Calendar of dates (2015)
Ampleforth Trip 14th–16th September;
Golf Outing Blairgowrie, September;
Annual Dinner & AGM, Holiday Inn Theatreland, Glasgow, Saturday 3rd October.[
Ampleforth Trip: We arrive at lunch time on Monday 14th and stay for 2 nights, leaving after Mass on Wednesday
16th. It will include a bus trip in this beautiful area and pub lunch. Total cost around £160 a head. Many thanks to Laurence Hogarth for organizing the trip. To book, phone Ralph Giulianotti 01738 624674 as places are limited.
Golf Outing: The date has still to be arranged, but like last year it will be on a Sunday in September at Blairgowrie GC. Date and details will be on the website nearer the time.
Annual Dinner & Report: Our Dinner last year was once again a great success and well attended. The guest speaker Fr. Mark Savage OSB of Pluscarden gave an interesting talk with video on their Kristo Buase African Mission Monastery. He has since sent a letter of thanks for the donation of £400 from the Association and also for the £120 of personal donations from OBs.The meal and service were first class. Thanks go to Maurice for the wine
and Alasdair and Ralph for the Bennies. A good time was had by all, with many friendships and memories rekindled. This year’s Dinner for OBs and partners is on Saturday the 3rd October at the usual venue, Holiday Inn Theatreland, West Nile St., Glasgow preceded by the AGM at 7.00 pm.
This years Dinner will cost £35 a head (the same as last year) and accommodation with our usual OB discount is
Double/Twin £95 and Single £85 including full Scottish Breakfast. Suggestions for speakers are always welcome.
To reserve Accommodation phone 0141 352 8305. To reserve Dinner phone Ralph Giulianotti on 01738 624674. Menu: Malt whisky-cured Salmon with potato and chive Mousse, honey mustard and dill dressing; Lentil and root vegetable Bisque with flat parsley and crackled black pepper; Suprême of Duck with braised red cabbage, orange and Grand Marnier sauce; Gâteau Paris-Brest with brandy Anglaise, followed by Tea/Coffee.
Memories: Dr. Calum Bartlett (who sadly passed away last year) sent the following memories to webmaster Colin Bryce. He attended the Abbey in 1937-1942 and ended up House and School Captain – ‘Very happy days and well worth my journey from Barra with a change of boats at Loch Boisdale and train from Mallaig and bus from Spean Bridge. I was sixteenth man in the rugby team and twelfth man in the hockey and cricket teams, positions granted – so that I could have the doubtful pleasure of travelling with the team – in early days in the Albion lorry driven by Brother Magnus. Having been de- clared by who knows who (not by the Fort) as too young for the University I spent my last year collecting a couple of more Highers. The science master, Spud Murphy, des- pite being a citizen of the Irish Republic, had joined the Air Force. Not being able to find a new teacher they offered me the job. Being relatively, unemployed I accep- ted, despite absence of salary!’ Calum remembered visits by Abbot Sir David Oswald Hunter Blair, Bart. in the 1930s who was a convert, old Etonian, scholar and Baron as well as a monk at the Fort, becoming the second Abbot in 1912). Calum recalled him being nicknamed Hunter Bunter. Calum wrote that ‘every third Monday was a hol- iday with outings supervised for the under fourteens. Their elders were free to do what they wished or join an arranged expedition. This Monday was an optional trip for them up to the top of Corrieyairack Pass by General Wade’s road. Dilworth and I, though both fourteen, were judged too puny to survive such an expedition. To hell with that! Accompanied by a couple of more aged friends we set off ten minutes before the official group, carrying with us a six foot pole which we planted at the top of the Pass with a suitable note attached.’ ‘About one third of the way down we passed the official group on the way up led by the DLK. I have a vague memory of him wiping the rain off his specs as he scrutinised us. Not quite Scott and Amundsen. We were later called to his office and simply told “If you had been found dead in a ditch what could I have said to your parents?” Not quite his words but essentially the same and appropriate.’ ‘In my second year at the Fort there was a Pots’ strike. They were ob- jecting to Fr. Maurus, the Prefect of Discipline [because he had disciplined them harshly for going to the cinema in Inverness apparently]. I never knew why but he may have been restricting privileges enjoyed by the upper school. Fr Maurus lost his job and took over the care of the grounds from Fr. Luke Cary-Elwes a slightly aristo- cratic old man whose voice used to be heard crying out “Get orf my bally gra-a-ss” when he saw anyone tres- passing on the cricket pitch.’ Calum went to Glasgow University to study Medicine and eventually spent his life as a GP in Surrey. Webmaster Colin put Calum in touch with Peter Barry and Cyril Hall both contemporar- ies whom he had not been in touch with for 70 years.
History: OB Dr. Michael Turnbull came across the following article in The Tablet of 19 Jan. 1935: ‘The inaugural meeting and dinner of the reconstituted Fort Augustus Association was held on the 7th inst. at the Caledonian Hotel, Edinburgh. The Right Rev. Wulstan Knowles, Abbot of Fort Augustus and President of the Association was in the chair. His Lordship the Bishop of Aberdeen and the Right Rev. Sir Oswald Hunter Blair, Bt., Abbot of Dunfermline (vice presidents), Mr. Charles George, SSC, Mr. W.D. Hamilton (editor of The Corbie), Mr. W. Mclean ( Hon Treasurer), Mr. J.P. Brown (Hon. Sec.), and thirty other Old Boys of the school attended. Among the guests were Reginald Fairlie, R.S.A. and Mr. J.F. Scholfield.
Deaths: Since our AGM (and not in our Minutes): George Macleod (1960s) formerly of Barra died Nov. 13 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. Tony Barry died 24 February 2015 aged 87. Fr. Stephen Dunn our chaplain will remember all our deceased members in his masses. R.I.P.