Lord Mayor’s Tales: 2 - THE NIGHT BEFORE ‘G’ DAY

All great Celebrations have a Prequel, so they say in Hollywood and Bollywood, and G Day on the Beaches at Prestoungrange was certainly no exception. And what better place to hole up the night before than at Sir Francis and Lady (Dorothy) Ogilvy’s magnificent ancestral home, Wintoun House.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Jorgen and Lisbeth Linder, were lodging on the Belhaven Landing after an exhausting flight from Sweden. In fact they rose at 3 am to take the plane and begin their 10 day private holiday in Scotland at our suggestion a year ago. But they were hungry after minimalist airplane food and afternoon tea at Wintoun Hill Farmhouse saw them tucking in to scones, strawberry jam and cream. That was their first official engagement shared with all the Clan members and family who had already arrived. Amongst these were Prestoungrange’s eldest son, Duncan, and his wife Vicki, with their two grand-daughters Eleanor and Florence – the latter recuperating from chicken pox and the former it later transpired about to succumb.

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Dinner time at Wintoun House was 6.30 pm and Sir Francis, Prestoungrange and Dolphinstoun were there to greet those who had been able to accept the Invitation.

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The guest list was Clan members, family and friends involved in the Arts Festival from its inception and the Gothenburg Restoration project. And to everyone’s delight almost all the players were able to be there – with the holiday exceptions of muralist Kate Hunter and Historical Society Chairman Jim Forster. Both sorely missed by all.

As is his wont, and to everyone else’s desire including the omnipresent Lady Dorothy, Sir Francis gave a charming conducted tour ( deliberately forgetting to mention the two Canaletto’s and choosing to concentrate instead on the ceiling plaster work ). The Clan saw all the stately rooms with the usual good humoured questioning and responses – although several found the need to relax en route.

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Enjoying the Banquet

The tour always ends in the same way, fine dining. And this banquet was in honour of loyalty all round and support and enthusiasm for the Arts Festival and all that still has to be achieved before 2006. 2006 is of course when the Globe comes to our doors!

The Rev. Robert Simpson, incumbent today of Davidson’s famous Prestongrange Church said the Grace and all took their seats to enjoy not only ‘Elizabeth’s’ fine foods of Carrot and Coriander Soup, Salmon and Rasberry dessert but also the Clan Appointed beverages of Inniskillen Pinot Noir from Lake Niagara Ontario, Cairnbrae Sauvignon Blanc from Blenheim South Island New Zealand, Glenkinchie from Glenkinchie and/ or Brammle from East Linton.

Dolphinstoun looked undecided as he contemplated his Carrot and Coriander ( but it was, he later stated, quite delicious )- but Jane and Chris Bonnar and Kristine Cunningham and Charlie Smith ( Glenkinchie himself ) looked well contented.

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As the pictures show, Bill Robertson and Lorna, the Baron Sergeand, Jim Cursiter and Trish, Paul and Jennifer Zochowski, Andrew and Carmel Crummy, Duncan and Vicki Wills, Ian and Jennifer Green, George and Moira Thompson and Lorraine Simpson – all were smiling for camera.

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