Club Meeting

On 20th May, President Irene Brownless welcomed members and friends to the virtual meeting of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry. She gave a special greeting to Heather and Gordon McInally from the Rotary Club of Kelso and Terry  Keefe from Southport Rotary Club. The speaker was Allan Smith CBE, a club member who, over the years, has contributed a great deal to the club, not least because of his close connection to Network Rail which has helped to facilitate many successful Forth Bridge Abseils before present circumstances caused the event's suspension. On retiring as managing director of Babcock's at Rosyth, Allan and his wife May bought a remarkable property called The Forts. Situated at the top of the Hawes Brae in the shadow of the Forth Bridge, The Forts was originally a gun site built to defend the bridge and the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry. Allan developed the site into a skilfully landscaped area, still retaining the original gun emplacements. The military property was transformed into a beautiful home. Allan's family background is in farming and for forty years he bought and restored carts and farm equipment which The Forts offered ample room to display. The collection also included a Victorian railway carriage presented to him on his retiral from the dockyard. When May passed away, Allan regretfully decided to downsize despite protestations from his grandchildren who saw The Forts as their playground. In farming tradition, he chose to sell his collection of agricultural equipment by auction, making the day a gala occasion, even hiring a burger van. His talk was illustrated by pictures and videos, including drone shots, taken by his son Stephen on the day. Club members had fond memories of The Forts and the numerous times Allan and May hosted barbecues, treasure hunts, and provided hospitality for the club's Santas and elves in the run-up to Christmas. Members shared many recollections of  happy times at The Forts with Allan and his family. Alan was introduced by Eric Proven. Kate Gibb gave the vote of thanks.

In other business, President Irene said that the International Committee had chosen to support a co-op of five women in Zambia through the Lend with Care project. Terry Keefe gave greetings from President Di and the members of Southport Rotary Club.