The Rotary Club of Edinburgh

Bulletin 2,046 - 17th February 2005

REVIEW

Attendance

Lunch was in Hadrian's Restaurant last Thursday as indeed today. Our numbers included Heather Shanks, who reminded us of the excellent work of Fresh Start which has had our support over the years.

Dundee Conference

The District Conference is in Dundee this year. Robin Wilson is collecting names of people who would like to go. It is important to book the Hotel rooms early if we are to be at the centre of things and gain the maximum enjoyment of the weekend. The dates are 14 to 16 October and the larger the delegation the better the occasion!

New Member Evening

Surprise, this is of interest to us all new and old member alike. Apparently barely 20% of Edinburgh Rotarians introduce a new member. The health of the club depends on replacing retiring members with "new blood". The evening is an opportunity to bring along potential candidates for membership as well as for our new members to meet each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Fergus Gillies is organising the New Member evening on Tuesday 19th April at The Scottish Council for Independent Schools, 21 Melville Street at 7.00pm. There is a small charge for drinks.

Please contact Fergus Gillies.

Painless Charity

Congratulations, by attending today's lunch we have all just made a £7.25 donation to the Fund Raising Committee's kitty to be spent on charitable projects.

The real thanks should go to The Balmoral Hotel who have dined us to the usual quality and at the usual price, and pledged half the proceeds to our charity fund.

Your support at the Charity Lunches is appreciated since this is an important contribution to our funds.

FOCUS

The Balmoral Hotel

You cannot miss the clock tower of The North British. Set a few minutes fast, it has hurried most of us along to catch a train by the skin of our teeth. The North British Railway held a competition for their flagship Hotel in Edinburgh. The site was established and some pleasant buildings were demolished to make the only land on the South side of Princes Street available. That made it no less controversial.

The Architect, W. Hamilton Beattie, had a lot of hotel experience. He also had a dramatic concept to impress his client. The Architectural world is dismissive of this Edwardian monster. It is described as Franco-German in detail but with Free Renaissance or neo-Georgian interiors. This is enough to turn a purist pale. The Hotel was completed in 1902 just ahead of its opposition, The Caledonian Hotel, sponsored by the rival railway company.

It is worth reflecting on these great Victorian buildings. Regardless of the design they had a solid quality. This makes some of them no less inappropriate for their site, but the public is conservative of change and has an acceptance of the past.

After a great period as Edinburgh's Premier Hotel during which The Rotary Club moved there for its lunches, the railways were nationalised. As a Railway Hotel standards declined. Privatisation meant a major refurbishment and a new name. The Balmoral was short lived, but laid the foundations for a second huge investment in the fabric by Rocco Forte who has given back Edwardian style and standards to a great Hotel.

The Kilted Doormen point the way to The Rotary Club meetings past the tall fluted pilasters and columns of the Palm Court Lounge. At night the resident pianist plays jazz amid the sultry 1930s décor. It is good to be back.

PRATTLE

KidsOut Scottish Office

The National KidsOut charity has broadened its horizons. They are looking to provide fun and happiness for disadvantaged children on a year round basis. They have set up a Scottish office, with James Mason on their committee.

They plan a major fund raising dinner to be held at Murrayfield Sports Stadium. There will be 30 to 50 tables of ten who will be given champagne to start, a three course meal with some wine and a "Question of Sport" Quiz with Scottish sporting personalities in the teams.

Businesses are invited to take tables (at the knock down price of £850). If you are into, or have contacts who might be interested in taking a table, James would like to hear from you.

Such an Array of Brilliant Pills

A row of bottles on my shelf
Caused me to analyse myself
One yellow pill I have to pop
Goes to my heart so it won't stop
A little white one that I take
Goes to my hands so they wont shake
The blue ones that I use a lot
Tell me I'm happy when I'm not
The purple pill goes to my brain
And tells me that I have no pain
The capsules tell me not to wheeze
Or cough or choke or even sneeze
The red ones, smallest of them all,
Go to my blood so I won't fall
The orange ones, big and bright,
Prevent my leg cramps in the night
Such an array of brilliant pills
Helping to cure all kinds of ills
But what I would really like to know
Is what tells each one where to go?

Visit to The Scottish Parliament

Fred Lawson has plans afoot for a visit with an MP as a guide.

THIS WEEK'S SPEAKER

Thursday 17 February 2005: Alan Dobie - Exec Director Scottish Business Crime Centre
Vote of Thanks: Alan Hately

NEXT WEEK'S SPEAKER

Thursday 24 February 2005: Prof Sir John Crofton - TB Alert
Vote of Thanks: Neville Belton

PREVIEW

Sir John has chosen a subject which should be history. We were all lead to believe that TB died out in the 1940s and that we had no fear for the future. Let us see what is revealed.

RECEPTION DUTIES Sandra Campbell