OSAmag78

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8
ERNiE WiLKiNS
1940-2013
The funeral service of Ernie Wilkins -
31st July 1940 to 17th September 2013 -
took place at Warriston Crematorium
Lorimer Chapel on the 24th September,
2013. The Service was conducted by the
Reverend Iain Dunn. The hymns sung
were 'How Great Thou Art – O Lord My
God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath
made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty
thunder, Thy power throughout the
universe displayed:' and 'Guide me, O
Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this
barren land. I am weak but Thou art
mighty; Hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Feed me till my want is
o'er.'
Funeral Address by Rev lain Dunn
Ernest Joseph Wilkins was born - 73 years
ago - in London, and was educated at The
Stationer's School. On completing his
Secondary Education, he went off to
Leeds University where he gained both a
First Class Honours Degree in Chemistry,
and latterly, his PhD. His first teaching
post was at Bedford School, where he
taught for six years. In 1971, he was
appointed as Head of Chemistry at
Daniels Stewart's College, which then
merged with Melville College a few years
later. He was to hold this position until his
retirement.
He quickly made his mark as a
conscientious, hard-working and
dedicated teacher. He always set high
standards for himself and others - in the
classroom he maintained firm discipline
and a no nonsense approach from which
pupils greatly benefited. Throughout his
years with the school, he was a devoted
member of staff in an all-round capacity,
and although loyalty and service are
sometimes seen nowadays as quaintly oldfashioned,
Emie Wilkins - by that
reckoning - was very much a gentleman in
that respect.
As a teaching colleague, it was always a
pleasure to have a coffee in the Staff
Room this being enlivened by some
discourse with 'our Ernie" As one former
pupil has said of him........... "In lots Of
things, Ernie would challenge your
thinking; make you question why you had
made a particular statement and could you
back it up with REASON .... any reason
at all?!" This former pupil added -
"Sometimes not that easy after a few too
many drinks at Ferryfield, Inverleith,
Freuchie and various other venues! With
Ernie, discussion & debate could go onfor
many hours!"
On his retirement he - like so many of us
- was not prepared to sit back and let the
world go by, certainly not Emie: He
became Secretary of the Daniel Stewart's
Melville College Former Pupils' Club, a
post which he held with much distinction
for around 13 years. Speaking personally,
it was always a delight to go down to
Inverleith - for whatever reason - and to
be greeted by 'Mein Host' Emest Wilkins!
- 'Me in Host' being defined as 'the sort
of person who is able to put those invited
at their ease'. That was Erniet His
welcome was a warm one and - as he was
such a gregarious man - he knew everyone
by name such an important facet of being
a Secretary. He was indeed a Secretary
who led from the front and his attention
to all that was required for the enjoyment
of his 'guests' was exemplary and
admirable. Much of what the FP Club is
today can be attributed to Ernie.
However, outwith his classroom commitments,
his sporting prowess and extracurricular
involvement will remain forever
in the annals and history of DSMC. A
person who loved the great outdoors, he
was an extremely enthusiastic hill-walker;
a conqueror of Munroes; and he will be
fondly remembered for his enthusiasm for
all the activities at Carbisdale - the
outdoor centre to which hundreds of
pupils decamped from school each year.
Notwithstanding the above, his abiding
passion was being 'a flannelled-fool at the
wicket!' The gentleman's game -
CRICKET!! (Well- it used to be in days
gone by!!) Ernie and I shared that passion
and greatly enjoyed a good old-fashioned
blether on the game.
His exploits on the field are - without
doubt - 'the stuff of legend' - and anecdotes
which I have from those who played with
him down the years are far too numerous
to mention in our short time here today.
His fame must have gone before him for
- as his wife Vera told me - they had more
or less just arrived to settle into their new
abode (in Edinburgh) when Emie
announced that he was off to play for
Stewart's that afternoon!! He made his
debut for the 2nd XI against Stenhousemuir
- took 2 for 17.
So impressed the selectors that he was
promoted next week to the 1st XI against
my own club, Watsonians, and took 4 for
57!! He could also open the batting &
keep wicket! What an addition to the
Club! In all his time with them - he made
438 appearances across the teams; one of
the few who have done the career double
of 1000 runs & 100 wickets; delivered
more than 4000 overs; best bowling figures
for the 1st XI... 8 for 9 against Gala in
1986. What a man! One could go on and
on.
He took up golf late in life - and being
Ernie - quickly became an efficient and
dangerous opponent, and was a regular
player at Ravelston Golf Club. Another
aspect of Emie's wide interests was his
love of music, in particular jazz and that of
the great Duke Ellington, and in later
years - after a long break - he took up the
piano again. And in typical Emie fashion,
he 'reached for the sky', obtaining Grade 8
- that level to which so many musicians
aspire.
His sense of humour was reflected as an
accomplished after-dinner speaker, and
one story accredited to him (and reported
in the Independent newspaper) was - in
1989 - he pointed out that at that time, a
former Stewart's College pupil, The Very
Reverend James Whyte (whom I knew
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