Sadly Departed

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to those family members, colleagues and friends who have notified us of the deaths of the Old Fettesians and former staff listed in this edition of the Newsletter. This list includes news of deaths we have been made aware of up until 1st June 2020. If you know of any omissions, please do let us know by emailing ofa@fettes.com. Throughout the year, when we are notified of a death, we update the following page on our website: www.fettes.com/familyforlife/alumni/ sadly-departed.

1930s James ‘Jim’ McNeill Lester (Gl 1934- 1938) passed away at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, on 15th October 2019, aged 98. At Fettes, Jim was a member of the Literary and Dramatic Society, the Debating Society, the Natural History Society and the Chess Club. A box of memorabilia from Jim’s time at School, affectionately known by our Archivist, Craig Marshall (Staff 2014-present), as ‘Lester’s Box’ was donated to Fettes. Some of this will feature in our forthcoming 150th Anniversary publication, Fettes: Our Place. Our thoughts are with his son Eric.

Ian Grant Henderson (Ki 1936- 1939) passed away on 24th April 2019, aged 96. In 1943 Ian joined the RAF, serving in Bomber Command as a navigator. During his service, Ian received the Distinguished Flying Medal. He remained a member of the Bomber Command Association throughout his life and attended the opening of the Bomber Command memorial in June 2012. After the war, Ian studied Law at Edinburgh University before joining his father’s firm, Henderson & Mackay, which together they built into a successful practice. While working as a lawyer, he met Elizabeth and they married in 1951. Ian was also involved in the Lockerby Trust, a charity providing subsidised housing for those in need. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth and family members.

Philip John McDouall (Mo 1938- 1942) passed away peacefully on 26th March 2020, aged 95, at Chelston Gardens Nursing Home in Wellington, Somerset. At Fettes he was Head of House, a School Prefect and enjoyed cricket and the High Jump. He was a member of the Music Club and involved in the CCF. The family hopes to arrange a memorial later in the year to celebrate his life.

Neil Irvine (Gl 1938-1940) passed away peacefully, at Thornlea Nursing Home on 12th June 2019, aged 95. Brother to Patrick Irvine (Gl 1934-1938) and James Irvine (Gl 1936-1940), Neil was the dearly beloved husband of the late Cathie, much loved father of Robert, Christian and Victoria and a loving grandfather of Nick, Tim and Neil. Neil regularly attended the Old Fettesian Central Scotland Lunch Club and Remembrance Sunday at Fettes, where he gave the toast each year.

Iain F. MacLaren FRCS (SH 1939- 1944), a former President of the Old Fettesian Association, passed away on 3rd October 2019. The following obituary was printed in The Scotsman on 12th November 2019:

“Iain MacLaren was a distinguished surgeon who honed his craft under two of 20th century surgery’s towering figures – Professor Sir James Learmonth in Edinburgh and, across the Atlantic, Korean War veteran Dr John M Howard.

“Like his mentors, he went on to be respected both internationally, as a surgeon, examiner and lecturer, and at home, where he was vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, where a research centre bears his name.

“Yet, as a young graduate, MacLaren’s life hung in the balance when he contracted tuberculosis just as he was hoping to establish his career. Fortunately another Edinburgh physician, Prof Sir John Crofton, had recently developed a ‘triple therapy’ for the potentially fatal infection and the pioneering treatment was a key factor in his recovery, though the illness cost him 18 months of his working life in recuperation.

“The son of a GP, it was perhaps unsurprising that he would gravitate towards medicine after leaving the city’s Fettes College, which he attended on a scholarship. Just 17 when he started as a medical student at Edinburgh University, MacLaren graduated MB ChB in 1949, at the dawn of the NHS, and immediately did an internship as house surgeon to Prof Learmonth. He would later return to work with the renowned Scottish surgeon, a man he much admired.

“National Service interrupted his career when he served as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. A proud Scot, he sported his kilt on selection day but his hopes of being attached to a Highland regiment were dashed when he was drafted into the East Lancashire Fusiliers, going on to serve in Egypt and Cyprus.

“Then, after a short period as a demonstrator at Edinburgh University’s anatomy department, he went into general practice working with his father, Dr Patrick MacLaren. Although he enjoyed the job, a year later he took the difficult decision to become a surgeon – a choice he never regretted.

“The move took him back under the wing of Prof Learmonth at Edinburgh Royal infirmary (ERI), where he became registrar before going on, in the same position, to the surgical unit at the city’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children and later returning to ERI as senior surgical registrar in 1959.

“During an eight-year spell there

he spent a year in the United States as a fellow in surgical research in Dr Howard’s department at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia. Dr Howard had been a battlefield medic in a mobile army surgical hospital during the Korean War of the early 1950s. He ran the US Army’s surgical research team in Korea and was reportedly the inspiration for Hawkeye Pierce in the US hit TV series on the conflict’s medics, M*A*S*H. MacLaren fondly remembered his time working with Howard, by then a renowned expert in vascular and pancreatic surgery, and they became lifelong friends.

“From 1967 until his retirement in 1992, MacLaren was consultant surgeon to Edinburgh’s Deaconess and Leith Hospitals and the city’s Royal Infirmary, enjoying the contrast between the more informal atmosphere of the former and the great history and heritage of the latter.

“Throughout his career he had served the Royal College of Surgeons in the capital, being elected vice president from 1983-86. He also spent many years as an inspector of hospitals, examiner of surgical students, in the UK and abroad, and guest lecturer. That work took him to Iraq, Libya, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Nepal and Myanmar, among others. Latterly he was head of the Professional and Linguistics Assessment board of the General Medical Council, ensuring that doctors who qualify abroad have the right knowledge and skills to practise here.

“He was the author of numerous publications but is probably most widely known for his work with coeditor Iain Macintyre on Surgeons’ Lives, an anthology of figures from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s illustrious 500-year history.

“An immensely sociable, hospitable man and accomplished public speaker, MacLaren also held office in various clubs and societies, including as president of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh, Old Fettesian Association and Edinburgh University Graduates Association.

“Outwith medicine he was enthusiastic and impressively knowledgeable about Celtic history, traditions and folklore. Both his parents were Gaelic speakers, something that had rubbed off to some extent. He was a member of An Commun Gaidhealach, chaired the Clan MacLaren Society for many years – one of his proudest moments was leading the march of the clans at the Highland Gathering at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina – and chieftain of Clan Labhran.

“One of his other great passions was music, particularly the bagpipes. He’d been involved with the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society since 1945, serving as honorary pipe-major and secretary, and had been known to pipe the turkey into various Edinburgh hospitals on Christmas morning.

“He is survived by his wife Fiona, daughter Catriona, son Patrick and four grandchildren.”

John Cook Ch.M. FRSE FRCSE (Mo 1939-1944) passed away peacefully on 19th April 2020. His son, Andrew, shared the following with us: “John was born on 9th May 1926, in Calcutta, India. From a young age John was sent home to the UK for schooling at Sandown, Bexhill until his father retired to Nairn. There he attended Alton Burn before winning a scholarship to Fettes, where was Head of Moredun House. It was at Fettes that John began his lifelong love of piping. He was Pipe Major when Fettes won the Schools Pipe Band Competition in 1944.

“In October 1944 John enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine at Edinburgh University together with another Fettesian, sadly also mentioned in these pages, Iain F. MacLaren FRCS (SH 1939-1944). Whilst they knew each other at school, especially through the Pipe Band, it was as medical students that their friendship grew.

“In October 1950 John Joined the RAF for his National Service. During this time he was posted as the MO of the flying station at RAF Khormaksar, Aden, which he enjoyed. It was in 1951 in Aden that John met a nursing sister, Flying Officer Patricia (Pat) Bligh and they were married in 1953 in Kent. Iain MacLaren was their best man.

“When he came out of the RAF, John was set on a career in surgery. He returned to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and his studies resumed. He passed his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and took up a post as Research Assistant and Surgical Registrar at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford. Then in 1955 John was appointed as 1st Assistant in the Department of Surgery at Makerere University College, Uganda.

“Whilst on leave in Scotland John was encouraged by Sir James Learmonth to write up his fascinating research on Kaposi’s Sarcoma as a Ch.M. thesis. He returned to his University to be examined on his thesis by Sir John Bruce and Sir Michael Woodruff who recommended that the University award him a Gold Medal for his work. In July 1963 he graduated Ch.M. at that time one of only seven Masterships conferred in Edinburgh since the war and in which time Gold medals had been awarded to only four people.

“In 1964 John was appointed to a post of Consultant Surgeon at the Eastern General Hospital, a position that carried the status of Honorary Senior Lecturer in the University Department of Clinical Surgery in Edinburgh.

“In 1969 John was elected the Secretary of the Royal College of Surgeons and served in this role until 1972. After his term as Secretary he was re-elected to the Council of the College of Surgeons and served as their representative on the General Medical Council from 1982-86.

“In 1970 Prof Alex Haddow proposed John as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

“Through Iain MacLaren, he became a member of the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society and continued to enjoy a few tunes and a dram with old friends at Rose Street Lane when he lived in Edinburgh.

“John retired from surgery in 1986 when he and Pat moved south to Clehonger, a small village on the outskirts of Hereford. Even in deepest Herefordshire John was able to continue his interest in piping with the newly formed Kinnersley Castle Pipe Band.

“John was devastated when Pat died suddenly 7th June 1998. He continued to live in Clehonger in close proximity to two of his daughters, Christine and Katherine. He also travelled frequently to visit his other children Janet, Diana and Andrew.

“In February 2005 John married Judy Hill, the widow of Keith Hill, Headmaster of Hereford Cathedral Prep School. Iain MacLaren again acted as his best man and the happy couple were piped out of the Church by John’s son, Andrew. They lived at Dorstone, near Hay on Wye, where John and Judy ran a very happy home dispensing generous hospitality. During winters they migrated south to Altea in Southern Spain to escape the ravages of British weather and from where they set off on numerous travelling adventures.”

1940s Charles Herzberg (Ki-Gl 1940-1942) passed away on 13th June 2019, aged 95. Many of Charles’ contemporaries will remember his extraordinary experience during his time at Fettes. This account of his experiences is a summary based on Charles’ autobiography:

With the rise of Nazism in Europe, Charles and family moved to the United Kingdom. On the advice of his father’s friend, Charles and his brother, Hans Herzberg (Ki 1940-1945), came to Fettes. Until he was 16, Charles was spent his time at school like all other Fettesians. However, a few months after his 16th birthday, while on a Corps Exercise in the grounds, Charles was summoned back to House where the Head, Dr Ashcroft DSO (Staff 1910- 1945) met him with two policemen. They informed him that as an enemy alien over 16, he was to be interned.

Having been taken from Fettes, Charles spent time at Donaldson’s Hospital, which had been turned into a prison camp. One day, Charles and a number of other prisoners were transported to Liverpool and the next morning loaded onto MS Windsor. They set sail into the North Atlantic that night, one of three prison ships to leave the port that night. One of the ships, the SS Arandora Star was sunk by a U boat, with all crew and prisoners lost. Charles’ ship successfully made it to Canada where he was set outside work lumbering. Whilst in Canada, Charles met prisoners from all walks of life, including the cousin of WW1 flying ace, ‘the Red Baron’.

Almost as suddenly as Charles was summoned to his boarding house, he was summoned by a British Colonel. Realising he was not from a U boat crew but as Charles explained “from the playing fields of Fettes!”, the circumstances surrounding his internment became clear: having been interned, Charles’ papers were lost and the War Office informed his parents that he no longer existed, even presuming he had drowned on the SS Arandora Star. There had been many attempts to find Charles and it was only by chance that he was found, a fact no one had told his parents.

Charles began the long journey home which, like the rest of Charles’ experience, did not go smoothly. On arriving back to the UK, Charles was rearrested as no one had informed the British Authorities that they would be arriving. Once released, Charles made his way home. Walking down the road, he saw his father’s car coming towards him. His father, not knowing that his son was alive, went white. Charles wrote to Dr Ashcroft and was soon back to Fettes, although this time to Glencorse as Kimmerghame had been taken over by the Admiralty.

After leaving Fettes, Charles went on to study at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, but continued to experience restrictions as an enemy alien.

Michael Gray (Mo 1941-1945), grandfather of Michael Gray (Inv-Mo 2003-2010), passed away on 12th April 2020, aged 92. At Fettes Michael was a House Prefect a member of the First XV.

Professor Malcolm Lyons (SH 1941- 1946) passed away on 18th December 2019, aged 90. After leaving Fettes, Malcolm attended Pembroke College with a Major Scholarship in Classics. Reflecting on his life, Sir Roger Tomkys, former Master of Pembroke, said: "Malcolm came up to Pembroke from Fettes with a Major Scholarship in Classics in 1946 at the age of 17, a schoolboy entering a College full of war veterans. After graduation he did National Service before returning to Pembroke in 1951 to take Arabic in the Oriental Tripos in two years, and join a long tradition of distinguished Pembroke Orientalists. I first met him and his then new bride Ursula in Lebanon in 1961 when he was teaching for an academic year sabbatical and I was trying to learn Arabic at the Foreign Office’s Middle East Centre for Arabic Studies.

“For the rest of his long life Malcolm was based continuously in Cambridge and in Pembroke. Elected to the then small Fellowship in 1956 he covered for Tony Camps, in many ways his mentor, as Director of Studies in Classics as well as for Oriental Studies. A long spell as Admissions Tutor gave him great satisfaction and in more easy going times, brought the College a fair number of good golfers as well as Scholars. In the University he rose to become, from 1985 to retirement in 1996, Sir Thomas Adams's Professor of Arabic, a seventeenth century foundation and one of the most eminent chairs in the world of Oriental Studies. His scholarly output was substantial, focussed on medieval Arabic epic and Romance; most accessible is an outstanding translation of the Arabian Nights, to which Ursula contributed translation of the ‘lost’ Nights, for which no Arabic but only early French texts are preserved. He was still working on translations up to his death, but always said he read Classics for pleasure and worked on Arabic because so much basic groundwork still had to be done.

“He was of mixed Scottish/Irish ancestry, the son of a Church of Scotland Minister who died when Malcolm was young. His widow settled in St Andrews where golf and membership of the R&A Club from 1962 provided for Malcolm the cement binding many close friendships in Pembroke and outside. He was himself a notably strong player who won major competitions at the R&A off a low handicap despite a notably idiosyncratic method. He had been a mountaineer in younger days, once rescuing his Pembroke climbing companion from high on Mont Blanc when Ray Dolby, then a Research Fellow was overcome by altitude sickness. He and Ursula loved walking in Suffolk, skiing in her native Switzerland and music festivals in

Salzburg. His last years were sadly blighted by her death and his increasing physical disability; he was effectively house and wheelchair bound for the last three years. But Pembroke, with his Pembroke friends and pupils, remained a major part of his life to the end.”

Professor Lyons was predeceased by his wife, Ursula, in 2016.

Professor James Alistair Macfarlane Inglis, CBE LLB (Ca 1942- 1946) passed away on 8th November 2019, aged 90. Known as Alistair, he was a graduate of the University of Glasgow, where he went on to become Professor of Conveyancing from 1979 to 1993, and of Professional Legal Practice, from 1983 to 1993.

Born in Kilmarnock in 1928, he was the son of a lawyer and a doctor. He attended Kilmarnock Academy before Fettes. He first graduated from the University of St Andrews, before studying at Glasgow for an LLB and graduating in 1952.

In addition to his work at the University and at McClure Naismith from 1956 until 1993, Alistair took on voluntary roles, including as chair of the Rent Assessment Panel; serving on various hospital and health boards; acting as a general trustee of the Church of Scotland, a patron of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow; a director of the Merchants House of Glasgow and many more. He was also Dean of the Royal Faculty of Procurators Glasgow from 1989 to 1992. He was made a CBE in 1984.

He was first and foremost a family man, marrying his wife, Elizabeth, in 1958 with whom he had five children, including OF Alexander Inglis (Ca 1973- 1978).

Gerald Potts (SH-Ki 1943-1949), brother of Alan Potts (Ki 1950-1955), son of Dr C.L. Potts MRCSE (SH 1915-1920) (Deceased), grandson of Dr W.A. Potts (SH 1879-1885) (Deceased) and great grandson of Dr A W Potts LLD (the first Headmaster of Fettes 1870-1889) (Deceased), died on 12th August 2019, aged 89. We are grateful to his brother Alan for providing the following: “Gerald went to Fettes on a Foundation Scholarship from West House School in Edgbaston in 1943. He was an outstanding games player at Fettes: 1st XV three years, 1st XI Cricket, Captain of hockey, Captain of fives and school champion of squash. He won a Crabtree Exhibition to St Catherine’s College Cambridge, where he read Classics for three years.

“On leaving Cambridge he failed the medical for National Service and went back to teach at Craigflower where he had taught for a year before he went up to Cambridge. This blossomed into a long and successful career teaching at West Downs, Bellhaven, Umtali in Rhodesia. He returned to England in 1970 to teach at Bilton Grange, near Rugby, where he was appointed Deputy Headmaster in 1984.

“He retired to Chetnole, near Sherborne in Dorset, where he had a large garden and took a very happy and active part in the village.”

Alexander Hay (Mo 1944-1949), (Sandy to many), sadly passed away on 10th May 2020. The following words were written by Richard Determeyer (Mo 1980-1985), his nephew, and sent to us on behalf of the family: Born August 1930 and brought up in the farming community of Perthshire, Sandy joined the Fettes community in 1944. He was the second in a long line of family and relatives to attend the school with his wife Katie’s father attending (W A Watson (Ca 1902-1906) (Deceased)), his brother S A Hay (Mo 1946-50), his brother-in-law M A Watson (Ca 1947-1951) (Deceased), his nephew R E Determeyer (Mo 1980- 1985) and of course, his son Peter J Hay (Mo 1982-1987).

For those that knew Sandy, they will remember him as a kind, gentle, proud, fit and sporty man who epitomised the very essence of what it is to be a gentleman. There is no doubt that this was nurtured during his time at Fettes. Sandy was an all-round sportsman who excelled in many sports, but it was his love of cricket where his early passion was evident gaining his place in the Cricket XI in only his second year at Fettes. He was in the Cricket XI four years in succession culminating in his captaincy of the XI in 1949. Looking back in some of the old registers he featured prominently in all the write-ups but it is the following excerpt of 1949 that sums up his cricketing prowess.

“A S Hay, the new captain was in a class by himself as a batsman, and when he came out the rest of the side was horribly apt to collapse… But not against Watson’s when Hay made 81. The Stewart’s and Loretto matches were drawn, the latter being a personal triumph for Hay, who made 32 and 61, bringing his season’s total to 500.”

He was not only a proficient batsman as his bowling was just as potent. From those records two matches in 1949 stand out when “Hay had the excellent analysis of 6 for 10” against Stewarts and then followed this up with 5 for 15 against Royal High School. This love and passion for cricket was something he passed on to his son Peter, who also excelled at cricket as seen on their respective boards in the Pavilion. Sandy hooked for the Rugby XV, according to the records was an accomplished ‘flicker’ for the Hockey XI, was in the Fives Tens, was an accomplished athlete winning the Javelin on Sports Day in 1949 and he won the final of the school squash competition that year, 3-1.

It was not only on ‘Bigside’ or ‘Turf’ that Sandy excelled. He debated during his time at Fettes and was heavily involved in the CCF. He was the Signals Sgt in charge of all signal training that was an integral part on the points system of cadet grading.

A small but relevant personal recollection, was back in the days before the Moredun refurbishment was completed. Sandy, after dropping his son and nephew off at school, found his old dorm cubicle and managed to complete an infamous ‘bar’! It is safe to disclose now the cubicles are no longer, that whilst at school he had dug a small hole in the overhead where he kept a piece of paper with the number of bars he had completed during his time in Moredun. Paper was gone – hole was still there!

After Fettes he completed his National Service and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Signals before returning to Perth where he joined the family business at Hay and Co Ltd (Livestock Auctioneers). He was an excellent single handicap golfer. He was a member at Blairgowrie and enjoyed nothing more than nine holes at the Glenalmond course when harvest permitted. He also played cricket for Perthshire CCC and rugby for Perthshire Academicals and it was here that his most notable sporting achievement was almost realised. He caught the Scottish selector’s eye and after trials became the second-choice hooker for the Scottish XV. Sadly, he was never capped but remained an avid supporter of rugby at Fettes and at Murrayfield. He continued farming in Perth for the rest of his life and was a well-respected member of the Scottish farming community.

However, Sandy was never far from education or Fettes and served as a Governor of Craigclowan, a local prep school in Perth. But it was Fettes that Sandy always had close to his heart keeping in touch with many of his peers, attending rugby and cricket matches whenever he could, both at Fettes and away games.

Sandy was a true Fettesian. He is survived by his wife Katie, daughter Wendy and son Peter.

Professor Roderick Lemonde MacFarquhar (Gl 1944-1949) passed away on 10th February 2019, aged 88. An article in The Guardian spoke about Roderick’s career after Fettes. On leaving Fettes, Roderick completed his National Service before going on to Oxford University to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Roderick continued with his studies at Harvard, completing his master’s degree which would go on to influence his life’s work. Working under John Fairbank, a leading scholar with a focus on the study of China, Roderick also gained an interest in China. He published many books on China throughout his life and educated many on the topic. He is considered one of the most significant sinologists of the last 100 years.

Iain S S McGlashan (CW 1945- 1950) passed away on 1st September 2019. At Fettes Iain was a House Prefect and a member of the Literary and Dramatic Society, Debating Society an Honorary Member of the Science Society. He was the Treasurer and Librarian for the Music Club and was a member of the Choir, the Orchestra and the Dance Band. He won the Governors’ Music Prize in 1948. He won a Choral Scholarship to St. John’s College, Cambridge. Iain left his body to the University of Glasgow. A musical celebration of his life was held at Glasgow Cathedral on 9th November 2019. A keen supporter of the Arts, The McGlashan Charitable Trust was set up in 1992, providing grants to postgraduate students and organisations in the Arts.

Angus Macpherson (CE 1945-1950) passed away on 10th April 2020, aged 88. Angus was a well-known figure in the OF community and a regular attendee at the Central Scotland Lunches for over 25 years. The following has been compiled from information supplied by the Macpherson family: Angus Macpherson was the only child of the late Dr Eric Macpherson and the late Mrs Jane Macpherson. He was born on 1 September 1931 and his childhood was spent in the village of Tong in the Isle of Lewis. He maintained strong links with his many relatives and friends in Lewis throughout his life and always enjoyed opportunities to speak Gaelic, which he had spoken since childhood.

After the family moved to Edinburgh, Angus became a pupil at Leith Academy in 1943, where he spent the next two years achieving distinctions in all his school subjects. In 1945 he was awarded a place as a Foundation Scholar at Fettes where he spent five very happy years and made lifelong friends. He had a successful academic career at Fettes, winning three Governors’ prizes and an Open Scholarship in History at Worcester College, Oxford.

When he left Fettes in 1950, he was called up for National Service in the Royal Artillery and was commissioned as an Artillery officer at the age of nineteen, after which he served in the Territorial Army for ten years.

In October 1952 he went to Oxford to study Modern History, where he was also very happy. He represented his College in athletics and cross-country and was a member of the Oxford Bach Choir. In fact, singing brought him much pleasure throughout his life. He sang in several choirs, including the Palmerston Place Church Choir for fifteen years where he met Bruce Rae (Gl 1960-1964) who remembers:

“Angus was a great chap who always had time for everyone. It was a privilege to have known him. His time at Fettes was well before mine. I first knew him as a member of the choir at Palmerston Place Church. Indeed, he asked me to join him in the ‘Old Fettesian Choir’ and we rehearsed in the Music School (he as a Bass and I as a Tenor). Angus was instrumental in inviting me to come to the Old Fettesian lunches which at the time were held in the Bridge Inn at Bridge of Allan.”

From 2005 Angus sang in seven successive Royal National Mods with the Lothian Gaelic Choir.

He graduated in 1955, and after a short spell in industry, he returned to Oxford for a further year to study for a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public and Social Administration, which he gained in 1956. During this time, he

passed the examination for entry to the Administrative Class of the Home Civil Service and met his future wife Una. Angus always said that meeting and marrying Una was by far the most important consequence of his time at Oxford. They were married in Peebles in September 1961. After their marriage, they lived for ten years in India Street in Edinburgh's New Town and had two children, Ranald and Catherine.

Angus entered the Scottish Home Department in October 1956 and served in the Scottish Office from then until 1987. He was seconded to the Cabinet Office in 1972 to be secretary of a committee to advise the Government on the preparation of legislation. When the committee reported two years later, he was appointed to the Cabinet's economic secretariat and became secretary to the three main Cabinet committees dealing with the government's economic policies. He returned to the Scottish Office in 1976 and was put in charge of schools’ education. He was moved in 1979 to administer acute medical and mental health services. He took early retirement in 1987 and was appointed Chairman of the Management Board of the State Hospital, Carstairs.

After he retired, he enrolled as a student in the Open University to study geology, and graduated Bachelor of Science in 1997. He became a member and then President (2010-12) of the Edinburgh Geological Society. He was Treasurer of Palmerston Place Church from 1993 to 2000 and represented the congregation as Presbytery elder from 2002 to 2008. Between 2010 and 2014 he was Edinburgh Presbytery’s representative on the General Assembly’s Committee to Nominate the Moderator. He was for four years Convener of the General Assembly's Central Services Committee.

Angus will be sadly missed by his much-loved wife, Una, his children, Ranald and Catherine, his grandchildren

Lucas, Milo, Amy and Alice, his niece Sarah and nephew, Robin, and their families as he will be by his many friends within the Fettes community.

William ‘Billy’ George Martin MBE (Gl 1946-1951) passed away on 2nd December 2019. The following was written by his son, Geoffrey Martin (Gl 1982-1987): “William George Martin known to everyone as Billy was born in Dublin in on 24 April 1933 the son of Herbert and Sheelagh Martin. Herbert had moved in 1915 to Dublin from Belfast to become Managing Director of the family building firm H & J Martin Limited. His first wife Meg McConnell tragically died and Herbert later married Sheelagh who was the daughter of Brigadier General Geoffrey Downing of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Billy has a younger sister Shirley Coburn. Following the death of his father Herbert, Sheelagh married Commander Maurice Church who was Managing Director of Cadbury’s in Ireland.

“Billy was educated at Aravon Prep School in Bray and at the age of 13 years attended Fettes College in Edinburgh. After leaving school he worked for a year in Cadbury’s, Bourneville, England. In 1953 he came to Belfast as an opportunity had arisen to join the family business as a trainee manager where his uncle Howard Martin was then Managing Director. At this time he also studied building construction and quantity surveying at the Belfast College of Technology where he made many long lasting friends. It was through the social scene he met Gina whom he married in 1961 and they had three children, Joanna, Timothy and Geoffrey. Billy rose to Director in 1961, Managing Director in 1982, Chairman in 1995 and NonExecutive Chairman in 2005 and retired at the age of 82. During Billy’s extensive career, he was actively involved with the Chartered Institute of Building and was Chairman of the Belfast Centre from 1979-1980, and of the Irish Branch from 1984-1986 and was awarded Honorary Life Membership in 2006. He also served on the Construction Industry Training Board from 1993-1998, and from 1996-1998 was President of the Construction Employers Federation. He was appointed MBE in 2009 ‘for services to the Construction Industry’. In 1989 Billy received the Freedom of the City of London which enabled him to be invested as a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Paviors.

“H&J Martin was founded in Belfast in 1839 by Henry Martin. Over the following 176 years the Martins ran a very successful family building and civil engineering business, until its takeover in 2015 by the Lagan Specialist Contracting Group.

“During this time, Martins built some of the most iconic buildings in Ireland. As well as buildings many civil engineering projects were undertaken in Ireland such as harbours and the Main Drainage and Pumping Stations for Belfast and Dublin. The Jewel in the Martins crown is still considered to be Belfast City Hall, the design of which was based on a cathedral in Venice and which remains one of the most beautiful municipal city buildings in the world. Billy was well known throughout the construction business as a man of great affability and integrity. He was regarded widely as a “gentleman, and one of the old school”.

“He was an accomplished sailor and a lifetime member of the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club serving as Commodore 1979. Billy enjoyed many cruising holidays with members of RNIYC to Scotland and further afield. A memorable cruise was to Norway via the Caledonian Canal. By all accounts it was a very stormy crossing where the North Sea was in full cry. Billy was so impressed by how the Contessa 32 he was sailing on handled the crossing that he bought it from the owner some time later. The boat was called Mitigator and the family enjoyed many years of cruising to the West coast of Scotland in her.

“Brought up with parents who loved hunting and regularly rode to hounds, Billy became a keen follower of the Sunnyland Beagles Hunt Club. He took an active part in the construction of new kennels for the hounds and became Chairman of the club for a number of years. Together with his family they enjoyed many memorable meets. Billy was greatly liked and respected on the hunting field. As the Beagling season ended the cover came off the boat and preparation for the sailing season began; the two sports dovetailed perfectly.

“My father was a family man who had many interests and lived life to the full. With his warm smile, unassuming manner and wise counsel he will be greatly missed by so many.”

Nigel Ward (Ca 1946-1950) passed away on 13th April 2020. We are grateful to Nigel’s daughter Julia Finlay for providing these words: “From Newcastle upon Tyne, Nigel arrived at Fettes in the summer term of 1946. He did his school certificate the following year, then stayed for sixth form and Cambridge entrance (Emmanuel College). He went up in 1952 following National Service. His happiest memories of Fettes were of playing rugby which he did both for Carrington and the College. He went on to play at university and then at Northern Rugby Club in Newcastle until he was 32, retiring after one too many injuries. He kept in touch with Fettes throughout his life via the OFs.

“After university he toured and worked in Canada and Australia for 5 years before coming home to help run the family butchers firm in Newcastle, RA Dodds. Nigel was sworn in as a Freeman of the City of Newcastle in 1972 in relation to this. He married Angela Towers in 1962 and they went on to have four children together. In his later career he became a financial adviser.

“He was a gifted gardener, talented musician, avid Scottish country dancer, life member of Northumberland Golf Club, and a sharp bridge player, but ultimately a much-missed father and grandfather to his nine grandchildren.”

Dougal W H Dick (Gl 1947-1952) passed away on 25th November 2019, aged 85. At Fettes he was a House Prefect and a member of the 1st Cricket and Hockey Teams. He was in the Science and Photographic Societies and a Corporal in the Army section of the CCF. After Fettes he went onto study Agriculture and became a wellknown figure in farming world. Dougal was an award-winning Shetland pony breeder, judge and breed president, a position previously held by his father and grandfather before him. For over 65 years, he bred top Shetlands, winning many awards. In 2010 Dougal was awarded the prestigious Sir William Young Award for his lifetime's work promoting and supporting one of Scotland's native breed, the Shetland pony. With his wealth of knowledge, Dougal was a sought-after judge. Dougal’s father William Dick (Gl 1906- 1910) (Deceased) and brother Colin J M Dick (Gl 1936-1940) (Deceased) attended Fettes before him.

Dr John Hellewell (CE 1947-1952) passed away on 5th November 2018, a much-loved brother of James Hellewell

(CE 1956-1961) (Deceased), Michael Hellewell (CE 1953-1959) (Deceased) and Harry Hellewell (CE 1959-1964), husband of Joan, father and grandfather to Jonathan, Andrew, Joanna, Jack and Rose. At Fettes John was a House Prefect, played in the Pipe Band and was involved in the CCF (RAF). After Fettes he went to London University, Guy’s Hospital to study Medicine.

Christopher J G Grant (Gl 1947- 1951) passed away peacefully on 25th October 2019, aged 86. At Fettes he was a School Prefect and the Editor of the Fettesian in December 1950. He was a member of the Rugby 1st XV, the Debating Society, the Music Club and the Paramecium. His father, James (Gl 1918-1922) (Deceased) and his Grandfather, Ernest (Gl 1892-1895) (Deceased) attended Fettes before him and his brother Alexander (Gl 1951-1956), two sons, Matthew (Gl 1979-1984) and Edward (Gl 1981-1986) and two grandchildren, Archie Gibb (Gl 2014-2019) and Flora Gibb (Da 2019- ) followed in his footsteps.

Ludovic ‘Ludo’ Ronald Charles Stuart (Ca 1947-1952) died on 24th June 2019, aged 84. The following was written by William Carnegie (Ca 1950-1955): “Those who were in Carrington on the night of 28th/29th March 1952 will always be grateful to Ludo. He returned from an authorised visit uptown to the theatre at about 11:30pm and chatted briefly to Peter Wang (Ca 1948-1953), who occupied the first cubicle in Upper Big. He then went down the dormitory to his own cubicle but came back immediately telling Peter to ‘come and look at this’. They both then rushed to discover at the far end of Upper Big orange flames roaring up the wooden grilled ventilator there and immediately raised the alarm. The whole house got out of bed (dressing gowns and bed rugs only) and the dormitories were emptied without casualty. A combination of slow smouldering in the end of a massive wooden beam jutting into the chimney whose lining had worn away and a westerly gale that night had caused the smouldering to burst into flames. The upper floor of Carrington was out of action for the subsequent Summer Term and, apart from 25 or so boys who occupied the Lower dormitories, the rest of the house slept in Malcolm House. Mr and Mrs Cooper (Staff 1941-1955) also remained in Carrington and the ground floor rooms were kept in use. After Fettes, Ludo studied Law at Glasgow University where he won a ‘blue’ for rugby; he also played for Glasgow and had a trial for Scotland. He spent his working life in both England and Scotland as a commercial property developer and was involved amongst other things in building supermarkets for leading retail companies and two whisky distilleries. He had three daughters and four grandchildren. From 1983 he lived with his wife, Christine, in Birmingham and for the last nine years of his life at Altass in Sutherland where he enjoyed a happy and peaceful retirement with her. However, Ludo will always be remembered by his fellow Carringtonians of 1952 as the man who saved their lives in the house fire. What would have happened if he had got back to the dormitory even a few minutes later does not bear thinking about.”

Iain Buchan (Ca 1949-1955) passed away on 8th November 2019. The following was written by Rob Cowie (CW 1953-1958) and William Carnegie (Ca 1950-1955): “The last link with a distinguished early Fettes family was broken with the death on 8th November 2019 of Iain Buchan (Ca 1949-1955) at the age of 83. Iain Francis Wauchope Buchan came to Fettes from Edinburgh Academy as a scholar, following the footsteps not only of Patrick Don Wauchope (Ca 1877-1882) (Deceased), the stepfather of Harry Buchan, Iain's father, but also those of his then late elder brother, Patrick (Paddy) Henry William Wauchope Buchan (Ca 1936- 1941) , who had been killed in action in Italy in 1944. Iain was in the Classical VIth, a School Prefect and a hard tackling and determined wing forward (flanker) in the First XV. Encouraged, indeed perhaps over-encouraged, by the Fettesian support in the Academy match of December 1954, he showed these qualities to such an extent that in Chapel the next day, the Revd Bill Aitken (Holy Willie or Holy Bill as he was known) felt obliged to lecture us on the need for moderation and sportsmanship in our cheering for what nowadays would be called ‘Big Hits’. After Fettes, Iain was commissioned into the Ninth Lancers (now 9th/12th Lancers), his brother's former regiment, serving in Germany, before proceeding to Balliol, again following Paddy, where his degree was in Law. He then joined London stockbrokers, Grieveson Grant, where he spent his working life looking after private clients. Iain married Annabel Buxton in 1979. They lived in Fulham from where he pursued his interest in the Turf, breeding racehorses with a fair amount of success over fences. In retirement they enjoyed travelling climbing in the Himalayas, fishing in Scotland and a thrilling ten days in Antarctica. Iain was a considerable character, a man not easily forgotten. To have known him was a pleasure and a privilege. Also, he was generous benefactor to both Fettes and Edinburgh Academy, paying for the restoration of the War Memorial at the former and giving money to the Shooting VIII at the latter in memory of his father who had been its Captain in 1911 when it won the Ashburton Shield for the first time.”

William Malcolm Borland (Gl 1949-1954) passed away peacefully on 27th March 2015, aged 79 years. He was the beloved husband of Margaret, loving dad of Cailinn and Kirsten and much-loved Papa of Hazel, Katie, Emma and Hannah. At Fettes, William was a member of the Music Club, the Orchestra and the Choir and he was Leading Seaman in the CCF.

1950s Christine, the wife of John Blunt (Mo 1950-1955), has written to us from their home in Hexham with the sad news that John died on 24th February 2020.

David Christie (Ca 1952-58) passed away on 7th September 2018, with his family by his side. The following information is a summary of an online obituary: Born in Buenos Aires, David joined Fettes in 1952. He got involved in all aspects of school life as Head of School, member of the XV, Chairman of the Debating Society and as a member of the Pipe Band to name but a few. On leaving Fettes, David attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Thereafter David began his career in 1964 at A.E. Aames & Company. Continuing with the company through several mergers and acquisitions, David moved to Toronto with his wife and children in 1973. In 1991 David began a role within the Latin American department of the Royal Bank Investment Management. David and his wife, Valerie, supported many organisations in Toronto, particularly in education, healthcare and the arts.

James ‘Jim’ George Andrew Hamilton (Ki 1953-1958) passed away

on 14th May 2020, aged 80. At Fettes he was a House Prefect, enjoyed cricket and rugby and was Secretary of the Chess Club. He won the Governors’ Prize for Mathematics in 1958 before going on to study Engineering at Peterhouse, Cambridge.

In his working life, Jim became a computer software consultant. He was an active member of the international community service organisation, the Lions Club, which he joined in 1983. Over the years he served as President of the Surrey Borders Lions Club, the Ross-on-Wye Lions Club and the Hereford Lions Club. The latter paid tribute to Jim in the Hereford Times after his death, noting his President’s projects in 2018 devoted £25,000 to several vital projects at Hereford County Hospital. The tribute also mentioned that Jim was particularly proud of his Scottish ancestry and would wear his kilt and sporran at official Lions functions. He is survived by his wife Louise, three children, James, Nicola and Maria, and two grandchildren Toby and Poppy.

Michael Stirling Hynd (Gl 1953- 1958) passed away on 26th April 2020, aged 80. At Fettes he was the Secretary of the Model Railway Club. His father George R Hynd (Gl 1923-1927) (Deceased) and brothers Neil R Hynd (Gl 1958-1963) (Deceased) and Richard J Hynd (Gl 1961-1966) also attended Fettes.

Ian Malcolm Grant MacIntyre (Ca 1953-1958) passed away suddenly in Edinburgh on 26th September 2019, aged 79. His son, Duncan MacIntyre (Ca 1987-1989) writes: “The MacIntyre family has attended Fettes for four generations. Ian was Head of House, played for the 1st XV, where he was nicknamed ‘The Gentle Giant’, and was in the athletics team. During a Fettes trip to the Soviet bloc in 1958, he was briefly arrested for wearing a kilt and accused of ‘impersonating a woman’ – a garment clearly unknown there!

“After school, to further his skills in Modern Languages, he attended Geneva University for a year followed by Trinity College, Dublin and Christs College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Footlights Comedy Club acting alongside the likes of Ian Mckellen, John Cleese and Trevor Nunn. Until recently, he acted in amateur productions at the Edinburgh Fringe.

“His first job was with the prestigious wine merchants, Hedges & Butler of Regent Street. This ensured that he was a knowledgeable connoisseur of wines thereafter.

“He moved to Somerset in 1968, where he worked in marketing for Morlands of Glastonbury, who made sheepskin coats and boots. As well as covering France and Germany, he also covered Norway and had a coup in selling fur-lined boots to the Norwegian Police.

“Whilst in Somerset, he helped run a successful restaurant with his then wife, Angela. As an offshoot, he ran the backstage bar for the ‘stars’ at the Pilton Pop Festival now better known as the Glastonbury Festival!

“After Morlands, Ian worked as Sales Director for Aquascutum in London travelling all over the world and using his many languages to great effect. Before retiring, he had a spell with the Department of Trade and Industry, as a Special Adviser in marketing to Europe.

“Ian moved back to Edinburgh and was with his long-term partner, Anne Dunmore for the last 30 years. He is survived by her and his three children, Duncan, Annabelle (CW 1989-1992) and Abby, and by nine grandchildren.

“Ian was latterly the OFA Regional Representative for Edinburgh and was a genial host at the bi-annual OF lunches. He also enjoyed his allotment in Leith and was Chairman of the Regent Terrace Garden Committee. At the weekend he could be heard commenting at the Heriots Rugby matches and was known as ‘The Voice of Goldenacre’.

“Ian was the 17th Chieftain of Camus-na-h-Erie of the Clan MacIntyre and the representative of the Clan at the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. He was to be seen resplendent with kilt, eagle-feathered bonnet and cromach, leading the 10 yearly Global Clan Gatherings at Taynuilt and opening the highland games in Argyllshire in both 2008 and 2018. He also led the Clan at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

“A great character who is sorely missed by all who knew him.”

The following obituary was published last year with an error in the name, for which we apologise greatly.

David ‘Dan’ Moutray White (Ki 1953-1958) passed away peacefully on 25th April 2019, aged 78. Schooled at Fettes during the 1950s he was a more than useful scholar, loved sport, particularly rugby and swimming and played in the school orchestra. Beloved husband to Lynette for 54 years, he served as an Analyst & Investment Banker in the City of London for many years specializing in Transportation. Whilst he counted the Eurotunnel and Lufthansa floats amongst his greatest achievements, he really loved shipping and served as Non-Executive Director of Knightsbridge Shipping Limited until three years ago. His funeral was held at St. Blaise’s Church, Haccombe, near Newton Abbott in Devon on Monday 20th May. Iain Collinson, his nephew, can be contacted at +41 788252343 for further information.

Colin Ross (Gl 1954-1958) died in Elie on 10th January 2020, aged 79. The following was written by William Carnegie (Ca 1950-1955): “Colin was highly intelligent, talented and popular with an individualistic outlook on life. Over 35 years he built the American Trust, a modest investment trust with a small staff run from a lawyers’ office in Charlotte Square, into a large business with 200 employees and managing considerable funds under the name ‘Edinburgh Fund Managers’. He was born in September 1940, a few months after his father, a territorial officer in the Argylls, was killed in the German army’s defeat of the Highland Division at St Valery-en-Caux in France. Colin was brought up by his mother in Elie and for the rest of his life maintained the family house there for holidays and eventual retirement. After leaving Fettes and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in Glasgow, he joined the American Trust in 1963. There he showed considerable flair for investment although, as the firm grew, he gave his colleagues complete authority in managing their clients’ portfolios. Each morning however he did see a list of the previous day’s transactions, thus keeping himself apprised of what had been going on.

Colin, in his day, was a low-handicap golfer. He was Captain of Elie, a Member of Muirfield and Secretary of the OF Golfing Society. He and Elaine, his wife, also fished enthusiastically taking a lodge in the Highlands each year. His other recreation was Bridge which he played to great effect. He was a devoted Old Fettesian and was the first Chairman of the Fettes Foundation and a keen supporter of the Fet-Lor Youth Club. His sons, Hamish (JS-Gl 1978-1985), Simon (JS-Gl 1979-1987) and Alastair (JS-Gl 1981-1990), the last-named a future President of the Old Fettesian Association, went to the Junior School followed by Glencorse and Sally, his daughter, to the Junior School. Elaine was a Governor of Fettes for ten years in the early 2000s, taking a particular interest in the by then Preparatory School. Colin was one of my most interesting and entertaining friends. It was a great pleasure and privilege to have known him.”

John ‘Ian’ Dunn (Ca 1955-1958), father of Jonathan Dunn (Mo 1989- 1994) and Lois Bayne-Jardine, passed away on 1st January 2020. Ian was a regular at many OF events until recently, including the Edinburgh and Central Scotland Lunches, the latter of which he was the second secretary of the group.

Richard Hewart-Jaboor (Ki 1955- 1959) sadly passed away on 22nd March 2018, aged 75 years. His brotherin-law Brian Cameron (CE 1956-1960) writes “After leaving Fettes Richard went to Liverpool University and qualified as an Architect. Returning to Edinburgh in the mid-sixties, he married my wife’s sister, Marie. Richard’s true bent turned out to be in architectural conservation and they moved to Cambridge where he had ample scope for his interest. In the mid 70’s they moved to Shrewsbury where he became heavily involved in the preservation of the town’s Tudor buildings.

“Our families regularly met in Shrewsbury or Edinburgh. He had a fulfilled life doing something he greatly enjoyed and is survived by his wife, children and grand-children.” His brother, David Hewart-Jaboor (Ki 1956- 1961) (Deceased) also attended Fettes.

Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Cardwell Moore MBE (Mo 1955-1959) died on 12th December 2019 following a stroke. His son, James (JS-Mo 1983- 1988) writes “By today’s standards, my father had an unconventional early childhood. He was born in Burma in 1941, whilst his father was commanding the Chin Hills Battalion. When the Japanese invaded in 1942, his mother, with my father in tow and one other British family, trekked 150 miles to India whilst the soldiers fought a rear-guard defence of Burma. They then spent the rest of the war in India before returning home. My father came to Fettes in 1955, leaving in 1959. He was Head of House and a School Prefect. He was a fine sportsman with an exceptional eye for a ball playing in both the 1st XV Rugby and 1st XI Hockey teams. Having left school, he went to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in 1960 and was then commissioned into The Royal Scots, The Royal Regiment where he spent 27 years. His service included tours and postings to Tripoli, Aden, Malaya, Northern Ireland, Germany, the Falkland Islands, three years with a Gurkha regiment and a spell at the Ministry of Defence in London. His service included being awarded the MBE in 1977 and commanding The Royal Scots in the mid 1980s. Sadly, a heart problem brought a premature end to his military career. In 1987 he joined the civilian world as the Administrator at Glamis Castle working for the 17th and 18th Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Under his leadership the Castle underwent a significant period of modernisation and commercial growth. He retired in 2001.” Patrick’s daughter Emily Cardwell Moore (Ar 1984-1985) also attended Fettes.

John Hatton Davidson (Ca 1956- 1960) passed away on 5th December 2019, aged 77, the much-loved brother of Peter (Ca 1961-1965) and Trish. At Fettes John was a House Prefect, Leading Cadet in the CCF and he won Governors’ Prize for Physics and Chemistry in 1960. He then attended Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge. John’s father, Ian Davidson (Ca 1922-1926) (Deceased) also attended Fettes.

Andrew Irvine (CE 1956-1961) sadly passed away on 28th June 2019, aged 76 years. At Fettes he was a House Prefect, a keen sportsman and a LanceCorporal in the CCF. After leaving Fettes, Andrew attended Amherst College, Massachusetts for his B.A., before leading a very fulfilling life in Mexico City. Whilst in Mexico, Andrew attended a university in Monterrey, where he obtained his Masters.

Andrew was later named Secretary General of FIABCI in Paris, France. Outside of work, Andrew enjoyed rugby and his later passion cycling.

As an OF, Andrew attended Eurozone weekends in Como and Oslo. Cordelia Pilz (née Harrison) (Ar 1982- 1984) remembers on these occasions how Andrew entertained OFs with his guitar and stories of being mistaken for his more famous rugby namesake.

Alastair Rae MRCVS (Ki 1957- 1962), brother of Martin Rae (Ki 1961-1966) and Douglas Rae MRCVS (Ki 1961-1966) (Deceased) and muchloved husband of Sally, passed away suddenly on 3rd February 2020, aged 76. At Fettes he was a House Prefect, a member of the Choir and a LanceCorporal, C.C.F. After Fettes Alastair became a vet, and in due course became Senior Partner at Rae, Bean & Partners, Boroughbridge.

Lord Westwood, William Gavin (Ca 1957-1962) - The following was written by his son Fergus Westwood: “Lord Westwood, William Gavin (Ca 1957-1962) died on 28th July 2019. Born on 30th January 1944 in Newcastle upon Tyne, to Bill and Marjorie, he entered Carrington House at Fettes in 1957 and represented the school at rugby, hockey, swimming and cricket. He also held the javelin record.

“He pursued a career in accountancy after leaving school and was Finance Director of an insurance company and Walter Wilson, a supermarket chain operating mainly in the North of England. He was also Chairman of Jemerton, a London based reprographic company.

“He became Lord Westwood on the death of his father in 1991 and attended the House periodically.

“Away from work, Gavin was a keen supporter of Newcastle United and Gosforth RFC, which later became Newcastle Falcons. He also spent a great many nights at Gosforth Squash Club. He had a wealth of friends through these associations that he kept throughout his life. However, most of his favourite stories were of the capers he enjoyed at Fettes.

“His funeral was very well attended and our family was deeply touched that several of his old friends from Fettes were there (Robin Lind (Gl 1957-1962), Tony Torrance (Ca 1957-1961), Tony Alston (Ca 1957-1962), Tom PictonPhillipps (CE 1957-1962), Ian Robinson (Ca 1960-1965) and Peter Muirhead (Ca 1957-1962)).

“He is survived by his wife Penny and their two sons.”

Henry Martin Ricketts (CE 1958- 1962) passed away on 27th March 2020 in Monaco after a long-term illness. At Fettes he was a House Prefect, the Secretary of the Music Club and played in the Orchestra. He was also Secretary of the Chaplain’s Group and a LanceCorporal in the C.C.F. He won the Governors’ Prize for German and went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1963.

1960s Neil Scroggie (Ki 1960-1963) died on 18th February 2020, aged 72. He was the son of Alan Scroggie (Ki 1925-1929) (Deceased), nephew of Dr Ian Scroggie (Ki 1934-1938) (Deceased), brother of Euan Scroggie (Ki 1957-1961) and uncle of Fiona Scroggie (Ar 1994-1996). We are grateful to Euan for providing these words: “While at Fettes Neil made many enduring friendships and was a drummer in the very successful Pipe Band. After leaving school Neil worked in Newcastle, firstly for a shipping company and then in insurance. He was an enthusiastic member of a rowing club. He joined the Territorial Army and was commissioned into the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. He moved to London to join the Headquarters Staff of Securicor. He continued his TA service with the London Scottish. When a promised posting with Securicor to Malaysia fell through, Neil moved back to Newcastle, returned to the insurance world and re-joined the Fusiliers. His firm wished to expand into Scotland, so Neil was selected to set up an office in Edinburgh. A recession set in and the expansion was cancelled. Neil decided to remain in Edinburgh and his career followed a less conventional path. He employed students to decorate New Town flats. Then he had an interesting time promoting the highly competitive but entirely bogus sport of Haggis Hurling. He was part of the small team that organised competitions at Highland Games, Game Fares and County Shows in the UK and abroad. Neil became the Secretary of the Ombudsman’s Panel for C R Smith, the windows and double-glazing firm and then, surprisingly for someone who did not drink whisky, he ran whisky tasting sessions for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at their vaults in Leith. Neil married three times, but each marriage ended in divorce. After retiring, Neil

Martin Barkla (CW 1961-1966) died on 12th August 2019 at the age of 71. His close friend, Harry MacDonald (CW 1961-1966), wrote the following: “Martin was one of those quiet, loyal and dependable people who was always willing to help. After he left Fettes, he studied in Newcastle but illness meant he left before finishing his course. He then found a temporary job at the St Andrews University Library and left 41 years later as deputy head of cataloguing and as a much sought after source of advice for all aspects of life at the Library.

“He showed great interest in railways and the summer after he left Fettes went by train from St Andrews to Istanbul. There followed several train themed holidays and he was a leading supporter of ‘Starlink’, the campaign to restore a railway link to his home town of St Andrews. Martin also shared his father’s love of the sea, helping build boats for the local Coastal Rowing Club and serving in the Coastguard Service for 34 years.

“Martin was always a modest man and never let on that his grandfather had won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1917 or that his father designed yachts for the America’s Cup and pioneered hydrofoil sailing craft. Those that knew him best described him as a gentleman and a gentle man.”

James ‘Shaun’ Hamilton Dillon (Gl 1961-1963) passed away on 23rd November 2018. At Fettes Shaun was the Vice President of the Debating Society, a House Prefect and the Secretary of the Music Club. He was in the Choir and the Orchestra and he won the Governors’ Prize for Music in 1963. He went on to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and became a respected composer, musician and wind teacher. He was also a long-term member of the Musician's Union.

Ed (Edwin) M Todd III (Gl 1961- 1966) sadly passed away peacefully on 6th July 2019. Ed was a former Trustee of Fettes US Charity, Friends of Fettes College Inc. and enjoyed attending US gatherings with Fettes friends. He will be sorely missed by his wife, Nancy Anne North (aka Berry Todd), daughter, Alexa, son, Ian and daughter-in-law Mackenzie, as well as his brothers and his many friends. The following information has been summarised from a published obituary on legacy.com.

Ed’s life began November 18, 1947 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, the first of four sons born to EM Todd, II (1920- 2015) of Philadelphia and Adeline Bowman Todd (1926–2008) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

In 1954, at the age of seven, Ed contracted polio, while living in Cleveland where his father was in residency at The Cleveland Clinic. Six months in hospital receiving the new, revolutionary Sister Kenny treatment sponsored by The March of Dimes saved him from becoming disabled. In fact, Ed became a lifelong fitness devotee and athlete.

In 1957, the family of five spent a year living in Edinburgh while Ed’s father was on exchange at the Royal Infirmary. Ed attended Daniel Stewart's Day School and absolutely loved it. Although the family moved back to the USA when the exchange ended, Ed and his brother Jeff were sent back to Scotland in 1959 to complete their early education. Ed spent two years at Blairmore Prep School in the Borders; then six years at Fettes College in Edinburgh.

Underlying all his academic and professional interests was rugby. In 1966, having played the game since the age of 10 as a Scottish schoolboy, Ed was a natural choice to become captain of the varsity team at USC, the only USC team to win the Monterey Tournament (aka National Championship) in that era. He met his wife, Berry, when they were students at USC. They were married in 1974 in North Hollywood. A six-month European backpacking adventure followed. They enjoyed too many travels to mention.

In 1972, finding something missing as a law student, he co-founded the Hastings Rugby Football Club, while simultaneously volunteering as a referee for the Northern California Rugby Referee Society. Ed felt it was

important to contribute to, not simply benefit from, the sport he loved. He eventually became NCRRS President for five years.

Ed valued learning more than most. For example, in 1978, he earned a Masters in Environmental Studies and never bothered to receive his final diploma; satisfied with the knowledge he needed to start a new path in passive solar design. Soon Ed built an award winning, poured adobe solar home with his Antioch College professor, Lynn Nelson, then established his own company, Invisible Sun, in 1981.

In 1983 Ed moved into commercial construction where he made his mark as a project manager for Lincoln Properties and Westfour Corp. He established his own firm ET3 Associates Construction in the early 2000s.

In 2005 Ed and Berry moved to Boulder, Colorado where Ed accepted the position of Director of Referee Development for USA Rugby. He finally got paid for his hobby! Ed became certified by the International Rugby Board as an elite coach, trainer, and match magistrate, and even in semiretirement continued to grow as a rugby official.

Having grown up in post-war Britain in the 1950s, Ed had a fascination with World War II, which eventually led to writing two novels: The Nibelungen Hoard, set between World War II and the fall of the Berlin wall; and another, The Legacy of Honor, still unpublished at the time of his death.

There are many family and dear friends who are grieving the loss of Ed Todd – husband, father, friend, teammate, coach, mentor, golf partner, smart, witty, humble and patient leader.

Richard Lendrum McKean (CE 1963-1967) born 1949, died on 14th February 2020. His brother John (CE 1957-1962) wrote the following: “We had a funeral and good celebration of his life attended by many he’d known since Glasgow University – where he got a first in Civil Engineering and in which city, apart from a few years in Dubai where he met his wife Carol, he spent his life directing his family business of civil engineering contractors.” At Fettes Richard was the Secretary of the Photographic Society, in the Sailing Club and Team, in the Choir and in the Orchestra.

Iain Ramsay (Mo 1964-1968) passed away on 11th January 2020. Iain was the beloved husband of Wendy and much-loved father of Catriona and Shonagh. At Fetters he was Sgt. i/c of the Armoury, C.C.F. Miniature Range Captain in 1967 and the Open Range Captain in 1968. He won the McLeod Cup in 1967.

Alistair Catto (CW-Ar 1965-1969) died peacefully at home on 11th April 2020, aged 68. The following information has been summarised from a published obituary on legacy.com. Alistair, brother of Drs. Christopher (Ar 1967-1971) and Colin (Ca 1975- 1980), and Anthony, was born in Forfar. At Fettes Alistair played squash and rugby. He continued to play squash at Amherst College. Whilst at Amherst, he met Bonnie and they married in 1975. Later in life Alistair discovered his love of Golf. As well as starting golf-related businesses, Alastair became a keen player, becoming a member of several golf clubs through the years, including the Old Fettesian Golfing Society. His accomplishments in Golf were many, including three US Amateurs, nine holes-in-one and two double eagles. Alistair was kind and generous and friends with people from many walks of life.

Llewellyn ‘Chippy’ Watkins (Gl 1965-1969) died on 18th December 2019, aged 68. At Fettes he was a House Prefect, a Lance-Corporal in the Royal Signals Section of the CCF, on the Chapel Committee and Shelter Committee. He was a member of the Debating Society, the Chess Club and the Motor Club and took part in the School Play in 1966 and 1968.

Fergus Bruce-Watt (Gl 1968-1973) passed away on 26th August 2018, aged 62. The following was written by his brother Hugh Bruce-Watt (Gl 1972- 1976): “Fergus always said he would never wear a suit or work in an office. He didn’t. That would have been too restrictive for a man who loved the open air, had many diverse interests and most of all a strong desire to live life on his own terms, a life that was independent, simple and true, with time and space to be generous and thoughtful towards his family and friends. Self-employed and selfmotivated throughout, he chose a home and a career path that suited him well.

“Born on an East Lothian hill farm before moving to Edinburgh in the early 1960s, Fergus went to Clifton Hall and then on to Fettes at a time when change in the public school system was rightly on the cards. Something of a rebel, he wasn’t alone in absorbing the legacies of the Summer of Love, Paris 1968 and the burgeoning underground press in the shape of Oz and the International Times. With a quick wit he was more disposed to opting out of traditional ways and poking fun at the system than being destructively anarchic and therefore enjoyed a fairly undisturbed time at Fettes with only one or two disciplinary highpoints. He became an accomplished drummer in the Pipe Band and also enjoyed climbing and shooting, competing at Bisley in 1971. Fergus and Desmond Begg (Ki 1968-1973) (Deceased) made up Fettes’s first A level Spanish class taught by Kate Eveling (Staff 1971- 1996), brought in by the Headmaster, Ian McIntosh (Staff 1958-1971) (Deceased), to inaugurate A level Spanish at Fettes.

“Although he may at one stage have been in two minds about going to university at all, following a nomadic year travelling in Europe and North Africa, Fergus arrived at Newcastle University to read French and Spanish. He enjoyed the academic side of things and in his third year was Social Secretary. With a longstanding interest in contemporary music and a vast collection of LPs, he was able to bring his musical knowledge to bear as a regular DJ and when booking bands for the University: the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band whose eccentric Viv Stanshall became something of a hero, Colosseum II and Last Exit (with a then unknown Gordon Sumner on bass).

“His year abroad was spent in Foix in the foothills of the French Pyrenees where his linguistic talent very quickly made him fluent. He was to become entirely bilingual, enabling him to integrate fully into the French way of life, where he settled for most of the rest of his life.

“On graduation, he married and returned to Foix to work with French friends on a small farm where he began to learn the practical skills of farming and the outdoor life and it was here that his first daughter Rachael was born.

“In the early 1980s, the family returned to Scotland to work on a farm near Dunbar. His son Jake was born and other opportunities presented themselves, leading to such entrepreneurial ventures as rabbit farming, at which he was very successful for a time. His interest in

agricultural fencing began to develop and he completed a course in land based engineering at Oatridge, then part of the Scottish Agricultural College.

“Returning in 1983 to a small rural community in Galinagues in the Pyrenees where his second daughter Alice was born, he set up Clôtures Fergus and introduced the region to the use of high-tensile steel wire fencing with wire imported from Sheffield. Contracts came in from across France and he became known for the new (to France) type of wire and durable, stockproof fencing that did not have to be replaced every other year.

“One of these was a government contract to erect a fence along a large section of the French-Spanish border high up in the Pyrenees, essentially to keep cattle from wandering over the border. Fencing on top of the Pyrenees is an arduous business. Access was always difficult and ferrying equipment and materials to where they were needed was often problematic. Mules and 4x4 vehicles were used and on one occasion a helicopter, which did the job in a fraction of the time. Fergus came to be known locally as ‘le fou Irlandais’ or ‘l’homme fil de fer’ in recognition of the extreme nature of the task.

“Stiff competition from much larger fencing concerns moving into the area and the challenges of business expansion under French employment law meant he eventually had to call it a day in the mid-1990s but his fence along the top of the Pyrenees is still there and talked about locally, serving as a navigational aid for visiting trekkers.

“He subsequently took up translating, another job he was ideally suited for, and worked for many years with clients and agencies from all over the world. There was an occasion at a local feria where a band of Aborigine musicians was finding it difficult to engage with their French audience as they couldn’t speak French. They were grateful when Fergus saved the day as on-the-spot interpreter.

“He kept his interest in music and for a time hosted a weekly music show in the style of John Peel on local Radio Ballade in Rousillon and encouraged his son Jake who now works as a professional musician across France and Italy. Completely naturalised in France, he maintained however that he would always be Scottish and was always proud of his Scots heritage.

“Well-read and well-informed, witty, often irreverent, always loyal, kindhearted and considerate, Fergus died of cancer in Laroque des Alberes after a short illness in August 2018 and is missed by all who knew him.”

He is survived by his French partner Claudine and her two daughters, three children and four grandchildren, mother Claire, brothers Hugh and Adam (Gl 1972-1977) and sister Lucy.

Peter Ryden (CW1969-1974) passed away on 15th December 2019, aged 63. He is survived by his wife, Carole, daughter, Orlaith and brother Nick Ryden (CW 1966-1971). At Fettes Peter was a member of the Photographic Society, the Debating Society and was in the Paramecium.

1970s The following obituary was published last year with an error in the name, for which we apologise greatly.

Nicholas Millar (Ar 1972-1976) died unexpectedly in November 2018. Born in Glasgow he was the second of five children, who all attended Fettes: Charles (Ar 1969-1974), Jonathan (Ar 1975-1979), Caroline (Ar 1980-1982) and Victoria (Ar 1983-1988), following in the footsteps of their father, William Millar, OBE (Gl 1940-1943) (Deceased). After Fettes he attended Durham University, where he studied Maths. It was in his first year as a Maths Teacher that he met his wife, Kate, who was then training to be a teacher. They married in 1984 and had four daughters: Abigail, Rebecca, Stephanie and Suzanna.

They moved to Darlington in 1988 and it was there Nicholas became known by many for his epic rides with Darlington cyclists. Having taken up the sport in his forties, he had completed the formidable Cent Cols Challenge six times, cycling up one hundred ‘cols’ or mountain passes in ten days. He was also a keen guitar player, respected wealth management adviser and much loved figure within his church.

James Stuart Maguire DenleghMaxwell (Ca 1972-1975) died suddenly and unexpectedly 10th June 2019. The following words have been provided by his friend David McAllister (Ca 1972-1977): “The first time I met Stuart was back in 1972 on the first day of the Michaelmas term. On the second day he and I stood side by side in the second row in the Junior Rugby trials. He was the man of vast experience; I had never played the game before. With all the aplomb of a British Lions Rugby Captain returning from a successful tour came those immortal words that will haunt me forever, ‘follow me and you’ll be fine’. I have to say it was one of the most painful games of rugby I ever endured and, in the end, I had to leave the field before full time.

“I don’t know what it was with playing sport with Stuart. I would never accuse him of being a finely tuned athlete or of being a natural born sportsman and yet I always seemed to walk away in pain.

“Our salad days were school days in Carrington House. We shared a study in the second year. I was learning to play the guitar and he suffered my constant repetition of the same tunes, particularly the first Spanish piece I learned. Where other boys I’m sure would have thrown me out he carried on quietly with whatever he had to do. It was only later that I realised how effective my water torture treatment had been when he’d hum the first few bars when we met – just banter. Poor man, he must have been humming Malaguena in his sleep.

“His trunk-cum-tuck box was also a point of note, not just by me but with other boys too. We had similar trunks, he and I. His was red, mine was blue. My trunk was empty. I used it to bring clothes and school uniform to the school and so it was stored out of the way upstairs during the term. His was full of cakes and treats and he stored it in the study – under lock and key. Smart move on his part. I don’t remember him being particularly generous with the contents but he certainly knew about the finer comforts in life.

“Strangely, and perhaps because it was so long ago, I have few recollections of anything he got up to at school. We were rarely in the same sets from what I can remember and team sports were not his thing really. Cecilia, his childhood sweetheart and loving wife, reminded me that he fenced and I’m sure he represented the school at the relevant age groups, but generally he wasn’t ‘mainstream’. His sports were those that didn’t require hand-eye coordination. He ‘voluntarily’ sang in the Choir. I was chain-ganged into it. In the school Cadet Corp, where most of us were conscripted into the army and square bashed our way through Wednesday afternoons, he worked

his way into the rather more exclusive few, it seemed, who went sailing in the Firth of Forth, which might loosely be referred to as the navy section.

“I think Cecilia would accuse him of indolence. She was angry at him for walking out of a French exam early having written only a single sentence. I pointed out that he wouldn’t be the first person to have done such a thing. He did better than Winston Churchill who walked out of his Latin exam for Harrow having managed only to write his name. An appropriate comparison, I felt, as Stuart also became involved in politics although work commitments and a family of four children kept him on the periphery, which he broke through twice to become Councillor Denlegh-Maxwell of Claines in the City of Worcester serving between 1988 and 1994 and then re-elected in 2018.

“His rich tapestry of life experience included serving with the Army, to ‘inventing’ the security envelope while messing around one day when working for a legal stationery company, to being one of the earliest governor members of St Richard’s Hospice, to working on some of the largest and most complex IT projects in the country, and, more recently, to pouring his heart and soul – and much else besides – into an exciting software company start-up. He was involved with the church from being an altar boy at the age of three to being a member of the church choir for most of his life, clearly influenced by his father and grandfather who were both parish priests in Worcester. There really wasn’t much that he hadn’t seen, groups of people he hadn’t met or types of individuals to whom he hadn’t shown some form of unconditional kindness.

“In 2016, his son, Harry, married my daughter, Rosie. On June 18th 2019 they became parents to Frederick Stuart Maguire Denlegh-Maxwell. A very grand name indeed.”

1980s Gordon Revill (Ki 1979-1984) passed away suddenly on 16th August 2019. He is lovingly remembered by his entire family. At Fettes Gordon was a House Prefect and keen sportsman. He was in the XV for rugby, Captained the Squash Team and was in the firsts for tennis.

1990s Paul Junior King (Ki 1993-1996) passed away Sunday, March 15, 2020, aged 41, whilst enjoying one of his favourite pastimes, cycling. Paul was born on 3rd June 1978 in London, to Paul Arthur King and Edwina Attard King. He is survived by his parents; wife of 16 years, Vanessa Marie King; daughters, Imogen Marie King and Lucia Violet King; sister, Janine Spence (née King) (Ar 1994-1999) and husband Tom; motherin-law and father-in-law, Marie and Alan Richmond; sisters-in-law, Danielle Hume and husband Andy, Louise Smith and husband Andy; Nieces and nephews; Noa Spence, Alfie Hume, Oliver Hume and Eleanor Smith.

After Fettes, Paul attended University College London where he attained his master’s degree in chemical engineering. He spent his entire career with Transocean, and was hugely respected and successful, becoming Senior Manager of Operations and Efficiency. He met Vanessa at university and they married in April 2003. They moved to Houston, Texas, where Imogen and Lucia were born, and travelled extensively with his work, making many lifelong friendships along the way.

Paul lived life to the full. He was an avid sportsman, playing rugby for the national team of Malta. He enjoyed soccer and was a dedicated fan of Tottenham Hotspur. He also enjoyed coaching his daughter’s basketball team. Paul was a kind, generous, and truly lovely person, who adored his family, and they adored him too.

Paul’s passing will be a huge loss to all who had the privilege to meet him, however he most certainly will never be forgotten.

Former Staff Sir Eric Anderson (Staff 1959- 1970) passed away on 22nd April 2020. Robert Philp (Staff 1959- 1996) remembers Eric’s life: “Eric Anderson was without dispute one of the outstanding schoolmasters of his generation. His teaching career began at Fettes, after a chance meeting in 1959 with the then Second Master and doyen of the Fettes staff, Freddy Macdonald (Staff 1925-1962) (Deceased). He soon made his mark as an inspirational teacher of English and a deeply committed House Tutor in Carrington and College East. Since ‘the East’ was still a bachelor house, the charm and dynamism of Eric’s wife Poppy was an immense asset. They made a formidable partnership. In 1964 he was tempted northwards to

Gordonstoun, where he taught Prince Charles and cast him as Macbeth in a successful School Play. Gordonstoun, however, did not offer the same pastoral challenges as Fettes, and when in 1966 the building of a new Fettes boarding house was given the go-ahead, Ian McIntosh (Staff 1958-1971) (Deceased) contacted Eric and asked him back to become its first housemaster. The challenge of assembling and forging a new boarding community was one Eric could not resist, and in 1967 Arniston House opened with him as its first housemaster.

“The chance to start from scratch and create a new house structure not tied to long-held boarding conventions was a rare one which Eric took up with relish. Volunteers at each level were recruited from the existing houses to achieve the necessary spread. House cleaning chores, for nearly 100 years the preserve of third-formers alone, were now democratically allocated across all the years, and initially only four prefects were appointed. Beating, still prevalent elsewhere, was not on the menu. As some things worked better than others, the conventions were fine-tuned accordingly as time went on. Eric and Poppy’s friendliness and warmth were ideal for the start of a new community. Arniston was soon winning games cups and Governors’ Prizes, and in the first year Eric opted to stage a House Play, Julius Caesar. With its large cast it was a great bonding exercise, and its great success marked Arniston out as a creative unit. His casting of a fourth former, Tony Blair (Ki-Ar 1966-1971), as Mark Antony (‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen…’) was maybe a signpost to the future, as Tony’s first taste of the hustings in the play clearly suited him. Eric managed at the same time as running the House to complete his exemplary edition of Sir Walter Scott’s Journal, and the great man’s bust in Eric’s front hall was

an inspiration. It was also useful as a yardstick for judging hair length. In the late 1960s, the main badge of protest was to wear your hair as long as you could get away with. Eric’s rule was simple. If your hair was longer than Sir Walter’s, it was too long. Even though Arniston was to become a girls’ House in 1980, Eric’s achievement in launching this brave new community was crucial, and he was able to use the lessons he drew from it in the stellar career as a headmaster he embarked upon in 1970.

“After Fettes, he took up in succession headships at Abingdon, Shrewsbury and finally Eton, where he was to stay for 14 years. It was a golden age. ‘For all Eton’s ancient history,’ wrote the Vice-Provost, ‘few, if any, have made as great an impact on the College as Eric Anderson.’ The popular image of the school was still that of a bastion of privilege. Eric, however, was the most un-snobbish of men, never likely to seek distinction in exclusivity. He and Poppy did much to break down inherited social barriers, and he made Eton a more meritocratic, ambitious place. His natural air of authority gained instant respect, but he wore it lightly. In handling discipline he never over-reacted, and employed reason rather than diktat. Crucially, the boys felt he was on their side. But then again, so did the staff (or ‘beaks’ in the school’s weird lingo). Quite an achievement. It was all underpinned by a strong ethic which came from his Presbyterian background. His influence was extraordinarily wide. He taught three future Prime Ministers and the heir to the throne, to whom he became a confidant, even tutoring Princess Diana in letter-writing and recording the Queen Mother’s memories of her long life. In time he became a Knight of the Thistle.

“His next appointment was to be Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, but after six years he was asked back to Eton to become Provost. He carried this role with distinction for nine years, fronting a campaign for scholarships to widen entry which raised £50 million.

“In 2017, Eric hosted a reunion at Fettes to commemorate 50 years since Arniston opened. As he recalled at the dinner their first House Play, Julius Caesar, one of the original cast suddenly broke into the lines he had spoken 50 years before. Suddenly all round the table different cast-members chimed in with their own lines, perfectly recalled. The memories over 50 years were still fresh. Fettes, like Eric’s other schools, owes him much.”

Ronnie Guild (Staff 1950-1981) has passed away at the age of 98, on December 29, 2019. He was the beloved husband of the late Julie, and much loved father of Marion, Alistair and Shena (Ca 1974-1976). Robert Philp (Staff 1959-1996) writes: “Ronnie’s death last December deprived Fettes and the city of Edinburgh of a notable character. He arrived at the school in 1950 after a colourful period of War service, mainly in India, and Oxford, where he met his future wife Julie. He was to stay at the school for 31 years. His speciality was Geography, but he got by in a number of subjects. He took charge of form 3C, in days when each level was divided into forms (A,B,C) rather than, as today, into sets by subject, and for many years he toiled away on this lowly rung of the Fettes ladder. He used idiosyncratic methods to make difficult topics digestible, employing different media and sometimes inviting in external speakers. He wanted above all to give those he taught a concern for the lived environment that surrounded them. His classes could be unpredictable, however. At the end of one term in the 1950s, when the Headmaster was doing a round to check on the classes, he discovered Ronnie playing the bagpipes to his demob-happy class. Headmagisterial displeasure was expressed.

“In the early 1960s, Ronnie took over the ‘waiting house’, Inverleith, as Housemaster. This was where new arrivals spent one or two terms, to give them a gentle introduction to Fettes life until there was space for them in their senior House. Ronnie’s avuncular style was well suited to this role, though there were touches of eccentricity. After a fire practice one night, as all the boys were going wearily back to bed, he suddenly decided that it hadn’t been realistic enough. ‘I know!’, he exclaimed, ‘We’ll have a better one, now.’ Placing a metal container at the foot of the stairs, he put some newspaper and bits of rubber in it, and set light to them. For 20 minutes the rather toxic smoke drifted merrily upward, seeping quietly under the dormitory doors, until a boy rushed out in genuine panic and started shouting. The boys were less than thrilled to be woken up twice, but Ronnie was satisfied. He had discovered a new recipe for a Fire Practice.

“In time he took over command of the C.C.F. which he ran for several years, and he then moved on to the ‘Outside Service’. This was an alternative to the C.C.F. involving various kinds of community service. Ronnie’s instinctive kindness and concern for other people meant that this suited him down to the ground, and members of the school were sent out to visit old people, to do gardening, to entertain in Care Homes and generally lend a hand. This did much good, and the uptake for the Outside Service steadily grew. It also strengthened the link between the school and the local community. One episode illustrates Ronnie’s approach. On ‘Field Day’ larger jobs could be tackled, and on one such he took a group to Glasgow to clear up some derelict buildings in the Gorbals. When the job was done and the tired boys were ready to go home, Ronnie suddenly saw a sea of rubbish in the backyard of Abbotsford Place. An instant decision was made to clear it up, and he asked for volunteers on the bus. ‘It’ll only be half an hour!’ One or two reluctantly came to help in the clearance operation, then as it went on more trickled in, watched by a group of Gorbals children, providing helpful (!) comments. In the end it took closer to two hours. To spread the environmental message, he alerted The Glasgow Herald, Radio 4 and the Lord Provost of Glasgow to the story, and the episode generated highly favourable publicity.

“In parallel with his teaching career, Ronnie was heavily involved in local politics. His idealistic instincts had impelled him towards the Liberal party, but their banner was never likely to bring success in elections. He stood a number of times for City Council

and Parliament, his enthusiasm not blunted by failure. His nickname was ‘Cocker’, and when election time came round the boys ‘encouraged’ him by coining the slogan ‘Off your rocker? Vote for Cocker’. He cared deeply about the lived environment of the city, and seemed almost to feel physical pain at the sight of, say, a pile of litter. Over many years he campaigned strongly against the forces that degraded Edinburgh, peppering The Scotsman and politicians with letters about the latest environmental atrocity. His city owes him much. He had an inexhaustible interest in people, and would start a conversation with almost anyone he passed in the street. The fact that he shared a pavement with them was introduction enough. In cafes, if he was being served by someone from abroad, he would find out from them everyday phrases in their language. These he stored in a notebook, so as he went round he could brighten the day of, say, a Bulgarian or a Pole with ‘Have a good day!’ or ‘Thanks a lot’ in their native tongue.

“Ronnie never really lost his youthful enthusiasm. His honesty shone out in a political world of compromise and spin. He continued to look after his wife Julie when she contracted Alzheimer’s and after her death had a long widowerhood, not made easier by increasing deafness, but he still took an interest in what was going on until his death at the age of 98. Today, in an age of educational targets and greater parental input, fewer ‘characters’ survive in the classroom. Ronnie was such a one, and we should be grateful for the colour he added to the Fettes scene.”

Marie Simmons (Staff 1975-1977) passed away on 9th January 2020. The following was written by Robert Philp (Staff 1959-1996): “Fettes took girls for the first time (starting with one) in 1970. There were so few girls to start with that no real structure was laid down for them. The Headmaster in the early 1970s was Anthony ChenevixTrench FRSE JP (Staff 1971-1979) and it was his splendid wife, Elizabeth, who became a confidante for the girls, an ear for their worries and a shoulder to cry on. They did get assigned to Houses, but harassed Housemasters had too little time to keep tabs on them properly. Their turn-out was colourful and showed dazzling variety, and in general the boys started to feel that the latitude they enjoyed was unfair. At this point it was noted that Marie, wife of John Simmons (Staff 1960- 1977) of the Music Department, had been a housemistress at St George’s. She was asked to take over the oversight of the girls, to introduce guidelines and a degree of uniformity. Although no martinet, Marie managed this skilfully, and, granted that girls were in time to make up 50% of the school, the standards she introduced were important in setting the tone as the number of girls grew rapidly. She was only able to do this for two years, as in 1977 John took up a post in Taunton. She was not idle for long, though, and was soon to embark on a series of headships, first at Cranborne Chase, Dorset, and later schools in Libya and Saudi Arabia.

Marie’s directness, enthusiasm and sheer energy were always a tonic, and carried her through many challenges. The girls she piloted through the angst of adolescence will long remember her cheerfulness, her charm and the standards she set.”

Isobel Wilson (Prime, as was at Fettes), (Staff 1988-92), died suddenly in her home of COVID-19 on 2nd April 2020 after only briefly showing symptoms. We are grateful to her son Richard (Gl 1977-1982) for providing the following information: Born in Dundee she spent her earliest years in Calcutta where her father worked for Thomas Duff jute merchants, before returning with her mother by troopship in 1942 via Suez Canal and Mediterranean, a hair raising journey by all accounts; educated at Beacon school (Bridge of Allan), Dundee High School then Queens College Dundee, she worked hard throughout her life and achieved great things whilst being an interesting and engaging person: a Botanist, Chemist, Primary and Secondary school teacher, Dyslexia teacher, Deputy Headteacher, Headteacher, Housemistress, devout Christian, pianist, singer and even a drummer in her 70s! World traveller, mentor, passionate RNLI fund raiser (her grandfather George Easson Kidd owned Dundee’s Victoria Dock and built the RS Discovery), friend to many and always interested in other people’s opinions and stories. Dearly loved wife of Russell Prime (d. 1987) whom she met in Jamaica in 1959, together they worked as expats all over the world for his postings until 1985 before returning to Dundee then buying a house in Edinburgh; and in later years of Charles Wilson (d. 2005) in St Andrews; mother to Richard, Alison and Graham. Isobel spoke proudly of her time at Fettes, the hard work as she taught Biology and ran College West, whilst still coming to terms with our father Russell’s death. Even recently in 2020 she continued to speak proudly of her College West girls, their university and life events she read in the Fettesian.

Toni McMurray, the wife of former Moredun Housemaster and Chairman of the Governors, David McMurray (Staff 1964-1976), passed away on 17th January 2020. The following was written by Nikki Cooper (Ca 1972-1974) who was the first Girl Boarder at Fettes and lived with the McMurrays: “Toni, mum to Ginny (Gl 1979-1981), Phosey and Susie, was born in Hong Kong, the daughter of Commander of the Royal Navy, Alexander Dalrymple Stewart Murray and Sylvia Gladys Dawson on the 20th October 1940.

“Alexander Murray worked for British West Indian Airlines so Toni had an international childhood moving from Portugal to Trinidad to Singapore, South Africa and Australia. Toni was proud of her Australian nationality.

“Toni left for Lillesden Boarding School in Cranbrook Kent at 15. She met the dizzy heights of being awarded the Coronation Cup for Drama and one A level in Art. Both skills useful when making her home look beautiful and being able to put anyone at their ease. Perfect attributes for a future headmaster’s wife!

“Toni and David were married on 25th August 1962. Toni was always bemused by the unquestioned expectation of having to leave her job now that she was married, how times have changed!

“David took up his first teaching post as English Master at Stowe, Buckinghamshire. In 1964 they moved up North to Fettes College where they soon took on running Moredun, David as Housemaster and Toni as Matron.

“In September 1972 I went to Fettes as one of the first girls. With no local family to live with, the McMurrays very kindly took me on a boarder into their own home.

“The first thing I learned was that no two families are alike! Toni and David created a wonderful, lively, warm household with their three girls, Gypsy the dog, the Moredun boys, and now me. Toni had the ability to make me

feel as if I was one of them; a ‘fourth daughter’ as she called me! Toni was generous, warm, hospitable, flamboyant, fun loving and colourful and I loved her for it.

“In spite of following David to Loretto, then Oundle, Toni remained an ardent and life-long supporter of Fettes, helping me convince my husband that it would be the best place for our own children!

“Toni managed to make anywhere she was feel like the ‘place to be’. I, along with many others, will miss hearing her cheerful voice brightening up my day.”

Jamie Frost (Staff 1992-1997) sadly passed away on Thursday 19th September in St Columba’s Hospice. The following was written by Peter Coshan PhD (Staff 1972-2005): “If one needed evidence of the deep affection and high regard felt for Jamie Frost, you only had to attend the service in St John’s Church on 30th November last year held in Celebration of his Life – assuming, that is, you could get in, for it eventually became standing room only! They came from near and far, representing every stage of his tragically shortened but still richly full life. Colleagues and those he taught and coached at the London Oratory School, Fettes and Dollar were there in force, as were his University of Exeter contemporaries and a host of friends from Edinburgh, where he was educated and where he lived with his family.

“Head of Rugby at Fettes, Gregg Davies (Staff 1989-2004), could spot a good thing when he saw it, and Jamie joined the Fettes staff in 1992. He proved himself to be an exceptionally gifted and competitive coach of cricket, rugby, hockey and PE. He was instrumental in establishing PE as an academic subject and went on to coach the 1st XI Cricket with notable success for three seasons. He also taught Science and Geography and was looking to add Art to his repertoire

by attending Life Drawing classes – as an artist! He also threw himself wholeheartedly into extracurricular life at Fettes: he climbed mountains in Nepal, took on the Western Isles Challenge and was a regular on Third Form Field Week. He appeared as No Good Boyo in the staff production of Under Milk Wood and he was Romeo serenading Judy Campbell’s (Staff 1995-2007) Juliet in The Shakespeare Revue, an altogether much lower-brow staff contribution to the Middle School Drama Festival.

“Jamie will perhaps be most fondly remembered for his sociability. As Resident House Tutor in Carrington, he struck up an instant rapport with the boys under his charge and they in their turn felt a protective concern for him. His nickname of ‘crash and burn’ reflected their solicitude for him after yet another failed romance. He was the ultimate party animal; his parties were the stuff of legend, with Jamie often making his appearance in fancy dress as Frosty the Snowman. But what he really needed was a wife to cool his fevered brow. He failed to find her at Fettes (though not for want of trying); nor was she to be found during his time at the International School in Kuala Lumpur after he left Fettes in 1997. But on his return to the UK, he took up a post Dollar Academy and it was there at last he met the future Mrs Frost, English teacher Sandy Gabriel. The daily commute to Dollar and the arrival of his son Jonty and daughter Gabby certainly curbed his partying ways, but the old Jamie was still simmering below the surface, as we saw at his 50th birthday party in 2016.

“It may have seemed odd to have followed Jamie’s memorial service with a fancy dress party in the Grange Cricket Club with the theme of anyone or anything beginning with the letter F. There was a Flat Pack and Flappers and even Pope Francis appeared. It was an inspired send-off to a much-loved and hugely missed friend and one is certain Jamie will have wholeheartedly approved and been with us all in spirit.

“Our sympathies go out to Sandy, Jonty and Gabby, and to Jamie’s Mum and brothers Donald and Graham, who have borne their tragic loss with enormous dignity.”

Diana Henderson (Staff 2001- 2004) passed away on 10th April 2019, aged 72. She had a wide-ranging career that spanned the military, the law and fundraising for public schools, universities and stately homes. She was Development Director at Fettes from 2001 to 2004, having been in a similar role at the University of Edinburgh. Whilst at Fettes she worked with committed Fettes Foundation Trustees to raise funds for projects such as Westwoods Sports Centre. After Fettes she moved on to a similar role at Queens’ College Cambridge.

Diana was also a military historian and her book on the traditions and customs of the Highland regiments from 1820-1920, The Highland Soldier, was published in 1986 to wide praise.

She married Peter Jones (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Edinburgh University) who was director at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities at Edinburgh University (1986-2000) in 2011 and they retired to Norfolk.