This page will contain most of the current or recent past events, but will also be a link to several others, including historic News, Prize Giving ceremonies, Annual Dinners, the archive site, and others.
2023 Annual Dinner
The Royal Scots Club once again hosted our annual flagship event. Recently elected Club President Russell Ogg decided that for once we would not have a guest speaker, but instead allow the School and Club speakers a little extra time. Russell, along with Pauline Walker and School Captain Iain Dunlop delivered excellent speeches (the latter two orators having performed at the RHS London Club dinner the previous week). Iain also piped in the top table, while the School Fiddle band, led as ever by June Nelson, delivered some fine Scottish tunes, along with a few Irish ones to mark Saint Patrick’s day. Fine contingents of nation captains and teachers were present, with a good collection of Former Pupils, including no fewer than eight past presidents, and a London Club presence in the form of their Club Secretary Alex Prentice. Club photographer Ian R C Cowie provided the camera skills (for all except that of himself with Pauline Walker).
Click on any of the images in the gallery below to enable a full screen slideshow.
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2022 Annual Dinner
After two years without our usual Annual Dinner, the event resumed with the 2022 Dinner at the Royal Scots Club, the planned location of the cancelled 2020 event.
Largely due to Covid, the turnout was less than in previous years, but the photographs below show that the guests clearly were not concerned by the reduction in numbers. Club President Ian Cowie ensured that the event flowed well, and speeches were delivered by the Rector, the School Captain, and by guest speaker Mike Shepley in discussion with the President. Several teachers attended, along with the School and Nation Captains, and 2019 Captain Lucy Krauth. The top table was piped in by the six-strong School pipe band led by pipe-major Clare Millar, and the fiddle group was once again led expertly by June Nelson. The London Club was represented by Richard Steedman, 1981 Dux of school.
Click on any of the images in the gallery below to enable a full screen slideshow.
The Royal Scots Club, a new venue for the event, received many plaudits, and has already been booked for next year’s event!
Guest speaker Mike Shepley (1961 alumni), has a CV which includes architecture, art, angling and film making. Click here for examples of his art work, and here for images from his Radio, TV and fishing life.. Click here for a PDF of his presentation at the dinner.
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The 2021 Remembrance service was recorded in front of a much reduced audience. Kate Fraser’s now usual Remembrance address was largely drawn from material researched and published by the School historian – read the material here.
Due to the pandemic, the last ‘live’ event was the visit of the Duke of Kent in January 2020, but in the meantime there have been a few others with small live components, or severely restricted audiences.
The 100th Birthday of John Cruikshank VC (see article below)
The 2020 Virtual Prize Giving. The Club contributed by providing video segments from Club President Ian R C Cowie, also former Club President Frank Crowe who provided the FP Address. These segments were produced and recorded by Ian ‘Frank Capra’ Cowie, the latter with the assistance of the club historian as Best Boy/ Key Grip.
The full Prize Giving ceremony is available on the the School website, Celebrating Success option within the News pages, or by clicking here While you are there, there are other YouTube videos for the Remembrance Service, The Wider Achievement Ceremony, and the S1 Memorial Door ceremony.
A brilliant three and a half minute ‘Video message to all Pupils during lockdown‘ created from individual slides from around ninety staff members, telling the pupils that they are missing them, asking them to stay safe, and looking forward to seeing them when its possible. If you watch until the end, you’ll see Rector Pauline…oh, and the Cockapoo is called Cassie.
The creation of a fifth ‘Nation’ – the Gaels. The Nation system was introduced in 1912 by Rector William J Watson, and has proved acceptable until recent increases in the school role has required the creation of an extra ‘management ‘ group.
School Nation Captains (two per Nation) have become a vital part of the organisation and management of the school, and the fifth Nation will help distribute their key effort. The Rector has just forwarded an image of the new blazer badge.
The Digital History was not distributed this year, but if you want to see what you are missing, click here to see the menu page The History is available for a modest fee – please Contact us
The new Rector-inspired Biography project has been launched on the London Club website. Rector Pauline asked the school historian to create some new ‘inclusive’ biographies for the school website; while Sir Walter Scott, Alexander Graham Bell and Ronnie Corbett are famous memories, we should perhaps be including more Barnton-era pupils. Tom Bacciarelli was roped in, and after several months hard work, the first six were posted on the London Club site in February 2021 – click here to see the outcome. In case you are wondering why your favourite FP is not featured, it may be because we are trying hard to secure the information, as yet without success. We have a database of ‘targets’ which likely will contain your favourites. In the meantime, have a look at the near-11,000 word Biography PDF which forms part of the digital history.
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STOP PRESS – 2021 Annual Dinner Cancelled, but there is an alternative…
Sadly, but inevitably, the 2021 Annual Dinner did not take place. However, our Club President (and video wizard) is masterminding a virtual event, with guest speaker, Mike Shepley (leaving year 1961), architect, artist, angler and film maker. There are also contributions from the Rector. the present School Captain with Vice Captains and last years Captain – documenting Covid Schola Regia.
As of April 20th, the Covid Schola Regia article has been published, but the Virtual Dinner has been postponed.
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The 100th Birthday of John Alexander Cruikshank VC
The RHS Club decided to approach John Cruikshank VC to ask if he would like a video presentation from the Club to celebrate his 100th birthday. He was very pleased, and a small team comprising 2019-2020 School Captain Lucy Krauth, Club President Ian Cowie, and Club historian Alastair Allanach combined to produce and deliver the video to Craigielea Gardens in Aberdeen where he now resides. The story of the episode which warranted the extraordinary award of the Victoria Cross was made as a documentary in 1995 by the British Film Institute (BFI), and is available here, and some background to John’s life and the Victoria Cross Citation is available here.
The video which we produced is available here, the birthday card which we sent John is available here, and a selection of photographs and memorabilia is shown below.
Click on any of the images in the gallery below to enable a full screen slideshow.
Acknowledgements for help in the production of this tribute are due to to Squadron Leader Alasdair Beaton, June Nelson (for the Vivas Schola Regia music), Tessa Minshull (leaving year 2018) for the Regent Road drawing, and the staff of Craigielea Gardens Aberdeen for conveying our messages and greetings to John
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Postscript – the historian was given acknowledgement for components of this presentation which were included in the ESMS 2020 Remembrance Service (held every three years), when the principal individual being celebrated was John Alexander Cruikshank VC. John Cruikshank went to Daniel Stewarts in 1933 following three years senior education at the Royal High School
The Royal High School Club 