Number 15 Summer 2011 The magazine for former pupils and friends of Glasgow Academy and Westbourne School Inside: all the Ups and Downs of Academical life ETCETERA 15.indd 1 15/07/2011 17:04 Editorial Contents It’s five years since I took on the job of Director of External Relations. 3 Adventures in East Africa It’s an enormously diverse role and one that I enjoy thoroughly. 4 Far away and long ago It’s never possible to predict what will happen on any given day as no two days are the same. I spend much of my time developing relationships with parents who are 6 The Legacy of Giving thinking of sending their children to The Academy and - with 1300 children on 7 Anecdotage three sites - that’s a good number of relationships! Satisfying as this part of the job is, it’s the relationships with former pupils that 10 Academy life in the 1960s undoubtedly give the greatest pleasure - perhaps especially those who are a little older 13 Academicals Abroad in years. It’s odd that the older we become the more we enjoy looking back on our formative years - or so it seems. It has been my pleasure and privilege to meet many 14 Reunions and get-togethers former pupils who, perhaps, only in their retirement have had the time to re-establish a relationship with the school in which they grew up. 16 This sporting life Andrew Wylie was a man who clearly had fond memories of his old school. 18 Business Etcetera Although he lived in far-away Fife, he liked nothing better than to make the journey to The Academy in the company of his good friend Douglas Anderson for a chat 20 Updates, et cetera about the old days over a plate of soup and some sandwiches. It was during these lunchtime chats that I learned about that first flush of patriotic enthusiasm after war 22 Academical section was declared in 1939 that caused the 1st XV to dig up the tennis courts - quite 24 The Accie who played in the FA Cup needlessly as it turned out. I heard stories of fire-watching in the main building, Final of berry picking camps, of sitting-rooms turned into makeshift classrooms and of schoolboys transformed into makeshift soldiers - all told with a twinkle in the eye and 26 Westbourne the joy of things not forgotten. It was during these lunchtime conversations that the idea for a book on the Glasgow Academy 1939-45 was raised - by someone, I can’t 28 Family announcements remember who. 31 From our own correspondents And so Seventy Years On: A School at War was born. Written by Andrew and illustrated by Douglas, his friend of 70 years, it is a book on a serious subject but full Do we have your e-mail address? of good humour - the humour of shared memories, told with a twinkle in the eye. It’s how we communicate best! Over the past few weeks we have seen the passing of far too many members of that remarkable wartime generation of Academy pupils. Sadly, we have said farewell to Keeping in touch Douglas Maclean, Tom Mann and Andrew Wylie - all talented men who have given The External Relations office is situated much to their old school. in Colebrooke Terrace. Former pupils Returning last week from Andrew’s funeral, I mused much on friendship, on are always welcome to pop in for a chat and look round the school. Just give memories and on the great privilege it is to share - however briefly - in the lives of us a call to arrange a time. Our address those who were pupils at Glasgow Academy. is Colebrooke Terrace, Glasgow G12 8HE and you can contact us on 0141 342 5494 or at [email protected] The Glasgow Academical Club Malcom McNaught, Director of External Relations 21 Helensburgh Drive, Glasgow G13 1RR [email protected] President – John Taylor E-mail – [email protected] Secretary – Kenneth Shand Tel: 0141 248 5011 Forthcoming Events E-mail: [email protected] 16/17 September Class of 2001 Reunion, TGA and New Anniesland The Academical Club pavilion is available for functions. Please contact Ken Barron 21 September GA 100 Networking reception (venue tbc) at [email protected] for details. 30 September Class of 1991 reunion, TGA and Grand Central Hotel Academical Club’s London Section 7 October Class of 1961 – 1965 Reunion, TGA Secretary – David Hall, 20 Cadogan Place London SW1X 9SA 13 October Kelvin Foundation Lunch, TGA Tel: 020 7235 9012 28 October Gasbags Lunch, New Anniesland E-mail: [email protected] 11 November 129th Glasgow Academical Club Annual Dinner, TGA 2 December Classes of 1971 – 1975 Reunion, TGA Cover: Peter Littlefield takes a short-cut through Edinburgh’s Old Town 2 Etcetera ETCETERA 15.indd 2 15/07/2011 17:04 Adventures in East Africa As part of her gap year, Rachel Turner (2010) has been in Africa before taking up her place at Oxford to read Biological Sciences. Rachel is one of no fewer than seven of the class of 2010 who have secured Oxbridge places. Departing Glasgow airport on a fell in love with the people. snowy afternoon at the beginning of Time flew by and within a month we February earlier this year, I was not as travelled to the Great Rift Valley to apprehensive as one should be when work on Soysambu conservancy and embarking on a four-month adventure next to Lake Elementaita. I was very of a lifetime – but I don’t think that excited to work here as I am studying fact had quite sunk in yet. In just one biology at university and this was exactly hour’s time I would arrive in Heathrow the sort of work I would wish to pursue and meet the people whom I had seen after my degree. As a group we would on Facebook but never in the flesh, or do the background research for a PhD even spoken to. These people turned student from Bristol University by out to be some of the best friends I’ll monitoring the endangered Rothschild ever make. Then, after an overnight giraffe species. We also helped in flight with a lot of small talk, we landed building a new wildlife hide which in Nairobi. There were twenty-three would hopefully bring tourism to the of us in total, all having signed up to the conservancy and thus more money for same project of helping the environment the community that lived within it. and community in Kenya through the company AfricaAsia Ventures (AV). Finally we headed to the coast south of Other than working closely in these Mombasa (also known as paradise). The three places, we wanted to see more of After a weekend of getting to know primary school was almost completed east Africa. As well as climbing Mount everyone, I departed with six other when we arrived, but we managed to Kenya one weekend, snorkelling with people to our first project in the put the finishing touches to it, as well dolphins, singing randomly with the Massai Mara. Each morning we would as promoting the local tree plantation children in the streets of Malindi and teach the primary school children and and looked after the trees and planted Narok we also travelled to Uganda, afterwards continue to build the new more. This mainly Muslim village was bungee jumped into the Nile, and rafted secondary school. The approach to not something I expected and it had down the most terrifying rapids in the life is so relaxed that our enthusiastic a very Arabic influence as opposed to world. We headed down the Kenyan mentality accelerated the build and they the British influence in the rift valley. coast and across to Zanzibar. We met finally had more than one room to use Kenya may be a less developed country the most varied group of people, from as a classroom/dormitory. The poverty but its history causes it to be so and it is rich ex pats to Japanese tourists, to beach in this area was astonishing: I counted so eye-opening that, even though our boys to crazy men. four out of my class of thirty-seven who culture was detrimental to its current If I could, I would replay those four owned shoes. Our mere presence made economic state, the kindness of the months over and over again. the children realise that there is life human spirit makes the people utterly beyond their immediate community. I welcoming and friendly. Rachel Turner (2010) Etcetera 3 ETCETERA 15.indd 3 15/07/2011 17:05 Far away and long ago A very vivid vignette from my first days spare time during the following year, at the Britannia Royal Naval College after which I applied and was summoned will remain forever imprinted on my to the Admiralty Interview Board. At memory. Graham Black (1967) appeared this process, some of the components around a corner, careering along. He that I had faced with equanimity left skidded to a halt, mouth agape for several me uneasy, and vice versa. I remain seconds before proclaiming: ‘What convinced that my success was due in are YOU doing here?!’ It was a very part to the impression I made by hurling reasonable question to a boy, somewhat myself enthusiastically into the practical reserved and bookish, whom he had team evolution, descending with last seen departing for university; a boy horrendous thuds from the gymnasium who, to his father’s disappointment, apparatus, and losing a stone in the had inherited no sporting flair; a boy process.