Gillian E. Arnott, of Gifford – class of 1976

We are very sad to learn news that Gillian E. Arnott, of Gifford, year of 1976, died peacefully on 15th October 2020. The notice appeared in The Scotsman on 20th October.

On leaving school Gillian attended Warwick University where she specialised in American literature. She then moved to the USA where she lived in Oregon for a number of years before returning to Scotland. Among the many roles she fulfilled in her working life, she was a gifted and meticulous administrator. She worked at the Scottish Museums Council and the National Library of Scotland as well as undertaking a variety of voluntary roles. Her interests were wide-ranging. In addition to her love of music and literature and the arts in general, she had an irrepressible and life-long enthusiasm for horses, cats, vintage BMW cars, and Caravaggio. Those who remember her will recall her beaming smile and her fondness of lively conversation. An only child, she was a devoted and loving daughter to her late mother, Stella, and to her father, Ian, whom she has pre-deceased. Our sincere thoughts and sympathies are with Gillian’s father and all her friends.

For the Class of 1960 – a poem from Olive Bell (née Drysdale)

We have received a beautiful poem, written by former pupil Olive Bell (nee Drysdale) for her St Margaret’s class. They all left school in 1960 and have continued to meet regularly over the years and are very disappointed that their plans for their 60 year reunion in 2020 won’t now be happening. It is inspiring that they are finding new ways to connect, hence the poem, written on a wet day recently in Dunbar. Thank you for sharing Olive, and we sincerely hope that you will all be able to be together again at some point soon. Fortiter vivamus until then!