June - Alyth Voice

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Following our research into this local volunteer regiment, this month we continue with an extract from “A Narrative of the Royal Scottish Volunteer Review in Holyrood Park on the Seventh of August 1860” by Ernest Ralph Vernon, describing the very first Holyrood Volunteers Review. © Print of Royal Scottish Volunteers Review - Holyrood 7 August 1860 by Schenk & McFarlane “THE REVIEW The Review bands, being those of the 13th Light Dragoons, the 78th Highlanders, the 29th Regiment, and the West York Rifle Militia, advanced from the line, and took up a position opposite to the Royal flagstaff, leaving sufficient space for the Volunteers to pass the Royal carriage. Here also the General Commanding in Chief and his staff took their stand. On a given signal the whole army was put in motion, and the marching past commenced. The general effect was very striking, as brigade after brigade got into motion. There was not the gorgeous blaze of scarlet and gold which gives so dazzling an effect to a review of our regular troops, but the quietness of colour generally pervading the mass had a novel and pleasing appearance, and led one irresistibly to the thought that, as the movement was so evidently not got up for show, its continued efficiency and its permanence were the more to be looked for. To attempt anything like a description of the uniforms worn by the different corps, would be about as easy as to arrange the colours in a Berlin-wool basket after a couple of kittens had taken an afternoon’s amusement of the contents. Suffice it to say, that from the bright scarlet of the Cavalry and Engineers down to the palest of grays of the Dumfries Rifles, there was every shade of colour and colourlessness that can be conceived. Among the Artillery, as might be expected, blue was the favourite hue; while the Rifles, beginning with the dusky gray of the City of Edinburgh, - which, with its polished belts, gives to a column when seen from a distance, the look of a stack of the Earl of Zetland’s best Jewels, - wandered through every variety of gray mixture, with here and there a patch of green, and an occasional bright facing or stripe, which least gave a pleasing floral effect to some of the columns. To reach the spot for wheeling into the saluting base, as that line of march is called in which the saluting point is situated, each column had to pass behind a rising ground which hid it from the view of the Grand Stand and the other Volunteers; and when it emerged, it was marching at wheeling distance—that is, each company was following the other at a distance equal to its own length. Like masses of ore passed into the bowels of some vast machine, and reappearing in solid compact bars, so column after column was lost to view, to reappear in steadily-moving straight lines of companies, which marched along the saluting base with a regularity of step that, in most cases, could not be surpassed. Placed at certain points on the line of march were pioneers of the 78th Highlanders, and close to these it was the duty of each officer commanding a company, to pass—a very wise substitute for the usual flags, which are so easily avoided, and are generally knocked down by the first company that reaches them, “covering” being proverbially the weak point of Volunteer officers. Not one inch, however, will Pioneer Pipeclay be induced to budge for all the Volunteer captains in Great Britain. Not even when Her Majesty’s escort, in taking up its position, makes a show of riding him over, does he move a muscle. So firm does he stand, that the rasp of the hilt of Captain Dressup’s sword against his sporran is heard by the ladies in the Grand Stand, who, by the by, allege that though otherwise totally motionless, Pioneer Pipeclay, like “pallida mors,” kept making time—”equo pede” - with his heels to the music of the Review band. These are not the first volunteers to be seen. He is one of the heroes of Lucklow. Does he give his adherence to the views of our Peels and Robertson Gladstones or not? One would like to have a crack (Scotticé) with him over a good foaming pot, and have his views on things in general, and the Volunteer movement in particular. Her Majesty watched the various corps as they flowed by unceasingly with great apparent delight. She seemed in high spirits, and smiled and bowed to the corps as they passed with more than Royal condescension. The Prince-Consort seemed also to take a very lively interest in the scene, scrutinising the companies, and nodding his approval to the Duke of Buccleuch, with whom he 9 TH PERTHSHIRE (ALYTH) VOLUNTEERS 24 conversed during the greater part of the Review. The Princesses too, seemed to enjoy the whole scene, as did also the Duchess of Kent, who, we are sorry to say, looked far from well. What the brilliant staff of officers, many of them heroes of world-wide renown, thought of the display we cannot say, but doubtless, with the usual generosity of their cloth, their criticisms would be lenient and their words encouraging. The people in the Grand Stand could not restrain their enthusiasm. Even the near neighbourhood of Royalty failed to prevent sundry bursts of applause, as an unusually good marching company passed by. All the Highland corps were favoured with special marks of approbation, as indeed they are on every occasion. In all, 348 companies marched past Her Majesty; and, as each company consisted of sixty men - besides officers and sergeants - the grand total cannot have been anything under 22,000 men. Of these, from 1800 to 2000 were Volunteers from the North of England, thus leaving about 20,000 as the total number of Scotch Volunteers who took part in the Review. Such a result cannot fail to be gratifying to every Scotchman, and has been cheerfully acknowledged by all the English press as most creditably to the zeal and energy of Scotland. That Scotland, with so few resources, and so limited a population, should be able to bring together so powerful a body of men - surpassing considerably in numbers that brought together by the wealthier and more populous sister country—is a fact of which no Scotchman would be a man did he not feel proud. The fact is, when Scotchmen are roused into taking up a scheme, they never do it by halves, but go into it, heart and soul, with an indomitable energy which defies all obstacles, and a steady, unswerving zeal, which insures ultimate success.” Many thanks to Tommy Smyth of The Black Watch Museum, Jonathan Ferguson of Edinburgh Castle National War Museum, Mrs Woods, Andrew Ogilvy- Wedderburn, and Sara Ann Kelly of AK Bell Library for their help in compiling this information. The Voice would be grateful for any information regarding the 9th Perthshire (Alyth) Volunteers or Inverquiech Farm. Irene Robertson Dear Alyth Voice, Whitley Bay 8th May 2009 9th (Alyth) Perthshire Volunteers At long last I enclose photographs of the trophy presented to my great grandfather, James Tod, sergeant in the volunteers. He was a bit of a crack shot and I understand that that was for which the trophy was awarded. May I take this opportunity to set the record straight? About two years ago I submitted a photograph of the officers and N.C.O.s to the Alyth Voice and it is only because of this trophy I was able to identify the particular regiment that these officers belonged to. I didn’t get a copy of that particular issue so I don’t know what the caption said. I do know that it raised quite a bit of interest as you got a similar photograph from America showing the same people in kilts. The engraving on the trophy states PRESENTED BY Mrs James Wedderburn Ogilvy WON BY JAMES TOD 9th (Alyth) Perthshire Volunteers 1865 © J. Tod It stands approximately 7.25 inches high, top width 4.25 inches (about 110cm.), bottom width 5.5 inches (about 140cm.) and its capacity is 1 quart (2.272 litres). I was mildly surprised to see he was not listed as one of those who attended the grand parade which was washed out. I have anecdotal evidence he did. He shot at both Wimbledon and Bisley and seemed to occasionally win a few prizes. James Tod was elected to the council in 1886 and was elected Provost in 1894 and seems to have got into every thing. I enclose a copy of an article from the Alyth Gazette and Guardian of the 24th September 1958 on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the park. Incidentally I forwarded copies of the photographs of the opening of the park to The Voice some time ago. Evidently it became known as ‘Tod’s’ Park. Much easier than the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Park, don’t you think? Grovelling apologies on not giving me the credit of bringing the Volunteers to your attention will be accepted! Yours faithfully, Mr James Tod PS The trophy is not solid silver, but silver plated. [Ed. The Holyrood Review we are currently printing verbatim was not the “Wet Review of 1881” but the very first Holyrood Review in 1860. The Gazette and Guardian article will be printed in July’s Voice. The photographs of the opening of the Diamond Jubilee Park were printed in April 2007’s Alyth Voice.]
MACMILLAN CANCER COFFEE MORNING We would like to thank all who supported our Coffee Morning on 25 th April, to those who generously gave baking, gifts and donations, to Neil Kennedy who gave an update on the progress of the Cancer Care Unit under construction in Perth. Lastly a hearty thanks to our friends who manned the various tables. A splendid £791 was raised. Thanks again, Macmillan Cancer Support Alyth Above photo L to R: Morna Strachan, Margaret Aitchison, Margaret McLagan, Mary Graham, Irene Hart, Jean Anderson, Isobel Strachan, Jackie McGowan, Joyce Reid, Gertie Mitchell, Mhairi McDonald, Margaret Irvine, Davina Thomson. Seated: Muriel McAulay and Neil Kennedy 25 © DM Phillips ALL SPORTS COFFEE MORNING Left: All Sports members and helpers at their recent coffee morning in Airlie Street Hall. CHAUNCY MAPLES Recent correspondence to the Voice from Janey Hampton regarding a book she is writing on Balendoch, has produced another interesting snippet. Janey set up a charity to transform an old Glasgow ship into a hospital ship in Africa. 'Chauncy Maples', the oldest floating ship in Africa, was built in Glasgow in 1898 and carried in pieces overland to Lake Malawi. The ship was named after Chauncy Maples, the curate of St Mary Magdalene in Oxford, who became the Archbishop of Central Africa in 1895. The Malawian Ministry of Health is renovating her back into a hospital ship but they only have half the funds. Visit the web site: www.chauncymaples.org AYP’S DROP-IN CENTRE HAS BECOME ‘THE HUB’ Passers-by will have noticed that the old betting shop in Airlie St has become home to Alyth Youth Partnership’s drop-in facility for young people aged 15+. Thanks to funding from the Drumderg Windfarm monies, The Hub is open for business to provide information, advice and support, as well as a place to chill out for older teenagers and young adults. We are hoping that this will become a one-stop shop for young people in Alyth to access information and services without having to travel to Blairgowrie and Perth. For the future, planned partnership working with Careers Scotland, Perth and Kinross Education and Children’s Services, Job- Centre Plus, Health, Health Education, Social Work and Housing among others should ensure easier access to services. Currently it is only open part-time as we don’t have enough volunteers to work alongside our Youth Workers. However, the young people who are using The Hub are very much involved in taking this project forward. Young people are working on creating a databank of opportunities for young people in the area as well as working on programmes of activities in, around and away from Alyth. We are also working in partnership with the Energy Action Group to ensure that young people are included in this important initiative. Interested in helping? Want to find out more? Drop-in and have a chat with our staff and our young people – they’ll be delighted to talk to you about this exciting new project. The Hub is currently open Mondays and Fridays 4-8pm and Saturday 1-4pm.
Page 1 and 2: Alyth Voice 135th Edition, June 200
Page 3 and 4: © R. McGill ALYTH WALKING GROUP De
Page 5 and 6: Useful Telephone Numbers Airlie Str
Page 7 and 8: HODGE SOLICITORS LLP Divorce & Fami
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Page 27 and 28: April was another good month for sa

June - Alyth Voice

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