The Rotary Club of Edinburgh

Bulletin 2,094 - 2nd February 2006

REVIEW

Attendance

The last Rotary lunch at the Balmoral Hotel brought an emotional farewell with one of President Judith’s best-considered rhymes in her ode to Renato and an equally charming response. Renato the headwaiter was presented with a card, present for himself and Christmas box for the staff.
The meeting was attended by 78 of our members 3 guests and 4 visitors. Richard Field, a former member and president of the Rotary Club of Rickmansworth visited us along with our speaker Susan Clark from Vale of Carron and William Jones from Kona Mauka, Hawaii. Guests included May Gilchrist of Inner Wheel, Zena Burgess Sarah Baxter and Liz Norman.

Silver Spoon Club

Neville Belton was awarded a silver spoon (at the usual price) for his second grandson. Dick Allan also collected a spoon last Thursday to present to his grandchild.

David McNicoll

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of David McNicoll, who has been suffering from a distressing illness for some considerable time. He was a most able secretary of our Club. His time with Rotary was very active. He was a valued member of council, participated in conferences; a pillar of the Curling Club arranged sixth form helpers for Kids Out and introduced Petanque to the club with games in Inverleith Park. Our commiserations go out to his wife Vera.

ZAP - February Zone Walk

Meet at 2pm at Flotterston, on Sunday 5th. February- a six hour walk over the Pentlands.

FOCUS

Return to the Carlton Hotel

Being a Rotarian sounds as if it should be something to do with revolving round. You could be forgiven for thinking that the Rotary Club moves hotel every two years. This, however, is far from the truth. Just as Uranus takes 84 years to circle the sun, so too we rotate slowly around Edinburgh’s central hotels.
We were last at The Carlton Hotel on 9 December 1915. We had met there since the preliminary meeting of 4th September 1912 and met regularly at The Carlton from the following week in 1912. Thus we have rotated and it seems that we take 94 years to orbit Edinburgh’s venues! Not much consolation for the Balmoral.
Our new Hotel has undergone some considerable improvements since our last meeting there in 1915. The mean approach on the North gable has been replaced recently with a generous ground floor entrance hall and staircase. The design of the hotel is in the Free Scots Renaissance Style, of Sydney Michell & Wilson, who designed the buildings to the South. However W. Hamilton Beattie, who lacked the courage or flair of Wilson, designed The Carlton. The best elevation is the North gable, which is flanked by two copper domed towers. The Carlton is in a very fine position with great views down the valley to the East towards Inch Keith, Fife and the picturesque Calton Jail.
Peter Wheeldon has also set up a fine prospect for us all with a selection of seven menus which sound to be the most imaginative we have been offered in years.

PRATTLE

The Rotary Club of Peebles Burns Supper

President Judith along with a healthy number of our membership attended the Burns Supper in Peebles. They went in support of Wendy Goldstraw who gave the reply to the toast to the lassies. This was delivered in a robust speech which included the quotation that
You lassies need your men but not as much as they need you.
Meanwhile Neville Belton supported the Burns Supper jointly organised by the Waverly Club and Murrayfield Crammond.

Is it a plaque or is it a Chain

Iain Robertson presented the club with a Rotary lump of wood to be passed on at the earliest possible opportunity. It was described by Iain as a chain letter gone wrong.

Edinburgh Airport Trail Link

Susan Clark gave us a hard-hitting presentation defending the expenditure on the proposed new Edinburgh Airport rail link with a convincing argument that this will develop Turnhouse for the whole of Scotland with direct hourly train services to our principal cities and many of our towns too.

Her company is also promoting the new tram service, which is proposed to circle the outskirts of our town. This third world solution to our transport network can only rank as second best. Every historic town with tourist potential from Prague to Paris or Madrid has a Metro. Edinburgh has a superb network of suburban railway routes, which with a few central tunnels should be utilised to bring us into line!