Monthly Archives:February 2020

We are pleased to announce two evening events to be held in February and March this year. Both will be held at the Aberdeenshire Cricket Club, Morningside Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7FB. Both events will include a buffet supper and the cost will be £17 per person. Both events will commence at 6.30pm. Guests are invited.

Thursday 20th February 2025 – Professor Sarah Pedersen – The Scottish Suffragettes

Burning down buildings, cutting train lines and pouring acid on golf courses. Learn more about the suffragettes’ fight for the vote in Scotland, including fights in Aberdeen’s Music Hall and attacks on politicians. Professor Sarah Pedersen investigates how Scottish women were at the forefront of the fight for the vote for women.

Sarah Pedersen is Professor of Media and Communication and Dean of the Graduate School at RGU. Her research focuses on women’s use of the media for political discussion, using both contemporary and historical sources. Her books include The Scottish Suffragettes and the Press and The Politicization of Mumsnet. She is currently working on projects investigating the impact of COVID on the policing of domestic violence in rural areas and also on women’s writing. Her work has been praised several times in motions to the Scottish Parliament. She is also a contributor to the Sunday Times bestseller, The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht.

Thursday 20th March 2025 – Prof. Z H Krukowski LVO – A Polish Odyssey

Starting with a few scraps of information, Prof Krukowski has built an increasingly detailed account of his father’s journey through World War 2. The compelling narrative includes personal episodes and incidents often within more familiar major events in the conflict. Many aspects are generally unknown, forgotten or lost within the larger historical perspective.

Prof. Z H Krukowski was educated at Robert Gordon’s College and the University of Aberdeen. He was a consultant surgeon in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Professor of Clinical Surgery and Surgeon to the late Queen. A master surgeon and pioneer of laparoscopic surgery, he was frequently invited to teach and lecture internationally. He served on and chaired a variety of bodies including Surgical Colleges and Associations, Research Councils and Health service-related organisations. He regularly published original research and made substantial contributions to standard surgical texts. Latterly he carried out humanitarian work with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

If you wish to attend one or both events please email Clerk, Garry Stevens at – clerk@aberdeenburgesses.com

Payment can be paid via cheque made payable to Burgesses of Guild of the City of Aberdeen and sent to Garry Stevens, Clerk to the Burgesses of Guild, 6 Craigarbel Crescent, Inverbervie, Montrose DD10 0SJ or via BACS to: Sort Code 826011, Account Number 50325609, Ref Surname/Event attending.

Reverend Keith Blackwood, Minister of the Church of Scotland (Mannofield Church), nominated by Joe Mackie OBE and Seconded by Lord Dean of Guild

Christina Clunes, Retired Care Assistant, Nominated by Anne Milne and Seconded by Joe Mackie OBE

Dr Iain Duthie, Church Pastor/Minister (Kings Church Aberdeen), Nominated by Dr Stephen Wedderburn and Seconded by Lord Dean of Guild

Gloria Kochman, Retired University and College Music Lecturer and Organist, Nominated by Irene Cormack and Seconded by Gordon Williamson

Craig Pike, Lawyer-Advocate, Nominated by David Parkinson and Seconded by Seonaidh Baker

Helen Will, Retired Remittances Manager/Dance Teacher, Nominated by Anne Milne and Seconded by Gregory Poon

Dear Fellow Burgesses,

The festive season is upon us once more. May I extend my warmest wishes to each of you and your families. Christmas is a time to reflect on what unites our community, the rich heritage we share, and the bright future we continue to build together.

2024 has been a busy and productive year with higher numbers than ever engaging in lunch events, evening events, our AGM or working in your many individual ways for the benefit of others. Thank you to all who have engaged and hopefully even more will join us in 2025. We were able to provide some support to young people through the Guildry and Mortifications fund as a result of the revised Trust Deed. We aim for more in 2025.

This year, let us celebrate not only the joys of the season but also the resilience and generosity that define the spirit of the Burgesses of Aberdeen. Whether through engaging with pride, acts of kindness, words of encouragement, or simply being there for one another, our collective strength makes a profound difference in our city.

May this Christmas bring you peace, joy, and the company of loved ones. May the New Year ahead be filled with prosperity, good health, and continued success for the Burgesses, our city and its citizens.

With heartfelt gratitude for your contributions to our community, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely

Lord Dean of Guild

We are pleased to congratulate Rita Stephen and Morven Mackenzie two Burgesses for their appointment as Deputy Lord Lieutenants of the City of Aberdeen. This is a prestigious appointment and a great honour. Rita is currently an Assessor and Morven is a comparatively recent admission.
Our very best wishes go to both

Sylvia Halkerston
Lord Dean of Guild

On Wednesday 20th November over 50 attendees from the Burgesses and Seven Incorporated Trades attended a very informative and interesting lunch to hear from Iain Sneddon – Chief Operating Officer – Scot-ART who have purchased the Kirk and Jo Parry Geddes –Conservation Architect & Director – MILL Architects on their plans for the Kirk.

Both Iain and Jo are happy to share their presentation and would be happy to be contacted with any questions, or ideas for how the Kirk can best be utilised. Their contact emails are:

Jo Parry-Geddes – jo@millarchitects.co.uk

Iain Sneddon – iain.sneddon@scot-art.co.uk

We hope to have a follow up event with Iain and Jo sometime next year to get an update on progress, once they are through the first ‘hurdle’ of Planning and Listed building approval which will hopefully be mid January.

The presentation:

Three of our fellow Burgesses are involved in a fundraising effort via their Rotary Club.

Aberdeen has no provision for a wheelchair accessible swing at any of the city play parks. The nearest one is in Banchory and families travel out of the city so that their youngster – or in some cases adults – can experience the same play as their siblings and friends. The joy this equipment brings is immeasurable. One 33-year-old said it was the first time in her life that she’d been on a swing and as you’ll be aware, there are many wheelchair users in the city..

The Council has agreed to do the necessary groundwork to accommodate such equipment but asked Rotary Club (Bon Accord) to raise £24k to supply and instal a wheelchair accessible swing in Duthie Park. Your fellow Burgesses ask that you help to raise awareness of their campaign.

Any signposting to sources of grants they may be able to access would also be much appreciated.

Their members have already embarked on a fundraising campaign and activities and have also set up a Just giving account. The link is detailed below:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/bon-accord-rotary-1723631339601?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fbon-accord-rotary-1723631339601&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=pfp-email

The project is being led by Sam Murray and Roddy Matheson. Lindsay Fettes also brought this to my attention. Well done to you all, I hope we can help raise awareness of something which sounds so uplifting (pardon the pun), simple yet sadly lacking in our city.

Thank you

Sylvia Halkerston

Lord Dean of Guild

We have been asked by the CEO of Voluntary Services Aberdeen to approach the Burgesses to ascertain if any Burgess might consider taking on a role as a Board member/Trustee. Their Board is due to see some members stand down as a result of having served their terms of office which would leave them depleted in vital skill sets at a time when the Third Sector needs all the experience and sound advice they can get. 

If anyone would like to apply for such a position please contact:

Sue.Freeth@vsa.org.uk

Sue is CEO of VSA.

They would particularly welcome applicants with an financial/accountancy background at a senior level and also someone with commissioning experience. This might be in public or private sector operations.

We are pleased to welcome the following new Burgesses:

Professor Mervyn Bain, University Professor, nominated by Martin Ewan and Seconded by Antony Walker

Colin Lawson, Company Director. Nominated by John Otto and Seconded by Colin Wilson

At our lunch on Thursday 3rd October we received a most inspirational and thought-provoking presentation by Dr Iain Duthie. Although the Pastor at King’s Church Aberdeen, this was not a religious presentation. It was entiteld “What is in Your Hand” and was reflective of an extremely interesting life and career together with the work that has been carried out under the banner of the iniative ‘Love Aberdeen’. There was common ground with our Action Plan and our motto ‘For Aberdeen’, the main difference being that Dr Duthie and his team have turned aims and objectives into actions and reality.

Under the headings To Guard; To Grow; To Give he gave examples of the power of Community, the price of Loyalty which is why Burgesses are admitted in the first place. Many of our Burgesses continue to do great work for the benefit of our communities and many have said that they would like to contribute with something worth much more than money – your time, knowledge and experience.

Can I urge you all to revisit our Action Plan and let me know where you can contribute to turn the plan into more action. Can I also ask that if you know of any young people whose future education or career path might be helped with a contribution either in monetary terms or in some material way – as with the laptops earlier this year – please let me have appropriate information. This assistance may also be extended to an initiative covering a number of young people.

Link to the Action Plan:

Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Sylvia Halkerston
Lord Dean of Guild

Studio Theatre Group is very excited to bring the musical play “Brief Encounter” to Aberdeen Arts Centre’s stage from Wednesday 9th October to Friday 11th of October 2024.

The play starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available directly from the Aberdeen Arts Centre web site (www.aberdeenartscentre.com) or by calling the box office on 01224 635208.

The play is based on the now classic British film directed by David Lean and starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard.

Moray Barber, a fellow Burgess and recently appointed Assessor, is playing the part of Dr. Alec Harvey. Studio Theatre Group has been producing plays and dramas for the city for over 50 years and has an esteemed history, reputation for quality and quite the diverse back catalogue of plays. Moray would love to see the Burgesses support the group next week.

The Story
Laura Jesson, a respectable housewife and mother, takes the train into town each Thursday to shop, have lunch and go to the cinema. By sheer chance she meets G.P. Dr. Alec Harvey in a railway station tearoom.

Both bored with their own lives they seek a little adventure with each other and their friendship soon develops into something more romantic, something they worry will cause havoc in their private lives. They soon realise their relationship is doomed to failure and very much a “Brief Encounter”.

Although their story tugs at the heart strings, this adaptation is a fun light-hearted evening of drama, songs, live music with some of the the cast playing multiple roles.

“Brief Encounter” was adapted for the stage by Emma Rice adapted from the play STILL LIFE and the screenplay of the film BRIEF ENCOUNTER,
Songs and verse are by Noël Coward