PW_2_2020_070420 flip

2020 70th Anniversary year

The Final Fling Celebrating our Anniversary in Scottish style Yvonne McGregor , Section UK VP (Social) Tayside Branch hosted the first of Section UK’s 70th Anniversary events. Guests from: USA, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and UK enjoyed some

Scottish hospitality at our annual Ceilidh. We were honoured to be supported by three UK National Executive members, and three overseas Presidents from: Austria, Ireland and Sweden, along with three International Executive members. O n Thursday afternoon people arrived , met up with old friends and were introduced to new ones. Our Thursday

Each evening David and I hosted a whisky tasting. On Thursday we entertained our international guests. Friday was our busiest evening, with the UK members. Then on Saturday, the IPA Whiskey Forum members joined us in raising a glass to the Forum founder, the late Kevin Gordon, of Section USA. Various fundraising initiatives raised £1,462 for the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance. Over the last five years Region 1 has raised £6,084 for the SCAA.

The theme of whisky and gin continued after lunch, when Ewen McIlwraith from Robertsons of Pitlochry hosted a tasting. Among the whiskies tasted was a 23 year old Benriach, Cask Strength Malt Whisky, sourced for the IPA to commemorate our 70th Anniversary. It was very well received with a good many bottles purchased. Each bottle is individually numbered and only 280 bottles are available. These have potential to become collectors’ items and will increase in value. The £105 price is approx 30% less than similar function room, many looking resplendent in IPA Tartan kilts, skirts, dresses, sashes and ties, before being piped in to the dining room. Ronnie, the Piper, ‘addressed the haggis’, to the delight of our guests. Pete Connolly, (No 2 Region) proposed a toast to Arthur Troop in recognition of our 70th Anniversary and we all raised a glass of whisky in Arthur’s honour. Our five course dinner included Haggis and was followed by traditional Scottish dancing. We enjoyed an excellent rendition of Robert Burns ‘Holly Willie’s Prayer’ from Harry Morton. A cold Sunday morning dawned and we bid farewell to some of our guests. Those remaining drove to Loch Ness in search of the Monster, visited the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle, or walked to nearby Ruthven Barracks, which is a ruined relic of the 1745 Jacobite uprising. David and I took a group, including our American guests, to the Highland Wildlife Park. Then we headed to the Cairngorm Mountains, where it was blowing a hoolie. bottling’s produced for the retail trade. For our Gala Dinner we assembled in the

evening meal was followed by some Scottish music, while we relaxed and caught up with old friends. Next morning we left for Fort George, near Inverness, which is the home to the Black Watch; the 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland. It was built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden (1746) as a secure base for King George, and covers 42 acres. We were met by Lance Corporal Scott McCaskill who piped us into the Fort, and played several tunes in the glorious sunshine. I presented him with one of our Challenge Coins, which he very much appreciated. After a tour of the museum, dining room, Chapel and the mile of ramparts, the heavens opened and the café became very popular. Back at our hotel, we enjoyed another meal together and our guests contributed a considerable sum of money for the Tombola. Monika Stadlmann from Austria won an Irish Crystal tankard engraved with the RUC Crest, Betty Lochhead won a litre of Tanqueray Gin and Sandy Morton won the last bottle of the 2018 IPA Whisky. We had an early start on Saturday for a visit to Speyside Distillery. After seeing where their unique malt whiskies and gins are produced, our tours culminated in a tasting of the products. I would like to thank our volunteer drivers who ran shuttles to the distillery.

L-R Fiona Dennis, SCAA Fundraising Coordinator, Wendy Jubb, SCAA Paramedic, Yvonne McGregor

We have enjoyed five years at this magnificent location, where we have been very warmly welcomed by the management and staff. David and I have decided that we will be taking 2021 off from organising a Ceilidh. We hope to return in 2022 with a new venue and different attractions for our guests. We have come a long way since we started six years ago in Nethybridge with 26 guests. This year we enjoyed the company of 76 guests, which is quite an achievement for a small Branch.

IPA Group and Piper at Fort George

24

POLICE WORLD Vol 65 No.2, 2020