Dates for your Diary - The Royal Scots

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’.
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