We extend a huge thank you to Norman Esslemont (1961) for organising a superb OL lunch at The New Club in Edinburgh on Thursday 14th November.

Following the Society's decision to hold lunches in Edinburgh and London in alternate years - meaning no lunch was planned for Edinburgh in 2024 – Norman led a group of OLs in organising an independent lunch at The New Club on Thursday 14th November 2024. And we are delighted to report that the event was a sell-out, with all tickets being snapped up in the first few weeks of sale.

Attendees from 1952 to 2001 enjoyed a three-course meal with wines from the Wine Society in the club's Castle room. This incredible room has a classic club ambience, with one wall lined with books and the other overlooking Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street.

After the lunch, various OLs gave brief, light-hearted speeches, all of which were well received. Among the contributors were Roderick M. Urquhart (1975), Keith Chalmers-Watson (1963) and Charters J. Macdonald-Brown (1964), the latter of whom managed to unearth an old Loretto ‘rule book’ from 1935, from which he recited some rather pedantic regulations!

The lively event disbanded some four hours later but, as is now tradition after OL lunches, a few stalwarts headed to a Rose Street hostelry to enjoy some final refreshments.