November 2019

Peebles’s Tribute to Calum
25 th October 2019
Tom Fairbairn
It is a joy and honour to be charged this evening with saying to Calum and Janet
how much the congregation has enjoyed their presence with us during the past
eighteen years.
I shall speak first of Janet. It has been said often that
behind a good man there is a good woman. Janet has
enjoyed a successful career of her own in education as
well as raising a family and, of course, being a
tremendous support to Calum. She has played a part
in the life of the congregation as a leader of Daily
Worship and Convener of The Flower Committee.
Janet’s contribution is greatly appreciated and we
thank her sincerely for it.
Turning to Calum. We were without a minister. We had
advertised in the usual way for applications and
recommendations. We had received applications but no
recommendations until, suddenly, mysteriously one appeared. The manse was
vacant. An elder went to check something at the manse and found a crumpled
scrap of paper pushed through the letter box. On it, anonymously, someone had
written – Try C. Macdougall of Portobello. We decided to investigate further and
found that this minister did exist. So it was that we found Calum.
What a lucky find Calum has turned out to be. We had discovered a gentleman
who came across as being open, friendly and courteous. The Nomination
Committee was most impressed and the congregation, in turn, readily took to him.
Calum has a good sense of humour and a love of nonsense. This is not to say that
he is perfect – he does sometimes forget things!
I remember when Calum came to see the church and the manse. It was a bright,
sunny day with snow lying on the ground. Calum was taken from the church to
the manse in Alistair Robertson’s Land Rover Discovery where he was driven to
the rear of the building and deposited in the snow at the back door.
Many events from the past eighteen years could be highlighted. I recall the
Stewardship Campaign which took place over two evenings at the large hall in
Walkershaugh. To keep food fresh we hired a refrigerated van which had to be