The Gordon Schools' Former Pupils' Association

Next Meeting of the F.P. Association

The next meeting of The Gordon Schools’ Former Pupils’ Association is at 4pm on Monday 29th September 2025 at The Gordon Schools.

Patrick Scott's Latest Book

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 ‘Huntly’s World War II’.

Patrick amassed the information from all sorts of people and in different situations over a lot of years. Stories from his own relatives and from the families of men who had come home from war and didn’t want to speak about their experiences.

The book is broken into short chapters with touching stories of evacuees arriving off trains, descriptions of planes over Huntly, conscription, pillboxes, sirens and life for ‘bairns’ during the war years.

Patrick has written at least a dozen books, including two volumes on Huntly Cricket Club and a History of Strathbogie.

Huntly’s World War II is available to buy from Orb’s Community Bookshop, Dean’s and McColls.

Former Pupils' Battle in Beijing

Andrew Young and Andrew Musgrave gave a good account of themselves at the Winter Olympics 2022. If you want to know any further details please see articles published in The Huntly Express on February 10th and February 17th.

“… the most distinguished female graduate in medicine”

What is it like to have something like this said about one? Ebony Martin, former pupil of The Gordon Schools, could tell us. If you would like to find out how she would know, please read the article in The Huntly Express, dated August 5th, 2021.

Lottie Florence

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. Please read the obituary printed in The Huntly Express, dated 28/01/21 (click on the date).

Well-deserved Praise for Nicola

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. In spite of being injured herself, Nicola bravely went for help, thinking of others before thinking of herself.

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 Whyte and Nicola Whyte 27/08/20.

Two Former Pupils Retire

Last orders were taken last week after nearly fifty years at the bar.

The Huntly Express, 21/04/17

Congratulations to Rizza’s of Huntly

Congratulations to owners of Rizza’s of Huntly, Philip and Nora Morrison, on being awarded ‘The Herald’ Rural Family Business of the year. They are pictured with family members Fiona and Donald. Nora Morrison is President of the Former Pupils’ Association. Press cuttings:

Rizza’s 1 Rizza’s 2

Huntly Express

Guest Book Signed

For more details please click on Guest Book above.

Wilma Dean-Prasad - "Living in Dallas Texas now"

John A.M. Bisset - ”Attended school 9/1939 for a year ... Remember my friend John Law.”

Alan Gordon - ”I attended the Gordon Schools between 1982 and 1986. I was in Gordon House.”

Sharon Gray (nee Taylor) - ”I attended Gordon Secondary School from 1985 ...”

Darren Millar - ”Hello. Is it me you’re 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!!”

Glynis Lorina Eastmond - ”Was at the school from 1956 to 1960. ...”

Carol McCartie - ”I was a pupil 1974 - 1979.”

Charles MacPherson - He asks:”Anne McCauley Aren’t you Charlie Smith’s sister?”

George Riddoch - better known as Ridgy - attended The Gordon Schools from 1939 to 1951.

Brian Sandison: ”I remember about half the faces in Stanley’s photo of 1A boys 1959/60 ...”

J. Brown, 2004 to 2009, presently at Abertay University.

Philip Roger, 1968 to 69, Fairhall Farm, ”looking to get in touch with the Paterson family who lived at the end of our driveway”.

Maureen Newlands, nee Richards, 1962 to 1966.

This entry in the Guest Book is from Charlie McPherson: ”Nice to see some of the old class mates in the photos!”

David Smart signed the Guest Book (09/07/15). He is hoping that someone may have photographs of 1a girls and 1c girls (1959/60).

Stanley T. Fraser signed the Guest Book (28/06/15). He offers to share a photograph of class 1a boys from 1959/60. (The photograph has now been received. Thank you, Stan Fraser. Please click to see 1a boys - 1959/60.)

The Guest Book has been signed by Willson Raeburn Morrison. In his message he mentions John Anderson, Gordon Beverley and Ann Begg.

On February 11th, 2015, the Guest Book was signed by Jimmy Mason (”... recalling fond memories”) and Robert Wilson, who now lives in London.

Fiona Morrison signed the Guest Book on May 26th, 2015. She was a pupil at The Gordon Schools from 1966 to 1969.

Class of 1959-1960

David Smart has made available the photograph of class 1b from session 1959-1960. To view, please click on the link:

Class 1b 1959-60

David has asked if anyone can make available an equivalent photograph of class 1a or 1c from that same session for placing on the website. See Guest Book. A photograh of 1a boys has been made available by Stan Fraser. Please click to view: 1a boys - 1959/60.

He has also passed on the whole school panorama from 1955. This is on the photographic page of the website. Panoramas

Angela Shearer MBE

Angela Shearer received her MBE from the Queen at the Palace of Holyrood in June.

175th Celebrations: Vintage Night

As part of the 175th Anniversary celebrations of the founding of The Gordon Schools, a Vintage Night was held in June.

For further details see: Vintage Night Poster

Introduction

A welcome from the President.

The Association

TGSFPA logo

Magazines

The 2014 edition of 'The School Road' has been printed and is now on sale.

History of the Association

The First Social Events

The first social function arranged by the Association of Former Pupils was a trip by train on the LNER (the London and North Eastern Railway) to Grantown-on-Spey in August 1925. The party left at 2pm on the train from Aberdeen and arrived in Grantown-on-Spey at 4pm. Catering for high tea was provided in the West End Tea Rooms. The party arrived back at the station at Huntly by 10pm.

In September of that year, the Arts League Travelling Theatre was booked by the Association to perform in the Stewart’s Hall. It played to a full house. The records do not say what kind of show was put on; just that it was an ‘artistic triumph’.

The first annual reunion of former pupils was held on Christmas day 1925! The magazine was issued on Boxing Day. At that time, New Year was celebrated to a greater extent than Christmas. More than 200 people attended this reunion.

There was a speech given by Mr Dunbar, President, before the dancing started. He launched the festivities by saying, “On with the motley.” This was a very old expression for “Let’s begin”. It provoked some amount of laughter!

Dancing at this first reunion on Christmas Day 1925 took place in the art room, upstairs, in what is now the present-day department of Modern Studies. There was an open buffet in an English room. Other classrooms were brought into service for a whist drive and to act as a smoking room! Members danced into the small hours to music supplied by Whyte’s orchestra.

In January 1926, an Aberdeen branch of the Former Pupils Association that had been formed organised a reunion in the Imperial Hotel in the city. It took the form of a whist drive and dance. Music was provided by the Imperial Dance Orchestra. Later in the year, another whist drive and dance was held in Skinner’s Rooms in Union Street. The Aberdeen membership then stood at 62.

When the second AGM was held on 8 April 1926, committee members were pleased to announce that there was a working balance of £72. Books were purchased for the departments of Classics and Modern Languages. Scientific texts and magazines were bought for the school library.

A gift was made to Miss Bain on her retiral – a mahogany timepiece. Funds were given to help in the maintenance of the school playing fields. Prizes were donated, to be awarded at school sports. Gifts such as these, in a variety of different forms, continued for more than fifty years.

A sum of seven guineas (seven pounds and seven shillings) was agreed on, to be spent on the provision of portraits of two former Rectors. The fee for life membership of the Association was set at two guineas.

That year, letters to members, referred to as ‘circulars’, were disrupted by the general strike. No summer excursion was possible, again due to the general strike.

The success of a second theatre group performance was, however, a source of pleasure. Again, it is not clear what kind of show took place, only that the Arts and League of Service Company was thought to be, ‘an education and an inspiration’!

A branch of the Association in Glasgow was set up in 1927.

Arrangements were put in place for lectures to be held later that year. A Mr Fraser was invited to deliver a lecture in October on Archibald Simpson, architect of The Gordon Schools.

At the AGM, held on 13 April 1927, investments of funds were made and funds were disbursed. Medals were purchased for sports champions. A prize for Modern Languages was provided. Reference books were bought. A donation of five guineas (five pounds and five shillings) was made to the District Nursing Association. Again, charitable gifts such as these continued to be made down through the years.

Personalities

Miss Bain Some background information about the personalities mentioned in the ‘History of the Former Pupils’ Association’

Local Historian, Patrick Scott, Huntly, has kindly provided some biographical details and other background information about some of the personalities mentioned in the ‘History of the Former Pupils’ Association’.

Read the full text on the 'Personalities' page.

Early publications

Downloading these pdf files will require suitable software,e.g. Adobe Reader. They are also large files and will take some time to download over slow connections especially dial-up.

The Gordon Schools Former Pupils' Association