Ardrossan Academy sports and other group photos session 1965-66

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down south
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Ardrossan Academy sports and other group photos session 1965-66

Post by down south »

Moving on now to session 1965-66, here are the rugby and hockey teams.

Ardrossan Academy rugby team session 1965-66.jpg
Ardrossan Academy hockey team session 1965-66.jpg

Susan
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Re: Ardrossan Academy sports and other group photos session 1965-66

Post by Penny Tray »

Can someone confirm for me that 'L DAVIES' in the hockey photograph is definitely 'L DAVIES' and not 'LINDA DAVIS', Dalry Road, Ardrossan, who definitely went to Ardrossan Academy around 1965-66, and, I think, played hockey for the school?
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Re: Ardrossan Academy sports and other group photos session 1965-66

Post by down south »

Here now are golf and tennis. I'm assuming here that the golf team are in fact listed in order of appearance. They are of course snapped in action on the putting green on South Crescent ( and this picture has appeared before in that context ).

Ardrossan Academy golf team session 1965-66.jpg
Ardrossan Academy tennis team session 1965-66.jpg


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Re: Ardrossan Academy sports and other group photos session 1965-66

Post by down south »

Unfortunately there aren't as many of the group pictures this year as previously; there was a trend towards illustrating the sports reports with action shots instead of team photos, and the magazine committee were also pictured on the seafront.

But there is just one more, though it's not strictly an Academy team picture; it shows a group of country dancers, all but one of them from the Academy, who took part in a tour of Canada in the spring of 1966. Incidentally we have an appearance of Linda Davis rather than Davies here, which may be of interest to PT.

You'll also notice the appearance of a young Bryan Gossman, who was to become more famous for his rugby than his dancing skills.

Country dance team 1966.jpg

The tour was reported on in the magazine by one of the team ( who must be in the picture but is not named ), Bruce Copeland, as follows :

This Easter nine pupils of Ardrossan Academy had the honour of being chosen for a team to represent Scotland's young country dancers in Canada. The team comprised Linda Davis, Margaret Montgomery, Bettine Marshall, Allison Millar, Bruce Copeland, David Wardrop, Bryan Gossman, Kenneth Macdonald, Michael Davidson and from Stanley Secondary , Sheila Ritchie. They were accompanied by their teacher and pianist, the Beresford girls' choir from Ayr and other artists.

They arrived in Canada on Saturday 2nd April at Toronto International Airport. Accomodation was provided for the dancers and choir by Canadians resident in and near Toronto. Some of the dancers spent two days on a millionaire's farm but unfortunately were not able to stay there for the duration of their visit. The visit lasted for slightly more than two weeks and during that time the young Scots were feted and made welcome by Canadians. When they visited Ayr, Ontario , a public holiday was declared and the town band was there to meet them. At Ayr, an open concert was held and the hall was filled to capacity throughout the afternoon. The dancers and choir were all presented with a silver dollar and a special edition of Ayr's newspaper by its editor and in return the reeve of Ayr was given a handsome Burns memorial rug and a plaque from the council of Ayr, Scotland.

The following day a trip was made to the Ontario parliament buildings where the Prime Minister himself welcomed the party and the Speaker of the House drew the attention of the members to the choir and the dancers who were in the public gallery. They were immediately loudly applauded by all. Later a television newsreel was made of the presentation of the Burns rug to the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday the party went to Hamilton where lunch was provided by the Ontario Teachers' Association. In the afternoon the mayor of Hamilton presented everyone with a badge of the city hall and in the evening a concert was to have been held. At this point a form of food poisoning affected the choir and about sixteen girls were rushed off to hospital by police cars with wailing sirens. The concert was finally halted when there were too few girls left to sing.

However, the following day, most had recovered in spite of the most distorted reports of the incident by the Bristish press. On Thursday 7th, the party visited the new city hall in Toronto for a civic reception and in the evening the first of three concerts was held in the Massey Hall, Toronto. This went very well and Canadian newspapers gave very favourable reports of it.

The two other concerts were held on Saturday 9th and Wednesday 12th of April. During the tour, visits were made to various churches including the York Memorial Church and Glenview Presbyterian Church.

It was learned with surprise that the British National Anthem is sung at all Canadian church services.

The highlight of the tour was for most people, the visit to Niagara Falls as guests of the Ontario Hydro Electric Board who showed the party through one of the power stations there and provided an excellent meal. There was still ice and snow on the Niagara river altought there was no lack of sun. Many other interesting visits were made by individuals and the party including one to Casa Loma, the only baronial castle in Canada; historic Fort York, site of the defeat of the British in 1812 by the Americans; the Ontario museum; ice hockey matches and others too numerous to mention.

It was with great reluctance that the dancers left Canada and all the wonderful friends and acquaintances they had made and one can safely say they will be going back some day.

BRUCE COPELAND


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Re: Ardrossan Academy sports and other group photos session 1965-66

Post by Penny Tray »

Susan,

Without looking at the names, I recognised Bryan Gossman (top left), if only from his later rugby exploits for Scotland; the boy next to him I didn't know (possibly Michael Davidson); and then instinctively I found myself saying the next boy is Bruce Davidson (later Bruce Copeland, through a second marriage of his mother). She (as Mrs Davidson) was, in my time, a relief gym teacher at Eglinton School where she also taught Scottish country dancing. She later remarried, as I've said, and became Mrs Copeland. The next boy along, again, I didn't know (possibly David Wardrope); and the boy back right is Kenneth Macdonald. His father was Captain Macdonald, one of the pilots at Ardrossan Harbour.

The captions for the girls are presumably correct. I recognise Sheila Ritchie, Churchill Drive, Ardrossan; and Linda Davis and Margaret Montgomery, cousins, from opposite sides of Dalry Road, Ardrossan.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy sports and other group photos session 1965-66

Post by Bruce Copland »

Please note the spelling is actually "Copland" and not "Copeland"

I am the boy in the middle of the back row - I was born Bruce Ferguson and my mother was Dorothea Third who later married my step father David Copland. All the boys in the picture were Senior Scouts at the 15th Ayrshire 1st Ardrossan Troop and were encouraged to participate in the Scottish Country Dancing through the work of Ronnie Fines the Senior Scout Master.
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