History Archives - Page 11 of 20

The AFCT Heritage Trust’s AGM 04.02.15

Feb 122015

With thanks to David Innes.

A new display cabinet was built to display the League Cup in the Main Stand Foyer

Whilst there was the official business of re-electing office-bearers and approving the Trust’s financial statement, of most interest was the summary of the Trust’s work in the past 12 months, contained in the Chairman’s Report.

Since the end of the 2013-14 Financial Year the Trust and its supporters have carried out a great deal of research and added many match reports to the Trust’s website.

Production of a match programme for the Under 20s has continued and has assisted in raising funds for Trust activities.

A small collection of Aberdeen related medals was purchased – two directly relating to Jimmy Philip, the club’s first manager, from 1903-1924.

Assistance was given to AFC Youth Development in the sale of raffle tickets for the Stephen Glass 1995 Coca-Cola bicycle, and processing of funds to the Youth Development department. Subsequently, negotiations with the raffle winner to bring the bike back to Pittodrie have been progressed.

A new display cabinet was built to display the League Cup in the Main Stand Foyer. With that trophy now destined for elsewhere this season, the cabinet backdrop has been redesigned and alternative items of club history displayed. The cabinet’s dimensions are such that it will accommodate any trophy for which the Dons currently compete.

The Chairman and Secretary have visited Alford’s Grampian Transport Museum and discussed a possible AFC exhibition there in May 2015. We are still considering what would be best to put on show.

The restoration of the 1907 poster by the Scottish Conservation Studio was completed and paid for. Framing to museum standard was arranged and the production of 30 actual size and 300 A3 size prints was also arranged. Selling is ongoing via the Club Shop at £65 per print, including a certificate of authenticity, and profits will be shared with Buckie Thistle.

In October the Big Red Quiz (organised by Trustee Bob Bain) was held and £4000 raised for Trust funds.

In November the annual Armistice Memorial Ceremony was held, on a bigger scale than ever. Gifts were received by the Club and the Trust from the Ghurkha community.

A limited edition of 20 pewter figurines, replicating Willie Miller’s arm and hand grasping the ECWC in his famous pose, was commissioned and received. This is a 10” version of the item originated and marketed by Dolly Digital, and matches the stature of the mini-replica ECWC given to the club by UEFA. The first of these figurines was put on display in the Main Stand Foyer cabinet (pic above)

A small display cabinet has been commissioned for the Black and Gold Lounge for the display of George McNicol’s boots from 1904.

A collection of bound volumes of The Northern Figaro (a 19th century local weekly) has been obtained and is being scoured for “new” information and pictures from the pre-1903 period.

The next matchday bucket collection for Trust funds will be held when the recently-postponed SPL fixture against Dundee United is played.

A sale of old programmes is being considered, before the end of the season, in the Richard Donald Stand.

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Exciting Positions Still Available At GTM

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Feb 122015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

Following on from a recent volunteer recruitment drive, the Grampian Transport Museum has successfully inducted a number of new recruits to the organisation.

However there are still a number of exciting opportunities as the award winning tourist attraction gears up for the start of the new season, which commences on Sunday 29th March.

The organisation is looking for volunteers to support the operation in a number of key areas:

Market Intel Officer – The Museum aims to survey one in every ten visitors, to gain all important feedback which will help to shape the future direction of major projects and day to day improvements. Our Market Intel Officer is crucial to ensuring that the target survey sample rate is met and results collated for the Marketing steering group.

Customer Care assistants – Part of the Front of House team, the Customer Care Assistants are always on hand to share their knowledge and passion for the displays with museum visitors.

Junior Driving School instructors – A key part of the museums remit is to introduce youngsters to the basics of road safety. This can be achieved through initiatives such as the Junior Driving School. This is a ‘learning through play’ facility, designed for 4-10 year olds.

Membership Support – The museum runs a popular membership scheme which operates on an annual basis. The membership support role will ensure that all members have a first point of contact with the organisation and are kept up to date with special events and members-only exclusives.

Collections Assistant – Assisting with the photographing and filing of all items as they are acquired by the museum.

The museum, which is an educational charity, relies on the kind assistance of volunteers, who give up their own time on a regular basis or as required. There are a range of benefits and incentives on offer to all volunteers, as curator, Mike Ward, explains:

“It is often noted that the GTM is a very active, popular museum that manages a very high rate of exhibition change each season. This is all achieved with a very small paid staff; in fact just two full time people and a further four ‘full time equivalents’ if the part time hours are added up. The high output of the museum is due very largely to our amazing team of around 70 volunteers.

“Volunteers here are treated very much as staff. They are given a job title and role that they are happy with and fits their skills set. Staff and volunteers work side by side in a totally integrated system. We celebrate success together regularly and ensure everyone’s contribution is valued and rewarded. Volunteers come from all backgrounds and age groups. Many gain vital work experience, training and skills at the GTM that help to build up a CV whilst others enjoy the opportunity to share knowledge gained during their working lives.

“There can be no doubt that volunteering at the GTM is enjoyed by the vast majority. Our longest serving volunteer has given up several days a week for the past 20years. We are always keen to hear from enthusiastic people who want to be part of this great local institution.”

One of the museum’s most recent recruits is Old Rayne resident Graham King. Graham has joined the GTM as a Customer Care Assistant, having worked in a variety of roles over the years including over 20 years service in the RAF and, more recently, working as a tour guide at the Glen Garioch Distillery in Oldmeldrum. Graham is looking forward to beginning his new role with the museum:

“For as long as I can remember I’ve had a real love of cars. When I retired I decided it was time to take on a new project and so I bought myself a Westfield sports car. In my working career I’d always loved meeting new people and it’s these two things combined which got me interested in joining the team at the Grampian Transport Museum. I think it’s important to keep developing my interpersonal skills and would also like to pass on my knowledge and passion to visitors.”

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Grampian Transport Museum should contact Cheree Pithie, Administrative assistant, on 019755 62292 or email events@gtm.org.uk

Birdsong At HMT – A Review.

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Feb 122015

Reviewed by Duncan Harley.

Playwright R. C. Sherriff recalled in his autobiography that almost every theatre management in London had turned down his 1928 drama Journey’s End.

“They said that people didn’t want war plays.”

This latest theatre production of Sebastian Faulk’s novel Birdsong, adapted for stage by Rachel Wagstaff, proves beyond doubt that even today, some 100 years after the start of the first “War to end all wars” public appetite for war drama is as strong as ever.

Alternating between the trenches of the Somme and the Amiens Chateau of the Aizaire household the production follows young British officer Stephen Wraysford, played by Edmund Wiseman, as he progresses through a tempestuous and doomed love affair with Isabelle Azaire, played by leading lady Emily Bowker.

The plot takes us underground into the darkly surreal world of the unquestioning Jack Firebrace, played effortlessly by Peter Duncan of Blue Peter fame. Jack, a sapper, is tasked with tunnelling underneath the battleground in order to plant explosives below enemy positions. It is here, in these tunnels that Stephen is finally faced with the pointlessness of conflict and it is here that he is resurrected as a human being.

This is no Journey’s End in stature and a century on from the events portrayed who could expect otherwise. Writers such as Sassoon, Graves and Remarque saturated the genre almost a century ago with ease. They were of course present as both witnesses and combatants.

The beauty of the stage version of Birdsong lies in its shocking starkness. Yes there are a good few humorous one liners and yes there are the usual clichés, albeit expressed in fresh ways. The endlessly repeated Lions led by Donkeys quote becomes a quiet reflection by Stephen on General Haig’s leadership qualities.

Wire cutters are issued despite assurances from above that the bombardment has destroyed the barbed wire defences. A soldier hangs from the barb wire, his legs shot off by machine gun fire. Who can avoid such repetitions? They are after all the reality of what happened.

Of particular note were the performances of Max Bowden as the young Private Tipper and musician/folk artist James Findlay whose haunting melodies set the mood from early on in the first act.

In creating darkly lit underground scenes, grim trenches and the delightful Amiens Chateau, set designer Victoria Spearing has triumphed. Scene changes were seamless and the tunnelling galleries appeared truly frightening.

Lighting and sound left little to the imagination. Indeed it was surprising that the rumble of artillery and exploding of underground mines failed to attract the emergency services.

All in all this is a brave adaptation. Sebastian Faulks’s, after all, took 503 pages to tell his story. The stage version of the story has but two hours and ten minutes to highlight the period 1910 – 1918.

Well worth seeing, this production will not disappoint.

Directed and produced by Alastair Whatley, Birdsong plays at HM Theatre Aberdeen until Saturday 14th February.

Tickets from Aberdeen Box Office: 01224 641122

Images: Jack Ladenburg.

Transport Museum Receives £40k For New Visitor Reception

Aberdeenshire, Articles, Information No Responses »

Jan 162015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum is delighted to announce that it has received a grant of £40,000 from Museums Galleries Scotland, the national development body for museums and galleries in Scotland.

The award, from the organisations Capital Fund, will provide a major boost towards the cost of the museums current development project.

Construction of a brand new visitor reception extension is due to commence at the end of the 2015 season, with completion anticipated in the spring of 2016. The project was one of twenty Recognition and Capital projects in museums the length and breadth of Scotland to benefit from funding in this latest round.

At present the museum has a 4 star visitor rating from Visit Scotland – improvements to the museums catering, toilet and retail offerings, which are included in the new facility -being all that stands in the way of a prestigious 5 star rating. The new area will also provide the museum the opportunity to showcase the range of work it undertakes with young engineers from across the region, including the Greenpower F24 teams.

Funding for the ambitious project has now surpassed the half way mark as curator, Mike Ward explains:

”This is a terrific start to 2015! We’ve made no secret of the fact that we want to improve the welcome that our visitors receive and provide a reception facility that is beyond their expectations! This extension will not only help us achieve a much sought after 5 star award from Visit Scotland but also to showcase, for the first time, the hitherto largely hidden educational work the museum undertakes.”

Museums Galleries Scotland Chair, Douglas Connell said:

“We are pleased to start 2015 with a substantial funding round to support ambitious museum projects which increase the accessibility of museum collections and range from Renfrewshire Council’s Paisley Shawl Collection Digitisation project to Biggar Museum Trust’s plans for enhancement of its exhibitions and interpretation.

“The Scottish Government has demonstrated its continued support for the sector through funding which has enabled us to invest almost £1.5m over the last 12 months, with demand for financial assistance to deliver high-quality museum projects now well exceeding the funds available. Momentum is clearly increasing as we develop plans for building sector sustainability in line with the National Strategy.”

Former Grampian Police Car Returning Home

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Information No Responses »

Jan 162015

Museum curator, Mike Ward with the former Grampian Police Rover SD1 Vitesse

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum, Alford, can today announce the latest addition to the museums extensive vehicle collection.

A former Grampian Police Rover SD1 Vitesse, which is due to feature on the Channel 4 series ‘For the Love of Cars’, was purchased at auction on Saturday (10th January)

The vehicle – registration C356 YST – was commissioned by the force in 1985 and used to check for speeders on the then new Stonehaven bypass.

Thanks to its 190bhp 3.5litre V8 it proved to be more than capable of catching the many high performance vehicles which the relatively new oil industry had brought to the region – typically the Audi 100s and Quattros which were popular around Aberdeen at the time.

Presented by actor Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes), For the Love of Cars follows a crew of mechanics as they recover and restore classic vehicles which are in need of some TLC. The former high-speed pursuit vehicle has been stripped down to allow for new metal to be welded in where required, before receiving a full respray.

Complete with original Grampian Police livery, the vehicle has a number of original features including stop signs, sirens and blue lights which are all in good working order.

Curator Mike Ward is delighted to be able to bring the vehicle back to Aberdeenshire.

“We’ve been aware of this particular vehicle for some time now – it’s no stranger to our museum and in fact has appeared here before. When we found out that it was up for sale it was always our intention to try and bring this rare example ‘back home’. The hammer went down at £9,750 which is a new world record for a Rover SD1 at auction.

“It’s sure to be a fantastic addition to our collection and we’ll also make sure it’s put to good use at our very popular Emergency Vehicle Rides session which takes place on 10th April.”

Volunteer Vacancies At GTM

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Jan 082015

With thanks to Martyn Smith, Marketing & Events Organiser, Grampian Transport Museum.

The Grampian Transport Museum in Alford is expanding its range of services and activities and needs to add to its teams of volunteers.

An educational charity, GTM runs much of its operation with the assistance of volunteers, who give up their time on a regular basis or as required.
Each year the museum changes around one third of the exhibition, which means there is always something new to see.

Behind the scenes, however, it takes a lot of planning and assistance to execute these changes in time for the start of each season.

On event days it’s difficult to get any closer to the action, but at the same time Event Volunteers provide information and guidance to museum visitors. Many of the museum’s volunteers get ‘hands-on’ with the vehicles, giving them some much needed TLC before they take pride of place in the exhibition.

There are a number of exciting volunteer roles at GTM throughout 2015 – these are based on a short term agreement of up to 12 months and cover a wide range of disciplines.

Current volunteer vacancies include the following:

Market Intelligence Officer – The Museum aims to survey one in every ten visitors, to gain all important feedback which will help to shape the future direction of major projects and day to day improvements. Our Market Intel Officer is crucial to ensuring that the target survey sample is met and results noted for the Marketing sub-committee.

Collections Assistant – Assisting with the photographing and filing of all items as they are acquired by the museum.
Membership Support – The museum runs a popular membership scheme which operates on an annual basis. The membership support role will ensure that all members have a first point of contact with the organisation and are kept up to date with special events and members-only exclusives.

Exhibition / Customer Care Assistants – Part of the Front of House team, the Customer Care Assistants are always on hand to share their knowledge and passion for the displays with museum visitors.

Junior Driving School Instructors – A key part of the museums remit is to educate youngsters on the basics of road safety. This can be achieved through initiatives such as the Junior Driving School. This is a ‘learning through play’ facility, designed for 4-10 year olds.

Social Media Assistant – An ideal opportunity for a school leaver or University student to add to their CV! The museum is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help maintain an active presence across all social media channels; Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram.

The above are all voluntary posts, however museum volunteers receive a range of benefits and incentives throughout the season. To find out more about volunteering at Grampian Transport Museum please contact Cheree Pithie, Administrative Assistant, on 019755 62292 or email events@gtm.org.uk

Grampian Transport Museum received the title ‘Visitor Attraction of the Year’ at the 2014 Aberdeen City & Shire Tourism Awards in March 2014 and is a 4 star Visit Scotland accredited attraction.

Dons Hero Jim Storrie Dies, Aged 74

Opinion, Sport 3 Responses »

Nov 212014

It is with a heavy heart that I have to write about another boyhood Dons hero who has gone. By David Innes.

When Jim Storrie signed for Aberdeen from Leeds United in February 1967, the 10 year old me, and the very few Dons fans who attended my school, were visibly excited. We’d signed a player who some of us could recall playing in the 1965 FA Cup final against Liverpool, and although in the mini-battle of Scottish centre forwards that Wembley afternoon, Ian St John prevailed, this was still big news.

The Dons were going well. From previous torpor and disgraceful cup exits, defeated by East Fife and Ayr United, Eddie Turnbull had arrived and had taken the club by the scruff of the neck and forced it to modernise.

Money was still tight though, as were the Board’s pockets, and with a high quality crop of youngsters coming through, Turnbull’s need was to bring in an experienced striker to score goals and to help the young starlets develop.

Turnbull’s antennae were rarely switched off, and his scouting and insider gossip networks well-established, and on hearing that the experienced, streetwise Jim Storrie was looking to move back north, he wasted no time in bringing him aboard. Storrie was just a month short of his 27th birthday. Turnbull would have been aware of the player’s striking skills when Storrie was hot property at Airdrie before heading for Elland Road.

He debuted in The Sacred Red against Hearts at Tynecastle on 4 March 1967, leaving it two weeks later before he bagged his first Dons goal in a 1-1 draw at Firhill. More importantly, at Pittodrie 10 days later he scored a crucial goal in the Scottish Cup quarter final replay 3-0 defeat of Hibs.

That game was attended by 44000 people, with Pittodrie packed to eye-watering capacity. His own drama continued as the Dons went ahead early against Dundee United in the semi-final but Storrie missed the chance to seal the game when he missed a penalty.

Playing his second national cup final in two years, Storrie was disappointed to be on the losing side, a 2-0 defeat to Celtic in the final, a game where the Dons never got going.

What is often forgotten is that the Dons then played in the USA for a summer, under the banner of Washington Whips. This great adventure saw Storrie score 6 goals in 13 appearances, contribute regular columns on the trip to The Sunday Post, and win the Whips’ head honcho’s garish yellow sports jacket for scoring two goals in a play-off game against LA Wolves.

The whole story of that pioneering adventure was written, with input from Jim and most of his teammates, 17 years ago. I’ll attempt to get it into print for the 50th anniversary in two years time.

It was during the authoring of that book that I spoke with Jim, by phone, from his home near Glasgow. He was a splendid interviewee, full of anecdotes, delighted to reminisce about the trip and his affection for the time he spent at Pittodrie was obvious. On the tour, he was always prepared to sing Scots songs at ex-pat parties to which the Whips were invited.

Of his regular singing partner, Jimmy Wilson, he said, “Wee Jimmy and me thought we were Peters and Lee. More like Litres of Pee”.

He also suffered the ignominy, as a Scot, of being congratulated in the Cleveland match programme for his part in England’s 1966 World Cup theft victory.

Back home as runners-up in the President’s Cup, Storrie made history by scoring in Aberdeen’s first-ever European tie as the Reds crushed KR Reykjavik 10-0. Over both legs, Jim scored four goals, making him the Dons’ ninth equal all-time top scorer in Europe!

Unfortunately, following that US and early Scottish season goal harvest, Jim’s form didn’t continue and he played only fleetingly in the 1967-68 season, before Rotherham United took him back to Yorkshire in 1969. In his time at Pittodrie, he played 25 games and scored 11 goals. He returned to Scotland and managed St Johnstone from 1976-78. He then moved into sports management, running sports centres in the Kilsyth area.

We first heard of his illness in 2012 when Jim’s son Joe contacted me asking if he could have a copy of my manuscript to cheer his dad up after a serious operation. From the feedback Joe sent it seems that it had the desired effect, as Jim enjoyed it.

It was with great sadness that we learned the news of his death on 11 November 2014, aged 74, a fleeting but important part of the Reds’ history. The sympathies of all Dons fans around in those exciting days will be with his loved ones.

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Dons v Buckie: Rare 1907 Football Poster Discovered

Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport No Responses »

Nov 212014

With thanks to David Innes.

Buckie Thistle and the AFC Heritage Trust today announced the rediscovery and restoration of a very rare football poster from 1907.

The poster was used in December of that year to advertise the Aberdeenshire Cup fixture to be played at Pittodrie Park between the two clubs.

The poster was tucked away at Victoria Park in recent years until it was brought to the attention of the AFC Heritage Trust who approached Buckie and undertook to have the poster, which was not in great condition, restored.

It is believed that the design of the poster was produced by famous London artist Frank Dadd, still well known for his many classic advertising posters and in particular for many from the First World War.

It was printed by Petty & Sons of Leeds and Reading, now a part of the Polestar-Petty Group.

The work of renewal was painstakingly carried out by the Scottish Conservation Studio near Edinburgh. This involved bathing the poster in special fluids to remove acids and stains that had accumulated over the years.

Many small pieces of the poster had to be captured during this process and carefully placed – in jigsaw puzzle style – in their positions on the poster as it was reassembled in one piece. The final stage was to mount the restored poster in an acid free mount ready for framing.

Framing was completed in Aberdeen and the poster is now protected behind an acid free, anti-ultra violet, acrylic pane.

For the time being the original poster will be displayed in the Black and Gold Lounge at Pittodrie where it will sit alongside other material from the early 1900s period. Eventually, because of the need to keep this important object in the correct atmospheric conditions it is hoped that the original will be put in the care of a specialist Gallery that has the appropriate storage conditions and a facsimile print will be displayed in its place.

Buckie Thistle will also have one of these limited edition prints and a limited number of A3 size prints will be offered through the AFC Club Shop for sale to help recover the costs of restoration and preservation.

A spokesman for AFC Heritage said:

“This has been a lengthy process and we are grateful to Buckie Thistle for allowing the poster to come back into the public gaze. We have been told by experts at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park that this is a very rare and unusual item and that they have not seen one before. Perhaps now that we have publicised the piece someone will be able to tell us otherwise, we’d certainly be glad to have more information.”

For Buckie Thistle, Chairman Garry Farquhar observed

“It is a great thing to see such an unusual piece of football history returned to life more than 100 years after it first saw the light of day. We are delighted to work hand in hand with the AFC Heritage Trust on this and look forward to an ongoing partnership whilst a small range of merchandise is produced around the image to help both the Trust and ourselves.

“We hope that fans of both clubs will get enjoyment from the poster and perhaps owning a beautifully produced copy.”

Footnote: The tie, which was played off on Saturday 14th December 1907, ended in a 3-0 win for the Black and Golds’ Reserve team. The match kicked-off at the unusual time of 2:20 p.m. to allow it to be played in daylight.

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Youth And Age In The Old Curiosity Shop

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Nov 182014

Youth and Age in The Old Curiosity Shop: Nell as an abused child was the theme for November’s local Dickens Fellowship meeting. Our great friend and University of Aberdeen alumnus Professor Grahame Smith introduced the subject, admitting that his is very much a 21st century interpretation of the novel which divides Dickens’s readers most. By David Innes.

Grahame argued that critics, including Huxley and Wilde, who derided The Old Curiosity Shop missed the novel’s intensity in their dismissal of Nell as an over-sentimentalised caricature.

Rather, our guest argued, she is an innocent abroad in an immoral world, although signs are there that she is just a normal child with typical childlike attitudes and reactions.

Whilst not streetwise, she is no innocent, even shown laughing at life’s absurdities in the early part of the novel.

Nell’s downfall, we were persuaded, is almost-wholly due to extraordinary external pressures on a character too young and undeveloped to bear burdens that would have been extremely stressful on a well-adjusted adult.

Quilp’s incessant stalking lechery, her grandfather’s gambling addiction, neglect and his dereliction of all paternal responsibility, and the horrors of industrial Britain laid bare as she and her grandfather journey away from their immediate metropolitan troubles, all conspire to break the child’s spirit.

Grahame drew parallels with Little Dorrit in both young characters’ methods in dealing with their elders’ fantasy worlds. In Nell’s being failed by the adult world, there are parallels with Bleak House. Nell’s ‘loathing of food’ and her being ‘too tired to eat’, it was suggested, hint at anorexia, a recognised clinical condition unknown in 1841.

The lively discussion which followed Grahame’s thought-provoking talk engendered further thoughts on the abusive nature of Quilp’s relationship with his wife and mother-in-law, and the role reversal in modern society where children protect and manage families in which parents are drug addicts or alcoholics, to keep family together and to provide a veneer of normality amid chaos.

The odd narrative structure, the clumsy (some might say) device Dickens used to flesh out what was originally a short story, was also explained and dissected during a fascinating evening in expert and inspiring company.

Dickens Fellowship Meet Again: Tues 11 November

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Nov 072014

By David Innes.

The Dickens Fellowship in Aberdeen will hold its next monthly meeting on Tuesday 11 November.

Following two inspiring talks on Dickens and the Sentimental Tradition and on Dickens’s role in Urania Cottage, Fellowship members are keen and primed to begin the in-depth look at this season’s novel, The Old Curiosity Shop.

We are delighted to welcome back an old friend and supporter of the Aberdeen branch, Grahame Smith, whose session on Bleak House last season was a highlight of the
year

Focussing on this season’s featured book, Grahame’s subject will be Youth and Age in The Old Curiosity Shop: Nell as an Abused Child.

As ever, Grampian Housing Association are generously hosting the event at the Association’s offices on the corner of Huntly Street and Summer Street, where off-street parking is available.

We’ll be meeting from 1900-2100.

Admission is £3 for the evening, or on payment of an annual membership fee of £20, admission to all meetings is free.

More information here: https://sites.google.com/site/aberdeendickensfellowship/

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