SCOTLAND – Childhood Memories
by Jim Glendinning
I
was born on a hill farm in Scotland
before World War II, the third of
four children of Noel and Arthur
Glendinning, a sheep farmer of many
generations. Dad was the youngest of
12, who graduated with a BSc from
Glasgow University and took over the
family farm. I sometimes look at a pic-
ture of the whole family taken in 1901,
dressed up and staring solemnly at the
camera. Far removed from me, in
years and place.
The farm is located in the Borders
region of southern Scotland, home to
the Border collie. The hardy hill sheep
(Cheviots and Blackface) thrive on the
grass which 60 inches of rain produce
annually.
The area experienced some hun-
dreds of years of turbulent history
before the English and Scottish
Crowns exerted authority. The local
families, with names such as Scott,
Armstrong, Maxwell and Elliot,
engaged in constant cattle rustling
(“Reiving”) across the border. By the
17th century James VI of Scotland
banished many of these families to
Northern Ireland (“The Ulster
Plantation”).
Growing up on a farm made for a
healthy life, tending chickens, helping
with the harvest (my father also rented
a farm for cattle and crops), and later
with the lambing of the ewes in the
spring. I was never happier than gal-
loping my pony round and round a
paddock in front of the farm house.
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My initial schooling was at Lockerbie
Academy five miles distant in the
town, which in 1988 became known
around the world for the Pan
American Flight 103 crash.
Two wartime memories stand out.
The Scottish First Division took over
our farm for pre-D Day training in
early 1944, a hugely thrilling sight for
a seven-year old boy, who was allowed
to ride on a tank.
Other soldiers (Prisoners of War
from Germany, Italy and Ukraine)
worked on the farm, standing in cold,
muddy fields picking turnips and other
crops. After the war, we continued to
correspond with the German POWs,
with whom we got on well.
The end of the war saw the return
from a German POW camp of our
uncle who had been captured in North
Africa by Rommel’s troops. He was an
officer, so had been treated relatively
well. He looked gaunt, but fit. But he
never wanted to discuss his captivity
with us eager kids.
A cousin also returned, as a war
hero. He had fought behind Japanese
lines in Burma, part of General
Wingate’s campaign. I was to meet this
cousin, James, 50 years later during
one of my tour groups to Scotland, a
quiet-spoken, thoughtful man far
removed from the image of a jungle
fighter.
By now the war was over, and a
period of national austerity started. I
was unaware during this period of
growing up, how British politics and
society were changing. The Labour
Party caused a huge upset when they
were elected in 1945. The government
nationalized major industries that
affected the country for the next 40
years. Our local farming industry was
not greatly affected, with guaranteed
prices for sheep and a vibrant dairy
industry.
Memories of that period, 1940 to
1950, are comforting and benign, with
occasional thrills: the first trip abroad
in 1951, with an aunt and cousin to
Switzerland; being made Head of
School (age 12 at my preparatory
boarding school); seeing “Oklahoma”
in London in 1947, a mind-blowing
Cenizo
First Quarter 2018
riot of song and dance in the grey
world of post-WWII England.
I grew up as a young
English/Scottish lad, enjoying a stable
home life and benefitting from a good
education. At core, I felt Scottish. This
is where I was born and all around me
were signs of how Scotland was differ-
ent. To this day, the sound of bagpipes
stirs something within me, something
deep and satisfying. To a lesser degree
I felt part English. My mother was
English and the schooling I had was
oriented towards the English model.
By age 13, I was ready for the more
serious stage in my education.
In 1951 I entered “public school” in
Edinburgh, following my brother,
David. An independent boarding
school for boys, aged 13-18, this
proved to be a much stronger chal-
lenge than my preparatory school.
The “public school’ system came
from the English model (places like
Eton) and was very much intended to
produce leaders, with discipline, sport-
ing competitions and strict teaching
standards as the key.
The school was set in 300 acres not
far from the centre of Edinburgh, and
clearly visible from all sides. It was
founded in 1854 by a successful
Edinburgh businessman and philan-
thropist as a school for boys from
needy families. The main structure was
of chateau-like appearance with tur-
rets, gargoyles and a towering spire,
with houses for boys’ accommodation
scattered around the grounds.
Discipline in the residential houses
depended on the younger boys doing
jobs (eg polishing shoes or cleaning
study rooms) for the older boys. The
older boys, known as prefects, also had
the authority, with the house master’s
permission, of caning younger boys
who had committed errors. Cold
showers, even in mid-winter, and
sleeping in dorm beds with the window
open to North Sea winds further rein-
forced the spartan feel of the place.
My initial challenge, having just
arrived with a group of other scared
and wary newcomers, happened on a
Sunday. On Sunday we had to dress
up in a suit with jacket, shirt and tie.
The problem was with the starched
collar, which came separate from the
shirt and had to be connected with a
stud going through the button hole in
the front of the shirt. It took some time
to master this technique with deft fin-
gers.
In the evening before going to bed
we ate porridge, recited a prayer and
sang a hymn. Boxing was required for
everyone, and long runs were a staple
diet. Our rugby team excelled and,
during the five years I attended, never
lost a match.
We were being trained as future
leaders of the country. The problem
was that the old British Empire was
largely disintegrating before our eyes
as more and more countries became
independent. Still, we received a privi-
leged education and many in our num-
ber went on to achieve fame. I might
mention Tony Blair, as the most
famous politician from Fettes. But his
reputation at Fettes was never high,
and has overall sunk lower in recent
years.
Studies were not ignored. Classes
took place in large, bare classrooms
with hard benches. Teaching was
dogged if mainly uninspired. I chose
French and German, and took nation-
al exams on those subjects, and passed.
I also took Russian with a view of join-
ing the Intelligence Corps in the
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