INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Note Dassociatedclanmacleodsocieties.org/files/cmssa28.pdf · ALISTAIR MACLEOD President INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Note 1 MacLeod Miscellany

1111

CLAN MACLEOD SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA NEWSLETTER

President’s Note

I also plan to have regular monthly committee meetings throughout the year so that all of our local Clan Society issues and matters can be efficiently, timeously and profes-sionally addressed. Until we can establish a viable ‘social sub-committee’ elsewhere in South Africa to organize local so-cial events for members outside of Cape Town, we must continue to rely on keeping up our links and fellowship through our regular newsletter and receiving as many contributions to it from you, our members, as possible. Please, wherever you are, write/email your contributions to our secretary, Guy Macleod (see contact details on the back page of this newsletter). I look forward to seeing you all this year — if not before, then at least at our November Annual Dinner! Yours Aye ALISTAIR MACLEOD

President

INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Note 1 MacLeod Miscellany 2-3 Local Scottish Dancers 4 Book Review 4 Western Isles & the PO 5 DVDs of Interest 6 McLeod Ganj, India 7 Notice Board 8

D ear Fellow Clansfolk

It has been an honour and privi-lege to have been elected as your President this year and though our Society has shrunk in num-bers since we started nearly 25 years ago, it is my intention to stabilize and grow it this year — with your help, please. I would like to welcome our new members this year, especially Evelyn McLeod and his sons, Charles and Graham, his daugh-ter, Joan, and his grandson Mat-thew — all of whom I look forward to meeting. And I specially wish to thank Evelyn for his sterling support and effort in recruiting members. How I wish we had had him as a member 25 years ago! Whilst recruiting new members is vital for the health of any organi-zation, I believe that it should be secondary, though, to first serving and looking after our existing new and ‘old’ members, for without their support we would simply ‘fade away” — something that we, with Scots blood in our veins, are unlikely to allow! I plan for us to have between three and four social gatherings between June and the end of this year, with the focus being on our heritage and developing a greater interest in Scottish piping and dancing, as well as learning more about where we come from and our proud traditions.

Issue No 28 March/June

2008

Clan MacLeod Society Clan MacLeod Society Clan MacLeod Society Clan MacLeod Society

of South Africa of South Africa of South Africa of South Africa

NewsletterNewsletterNewsletterNewsletter

Correspondence to: The Editor, Brenda Morris,

57 Caversham Road, Pinetown 3610

Calling all macleods


2

MacLeod Miscellany

South Africa, Evelyn McLeod and your family! Guy MacleodGuy MacleodGuy MacleodGuy Macleod

later returned to Grahamstown where he ran a bicycle repair shop until the 1950s, when he died. Evelyn matriculated at Victoria Boys’ High School in Grahams-town (now called Graeme Col-lege) in 1933 and went into the insurance industry. In the last war Evelyn joined the South African Air Force and served in East Af-rica as a radio mechanic. He con-tracted malaria there and was sent ‘home’ to South Africa and later, after he’d recovered, he joined the Coastal Recce Squad-ron. In 1951, he took over an in-surance business in Kimberley from where he retired, at the age of 77, in 1994. He then relocated to Pinelands where he now lives with his son, Graham, in a ‘grandpa flat’. Last month Evelyn was one of only two Victoria Boys’ members over the age of 90 to attend a school reunion in Grahamstown! Welcome and “HOLD FAST” to the Clan MacLeod Society of

O n Wednesday 2nd April, 2008, Vice President Len McLeod and Secretary,

Guy Macleod, hosted the Clan MacLeod Society of South Africa’s newest (and oldest) member — Mr Evelyn Peverett Elliott McLeod — to lunch at the well-known Magica Roma restaurant in Pinelands. Evelyn has three sons (John, an engineer, Charles, an airline pilot for Anglo and Graham, who runs a computer business) and one daughter (Joan); he also has seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. This year, Evelyn joined the Clan MacLeod Society of South Africa, along with three other members of his family — two of his sons, Charles and Graham McLeod, and his grandson, Matthew McLeod. Evelyn is hale and hearty and leads a busy life — having retired in 1994 at the age of 77. One of his hob-bies has been Citroën motor cars and he has a vintage model 1975 Citroën Pallass at his home in Pinelands; another is his interest in his family and Scottish genealogy. He has been successfully re-searching the South African Ar-chives and is now busy putting the finishing touches to his family tree. He is a proud Scots descendant, having Scottish blood from both his mother (Elliott) and his father. His grandfather, known as ‘Bill’ McLeod, was one of the McLeod settlers in the wagon-building trade, who arrived in Grahamstown in the 19th century. Evelyn was born in South Africa on 27th September, 1916 in Pieter-maritzburg and, after his Mum died in 1918 when he was just two years old, he was raised by his grandpar-ents in Grahamstown. His father, Norman Walter McLeod, having relocated to Southern Rhodesia to recover from the 1918 flu epidemic,

Newest (and Oldest) Member of Clan MacLeod Society of South Africa

Four generations of McLeods: from left to right, son Charles McLeod (airline pilot); grandson Ian McLeod; granddad, Evelyn McLeod, great-granddaughter, Islah.

Terin and Islah McLeod

Evelyn’s son, Graham, who runs his own computer business in

Cape Town called, “Inspired”.

3333


Jessica McLeod Visits SA

J essica McLeod, Leonard's fourth daughter, visited South

Africa in January with her fiancé, Mark Rhode. She spent much time in KwaZulu-Natal with her future parents-in-law and then stayed in Somerset West with her father. Jessica is a member of CMS Eng-land and was previously a cham-pion Highland Dancer, having won the Under 10 silver cup twice at the Western Cape Highland Gathering. She has been to Dun-vegan Castle on many occasions and has attended Clan MacLeod Parliaments, having once danced with her sisters at the Ceilidh Evening.

Another New Member

M s Joan Rauff (née McLeod), the daughter of Evelyn McLeod, has just joined the Clan Macleod Society of South Africa, while we understand her brother, Charles McLeod, a Boeing Airline pilot for Anglo American, has also just posted his membership appli-cation form to Sheila Douglas! Evelyn McLeod has become our Clan's local de facto ‘Recruiter’ and recently volunteered to get in touch with Mc/Macleods listed in the latest telephone directory, all around Cape Town. He reports that he has had one or two who were 'not too receptive', but 'quite a few who are’ and with whom he is fol-lowing up. Well done, Evelyn. At 91 you are showing up many of us half your age! You are truly a role model for us and we salute you, Sir! Guy MacleodGuy MacleodGuy MacleodGuy Macleod

MacLeod Miscellany

Brenda Turns 60!

S ince our last Newsletter, Brenda Morris (née MacLeod)

has celebrated her 60th birthday. She and hubby Peter marked the occasion on 22nd December with a gathering at their home in Pine-town. It was hot and humid (typical KwaZulu-Natal summer fare), so guests relaxed, ate and drank on the outside veranda and lawn. A very good day was had by all, including Brenda’s aunt, Grace Robinson, née MacLeod, who is a healthy 88 years old.

Evelyn McLeod and Guy Macleod

Never Too Old!

U nlike her peers who have scorned — and shied away from — any attempt to become com-puter literate (more than 80% of people aged 60 or more have ei-ther never wanted to become com-puter-literate or have tried but failed!), Sheila Douglas, our feisty treasurer and stalwart Clan MacLeod committee member for over 20 years, has, at the age of 75, recently acquired a computer, complete with MS Windows Vista, a Skype webcam and a printer. Sheila has taken to her computer like the proverbial duck to water and is immensely enjoying this newfound challenge and frontier!

And hear this! Sheila has teamed up with her 98-year-old “nearly blind and very deaf” aunt in Pine-town who uses her daughter’s com-puter to “Skype” with her — in lay-men’s terms this means to have audio-visual communication with each other by computer over the internet. Sheila describes this as an “unforgettable experience” and, in front of their respective computers, they regularly both “roll around, shaking with mirth” as they regale each other with memories of yes-teryear. Just goes to show — you are never too old to learn, espe-cially if you have a drop or more of Scots blood in your veins!


4

Local Scottish Dancing Group off to Scotland

by Liz Williamson

A pproximately 20 members of the Lynfrae Scottish Country Dancing Club,

based in Rondebosch and Clare-mont — including our very own ex-President of CMSSA, John William-son — left on 7th May for Scotland, to tour through various villages and towns across the length and breadth of Scotland, joining local clubs at their club dances. It is all ending with a wonderful Grand Ball at a magnificent country estate called Pallinsburn. The group, ranging in age from the 20s to the 60s, have been practis-ing for the past 18 months to learn 116 new dances, to equip them for this very special trip. The group flew in to Glasgow, and from there will be visiting Pitlochry where they will be dancing at the University Ball in Dundee, and The Summer Dance in Pitlochry. They will also be visiting Fort William for the Roybridge evening and are then off to Skye for a weekend of Scottish dancing classes as well as joining in the May Weekend Eve-ning in Portree. These are only a couple of the dances that they will be attending. Lynfrae SCD was formed in 2004 and has grown from strength to strength, so much so that their nor-mal venue has had to be changed twice due to the growth of the group. You do not have to be Scot-tish or a dancer to enjoy Scottish Country Dancing. SCD is a pas-time for young and old, requiring only moderate mental and physical agility. For more information contact Campbell Tyler on: cellphone:+27-(0)82-214-7174 email: [email protected]. (We hope to have pictures of John and the other dancers in our next Newsletter!)

In our next Newsletter :

Our President’s Visit to St Helena and Russia

Our president, Alistair Macleod, recently sailed to St Helena Island where he spent five weeks. He describes this as ‘one of the highlights’ of his life and said that he would jump at the opportunity of going back again . He will be writing about his experiences there in our next newsletter. He will also be writing about the four weeks he recently spent in Russia with his son, Stuart, and Russian daughter-in-law, Ekaterina MacLeod (née Dubrovnik) — staying in ‘Vladimir’ and later, Moscow, which he de-scribes as “an amazing city where you see more Porsches, Lambor-ghinis and Mazzeratis than in London”!

Book Review by Guy Macleod

The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod by Alick Morrison by Alick Morrison by Alick Morrison by Alick Morrison

F or more than 700 years since Leod first established his stronghold on the Isle of Skye, his descendants have been chiefs there. Often their survival depended on the outcome of a battle or on astute po-

litical manoeuvring as the fortunes of the Clan rose and fell; but by a mix-ture of good luck and judgement they did survive, and so have the leg-ends and stories they inspired — the 'Fairy Flag' that brought victory in bat-tle, the Bull's Horn won by Chief Malcolm that gave the clan its motto: “Hold Fast", and many more. The story of the MacLeod Chiefs is marred by brutal feuds but embel-lished by their patronage of Gaelic culture, in particular the great piping tradition of the MacCrimmons, revived in more recent years by Dame Flora MacLeod with the 'Silver Chanter Competition' at Dunvegan. In compiling the most complete genealogy of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod, Alick Morrison has pieced together old Gaelic oral traditions as well as written records to tell their fascinating story.

5555


Summer Isles Post Office By Leonard McLeod

T here are so many inhabited small islands off the west coast of Scotland that it is

impossible for the GPO (General Post Office) to collect and deliver mail to them all. For this reason, permission was granted for a pri-vate company, the Summer Isles Post Office, to print stamps and deliver mail. In 1981 a series of postage stamps was issued which reproduces the tartans and coats-of-arms of the four major families (clans) who in-habit these islands. These families were MacLeod, MacDonald, Mac-Lean and MacKenzie. We repro-duce here an image of the stamps.

O ff the West Coast of Scotland lie the islands that comprise the 'Western Isles': Bernera, Lewis, Scalpay, Harris, Berneray, North Uist, Baleshare, Benbecula, Grimsay, South Uist, Eriskay, Vatersay and Barra.

The real beauty of these wild outer-lands is in their natural form. Man's interaction has done little to disturb this and it is, no doubt, the remoteness from modern civilisation that has helped to preserve some of the most essen-tial elements of the place. If you are walking or even driving, the grey skies and barren landscapes still enter your sight and soul. Some may find this disconcerting but others relish it and most feel curiously uplifed, having visited such a wild and barren place.

Getting to the Western Isles may seem an arduous task. You can take ferries from Ullapool on the north-west mainland or from Uig on Skye, not easy places to reach in themselves, or from Oban to South Uist and Barra. Regular airline services also leave from Glasgow flying into Stornoway, Benbecula and Barra. In essence, the Isles are pure place with little evidence, apart from Stornoway, of modern pressures to spoil it. Urban congestion, if you could call it that, only takes place in Stor-noway on a Saturday night and noise pollution consists of the howl of the wind.

The Western Isles information from www.destinationscotland.com

Standing stones and a crofter’s stone cottage, Lewis.


6

DVDs from Jim MacLeod

F or those readers who like to watch Scottish culture on their screens, I can recommend or those readers who like to watch Scottish culture on their screens, I can recommend or those readers who like to watch Scottish culture on their screens, I can recommend or those readers who like to watch Scottish culture on their screens, I can recommend three DVDs, all by Jim MacLeod. three DVDs, all by Jim MacLeod. three DVDs, all by Jim MacLeod. three DVDs, all by Jim MacLeod. Jim is a famous band leader, leading his ceilidh/country dance band on the piano. His band is often seen

on TV, particularly during the Festive Season, and he is probably as famous as Jimmy Shand. Jim’s singing is also well known and his voice is ideal for slow, Hebridean numbers.

Jim MacLeod’s Hogmanay Party from Blair Castle DVITV 657 The location is superb and makes a wonderful back-ground to the events. These include the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch, Piper Tom Johnstone, The Royal Scottish Country Dancers, the Alexander Brothers, Ann Williamson, Alastair Mac-Donald, the Bill Garden Orchestra, as well as the Jim MacLeod Band.

Jim MacLeod’s Simply the Best Scottish Country Dance Album DVITV 723 The Top 20 Selected Dances Again, this is wonderful entertain-ment and covers all of the dances that one normally encounters at a Ceilidh Dance.

These DVDs can be ordered at any good music store in South Africa. Enjoy!These DVDs can be ordered at any good music store in South Africa. Enjoy!These DVDs can be ordered at any good music store in South Africa. Enjoy!These DVDs can be ordered at any good music store in South Africa. Enjoy!

Leonard Leonard Leonard Leonard

Jim MacLeod’s Non-Stop Ceilidh Dancing DVITV 645 Includes Scottish Country Dancing, Highland Dancing and Step Dancing.

7777


McLeod Ganj was estab-

lished in the mid-1850s as a

British garrison. It was the

home of the semi-nomadic

Gaddi tribe and there are

still a sizeable number of

Gaddi families in the vil-

lages around McLeod Ganj.

Today McLeod Ganj is best

known as the headquarters

of the Tibetan government

in exile, and is the home of

the 14th Dalai Lama,

Tenzin Gyatso.

W hile browsing on the internet recently, the name McLeod-McLeod-McLeod-McLeod-ganjganjganjganj jumped out at me, so I decided to investigate further. This is what I came up with, thanks to Wikpedia, which is

the free encyclopedia on the internet.

McLeod GanjMcLeod GanjMcLeod GanjMcLeod Ganj or McleodganjMcleodganjMcleodganjMcleodganj, also known as Upper Dharamsala,Upper Dharamsala,Upper Dharamsala,Upper Dharamsala, is a sub-urb of Dharamsala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is known as "Little Lhasa" due to its large population of Tibetan refugees. The Tibetan Government in Exile is headquartered in McLeod Ganj. McLeod Ganj is named after David McLeod, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. During the British rule in India, the town was a hill station where the British people spent hot summers. In 1959, Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama came to India after the Chinese conquest of Tibet, and was offered refuge in McLeod Ganj.

TransportTransportTransportTransport

The nearest airport is Gaggal. The nearest narrow gauge railway stations are Kangra and Nagrota. The nearest broad gauge railhead is Pathankot. The town is well con-nected by road to Delhi and major cities of Himachal Pradesh.

TourismTourismTourismTourism

Tourism is an important industry in McLeod Ganj. The town is also known for Tibetan handicrafts, thangkas and garments. Tibetan sitesTibetan sitesTibetan sitesTibetan sites The most important Buddhist site in the town is Tsug-lagkhang or Tsuglag Khang, the Dalai Lama's temple. It has three magnificent statues, of Shakyamuni, Avalokiteś-vara, and a statue of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche). Other Buddhist and Tibetan sites in McLeod Ganj include the Namgyal Monastery, the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Gompa Dip Tse-Chok Ling (a small monastery), the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Gangchen Kyishong, Mani Lakhang Stupa, Nechung Monastery, Nor-bulingka Institute, and Chinmaya Tapovan. Other tourist spots include:Other tourist spots include:Other tourist spots include:Other tourist spots include: Triund : Triund : Triund : Triund : A tourist spot on on the foothills of Dhauladhar range, located 9 km from Mcleod Ganj. Church of St. John : Church of St. John : Church of St. John : Church of St. John : An Anglican church located in the forest near Forsyth Gunj. The neo-Gothic stone building of the Church was constructed in 1852. The site also has a memorial of the British Viceroy Lord Elgin, and an old graveyard. The Church building is also noted for its Belgian stained-glass windows donated by Lady Elgin. Dal Lake :Dal Lake :Dal Lake :Dal Lake : A scenic lake, located about three km from McLeod Ganj, next to the Tibetan Children's Village. An annual fair is held here in August-September, and is attended mainly by the Girths and the Gurkhas.

McLeod Ganj — another Scottish outpost! by Brenda MacLeod Morris

View of the town of McLeod Ganj.

Map of India, showing location of McLeod Ganj.

• McLeod Ganj


8

Material for

Newsletters! Please help make our Newsletter

interesting and enjoyable reading

by submitting stories or snippets

for inclusion in upcoming issues.

E-mail :[email protected].

Tel: (031)7024415 or 082

5747643 Brenda MacLeod Morris – Editor

Notice Board

Scottish Scottish

CountryCountry Dancing Dancing

LessonsLessons Have fun and get fit at the same time! Go along to the Scottish Country Dancing classes held in Rondebosch on Wednesdays at 19h30 with Campbell Tyler. For more info, contact Campbell on 082-214-7174 or email: [email protected].

CMSSA Committee for 2008

At the AGM of The Clan Macleod Society of South Africa held at Dr Leonard McLeod's lovely home at Helderberg, Somerset West, and attended by a group of stalwart members, the following office bear-ers were nominated and elected to serve on tthe Committee in 2008: Alistair MacLeod Alistair MacLeod Alistair MacLeod Alistair MacLeod –––– President President President President Leonard McLeod Leonard McLeod Leonard McLeod Leonard McLeod –––– Vice President Vice President Vice President Vice President Guy Macleod Guy Macleod Guy Macleod Guy Macleod –––– Secretary Secretary Secretary Secretary Sheila Douglas Sheila Douglas Sheila Douglas Sheila Douglas –––– Treasurer Treasurer Treasurer Treasurer

Committee Contact Details

Alistair MacLeod - President: 25 Summerclouds, Eversdal 7550 Tel:021 976 5339

Email: [email protected]

Leonard McLeod - Vice President: 160 Helderberg Village, Somerset West 7130 Tel: 021 855 1753 Email: [email protected]

Guy Macleod - Secretary:

P O Box 368, Plumstead 7801. Tel: 021 7611151 Email [email protected]

Sheila Douglas - Treasurer:

26 Rushmere, Doordrift Rd, Constantia, 7806. Tel:021 794 5659 Email: [email protected]

Documents

INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Note Dassociatedclanmacleodsocieties.org/files/cmssa28.pdf · ALISTAIR MACLEOD President INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Note 1 MacLeod Miscellany