Orkney Image Library

My husband and I were both taught science by your father, Micky and in fact, had just been reminiscing about those days recently. When he was on dinner duty in the Strynd (around 1961) he gave me a telling off for putting my knife in my mouth- and I certainly didn't do it again! We both became teachers and began to have a great deal of sympathy for those teachers and what they had to put up with!

Hi Mickey
Check out picture #5358 it's the other one of the 1955 class.

Hi Micky, like you I too am unable to recall the teachers name. I'm sure that she left to get married and emigrate to Canada. That's me slightly to the left in front of the teacher at the table with the identity tag of the "kittens." Bruce Sutherland looks really happy to be a "chick"

I remember your father well, Micky. He taught Science at KGS when I was a pupil there. His colleague, Mr Gamble, was also in the science department. I have clear images of them both in my mind. Those were the days! Myra Shearer (Groundwater).

A good Teacher his only failing the speed that he wrote on the blackboard. He was rubbing off the information on the board and then adding more before we had time to write it down. About 1948.

Comments re Mr Gamble & Mr Thomsen bring back memories of an incident in the science class in the early/mid fifties.
Mr Gamble requested me to go to Mr Thomsen to get Potassium Nitrite. I brought the bottle back & Mr Gamble added it to the retort & heated it. Nothing happened (Luckily). Mr Gamble checked the bottle. It was Potassium nitrate (an ingredient of gunpowder). I have never seen anyone go so white in the face so quickly.
I may be wrong, but I remember being told that, as a POW, Mr Thomsen built a radio receiver with capacitors made from razor blades interleaved with paper. I was not told how the other components were made.
I also remember that they were both Radio Amateur enthusiasts – Mr Gamble - GM2 DAU & Mr Thomsen GM2 FSV! I believe the former retired somewhere in the Borders.

On looking at the above comments, I now realise why I can't mind what happened yesterday - My memory is full of insignificant information from 60 years ago (ref. call signs).

Thanks Jim G, his callsign was GM3FSV,so close! He also went /p to Shetland and /m with his camper van around Pomona.

Micky, I taught at Dollar Academy from 1989-2000. When I started, Ted Gamble was Head of Physics. I joined the CCF in 1983 and was in charge of the Signals Troop. I believe that your father was instrumental in the change from Signals Section to Signals Troop. Do you know when this change took place? I subsequently became a radio amateur.

Hi Geoff, I Remember Ted. My memory is that it became what Otto referred to as the Signals Corp., with him as Captain Thomsen. I didn't attend Dollar Academy, but Alloa Academy, so not up on detail. But it would most likely have been late 70's.