The loss was keenly felt in the close-knit community, particularly at the secondary school. Stories from his own relatives and from the families of men who had come home from war and didnt want to speak about their experiences. The artist created the memorial window from six panels made up of individual pieces of glass stained lightly all over to keep the necessary sobriety of effect. Two missing pieces of glass were also replaced and the loose copper ties were slowly tightened to prevent breakages. Please find the obituary by clicking on the link. Can you list the top facts and stats about The Gordon Schools? Demolish The Gordon School Huntly. Stanley T. Fraser signed the Guest Book (28/06/15). David Smart has kindly made available a photograph of Mrs Kennedy with her class on the first day of school in 1947. Genevieve Munro (Bachelor of Education) See also EVENTS page, centre column: Corporal Michael Pike. The memorial, which serves a decorative as well as a commemorative purpose, has been inserted in one of the windows of the secondary school., Addressing the crowd, Sir Edward said the window was erected in order that those who came after them, in days when the story of the great war had become a tradition and a thing to be read of in books might know their names, might think of their great sacrifice, and if ever the call to fight for freedom should be sounded, be ready to respond to that call as they did.. A memorial book was too ambitious a project for the competition, but an idea Valerie said never went away. Our current school roll stands at around 750 pupils. The 51st Highland Division was perhaps the finest in the British Army in France, and it was the most feared by the Germans. The annual Magazine of the Gordon Schools Former Pupils Association has been published. Jean had a wealth of knowledge of Huntly and its inhabitants and would always find an answer to any query from our members. The Scotland the What?trio of George Donald, Steve Robertson and Buff Hardie were each awarded the M.B.E. But journals, the local archives, the Huntly Express, the Press and Journal, Evening Express and descendants revealed a trove of remarkable stories which I felt should be shared and commemorated, and so began five years of research.. Valerie Ross, who teaches English at The Gordon Schools, was inspired to research the window after working with media studies pupils on a Poppy Scotland competition. Connor Dean (MEng Mechanical and Offshore Engineering) All of these facilities feature strongly in our extra-curricular programmes. My first few years started off strong but quickly went downhill. See the article in The Huntly Express, dated 14/07/17. Due to the continuing health crisis, the awards ceremony was again held virtually and may be viewed online. Teachers having a bias against some students. A group of forty year olds went back to school recently for a reunion with their former classmates. A dedicated teacher and mentor, she still found time for numerous outside interests: she was a very successful Maths tutor for many years; she was an elder of the Kirk for thirty-three years, a member of both the church and the school choir, of the stroke club, the bowling club, ARC and the Former Pupils Association; for a time, she was an officer in the Lifeboys and golf captain; she played bridge, took an interest in lace-making and was a great reader and crossword enthusiast. He has also passed on the whole school panorama from 1955. Comments may be edited without reference to the sender. In addition to commissioning the window, Mr James penned a tribute to the fallen By the storied walls of the Gordons hold, which became the school song. The music was composed by the schools music master Mr T Wright and the lyrics referenced the lives lost in the First World War: Oh proud is the fame of the Gordons name He paid tribute to Millie as someone who had dedicated her life to the community. Reading the messages bringing back lots of memories from Mr peters and a certain wall to Mr Tory and the 2 words that make every 1 shut upEXCUSE ME lol, wow what an amazing site was born and raised in the town, left in 1993 and joined the gordon highlanders spent 12 years in the army now settled with my partner melanie and my daughter amy near glasgow. The School is old and dated which is very similar to one of the present PSA teachers and in reality both are unfit for purpose. The current head teacher has little to no authority and appears to not do anything about issues concerning the school. The whole window was also re-cemented on the external surface. The School was founded in 1839 by the Duchess of Gordon as a memorial to her late husband. His family chose the name for the area and three generations of them attended the official opening last Friday. Secondary school in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, "Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1783-2002)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Gordon_Schools&oldid=1141102016, Educational institutions established in 1839, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 10:26. If they owed much to the national character and tradition, and much to their fighting forefathers, they would be the first to confess that they owed something also to their school. Theyre more interested spending years finely curating the schools visions and values than actually doing something tangible. For freedom! He is the son of the Reverend Allan Macpherson (1939 to 2012), who was minister of Huntly Cairney Glass for ten years. In the region of 300,000 has been invested to re-roof and lay a new floor. I was in Gordon House., Sharon Gray (nee Taylor) - I attended Gordon Secondary School from 1985 , Darren Millar - Hello. The Aberdeen artist hand-painted stained glass panels to form a memorial window, standing several feet tall in the main stairwell, bearing the name of each lost man. memories mr tory, a rock in any storm, mrs fonz, all missed. From theatre productions to award winning schools, it looks like the town was bustling with activity throughout the years. Only the two old people in the background seem to have any sense of foreboding, as they look out beyond the picture to the next scene.. If you would like to find out how she would know, please read the article in The Huntly Express, dated August 5th, 2021. Dozens of people and dignitaries packed into the stairwell, and the upper and lower lobbies for the poignant occasion. The students are not properly managed as there is constant behavioural problems especially with the S3+ and this is not a good way to welcome new S1s into the school. Association member and Huntly historian Patrick Scott has recorded the personal stories and memories of the war years and gathered them together in a book entitled Huntlys World War II. Accompanied by two territorial Gordon Highlanders, former pupil Sir Edward Troup, permanent under-secretary at the Home Office, conducted the unveiling in a dignified and touching ceremony. Patrick has written at least a dozen books, including two volumes on Huntly Cricket Club and a History of Strathbogie. An area of The Gordon Schools in Huntly has been renovated and named in memory of former rector John Swan.Picture: Daniel Forsyth.. Mr Swan was Rector from 1991 until 2006 and died in 2018. The school was small and isolated in the country. Mrs Diane Harper has been appointed to take over as head of Health and Wellbeing with responsibility for PE. Please read the obituary printed in The Huntly Express, dated 28/01/21 (click on the date). Some PSE teachers are very unorganised concerning helping seniors with UCAS applications and personal statements. Blairmore School was an independent boarding preparatory school in Glass near Huntly, Aberdeenshire until its closure in 1993. Please see also The Huntly Express, 21/12/18 and 04/01/19. Senior staff too caught up in the reputation of the school to deal with actual problems such as the lack of locks on the girls bathroom doors. The Aberdeen artist hand-painted stained glass panels to form a memorial window, standing several feet tall in the main stairwell, bearing the name of each lost man. Pat Emslie took up a post as a home economics teacher in August 1978 after attending the 'dough school' at Kepplestone and gaining her teacher training qualification at college in Aberdeen. The Prize Giving ceremony of 2021 followed a pattern similar to 2020. The ceremony ended with a prayer, the sounding of the Last Post and the singing of the National Anthem. To see the newspaper articles and photographs please click on the links. The Gordon Schools Huntly lost 144 teachers and former pupils in the First World War, a memorial window commissioned by the then rector was unveiled in their memory 100 years ago today in. Senior staff were the worst part of the school and I hope that there is a complete different set of people now. The loss was keenly felt in the close-knit community, particularly at the secondary school. A former Dux of The Gordon Schools and whose affection for the school remained strong throughout her life, Jean worked tirelessly, efficiently and quietly on our behalf, (writes President of the Association Mrs Nora Morrison). He is hoping that someone may have photographs of 1a girls and 1c girls (1959/60). The death was announced last week of Dr Hugh Brebner MD FRCP Glasgow and Edinburgh, Honorary Pres On Friday, July 3rd, 2015, the school bell sounded for the last time for Mr Graham Allardice and Mr Matt Donaldson. Please read the obituary printed in The Huntly Express, dated 28/01/21 (click on the date). In the Campus are The Gordon Schools, Linden Centre, Swimming Pool and All-Weather Pitch. In his message he mentions John Anderson, Gordon Beverley and Ann Begg. Ive worked as an examiner for the SQA and was a Content Director of the Telegraph Festival of Education, and I organise researchED Scotland. He pondered that the men whose names were inscribed on that window often sat in the trenches and in the rest camps let their hearts go back to the Castle Park where they played and to the schoolrooms where they worked. We are a company that believes in more transparency within schools. For honour! For details please see Pat Scott's article in The Huntly Express. For Mr Macpherson, this will mean a return to Aberdeenshire, where he spent his early years. Valerie Ross, who teaches English at The Gordon Schools, was inspired to research the window after working with media studies pupils on a Poppy Scotland competition. Let us harken the message they leave behind. Brian Sandison: I remember about half the faces in Stanleys photo of 1A boys 1959/60 . She began her teaching career as a relief teacher at Insch, Gartly and Drumblade, before becoming a full-time primary teacher and, for the last thirteen years before retirement, head of the Special Unit. Sir Edward Troup hoped the names of the fallen would continue to be remembered by future generations. Research revealed that some of the fallen were considered among the brightest minds of their generation such as the gifted scholar Frederick Rose, whose family received condolences from the King and Queen upon his death. In the evenings and at weekends, the woodlands around the school provided an ideal playground for the young boys and girls. They might say The Gordon Schools and Castle Park helped to win the great war.. Hope there will be an FP's do next time I am back in the little grey toun. When the poignant war memorial window at The Gordon Schools in Huntly was unveiled 100 years ago today, it was said the school and Castle Park "helped to win the great war". Copyright 2023 The Gordon Schools. Sir Edward Troup hoped the names of the fallen would continue to be remembered by future generations. The newer website for The Gordon Schools Formerly Pupils' Association is currently under company also should be available by August 2010. Aberdeen Journals Ltd 2023. miss reid, ms mckinnon, mrs green, ms cruikshank, mr smith, mrs rhind and jim cullen! For full details please see the following links: New Publication 21/12/18 04/01/19 06/11/15 EVENTSpage. A photograh of 1a boys has been made available by Stan Fraser. George Philip apologises for his error on page 20 of his article in The School Road 2018. Disgusting bathrooms that were falling apart. Teachers will be able to book the new resource which includes a technology room. Dressed in their "Woods Clothes" (as casual clothes were known), pupils played conkers, climbed trees and constructed dens, known as "cols" (short for colonies), from which raids were launched against rival groups. If you would like to read the article by Pat Scott published in The Huntly Express on Thursday, August 20, 2020, please click on these links: Nicola Whyteand Nicola Whyte 27/08/20. For further details, see the article published in The Huntly Express on May 25th, 2018. One lad casts a backwards glance to the townsfolk left behind, and the coloured glass surrounding the soldiers signals difficulties ahead. They should have been fired years ago. The Former Pupils Association Medal for the runner-up,Proxime Accessit, was awarded to Fiona Hutcheon. We have a large assembly hall, gymnasium, and games hall, together with well-equipped and pleasant classrooms in all subjects. Theyre simply not interested in our feedback; weve been banned from mentioning certain topics at pupil councils, when were asked to do surveys we are watched closely and sometimes have our answers read out loud which is obviously intimidation tactics. Blairmore House, the former school's premises, is a Victorian country house set amid 50 acres (200,000m2) of park and woodland beside the River Deveron, 6 miles (9.7km) from Huntly, 40 miles (64km) from Aberdeen and 60 miles (97km) from Inverness. At the bottom, two panels are painstakingly inscribed with the 144 names, and underneath are detailed pieces of glass with delicate depictions of rural peacetime. George Riddoch - better known as Ridgy - attended The Gordon Schools from 1939 to 1951. He married his second wife Monica in 1992. She has seen many pupils and members of staff come and go during her twenty-eight years behind the counter and in the kitchen. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The school has an established educational tradition, stretching back over 175 years to its origins where the Duchess of Gordon founded the school and the famous architect, Archibald Simpson, designed the original buildings which provide a striking and distinctive image of the school. It is with great sadness that we must inform you of the death of our much loved and highly respected Honorary President, Dr Hugh Brebner, on 10th September 2017. wish my kids had my teachers! The Aberdeen Daily Journal reported: In his tribute to the fallen, Sir Edward dwelt upon what the country had been saved from by the spirit of heroism and self-sacrifice. Advice sent to the Association will be edited and placed on the Guestbook page. But the good teachers are usually supportive and helpful with the work. Angela Shearer received her MBE from the Queen at the Palace of Holyrood in June. Valerie Ross has published her research into the names on the schools memorial stained-glass window in a book titled Carved Stone, Painted Glass. They only care about you for your grade and even then as long as its 5Cs so they can get over the requirement that they measure Scottish schools by thats all they care about. Huntlys World War II is available to buy from Orbs Community Bookshop, Deans and McColls. The School was founded in 1839 by the Duchess of Gordon as a memorial to her late husband. The article (famous people who died during 2015) and the photograph from. For details, please see the article in The Huntly Express, dated 05/08/16. All Rights Reserved. Press cuttings: For more details please click on Guest Book above. Please click to view:1a boys - 1959/60. Your email address is required but will not be displayed on the site; it will only be used for the purposes of the Association, if necessary, to contact you. Valerie said: The initial intention was to state the individual casualtys name, date of birth and death, occupation and so on. The school has 'very strong links Mr Phil Gaiter, rector of The Gordon Schools, invites all members of the Former Pupils Association and all former pupils to take part in the reflection on vision and values for The Gordon Schools. Valerie also included grieving families in memoriam verses offering a humbling understanding of the true impact the war had on the people left behind. Over the years she has collaborated with successive editors in producing and typing The School Road, starting off on a manual typewriter in 1984. From 1st August 2020, Robin Macpherson will take over the headship of Robert Gordons College, Aberdeen. Mr Swan was Rector from 1991 until 2006 and died in 2018. We would be grateful for any help you may be able to give in ascertaining the valid addresses of those members: If you can help, please respond by e-mail to, Could overseas members please let us have their e-mail addresses or, if there is one, a UK postal address. Blairmore School was established in 1947 as an independent prep school for boys aged 813 by Colonel D.R. Among her favourite sayings was one borrowed from Albert Schweitzer: There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. They knew their fame. Picture: The Gordon Schools on-line ceremony 2021. We have lost a very dearly loved friend. In June 2013, on returning to Moray from a trip to Denmark with the Elgin Strathspey and Reel Society, she learned that she had been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queens Birthday Honours list. We also have the local Authoritys modern swimming pool on-site and use this as part of our Physical Education curriculum. When the poignant war memorial window at The Gordon Schools in Huntly was unveiled 100 years ago today, it was said the school and Castle Park helped to win the great war. The school has very strong links with the local community, where we play a key and distinctive role in Huntly and the surrounding areas. The building is now used as a prayer and intercession training school and retreat centre run by an evangelical Christian group called Ellel Ministries. We are fortunate in having our playing fields and all-weather sporting facilities on the same site as the school and doubly fortunate in having access to the grounds of the local Cricket and Rugby Clubs adjacent to the school. Our platform is open to all users. Highly respected by all who knew her, Jean will be a great loss to our Association. Ebony Martin, former pupil of The Gordon Schools, could tell us. The stained glass cleverly depicts a tableau of war: from the outbreak to the home front, the frontline to victory. Nora Morrison is President of the Former Pupils Association. Esther Smith from Kennethmomt, a former pupil of The Gordon Schools, has reached the highest rank in the air cadets. She was a pupil at The Gordon Schools from 1966 to 1969. Please see Pat Scott's article in The Huntly Express (Friday, July 3rd, 2015). Valerie added: The words from the press of the day speak for themselves they are an authentic window into those dark days of world war when horror and deprivation reached into every corner of the land.. To read the Huntly Express articles dated Thursday, July 08, 2021, please click here. Is it me youre looking for?, Joyce McGroarty (nee Finlay) - Great to find Lorna Chisholm , Steven Arthur (Bushy) - sorry I missed the school reunion , Heather Small (Anton) - Happy memories! Philip Roger, 1968 to 69, Fairhall Farm, looking to get in touch with the Paterson family who lived at the end of our driveway. No longer just names on a window, the research has brought the Huntly lads back to life. Gordon Primary stands in beautiful, historic surroundings within the town of Huntly, overlooking Huntly Castle and the River Deveron. In time, she became a teacher of Mathematics at the Gordon Schools in Huntly and then Assistant Head Teacher with special responsibility for Guidance and Pastoral Care. Robin Macpherson will be very well suited to leading this amazing school forward in the next years (Simon Mills, current head of RGC). Here the effect is broken up with patches of light and shadow and bright colour, the idea to represent a day in August (when war broke out). The school may be contacted at this address: We are looking for the names of the former pupils in this photograph. The Huntly Express recently announced the death at Rothieden, Huntly, on Tuesday, January 19th, 2021, of Charlotte (Lottie) Florence, for many years a teacher at Gordon Primary School, Huntly. During the war, families relied on newspapers and news reels to bring the reality of the frontline home. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies -. You CAN do well at TGS, but its hard. Idolised by his grandchildren and in turn by his great grandchildren. Nicola Whyte, a former pupil of The Gordon Schools, has been hailed as the local heroine in connection with the recent tragic train derailment near Stonehaven. Those of us who were privileged to know her will remember her with lasting affection her dignity, her humanity and her humility. Involvement with local groups, businesses and organisations are encouraged to provide a rich educational tapestry for our young people and we value the input of parents and guardians who are very much involved in the life of The Gordon Schools. On February 11th, 2015, the Guest Book was signed by Jimmy Mason ( recalling fond memories) and Robert Wilson, who now lives in London. Remembering those 140 former school pupils and the four teachers from the Gordon Schools who perished during the Great War and to remember all those that made the ultimate sacrifice since.. I am retired Naval Officer. The book is available to purchase from Orbs community bookshop in Huntly, and to learn more or find information on stockists, visit: www.facebook.com/carvedstonepaintedglass. What is The Gordon Schools's NAICS code? Late on Wednesday evening, May 6, 2015, Ewen McDonald, former rector of The Gordon Schools, Huntly, died peacefully at Alexander Scotts Hospital at the age of 94.
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