Dates for your Diary - The Royal Scots

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The Young Royals Edinburgh Section on Remembrance Sunday Since the last Thistle in November we have had our usual round of events starting with the Beating Retreat at Dreghorn which was duly performed by our Association Pipe Band. This was followed by a great night in the Sergeants’ Mess which of course now belongs to The Royal Scots Borderers. The RSM, Bob Stuart, made us feel welcome and promised to support the Young Royals whenever he can. I can confirm Bob was true to his word and has granted us permission to use the Mess for our next Ladies Welcome Night to be held in October 2007. At the AGM, which was held at the community centre in Dreghorn Barracks at the end of October 2006, our Chairman George Mullholland stated his intention to resign due to personal reasons. George has been a very hands-on Chairman and it has been a very successful tenure. Knowing the Young Royals George will not be allowed to go with a whimper and if I were in his shoes I would prepare for the bang! George you have been warned. Our usual round of Christmas dances was held in December with the Edinburgh and West Lothian Sections leading the way. Before we knew it we were into 2007 and the Burns Night was upon us. This year there was an extra twist to the tale with Andy Kyle proposing to Liz Judge. It was a great way to get out of learning his address to the guests. We all wish them well and are looking forward to the wedding in September. In February a couple of our members, Sam Soave & Andy Fitzpatrick, took on the arduous task of walking from Prestonpans British Legion to the Whitburn British Legion, a distance in excess of 30 Miles, although it took them 13 hours it must be remembered that Sam is no spring chicken and Andy could certainly play Mother Goose. The benefactor of their efforts was The Royal Scots Benevolent Society (a further report appears below). As we go to press I am pleased to say that our Standard Bearer Party is to accompany the Association Pipe Band to an event in Genoa, Italy. In charge for this trip will be Sonny Walker who will be telling us all about it in the next Thistle. Unable to make this trip due to height restrictions on Italian military planes (5’0”) was Harry “Tavish” Wright. I am sure Harry will get me back in the next issue! Before I go I must thank those who have supported me in the last year. After what must seem a frustrating couple of years for Dykes and Anna McKinnon the East Lothian Section is again taking shape under the guidance of Tom Logan and George Higgins. In the last 3 months attendance at the meetings has increased from less than 5 to nearer 20. Watch this space for a Northern Section. The Young Royals Membership is standing at 210, which is tremendous bearing in mind this time last year it was 130. It is up to us all to make sure we do our best to encourage former Royals to join us. Have a good 2007. page 6
Reunion 2007. Friday (13 April) was a day that I will look back upon as a “How did we get away with it day?” First of all Paddy Barnes had a call from our usual DJ to say that he had broken down in Blackpool and would not be able to make it. I had visions of Harry Wright and myself having to dust down the Flannigan and Allen costumes, or even worse … seeing if we could arrange a Karaoke. Luckily, the Bainfield Club had a firm based in Livingston that they use to supply their acts for a Saturday night. After a quick call and a wee dose of Valium, all was well with the world and we had a DJ who was coming over from Glasgow, so we could relax. Nae chance. Our resident chef, Thomasino Stotto, could be heard muttering in the kitchen … this cooker is “daein ma heid in”. I thought “Here we go, salads all round tonight”. Anyone who had the curry, and it was the business, should think of Tam and how much effort he had put into it. Needless to say the big man deserves much praise for all that he has done for the Young Royals in the last few years. I find it hard to believe that we will have to fork out for someone to provide the reunion buffet next year. (Please Tam just one more year.) After all the hullabaloo we settled down and enjoyed another great night. Jan Strudwick was looking good, although she is still suffering from a stiff back. General Mark, not to be outdone, also had a stiff back, but he had a stiff upper lip as well! (Officers … what would we do without them!) I would like to thank Kate and Jimmy Ovens for once again organizing the raffle for us; some cracking prizes. Thanks to Tam Stott for a tremendous buffet, to Bill Leith for assisting in the preparation and to wee Harry …for being wee Harry. Tam Douglas Charity Walk – Young Royals Section Members in Aid of The Royal Scots Benevolent Society L-R Sam Soave, Robbie Todd and Andy Fitzpatrick. On 18 February a team from the Young Royals Section of the Regimental Association (Andy Fitzpatrick, Sam Soave and Robbie Todd) completed a sponsored walk (fully kitted out in DPM Combats with rucksack) from Prestonpans (East Lothian) to Whitburn (West Lothian), to raise fund for The Royal Scots Benevolent Society. A fantastic effort! A cheque for the amount of £1225.40p was presented to Captain Bill Sutherland (Secretary of The Royal Scots Benevolent Society) at a short presentation which took place at Home Headquarters, Edinburgh Castle, on Friday 23 March. Southern Section The Southern Section began the Remembrance Week in style with a number of members being present for the opening of the Garden of Remembrance. Alan Dunn was our front man and met HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. On Saturday evening Ros Trafford Roberts kindly took our short service at the Regimental plot, General Bob Richardson gave the ‘Exhortation’ and Pipe Major Ian Fleming played the lament, ‘Flowers of the Forest’. Some 50 people attended. We then moved by tube to RV in a pub which the Chairman missed altogether, in part because it was closed. Instead members, using their initiative, gathered in the hostelry next door. Victor Lucas, our Yeoman Warder, met us and then took us on a blood-curdling tour around the Tower. After an excellent supper and some drinks in the Yeoman Warders’ mess we witnessed the Ceremony of the Keys. Next morning 25 of us assembled on Horse Guards Parade with General Philip as our right hand marker carrying our wreath. Our contingent had pride of place at the head of column ‘A’ and so, with the sun shining, we enjoyed an outstanding view of the Service before the March Past. Due to Finlay Maclean’s lobbying of the BBC we were well mentioned in the commentary. Amongst our ranks were three Second World War veterans: Ian Munro MC, John Myles who served with 1 RS in Burma and Les Womack ex RSF. Headdress and turn-out were of a high order. Our drill sergeant, Alistair Ritchie, did his best to keep us in step even giving the order to change step as we marched away from the bands near the Cenotaph and back towards Horse Guards where HRH The Duke of Kent took the salute. We then retired to the Army and Navy Club joining our ladies with numbers rising to a record 42 and starting with a glass of champagne courtesy of Fiona Drysdale. Thanks to Finlay Maclean’s arrangements we then had a buffet lunch in a room of our own accompanied by much laughter and jokes of dubious taste and origin. Our President proposed a toast to ‘the fallen of the Royal Scots and the future of the 1st Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland’. General Bob then gave a very interesting address pointing out that it had been a great privilege for him as a previous Colonel of The Royal Scots to present new badges and hackles on 28 March 2006 to the 1st Battalion in Dreghorn Barracks where some 58 years before he had first joined The Royal Scots. Whereas then there had been 144 battalions in the Army, by next year there would only be 36. He paid tribute to the quality of young Officers, Warrant Officers and Senior NCOs now serving and said that whilst many had stayed with the new 1 st Battalion some had gone to other battalions of The Royal Regiment of Scotland taking with them the standards of The Royal Scots. He then referred to the Association and how it could play its part in the new Regiment. Finally he urged members of the Southern Branch to ‘treasure the past and embrace the future’. page 7
Page 1 and 2: The Thistle Journal of The Royal Sc
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Page 5: Regimental Association War-Time Sec
Page 9 and 10: Domestic Occurrences Deaths ALEXAND
Page 11 and 12: The Royal Scots Club 2006 has been

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