Merchistonian Newsletter
January 2023
Welcome to the January edition of the Merchistonian Newsletter.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish a very Happy New Year to our Merchistonian Community.
As we welcome back our Students for the Lent Term, we look forward to seeing what exciting developments this new Term will bring.
The festive break has brought some well-deserved rest and a chance to spend quality time with friends and family – it has however also been a busy time for some with a calendar of sporting competitions and seasonal events.
As January draws to a close and the days start to lengthen, our V and VI form Students are working hard with a schedule of mock exams spanning over the last couple of weeks.
Our playing fields are also getting busier with Lent Term fixtures underway. You will find all our updated fixtures and results on our website.
Merchiston History
There are so many Merchistonian connections out there as well as pieces of Merchiston’s history still to uncover.
Mr Rossiter, editor of the Merchistonian Magazine and longstanding member of Staff, has recently been presented with an astounding and incredibly well-preserved piece of memorabilia.
Kindly donated to Merchiston by Christian and Ian Aitchison, friends of former Head of Mathematics Charlie Windass, a book titled The Wonders of Science is now on display in the Old Library.
The book was presented as a Merchiston Mathematics Prize to Mr Alexander Crawford, who attended the School between 1855 and 1862.
The label on the inside front cover of the volume is signed by John Gibson, Headmaster, of Gibson House fame. In the knowledge that Headmaster Gibson passed away on 11 October 1856, the book must have been presented to Mr Crawford in either 1855 or 1856.
We are incredibly grateful to Christian and Ian Aitchison for donating the book and we hope it will inspire future generations of Merchistonians.
merchistonians@merchiston co uk
27.01.23 EDITION #5
Merchiston Tennis Academy
The festive period has been a rather busy one for our Tennis Academy, which closes (and indeed starts!) the year with a wealth of fantastic achievements
December 30th marked a top-tier moment for Lance N who won the Tennis Scotland National Championship in Glasgow, becoming the current U18 Scottish National Champion and thus officially the number 1 player in Scotland This is an incredible achievement and testament to all of the hard work and commitment Lance displayed throughout the season
Huge congratulations also to David D who won the Lawn Tennis Association Regional (LTA) U14 Singles event staged at Bolton – without dropping a set throughout the whole event! This is David’s third singles title in just 3 months which displays his incredible potential and momentum.
Together with Sushanth S., David also won the LTA U18 Doubles event in Hertfordshire. The event was the first time the pair played together and what an incredible debut!
Obituaries
We were very saddened to hear of the passing of the following Merchistonians:
Peter Anthony Stewart Davidson 1933 - 2022
At Merchiston: 1946-1951
Junior Prefect, Evans Scholarship; Liverpool Uni, BSc Hons Physiology, BVSc 1959, Golding Anatomy Prize; Capt., RA (TA): partner Hower and Davidson, Vet Surgeons, Combram Victoria 1966-77: Dairy Farmer and Grazier, NSW 1968-77; S, Australian Dept of Agriculture, Dep Chief Vet Officer, 197783;Chair, S Aug Meat Hygene Authority 1980-85; Dir VetLab 1983-92; Member of the Australian Vet Assoc. 1964-2000; Meritorious Service Award 1987; R. Zoological Soc. of S. Australia, Life Member since 198, President 1988-94
Yet another win came from Sam P who attended his first U18 Tennis Scotland Regional tournament at the University of Stirling This was a big step-up for Sam and he conducted himself brilliantly throughout the event
A warm 'thank you' should be extended not only to the coaching team for all of their hard work throughout the season, but also to the parents & guardians, whose commitment to travel with players during what is already a very busy time of the year is invaluable in supporting our Academy and its ambitious objectives
We are very excited to see what 2023 will bring for these young players!
Malcolm Laurence Stuart 1927 - 2023
At Merchiston: 1943-1945
XV cap. R, 1st Gurkha Rifles, 1947, Lieut.; Edinburgh University; Farmer, RhodesiaZimbabwe (and latterly South Africa)
merchistonians@merchiston.co.uk
Merchiston Careers Café
At Merchiston we are firm believers in education playing a vital role in providing Students with the skills and adaptability that a fast-paced and ever-changing world requires We hope that the experiences on offer at the School will help and prepare our Pupils for their next steps in life
Throughout the year our Students have access to a Careers Café in the format of talks and opportunities to meet representatives of various industry fields – and very often Merchistonian themselves! Students are encouraged to suggest topics and fields they are interested in and it is always fascinating to see what makes them tick
As part of the Careers Café's January schedule, we had the pleasure to welcome back to the School, Merchistonian Douglas Bonn (MCS 1972-78). Mr Bonn talked to current Pupils about a career in Agriculture and relayed his experience in the sector, within the context of his work for agricultural cooperative and international seed group Limagrain. The talk spanned across so many different areas of interest, including development, research, engineering, technology and sustainability.
Mr Bonn was also joined by Thomas Sherriff & Co’s Service Manager, Mr Neil Hardie who came accompanied by no other than a John Deere 6155R tractor – attracting a lot of Students’ interest at the front of the School!
We would like to extend a huge thank you to the speakers, who so kindly volunteered their time to come and inspire the next generation on what a career in agriculture can offer – and of course to Mrs Coyne for all of the work which goes into organising the Careers Café busy schedule
Thank you also to everyone else who has so kindly volunteered to come as a speaker on one of our next (or indeed previous) appointments of the Merchiston Careers Café If you are intrested in getting involved in the future, please contact us via email at merchistonians@merchiston.co.uk.
Merchiston in hong kong
Our Admissions Team will be travelling to Hong Kong next month to attend two recruitment events in collaboration with Academic Asia (12th & 13th February) and Britannia Education (18th February).
They will be accompanied by Houseparent of Rogerson (Shell) and assistant coach of the 1XV Rugby, Mr Bruce Aitchison.
The Team welcomes the opportunity to meet with Alumni, former and current parents in the area. They are currently planning an event which aims to bring the international Merchiston Community together –further details will be circulated shortly.
merchistonians@merchiston.co.uk
The December Newsletter included a report on our inaugural Merchiston Christmas Fair
We are delighted to confirm that the event was able to raise an incredible total of £1,433. This amount has been donated to Friends of Braidburn School and will go a long way into supporting the School’s activities.
This week we had the pleasure to welcome Ms Cat Weir, Headteacher at Braidburn, to Merchiston to share with her the final tally. The money donated will contribute towards the purchase of bean bags, jigsaw puzzles and adult scooters, all of which will support students at Braidburn with their education.
Our Students continue to attend Braidburn, as well as Longstone and Sighthill Primaries, as part of their Community Work project and are currently planning an Easter event for the pupils at these schools.
Braidburn Donation
