Grand Superintendent's Dinner 28.11.09

Saturday was. for me, pretty restful but needed after a long and tiring Friday, when, despite being on the go from 6 a.m., I still manged to make the meeting at Loanhead , RA 305 at night.

So after a long lie in , I did a little wall papering and listed to the radio for the build up to the rugby. Sparky Mark arrived so we sat and watched Scotland lose their match against Argentina, which realistically they should have won - BUT.

Sparky and I headed off by bus to Bonnyrigg for the Annual Dinner held on behalf of the Grand Superintendent, Alexander Foster Moonie, of the Provincial grand Royal Arch Chapter of Mid and East Lothian.

There was an excellent attendance, reduced slightly due to an installation taking place at Newbattle, however all the sister organisations were represented.

Tom Frost, Depute First Principle of the SGRACS was present - nice to see him again as we were in India together two years ago.

The guest speaker was Bro. Tom Crystal from lodge St John Fisherrow 112, who gave a talk on the Life and Work of Col. Bro. Buchanan Dunlop , absolutely fascinating. Col. Buchanan Dunlop was " the Loretto schoolboy who stopped the First World War" - on Christmas day 1914 - while commanding officer of his regiment fighting in the trenches at Ypres, France, he walked between the two sets of front lines singing Christmas carols and eventually managed to get both armies out the trenched where a much documented football match took place with a cease fore for the day. The offensive resumed the following day - but with officers having to threaten men to get them to fight. Bro. Dunlop had a remarkable life and eventually died at home in Bonnyrigg. Tom had read the story and then during his research met relatives of the man and former friends.

This was a very informal night, friends there to meet and socialise, Sparky, Bert and Andrew in good form, while one member proved just how casual he was - white trainers with a suit !!! Just a bit much I say..

As numbers dwindled we moved through to the lounge where I met an old former colleague, George Todd. Toddy - in good form as usual, but not as fit and able as he was, a real strong man in his day. He was one of the "old school" of beat policemen, enjoyed his job , and was always game for a laugh - also one of the hungriest as he regularly ate everyone "pieces" during the night shift while they were out on the street !!

He had one call to attend to and on knocking the door and identifying himself the man inside committed suicide with a shotgun - quite traumatic.

Wee tale,s one night while on the phones in the Control Room, a lady called and asked if he knew whether the roads would be blocked by snow in the morning ?? George thought about it and said that "if I had a crystal ball and could tell you the answer - I would not be sitting here", he did tend to be complained about !!.

On another occasion, one of the local "worthies" arrived at the front desk during the night , seriously drunk and demanding to see the Superintendent, despite being told several times that the boss was not there he insisted on seeing him - so Toddy, after a lengthy argument, went and put on the Supt's braid laden cap and tunic and came back - ordered the bloke out the building , and he went like a lamb.