School leavers’ diamond anniversary

A SARCASTIC citizen, taximan and dustman were reunited at a Campbeltown hotel 60 years after starring in Pygmalion.

Back in 1957, Robin McArthur, James White and Ronald Togneri had acted in the George Bernard Shaw play, staged by the senior drama group at Campbeltown Grammar School (CGS).

The reunion, organised by Una Adams (née McGown), included seven actors, the other four being Peter McKinlay, Ian Morrison, Margaret McIssac (née Wotherspoon) and Jacquie Grantham (née Somerville) and 14 other 1950s leavers.

Mrs Adams first proposed the event, which included a dinner, last Friday, at the Ardshiel, in a letter to the Courier, printed on May 13 last year.

Although her parents had left Kintyre for Corby in 1958, Mrs Adams had retained vivid memories of the play and its after-show party, also held in the Ardshiel.

Mr Togneri, himself

a retired teacher, said: ‘At the time, CGS had a very charismatic English teacher, Andrew Chirnside, who produced the play.

‘He went on to become a chief of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of

Schools and I met him at a conference and was able to thank him for giving me a lifelong interest in drama.

‘I think it shows how good education depends on having talented teachers.’

25_c24arshielcgsreunion01 In no particular order in the Courier’s photo are: Una Adams, Charlie Campbell, Isobelt Dott (née McKenzie), Jacquie Grantham, Sandra Mills (who changed her name to Mervyn Key), Judy McAllister (née Allan), Robin McArthur, Alison McDermid (née...