Issue-3-Winter-2017-web

The 

WINTER 2017 

The Official Journal of The Caledonian Club, Belgravia, London 

Celebrating a 

Century as 

a Members’ 

Club 

Marquis of 

Tullibardine 

RESTORING OUR 

FOUNDER 

Spotlight 

SHARING IN A 

GRAND NATIONAL 

WINNER 

Jolomo 

DEBUT IN 

HALKIN STREET 

Scots in Great 

War London 

HUGH PYM ON A NEW 

PROJECT

FROM OUR PRESIDENT 

100 years as a 

Members’ Club 

It was a great privilege to 

join my fellow members at 

the Centenary Dinner to 

celebrate The Caledonian 

Club’s 100 years as a 

members’ club. 

It was way back in 1990 that I was 

invited to become President of 

the Caledonian Club under the 

chairmanship of Bill McMahon and 

I accepted with much pleasure. 

We have been fortunate to have had 

Chairmen who, along with their 

Committees, have taken on board 

all the challenges that we have faced 

and with their enthusiasm and 

passion for the club, made it what it 

is today – a great place to stay, 

dine and meet and socialise with 

like-minded people. Of course our 

staff play a pivotal role too so my 

thanks to them all for their hard 

work and dedication. 

Over the years I have 

enjoyed attending many 

events such as the St Andrew’s 

Day Dinner, always a great 

occasion with exceptional 

speakers. The Vice Presidents’ 

Dinners have also been most 

enjoyable, a chance for me to meet 

with those who have led our club in 

the past and present and get an update 

on how the club is developing. 

Living in Brechin my visits to 

London are not as frequent as they 

used to be however it is always a 

pleasure to visit Halkin Street where 

I always receive a warm welcome, 

as you all do. I have no doubt that 

the Caledonian Club will still be 

going strong 100 years from now, 

and I am proud to be part of such 

a magnificent establishment and 

wish it and its Members every 

success for the future. 

Yours aye, 

The Rt Hon 

The Earl of Dalhousie DL 

Centenary 

Appeal Update 

The Common Good Fund are delighted to report 

that funds raised by the Centenary Appeal 

together with Gift Aid currently total in excess of 

£140,000. The new funds will enable the House and 

other commitees to consider a number of different 

proposals to be presented to the Common Good 

Fund on how the money can best be invested in 

the club premises. 

These proposals will include one major project 

which will be an enduring testament to the appeal 

together with necessary investment in the general 

fabric of the building and its fixtures and fittings. 

One of the first projects will be the refurbishment 

of the leather armchairs in the hallway and the 

Morrison room. 

The board listing those contributing £500 or 

more to the appeal will be hung in the clubhouse in 

the New Year and the Secretariat will shortly be 

making contact with those Members qualifying to 

confirm details. 

The Caledonian Club Common Good Fund 

Common 

Good Fund 

The Common Good Fund is the charitable side of the 

club and was formed with the objective of preserving 

and enhancing the Caledonian Club building and of 

maintaining and expanding the art and artefacts of 

the club. In pursuit of these aims the Fund has in the 

last year financed the cleaning of the portrait of Angus 

Mackay in the Hall and the restoration of the print of 

the portrait of the 8th Duke of Atholl, (see page 7) 

the cost of which was donated by David and Jan 

Coughtrie and the cleaning of the portrait of Prince 

James and Princess Henrietta, the two youngest 

children of King James VII and II. 

Signet Club 

News 

The Signet Club was formed 

to recognise those members 

who have notified the 

Secretary of their intention to 

leave a bequest to the club. In 

October a lunch was held in the 

Selkirk Room when members of the 

Signet Club were invited by the Common Good Fund 

Trustees to a convivial lunch as guests of the club. 

We continued the tradition of inviting in addition 

members who had made significant donations 

during the year. We welcomed Iain McAulay, who has 

donated a bound copy of the first years’ editions of 

The Scotsman in 1817, and Deborah Thomson, part 

owner of the Grand National winner One For Arthur, 

who has donated funds for the refurbishment of a 

bedroom which will be named the One for Arthur 

room to celebrate that victory. It is understood that 

One for Arthur has no immediate plans to stay at 

the club. 

Do please contact the Secretary if you are thinking 

of providing a bequest to the club in your will. 

Andrew Ferguson 

2 The Caledonian WINTER 2017

CONTENTS 

Caledonian 

The 

PRESIDENT 

The Rt Hon The Earl of Dalhousie DL 

VICE PRESIDENTS 

(In order of appointment) 

George M F Gillon 

Peter A J Gardiner OBE 

Ranald T I Munro CBE TD 

Euan Harvie-Watt 

David T Coughtrie 

CHAIRMAN 

David W Guild 

VICE CHAIRMAN 

William E McDermott 

COMMITTEE 

Caroline J Banszky 

Ian M Burrell 

Hilary J Reid Evans 

Peter I H Haigh 

Joseph C Hendry 

Andrew J Jamieson 

James Scrymgeour 

David J Smith 

J Stuart Thom 

Kenneth R Young 

THE CALEDONIAN MAGAZINE 

The Official Journal of The Caledonian Club 

9 Halkin Street, Belgravia, London SW1X 7DR 

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE 

Ian M Burrell (Chairman) 

Robert Parkhill (Editor) 

David W Guild 

William E McDermott 

Louise J Newton 

David Balden 

Alison Davis (Production Co-ordinator) 

DESIGN & PRODUCTION 

Halo Design 

info@halo-design.co.uk 

ADVERTISING 

Alison Davis 

ad@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8712 

PUBLISHER 

The Caledonian Club ©2017 

CLUB CONTACTS 

Secretary: David Balden 

dcb@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8711 

Secretary’s Alison Davis 

PA: ad@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8712 

Accounts Ewa Janeczek 

finance@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8716 

Emma Mitchell 

020 7333 8715 

Banqueting Mia Parsons 

& Catering mp@caledonianclub.com 

020 7201 1508 

Bedroom reservations@caledonianclub.com 

& Dining 020 7235 5162 

bookings 

Chef 

Events 

Financial 

Manager 

House 

Manager 

Lee Francis 

chef@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8727 

Amber Claybourne 

events@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8722 

Angela Graham 

ag@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8713 

Frankie O'Donnell 

fod@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8729 

Membership Anne Rowland 

ar@@caledonianclub.com 

020 7333 8714 

Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither 

The Caledonian Club nor the authors can accept liability 

for errors or omissions. Views expressed in this journal 

are not necessarily those of The Caledonian Club. 

No responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited 

manuscripts, transparencies or photographs. All prices and 

information contained in advertisements are correct at the 

time of going to press. No part of this magazine may be 

reproduced without written permission from the publisher. 

ON THE COVER 

7 MARQUIS OF TULLIBARDINE 

Restoring our Founder 

10 SPOTLIGHT 

Sharing in a Grand National Winner 

18 JOLOMO 

Debut in Halkin Street 

26 SCOTS IN GREAT WAR LONDON 

Hugh Pym on a New Project 

REGULARS 

5 CLUB NEWS AND DIARY 

Forthcoming Events 

8 MEMBERSHIP 

Welcome to our New Members 

17 SOCIAL SCENE 

St Andrew’s Day Dinner 

21 SOCIETY REPORTS 

A round up of Society news 

FEATURES 

2 CENTENARY MESSAGE 

Lord Dalhousie 

9 BILL MCMAHON REMEMBERED 

Edmund Gordon 

14 CENTENARY DINNER 

100 Years as a Members’ Club 

16 CALEDONIAN LECTURE 

Scots in Catherine the Great’s Russia 

24 ALL IN THE FAMILY 

Links Between Two Familiar Scottish Institutions 

27 WI’ A HUNDRED SCOTSMEN AN’ A’ AN’ A’ 

The Caledonian Society of London 

WINTER 2017 

7 

18 

26 

17 

21 

14 

WINTER 2017 The Caledonian 3

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER 

A rewarding 

centenary year 

Dear friends and 

fellow Members 

As I prepare for my final few 

months as your Chairman, it is 

highly rewarding to report that 

we have had another successful 

year at the club, with the 

long-term goal always being to 

continue improving the facilities 

and offerings for members. 

The generosity shown by those 

who donated to the Centenary 

Appeal has been overwhelming 

and this will significantly enhance 

the club in a number of ways, as 

mentioned on page 2. 

As some of you may know, 

August is traditionally known as 

a quiet month in clubland, 

however this year we were very 

much open offering lunch and 

dinner alongside other club 

facilities and following the 

success of 

this we shall continue on this basis. 

I am delighted to say that during 

August one of the highlights was 

when renowned Scottish artist Dr 

John Lowrie Morrison (Jolomo) 

and his team transformed the 

Johnnie Walker Room into a 

mass of colour when showcasing 

his exhibition, A Taste of Argyll & 

the Isles. Present on the evening 

was Alan Horn, Development 

Director, at the Glasgow School 

of Art who is very keen to 

develop links with the club. 

The Jolomo exhibition 

showed how diverse the club can 

be as a venue whether it be a 

wedding, dinner, exhibition or 

concert and on Sunday 22 

October members and guests 

were treated to a most pleasant 

afternoon of music and song 

hosted by world renowned opera 

singer, Lesley 

Garrett. 

Our key 

club events 

were a great 

success as 

always and 

there was a 

full house 

for our 

The new centenary booklet 

St Andrew’s Day Dinner 

in the presence of Lord 

Strathclyde. The Reeling 

Evenings celebrated their 

10th anniversary and 

thanks to those who 

contribute in making this event 

so enjoyable for all. 

In the winter 2016 issue I 

mentioned that it was my intention 

to get to meet as many members 

as possible and I am delighted to 

say that the introduction of the 

Chairman’s Lunch has been very 

worthwhile. Several lunches have 

taken place this year giving 

members the opportunity to air 

their views and meet fellow 

members. This will continue over 

2018 so please contact the 

Secretariat if you would like to 

attend a future lunch. 

Head Chef Lee Francis has 

settled in well over the last few 

months adding some new and 

exciting dishes to the menu. 

Do make use of our wonderful 

dining room and sample the new 

menus for yourself. We have 

introduced a Tuesday Lunch Club 

where members can meet and 

enjoy a specially prepared menu 

with bin end wines for £45. 

Numbers are limited so please 

look out for forthcoming dates in 

the club email newsletters. 

By the time you receive the 

magazine we will have gathered 

for the Members’ Centenary 

Christmas Lunch on 18 December. 

This was the very day a century 

ago that we became a members’ 

club and as the President has 

mentioned in his letter I am sure 

the club will still be around in 

another 100 years. Many of you 

who attended the Centenary 

Dinner in September contacted me 

to say how much they enjoyed the 

evening. It was clear to see that all 

are very proud to be members of 

The Caledonian Club. A centenary 

booklet has been produced to 

accompany this issue and thanks 

to Tessa Szczepanik, one of our 

younger members and professional 

consultant genealogist, who did a 

very thorough job on researching 

the founder of the club, Neville 

Campbell. 

It is clear that 2018 and 

beyond will continue to be 

challenging and we are managing 

this to minimise the impact on 

our members. Please continue to 

show your support by utilising 

the club and encouraging family, 

friends and colleagues to join or 

make use of our function rooms. 

May I thank all those who give 

up their time to organise and assist 

on committees and with events and 

to Secretary David Balden and his 

staff who consistently look after 

us so well. I heartily encourage 

you to show your appreciation for 

the staff by supporting the annual 

Staff Fund, as I know many of 

you do as a matter of course. 

Like many of you, I was 

particularly delighted to learn of 

the engagement of two of our 

prominent younger members, 

Angus Burrell, Chairman of the 

Younger Members’ Society and 

Alexandra Cruden who sits on the 

Art & Artefacts committee. They 

met at the Club a few years ago 

and I am sure you will join me in 

wishing them many years of health 

and happiness as a married couple. 

May I conclude by wishing 

you and your family a very Merry 

Christmas and a happy, healthy 

and prosperous 2018. 

Best wishes. 

David Guild 

Chairman 


CLUB NEWS 

MEMBERSHIP REPORT: 

100 years and 100 new 

members 

I am pleased to say that the encouraging 

start to the year continued for the 

remainder of 2017. We expect to have 

elected close to 100 new members by the 

time you read this, an appropriate 

number in our centenary year. With a 

new total of over 1,300 members, this will 

see us pass another milestone on the road 

to our long-term goals. 

A large thank you must go to all our 

members, committee members and our 

secretariat, without whose efforts this would not 

happen. Referral from existing members 

continues to be the leading source of new 

members, although this year 40% of referrals 

came via the internet. This increase over 

previous years is largely due to the recent 

introduction of a web-based application form. 

Of course there is a side effect from this in that 

the number of candidates needing interview has 

multiplied, and I thank all those committee 

members who give of their time to do these. We 

have also seen an increase in the numbers of 

prospective new members attending our Open 

Evenings and a subsequent increase of new 

members joining the club via this route. 

I urge all members to bring any prospective 

members to one of these evenings. It is an 

opportunity for them to meet other members, 

members of the secretariat and committee 

members – above all to get the opportunity to 

experience the club. We only ask that you contact 

Anne Rowland and give her your details and that 

of any guests. 

Anyone who, over the years, has been 

involved in the work to increase the membership 

will tell you that one is always struck by the 

number of Scots based in London, who have 

never heard of the Caledonian Club. The past 

year has seen a major effort to identify and 

engage with other Scottish institutions and 

organisations who have strong links to London. 

This of course is an ongoing effort. 

Open Evening 

You may be interested to learn of the current 

make up of our membership: 

• Our youngest member is 19 years of age, our 

oldest 101. The average age of our membership 

is just under 59, which is marginally below the 

2016 level and well below that of 10 years ago. 

• The total number of lady members is 223 which 

is a few more that 2016; of these 33 are under 

35, with 23 being under 30 years of age. 

• We have 102 gentlemen who are under 35 years 

(60 are under 30), this is approximately 10% 

higher than 2016; it follows that we have a total 

of 135 younger members aged 35 and below. 

This can only be good for the future of the club, and 

we owe a huge thanks to all those younger members 

and their committee under the chairmanship of 

Angus Burrell who make our club such a vibrant 

and welcoming place for young Scots. 

We are in a good place to face 2018 but we 

still need to improve our retention rates; whilst we 

lost fewer than 2016 they are still higher than we 

would like. Our losses in any year vary greatly, 

with mid 70s and mid 80s being common, with 

mid 90s on occasion. It can be seen that we spend 

a lot of time catching up. This is now the greatest 

barrier to us achieving our membership goals. 

Can I take the opportunity to wish all 

members a Merry Christmas and a Guid New 

Year and hope to see all of you in 2018. 

WE McDermott, 

Chairman Membership Committee 

FOR YOUR DIARY 

DECEMBER 

22 Fri Club Closes 4pm 

JANUARY 

4 Thu Club re-opens 9am 

5 Fri Staff Party 

9 Tue Number 9 Society Dr David Rooney, 

Keeper of Technologies and 

Engineering Science Museum, London 

16 Tue Book Club The Golden Gate by 

Vikram Seth 

19 Fri Burns Supper 

FEBRUARY 

3-17 Mar RBS Six Nations Rugby Members Bar 

open every Sat/Sun when there is a match 

5 Mon New Members’ Dinner Invitation only 

6 Tue Number 9 Society Andrew Ferguson 

(Club Member) 

16 Fri Younger Members’ Society Dinner 

20 Tue Book Club India by John Keay 

20 Tue Musical Evening Clare Hammond 

(piano) 

21 Wed Golfing Society Social Evening 

24 Sat Calcutta Cup 

26-23 Mar Scottish Schools Art Exhibition 

Private View – Thu 22 March 

28 Thu 25 Year Lunch Invitation only 

MARCH 

2 Fri Reeling Evening 

6 Mon Open Evening 

6 Tue Number 9 Society Justin Urquhart 

Stewart 

16 Fri Younger Members’ Society Gin 

Tasting 

22 Thu Alba Lunch 

20 Tue Book Club The Last Mughal by 

William Dalrymple 

20 Tue Musical Evening Alessandro Fisher 

(tenor) 

30 Fri Good Friday 

APRIL 

1 Sun Easter Carvery 

2 Mon Easter Monday 

3 Tue Number 9 Society TBC 

24 Tue Book Club A Strange and Sublime 

Address by Amit Chaudhuri 

24 Tue Musical Evening Oxana Shevchenko 

(piano) 

For further information on Club events, 

call 020 7333 8722 

Reception for newly elected Scottish MPs 

On 28 November, we held a reception for new 

MPs representing Scottish constituencies. 

Despite a very crowded parliamentary schedule six 

MPs were able to be present and although all parties 

were invited it so happened they were from the 

Conservative and Unionist party. With David Guild (l) 

and Stuart Thom (r) are from left to right. Colin Clark 

(Gordon) Kirstene Hair (Angus) and John Lamont 

(Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk). 

Also in attendance, but 

not in the photograph 

were: Andrew Bowie 

(Aberdeen West 

& Kircardine), 

David Duguid 

(Banff and 

Buchan), and 

Douglas Ross 

(Moray). 


CLUB NEWS 

Library update 

A Library Group was established in May, answerable 

to the Arts and Artefacts Committee and under the 

chairmanship of Andrew Ferguson. The members 

are Hilary Reid Evans, John Murray, Richard 

Holmes, Malcolm Noble and David Balden. 

A Statement of Principles has been adopted 

with the following aims: 

• The purpose of the library is to provide 

quality reading and reference material for 

club members and their guests. A key aim is 

to build a specialist Scottish collection 

available for reference by other London clubs 

and London-based Scottish organisations. 

The library collection will be built through a 

targeted acquisitions strategy. 

• Outwith its use as a library, the room will be 

retained as a business area and should be 

made more comfortable for that purpose with 

improved lighting and furniture. 

• The improvements to the library should 

enhance its appeal as a venue for private 

functions. 

The library collection is now listed by author 

and title under classification headings; the major 

outstanding task is to store the books on the shelves 

by classification to enable physical browsing. 

The Library Group 

has started to acquire 

new books using funds 

specifically donated 

and these can be found 

on shelves immediately 

to the right as you 

enter the library. After 

a short period they will 

be placed on shelves 

under the appropriate classification. 

For the present, club members are being 

asked not to remove books from the Library. 

The intention is that the library will be primarily 

a browsing library but a borrowing option will 

eventually be available when the classification 

process has been completed. Members are 

encouraged to use the library while on the club 

premises and books should be returned to the 

bottom shelves to the right of the library 

entrance and NOT replaced on the shelves. 

The rate at which the library grows depends 

entirely on our ability to raise the necessary 

funds. The progress made so far has been due 

entirely to the generosity of individual members. 

The Library Group is compiling lists of suitable 

titles and it is proposed that Johnny de Falbe of 

John Sandoe (Books) Ltd. will take on the role of 

advisor on acquisitions, a service he provides for 

several London club libraries. 

The next steps will involve three priorities. 

The first is to secure funding for regular 

purchases of new or second-hand books in good 

condition. The second is to update the list of 

suitable titles for acquisition. The third is to 

communicate regularly with members on newly 

acquired titles and other changes. 

Members interested in making donations 

for making book purchases should contact the 

Secretary. Any queries or comments can be made 

to the Secretary or members of the Library Group. 

The Library Group would like to express 

their appreciation to Richard Holmes for all 

his hard work in cataloguing the club’s library 

collection. 

Malcolm Noble 

Staff news 

We welcome two key members of staff to the team, Eugenio Rolfo 

(Dining Room and Bar Manager) and Paul Burgess (Head Barman). 

Eugenio and Paul 

Eugenio arrived in London in the 

80s having left his hometown of 

Turin, Italy. He has vast experience 

in high-end establishments such as 

the Connaught, Harry’s Bar, 5 

Hertford Street and Morton’s on 

Berkeley Square. Prior to arriving at 

the club he spent two years 

consulting for a private members’ 

club in the Middle East as well as 

assisting in 

the family 

restaurant 

back in Italy. 

He enjoys 

spending time 

with his family. 

Britishborn 

Paul was 

brought up in 

South Africa 

and returned 

to the UK in the 

90s where he 

began a career 

in hospitality. 

Like Eugenio, 

Paul is familiar 

with club life 

having worked as Head Barman at 

both the Reform Club and Army & 

Navy Club. When not working Paul 

likes to watch rugby now rather 

than play and frequently travels to 

Spain, the homeland of his wife. 

Both Eugenio and Paul are 

looking forward to working together 

and sharing their wealth of 

experience gained over the years. 

Calling all Scots 

And the children of Scots 

ScotsCare is a charity that helps Scots living 

in London rebuild or improve their lives. 

If you know of someone who needs help, 

would like to find out more, or would like 

to help others by volunteering your time or 

donating funds, call us free of charge on 

0800 652 2989 or visit www.scotscare.com 

22 City Road, London EC1Y 2AJ facebook.com/ScotsCare @ScotsCare 


COMMON GOOD FUND 

JOHN STEWART-MURRAY, 8TH DUKE OF ATHOLL 

Marquis of Tullibardine 

Andrew Ferguson remembers a man to whom the 

Caledonian Club owes much. 

John Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl, also known as ‘Bardie’, 

played a key role in the history of the Caledonian Club when in 1917 

he led the transformation of the Club from a proprietary club to the 

members’ club we have today. 

Bardie was born on 15 December 1871 at the family home of Blair 

Castle in Perthshire. He was given the title Marquis of Tullibardine, 

traditionally bestowed on the eldest son, or in his case the eldest surviving 

son, of the Duke of Atholl. He was educated at Eton and on leaving, joined 

the Black Watch before transferring to the Royal Horse Guards at the 

invitation of the Prince of Wales. 

Military service 

A year after his engagement in 1897 to Katharine Ramsay, the daughter of 

Sir James Ramsay of Bamff, Bardie was appointed by Kitchener to serve in 

the Sudan as a Staff Officer to the Colonel commanding the Egyptian 

Cavalry and took part in the Battle of Omdurman. 

Bardie and Katherine were married at St. Margaret’s Church 

Westminster on 20 July 1899. When, a few months later, the Second Boer 

war broke out, he volunteered for service in the 1st Royal Dragoons and 

was involved in the relief of Ladysmith. He then raised a regiment of 

Scottish Horse comprised of Scots in South Africa. These were joined by 

Scots enlisting in London and two regiments were eventually formed. He 

was mentioned twice in dispatches and was awarded the DSO 

Ideas take flight 

Back in the UK, Bardie became acquainted with John Dunne who was 

working on the design of an aeroplane and formed a company to finance 

work on the project. In 1914, the design was handed to Armstrong 

Whitworth for further development. This early interest in aviation led to 

Bardie becoming chairman of the Royal Aero Club in 1912; he continued 

as chairman for eight years and then as president until his death. 

Public service 

Bardie had a profound sense of public duty and in the general election of 

1910 was elected as the Unionist MP for West Perthshire. H spoke often on 

land management and military affairs and in 1912 took a sensitive stance 

in the dockers’ strike. He told the House of Commons of families of ‘eight 

and ten struggling to live on 1d. or 2d. per day.’ When the strike ended, he 

launched an appeal for funds to enable the strikers to reclaim possessions 

they had been forced to pawn. He continued as an MP until 1917 when on 

the death of his father he took his seat in the House of Lords. 

His wife Katharine also had a parliamentary career and in1923 

became the first Scottish female MP. She espoused social causes and was 

known as the ‘Red Duchess.’ 

Further honours 

In 1917 the 7th Duke died and Bardie returned to Perthshire. He became Lord 

Lieutenant of the county and in 1918 was appointed Lord High Commissioner 

to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, a position he held until 

1920. In 1919 he headed the committee to establish the Scottish National War 

Memorial at Edinburgh Castle, which was ceremoniously opened in July 1927. 

Bardie died at Blair Castle on 16th March 1942 after a short illness. 

His wife died in 1960. 

This article is based on Working Partnership, by the Duchess of Atholl. A copy 

of the book has been donated to the club library by The Common Good Fund. 

Bardie rescued 

For many years, this portrait of the Marquis of Tullibardine hung unnoticed 

in a corner of the lift well adjacent to the bar. Unnoticed, that is, until Jan 

Coughtrie spotted it when researching for the Caledonian Club Collection, 

the book about the club’s artworks and artefacts. 

The club’s portrait is a print of the 1904 original by Sir James Guthrie, 

which hangs in Blair Castle, and was given to the Marchioness by the artist. 

The print was in a dilapidated state, with parts stuck to the glass. After 

some research into restorers, the Graham Bignell Studio, a paper 

conservation specialist, was asked to carry out the work. 

A total of 13 hours was spent on the restoration which included the 

delicate removal of the print from the frame, steaming the stuck pieces of 

print from the glass, adhering these back into position and then infilling 

and retouching any losses that had occurred. 

The original frame was too shallow, which had allowed the print to come 

into contact with its protective glass. Extra depth was added to the old frame 

and the print re-instated with airspace between the glass and the print. 

As befitting a man so important to the 

history of the club, 

Bardie’s portrait now 

has a prominent 

position in the 

ground floor 

corridor opposite 

the snuff mull. 

The Great War 

Bardie was appointed Brigadier-General in command of the Scottish Horse 

with seven regiments. In August 1915 three regiments embarked – without 

their horses – for Gallipoli to reinforce the Suvla landing. Conditions at Suvla 

were appalling and dysentery was rife. In December the evacuation was ordered 

and after some months in Egypt the three regiments were disbanded and 

the men re-allocated. The remainder of the Scottish Horse would fight with 

distinction in France notably at Le Cateau in the last months of the war. 


MEMBERSHIP 

NEW Members 

Since the last issue, 46 new Members have joined the Club, including those featured below. 

Dr Tahir Akhtar 

Dr Akhtar grew 

up in Glasgow, 

attending university 

there where he 

studied medicine. 

He did postgraduate 

work at 

King’s and Queen Mary’s in 

London and is a senior consultant 

in intensive care medicine, with 

a bias towards organ transplant. 

Though he still works part-time 

for the NHS, he has branched out 

into business, founding several 

international enterprises. He lives 

in Essex with his Glaswegian wife 

and two children. 

Patrick King 

Patrick entered 

the film industry 

in 1967, as a 

runner before 

becoming a 

producer, writer 

and director of 

documentaries. His Scottish 

productions include the awardwinning 

Instrument of War: 

The History of the Great Highland 

Bagpipe and When the Pipers Play 

and he is a voting member of 

BAFTA and the European Film 

Academy. He served in the 51st 

Highland Volunteers, part of the 

Territorial Army and became a 

drummer in the London Scottish 

Regimental Pipe Band, serving with 

them for 26 years. He lives in a small 

village in rural Buckinghamshire 

with his long-time partner Isla 

St Clair, the Scottish singer and 

broadcaster. 

Martin Logan 

Originally from 

Glasgow, 

Martin grew 

up in Alloway, 

Ayrshire. He 

studied medicine 

at Glasgow 

University and is a consultant 

surgeon. He now works in Harley 

Street, London & Berkshire 

specialising in knee surgery. Martin 

is a keen golfer, cyclist and tennis 

player. He lives in Berkshire with 

his wife Helen who is also a new 

member, and their three children. 

Helen Logan 

Born in Irvine, 

Ayrshire, Helen 

grew up in 

Hamilton. 

Lanarkshire 

before attending 

Glasgow University where she 

obtained degrees in the arts and 

law. Helen is a Scottish and English 

qualified solicitor and lives in 

Berkshire with her husband Martin 

and their three children. Helen’s 

interests include running, reading 

and family. She is looking forward 

to enjoying many more happy 

evenings at the Caledonian Club. 

Andrew 

Mackenzie 

Andrew grew up 

in Banff in 

Aberdeenshire. 

He studied law 

at the University 

of Glasgow, 

qualifying as a Scottish and 

subsequently English solicitor 

advocate, before being admitted to 

the English Bar. Andrew has lived in 

Dubai for the past 8 years and has 

recently accepted partnership at the 

law firm of Baker Mckenzie. Hobbies 

include golf, rugby, music and history. 

Laura Shaw 

Laura was born in 

Aberdeen, studying 

Petroleum Geology 

at Aberdeen 

University before 

moving to 

Edinburgh to 

study Reservoir Engineering. 

She currently works in London for 

a European management and 

technology consultancy focusing 

on strategy consulting. Laura 

enjoys visiting Scotland to enjoy the 

outdoors and practice her hobbies: 

running, rock climbing, 

mountaineering and skiing. 

Timothy Suprise 

Hailing from the 

USA and with 

two Scottish 

grandparents 

(Clan Gordon), 

Tim founded 

Arcadia Brewing 

Company in 1996, 

a medal-winning craft brewery and 

pub that specialises in Britishinspired 

and American-crafted 

artisanal beers. Married with two 

adult children (son Gabe is a piper), 

Tim has been working for the past 

two years with a number of legacy 

UK brewers (including Caledonian 

Brewery), and is in the process of 

establishing key partnerships that 

will include brewing Arcadia Ales 

in England for the UK and 

European markets. 

Judith Way 

Judith has strong 

family connections 

with Aberdeen 

through her 

mother whose 

family name is 

Innes and she likes 

collecting items in the Innes tartan. 

She is a solicitor chairing tribunals 

and panels in the area of professional 

regulation. She enjoys tennis and 

one year she was delighted to go to 

all four grand slams in Melbourne, 

Paris, Wimbledon and New York. 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE 

Since Spring issue: 

New Members 

Dr Tahir M Akhtar 

Michael J H Beckett 

Dr Daliah P Bond 

Olivia Broderick 

Charles Bruce 

David R B Cargill 

Robert B Carter 

J Bruce Cartwright 

Kate Craighead 

Michelle M Dawson 

Anthony R de Unger 

Calum Ferguson 

Russell J Green 

Michael A Gribben 

Michael J A Healy 

Karen E Heaton 

Kevin Heverin 

Alexander Howard 

David Hu 

Tom Hunter 

Robert C A Hunter 

Stuart F Johnston 

Eleanor Laing 

A Nicholas Lyle 

James R Lyon 

Ewan F MacTaggart 

Faithann McIver 

Allan McKinnon 

Giorgio A Ninni Riva 

John Owens 

Peter Pantaleo 

Adam Rae 

Courtenay J Rowett 

Laura A Shaw 

Katie Stephenson 

Julia A Stierli 

Martin Taylor 

Geoffrey P Thomas 

Johnny D Thomson 

Alice Urquhart 

T Andrew E Wamae 

Pauline Wyman 

Re-Election 

Darren Johnston 

David J Stewart 

Family Associate Membership 

Dianne A Bruce 

Helen Logan 

In Memoriam 

John J Blanche 

James O A Fraser 

J L Leslie Imrie 

Jeremy D Nicholson 

Queen’s Birthday Honours 

Professor Anton Muscatelli, the 

Principal and Vice Chancellor of 

the University of Glasgow has 

been awarded a knighthood for 

his services to economics and 

higher education. 

MILESTONE Memberships 

The Club recognises length of service in a number of ways and would like to acknowledge those 

members who have achieved a milestone in their membership of the Club. 

50 Years 

The Rt Hon The Earl 

of Elgin and Kincardine KT 

Alexander F McCardle JP 

Peter A J Gardiner OBE 

40 Years 

Alexander K Foote 

Colonel John N 

Cormack MBE 

Dr Iain C Baillie 

Sir Ronald Miller 

H Renton Laidlaw 

Q Robert Dean 

E Ronald Stott 

Donald H Brydon 

Richard L Holmes 

25 Years 

R Alan H Colquhoun 

Isobel M Buchanan 

Elspeth M Booth 

Peter M D Stevenson 

H Drew Sloan OBE 

David W Hall 

Lionel H Judd 

The Rt. Hon. The Lord 

Wallace of Tankerness QC 

Peter W Ferguson 

Colin Rutherford 


WILLIAM MCMAHON MBE, FRICS 

Chairman who helped 

transform the club 

A personal tribute by Edmund Gordon 

William Tonar McMahon, known to family and some friends 

as ‘Billy’, to others as ‘Bill’, died in April 2017, aged 86. 

I am sure all will join in commiserating with his wife, 

Margaret, their daughter and son, Alison and Keith, and 

other family members on their loss. 

Bill, if I may use the name by which I knew him, was 

born in Edinburgh in March 1931. He, his mother 

and father (who died when Bill was young), and 

elder brother lived in Comely Bank, overlooking Edinburgh 

Academy sports ground, which, Bill once told me, he felt 

had partly led to his enthusiasm for cricket. 

Bill’s first, and only, school was George Heriot’s. His time 

there left lasting impressions. When Bill joined in 1936, he 

would have been one of some 1500 boys. Many staff would 

have been in or affected by the First World War. Five years 

of his schooling coincided with the Second World War. 

The school ethos reflected strongly held contemporary religious 

and moral principles. It tended to be enforced by authority 

and peer pressures. Educational achievement, as ever in 

Scotland, was highly valued but possibilities for sport and 

other activities abounded. 

In most respects Heriot’s resembled other good Scottish schools but 

additional influences stemmed from its charitable origins, reflecting the 

school motto, ‘impendo’, traditionally translated as 

‘I distribute cheerfullie’, to signify its founder’s beneficent disposition. 

On leaving Heriot’s in 1949 Bill joined an Edinburgh firm of quantity 

surveyors, attending night school to gain professional qualifications. He and 

Margaret, both baptised by the same 

“ 

minister at St Luke’s Church in 

Edinburgh, and who met in the Youth 

Fellowship there, married in 1956. In 

the December that year they moved 

from Edinburgh to London, where Bill 

worked first for the London County 

Council but soon moved to chartered surveyors Stanley Griffiths & Partners 

in Westminster. He remained there until his retirement in 1995, becoming 

senior partner and continuing as a consultant. 

Deeply committed though Bill was to his family and work, his energy 

and sense of duty led to participation in other activities too. 

One organisation Bill joined was the London Heriot Club, of which he 

was President in 1969, a factor listed when he was proposed for Caledonian 

Club membership in 1971. He became a Committee member in 1983 and 

was Chairman from 1988 to 1991, subsequently becoming a Vice President. 

Bill organised the Club’s Burns Suppers for many years, acting as Master of 

Ceremonies, and served a term as Golfing Society Captain. He and his firm 

were involved in the construction of the Club’s Terrace in 1994. 

But beyond these contributions it was during his chairmanship that 

Bill was instrumental in transformationally appointing its first club 

secretary, Paul Varney, with a background in what is now called hospitality. 

Previous secretaries had been retired members of the armed forces. 

Bill’s involvement with the Royal Scottish Corporation, now 

Scotscare, the oldest Scottish charity outside Scotland, granted a royal 

charter in 1665, led to his becoming a trustee. 

Margaret and Bill McMahon 

His tone was carefully 

measured and his wit 

was always dry. 

” 

Close professional collaboration with the architects Ware MacGregor 

Partnership led to involvement in major television projects, including the 

Southern Television Studios in Southampton, the Thames Television 

Studios in Euston Road in London and transmitter buildings for the British 

Broadcasting Corporation and Independent Broadcasting Authority. 

During this period Bill served on the British Board of Film Classification 

and was on its Council of Management for some 10 years. 

He became Honorary Treasurer of the Royal Television 

Society in 1996 and was awarded an MBE in the 2007 

New Year Honours List for services to the Society. 

Bill was a member of the Worshipful Company of 

Woolmen. 

A service to commemorate Bill’s life was held on 5 

May 2017 at Kingston United Reformed Church, of which Bill and Margaret 

were long-standing members. The service was attended by the Club’s 

present Chairman, David Guild, two past Chairmen, George Gillon and 

David Coughtrie, the Secretary, David Balden, and other Club members. 

During the service, the minister, Lesley Charlton, characterised Bill 

McMahon as ‘a rock-solid citizen… not flash or demonstrative’, ‘someone always 

ready to listen and never self-indulgent’, ‘generous, wise, thoughtful, interested 

in other people’ and ready to offer advice when needed. She quoted a work 

colleague as saying ‘his tone was carefully measured and his wit was always dry’. 

The minister also commented that: ‘[Bill] and Margaret are part of the 

… strict Presbyterianism which is our heritage … [Bill] lived a life which 

demonstrated rather than articulated what he believed in. Billy was ordered 

and a man with standards without being a fussy pedant which often goes 

with such attributes. Things had to be done in a particular way, yet there 

was a generosity about him’. 

These comments will, I suspect, also reflect how Caledonian Club 

members and staff who knew Bill will remember him. They capture well the 

qualities that prompted the affection and respect with which Bill McMahon 

was so widely held. 


MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 

DEBORAH THOMSON: 

A thoroughbred 

racing horse owner 

MELLING LANE DIVIDES AINTREE RACE COURSE, VENUE FOR THE GRAND NATIONAL 

THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS STEEPLECHASE, AND IT IS WHERE MY MOTHER WAS BORN 

AND GREW UP. SO, WHEN THE CALL TO WRITE A FEATURE ON DEBORAH THOMSON, 

CALEDONIAN CLUB AND RACING SOCIETY MEMBER WAS SUGGESTED AT THE MAGAZINE 

EDITORIAL PLANNING MEETING, I WAS UP FOR THE JOB. 

Louise Newton reports 

Much has already been written about the astonishing 

triumph of One For Arthur at the Grand National in April 

2017: ridden by jockey Derek Fox, trained by Lucinda 

Russell and only the second Scottish-trained horse to 

win at Aintree since Rubstock in 1979 owned by John Douglas – 

coincidentally wearing the same number 22. The 14-1 shot, a horse 

who for the first time in six years at the National started at odds below 

25-1, galloped steadfastly to fend off Cause of Causes by four and a half 

lengths, and win, thrilling the punters and making the bookies weep. 

Racing success can be the result of paying the highest price at a horse 

sale for a genetic thoroughbred talent, but this was not the case of One 

For Arthur part-owned by Deborah Thomson along with Belinda 

McClung. Their success is a story of friendship, risk, informed choices, 

hard graft, training and commitment. They became friends at Pony Club 

aged four, and a passion for horses secured their friendship through to 

university. After separate journeys through their twenties and thirties, 

they were re-united through their combined and continued love of horses. 

Deborah took her first step into owning a race horse after 

consulting with Johnny Jeffries the chairman of Kelso Racecourse, who 

asked if she was in it for money or fun; “most definitely for fun” was 

her reply and so he suggested she contact Scottish trainer Lucinda 

Russell to pursue her dream and ambition. 

Serendipity was also to play a part around the same time, when 

she met Belinda again at a Racing Owners Day lunch at Arlary near 

Kinross. Having last seen each other in the rounds of 21st birthday 

parties back in the day and several years later with partners, they each 

eyed the other suspiciously across the room, before re-connecting and 

picking up their friendship as if they had never been apart. Inevitably, 

it wasn’t long before they agreed to embark together on what became 

the successful and life-changing search for One For Arthur. With so 

much time taken up in pursuit of a suitable race horse, their respective 

partners took to escaping most weekends to the golf course, and so 

developed the Two Golf Widows partnership. 

At the Brightwell’s Cheltenham sale in December 2014, the magic 

happened. Belinda arrived first, and on exiting the viewing told Debs 

who had just arrived with bloodstock agent Tom Malone, that there 

was only one horse for her; half an hour later Debs agreed, and One 

For Arthur was bought for £60,000. 

The journey to Aintree was strategic, tough and meticulously 

executed by trainer Lucinda Russell, assisted by partner retired jockey 

Peter Scudamore at their yard in Arlary. One For Arthur ran every week 

and always placed. But his handicap was still not high enough for Aintree 

2017. As time passed there was more success and then a big win in the 

Classic Chase at Warwick Racecourse on 4 January 2017, had Aintree 

in sight. Assigned a weight of 151 pounds and with starting odds of 

14/1 in a field of 20 chasers, he took the lead at the second to last fence 

and drew away to win by six lengths from Goodtoknow. This moved 

his handicap from 136 to 146. At the annual Weights Lunch Deborah 

discovered he was not in the top 40, but was in with a very realistic 

chance of starting. Due to re-shuffles, he eventually got a place. 

An unexpected accident four weeks before the race was a major blow 

to their plans and jeopardised the partnership of jockey Derek Fox and One 

For Arthur. Derek broke his wrist and collarbone in a bad fall and it seemed 

unlikely that he would ride. But the skill of staff at Jack Berry House, a state 

of the art rehabilitation and fitness centre, working on his physical strength 

and conditioning got him back to fitness just days ahead of the race. 

With so many obstacles along their journey behind them it 

seemed nothing else could go wrong. But (rarely for Liverpool) the sun 

shone. Deborah recalls, on race day the weather conditions were very 

hot, and the ground unusually dry, not favourable terrain for One For 

Arthur. For the team, family and friends, therefore all bets were off, the 

day was to be relaxed, fun and the gin and tonics flowed. But at the 

water jump, with a round to go the realisation dawned. Watching the 

race from a screen, Deborah witnessed One for Arthur, the good 

jumper and stayer, described by Fox in overtaking the competition 

“like passing cars” win the Grand National, and fulfil her dreams. 

The media frenzy which followed One For Arthur’s success was 

challenging and a learning curve for Deborah, but a relationship she 

has become more comfortable in managing as her confidence has 

grown. But her ability to overcome this media hurdle is not surprising, 

because to achieve the success she has in the male dominant world of 

horse racing takes intelligence, bravery, talent, hard work and humour, 

qualities she exudes. Deborah has recently invested in another horse, 

Two Rivers, and carrying on in her theme of subtle anonymity, is 

owned by her ‘Two Black Labs’, Dom and Louis; no doubt securing 

continued success for this thoroughly modern Scottish woman. 


MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 

At the post-race press conference: Belinda McClung, Deborah Thomson and Derek Fox 

“ 

The success she 

has achieved in the 

male dominanted 

world of horse racing 

takes intelligence, 

bravery, talent, 

hard work and 

humour, qualities 

she exudes. 

” 

One for Arthur going over the finishing line 

Deborah, family and friends 

Two Rivers in the colours of Two Black Labs. Deborah’s labradors are named Dom 

(Perignon) and Louis (Roederer) after her favourite refreshment. Let’s hope there will be 

many occasions with Two Rivers when champagne will be called for! 


CLUB EVENTS UPDATE 

Lachlan Goudie at the Club 

The well-known Scottish artist and 

television presenter, Lachlan Goudie, 

hosted an evening for Arts Group 

members at the Club on 25 October. 

Lachlan’s theme was the life and work of his 

father, Alexander (Sandy) Goudie, whose 

portrait of Her Majesty the Queen (below) 

hangs at the head of the club’s main staircase. 

The portrait was commissioned by the club to 

celebrate the centenary of our founding in 1891. 

During his affectionate and moving talk, 

Lachlan told us that his father maintained 

that this was the most important portrait 

CIGAR DINNER 

30 members gathered on the Terrace on 

20 July for the annual Cigar Dinner hosted 

once again by Jimmy McGhee from Hunters 

and Frankau. 

Lachlan Goudie and Colin Clark 

commission of his career and gave those 

present an insight into the artist’s creative 

process. For example, Holyrood Palace, the 

background to the portrait, was included 

following a conversation with the Queen 

during which, in response to the question 

‘What do you think of when you think of 

Scotland?’ she replied, without hesitation 

“Holyrood”. In the foreground, the rose lying 

at her feet is a direct reference to the portrait 

by Pettie of Bonnie Prince Charlie in which 

his path is scattered with flower petals, a 

painting which hangs in the Morrison Room. 

A friend of club member Colin Clark, 

Sandy stayed frequently in the club, walking to 

Buckingham Palace for his allotted time with 

Her Majesty and then dining with Colin. Colin 

tells us he still has in his possession a drawing by 

Sandy of diners attended by pipers and carrying 

the inscription ‘After a most enjoyable dinner’. 

Hilary Reid Evans 

Once again, the weather was at its best enabling 

the eating, smoking, drinking diners to enjoy 

three fine cigars al fresco with club malt and 

Taylors Vintage 1985. 

REELING 

EVENINGS: 

10 YEARS ON 

OUR TOES 

The club’s Reeling Evenings, which have been 

held twice a year since 26 October 2007, have 

become fixtures in the London Scottish 

country dancing calendar. 

Somehow, we combine a happy mix of younger and 

older reelers, Scottish country and ceilidh dancers 

alongside complete novices and all have fun. 

It was David Coughtrie and Anthony 

Westnedge who felt there ought to be more 

dancing in the club, and with a bit of help 

(author’s note – more than a bit!) from James 

Fairbairn the Reeling Evenings were born. 

76 attended the first one and now, such is their 

popularity, we have to limit the numbers to allow 

everyone room to dance. 

The fine food and wine and special ambience 

of the club contribute to the conviviality, joy 

even, of the evenings, while the Johnnie Walker 

room and the ballroom 

are perfect for dining 

and chatting without 

having to shout over 

music, and for 

dancing with 

abandon on our 

sprung floor to 

some of the best 

dance bands, including 

from Scotland. 

Although not here on the night, Samantha 

Fairbairn delighted us with a 10th birthday cake. 

A delicious addition to a very enjoyable evening 

and a great start to our next 10 years! 


Smoking allowed… on the Terrace 


SOCIAL SCENE 

Summer 

Sizzle 

THE SUN SHONE, THE 

SAUSAGES SIZZLED AND 

MEMBERS ARRIVED IN 

THEIR SUMMER SARTORIAL 

BEST FOR THE ANNUAL 

CLUB BBQ 

The early birds secured their tables in the 

colourful, newly refurbished terrace, whilst 

the late comers made a dash for the remaining 

seats inside and near the food; everyone was 

a winner. New additions to add to the fun and 

atmosphere were music by the Croydon Steel 

Band and jars of childhood favourite sweets 

including Flying Saucers, Dolly Mixtures and 

Jelly Beans, with traditional candy-striped 

‘sweetie’ bags to pick and mix and take home. 

Another year and another “Best BBQ ever”. 

By Louise Newton 

Photographs by Monica Wells 


CLUB CENTENARY 

Centenary Dinner 

On the evening of Friday 22 September 2017, 126 Members sat down at a dinner to celebrate 

the 100th anniversary of The Caledonian Club becoming a members’ club. 

It was a members only occasion and among 

the diners were our longest-living member, 

Dr George Rettie, aged 101 and our longestserving 

member, Eoin Mekie who joined in 1955. 

It was also an evening designed to be 

short on ceremony and long on sustenance. 

Thus, the speakers had been briefed to speak 

for only a few minutes each, while the diners 

worked their way through four courses, three 

wines and the post-dinner port and club malt. 

Our President, the Earl of Dalhousie was, 

as always, affable and able in conducting the 

proceedings. 

In his speech, Chairman David Guild 

revealed that the club’s original founder, 

Neville Campbell had been a wine merchant 

and was born in Perthshire – something only 

recently discovered. However, we were 

celebrating this evening, the foundation of the 

club as constituted today through the efforts 

of another native of Perthshire, the Marquis 

of Tullibardine. (‘Bardie.’) 

Senior Vice President George Gillon 

recalled attending another centenary dinner – 

in 1991 – celebrating the centenary of the 

club’s actual founding by Neville Campbell, 

with 9 courses and a different wine with each. 

He also reminisced about the characters he 

had met in the club, and still meets. As he 

said, they make the club what it is – friendly, 

distinctive, and Scottish to the core. 

Vice President David Coughtrie enlarged 

on the role of the Marquis of Tullibardine, who 

assumed the title of the Duke of Atholl in 1917. 

Known throughout his life as Bardie, it was his 

energy and drive as Chairman that led to the 

funds being raised for members to purchase the 

club. He also gave an account of the restoration 

of Bardie’s portrait which had been hanging in 

an obscure corner of the Club and was displayed 

at the dinner. (See page 7.) 

It was truly fitting that the raffle, a three 

litre bottle of cognac should be won by Iain 

Murray, a descendant of the Dukes of Atholl. 

It was not a put up job. 

Members were asked to sign their individual 

menu cards for the others on their table and also 

a ‘book of the night’ to be held in the library. 

On leaving, all were presented with a 

commemorative crystal tumbler and a miniature 

of the club malt. 

The evening was organised by the events 

committee under the chairmanship of Hilary 

Reid Evans. 


CLUB CENTENARY 


THE CALEDONIAN LECTURE 

ScotsinCatherine 

theGreat’s Russia 

Dr John Rogerson 

Admiral Samuel Greig 

A DOCTOR . AN ADMIRAL . AN ARCHITECT 

Charles Cameron, Architect 

Professor Anthony Cross FBA in delivering 

the 2017 Caledonian Lecture recounted 

the broad sweep of involvement and 

influence of Scots who had been drawn 

during Catherine’s reign to St Petersburg, 

the home of the Tsar’s court for 50 years. 

David Coughtrie reports 

Many Scottish names spilled forth for their 

achievements. However, the Lecture 

focused on three Scots who made their 

mark during the reign of Catherine the Great: 

Dr John Rogerson, Catherine’s personal physician 

with the rank of State Counsellor; Admiral 

Samuel Greig, responsible for the rebuilding of 

the Russian Navy and architect Charles 

Cameron, summoned to Russia by Catherine. 

Dr John Rogerson 

Arriving in Russia in 1766, Rogerson had a meteoric 

career becoming the court physician within three 

years and Catherine’s personal physician in 1976. 

He enjoyed a reputation, not only as a doctor but 

also as a man of wide learning, becoming the 

first Briton to be elected to the Russian Academy of 

Sciences. Wherever the Empress went, he went. 

He was well rewarded for his dedication including 

an estate near Minsk with 1,500 serfs that brought 

a handsome income. While he visited Scotland 

only three times during his sojourn away, he 

returned after 50 years’ service, buying and 

rebuilding Dumcrieff House in Dumfriesshire. 

Admiral Samuel Greig 

Professor Cross described Samuel Greig as a true 

hero. Born in Inverkeithing, he achieved much 

in Russian service, was a friend of Rogerson and 

highly esteemed by the Empress. 

Catherine was intent on reviving the fortunes 

of her navy, which she described as a ‘herring fleet’ 

and it was to Britain that she turned to recruit 

high quality officers, including Greig as a captain 

of the first rank. He served under Count Orlov 

in the great Russian victory over the Turks at the 

Battle of Chesme Bay and was hailed as a hero for 

his leadership and naval skills. Already a knight 

of St George and St Anna, he was promoted to 

vice-admiral and Commandant of Kronstadt. 

On his return to St Petersburg he was 

appointed a full Admiral and initiated major 

improvements to the Russian Baltic Fleet. He 

modernised the naval dockyard at Kronstadt, and 

produced a masterplan for its redevelopment. 

It was as supreme commander of the Russian naval 

fleet that Greig entered the war against Sweden that 

began in 1988 but was short lived. Soon after Greig 

died, not in battle but from fever. Catherine sent 

Rogerson to tend to him but it was too late. Such 

was her regard for Greig that she had a gold medal 

struck and a marble mausoleum erected in the 

Lutheran cathedral of Revel, now known as Tallinn. 

Charles Cameron, Architect 

Professor Cross referred to his third exemplar, as 

‘of a rather different character and temperament 

from Greig’. Described as an elegant draughtsman 

and a fervent disciple of Palladianism, he was 

summoned to Russia by Catherine in 1779. 

He was to inspire near-rapturous admiration of 

his talents in the Empress, who was soon writing 

that he was not only a “great designer” but also a 

Jacobite, brought up in the household of the 

Pretender in Rome and a direct descendant of 

Cameron of Lochiel. Cameron was in fact a 

London Scot, son of a speculative builder. 

He probably never visited Scotland but was hailed, 

debatably, as ‘Russia’s most famous Scot’. It was 

the design of a single building that earned him 

that accolade, the Cameron Gallery added to the 

Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, and so named 

decades after his death. When it was finished, it 

is said that the Empress, holding Cameron by 

the arm, as they finished a tour of inspection, 

quipped: “it is indeed very handsome, mais ça 

coûte (but it’s not cheap)”. 

In Conclusion 

In many ways it is Cameron’s name that has lived 

on through the Gallery at Tsarkoye Selo. Rogerson’s 

name has slipped from history, despite his 

prominent position and long service in Russia. 

Admiral Greig is still revered by students of 

Russian military history. It is remarkable that 

during this period there was another Scotsman, 

John Paul Jones born in Kirkcudbright, and 

sometimes referred to as the ‘Father of the 

American Navy’, who also served in the Imperial 

Russian Navy, obtaining the rank of rear admiral. 

Perhaps the subject of another Lecture! 

The Lecturer 

Many authors have written about this period in 

Russian history and the contribution Scots made 

to the country’s development, but Professor 

Cross is acknowledged as the foremost expert in 

this field. Formerly Professor of Slavonic Studies 

at the University of Cambridge, he now lectures 

internationally. 

Guest of Honour 

His Excellency, Dr Alexander Yakovenko, the 

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the 

UK gave the Vote of Thanks, noting the famous 

Russian poet, Mikhail Lermontov, who has Scottish 

origins, a direct descendant of a George Learmonth. 

His Excellency presented a copy of Lermontov’s 

famous book Demon, a masterpiece of European 

literature, translated into 13 languages, to the club. 

A full house awaits 

Ruth Anderson, Paul Miller & Sasha Painter 

Professor Anthony Cross, HE Dr Alexander Yakovenko, 

Hilary Reid Evans & Vice President David Coughtrie 

Donald & Lynda Lamont 


SOCIAL SCENE 

St Andrew’s 

Day Dinner 

LORD STRATHCLYDE: 

A SCOTSMAN ON SCOTLAND 

With our President, Lord Dalhousie presiding, 

the grace was said by the Reverend Dr George 

Whyte, Principal Clerk of the General 

Assembly of the Church of Scotland. 

Lord Dalhousie introduced our guest 

speaker, The Rt Hon The Lord Strathclyde CH 

PC who, though chairman of the Carlton Club, 

is a frequent visitor to the Caledonian, even 

holding a ‘significant’ birthday party here. 

The Toast was to Scotland and Lord 

Strathclyde, born in Glasgow and living in 

Mauchline was certainly well qualified to 

propose it. 

Lord Strathclyde entered the House of 

Lords in 1986 and served in various ministerial 

posts from 2010, before resigning in 2013 

to pursue a career in business. 

In toasting Scotland, he spoke of our 

indestructible spirit; of how, in over 400 

years in the UK, we had kept our identity. 

He spoke also of St Andrew, whose 

philosophy could be summed up as 

“Take what you have and share it.” 

As a company, we certainly shared a 

great evening, with over 120 members and 

guests enjoying haggis and the chef ’s roast 

fillet of beef and bread and butter pudding. 

Until 2010, the St Andrew’s Day Dinner 

was men only and it was encouraging to see 

so many ladies present. 

Chairman of the Caledonian Club, 

David Guild proposed the Vote of Thanks 

to Lord Strathclyde and all those members 

and staff who had worked to make the evening 

such a success. 

Photographs by Monica Wells 

WINTER 2016 The Caledonian 17

JOLOMO EXHIBITION 

Halkin Street debut 

for Jolomo 

Dr John Lowrie Morrison CBE (Jolomo) is 

one of Scotland’s most highly regarded 

painters. Traditionally, he has held his annual 

London exhibition in Mayfair. This year 

he broke with tradition and in addition 

he came to the Caledonian Club as well. 

Jolomo didn’t just hang his pictures in the 

club. Together with his son Simon as 

project manager and a crew of craftsmen, 

he transformed the Johnnie Walker room into a 

veritable (not virtual) gallery with white walls 

and professional lighting. 

Never was the Johnnie Walker room so 

distant from our vision, but not nearly as distant 

as Argyll and the Isles, a taste of which Jolomo 

served up in his famous rich and vibrant style. 

The exhibition opened with a private view 

for club members on Thursday 24 August and 

was then open to the public through the Bank 

Holiday weekend. 

Glengoyne Distillers are collaborating with 

Jolomo and the Glasgow School of Art in a project 

to support the GSA’s Mackintosh Restoration 

Appeal and they provided a fine example of the 

distiller’s art to accompany the art on the walls. 

A percentage of the profits from the exhibition is 

to be donated by the artist to the Appeal. 

Was the change of venue a success? Our 

members attending seemed to think so and 

several paintings found buyers. 

Double exposure. Some of the photographs of the 

event shown here also appeared in the October issue 

of Scottish Field. 

Morninglight on the Ardionra Hayfield, Iona 

The Johnnie Walker room, but not as we know it 

I remember it well… 

Lily and Louise Newton Alan Horn, Director of Development at GSA, David Guild and Jolomo David Grant 


THE CLUB AS A VENUE 

All work and play for 

Scots entrepreneurs 

In September, the club played host to a meeting of the Scottish Business 

Network. One of the guests was Fraser Allen who had already held an 

event in the club. 

One of my interests is the World Whisky Day and 

in May of this year, we held a whisky tasting in the 

Caledonian Club. This was my first experience 

of using the club for an event and I have to say 

how impressed I was. I came along to this event 

with high expectations. 

Formed less than two years ago, the SBN 

is an independent international membership 

organisation with a diverse, ambitious membership 

that connects some of the nation’s brightest 

start-ups with seasoned entrepreneurs and 

senior figures from established corporations. 

The SBN holds nine events in London each 

year, bringing members and guests together to 

hear entrepreneurs deliver ten-minute 

presentations, book-ended with convivial 

networking over snacks and drinks. Run by Russell 

Dalgleish and Christine Esson, the organisation 

has also held events across the UK and in the US, 

and is developing a software platform to create 

the world’s largest business network of Scots. 

A warm bond has already been forged 

between the Caledonian Club and the SBN – 

some members, such as Louise Newton and 

Norman Jackson, take an active role in both. 

After the night’s experience, I’m told that the 

club will become a regular venue for SBN events. 

Later, Christine Esson listed some of the 

reasons. “The gathering attracted our biggest 

audience yet,” she said. “and the feedback for the 

welcome, the atmosphere and the food provided 

by the club was universally positive. It was an 

exceptional example of hosting and I know that 

at least one of our members has booked the club 

for an event because they were so impressed. 

“I’d also like to say thank you in particular 

to club secretary David Balden who was a super 

host and who, together with his team, could not 

have done enough to ensure that the evening 

was a success.” 

On the night, the audience heard 

presentations from Ray Bugg about his technology 

news platform DIGIT, Emma Little on event 

organisation business ExecSpace and John 

Maltman on his e-commerce analytics start-up 

E Fundamentals. Caledonian Club Chairman 

Fraser Allen, Blair Bowman, Russell Dalgleish, 

Helen Livingstone, Christine Esson and Gavin Neate 

David Guild engaged the audience with a warm 

introduction to the club and its many qualities. 

A number of SBN members also gathered at 

the club earlier to participate in a leadership 

development exercise run by James England of 

Perthshire-based Blue Sky Experiences. Attendees 

were psychologically profiled to discover where 

they stood on the spectrum between Analysts 

(cool blue) Leaders (fiery red), Nurturers (earth 

green) and Inspirers (sunny yellow). The sunny 

yellows – well known for socialising – could be 

heard enthusiastically enjoying the arrival of the 

drinks and canapes that followed. If I can be 

pardoned the pun, it was a colourful start to a 

very lively event. 

www.worldwhiskyday.com 

www.justadrop.org 

Fraser Allen, CEO 

Whitelight Media 

Opera on a Sunday 

afternoon 

We have had opera in the club and we 

have had lunches in the club, but we have 

never had opera with lunch on a Sunday 

afternoon. One of the 120-strong audience, 

Bill McDermott, was all ears. 

The occasion was a charity event arranged and 

organised by our Club Chairman, David Guild 

on behalf of the Titans Community Foundation 

of Rotherham (www.rotherhamrugby.co.uk) and 

the national music charity Lost-Chord. Lost-Chord 

is dedicated to improving the qhality of life for 

those living with dementia, using interactive 

musical stimulii to increase general well-being 

and awareness.( www.lost-chord.org.uk) 

The progamme was hosted by Lesley 

Garrett, renowned soprano who introduced 

three singers from the Royal Conservatoire of 

Scotland, Charlotte Kenny (soprano), Lauren 

Young (mezzo) and Jerome Knox (baritone). 

Floral tributes on a wonderful afternoon 

There was a special guest appearance by 

tenor Jung Soo Yung, currently appearing in 

Gianni Schicchi in Gothenburg. Rosie Morris 

accompanied on the piano. 

After a drinks reception and a 3-course lunch, 

cooked and served to the club’s usual high 

standards, what better way to be entertained, than 

to relax and be serenaded by melodic arias, familiar 

and unfamiliar, from some of the world’s most 

popular operas. The music was performed to an 

exceptionally high standard and as the audience 

left, you could still hear snatches of favourite 

tunes being sung or hummed sotto voce. 

London Scottish 

Thank you lunch 

On 29th September, London Scottish held a 

Rod Lynch ‘Thank You’ lunch for 70 people to 

thank him for his 16 years of Presidency at 

London Scottish. 

Although most of the attendees were 

London Scottish members, those there 

included eight Richmond FC dignitaries, a 

former President of Rosslyn Park, the President 

of Ealing Trailfinders and Ed Crozier, Immediate 

Past President of the Scottish Rugby Union. 

Rod with his partner Karen Lugg 


STAFF PROFILE 

The kitchen 

brigade 

The club has many unseen heroes and none more so than 

the kitchen brigade. 

Lee Francis worked at the Club in 1991 as a 

Junior Sous Chef and we are delighted he 

has returned some 25 years later to take 

on the role of Head Chef. 

In his early career, Lee was instrumental in 

achieving a Michelin star for Rowhill Grange in 

Kent before working his way up in 

various restaurants and livery halls 

including the Hilton Park Lane and 

Draper’s Hall. He also spent six 

years with previous Head Chef 

Roger Evans at The Institute of 

Directors. Outside of the kitchen 

Lee is a keen cyclist and has 

completed the London to Paris ride 

twice. He also enjoys photography 

and playing the guitar. 

Lee is ably assisted 

by Senior Sous Chef 

Mike Sullivan and 

Sous Chef Christian 

Cevallos Brito. Mike 

has worked at the 

Club for 

23 years 

and when not working he can be 

seen at Arsenal. Christian has now 

been at the club for 10 years and 

his free time is spent with his wife 

Amanda and five year old son 

Dylan, not forgetting that he was 

part of the winning team at the 

annual ALC bowling competition 

in May. 

Back l-r: Harry Donnelly (Commis Chef), George Clayton (Chef de Partie), Lewis Winzar 

(Chef de Partie), David Williams (Chef de Partie), Mike Sullivan (Senior Sous Chef), 

Austin Neil (Trainee Manager), Felipe Bigotti (Kitchen Porter). Front l-r: James Nguyen 

(student), Isis Caldwell (Commis Chef), Denver Mason (Commis Chef), Lee Francis (Head 

Chef) and Christian Cevallos Brito (Sous Chef) 

Breakfast Chef Ian Allis (left and unavailable 

for the group photo) has been cooking up our 

famous Scottish breakfast for nearly 20 years. 

New to the kitchen is trainee manager Austin Neil 

who joins a young, talented team producing new 

and exciting dishes. The Club has close links with 

Westminster Kingsway College and welcomes a 

number of students for work experience, the most 

recent being James Nguyen. 

Borderline cases: 

helping homeless 

Scots in London 

There is a crisis happening on the 

very doorsteps of the club – the 

plight of the homeless in London. 

In 2016, more than 8,000 were seen sleeping 

rough and of these, 12% were Scottish - nearly 

1,000 Scots living on the streets. 

Charities such as Borderline, Crisis at 

Christmas, Shelter, and St Mungo’s provide aid 

to the homeless, but only one, Borderline, is 

specifically dedicated to helping homeless Scots 

in the capital. 

Borderline has a strategic partnership with 

ScotsCare, sharing premises, costs and staff. 

The charity was founded in 1990 from the 

restructuring of the Church of Scotland London 

Advisory Service which had been sponsored by 

the two Churches of Scotland in London. 

Homeless people do not just lack 

somewhere to stay; they are in want of a whole 

panoply of support services that most citizens 

take for granted. 

Thus, as well as help with accommodation, 

Borderline provides information and advice; 

advocacy; duplicate birth certificates; access to 

mental health support; training and education 

to improve employability; life skills such as 

cooking and budgeting…all aimed at helping 

individuals regain their independence. 

Borderline offers clothing and small 

household starter grants for new tenants who 

have previously been homeless and may not 

have the basic necessities to set up home. This 

grant can include small household items such as 

kettles, microwaves, toasters, bedding and small 

television sets. 

As part of its housing service, Borderline 

has priority access to rooms at a YMCA hostel in 

Walthamstow. 

The majority of Borderline’s clients are in 

Westminster (the Caledonian Club’s own London 

borough) and many of its referrals come from 

the Connections day centre at St Martins-in-the- 

Fields. Referrals also come from other charities 

and day centres. When alerted, a Borderline 

outreach worker makes contact with the potential 

client, either at the day centre itself or where the 

person is staying/sleeping. An assessment is 

made of their needs, including services and 

accommodation and suitable arrangements are 

made. Follow-up meetings are ongoing for as 

long as the person needs help or moves away. 

Borderline’s services are continuous 

throughout the year, so they are certainly not 

limited by time. But they are certainly limited by 

funds and any donations, however small, are 

always welcome. 

Please visit www.borderline-uk.org 

Shona Fleming, Joint CEO Borderline and Scotscare 


SOCIETY REPORTS 

YOUNGER MEMBERS’ SOCIETY 

Mixing it up 

The first half of the year saw some 

great events for the Younger Members’ 

Society and for this we thank all who 

helped with the organisation and to 

make things run so smoothly. 

Younger Members with a variety of whiskies 

In August the weather was more 

than kind to us for our annual BBQ 

on the Terrace and it was great to see 

some new members amongst the 

crowd. 

We welcomed Amber 

Claybourne as Events Executive earlier 

this year as she took over from Clare 

Irvine who has now returned to 

Scotland. Amber did a wonderful job 

of organising our wine and cheese 

evening and as somewhat of an 

expert herself, managed to secure 

Dan Belmont of Bedales whom we 

hope to have back for future events. 

Early November saw our whisky 

tasting and mixing class, always a 

popular evening and no exception on 

this occasion sponsored by Chivas Bros. 

Later in November we welcomed 

our fellow members from other London 

clubs to join us for the Inter-Club Ceilidh, 

invariably a 

sell out 

and this 

year was no 

exception 

with a full 

house and 

reeling 

continuing 

into the wee 

hours. 

Phil Huckle 

from Chivas 

At the 

time of writing 

we were looking 

forward to our annual Christmas Lunch 

with the Renwick Quaiche awarded for 

‘the most enthusiastic Member’ and 

celebrations going late into the evening. 

Wishing you all the best for 

Christmas and the New Year and we 

anticipate a busy 2018. Please 

remember to join us on the last 

Thursday of each month in the 

members’ bar for drinks. 

Angus Burrell, Chairman 

RACING SOCIETY 

King of Scotland 

starts and goes 

The Racing Society 

held several social 

events throughout 

the year. As usual, 

the Ascot Box on 

Victoria Cup Day on 

13 May proved 

highly popular with 

40 members and 

guests in attendance. 

The Goodwood race day on 26 August was equally well attended with 

both our boxes in the March Stand sold out. A new event in our social 

calendar this year was a trip to Newmarket on 3 October where 

society members and guests visited the National Stud where they saw some 

top stallions and broodmares under the informed and entertaining tour 

guide Nigel Wright. This was followed by a guided tour of the Racing 

Heritage Museum where a large number of major and valuable art works 

relating to horse racing are on display, in addition to priceless historic racing 

memorabilia and artefacts. Members then ended the day at the Book One 

Tattersalls Sales where they were able to see first hand some of the world's 

most expensive yearlings being sold through the ring. In 2018, the society 

hopes to organise a repeat trip to Newmarket in July that will include a 

morning on the historic gallops and a day's racing on the July course. 

The society’s horse King of Scotland got off to a promising start for the 

season when he won at Leicester on 22 May. That proved to be the apex of 

his career and he was unplaced in three subsequent runs. On 1 November he 

was sold at the Tattersalls Horses In Training Sales, bringing Syndicate 17 to 

an end. His single victory means that the Racing Society has amassed 28 wins 

since its inception in 1996 and achieved a 12% strike rate of wins to runs. 

The society is now in the process of raising funds for the next racing 

syndicate and full details are available from the club Events Executive or by 

contacting the Racing Society direct. The trustees will appoint an agent to 

source a precociously bred two year old at the Breeze Up Sales in spring 2018. 

The end of season annual dinner was held on 9 November. The guest 

speakers were Pam Hollingworth and Kevin Atkinson from the charity 

New Beginnings Horses, who gave a very informative presentation and 

talk on their charity which centres on the re-training and re-homing of 

retired race horses. This is an area of horse racing that few owners 

and members of the public are exposed to but is an extremely important 

element of the ownership and racing process. Our grateful thanks to New 

Beginnings 

Horses and all 

other related 

organisations 

and charities 

involved in 

giving race 

horses a new 

and useful life 

once their 

racing days 

are over. 

Graham Doyle, Pam Hollingworth, Kevin 

Atkinson and Hazel Lawrence 

In the paddock at Lingfield with 

Jockey Charlie Bennett, 1 July 2017 

Graham Doyle, 

Chairman 

ALBA LUNCH SOCIETY 

Lunchers 

on parade 

In June and on the hottest day of the 

year, a small group from the Alba 

lunch society met to have a tour of 

the Household Cavalry Museum in 

Whitehall. We had a tour of the 

building and a talk on the history 

of the site, then watched as the 

guardsmen completed their duties in 

the intense heat. I think we were all 

glad to get back to the cool and calm 

of the club afterwards. 

In complete contrast, in October 

we had a fascinating talk on the 

St Margaret’s Chapel Guild, given by their 

convenor, Miss Katherine Fairweather 

CBE. We heard how Queen Margaret 

came from Hungary to Scotland to 

marry King Malcolm, and became 

known for her piety and goodness. 

Around 1150 her youngest son, King 

David founded the tiny chapel, which 

was to bear her name, at the highest 

point of Edinburgh Castle. Over the 

centuries it had various secular uses, 

but in 1942, the St Margaret’s Chapel 

Guild was founded, and anyone with the 

name Margaret can join the Guild, and 

arrange flowers to decorate the Chapel. 

Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, 

Katherine Fairweather, Glen McNeill and 

Sheila McTaggart 

Coincidentally, the Ambassador for 

Hungary was in the club that day, and 

came to meet Miss Fairweather. 

Our next lunch will be in March 

2018, and we hope to see many of 

our members there. 

Glen McNeill 

BRIDGE SOCIETY 

Come, lay 

your cards on 

the table, on 

most 

Mondays 

from 6.30pm 

to around 

9.30pm. 

All welcome. 

Please contact Philip Craig 

(Philip@thecraigs.eu) or Amber in the 

Secretariat if you would like to join us. 



GOLFING SOCIETY 

Exciting times 

for the golfers 

ARTS GROUP 

Northward bound 

A select band of intrepid members of the Arts Group 

ventured north and paid a visit to Edinburgh in September. 

The Society enjoyed some exciting matches over the second 

half of the year with the highlight being the Bath Cup, where 

our team of David Stirling, Colin McCosh, Bob Pringle (captain) 

and Paul Boyle beat 16 other London clubs. Our first win 

since 2003. 

The captain’s 

summer 

tour this 

year took us to 

Ayrshire, where we 

played three great 

courses, Prestwick, 

West Kilbride and 

Western Gailes, 

L-r: David Stirling, Colin McCosh, Captain of Woking 

mostly in glorious 

Golf Club Tony Rowse, Bob Pringle, Paul Boyle 

sunshine. Ewan 

Cameron was 

awarded the Victor Ludorum narrowly beating Kenny Fraser and Colin 

McCosh. Good food and fine wine are an integral part of the summer 

tour and we certainly enjoyed both over the three days, with perhaps the 

highlight being dinner at Western Gailes, where we were joined by their 

Captain, Jack Perry. 

We halved our matches against Loch Lomond and RNUC, Aberdeen but 

won our match against the New Club playing at New Zealand and Denham. 

The autumn meeting was well attended at West Surrey, with Andrew 

Beaton winning the Patterson Cup and John Moffat winning the Division 

2 section (again!) 

Although we had only a small group contesting the Donald Black 

Foursomes at Denham in October, it was a very convivial day and after the 

usual delicious Denham lunch, David Lister and Paul Boyle managed to 

play straight and true to win the day. 

The Boase Quaich saw some close matches over the summer with Alex 

Knox beating Bruce Leith in the final. Sandy McIver won the Boase Plate. 

Our AGM was held on 2 November when I was elected captain and at 

the dinner afterwards, members and guests were entertained by former rugby 

stars Roger Baird and Gavin Hastings. 

Peter Haigh, Captain 

Summer Tour participants enjoying a drink and 

the evening sunshine at Western Gailes 

Colonel Andrew Campbell, Alun Evans, Miriam 

Coutts, Phillip Coutts and Jonathan Coutts 

Despite the somewhat dreich weather, the group enjoyed a tour of the 

art and artefacts of the New Club, conducted by New Club Secretary 

Col Andrew Campbell and a private visit to the Jacobite Exhibition at 

the Museum of Scotland, as well as dinner at the New Club. It is 

hoped to visit some of the London clubs to view their art and 

artefacts over the next few months. 

The Arts Society also hosted the evening at the club with Lachlan 

Goudie. In addition, a programme of opera and theatre visits continue 

with a visit to Cav & Pag at the Royal Opera House on 9 January. 

At £180.00 per head, this looks expensive, but it actually represents 

remarkable value for money - the list price of the stalls seats alone is 

£180.00, which means that the 2-course pre-dinner meal with wine at 

La Ballerina restaurant comes free. 


To join the Arts Group, contact: ac@caledonianclub.com 

BOOK CLUB 

A Russian 

season 

In the run up to this year’s 

Caledonian Lecture, the 

Book Club focused on all 

things Russian. Our 

reading list comprised a 

diverse grouping, ranging 

from Simon Sebag Montefiore’s 

The Romanovs to Nobel Prize winner 

Svetlana Alexievich’s Secondhand 

Time, The Last of the Soviets, which 

focuses on the time of Perestroika. We 

also read and hugely debated the 

only novel written by that wellknown 

‘Scottish’ author, Mikhail 

Lermontov. Lermontov’s roots lie in 

Scotland, courtesy of his Scottish 

ancestor, the adventurer George 

Learmont, who settled in Russia in 

the 17th century. Widely considered 

to be one of 

Russia’s finest 

poets, fittingly 

it was a book 

of Lermontov’s 

poems that the 

Russian 

Ambassador 

presented to the 

club after this year’s 

Caledonian Lecture. 

This book is now on 

display in the library. 

Our reading list 

for early 2018 is still under discussion, 

but a top contender is works linked to 

the bicentenary celebration of 

the Brontes. 


If you are interested in joining the 

lively and growing group of Club 

Members who make up the Book 

Club, please contact Hilary Reid 

Evans on hilaryreidevans@mac.com 



MUSIC SOCIETY 

Piano finalists 

booked 

The final of the Scottish International Piano competition took 

place at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 10 September 2017 

and the three finalists have been booked to appear at the club. 

Each of the finalists had to play a concerto with the Royal Scottish 

National Orchestra conducted by Thomas Sondergard. The winner was 

Can Çakmur born in 1997 in Ankara. He has been booked to play for 

our 115th Gala Concert on 25 September 2018. The principal work in his 

programme is the late and well known sonata of Schubert in B Flat Major 

D960. In second place was Romanian born British pianist Florian Mitrea 

who is scheduled for our 120th Gala Concert on 9 April 2019; his choice of 

principal work is the Liszt sonata in B Minor. In third place was Luka Okros 

born in 1991 in Tbilisi, Georgia. I placed his performance of Rachmaninov’s 

second piano concerto very highly, every note gave me great pleasure. He has 

been booked for our 118th concert on 19 February 2019. 

On 20 February 2018 Clare Hammond (piano) opens our new season 

with Beethoven’s Sonata No. 30 in E Major op. 109 followed by the first of 

four well known impromptus by Schubert Op. 90 and finishing with sonata 

No. 2 (fantasia) by Scriabin. 

On 20 March 2018 we have the first appearance of Alessandro Fisher (tenor) 

whose mother was Italian. The concert is the 7th in a series of partnerships 

with Classical Opera and each concert has been an outstanding success. 

On 24 April 2018 we have 

a very welcome return of a 

wizard pianist, a past winner 

of the Scottish International 

Piano Competition, Oxana 

Shevchenko (right) playing 

the second of four well known 

impromptus by Schubert Op. 

142 concluding with a 

masterwork by Schumann, 

his Carnaval Op. 9. 

On 30 October 2018 we will have an ‘enigma’ 

concert with pianist Elspeth Wyllie (left) playing the 

Enigma variations as written for solo piano by 

Edward 

Elgar and 

sandwiched 

between 

two sonatas 

with Clare 

Overbury 

on flute. 

2017 has been a modestly 

successful year for the Music 

Society and the wish is for an even 

better 2018. Members and guests 

are very welcome. We start the 

evening with a champagne reception 

at 6.45pm. The concert is from 

7.15pm-8.15pm and we give 

exceptional value for money with a 

dinner or buffet after the concert 

from 8.15pm-10.30pm. 

Albert Cowie, Chairman 

LONDON SCOTTISH 

A shaky start 

Following an impressive win against top 

flight Yorkshire Carnegie the first fifteen 

have had a losing run in the League albeit 

gaining valuable losing bonus points. 

Staying within our means with less reliance on 

investors led us to revert to a part full time/part time 

squad. Long-term injuries to players in crucial front 

row positions does not help. 

A winning start was made in the British and 

Irish Cup. A mouth-watering fixture against old 

friends and rivals Richmond on Sunday 3 December 

was the lead into a busy and hopefully successful 

winter campaign. 

NUMBER 9 SOCIETY 

Topical 

topics tabled 

The Number 9 Society got off in fine 

style with a talk by Celia Sinclair on the 

restoration of the legendary Charles 

Rennie Mackintosh’s Willow Tea Rooms 

in Glasgow. Celia was behind the £10m 

appeal that has now successfully got the 

project under way. In October Sir Moir 

Lockead the distinguished Scottish 

businessman gave a well-crafted talk 

round the themes of “Conservation and 

Anthony Westnedge, David Coughtrie, 

Sir Moir Lockhead, Donald Lamont and 

Bill Proudfoot 

Conversions” as he was both Chairman 

of the National Trust for Scotland and 

President of the Scottish Rugby Union. 

In November we welcomed the 

highly topical subject of the centenary 

of the Russian Revolution with Sir Tony 

Brenton, former British Ambassador to 

Russia, who offered some very 

stimulating thoughts on whether the 

Russian Revolution was inevitable, 

and the relevance of its result to the 

political relationships of the West and 

Russia today. In December we are 

scheduled to entertain Sam Bowman, 

Chief Executive of the Adam Smith 

Institute. All members of the Club are 

warmly welcome at the Talks whether 

members of the Number 9 or not. 

Stuart Thom, Chairman 

SHOOTING & FISHING SOCIETY 

Triumph in 

France 

Having acquitted itself well at a very 

enjoyable and victorious Coupe des 

Nations against our French friends, we lost 

(more accurately your correspondent lost) 

the shoot-out to break an unbelievable 

tie in the Balvenie Trophy against the 

New Club. Next year, team, next year! 

We moved the club competition 

from a week day in April to a Saturday 

in September, again at Holland & 

Holland which pleasingly led to 17 

guns participating in a well- fought 

match in grilling heat. Jeff Soal won 

the Menzies Memorial Trophy for top 

Members participate in the annual club 

shooting competition at Holland & Holland 

score on the High Tower while the 

‘Richardson Flask’ for the overall top 

score was won by Alastair Irvine. 

Members of the society and the 

broader club will soon be receiving a brief 

questionnaire so we can more accurately 

gauge the appetite for shooting, what 

type, where, when and on what budget. 

The society has enjoyed more than 20 

years of sport, competition and 

companionship; with your support we 

can ensure it thrives for another 20 years. 

We look forward to your responses. 

Alastair Irvine, Chairman 

Opening day fixture against Yorkshire Carnegie at the Richmond 

Athletic Ground. London Scottish won the game 28-12 

On the amateur side, our senior Highlanders, 

Thistles and Kilts have had a great run of wins against 

stiff competition. The junior age groups are also 

doing well as are the thriving mini sections. 

So now is the time to rally round your team...the 

great and famous London Scottish. 

Jock Meikle 


CLUB CONNNECTIONS 

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Links 

between two London-based 

Scottish institutions 

LOUISE NEWTON EXAMINES THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN LONDON SCOTTISH FC AND 

THE CALEDONIAN CLUB AND THE CHALLENGES, CAPTAINS AND CHAMPIONS THEY SHARE. 

For well over a century, many aspiring Scots arriving in London 

in search of a career and fortune, could make a point of joining 

two London establishments: the Caledonian Club and London 

Scottish Football Club. The Caledonian Club provided society, 

extended family connections, accommodation and business network 

opportunities; London Scottish an opportunity to play rugby, make social 

connections leading to lifelong friendships, enjoy pies, beers and meet a 

lassie or two. For those young Scots, the importance of the 

clubs and their connections was profound. 

Over the generations both clubs have worked 

tirelessly to retain and build their memberships. It is 

testament to the strength of the relationship between club 

and member that both clubs have such strong, passionate 

and loyal support for their respective future challenges. The 

Caledonian Club, whilst having recently achieved close to 

its largest membership to date in 2017, faces a new financial 

burden with the introduction of the Business Rate tax, and 

the Club’s board are currently working on initiatives to 

address the problem. 

London Scottish became a professional club in 1996 and 

secured a place in the RFU Championship League in 2011-12. 

However, financing the club to operate and perform in the 

Championship each season is a huge financial challenge. After 

years of uncertainty, and following a review of recent past seasons, 

significant changes have been made with the intention of generating 

positive, sustainable growth and success. Malcolm Offord has taken over as 

chairman from Sir David Reid, and with the new management team has 

implemented a plan for a semi-professional future with a mix of full time, 

part-time and dual-registered players as well as young hopefuls from the 

Scottish Rugby Union. Their ‘One Club Vision of 

Continuity, Championship and Community’ 

outlines their objectives which will also see the 

club emphasise its role as a social and cultural 

hub for Scots in south west London. 

Demonstrating its commitment to 

developing the club’s branding and appeal, 

London Scottish are sponsoring the 29th 

London Reels Ball on 2nd February 2018 in 

association with the National Trust for 

Scotland; proceeds from the evening will be 

in aid of funding of an NTS Countryside 

Ranger apprentice. The venue is the 

Porchester Hall, Bayswater, London and 

promises to be a lively and exuberant 

evening with kilts swinging, ladies swirling 

and maybe the odd collision or two. 

The ultimate sacrifice… 

Major Edward McCosh Lieutenant William Spens Soldiers of the London Scottish Battalion in 1914 


CLUB CONNECTIONS 

Both the Caledonian Club and 

London Scottish have produced a record 

number of rugby champions and captains. 

London Scottish produced: Paul Burnell, 

52 caps for Scotland, 1 Lions and 3 World 

Cups – 1991, 1995, 1999 – he is now the 

new President of London Scottish; Gavin 

Hastings 61 caps for Scotland, 6 Lions, 

and 3 World Cups – 1987, 1991, 1995, 

Kenny Logan, 70 caps for Scotland and 3 

World Cups 1995, 1999 and 2003, and 

Damian Cronin, 45 caps for Scotland 2 

World Cups 1991 and 1995. Members of 

Gavin Hastings 

the Caledonian Club who won caps but 

who didn’t come through London Scottish, included: Finlay Calder, 34 caps, 

3 Lions and was the British and Lions captain in 1989 and David Sole, 

44 caps for Scotland, 3 Lions, played in the 1992 World Cup and Grand 

Slam-winning captain in 1990. 

The most poignant of connections between the two clubs however, 

are the men who were members of both and lost their lives in the Great 

War of 1914. These included Major Edward McCosh of the 1st and 9th 

(Glasgow Highlanders) Highland Light Infantry who died in France on 

26 September 1918, aged 27; Captain Charles Edward Anderson Captain 

of the 92nd Gordon Highlanders killed 

in action in France on 20 July 1916, aged 

25; Lieutenant William Spens also of the 

1st and 9th (Glasgow Highlanders) 

Highland Light Infantry killed in action 

in France on 17 May 1915, aged 40 and 

Lieutenant Alan William Mather of the 

Black Watch Royal Highlanders who 

died 29 October 1918, and is buried in 

Grantham. Overall, the Great War 

claimed the lives of 230 members of the 

Caledonian Club and 103 members from 

London Scottish. 

David Sole 

The photograph below is of a 

London Scottish special team who played against the United Services in 

the pre-war season of 1913/14. Of the 15 pictured, 13 were commissioned 

on or before August 1914 and another was commissioned from private 

later. The remaining private, Jimmy Ross had captained London Scottish. 

Between them 11 had played for Scotland; tragically 5 were killed, 9 more 

wounded and two became prisoners of war. There are several poems written 

by Scots about the Great War, but ‘London Scottish (1914)’ by Mick Imlah 

(1956-2009), best describes the fate and scale of loss of the players of London 

Scottish and the Caledonian Club. 

London Scottish (1914) 

April, the last full fixture of the spring: 

‘Feet, Scottish feet!’ – they rucked the fear of God 

Into Blackheath. Their club was everything: 

And of the four sides playing that afternoon, 

The stars, but also those from the back pitches, 

All sixty volunteered for the touring squad, 

And swapped their Richmond turf for Belgian ditches. 

October: mad for a fight, they broke too soon 

On the Ypres Salient, rushing the ridge between 

‘Witshit’ and Messines. Three quarters died. 

Of that ill-balanced and fatigued fifteen 

The ass selectors favoured to survive, 

Just one, Brodie the prop, resumed his post. 

The others sometimes drank to ‘The Forty Five’: 

Neither a humorous nor an idle toast. 

Mick Imlah 

London Scottish FC 1913-14 

From The Lost Leader (Faber and Faber, 2008) 

Reproduced by permission of the publisher. 


BOOK PREVIEW 

Scots in Great War 

London 

Ten London-based 

Scottish organisations 

are cooperating on a 

commemorative book. 

Editor-in-chief Hugh Pym 

gives 

Caledonian 

Club 

members 

a preview. 

It is a stirring tale pulling 

together often untold stories 

from one hundred years ago. It is 

sprinkled with famous names 

including Field Marshal Sir Douglas 

Haig, John Buchan and Lord Kinnaird 

(known widely as football’s first 

superstar, and a long-standing FA 

President). There are also moving 

accounts of heroism and sacrifice on the 

battlefield and dedication on the home front. 

Scottish organisations in the capital are coming 

together to mark the centenary next year of the 

end of World War One with a book Scots in 

Great War London. There will also be a series of 

commemorative events. 

In case you were wondering, Haig and 

Buchan were elders of St Columba’s, Church of 

Scotland in Pont Street. The Field Marshal was 

also Vice President of the Caledonian Club. 

Kinnaird attended Crown Court (Church of 

Scotland) in Covent Garden and his son Arthur, 

an elder, was killed in action in 1917. 

The two London churches and the Caledonian 

Club have joined forces with the London Scottish 

Regiment, London Scottish FC, the Scots Guards, 

the Royal Caledonian Education Trust, ScotsCare 

and the Caledonian and Burns Societies of London. 

In one way or another, they made significant 

contributions to supporting the troops, chaplains 

and the war effort. The idea to commemorate 

these efforts came from a meeting between Revd 

Angus MacLeod, Minister at St Columba's and 

David Coughtrie of the Caledonian Club. 

Some of the groups had members in common. 

Captain Douglas Lyall-Grant, for example, played 

rugby for London Scottish, was a member of the 

Caledonian Club – where his portrait still hangs – 

and served with the London Scottish Regiment. 

The Regiment had 

close links with St Columba’s Church, 

Pont Street and the congregation looked after 

around 50,000 soldiers from Scottish battalions 

during the war years on their way back from the 

battlefields of Europe or returning from leave. 

Volunteers would wait at Victoria Station for 

trains and direct Scottish troops towards the 

church. They were fed, given time to rest and 

sometimes put up for the night before being 

piped back to stations to continue on their way. 

It was a huge undertaking and the book will 

celebrate the role of women in the church in 

organising the work which was praised by the 

military authorities. 

The church magazine from the time 

contains many moving stories and letters from 

soldiers and their families, some thanking the 

church volunteers for their welcome in a strange 

city. It published a regular column titled Soldiers 

on Furlough and was soon able to boast that 

‘there was no Scottish battalion in France where 

St Columba’s was unknown’. 

One letter received in January 1916, 

included a description by a delighted mother of 

her son’s arrival in London from the front. 

He had told her: “What a reception we got in 

London when we came off the train.” 

“Someone came up to me and asked, ‘are you 

from Scotland?’ 

‘Yes, I said’. ‘Then come this way’ and there was 

a crowd of happy Scotties all looking a bit mystified. 

Members of the 

congregation and guests at 

St Columba’s, Pont Street 

“When all for Scotland had been collected, 

they were driven off to find a sumptuous repast 

waiting and the opportunity to make themselves 

clean and tidy for the home folks. 

“An entertainment of song and music 

followed then by a drive back to the station in 

time for the train. 

“It was like a fairy tale.” 

St Columba’s and Crown Court Church both 

entertained visiting Canadian soldiers. One such 

was Private Samuel Small, an Englishman who 

emigrated to Canada in 1906 and returned in 1915 

as a Canadian soldier. He fell at the Somme a year 

later. His bible was found in a safe at Crown Court 

and in 2010 his eldest daughter, then aged 99, 

was tracked down and the bible returned to her. 

With thanks to Cameron Brooks, Senior Media 

Relations Officer, Church of Scotland 

Info wanted 

The book, Scots in Great War London, will be 

published by Helion in July 2018. The book’s authors 

would be delighted to hear from anyone with diaries, 

letters or other material relating to the role of the 

churches or the other Scottish organisations in 

London during the Great War. They are asked to 

get in touch with Hugh Pym c/o St Columba's 

Church of Scotland, Pont Street, London SW1X OBD 

or email via office@stcolumbas.org.uk. 

Information on where to purchase the book will be 

provided in due course. 


THE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY OF LONDON 

Wi’a hundred 

Scotsmen an’a’an’a’ 

Hugh Cowan, until recently historian of The Caledonian Society 

of London, recounts the history of an institution established in 

Victorian times, membership of which is limited to 100 ordinary 

members. Hugh is also a member of the Caledonian Club. 

The Caledonian Society of London is an 

association of Scotsmen that has as its 

objects the advancement of Scottish 

national philanthropic interests and the promotion 

of good fellowship among Scotsmen in London. 

To achieve this the Society holds six dinners 

every year and other meetings as necessary with 

charitable activity included. For the last twenty 

years most of these gatherings have been held in 

the Caledonian Club and while the Club and the 

Society are separate organisations, they have 

many members in common. 

The Society was a child of the Victorian era 

having been established in 1839 with activities 

leading to that eventuality possibly having started 

two years before during the year in which the 

young queen acceded to the throne. At that time 

there were two well-established Scottish societies 

in London, the Highland Society and the Society 

of True Highlanders, but both were overtly 

highland in their nature and the founders of the 

newcomer felt that there was a need for a society 

that would be more attractive to all the growing 

number of professional Scots in the metropolis 

regardless of the part of Scotland from which they 

came. This judgement proved to be astute and 

after a few challenges the Caledonian Society 

became a well-established part of the London 

social scene. A record of the first fifty years was 

published as the Chronicles of the Caledonian 

Society of London in 1890 and copies were 

presented to the various London Scottish clubs 

and associations. This was a year before the 

Caledonian Club was itself founded and so it did 

not feature in the list of recipients and the first 

contact between the Society and the Caledonian 

Club seems to have been in 1898 when, we are 

told by an inscription on the fly leaf, a copy of 

the Chronicles was belatedly presented. 

We then have to jump more than seventy 

years for the next mention of the Club in Society 

records. Throughout much of its history the 

Society was peripatetic usually using public 

banqueting facilities in Covent Garden or further. 

Other venues followed with the Hotel Russell, 

Russell Square from 1967 to until 1997. Business 

meetings were usually held at the dinner address 

but occasional use was made of the premises of 

Scottish institutions 

and we find the Club 

featuring in this way 

for the first time in 

1970. This continued 

occasionally for a 

couple of decades, but 

times and tastes were 

changing and there 

were murmurings that 

a change of ambience 

would not go amiss. 

The first occasion of a 

Society dinner at the 

Club was in March 

1990 when one hundred 

and eight members 

and guests heard the 

Ambassador of the 

United States speak on ‘The Spirit of Enterprise: 

America’s Scottish Legacy’. Later, the Society 

found it more difficult to maintain historic levels 

Like high speed 

“ 

karate chops. 

of dinner 

attendances 

and 

advantage 

was taken of the Club’s ambience and its ability 

to deal with fluctuating numbers, initially once a 

year but from 1997 for most dinners. 

Today we have ‘Little Dinners’ in October 

and November then January to April, all being 

in lounge suits except in January when we adopt 

black tie and honour Robert Burns. The term 

‘Little Dinners’ reflects their origin as informal 

suppers that once contrasted with the formal 

annual Festival Dinner that was discontinued some 

years ago. Little Dinners follow an established 

format. After grace, dinner finishes with the loyal 

toasts. The second half of the evening comprises 

a keynote speech or ‘Sentiment’ usually delivered 

by a guest, the toast to the guests, and any Society 

matters accompanied by piping and other musical 

entertainment, finishing with Auld Lang Syne 

and the National Anthem. 

One Society custom is that all toasts are 

followed by ‘Caledonian Honours’ more easily 

experienced than described, though some have 

likened them to high speed karate chops. 

‘The Old Toast’ by Scottish-based artist Tim Cockburn was commissioned by The Caledonian 

Society of London in 2009. Sharp-eyed members of the Caledonian Club might notice 

the resemblance of the background to the Members’ Dining Room. Indeed. 

After a visit to the Club, the artist could think of no better setting, historical veracity or no. 

The original has been lent to the Club on an indefinite basis by David Guild 

” 

Originally, Highland Honours were used, as 

depicted in the illustration, with one foot on the 

chair and the other on the table – not always 

easy or wise for more senior members towards 

the end of a long and convivial evening. Full 

Highland Honours would hardly have been 

acceptable after ladies first joined the gentlemen 

at table in the mid nineteenth century but may 

have continued on all-male occasions as late as 

1904. However, I am able to assure the Club 

Secretary that we no longer put the furniture at 

risk in this way! 

Philanthropic support has always covered a 

range of beneficiaries but since the 1840s has 

included two main charities, the old Caledonian 

Asylum, now operating as the Royal Caledonian 

Education Trust, and the Royal Scottish 

Corporation known today as ScotsCare. The 

support is provided by using surplus Society funds 

and also by encouraging members to contribute 

personally or to take part in charity governance. 

One of the advantages of having a settled 

home in the Caledonian Club is that Society 

property is more easily safeguarded. The Society’s 

grant of arms hangs in the entrance lodge, the 

London Ayrshire Cup may be seen in the 

members’ bar and some interesting artefacts are 

displayed in the corridor between the old and 

new wings. 


Foremost Experts in Tartan and 

Highland Dress Since 1868 

Highland Dress Service 

available at the Club 

This service is on two consecutive 

days every month, 

 

 

and 

 

 

For ladies tartan clothing 

and accessories made in the tartan 

of your choice, 

please call or email for more 

information 

Please phone or email Kinloch 

Anderson to arrange your 

appointment 

Kinloch Anderson Ltd Commercial Street/Dock Street, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6EY 

Tel: 0131 555 1390 E-mail: theshop@kinlochanderson.com 

www.kinlochanderson.com

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