Speaker Elspeth King

Rotary club of Stirling Meeting of 14/8/15.

President Peter Mehta welcomed our visitors, Rotarian David Crosby from Crieff, Rotarian Archie McCallum PP of the Rotary club of Glasgow, and Gillian Ferguson guest of Tommy Thomson.
Our speaker was Elspeth King talking about Robert the Bruce, and in particular the recent purchase by the Friend's of the Smith of a four foot polychrome resin macquette, one of two made by Pilkington Jackson, showing the Bruce on horseback. His bronze equestrian statue at the field of Bannockburn has become the best known image of the battle.
Despite the importance of the battle in Scottish history, efforts to commemorate it at the site have been controversial . From 1830 until 1964, when the present structures were erected, there have been a number of false starts, with disagreements over design and cost causing most of the delay. A proposed design in 1955 would have cost £100,000 but with a new architect Robert Mathews, the NT erected the present concrete rotunda, with the Oddfellow's flagpole and the supposed remains of the Borestone at it's centre. The present fine equestrian statue by Pilkington Jackson was not erected on it's Aberdeen granite faced plinth until 1964 after persistent efforts by the artist, and money from Canada. A copy of the statue can be seen in Calgery. Notwithstanding the new visitor centre, Pilkington Jackson's statue, standing against the Stirling landscape remains perhaps the most striking feature of the site.
The vote of thanks was given by Rotarian Tommy Thomson.
Next week's speaker's host  Sandy Leven, visitor's host Alan Skilling.

Dr Ian Richardson