Monthly Archives:December 2015

It’s that time of year approaching again, and we are pleased to announce that our Xmas quiz is back for this year! We will be holding the Quiz on Tuesday 12th December at the Ashvale Restaurant, 42-48 Great Western Road, Aberdeen, AB10 6PY. The quiz will be open to maximum of 4 people per team, and of course guests can be included.

Timings for the night:

6.00pm arrival for Fish & Chip tea (or equivalent) until 7.00pm

7.00pm – 9.00pm Quiz

Cost per team member is £16 and this will include a donation to a good cause of the Burgesses choice.

If you wish to take part please email Clerk 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/Lunches or if evening event name of event

Some of you attended the lunch where John Otto, Kimberlie Hamilton and Ken McHardy told us about Prof JJR MacLeod, Nobel Prize winner for his lead role in the discovery of insulin.

It is no exaggeration when I say that the majority of people had not heard that name before, far less understand that this Aberdonian had not received the recognition he deserved for the outstanding contribution he made to medical science, resulting in millions of lives being saved. John’s immediate objective was to communicate the JJR Macleod story and have a statue erected in his honour in his native Aberdeen.

That objective was achieved last week when on 12^th October a magnificent sculpture of JJR MacLeod was unveiled at the Duthie Park – the first talking sculpture in Scotland. The photograph shows the statue and those who unveiled it. I am proud to say that four Burgesses were in that group and several more Burgesses and their families who generously contributed to its commissioning. It is also worthy of note that the wall surrounding the statue contains a top stone reading “Burgesses of Guild of the City of Aberdeen”

Thank you to all Burgesses who contributed in many ways to this statue and to the project itself, but we all thank John Otto for getting it done.

Please see the link below to access some more information.

Kind Regards

Lord Dean of Guild

Please find details below of the Charity Burns Supper being held next year, once again being organised by Burgess Charles Henderson.

Please find details below of this years Remembrance Sunday Memorial Service. The Lord Dean is keen that as many Burgesses as possible attend the event, particularly as the Service will be taking place at the Church of the Burgesses, Kirk of St Nicholas.

Remembrance Sunday, 12th November 2023

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen will be attending a Memorial Service at the Schoolhill War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday, 12^th November 2023 and would like to invite Aberdeen City Burgesses to participate in the Civic Procession.  A wreath will be laid by the Lord Dean of Guild.

Participants in the Civic Procession are asked to assemble in Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, before leaving in procession to attend outside at the War Memorial.  The Art Gallery doors will open at 9.45am and complimentary tea and coffee will be served.  Please do not arrive early, as the premises will still be closed.  You are requested to arrive no later than 10:15am.

There will be a parade of serving armed services, cadets, ex-service personnel, associations and community groups marching from Back Wynd to the War Memorial, setting off at 10:30am.  Once that parade reaches the War Memorial, the Town Sergeant will start the Civic Procession.

You are thereafter invited to attend a service at the Kirk of St Nicholas, during which the Kirking of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen will take place.  This will be followed by a luncheon at the Trades Hall. You are invited to attend both the church service and the luncheon.

If you plan to attend, please email Town Sergeant, Stephen Smith – StSmith@aberdeencity.gov.uk

It would be helpful if, in your response, you could give notice with regard to the following:

I will/will not be attending the Service at the War Memorial

I will/will not be attending church service at the Kirk of St Nicholas

I will/will not be attending the luncheon at the Trades Hall

Thank you

35 Burgesses of Guild attended an excellent evening on Wednesday 16th August to the newly refurbished Gordon Highlanders Museum. After an excellent buffet in the café the attendees were given a tour of the garden, the museum itself, including the armoury, archives, and the regimental dining room, which is still in use today. It is often called a hidden gem in the City, but with the work that has gone in to the refurbishment highlighting the history of the Regiment lets hope it becomes a lot less hidden! It is well worth a visit.

Thanks go to Ian Pithie, Head of Visitor Experience at the museum for assisting in organising our visit, and to all the Museum staff for ensuring our visit was a memorable and informative one.

Fellow Burgess Stuart Milne recently retired after a long and distinguished career as General Manager at Finnies the Jewellers. He took a well-deserved holiday of a lifetime to the USA, but clearly hasn’t got the meaning of ‘retired with feet up’. Immediately upon his return to the UK he decided to undertake an abseil down the tower at King’s Church Bridge of Don in aid of the Archie Foundation. He raised over £3700 and a few eyebrows too when he did in in full formal dinner attire – or was he auditioning for the vacant 007 role? Well done, Stewart, we are all proud of your commitment. His JustGiving site is still open for a few days if any fellow Burgesses want to show their support by donating. The link to the JustGiving page is:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stuart-milne11?utm_source=sms&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=stuart-milne11&utm_campaign=pfp-sms&utm_term=60276ff2e8e4400b85b12ba8a6b284b1

We are pleased to announce our programme of lunches and some evening events for the period September 2023 – April 2024. The lunches have been booked as normal at the RNUC, however for one or two of the speakers we have invited Seven Incorporated Trades to attend which would likely put the numbers beyond the capacity for RNUC therefore we may move location, but we will keep you informed if that is the case. Lunches will commence at the normal time of 12.14 prompt (Date of Charter) and will conclude at 14.00. Cost will be £15. If you wish to attend any of the lunches please email Garry Stevens, Clerk 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/Lunches or if evening event name of event

At present lunches will be open to Burgesses only, but notification will be sent if guests can be invited.

Members are reminded that there is a dress code at the Club which we will respect. No blue jeans and trainers and gentlemen please wear a collared shirt and jacket

Lunch – Thursday 7th December – Guest speaker is Dr. Deborah O’Neil PhD OBE FRSE, Chief Executive Officer, and Scientific Officer at NovaBiotics. NovaBiotics, based in Aberdeen, has identified a number of anti-microbial drugs.Deborah will talk about the new BioHub facility at Foresterhill and will include discussion on life science sector in Aberdeen and work done with Opportunity North East.

Link to company website – Welcome – NovaBiotics is a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company

Social Event – It’s that time of year approaching again, and we are pleased to announce that our Xmas quiz is back for this year! We will be holding the Quiz on Tuesday 12th December at the Ashvale Restaurant, 42-48 Great Western Road, Aberdeen, AB10 6PY. The quiz will be open to maximum of 4 people per team, and of course guests can be included.

Timings for the night:

6.00pm arrival for Fish & Chip tea (or equivalent) until 7.00pm

7.00pm – 9.00pm Quiz

Cost per team member is £16 and this will include a donation to a good cause of the Burgesses choice.

If you wish to take part please email Clerk at – clerk@aberdeenburgesses.com

Lunch – Monday 22nd January – Liam Kerr MSP will be guest speaker and will give an insight to his role as an MSP, and his current areas of responsibility as Shadow Cabinet Secretary Education and on Skills. This is another event which we have extended to Seven Incorporated Trades.

Link to Liam Kerr MSP website page – Liam Kerr | Scottish Parliament Website

Lunch – February (TBC) – Professor Andrew Porter, Professor of Medical Biotechnology, and Director of the Scottish Biologics Facility (SBF), University of Aberdeen is guest speaker.

The SBF works with academics and companies across the world developing antibodies and other binding proteins for a range of diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Programs include anti-microbials, cardiology, liver fibrosis and CNS disease. Professor Porter will give an update on his work currently and what is planned for the future.

Outside his professional work, Andy part owns a number of award-winning cocktail bars and in 2014 the team behind these ventures launched Langstane Liquor Ltd, Aberdeen’s first Gin distillers for one hundred years.  Porter’s Gin hit the shelves in Dec 2015 to great reviews and can now be found in many of the world’s top bars.

Lunch – Thursday 21st March – Dr Lynne Taylor is guest speaker. Dr Taylor has a Doctorate in Clinical Phycology, A recently admitted Burgess, Dr Taylor currently an advisor to the Scottish Government, she will share some developments and impacts of mental health since the pandemic, and how her role influences national strategy and policy.

Lunch – Tuesday 16th April – Paula Cormack, Chief Executive Officer, The Archie Foundation, Archie is a charity which aims to transform experiences and outcomes in healthcare and bereavement for babies, children, and families in the north of Scotland. The topic will be Babies, Bairns & Now the Baird – the history and exciting future works of The Archie Foundation in making the difference for local children and families.

Dear Burgesses,

You will no doubt have seen the media coverage of the initiative launched by the Prince of Wales’ Royal Foundation to end homelessness. Aberdeen has been chosen as the only Scottish city to receive funding for development of a five year programme to address the issue with a view to preventing the problem and giving effective support.

Since the launch , the foundation has launched this  Work with us – The Royal Foundation – Homewards – which describes the job opportunity here in Aberdeen, an opportunity which may appeal to a Burgess with the appropriate skills, experience and knowledge, or you may know of someone with the right skills and experience to make this a success.
I urge you to give this some thought and either follow the link to apply or to recommend to a suitable candidate.
Thank you Sincerely

Sylvia Halkerston

Lord Dean of Guild

We are happy to support Burgess Sam Murray who is managing an art project for Grampian Hospitals Art Trust “Postcards from Home – Seasons”. Details below: