in dispatches at
Etcetera
11
Men’s Hockey
Both teams had excellent seasons with
some great results, league success and
new players joining the fold. The 1st
XI narrowly missed out on winning
the league after a top-of-the-table
clash with Strathclyde University on
the last day of the season; however,
they did earn promotion to the West
District 1st Division from the second
place spot. Notable top-class
performances from Ben at the back
and the Aussie duo of Chris and
Brendon contributed to some fantastic
showings and goals any internationalist
would be proud of.
The 2nd XI also had a very useful
season, furthering some of the more
experienced players’ careers as well as
welcoming some new ones from the
school: Johnny who was solid in
defence all year and Rory, our new
surprise super-goalie. Over the season
the team really developed and gelled
and they picked up some fantastic wins
and finished an extremely respectable
sixth out of twelve, providing real
optimism for next season.
I would like to thank everyone for
their hard work, passion and
commitment shown over the last
twelve months and I look forward to
another enjoyable season ahead. The
club are always looking for new
players, young and old; if you would
like any further information, please
visit
www.glasgowacciesmenshc.yolasite.com
or e-mail:
[email protected]
Stuart Ward (1998)
Glasgow Accies Mini-Rugby Section
Last season saw over seventy boys
playing Mini-Rugby at New
Anniesland on Sunday mornings.
There were good numbers at all year
group levels from P3 through to P7
and all the teams had some success
throughout the season. The P7 team
were winners of the Lenzie P7
tournament; the P6 team were
winners of their age group at our own
tournament in March; the P5 team
were runners-up at our tournament.
They also had the honour of
representing the Club in front of a
crowd of several thousand at Firhill, in
an exhibition match at half time
during a Glasgow Warriors game and
they won! The P4 team were runners
up at our tournament, and the P3
team won their age groups at both the
GHK and Strathendrick tournaments.
By the end of the season all our teams
looked great in their new Accies strips.
Other highlights of the year included a
trip to Murrayfield for the Scotland v
Italy game with over eighty mums,
dads and children, and the return of
the Glasgow Accies tournament after
an absence of five years. The P7 team
joined up with GHK to form a ‘Mini
Hawks’ team for a tour to Wales.
Quite a number of our P7 boys have
now moved on to midi-rugby with
Hawks and we wish them all the best.
Cleveden Road by Catherine Reid, age 16
12
Etcetera
The Accie who
missed ‘the first
four minute mile’
I
n a lifetime there are not many
opportunities to witness a world
record – let alone a world record
that broke a seemingly impossible
barrier. However that’s exactly what
happened to former Glasgow
Academical Club president Ian Muir
on 6 May 1954, a date etched in the
minds of all middle-distance runners.
Yes, and he missed it!
Ian was at Oxford in the early 1950s
and fell in with some august company
– Messrs Bannister, Brasher and
Chataway by name – a trio who on
that windy May evening accomplished
something quite special. In these
Corinthian days this trio did not go
through the preparation of today’s elite
but, for their era, they trained very
hard focusing on quality sessions under
coach Franz Stamphl.
On the great day, Ian joined them for
lunch at Vincent’s – a gentlemen’s
club whose members are elected from
the affiliates of Oxford University. It
was founded by WB Woodgate of
Brasenose College in 1863, with the
aim of bringing together the leading
men from across the Undergraduate
class. Since then, Vincent’s has upheld
its strong tradition of uniting those
members of the University who have
excelled in sport and who would
contribute to the Club’s character.
There was much chat as to whether
the attempt would go ahead as
conditions were not ideal, but
Bannister knew that both Wes Santee
the ‘Kansas Cannonball’ and Australian
John Landy were both closing in on
this historic goal.
The Club has had great support from
all the parents, whether as coaches,
supporters or in helping with postmatch refreshments.
However this did not seem quite to
register with Ian who – instead of
going to Iffley Road that night –
decided to go and watch the great
Freddie Trueman of Yorkshire who
was at his peak bowling against
Oxford at The Parks.
For more information contact Stuart
Neilson on 07771 845104 or look at
our website at
www.glasgowacciesminirugby.co.uk
As they say, the rest is history – and at
that time there were no action replays
to watch, unless you picked it up on
the Pathe News!
Stuart Neilson
Hugh Barrow (1962)
Events
Kelvin Foundation Inaugural Lunch
T
wenty members of The Kelvin Foundation
and their guests attended the first formal
meeting of the Foundation on 24
September, hosted by the Rector, Peter Brodie.
Reception drinks were served on arrival in the
Rector’s Study, followed by lunch in the
External Relations suite in Colebrooke Terrace.
After lunch, the Senior Boys’ choir performed a
number of pieces to great acclaim, the Rector
updated the group on achievements and major
events and GAWMT Chairman Gordon Jack
thanked all those who have supported
development at The Academy. Proceedings
concluded with an entertaining vote of thanks
from Alastair Rolland (1947).
There are currently thirty-five members of The
Kelvin Foundation. Membership is by
invitation, to those in the school community
who have indicated their support in the form of
a legacy or who have already pledged and/or
given significant support to The Academy. If
you would like more information on
membership, please contact Mark Taylor:
[email protected]
The Dallachy Lecture 2009
G
regory King (1986) gave the
Dallachy Lecture in The Cargill
Hall on 22 October. He spoke
on ‘success’. After nine years at the
Glasgow Academy, Gregory studied
law at Glasgow University and worked
for McGrigor Donald before taking a
position with an American investment
firm in London. He then studied for
an MBA at the Chicago Business
School before setting up his own
investment business, Mathon Limited.
Mathon is now one of the UK’s
leading asset-based lenders in the
commercial property sector.
Gregory addressed a large audience in
an easy-to-follow, conversational
manner and highlighted key factors
crucial to his success. He particularly
addressed the pupils and under-21
group in the audience but his message
was appreciated by all who attended; a
number mentioned afterwards that
they enjoyed his self-deprecating style.
Some of the key factors that Gregory
noted were perseverance, hard work,
confidence, vigilance and
determination. He also stressed the
importance of knowing what you
want, ‘what you really, really want!’
and encouraged the pupils to take
advantage of the great opportunities at
Glasgow Academy, to ensure that they
too, enjoy success in their chosen field.
Etcetera
13
Forthcoming
Events
4 December 2009
1979 Reunion
19 December 2009 1999 Reunion
12 June 2010
The Cargill Ball
For details, please contact External
Relations. We would also be
particularly interested to hear from
pupils who left in 1950, 1960, 1970,
1980 or 2000 so that we can make
reunion plans for next year.
The Cargill Ball
12 June 2010
On 1 April 1958, just six months after the Dedication of the Cargill Hall, the
inaugural ‘Spring Ball’ was held. At that first event of its kind in the school’s
new Assembly Hall, 292 Academicals and parents danced and dined for the
benefit of the New Stand Fund at Anniesland. ‘The Easter Ball’ (as it was
known by 1960) became a popular annual event.
Some fifty years later, on 6 June of this year, The Gordon Mackay Memorial
Dinner and Dance was a great success and proved The Cargill Hall is still a great
venue. It has therefore been decided to hold a similar event for Academicals and
Academy families next year. The Cargill Ball will take place on Saturday 12
June. An organising committee has been formed and full details will appear in
the next edition of Etcetera.
New Transitus
library
‘Little things often
make a big difference.’
Wise words. It didn’t take much
to make a big difference to
Transitus pupils. A few hundred
pounds was all it took to buy
enough books to turn a dead space
into a living library – a place for
silent study and, occasionally, joyful
laughter.
Thank you for your gift. It made
all the difference.
14
Etcetera
The pipe major
wins another
dram...
Back in Hong Kong, in 1980, I made a
visit to The Queen’s Own Highlanders,
who were then based at Stanley Fort –
a lovely old barracks, overlooking the
South China Sea. I went to seek help
and advice from their Pipe Major, Nick
Gordon. Having finished our business,
he very kindly invited me to the
Sergeants’ Mess for a libation.
Having a bawl!
The Glasgow Academy Inter-House Singing Competition is a time when pupils
can let their hair down and really enjoy singing. Looks like that’s exactly what
young Finlay Watson – son of Glasgow Master Printer John Watson (1964) – is
doing. Despite his best efforts, Finlay’s house didn’t win, but that didn’t
matter – he had a bawl!
Pencil shavings and possibilities...
Vic Hadcroft once memorably forgave me for lobbing water bombs at a Greek
petrol station attendant during a school trip to Athens.
Funny, firm and fair, it’s no exaggeration to say that he was one of the best
teachers I ever had. When The Academy recently announced his retirement, and
indicated that it planned to auction off his classroom’s original wooden desks for
charity, I had to buy one.
Lifting its burnished lid, I could smell pencil shavings and possibilities. Vic’s desk
is now in my son’s bedroom at our home near Watford. Watching James sitting
at it, doing his homework, I wonder what kind of man he will grow up to be –
and when he will meet ‘his’ Vic Hadcroft.
Simon Dickson (1987)
On entering the Mess, one was
confronted by a huge oil painting,
depicting one of the regiment’s early
battles. I expressed admiration for the
painting, so Pipe Major Nick
enlightened me…
‘Aye, Sur, that’s the famous painting of
the 79th Cameron Highlanders at the
battle of Waterloo. It shows Piper
Kenneth McKay playing outside the
Regimental square, during an attack by
the cuirassiers.’
I mumbled something about McKay’s
bravery. The Pipe Major continued:
‘Aye, he was brave all right, but the
artist has made a grave error. I’ll bet
you a wee dram that you canna’ spot
the mistake.’
I studied the picture carefully, but
could see nothing wrong. I started
guessing, remarking that, perhaps, the
piper’s flashes were out of line; that his
bonnet was on squint…etc…etc. After
a while, I admitted defeat.
‘Well Sur; McKay was actually playing
‘Cogadh-no-Sith’, a famous pibroch.
Look again at the picture. The artist
has him playing an ‘F’ note. Well,
there’s no ‘F’ in th’on Pibroch.’
Who was I to argue? The Pipe Major
won his dram (yet again?) and, it was
quite obvious that, the long departed
Piper McKay was still playing for the
‘home team’!
George Mackenzie (1959)
Etcetera
15
How to half-succeed at the Academy
A
s I am now 90 years of age, I
have presumed the liberty to
write what I like. I hope
nobody still alive will feel insulted by
what I have written. During the
autumn of 1928 when I was 9, I was
told somewhat breathlessly by my dear
mother that I had been ‘accepted for
the Academy.’ As she had recently
been reading Greek mythology to me,
it sounded as if I were bound for
Mount Olympus or at least Athens,
but gradually I realised that I was to
attend my father’s old school. My
recent education at Atholl Cottage, the
predecessor of Atholl Prep. had been
wide and interesting, but now it was
discovered that I could neither read
nor spell. I was, and still am, dyslexic
but this infirmity had not been
invented in 1928. Immediate steps
were taken to submerge me in special
tuition, but this was of little avail.
So during August 1929 my mother
and I reported at the Academy and
were shown by the janitor into what
was then Room A. It was a dark and
musty room, its ancient school desks
covered with the carvings of countless
past generations of penknives. It was
now full of a motley collection of
mothers and sons presided over by the
formidable and terrifying Doctor
Temple, who did not believe in
secretaries and wrote everything down
in a large notebook. He was alleged
to remember the names of every boy
who had attended school during his
term of office, which went back to
1899. Sure enough, he enquired
whether I was the son of James, my
father, or Harry my uncle. After
inspecting my miserable attempt to
write his dictated paragraph and
listening to my faltering efforts to read,
he was subjected for a few moments to
my mother’s explanation of what a
wide knowledge I had of current
affairs. Then fixing my mother with a
steely glare he announced, ‘What we
want at the Academy, Mrs Walker, is a
sound grounding in the three Rs –
reading, writing and arithmetic.’ So I
was demoted to Second English where
the average age was 12 months
younger than mine!
The first two years in Junior School
were not bad. We learned the capes,
16
Etcetera
rivers and bays of the British Isles by
rote plus a shockingly distorted
nationalist history of Scotland. The
only terrifying ordeal was ‘Beaky’
Carr, the writing master, who used to
prowl up and down his double
classroom lashing the ends of the desks
with his strap. I was so frightened that
I won a certificate for writing (or
rather copying in a kind of tracing
book) for two years running.
Sadly my first year in senior school
was a dismal failure. I had been
looking forward to learning Latin, but
a cold bloodless person called the Rev.
Bolton rapidly dissipated my early
enthusiasm. In the second year my
Latin was temporarily rescued by a
master called Swan and I actually won
a prize, but then I was subjected to the
three terrible majors – Mallam, Reid
and Batchelor. Each may have been a
splendid person in his own right but as
far as teaching me was concerned, they
were lethal. Mallam was one of the
most boring persons I have ever met,
Reid was a decent hail fellow well met
sort of person who had served with
my father during the war, and
Batchelor was just raving bonkers! He
destroyed my interest in Latin with a
flourish. For a dyslexic, the teaching
methods at the Academy were
hopeless. I remember only three
masters with any respect or affection;
George Preston whom I adored and
who gave me a life long interest in
history, ‘Beery’ Barradell-Smith who
gave me a sound grounding in English
language and literature, and ‘Bob’
Runcieman who got maths into me –
mostly by osmosis.
Then came the revolution of 1933
with the new Rector, Frank Roydon
Richards. He set out to modernise
the school, which was long overdue.
In next to no time, the class names
and numbers had been changed, the
curriculum had been ‘streamed’ so that
one could be in a different class for
every subject, assembly was moved
from the gymnasium to the well in the
middle of the school, there was a new
school badge, a new school song, a
geography master and of all things a
music master. Most drastic of all, the
captain of the 1st rugby XV was no
longer automatically the captain of the
school. This was a body blow to the
whole ethos of the Academy where
rugby had always been more important
than academic prowess. To our horror
the new Rector didn’t seem to know
much about rugby. His main
academic degree was in music and
when he turned out to try to referee
an inter-class match in which I was
playing, he actually wore sandshoes.
Needless to say we quickly engulfed
him in a loose scrum so that we could
stamp on his unprotected feet.
Everything Roydon Richards did was
initially unpopular, but nevertheless
was good for the school and saved it
from the decay of old age. To my
surprise I won the Temple Prize for
scripture with a winning mark of 43%
during this year.
So I drifted on. I managed to stay in
the ‘A’ stream for English but other
subjects melted away. My parents had
decided that I should do modern
languages instead of science and if
dyslexia interferes with English, this is
nothing to what it does to foreign
languages. I was still a year older than
the class average and to make matters
worse I stopped growing when
everybody else was shooting up like
jacks in the box. In 1934 I joined the
pipe band and became a very average
piper. I wanted to get on with playing
the tunes while good pipers
concentrate on obtuse twirlings called
doublings and grace notes. In 1935 as
part of the rearmament programme,
the war office decided that every cadet
corps must have a signal platoon. The
commander of our cadet corps, who I
think was my old bête noir Major
Mallam, decided that the pipe band
should double as our signal platoon.
So off we went once a week to be
trained as signallers. I found ‘signals’
fascinating and in due course became
the signal sergeant. When we were a
pipe band the pipe-major was in
charge and when we were a signal
platoon, I was in charge. When I left
school in 1938 I joined the Officer
Cadet Reserve specially designated for
the Royal Corps of Signals with
whom I spent my war years and
picked up a military MBE.
In 1935 things started to improve.
George Preston introduced the new
Left: 3rd English
Class 1930/31. RS
Walker is 3rd from
left, top/back row
Below: Form V
1937/38. RS Walker is
extreme right, 3rd
row from the front.
To his right is Ian
McRobert (historian)
and Alan
MacNaughtan (actor).
2nd right in the row
in front is HM Black
rugby philosophy of wing forwards
and I became a member of the 4th XV
in this position and in the following
year was promoted to the 2nd XV.
Then in 1936 the axe fell when my
parents received a letter saying I was
not considered suitable to attempt the
leaving certificate examination. My
mother collected her handbag in rage
and descended on the Rector. After
promises of extra tuition etc. I was
allowed to sit and in the event passed
Higher English Language, Higher
English Literature, History, Geography
and Higher Maths, but failed in Lower
French and German. In those days it
was all or nothing and thus I failed. I
wanted to leave school, but my father
asked me how I was going to earn my
living and suggested it might be by
sweeping the streets. So I had to go
back and try again. But now I was
two years above the average age for
my class. My young brother who was
clever and a year in advance for his
age, was now in the class below me
although he was 4 years younger. I
had to resign from the pipe band
because my seniority automatically
made me pipe-major, but I was not a
good enough piper to hold this
position. However I compensated
myself that I was bound to be in the
1st XV. But even here I found myself
locked in competition with my good
friend Charlie Dobson and only came
out on top after a titanic effort. I
finally passed all my higher subjects
again plus lower French and German
and emerged from the Academy just
two months before my 19th birthday.
In summary I passed my leaving
certificate with the minimum of
subjects at the second attempt. I got
my 1st XV cap, but in a year when we
won only 2 out of 15 games. I should
have been pipe-major, but I wasn’t a
good enough piper – still I was the
first ever signals sergeant. I was vice
captain of my class in both my junior
school years, but could not be a
prefect because I was never in the
sixth form. I emerged with a motley
collection of two junior school class
prizes, prizes for Latin and Scripture, a
certificate for gymnastics because
Coleman Smith liked me and a
certificate for music, because my
mother kept asking the young new
music master to tea at our house on
Sundays. That I was always too old
for my class oppressed me greatly and
yet there is no other school I would
have wished to attend and I am very
proud to be a Glasgow Academical.
In retrospect I must have learned
something because, without blowing
my trumpet too much, I was chief
instructor of the Central
Mediterranean Forces School of
Signals when I was 25 and Mining
Director of Rio Tinto, then arguably
the largest mining company in the
world, when I was 65. So to all, who
are now half-successful at the
Academy: it can lead somewhere!
Ronnie Walker (1929 to 1938)
Etcetera
17
Moreton Black remembered
M
oreton Black – whose obituary is printed in the Chronicle – holds a unique place in the history of Glasgow Academy.
School Captain in 1939, he returned to his old school after war service and a first-class degree at St Andrews
University. After a brief spell in Tasmania he returned again to The Academy where he quickly rose to the position of
Head of Modern Languages and there he was to remain until his retirement in 1986. He died in July of this year.
We asked Morty’s former pupils and former colleagues for their memories of the man and were overwhelmed by the response.
Sadly, space does not allow us to reprint everyone’s contribution in full, but you can find much fuller tributes on the GA
connected website http://glasgowacademy.web-intouch.com/
proposed and sympathetic to
An esteemed colleague initiative
My mother and I have been
any problem arising. With Chris
privileged to read the many
It was in a crowded car park at the old Varley as Second Master but still
tributes to my late father, Moreton
determined to teach sixth-form
Glasgow Airport that I first met
linguists in his own inimitable way,
Morty,
who
was
giving
up
a
day
of
his
Black, prior to them being
Morty was free of that responsibility
Easter
holiday,
1965,
to
welcome
and
published in this wonderful
and able to concentrate on teaching
interview
an
exile
hoping
to
return
to
magazine. We have been very
Higher and ‘O’ Grade French and
the
city
with
which
he
had
many
touched to learn just how highly
German (grounded in his PoW
links. I knew nothing of Glasgow
regarded he was by you all.
experience). ‘Varley & Black’ was one
Academy except its reputation. So
Indeed we learned a few things
of the standard texts for senior French
Morty showed me around and took
about him that we had not known
me to lunch at the old Hubbards. Can classes. Many an Academical who
before. Your anecdotes will be
never claimed to be a linguist must
you imagine him not convincing a
passed to my brother Douglas in
look back gratefully on the solid
newcomer that The Academy was the
grounding and surprisingly good GCE
ideal
school
and
the
Modern
Canada and to my sisters Rosemary
results he got, thanks to Morty; and he
Languages
Department
a
welcoming,
and Tiki in England. Thank you all
may to this day be able to recite parts
well-staffed
unit
in
which
to
work?
I
very much for taking the time to
of
Daudet’s ‘La Chèvre de Monsieur
knew
from
meeting
him,
more
than
write in. Dad was – and I believe
Seguin’. When audio-visual French
from my formal interview with the
still is – a legend at Glasgow
was being widely advocated by the
Rector, that I wanted the job and had
Academy. Should any of my old
French authorities he sent me to
found a Head of Department with
school friends wish to contact me,
Antibes on the Côte d’Azur for an
whom it would be easy to build a
my e-mail address is
intensive course (in intensive
good working relationship. I could
[email protected].
sunshine!) and ‘Bonjour, Line’ was
not know then that I had also met a
soon introduced to Transitus classes.
life-long
friend.
I would be delighted to hear
A language lab. followed in due course
from you.
and GA was up with the latest
As a senior colleague Morty was ever
Graham Black (1967)
technology to assist Modern Language
an encourager, a model of efficiency,
reassurance and tact, supportive of any teaching.
18
Etcetera
The Easter trip to Paris and the Loire
was already an institution for junior
classes long before skiing trips or art
and music tours became a counterattraction. Year after year under
Morty’s watchful eye, with different
colleagues to assist and sometimes his
wife Marion, a coach-load dutifully
did the rounds of the main sights of
Paris, with an occasional hiccup when,
from a hotel window, surplus bread
became a missile aimed at pedestrians
below. I was reminded of the Army
Officer sharing every hardship with his
men when (was it at Blois?) Morty
realised that the boys were being
served with different food from the
staff; he soon put a stop to that. If
Versailles was the highlight for most,
Morty’s favourite location was surely
L’Hôtel de la Poste at Tours, long
since demolished – as we anticipated
when there – its owner, the venerable
Monsieur Tardy, presiding generously
at the bar or explaining the virtues of
some unfamiliar dish to be served to us
that evening. Amboise, Chambord,
Chenonceaux and other châteaux each
claimed the group’s attention for an
hour or two, Morty preparing us for
the main features of the next visit
which he knew by heart. He was
familiar with a number of the guides
and could ill-conceal his exasperation
when we were allocated one of the
over-loquacious variety who might
make no allowance for a young
schoolboy’s limited comprehension
and vocabulary.
In France, as in the classroom, a firm
but ever-kindly manner characterised
Morty’s relationship with the boys,
whose respect and affection were clear
for all to see and which would elicit
appreciative comment from other
tourists. An annual party at his home
in Ralston Road for his departmental
staff, their wives and families, was the
occasion of generous hospitality,
thanks to the ever-supportive Marion’s
culinary skills, and a chance to meet
the younger generation of Blacks,
whose subsequent outstanding careers
brought much satisfaction to caring
parents. Morty’s total dedication to
the school was appropriately echoed in
the playing of the School Song as he
was carried to his final resting place
under the Campsie Fells.
F Graham Little (former Academy
staff)
...When I think about it now, I have
to say that they were just very good
teachers and very good, loving people.
Can you even begin to imagine their
reserves of patience? Specifically, I
remember Morty introducing us to
‘Bonjour Lynne’ and ‘le bol de Lyn est
bleu clair’ and I remember the sixteen
(or so) reflexive verbs which required
conjugation with ‘etre’ (+ circumflex?)
as opposed to ‘avoir’ and, which
subsequently required ‘concordance’,
in terms of number and gender.
(Something, up with which our
relatively benign friend ‘avoir’ did not
have to put!) And so on.
At the time, it all flowed quickly and
smoothly over my head. Many, many
years down the line ...jings, crivvens,
help ma boab!... suddenly it all makes
sense.
I have spent the last 30-odd years
working in an international sales role
and I have used the linguistic skills
initially developed in me by Moreton
Black, in Latin America, in Africa, in
Spain and now, where I live, in Italy...
Iain Leith (1972)
I am really very saddened indeed to
hear of the death of Moreton Black.
He was one of the key influences
(among many other excellent masters)
during my time at The Academy. He
was very strict and demanded a high
standard from his pupils, however he
was very greatly respected and held in
great affection. I well recall that he
ensured you did your homework by
applying a strict regime with the belt
for those who failed tests on
homework preparation – it certainly
did the trick early on in the term!
I would like, as would many of his
former pupils I am sure, for you to
pass on our condolences to his family.
He is someone I will never forget
from my school days at The Academy;
a great influence for good and for high
standards.
Allan Alstead (1954)
School tennis team circa 1962. Morty
Black....’the mental is to the physical is
as two is to one’. So is life!
Alan K Burnett (1964)
For me, Morty Black was peerless as a
teacher, and certainly the outstanding
teacher of my time at Glasgow
Academy, despite terrific competition
for that accolade. By then, he was
Head of the Modern Languages
Department and I was fortunate to be
taught both German and French by
him in the years I sat my ‘O’ Grades
and Highers. He was a hard
taskmaster, but his incredible zest for
life, infectious sense of humour,
passion for excellence and love for his
subject, not to mention his pupils, all
translated into an educator who truly
mastered the art of bringing out the
very best in his students. I consider it
a great honour to have been one of
them and I will remember him fondly
for all my days.
Kevin Lilburn (1984)
The year he was Captain of the School
he appeared, after prayers, on the
platform appealing for us to turn out
to support the first fifteen who were
playing High School the following day
at Old Anniesland. Later that year he
read the lesson in the Cathedral at the
Commemoration Service. At that
time the service was always held on
the last Friday of the summer term.
Alan Diack (1945)
‘Morty’ Black was my French teacher
for a couple of years at the school and
certainly one of my favourites. I still
miss his regular end-of-term regaling
about his escape from a Nazi war
camp during WWII!
Robin Duff (1990)
...It was a summer’s day and lunchtime
saw the playing of a crucial match in
the school tennis tournament. The
defending champ was Morty’s son
Dougie, and he was playing someone
(sorry, I don’t remember who) in our
French class… a potentially one-sided
affair, given that Dougie was a year or
two older than us. Amazingly, the
younger player won and as it
happened we had French straight after
lunch. We couldn’t wait to give
Morty the grievous news. ‘Sir, sir’ we
all clamoured as he came in –
‘A.N.Other beat Dougie in the Tennis
tournament’. Morty looked aghast,
stunned into silence. He fixed the boy
in his gaze and approached him slowly.
‘You beat Dougie?…You must come
for tea!’ I have used this often over
the years whenever I’ve been in need
of the ultimate accolade.
Steve Butler (1977)
Etcetera
19
I haven’t any specific memories of
Moreton Black, except that I was
always amused by his pronunciation of
the word ‘boy’, which came out as
‘bye’. ‘Who are those byes over there?’
he would say... He and his wife,
Marion, were always very kind to
Gordon Carruthers and myself after
our marathon rehearsals of the
Christmas pantomimes on Friday
evenings in the Michaelmas Term,
when we would be invited on our
way home (we both lived in Bearsden)
to a most wonderful dinner with the
Black family...
John Horrex (former Academy staff)
Moreton Black was a tremendous
enthusiast for both foreign languages
and rugby. I have a great memory of
his combining both these passions
during one of our French lessons that
took place on the eve his taking us to
the Scotland versus France fixture at
Murrayfield way back in 1974. The
whole lesson was devoted to ensuring
we could sing La Marseillaise during
our trip the following day. I’m
pleased to say that our rousing
rendition did nothing to spur on the
French – Scotland won 19 – 6. I can
still sing it to this day!
Torquil Macnaughton (class of 1979)
Mr Black took me on a school trip to
France, which included visits to some
of the Loire castles, as well as Paris.
We fetched up in Blois one day, a
town in the Loire region. The local
oompah band were performing for
some event, with a grand banner
proclaiming HMB (Harmonie
Municipale de Blois) which were also
the initials of Mr Black – HM Black.
HMB himself was tickled and claimed
that the band had mustered in his
honour.
to an audio-lingual approach. In spite
of his suspicion of ‘modernism’,
Moreton very generously allowed me
one year to take 5a French i.e. the top
Higher set which he usually claimed as
his own. To my relief, the results did
not cause any red faces...
Roy de C Chapman
(former Academy staff)
I’m sad to hear that Morty has died;
we were talking about him at our
reunion earlier this year. I remember a
couple of things about him during my
time at The Academy, but the best
was being on one of the visits to Paris
and Tours with him. I must admit it
was educational (after it, I could bore
anyone on the chateaux of the Loire)
and very enjoyable.
Mark Bissett (1972)
Derek Neilson (1965)
Moreton Black was my Head of
Department at The Academy when I
arrived as the new Rector in
September 1975. We came from very
different modern language
backgrounds: I had been Head of
Modern Languages at my previous
school. Moreton was very much the
traditionalist in his teaching – grammar
bashing and vocabulary lists. I
thoroughly applauded his emphasis on
the necessity of learning the
fundamentals, but I was more inclined
I can recall when we went to Cannes
on a school trip that Morty and
‘Cheesy’ Lamond the other French
teacher came back from a night out
and gave us an hilarious demonstration
about how to use the squat toilets,
without losing all your possessions
down the hole, and the perils of
scoring a bulls-eye!
20
Etcetera
Jerry Rowbury (1974)
I was very to sorry to hear of Morty
Black’s death. He was a fantastic
teacher and a great character. I can still
hear him saying with utter glee the
German for the masculine accusative
comparative form of the word
‘brave’...tapfererER. And he always
felt compelled to join in with the
frequent spontaneous class outbursts of
the song Die Lorelei.
Ivan Mavor (1985)
...he was a teacher ahead of his time.
His German classes in the attic of The
Academy were an experience in
relaxed learning. His informal
approach compelled attention and
encouraged participation, a strategy
not common in 1949. His sense of
humour was never far from the
surface, another attribute not always
associated with either teaching or
German. We learnt more than
German in his class. Tolerance was an
important by-product. He was a
memorable example at an
impressionable time of my life...
Walter Gumprich (1950)
I remember Morty Black with the
greatest affection. He was always very
protective of my brother Colin and
me in our run-ins with some of the
other masters. We were regular
participants in his European trips and
my first glimpse, in his charge, of the
Mediterranean was a revelation that
has affected my life ever since... He
was a true European and infectiously
so. A typical act of kindness was his
visiting our father in hospital to cheer
him up following major surgery...
Alastair Winter (1965)
In September 1960, ‘Morty’ Black was
my first encounter with Academy staff.
He was my House Master (Arthur),
French teacher and inspiration. Morty
was a gentle-man. He did not revert
to the belt or lose his temper... He
also sat at the head of (my) Table 12 in
the Dining Hall. In the early 60s, this
was graced by people like Neil
McGregor, Michael Hirst and Ian and
Ronnie Graham. There, he would
always engage us in a wide range of
conversation and was always happy to
start an argument/debate!
Douglas P Macnaughtan (1965)
Very sad to hear about Morty Black
and have fond memories of his French
classes. His style was old school where
if you repeated the verb 100 times
then perhaps it would stick in the
memory. Enjoyed his war time
stories, often for the umpteenth time,
and his passion for school sport was
legendary. If he had seen our school
rugby match that weekend, Monday
lessons would start with an analysis of
my kicking style and he would give a
very able demonstration of where I
was going wrong.
Stuart Simmers (1986)
...Whatever went on in Room K,
however, was complemented by the
school foreign trips he organised. I
remember over successive years going
to Paris and the Loire (twice), the
Rhineland, Rome and Capri, and
Cannes (twice). I remember the joys
of four-in-a-cabin British Rail sleepers,
seeing Frank Ifield from the Gods at
the London Palladium, the joys of
sweaty feet in continental couchettes
and the constant rule that we all had
to buy and wear at all times widebrimmed, straw sunhats. We all
looked like the Mafia in shorts and tshirts.
Two abiding memories remain: the
night in Paris in April 1961 when
Morty called us all together and
announced that someone called Yuri
Gagarin had just orbited the earth, and
the retribution in Capri the morning
after the night we discovered that
Carlsberg Special was half the price of
Coca-cola...
Brian D Keighley (1966)
I was very sorry to hear of Mr Black’s
death. He taught me French for
several years, and helped develop in
me a love of France and the French
language. I was in the same class as his
son, Graham, and indeed Mr Black
arranged for us to join a merchant ship
during the summer between leaving
school and going to university. I
remember we spent an awfully long
time sitting in a dirty iron ore carrier
in Port Talbot marvelling at the ability
of the crew, mainly Scots, to drink
literally gallons of beer and stay on
their feet, and watching England win
the World Cup. Then we sailed to
Sweden and back.
Andrew McCracken (1966)
I was in Mr Black’s last Transitus
French class in 1985-86, and both
enjoyed and greatly valued the
experience. He was a teacher whose
reputation preceded him; whispered
stories used to circulate about how he
had learnt German in a POW camp in
World War II, and specifically that at
one point he had overheard two
guards discussing whether or not they
ought to kill him. I don’t know how
true this last detail was – the story had
probably become slightly embellished
over the years! – but I think most of
us wanted it to be true, as it gave
Morty a sense of mystery that was
unmatched by any other teacher.
Aidan Thomson (1992)
I was saddened to hear of Morty’s
recent death as he was a great teacher.
My main recollection of Morty is, I
am afraid, unprintable and relates to a
throw-away remark he made during a
French class about the emblem on the
French rugby team shirt. The entire
class fell about in hysterics and I don’t
really think he picked up on what he
had actually said! He did, however,
take the ensuing hysterics with good
grace.
Niall Lindsay (1975)
I remember Morton Black’s
formidable Friday French vocabulary
tests. Such useful words as le chenet
(the fire-dog) stay with one for ever!
David Ure (1965)
I was fortunate to be taught Higher
French by Morty Black in the mid
70s. One day he was keen to
demonstrate to the class the difference
between hiding something and hiding
oneself – cacher and se cacher of
course. An explanation would have
sufficed – we were not idiots but, no,
he had to show us in dramatic fashion
the meaning of se cacher. He threw
open the big brown door of Room K
and secreted himself behind it. At that
precise moment Wing Commander
Waine entered the room to see a class
full of boys but no teacher. Morty
then sheepishly appeared from behind
the door to great delight amongst
those of us in S5 at the time. God
bless him!
Tommy Gemmill (1976)
...I got to know him a bit better on an
enjoyable school trip to France. The
hotel in Paris was a bit of a dump, and
the group was short one room, with
no obvious solution. I was on the trip
with my twin brother Chris, so guess
who drew the short straw! Chris and
I slept together in this tiny bed, facing
in different directions so that we
would fit in! This experience was
useful forty years later, when I had a
little miniature schnauzer which we
foolishly allowed to sleep on our bed –
as you dog-lovers may know, it is
amazing how much room a tiny dog
can take up!...
Rod Little (1968)
Morty taught me French and German
and I remember him with great
affection. Legends abound about him.
As Battalion Intelligence Officer
allegedly he (not very intelligently) got
himself captured during WW2, but
turned this to his advantage by
learning German from his guards
whilst in captivity. He certainly
enjoyed the ‘minute test’ (his own
invention) where boys had to rhyme
off a French reflexive verb in all its
tenses (I can’t remember how many
tenses) in one minute. Our class
record was held by Amit Allahabadia
at 29 seconds. I was not too far
behind at 30-something!
Paolo Capanni (1986)
My memories are mainly sporting: in
the early days of him helping with the
coaching of rugby and cricket; of him
as a tennis player of great craft relying
Etcetera
21
on drop shots and spin; as a stylish
cricketer playing in the staff match
against the boys and against Kelvinside
staff. I also remember him as an
expert philatelist with a huge
collection of his own and running the
stamp club for very many years...
Ken Waine (former Academy staff)
I remember Morty Black very well.
The main language teacher in those
days was Chris Varley – an
extraordinary linguist who had
competences in Classical languages as
well as modern, who had facility in
French, German, Russian, Slav
languages, Celtic languages such as
Manx and Gaelic etc - but Morty
Black was also a very fine teacher who
taught with great clarity and patience
and unravelled the mysteries of the
irregular and reflexive verbs that so
infect French... He is remembered by
me with regard and gratitude.
David Keddie (1958)
It is indeed sad news about Moreton
Black. What never ceases to amaze
me is, although the school years are so
few in number, the profound positive
influence they have on the rest of
one’s life, something that is not fully
appreciated when ‘in the moment’.
Moreton Black certainly held to
consistently high standards of academic
performance and was a key part of that
influence.
Alistair Scott (1981)
...What I do remember, of course,
were his wonderful school tours... On
reflection, although I clearly didn’t
realise it at the time, the exposure he
gave me to travel and to history, art
and architecture bore fruit that has
served me well in my professional
career.
I had other trips with Morty to
Germany and Cannes – happy
memories. They were always wellorganised, like Morty himself, wellbalanced for education and recreation,
like Morty himself, and good fun –
like Morty himself.
David Kernochan (1965)
....my main memory of Morty is of
him trying to retain our interest in
languages during the last weeks of the
year after we had completed our
exams. We started learning Italian, I
22
Etcetera
remember, although he discouraged
detailed questioning of his days in the
country during the war. The song
‘Non ho l’eta’ had recently won
Eurovision, in the days when
Eurovision contests actually judged
songs. I can still remember many of
the words, and actually used the
language later in life without any
further study, so it must have rubbed
off.
On another occasion, our German
language lesson included translating a
radio report of the building of the
Berlin Wall. The ‘Stacheldraht und
Betonmauer’ returned to haunt me
some 20 years later, when as an RAF
officer I found myself working in the
British Commanders’ in Chief Mission
to the Soviet Forces in Germany,
which allowed me access to both sides
of that wall (and as a pilot, over the
top of it as well!).
Tempus fugit!
David Cockburn (1965)
French with Moreton Black was a
lesson in the timetable to relish. His
bright, first-floor classroom was an
appropriate setting for lessons that
were memorable because you came
away knowing more of the language
but also more about life, the universe
and everything. Thirty years on, the
phrase ‘Ici Poitiers, ici Poitiers. Arrêt
de cinq minutes!’comes to mind
because of the inimitable way that it
was delivered by Moreton and because
of the way he then embellished it with
anecdotes of travel in France. I also
recall him telling the class that were he
to have had any more children he
would have liked to have named the
child ‘Benevenito’. He leaves a lasting
memory of a kindly and unique
schoolmaster and personality.
Andrew Little (1978)
Memories of his French classes in
Room J are entirely happy: they recall
a master of unfailing good humour,
with a real enthusiasm for his
subject… Among the texts we learned
by heart was a speech by General de
Gaulle, made in 1945, which began:
‘S`il est vrai qu`a travers les vents et les
marees a ete sauve l`essentiel...’. It
made a great impression on our young
minds, so that in later life I was still
able to recall much of the text. That
was to prove most useful when, for
example, waiting for an overdue train,
and wanting something to recite to
oneself to help pass the time. (It was
also a useful ‘party piece’ when in the
company of French friends.)...
Alexander Pollock (1963)
I have the best memories of Mr Black
as our form teacher. He taught two
generations of Masseys – my father
Colin Massey, my Uncle Turner
Massey, my brother Brian Massey and
me…
Scott Massey (1989)
I was sorry to hear of Morty Black - I
have so many fond memories of Morty
- from being my form tutor in second
year - to our French trip - to him
watching our year group playing rugby
(even when the 1st XV were playing a
few pitches away). For some reason he
followed our rugby team from 2nd
year all the way through to the Firsts
and always chatted about the game on
a Monday morning. However my
most lasting memory was receiving the
slipper from Morty. The slipper was an
oversized (size 13 I think) gym shoe
which was administered only for the
most serious offences such as doodling
or window-gazing during French
lessons - the thwacks of the slipper
were given in doses of five - not as
serious as the standard 'six of the ...'
but much more effective than just
three. That said I did on one occasion
receive six - the extra one for not
throwing the ball straight into the
lineout on the previous Saturday!
Wilf Sinclair (1986)
Very sorry to hear of the death of
Morty Black. He taught me French
in the 4th and 5th form, and I owe
him a very considerable debt, as I
went on to read French at Oxford a
few years later. One thing I
remember with particular clarity were
the regular vocabulary tests – 100
words from French to English. The
results, which were always posted on
the classroom noticeboard, were
awaited with competitive eagerness by
all of us (and Iain Swan needn’t think
I’ve forgiven him for getting 100
when the best I could manage was
98...). Au revoir, Morty, et merci...
Tim Haggis (1970)
Tributes to John Anthony
I was sad to read of the relatively early
passing of John Anthony. Certainly
when I attended the school, he was
one of the standout teachers being able
to combine infectious enthusiasm for
his subject with academic rigour. His
40-minute lessons would whizz by and
I recall his remarkable ability to deliver
the heart of a topic in every lesson
despite spending some of the lesson
discussing other subject areas such as
history and languages. I remember one
occasion when he had written so
much Greek on the blackboard that it
would not have looked out of place in
Room Q. It was no surprise to us that
John enjoyed a great friendship with
Vic Hadcroft. He had an effortless
method of conveying complex
mathematical principles and never
referred to any book during lessons.
His apparent infallibility was both a
comfort to those of us who were not
naturally gifted in maths and an
inspiration to those who were.
Two abiding memories of John
occurred in my last days at the school.
John had a spectacular track record in
preparing boys for success in the Alevel maths examinations. In the
summer term of 1991, he approached
several of us after the exam for our
thoughts. We had all attempted one
question at solving a proof and had
come to the same seemingly erroneous
answer, which was off by the power of
one, from the required solution. John
went off to do the question himself
and came back incredibly annoyed as
the question was actually wrong and
we had been right and he was upset
that such a foolish mistake might have
unsettled us during the exam. John
then displayed immense compassion
for us as he went on to ensure
mathematical justice was meted out by
the exam board. Later that term, I
found myself sitting an exam on my
own with John acting as invigilator. In
a rare moment I saw the schoolboy in
the master – John was giddy with
excitement as one of his former pupils
(Timothy Luffingham, I recall) had
written to him informing him that he
had just received a First in Maths from
Trinity College, Cambridge and John
was drafting his reply letter of
beyond the syllabus and into the
broader world of university
mathematics.
One lesson stands out vividly. Mr
Anthony had guided us through a
sequence of short exercises that would
lead us to Fourier Series, a topic on
the edge of A-level. We had soon
assembled almost all the necessary
observations but, before we were
allowed to see the final idea that
would bring them all together, Mr
Anthony left the classroom on some
business, asking us to have finished the
exercise when he came back in 10
minutes. That final idea was, of
course, the key: Fourier’s brilliant
contribution. Anyone who had
finished that exercise unaided would
have been marked out as a star, though
we were not made aware of that.
congratulations. John then recounted
to me names of those he had
mentored that had gone up to
Cambridge, some who had also
achieved the accolade of Wrangler like
himself. Whilst these names were
unfamiliar to me, I have not forgotten
the pride on John’s face as he recited
them.
I am sure that generations of
Academical mathematicians, engineers
and natural scientists will feel equally
proud and privileged to have had the
their mathematical foundations
established in Room L by John. He
will be missed.
Miratul Muqit (1991)
As one of John Anthony’s former
pupils, I was sorry to learn of his
recent death (Obituary in Etcetera
Summer 2009). I also see that many
former pupils have written to Etcetera
with their reminiscences of their
teachers. I thought it appropriate
therefore to add a couple of stories
from the 6B A-level Further
Mathematics class which John
Anthony taught in 1980/81.
That class was small but select – Peter
Conkey, Alastair Neill, Robin Harper
and me, with Lawrie Guthrie and
David Hare from the 6A Oxbridge
entrance stream listening in – and Mr
Anthony visibly enjoyed taking us well
I wish I could write that one of us
made the grade, but when Mr
Anthony returned we were all still
without a clue. If he was disappointed
he didn’t show it, though he’d have
been delighted by our success.
Nevertheless, you can imagine how
encouraged we were to be the subject
of such expectations; how skilful the
teaching had to be to bring us so
accurately to the pivot of the
argument; how excited we were to
taste real mathematical research. Each
time I recall this lesson my admiration
grows for a teacher whose
mathematical knowledge and didactic
skill were so far above the normal
level.
On a lighter note, Mr Anthony liked
to say ‘Computing is to Mathematics
what Glass-blowing is to Chemistry’,
quoting an epigram coined by one of
his friends at St Johns. I’m glad to
read in Andrew Evans’ obituary note
that Mr Anthony didn’t let this
opinion intrude on his enjoyment of
programming the school’s computers;
and it’s entirely true to his character
that he disdained any attempt by a
software provider to cut the corners
for him.
Alan Forrest (1981)
Etcetera
23
Deaths
Arthur M Barradell-Smith (1934)
April 17 1916 – September 20 2009
Arthur Barradell-Smith’s death ends a
family connection with School and
Club which began in 1907 when his
father joined The Academy staff
(teaching for nearly forty years), and
played for the Academical XV.
Commissioned to the Cameronians
(Scottish Rifles) in World War II,
Arthur spent five years as a PoW
subsequently serving in East Africa,
and with the 51st Highland Division
in Perth. After leaving the army,
Arthur joined the Glasgow Stenhouse
(now Alexander) insurance broking
group, in which he became a director.
He was also Chairman of his local
Conservative Association and the
founding secretary of the original
Sheffield section of the Club. In 1968
he emigrated with his family to
Australia where, apart from various
business activities, he became a film
and TV actor. He is survived by his
wife, two daughters, two
grandchildren and one great
grandchild.
H Moreton Black (1939)
April 25 1921 – July 28 2009
Morty attended Glasgow Academy
from 1931-1939 and rose to become
Captain of the School, Captain of
Rugby, and the Mowat Scholar. He
won the Russell Scholarship and the
Harkness Scholarship to St Andrews to
take a degree in History and
Economics. The war intervened and
he enlisted as a Lieutenant in the
Seaforth Highlanders. After capture,
during two years as a PoW, he
developed an interest in modern
languages. He returned to St Andrews
and obtained a First Class Honours
degree in French and German. Morty
then joined the staff at Glasgow
Academy as a language Master and
coach of rugby and cricket. For the
vast majority of the next forty years he
served as a member of staff in and
beyond the classroom including as
Head of Modern Languages from
1959.
Morty married Marion in 1945 and,
during nearly sixty-four years of
24
Etcetera
marriage, they were blessed with four
children, ten grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren. He will be
greatly missed by them all – and many
more besides.
Tributes to Morty appear on pages
18-22
Iain Cuthbertson (1948)
January 4 1930 – September 4 2009
Iain was the son of Sir David
Cuthbertson, a distinguished
biochemist. He attended Glasgow
Academy from 1935 to 1946 before
completing secondary school at
Aberdeen Grammar and going on to
the University of Aberdeen, where he
read languages.
Standing at well over 6ft, Iain was a
Scottish actor of towering presence.
He began his professional career in
radio and made his first stage
appearance in 1955. He was best
known for his starring roles in the
television series Budgie and Sutherland’s
Law. He also had a distinguished
career on the stage, ran the Citizens
Theatre in Glasgow and served as
associate director of the Royal Court
Theatre in London. In the cinema,
Ian played the father wrongly
imprisoned as a spy in Lionel Jeffries’s
version of The Railway Children. He
also appeared in Scandal, the 1988 film
about the Profumo affair, and in
Gorillas in the Mist, with Sigourney
Weaver.
From 1975 to 1978 he was Rector of
the University of Aberdeen. Although
it was an honorary position, he filled it
conscientiously and once drove
through the night to defuse a student
protest. Despite suffering a stroke in
1982, Iain refused to accept that he
would not work again and continued
to perform on screen until 2003.
Iain Cuthbertson lived latterly in
Dalrymple, Ayrshire and is survived by
his wife Janet Mary Smith.
Thomas O Goodall, TD 1933
January 28 1916 – August 27 2009
Tom was born in Glasgow in 1916.
He attended Glasgow Academy from
1926 to 1933 before going to work for
Fairey Aviation in London.
On returning to Glasgow, in 1938
Tom joined the 6th Battalion of the
HLI in the Territorial Army. He
served with his division in France in
1940, and then underwent arduous
mountain warfare training in the
Highlands. Tom then served as a
General Staff Officer in 157 Infantry
Brigade, fighting in the Low
Countries, and taking part in the
capture of Bremen. Tom finally met
up with the Red Army on the Elbe.
After the war Tom became a director
of an engineering firm, and on retiring
at 65, started a new business, and
continued to work there until he was
83. In his spare time he was a keen
fisherman and golfer, and served as a
much-respected captain of Buchanan
Castle Golf Club. In public life, he
was a Director of the Merchants
House of Glasgow and a General
Commissioner of the Inland Revenue.
Tom also served as an elder of in
Hyndland Parish Church for many
years. His strong Christian faith was
obvious in all he did; many benefited
from his kindness, often without
knowing of its source. He helped to
organise and took part in many
Academical class reunions, up until
earlier this year.
Tom married his wife Mabel in 1941;
they were very happily married for 53
years. He was dearly loved and will
be greatly missed by his family and
friends.
Ronnie Land (1960)
Stuart N Ross (1959)
September 22 1941 – July 22 2009
After two minor heart attacks, Stuart
was about to get back to business,
when the ‘big one’ hit him. He died
at his home, in the Southern
Highlands of New South Wales.
Born in Trinidad, where his father
worked for Shell, Stuart and elder
brother, David, entered the GA
‘Boarding House’, when it was run by
the legendary Jack Coleman-Smith
(‘Coley’). Having learnt to swim, as
two year olds, the Ross brothers swam
like fish and regularly won prizes at
school and inter-school swimming
galas. While Stuart wasn’t blessed
with the scholastic skills of his brother,
who became a successful paediatric
surgeon, he was possibly the best allround sportsman of his vintage. He
could, probably, have represented GA
in several sports, but chose rugby and
cricket.
He excelled at rugby. Normally a
centre, he also shone in any position
behind the scrum. He played for Scott
Nelson’s 1st XV, when he was only 14
and for Scottish Schoolboys, at 16.
Having left school, he went to London
and was soon playing for London
Scottish 1st XV – during their heyday.
They played him on the wing,
alongside 14 other internationals! He
was still 17. Had he remained in UK,
he would have, undoubtedly, won
many Scottish caps.
He joined Jardine Matheson & Co.
Ltd, the famous Scottish conglomerate
and sailed off, at 18, to become a
Jardine ‘Johnny’ (young trainee) in
Hong Kong. After home leave in
1963, he was posted to Jardine Waugh,
in Kuala Lumpur, where he married
Gail, his Australian wife. Due to
‘Malaysianisation’, he was informed,
that his visa would not be extended.
He bit the bullet and emigrated to
Sydney, in 1967, where he worked for
over 20 years for CSR – one of
Australia’s long established, ‘blue chip’
companies – before setting up his own
successful business.
Stuart dazzled them on the ‘padangs’
of the Far East. In Hong Kong, he
was aye voted ‘player of the year’. His
photos still adorn the walls of the
HKFC’s vast, new clubhouse.
In Sydney, he played for Gordon – a
top tier club – until he hung up his
boots… Amen. His genes live on, via
sons Callum and Andrew and five
grandchildren.
George Mackenzie (1959)
A Nimmo Stirling (1935)
3 July 1918 – 8 July 2009
Despite seeming fit and healthy,
Nimmo died unexpectedly but
peacefully, just a few days after
celebrating his 91st birthday. Always a
staunch supporter of Glasgow
Academy, particularly when dinner
party guests tried to criticise it. He
sent his son, David, there too.
Latterly, he was unable to get from his
home in Perthshire to Glasgow for
dinners and reunions but continued to
take a keen interest in everything
going on at the school. He is survived
by his son and his daughter, Anne, and
six grandchildren.
DA Stirling (1968)
Raymond G de P Taylor (1959)
22 February 1940 – 28 May 2009
Raymond fought very, very hard for
the 16 months from his diagnosis with
myeloid leukaemia in February 2008.
He died peacefully, in the tender
loving care of the Staff of Ward 24, in
the Southern General Hospital. A
loving husband to Angela and a
wonderful father to his daughters and
grandchildren.
John M Greenshields (1944)
15 October 1927 – 3 July 2009
Jack attended Giffnock Primary School
before going to Glasgow Academy in
September 1938. At The Academy he
made great friends, many of whom
met yearly for a ‘catch up’ lunch each
spring.
At school he took part in amateur
dramatics which he continued to enjoy
until his marriage. He was called up
for National Service where he trained
as an instrument repairer before being
demobbed in 1948. He joined India
Tyres, working in North Wales and
West Cheshire, before returning to
Glasgow in 1953, joining Eric B
Mackay, tyre distributors. Next he
joined Armour Motors as a director,
then ran his own business Greenshields
Motor Company, and ended his
working life as Fleet Sales Director
with Arnold Clark.
He married Sheila (Reid) in 1964 and
they had two children, Mark in 1966
and Louise in 1968. Mark attended
Glasgow Academy from 1975 to 1979.
Jack was Deacon of the Corporation
of Bakers from 1987 to 1990 and he
also organised many reunion dinners
for Academicals. His great love was
golf and he was a life member of
Whitecraigs Golf Club. He was also a
member of West Kilbride until failing
eye sight forced his resignation in
2008. He was a gentle man in the
literal sense of the word. He was an
extremely loyal friend with a very
tolerant nature and a lovely sense of
humour. He was very easy-going and
easy to get along with. His many
friends will miss the twinkle in his eye
and his ready smile, as the large
gathering at his Thanksgiving Service
at Giffnock South Church on 8 July
bore witness to.
He leaves behind a huge gap in the
lives of his beloved wife, Sheila, son
Mark and daughter Louise, and his
three grandchildren, Zoe, Kyle and
Hollie.
David Richard Duff (1993)
December 2 1975 – March 25 2009
David’s sudden and tragic death at the
age of 33 was a great loss to close
family and friends alike. His extrovert
nature as a young boy was evident
during his early years in the
Preparatory School when his first class
teacher, Miss Annabel Findlay, noticed
and encouraged his clear talent for the
arts. David’s contagious enthusiasm
for travel and the outdoors was a big
feature of his adult life, and his love of
skiing can certainly be attributed to his
first trip to Morgins, Switzerland with
The Academy in the mid-80s.
A talent for writing developed whilst
he was at school and led to him
securing a slot writing a column for
the Evening Times’ ‘Cult’ youth
newspaper. David went on to study
Humanities and American History at
the University of the West of England
in Bristol before embarking on a
writing career, performing readings at
various venues across the country as
well as producing scripts for children’s
television and acting as an assistant
director on a number of productions,
most notably at Sadler’s Wells in 2004.
In the year leading up to his death, his
close friends and family were
comforted that he had been enjoying
his life to the full, travelling to visit
friends and family in the United States,
Portugal, Norway and Spain. He will
be dearly missed by his family, close
friends, and those from The Academy
and beyond.
Robin J Duff (1990)
Etcetera
25
Births
Zico Iqbal (1994)
I would like to tell everyone of the
birth of my son Roman Adnan Iqbal,
born 30 September, weighing in at
9lbs. Both mother and baby are doing
great!
Paolo Capanni (1986)
Paolo and Kerry (nee Barnacle) are
delighted to announce the birth of
their daughter, Francesca Grace, on 27
July 2009 at the Great Western
Hospital, Swindon. A little sister for
Alessandro (Alex).
Bill Law (1985)
We had our fourth baby in June 2009.
‘Alma Juliana’ joins Janna (3), Marta
(5) and Otto (7).
Iain Macfarlane (1993)
Iain and Rebecca Macfarlane
announce the birth on 10 September
2009 of their second daughter, Sophie,
a sister to James and Jessica.
Marriages and
engagements
Arthur House Captains ‘tie
the knot’
Sandy Wilson (1993)
My brother Sandy gets married on 7
November 2009 to Rosie Jeffrey.
Sandy now works in London as a
fund manager for Threadneedle
Investments. Sandy still loves Scotland,
though, and has opted to tie the knot
in a marquee at his parents’ house in
Lanark.
Stephanie Wright and Colin
Hutton (both 2002) tied the knot on
July 4 2009 at Bothwell Parish
Church. The reception was held at
Bothwell Bridge Hotel before we
enjoyed a honeymoon in Mexico.
There were many former Academy
pupils in attendance, most notably
Grant Strang (2002) who was our
piper on the day and Jenna Weir
(2002) who was one of the three
bridesmaids, along with Stephanie’s
sister Kristina (2004).
This is Sandy’s second big day – the
first being when he completed the
gruelling swim across the English
Channel on 11 July 2007.
Congratulations, Sandy and Rosie!
(from Valerie Barr)
Brian Keighley (1966)
I re-married on 17 July: Lesley Ritchie
Stirling at the Lake Hotel, Port of
Menteith. On 26 August I was
elected Chairman of BMA Scotland
for an initial three years.
As another twist, Grant and Jenna are
getting married on August 20 2010 at
Brigadoon when Stephanie will be a
bridesmaid and I will be an usher.
Both Stephanie and I, and Grant and
Jenna have been together since we
were at school. We all went up to
Aberdeen for university. Stephanie
studied law at Aberdeen, while I did
Politics and Sociology; Grant studied
Surveying, while Jenna went to RGU
to do physio.
Colin Hutton marries his Miss Wright
Alex and Francesca Capanni
Bill Law and family
26
Etcetera
Updates
had the chance to live and work with
the indigenous people and to build a
much-needed school – a hugelydifficult but highly-satisfying task. Her
second project was a survival
adventure. After trekking for three
days over mountainous terrain the
venturers were left on an island which
had previously been a prison colony
and required to carry out various
group survival tasks. This was a tough
physical and mental challenge but she
made lots of new friends and
discovered strengths she did not know
she had.
Rachel Frew (2008)
During the summer Rachel Frew
volunteered to work with Raleigh
International in Costa Rica and
Nicaragua. On her first project she
Hugh Ross (1962)
I have a lot to thank The Academy for
as, due to the Globe Players, I had
played Macbeth, Malvolio and
Richard III before I had left school –
Also, Stephanie was hockey 1st XI
captain, Grant was rugby 1st XV
captain, Jenna was hockey 1st XI vice
captain, I was in the 1st XV. We were
all prefects. Stephanie and I were
Arthur House Captains and Grant was
Temple House Captain.
Stephanie is just completing her
traineeship with Macroberts and I am
a news reporter at the Clydebank Post
and Dumbarton Reporter.
Colin Hutton (2002)
to say nothing of the marvellous
annual CCF pantomimes, helmed by
the brilliant Gordon Carruthers.
I am just finishing a new film called (at
the moment) Cosi, and starring
Richard E Grant and Sarah Brightman.
It should be out next year. We have
had a lot of fun filming it in the
Borders. www.hugh-ross.com
Amy Comins (1998)
I am currently a detective constable
within the CID in Cumbria
Constabulary Police force where I
have worked since 2003. I am based
in Barrow in Furness although I deal
with crime which occurs all over the
south of Cumbria. I am also a
specially-trained officer in dealing with
victims of rape and sexual abuse, and
sit on the board of directors for South
Cumbria Rape and Abuse Service. I
love my job and find it very
rewarding.
I feel very lucky to have attended The
Academy and to have received the
education I did.
Rowan Smith (Former Staff)
I was promoted to position of Web
Developer for Transport Scotland four
weeks ago.
Fraser Lundie (1998)
In September this year I was awarded
the right to use the Chartered
Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Donald MacDonald (1989)
Donald has recently completed
walking the West Highland Way for
charity. As you can see from his
photo, at points the weather
conditions were fairly challenging:
‘Final day was from Kinlochleven over
the pass into Fort William, where
winds reached 60mph, with horizontal
rain continuous. The term Gore-Tex
meant absolutely nothing at this point,
as a canoe wouldn’t have looked out
of place! Although rain persisted
throughout the seven days of the walk,
you never get tired of the scenery that
surrounds you the whole time. The
rain never dampened the camaraderie
amongst the group...’
Above: Rachel Frew (fourth left) with some
friends she made while working with Raleigh
International
Donald MacDonald should have packed the
underwater camera to capture the conditions
on the last day of his Highland walk!
Etcetera
27
Osteopath in Glasgow. I met my
fiance – Michael Brown – at the
British College of Osteopathic
Medicine (which also happens to be
where my parents met some 40 years
ago!), and we are due to get married
on 1 August 2010 in Dunkeld!
(Suzanne Smith is my bridesmaid!)
Michael and I now form the third
generation of Cram Osteopaths, at the
Barrington Drive practice (round the
corner from the GA), which my
Grandfather opened in 1946.
Hope everybody is well at GA!
Team Loch Ness (from left to right): Mike
Bottomley (1996), Scott McMaster, Simon
Leggat and Roger Sung (all 1993)
Donald has volunteered to raise muchneeded funds for a new school in
Malawi and he plans to take on the
Great Glen Way next March with
another walk planned for next
September. ‘Hopefully my walking
boots will have dried by then!’
For those that would like to know
more about the Trust, you can visit
their website, www.chesneytrust.org
Andrew Drummond (1995)
I became a Fellow of the Royal
College of Anaesthetists in June this
year.
Graham Leitch (2002)
Graham has just competed in the
World Triathlon Championships in
Gold Coast. He was a member of the
British age group squad and has
decided to focus on triathlon full time
– a belated gap year.
Ian Gardiner (1988)
I just won a bronze medal in the
World Masters Games cycling
championships held in Sydney – 3km
individual pursuit. (Work stuff seems
so much more boring in comparison!)
Adrian Louden (1989)
Loch Ness Marathon 2009. At last
managed to finish sub 4 hours with a
PB of 3hrs 54mins. Training now
starting in earnest for the West
Highland Way race next year.
28
Etcetera
Scott McMcMaster (1993) Four
Accies took part in the Glasgow Men’s
10Km run and ran for four different
charities. We all managed to finish,
with decent times, and in doing so
managed to raise funds for our chosen
charities.
Sandy Nelson (1998)
The lovely Elaine and I are currently
waiting with bated (and ever so
slightly terrified) breath for the arrival
of first born, due on 26 October. In
the meantime, I’m trying to
concentrate on treating the denizens of
Derry for numerous complaints,
mostly alcohol-related, as a middlegrade doctor in A&E.
Delighted to report that fellow 1998
alumnus Alistair Kennedy has finally
done the decent thing and asked
Carrie Graham to marry him, thus
confirming possibly the loveliest
partnership of ‘geeks’ ever.
Chris Cole (1995)
I am in the process of setting up a ski
chalet business in the French Alps –
it’s a really exciting project with 11
apartments in a large chalet, with
private spa and bar area and very close
to fantastic skiing in winter and
walking/climbing/etc in summer.
Our opening is planned for December
so we are right in the middle of the
preparations at the moment.
Joanna Cram (2000)
I have just completed my second
degree, an Integrated Masters in
Osteopathy, and am a practising
News of one branch of the Howie
family – all of whom have had some
successes in recent years – the result of
a good education at Glasgow Academy
and lots of hard work but, most
importantly all are happy and healthy!
Kirsten L Marriott (nee Howie)
(1998)
Head Girl 1997/1998
MbChB from Edinburgh University.
FRCGP currently working in General
Practices across the Central Belt of
Scotland while waiting for the dream
full-time post to materialise!
She married Andy Marriot in 2007
Suzanne E Howie (1999)
Academy Sportswoman of the Year
1999
BSc in Physiotherapy from Queen
Margaret College University,
Edinburgh
Senior Specialist Physiotherapist in
Vascular, Amputee & Renal therapy at
Queen Margaret Hospital,
Dunfermline, Fife.
Jennifer M Howie (2001)
Senior School Dux June 2001
BSc MbChB from Edinburgh
University
Currently an FY2 (formerly SHO)
doctor working at The Royal Hospital
for Sick Children in Edinburgh &
studying for FRCP exams
David A A Howie (2003)
M.Eng (First Class) in Civil
Engineering
David is travelling across America,
Tonga, New Zealand and Australia
before taking up employment with
Jacobs Engineering in Glasgow
David Morris (1978)
I attended The Academy from 19671978. After leaving The Academy,
where I had been very happy, I went
to Aberdeen University and graduated
in 1982 with a degree in French.
During this degree I had spent a year
with a French-speaking family in
Belgium and became a fluent French
speaker. Having developed an interest
in Linguistics at Aberdeen, I studied
Linguistics at Manchester University
from where I graduated with a
Bachelor of Linguistics degree in 1983.
During this degree I took an option in
speech pathology which developed my
interest in speech and language
therapy. I received a Diploma in
Clinical Communication Studies in
1985 to become a speech and language
therapist. My first job was in Oban
and moved to Dundee Royal
Infirmary to work in the Neurology
and Neurosurgery departments in
1988. From 1992-2000 I worked for
a company which supplied electronic
communication aids in the UK called
Liberator Ltd. For a short time I had
my own speech and language therapy
consultancy and in 2003 started a new
business with two colleagues called
Chatting Independently, which
provides independent-living skills and
various therapies such as physio and
hydro therapy, speech and language
therapy and occupational therapy for
young people over 18 years of age
who have a physical disability and use
various forms of communication aid
systems.
Home win for Andy Murray!
His name has become synonymous
with success on the tennis court, but
recently Andy Murray (2004) has
been celebrating success of a different
kind. Former Academy pupil, Andy
has been identified as a star of the
future in the design world, winning
first prize at the prestigious D&AD
Student Awards in the Product
Design: Furniture category.
Andy (22) – currently studying the
Masters in Interdisciplinary Design
course at Edinburgh Napier University
– was the only Scot shortlisted for the
leading international design
competition for students, the Oscars of
the design industry, which attracted
over 75,000 entries from around the
world across its 27 categories. His
elegant, usable and functional
collection of coffee tables and wallmounted shelves inspired by Sea
Defences and made from American
White Oak or American Black Walnut
caught the eye of chief judge Matthew
Hilton, one of the UK’s leading
furniture designers.
After the win Andy commented:
‘Everything is going so well for me at
the moment. I am thrilled to take the
top prize when you look at some of
the other fantastic designs that were
shortlisted. If it wasn’t for the
excellent facilities in the Art and
Design department and staff at
Glasgow Academy, I would never
have found a love and enjoyment for
product design. Having completed a
test during my Standard Grade years to
advise on future career options and
being told I was suited to ‘cabinet
maker’ I never believed I would be
winning an international competition
for furniture design. And without the
staff in the Art Department and the
school’s Careers advice I would never
have found the courses at Napier that
continued to push my passion for
design.’
He was recently one of just 15
students from the whole of the UK
picked to exhibit in London at the
Ideal Home Show 2009. He displayed
his ‘Kitchen Toolbox’ range of clever
yet stylish cutlery that couples as
essential DIY tools.
Andy’s ‘Made By. . .’ collection,
inspired by the credit crunch, also
featured in the New Designers 2009
exhibition. ‘Made By…is a guide to
making personal items – such as bags
and wallets – from low-cost, recycled
materials like tea towels.
Andy may still be a student, but it
looks as if he has a bright future ahead
in the design world.
Andy proudly shows his award
Etcetera
29
From our own
correspondents
I was pleased to receive the most
recent Etcetera – when one has been
away for 51 years it’s always reassuring
to know that so many of one’s
contemporaries are still alive! It was
good to read of some of the old staff –
George Preston (History) and George
Crosbie were particularly effective for
me – and I went on to read History at
Glasgow and then specialise in
Ecclesiastical History at Edinburgh in
my BD. And of course you will have
heard much of the wonderful and
eccentric Baggy Aston. I was
interested in the picture on page 7 of
Roydon Richards and some of the
boys of his final year. I left in 1958 but
some of these fellows were doing a
double sixth year or I knew them
from previous years. I recognise some
of them – Sandy MacIntosh (his father
was Director of Education for
Glasgow Town Council), Robin Keith
(father a GP in Paisley) Douglas Risk
(a Sheriff still in Aberdeen), Charlie
Fairhurst (father Prof of Geography at
Glasgow), Alan Andrews (a particular
friend of mine over the years, who
taught at KA and then for thirty years
or more at Morrisons in Crieff – and
who died tragically and alone a couple
of years ago – a fine organist as well),
Norman Stone (Prof of History at
Oxford, and now at Istanbul,
formidable intellect, linguist, authority
on Russian and Eastern European
history and a ferocious imbiber!) and
the chap at the right hand end – can’t
remember his first name but surname
Donaldson (who I believe was high up
in St Andrew’s House).
Roydon was a good and active
musician (he had a B.Mus) and played
the double bass with great gusto at the
music concerts which always came
prior to the Easter holidays and always
encouraged music in the school. He
usually contrived to break one of the
bass’ strings during the concert and
some of us used to make a small book
on how long the four strings would
hold out.
David Keddie (1958)
I thought I had achieved a hat trick
with three pictures of myself in one
issue of Etcetera, but the one printed of
the 1959 reunion has me almost
completely hidden! I did pop my
head out when a second photo was
taken.
With regard to the photo of Dr
Roydon Richards retirement
presentation on page seven, I too have
a copy. For your information, the
personnel in it are, from left to right,
WA (Sandy) Mackintosh, myself,
Robin A Keith, Mrs F (Nancy)
Roydon Richards, James D McArthur
(partially hidden), Douglas J Risk, J
Charles Fairhurst, John Cowie, Alan S
Andrews (school captain) Norman
Stone, Dr Frank Roydon Richards,
Colin J Methven, Gordon Donaldson.
With best regards,
Alastair Reid (1959)
...The time, energy and focus that you
have spent on the Etcetera magazine is
absolutely fantastic!
I have just spent some time looking
through the last edition of your
magazine and was absolutely delighted
to see the wee reminiscence from
Dave Shannon about Lachie
Robertson. I didn’t know Mr
Robertson at all well, but Dave was
one of these guys that everybody just
liked. The quotations from Jimmy
Jope brought back so many memories:
‘Impedimenta’ was the cry when
anything was left in the gaps between
desks.
Mr Humberstone’s picassa show was
brilliant! I remember the Transitus/S1
trip to the pig farm very well. What a
stink! I’m sure that was the same bus
that we took on the outing, but I
don’t remember any of the faces in the
pictures. What I’ve got is the S2
pictures from the trip to the Loire
Valley and Paris, in about 1980 with
‘Morty’ Black. I will try to do the
same thing as Mr Humberstone, and
see if we can get some old faces back
together again.
Meanwhile, Mrs Inwood led me down
the path of applied maths – and well
done to her! Whilst I almost did
geology after being enthused by Mr
Humberstone’s classes in geography, I
left GA to go to Heriot-Watt to study
Mechanical Engineering. After
specialising in Computer-Aided
Engineering, I graduated with a first
30
Etcetera
and am now a consultant in stabilised
electro-optic systems and laser design.
My aim at the end of school was to
design the ultimate motorcycle – I
recently relayed this ambition to a
colleague at work, and his comment
was, ‘What you are doing now is way
cooler’!
Perhaps he’s right..?
Regards
Neil Macdonald (1984)
Many thanks for sending me the latest
edition of this excellent magazine.
I am intrigued by the letter from John
Crombie on the back page where he
reminisces about old films. Could it
have been Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs? I remember my mother taking
me to see that in about 1940. I would
have been 5/6 years old then.
I also remember Allan Alstead and the
shine and polish on his CCF boots.
Crowds of boys used to gather round
him to comment and admire! He was
the best cadet by far in my time. I left
in 1953.
Kind regards,
Peter Lyon (1953)
In reply to John Crombie’s letter in
issue 6, the colour film which he saw
in Stirling could possibly be Doctor X,
starring a pre-monkey romance Fay
Wray or Flowers and Trees an early
colour cartoon from Walt Disney.
Colour film had in fact been around
since 1906 but had yet to be employed
successfully with a feature film.
felt then, and have continued to feel
since, that pupils like me passed
through our school years largely under
the radar of most, though not quite all,
of our allocated teachers.
One abiding memory, which bears out
this perception, is of being asked by
the then Careers Master, ‘Dodo’
Ogilvie, what I intended to do when I
left school. On replying that I would
like to join the Merchant Navy, his
response was – in that case, I should
have taken Geography. I had been in
HIS Geography class for the past two
years!
I am grateful to The Academy
however for the lasting friendships I
formed there - in the long term,
worth much more to me than any
academic or sporting accolades.
Re the article in Etcetera Number 9
Summer 2009 ‘Scotland Rifle Team’,
here is a photo of The Academy
shooting team in 1972. Alastair Marr
is in Royal Navy uniform and
Lindsay Peden’s younger brother
Clive is sitting to Alastair’s right, in
RAF uniform and yours truly is to
Bill’s right also in RAF drill. Mr
Wright, shooting coach, is at right of
photo. Mr Wilberforce, janatorial
staff, ex-forces NCO and an excellent
drill instructor, is at left.
I am afraid that, whilst I recall the
faces, I have forgotten most of the
names of the team members.
Kind regards,
Mark Bissett (1972)
Jim Shearer (1963)
I hope this is useful,
Douglas Weir (1999)
(Perhaps it’s no surprise that Douglas
currently works in the area of film
restoration with the British Film
Institute in London.)
Teachers in 1963 – without
the rose-tinted spectacles
I always enjoy reading former pupils`
reminiscences about their teachers, but
I can’t help wondering how many are
wearing rose-tinted spectacles whilst
writing. I spent all my school days at
Glasgow Academy (no ‘The’ then) as
very much a ‘middle-of-the-road’
scholar and as an ‘also-ran’ at sports. I
School Prefects with Rector 1946-47
On page 8 of the last edition, we published a photograph of Roydon
Richards’ with a group of prefects. Thanks to David Mason and Alan and
Hugh Diack, we now have their names. They are:
Standing – Charlie Armstrong, Sandy Henderson, Andrew Reid, Max Gemmill, Kenny
Blackwood, Tom James
Sitting – Gerald Timbury, Gordon Watson, Malcolm MacGregor, Alistair Henderson, Rector,
Alistair Porter, David Mason, Billy Bennett
Etcetera
31
Regular Giving 2008-09
In the summer edition of Etcetera, we let you know that we
were very close to achieving our appeal target for 2008/09.
We’re delighted to be able to tell you the good news:
Regular Giving supporters donated £46,586 between 1
October 2008 and 30 September 2009.
83% of donations were gift aided, meaning an additional
£10,788 was raised through tax efficient giving. This
means the 2008-09 appeal raised well over £57,000. In
other words, thanks to you, we came close to achieving
twice our target in this challenging financial year!
Your support made five great projects possible: We were
able to transform the Kelvinbridge Nursery play area,
enhance our sporting facilities, buy more music keyboards,
fill the Transitus library with books and support more pupils
who, without bursaries, would not benefit from an
Academy education. Thank you all!
Nursery children enjoy a transformed Nursery playground
Beach, Outer Hebrides by Katherine Hedivan,
age 17
‘Christmas Cracker’
We are delighted to show off our young artists’ talent in our 2010 Calendar, retailing at a bargain price of
£5.00 each plus £1 p&p
The Glasgow Academy Art Department enjoys a well-deserved reputation for high quality and innovative work
and – in producing this calendar – we feel that the work we do should be enjoyed by a wider public.
Orders can be placed by phone: 0141 342 5494 or e-mail: [email protected] or using the form below:
I enclose a cheque for £
Please send me
Name
Address
e-mail address
32
Etcetera
(payable to The Glasgow Academy)
copies of the Calendar.