Acknowledgements

The Society’s thanks first to Mrs. Freda Thomas in Oldham, Lancs., who on one of her visits to Aberdeen indicated her desire to pay for the printing of this booklet. Being the home of her forebears and wishing to say thank-you to various members, she thought this the most useful way of showing her appreciation. Once again, the first holiday weekend of 1985 (yes, that’s how long it takes to get everything typed and checked) saw us at our favourite hotel in Fraserburgh. Us being the usual ‘gang’ of Margaret Brown, Jean Cowper and myself plus Jim Shirer who joined us for the first time. Saturday morning and a very bleak outlook, lashing rain and a howling gale, so we sat with various projects we had with us to keep us out of mischief. By 11.45 it had stopped raining so off we went. On the way out it was definitely brightening and by the time we had finished lunch it was ever threatening us with some sunshine. Being a little on the chilly side meant that three out of four were very happy to spend the day cleaning stones. Jim, with his extra power, unearthed a splendid stone, No. 8, which we dubbed “the Stag stone” and Jean took the photograph for the illustration at the end. We were joined in the afternoon by Monica Anton and Anne Lowe from Banff so we had a good day’s work. Sunday was a little kinder in that the sun shone for most of the day though the wind was still at gale force. We gave ourselves a little time off in the afternoon and walked the half mile to the beach. Connie Stuart came to give us a hand on Sunday too. Monday morning Margaret and Jim went to Aberdour to finish the last few inscriptions while Jean and myself went to Tyrie to do some checking. Rained off in the afternoon so headed home to sort out our collection into some sort of order for the next weekend. Beginning of May and the weather was much kinder to us, the wind had almost ceased and the sea, from being a leaping tormented thing was as calm and blue as the Med. This was the weekend for checking and we fairly raced through with the sunshine making things much easier. By Sunday lunchtime we were finished so we took ourselves a few miles down the road to Rather. By the time we were ready to go home again on the Monday evening the first reading was almost complete. Connie Stuart joined us again this weekend. Our thanks again to both management and staff at the Alexandra Hotel in Fraserburgh, who always make our stay so pleasant. Sheila M. Spiers.