Charles Bannerman

A visitor was touring a hospital ward when he spotted a patient standing on his bed proclaiming: "Wee sleekit cow'rin timorous beastie..." He moved on to meet another man intoning: "And scarcely had he Maggie rallied when out the hellish legion sallied..." And in the far corner: "Oh thou who in the heavens doth dwell, who, as it pleases best thysel..." Turning to his guide the visitor asked: "Is this the psychiatric ward?" "No," came the reply. "It's the Serious Burns Unit." Just thought I'd take the thread back to hospitals. I have to say that watching The Royal on ITV on a Sunday night creates strong echoses of the RNI in the 60s. I was just too old for the York Ward when I had to go in to get my sinuses flushed out (couple of tubes rammed up your nose so they could pump salt solution through... very messy.) As a result I had to go into an adult ward. Don't know if I missed anything or not.

TMFTJ... there's only one problem with that last post... the commentator was Bill Leckie! In fact I am in at the BBC just now lifting slices of Bill's excellent commentary to use in my sport review tomorrow morning. I must add my sincere congratulations to Ross County. I am delighted for them. The two Highland teams which came into the SFL in 1994 certainly haven't disappointed.

David ...was it the 5th Seaforths? That was who my father was with, although he was actually at HD 152 Brigade HQ, but he was right through the whole thing, including the battle for Caen which we also visited while over there. I have to say that by far the most emotional moment was the visit to the Ranville cemetery and the inevitable thought that had one man's war gone just a little differently, I would not have existed to have that experience. I also couldn't help but muse over the amount of money the Gondree family have made in their cafe over the last 60 years, just because they were the first family in Europe to be liberated......

Strange, isn't it, that when Armistice Day comes around there's this preoccupation with the First World War while WW2 and other conflicts seem almost to be ignored. TV keeps churning out reruns of the Battle of the Somme, the poetry of Owen, Brook and Sassoon is wall to wall and of course there are the lines from Binyon (they shall grow not old....) I suppose that for the first 20 years or so WW1 had the field to itself and observing Flanders etc became something of a tradition ...and indeed military casualties there were huge. We also continue to observe Armistice Day in November rather than May or August. In terms of British lives, there were about 3/4 of a million dead in 14/18 and around 400,000 if you include civilians in 39/45. But globally far more people died in WW2 compared with WW1.... 50 million as opposed to around 10. One thing that does annoy me when there's talk of WW1 at this time of year.. people keep saying that these soldiers died in the trenches "so that we might be free". That's just simply not true. There was never the remotest chance of Britain being occupied by the Germans in 1914-18. Britain went to war in 1914 to preserve the integrity of Belgium in accordance with the Treaty of London. WW1 was essentially a continental war which almost happened by accident after massive rearmament and which Britain could have avoided, but which morally it was obliged to join. WW2 is completely different. The freedom of the nation most definitely was at stake there although once again the war was entered in support of the territorial integrity of another country, Poland. I hope this doesn't sound like a history lesson, but I always have mixed feelings about November 11th.

That was the very same book. It was so vital that the Allied bridgehead remained intact from the East and in particular they had to prevent Panzers reinforcing German troops from there. The American 82nd Airborne performed a similar function at the West end of the invasion zone where (according to the Longest Day (1961)) John Wayne, despite being wheeled about Northern France with a knackered ankle, of course did the business single handedly. When I visited Pegasus Bridge I had the book in my bag. The run down the Caen Canal over Lovat's reverse route was one of thwese things you remember for years to come.

Dmacca... I had a similar experience to your own. My father, who survived the war, went ashore on Sword Beach with the Highland Division on June 8th 1944 (D+2) and while in France I took the opportunity to visit the British cemetery at Ranville which was a tremendously emotional eperience. We then walked down the hill to Benouville and Pegasus Bridge beside the Cafe Gondree, the first building in occupied Europe to be liberated. I had just been reading an account of the Pegasus Bridge operation and it was fascinating to see it unfold on the ground, down to the points where the gliders landed. Then my daughter and I jogged along the Caen Canal to Ouistreham at the eastern extremity of Sword beach, the reverse of the route Lord Lovat's Commandos took to relieve the Paras at the Orne bridges. The whole day was an incredibly memorable experience.

Agreed! Apart from that, one of the big bonuses of the Italy trip was the ice creamer round the corner from the Hotel in Montecatini.

If it was over the Infirmary Bridge she came, I wonder, if it was summer, if she got the ice cream in Bellfield Park. What wonderful ice cream you got there! Best ice cream in Inverness came from Bellfield, Ness Cafe, Salvadori's, Pagliaris (did they supply Bellfield?) and, the only non Italian in the group... Stratton. I'm sure there were more that were just as good, but you just can't get that kind of ice cream in Inverness these days. Bring back the Tally Cafes!

Laura... couldn't remember which way round the two ironmongers were. Ta. Latviaman ....the Captain of the 3rd BBs you refer to would have been David Thom who was Principal Teacher of Classics and latterly Depute Rector of the Royal Academy until he died in 1970. He was quite a disciplinarian and was also starter at a number of athletics meetings. There was always the fear that if you did a false start, the next one was a live round and was for you! (He had two sons, one of whom became a chiropodist, the other a dentist... they were known as "foot and mouth".) The sweetie shop in Hill Street became legendary to generations of Crown, Millburn and IRA pupils as "Frankie Jew's" but I think in the era which you are describing it would have been called Galloway's. Tom Galloway owned it until about 1965 when he was succeeded by one F.C. MacKay... aka Frankie Jew. To give you a flavour of what Frank was like, those who smoked (not myself!) would have the following kind of conversation: "Single please, Frank." "Threepence" "And do you have a match?" "Ha'penny."

latviaman... this was Hamilton Street (side of Markies now) and BB HQ was Washington Court. Some will have memories of Scoobies getting the whole battalion in order for church parades on Sunday mornings. Now that you mention it, I do think i might have a vague memory of the FT being printed there too. There was also an ironmonger in Hamilton Street (Gilbert Ross?)... you know wehat I mean, brown coats and "forkhandles" like Fraser and McCall. What was the ironmonger in Academy Street between Station Square and the old Academy building? Mitchell and Craig?

I believe that John Worth latterly (after the Empire closed I suppose) set himself up as a freelance "impressario", general arranger of Inverness entertainments, because I remember a plate with his name on it, outside an office I think in Queensgate. He also did a lot of production work with the Opera Company among others. PS Latviaman - it's "dementia"!

I've heard it said that it used to be the Corrie that the legendary Inveness Thistle "Half Time Harriers" used to patronise. This was a group of Jags fans who would sprint there from Kingsmills at half time for a quick pint but inevitably they would not arrive back until after a few minutes of the second 45. It's said that on one celebrated occasion, Jags were a goal down when they left but they returned to find that in their absence their team had had a nightmare and had rushed to a 5-0 deficit! In the old days the Heathmount was rather differently arranged with two bars on the left side of the building as you look at it. At the front, in the bay window, there was a small lounge bar which was for all the world like somebody's living room (I recollect under age brandy and babycham with a kick like a mule in there). Then behind it there was a public bar which was perhaps a little further down market then than now.

H4.... I'll stand corrected on that...I was VERY young in the early 60s!

Which reminds me of a conversation between two Rangers fan when a certain Dutch manager was appointed.... "I here's we're getting a **** Advocaat." "I thought we had one already!" Think about it!

Duncan Fraser (snr) of Fraser the butchers was well known in Inverness and played a very prominent part in the North of Scotland Amateur Athletic Association. The shop then passed on to his son William who was Provost of Inverness for a number of years in te 80s and 90s and whose Council career began in the 60s when he was Burgh Treasurer, or maybe even the late 50s. "Billy Butcher" played a significant part in the protracted and tortuous creation of the Caledonian Stadium. (Interestingly enough he was ousted as a Councillor in about 1995 by another local butcher, the now late Margaret MacLennan, who had a shop in the Market.) WAE Fraser cut the first sod for the foundations when construction started at the beginning of 1996. The shop is now run by his son, also Duncan.

I met Beenz MacBean at Jim Love the Courier editor's funeral and we had a good blether about the Flock, his mini van which used to be almost - I didn't go to secondary school until 1965. Size MacKay is, I believe, very successful in the legal profession in Edinburgh or at least I did hear that said at the time of the merger. I think his father was Eric MacKay who was big in the Boys' Brigade and also MD of Fraser and McCall the ironmongers in Eastgate (in the days that everything was wrapped up in brown paper by men in brown coats.... forkhandles!) The Club at the top of Raining's Stairs is long gone and is now a car park. It began life as Dr. Raining's School in the 18th or 19th century. I was never in it as a club (nor as a school for that matter!) but it did have something of a reputation as a den of iniquity.

Touch of Alzheimers here... was Wilsie actually a left footer Mantis?

That would possibly be Wilson Robertson, deadly down the right. Wilson has the distinction of having scored the last ever goal for Caley (at Huntly in May 1994) and the first competitive one for Caley Thistle (away to East Stirlingshire in August 1994). He also scored the goal at Kingsmills which effectively secured Caley's last ever Highland League title in April 1994. It was good to see him at the reunion of Caley Golden Oldies (Billy urquhart, Alan Hercher, Mikey Noble, kevin Mann etc...) in the ICT Ssocial club a few months aho.

Just like the Thistle stand about a year later, Daisy Ross might have been on fire that day (August 12th 1994) but I'm afraid he wasn't playing for Caley Thistle. He was one of Pele's earlier signings, so didn't arrtive until the autumn of 1995. The CT team against Arbroath was - MacRitchie, Brennan, MacAllister, Noble, Scott, Andrew Lisle (D. MacDonald), MacKenzie, Hercher, Bennett (Smart), Robertson. For the record, Hercher's hat trick in the first half was scored in a period of 19 minutes.

KM2... you're thinking of the Broad Stone which stood outside Kingsmills Park - hence Broadstone Park. The Boarstone was a Pictish creation with an engraving of a boar on it which stood on Essich Road, just past the Torbreck turn off. It has, as CMIB said, gone to HC HQ and sits just inside the main foyer of the Council Chamber.

Not so much pies... I was thinking more of feeding Delia with a few drams and at half time handing her a microphone and directing her to the pitch!

This isn't a subject on which I would normally even want to comment, but since my name has been mentioned in connection with it, I feel I have to respond to confirm that this has NOTHING to do with me. Thank you Scotty! In any case, just look at the piece. It's not backed up by any significant quote at all and is totally wrapped round the story the reporter has decided he wants to tell. He has clearly put some kind of question to Charlie who has obviously not wanted to appear rude about Peter Grant but who still makes it quite clear to me that he's not interested in this creation of a local newspaper journalist in Norwich who then has the gall to turn it round to make it sound as if this is something Charlie is keen to achieve and wants to initiate. Given that even a firm link through David Sutherland with Sheffield United is not being pursued player wise, it hardly seems likely that this would. This happens all the time in football. A journalist decides on the story he wants, he puts the idea to the relevant player or manager and then uses certain quotes - at best out of context and sometimes even corrupted - apparently to back up his non story. In this case, it's just another of those down sides a smaller club gets after a victory over Rangers. Players and managers really get fed up with this kind of invention, believe you me! On the other hand I wouldn't mind signing up Delia Smith for some half time entertainment!

GOTP... you really shouldn't complain too much about the music. Some of us remember when they used to play "Distant Drums" by Jim Reeves at Telford Street!

I can see no way at all in which Tullochs have made direct monetary gain out of their involvement with ICT. However, businesses are perfectly entitled to expect some kind of benefit from the financial support they give sports clubs. In Tullochs' case, they have put a huge amount into ICT and, quite reasonably, have received a huge amount of positive publicity and goodwill out of what they have done. In particular, their construction of the stands in 43 days shot them to the forefront on a national scale and they are perfectly entitled to that as a return for their efforts and investment. As Caley D points out, the stadium and its contents are owned by the Trust, but so are any liabilities related to that - presumably also including any debts accruing from the stands. It was probably a major omission on my part when I was evaluating David Sutherland's contribution not to have mentioned Ken MacKie. Ken was effectively David's appointee and as such he did a marvellous job as a "steady hand" on the financial tiller. Also, don't underestimate Ken's quiet but utterly determined diplomacy during that uncertain summer of 2004 as SPL status hung in the balance. Caley Thistle have been very lucky with their Chairmen so far. Jock McDonald greatly assisted SFL entry and persuaded the powers that be that the imopossible could in fact be delivered with the merger. Dougie McGilvray played a huge part in getting the equally necessary stadium there although the latter part of his tenure was overshadowed by the increasing debt. We have already discussed David Sutherland and now Caley Thistle moves on to the era of Alan Savage.

The Duke of Wellington would have loved Caley Thistle for it was he who, after the Battle of Waterloo, said "It was a damned close run thing". That might have been a suitable alternative title for either Ian Broadfoot's book or mine because it epitomises the manner in which Caley Thistle has progressed since 1993. I'm obviously not going to retell the merger saga, but the underlying theme of my book was the tiny margins... a whole string of them.... by which the various steps in the formation of ICT were able to take place. The whole enterprise could have fallen if even one of them had not come off. Progress to the SPL has been a similar story. It was only by a tiny margin that ICT survived the debt crisis of 1999-2001, it was only "against all odds" (sorry!) that the team won Division 1 in 2004 and I believe that this would have been at least as difficult to win in many other years. The Pittodrie deal only just squeaked through and was only marginally viable and similarly it was only by the tiniest of margins that the Division 1 title was converted into SPL football during that fraught summer of politics in 2004. Finally, getting out of Aberdeen and home to Inverness in January 2005 was also a "skin of the teeth" job. So there you are... add up the close run things and you have an amazing story.