Our correspondent Hamish writes again for the Gurn:
I have been reading again Graeme's recent letter re. his walk around the harbour, the links and along the river and memories of the opening of the new harbour basin in the mid thirties came to mind. The weather was fine and dry and children from Millbank School were assembled in the area at present used as a viewpoint over towards the Sutors. Pupils from the Academy may have been there too but I'm not sure about that. I visualize the drifter fleet tied up alongside the east pier and the 'Flagship' of the fleet - The Brighton of The North - sailing past them and a ribbon stretched across the entrance to the harbour basin being cut by Lady Grant. As I recall Lady Grant was the wife of Sir Alexander Grant who was, I believe, the owner of McVitie's biscuits and a close friend of Ramsay McDonald the Prime Minister. After the opening ceremony all of the school children assembled in two large marquees which had been erected on the cricket ground and where lots of soft drinks, buns and biscuits were consumed. A day to remember.
Kind regards
Hamish
and a wee PS from Hamish:
When I attended the school of that name in 1934/36 (the Academy) It's official name was Rose's Academical Institution. There is a website on Google but having made many attempts to download the information I have had no success. Does anyone have any knowledge as to the origin of that name?
the fantastic www.ambaile.org site gives following information:
ReplyDeleteThe original Academy in Nairn was funded by public subscription and built on land donated by Captain James Rose of Ivybank House. When the first classroom was opened in 1832, the school day lasted from 7 am to 5 pm, with a two-hour lunch break. In 1841 the Academy was renamed Rose's Academical Institution after its chief benefactor and retained this name until 1953. In 1976 Nairn Academy moved to its present site in Duncan Drive.
Hamish sends his thanks Anon.
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