Reflections

Dingwall Academy under 15 team taken about 1968. Back row, left to right – James Kenney, Graham Stewart, Ronald MacDonald, Ian MacRae, and Donald MacDonald. Front row, left to right – Ken Gordon, Steven Ferguson, Douglas Brown, Donnie Donaldson, David Ren

88 years ago

Friday, 27th June, 1924

THE MEN of the Royal Air Force stationed at Evanton held their farewell dance in the Diamond Jubilee Hall.

Mr Donald J Macdonald, Lochcarron, has been appointed assistant teacher of English in Inverness Royal Academy.

Mr P A Marshall has been elected president of Dingwall Victoria United FC, with Mr Munro, Station Road, as treasurer, and Mr John Fraser, Craig Road, secretary.

Mr Kelly, hairdresser, Invergordon, his wife and family, took their departure for Australia on Tuesday. After being discharged from the Army, Mr Kelly had set up in business in the town.

Invergordon Bowling Club’s rink won the final of the Highland Bowling Association’s Tournament in Elgin, defeating Moray 26-13. Members of the winning rink were: R J Mackintosh, Jack Reid, Provost D A M Ross and A W Ross (skip).

Mr Donald Mackay, BSc, son of the late Mr Mackay, schoolmaster, Maryburgh, and Mrs Mackay, has been appointed an assistant organiser to Mr G G Esslemont, under the North of Scotland College of Agriculture. For the next month or two he will be engaged on the Alness Poultry Croft.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Very Rev David Cathels, visited Ross and Cromarty, attending a garden party and cake and candy sale in the grounds of the Manse of Ferintosh, and a congregational meeting of Dingwall Parish Church in the Carnegie Hall. On Sunday he preached in the Hogg Memorial Hall, Evanton.

OBITUARIES: At Rosebank, Beauly, James John Fraser, retired farmer, Shawpark, Munlochy. Leslie Haig, aged 37 years, husband of Jean, father of Lindsay, Phyllis and Fiona, Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Kirky Hill, Richmond. William Henry Hermitage, husband of Margaret Wendy Bennetto, 7 Gordon Terrace, Invergordon. At Liss, Hampshire, Rear Admiral Colin Mackenzie, CIE, DSO, aged 96 years. At 519 Great Western Road, Glasgow W2, Elizabeth Macpherson, mother of Kitty, daughter of the late Duncan C Ross (of The Bakery, Munlochy). At 3 Wyvis Terrace, Dingwall, Ann Mackintosh, mother of Mrs D A Cameron, widow of John MacPherson, Brooklyn, New York.

At the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston, Edinburgh, Mr William MacGillivray of Glastullich, Nigg, elder son of the world-renowned Shorthorn Cattle King, the late Captain John MacGillivray of Calrossie, gained the Supreme Championship of the North Country Cheviot Sheep Class for the ninth time since the War. He gained the title with a magnificent two shear tup, which he had purchased for £500. As well as the Championship, Mr MacGillivray gained no fewer than seven top awards with his eight NCC entries.

After a generally quiet early summer as far as wind-force was concerned, it was unfortunate that the three days of the Ullapool Sea Angling Festival should coincide with gale force winds each day. The overall Champion with the heaviest basket of fish was Mr Craig, Edinburgh, with 331lbs 6ozs. The Heaviest Fish landed was a 10lb 4ozs Ling by Mr G W Hanton, Derby. In the Ladies’ Section, the Heaviest basket was landed by Mrs Ryan, Ullapool, with 18lbs 1oz. Mrs Macrae, Beach House, Ullapool, presented the prizes.

Ex-Bailie Mrs Charlotte S Brown, JP, Fasnakyle, Burnside, Dingwall, who has been connected with the National Savings Movement for some forty-five years, for nearly twenty years as a member of the Ross-shire (Mainland) Savings Committee, was honoured at a National Savings Rally at Invergordon. She was presented with a National Savings Scroll and Badge in recognition of her valuable work for the Movement.

Miss Hazel Macdonald, Drummond Cottage, Evanton, has gained the degree of Master of Arts at Aberdeen University.

Philip Macpherson, Fearn, and Alexander C Oag, Evanton, have gained the Scottish Diploma of Agriculture at the North of Scotland College of Agriculture.

Policewoman Margaret Macleod of the Ross and Sutherland Force was presented with the Stephen Trophy at the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan Castle. Margaret, who is the daughter of Mr and Mrs George Macleod, Croft Cottage, Strathpeffer, attained the highest marks on the college course and received a copy of Chambers 20th Century Dictionary from Mr Kenneth Ross, Chief Constable of the Ross and Sutherland Force, who was Inspecting Officer at the Passing Out Parade.

Forty enthusiastic young tennis players from Tain Royal Academy and Tain Primary School took part in an American Tournament organised by Miss Elna Lavens at the Tain Tennis Club courts. Miss M Mackay presented the prizes to Janette Pater and Martin Ryan, the winners, and to Kathleen Mackay and William Ross, runners-up.

Invergordon Boating Club held its first race of the season in the Cromarty Firth. Seven local yachts took part with the following results: 1 White Heather (Mr Hugh Ross, Lochslin); 2 Undine (Messrs John Clark and Eric Douglas); 3 Fiasco (Messrs Ross Mitchell and David Lipp).

 An excellent game of football was presented by the Under-15 Selects from Easter Ross and Lewis on the Dingwall Academy playing fields. Spectators were royally entertained throughout with the teams drawing 3-3. The star of the Easter Ross team was Robert Macleod, son of Provost Robert Macleod, and goalkeeper J Allan, Hilton, gave an outstanding display. Scorers were: East Ross: Garry Urquhart, Karl Oparka and W Ross, with Maclennan scoring a hat-trick for the Lewis team. The match was well refereed by Mr David Hamilton, Dingwall.

THE sense of kinship and pride of race which bind Canadian Scots to the homeland of their forefathers was symbolised in a unique act of homage in the burial ground of Avoch Parish Church on Saturday. The setting was the walled enclosure of the grave of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Lewis-born explorer and pioneer of the Canadian North West. A Regimental tribute to the man who discovered the river which bears his name, came from the Commanding Officer of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Lt Col Robert F Clark, and the Adjutant, Captain Allan Macleod. The two officers marched in procession with members of a small official party led by Pipe Major Andrew Venters playing the stirring old Seaforth tune "Caber Feidh." The main party at the ceremony included Mr Gregor Mackintosh, Avoch, who had initiated the successful campaign for the restoration of the grave site. Captain Macleod raised the standard on the tall flagstsaff, while Colonel Clark laid a wreath of poppies below the plaque on the wall donated by the North West Territories of Canada to mark their bicentenary the previous year. Pipe Major Venters played the lament "The Flowers of the Forest" at the close of a most moving ceremony.

At a ceremony in the Gardyne Theatre, Northern College

of Education, Dundee, students who had passed the examinations of the Caledonian Scheme Certificate in Social Service received their Certificates from Professor Morag Faulds, late of Paisley College of Technology, until recently an external assessor of the scheme. The professor was also a former director of social work for Inverness County Council. Among recipients were Mrs Janetta Goodfellow, day centre officer, Seaforth Adult Training Centre, Maryburgh; Mr Charles E F Macleod, senior care officer, Coulpark Children’s Centre, Alness; and Mrs Patricia F Stowall, acting manager, Loch Broom House, Ullapool.

Tain Royal Academy’s first pupil to undertake work-experience in Germany will be Philip Robertson. Philip will be working in the Sanitorium Spitznagel, Bad Bodendorf, for the summer.

The destruction of the environment by toxic waste and deforestation is the unlikely theme of "Cut and Run", a dance-theatre piece created by Ross and Cromarty dancer-in-residence Caroline Reagh and drama worker John Batty. The dance drama is being presented in Tain, Poolewe and Dingwall.