Download - Bannockburn Community Website

Page 2
Contact Us
Bannockburn News welcomes
your comments, ideas and
contributions.
Please feel free to contact the
team using the details below.
Editor Greg Christison
Email: bburn-news@
talktalk.net
Phone: 07903 197863
Letter: The Editor, Bannockburn
News, c/o 68
Benview, Bannockburn,
FK7 0HY
Treasurer Gordon Jack
gordonj@
harleyfinancial.co.uk
Advertising
Marianne Cairns
Email: marianne.
cairns@hotmail.com
Auntie Jean’s Cafe
/ Outside Catering
Hillpark, Bannockburn
01786 818282
Also providing
all of your
party needs:
flower & helium
centrepieces
bouncy castles
Snack vans
ice cream vans
sumo suits
Opening times
Monday- Saturday
6am - 2pm
Sunday
9am - 2pm
THE Local CHARACTER
Derek Robertson
Derek was born in Stirling Royal, has lived in
Bannockburn nearly all his life and doesn’t see
any reason to change that.
Early life was punctuated by life saving surgery,
made possible by a series of fortunate events: his
parents moving from Aberdeen city to the wee
village of Bannockburn; a young brilliant surgeon
operating from Stirling infirmary; and a just-in-time
diagnosis of kidney problems.
Bannockburn Primary was almost new when he
went there. He remembers having ‘careless’ on
every report card and being belted numerous times,
usually for acting the fool. Some main memories
of the Primary included when Kenny Shaw went
to Spain on holiday. That was so radical that the
class did a project on Spain. And Derek was called
to “The Headie” in P6 – not for a row this time -
but to show what expensive (£5 in 1972) football
boots looked like (Adidas Beckenbauer with three
luminous strips). The Headie’s verdict “They are
not football boots; they are like slippers!”
The Boys’ Brigade was a constant from 8 to early
twenties and full of highs, lows and life education.
Greetin’ because his friends got in at age seven
while Bunty and Reggie Day made him wait
until he was eight. And bubbling when Jim and
Peter McIntyre put him in goals from his favoured
left wing position. That turned out to be a good
decision as he won several winners’ medals as a
goalie. Highs included the many role models to
look up to and the adventure-filled holidays (two
weeks in Belgium for £40.00!).
His heart was set on being a police officer but he
failed the eye test . . . twice. The second time was
after living under a blue light for two weeks. He
guesses now the Police medic was winding him
up with that idea. He went to “The Amicable” after
going to the careers office to become a Military
Police Officer (?) The Amicable saw Derek in lots
of varied jobs with a career high of achieving the
final three shortlist for the national HR Professional
of the Year. After some 22 years he left to start
his own Human Resources and training business.
While getting started, he did several other jobs
including delivering the free papers – with the
McQ’s has got talent
Edited by Hannah Scott
McQ’s talent night held recently would have
made better viewing than the original, despite
a few last minute withdrawals including ‘The Singing
Dug: Tavish’.
All contestants performed well. Albert ‘The Tarman’,
recently named in the top 20 of Britain’s most
eligible bachelors, stole first prize with his version
of Billy Idol’s “Hot in the City”.
Judges Wullie Gibb and Charlie Ballantyne would
have knocked Simon Cowell’s trousers off with their
comments; they were very honest shall we say!
On Bud Beaton’s performance of “Love on the
Rocks”, they said: “Well Bud that must be the longest
song from the shortest man!”
Ian Thomson was second to none as compere for
the evening. Between introducing acts we had renditions
such as “Never Fall in Love” by Tom Jones.
Bannockburn News
by Stevie Hughes
Former Bannockburn News Editor Derek
Robertson runs his own training business
family’s help of course: the oldest paper-boy in
Bannockburn.
Now his business takes him over the place with
about three months of the year outside the country.
He meets around 2500 different people a year from
Nizhny Novgorod to Inverness. He has worked in
a Baltic bothy at the edge of an airbase to swanky
hotels in Monte Carlo and with Rocket Scientists
and Head Teachers. It’s true that when you find
something that you love doing you will never work
again.
Bannockburn, however, remains the centre of
the things, where with the family, Jane and Elaine
they know lots of great Bannockburn people. It’s
with the community in mind that he has been
part of the Boys’ Brigade in the past, a director of
several local charities, member of the Community
Trust and continues with the beloved Bannockburn
Amateurs as well as being active with Murrayfield
Church. Although they are quite different, they
all have a large community aspect to them and
that’s important. Bannockburn News too was a
key involvement for several years and he says it
is great to see it as a firm part of the Bannockburn
scene.
As for the future, he still wants to play a musical
instrument, speak a foreign language and be a
decent golfer. So far these fall into Bannockburn
Amateurs’ previous captain Gregor Bryans’
challenge of “ambition and ability”. He has the
ambition and needs to work on the ability.
McQ’s talent night was a huge success
despite several acts cancelling
It was noted that the knickers thrown at him would
never have fitted!
All staff would like to thank everyone who took
part.
The next talent night is scheduled for January;
look out for tickets going on sale as there will be
high demand.