Golf Society and Slavery – A talk by author Richard Blake

‘GOLF, SOCIETY AND SLAVERY’

A TALK BY AUTHOR RICHARD BLAKE

AT ROYAL SCOTS CLUB COFFEE MORNING, SATURDAY 18 MAY 2024 at 10:30am

Illustrated talk about a controversial Scottish Society family and their historic golfing links by Richard Blake, author of Sugar, Slaves and High Society: The Grants of Kilgraston, on 18th May 2024, at The Royal Scots Club, starting at 10:30am.

Blake’s book follows three generations of an upwardly mobile Scottish family and describes how fortunes were made, wealth squandered, lives lost at home and abroad, and two brothers made knights of the realm.

More than an account of a Scottish Society family, this is an exploration of opportunism, fortune, hypocrisy and tragedy, all viewed against the backdrop of the slavery in Jamaica that generated the wealth.

Blake’s talk at The Royal Scots Club will be about three Grant brothers and their shared passion for Golf.

Captains of three Royal Golf Clubs and winners of medals at St Andrews, Blackheath, Perth and North Berwick, John is pictured in the centre of arguably the most famous painting about early golf, a famous portrait by Sir Francis, the only Scottish President of the Royal Academy hangs in the Big Room of the R & A and a golf hole is named after General Sir Hope. The brothers had strong connections with the famous East Lothian golf courses: Muirfield, Archerfield, Gullane Links and North Berwick.

The literary coffee morning with author Richard Blake will be held on Saturday 18th May 2024 at The Royal Scots Club, 29-31 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6QE starting at 10:30am.

The event is free and is open to all, members and non-members alike, with numbers limited by venue capacity only.

Reservations should be made by via Eventbrite or by emailing The Royal Scots Club on events@royalscotsclub.com

Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase from the author on the day.

Alzheimer Scotland calls on people of Edinburgh to host a Tea & Blether coffee morning

  • Tea & Blether 2022 launched
  • Alzheimer Scotland fundraising week with strapline: ‘Now you’re talking’
  • Coffee morning-style events set for May 30 – June 5 to coincide with Dementia Awareness Week
  • Just pick a date, a location and gather up some friendly faces to have a chat over a cuppa – and a slice or two of cake if you fancy!
  • New all-in-one fundraising platform with packs and resources at blether.alzscot.org goes live
  • Every penny raised stays in Scotland to fulfil Alzheimer Scotland’s mission to ensure nobody faces dementia alone

Alzheimer Scotland are calling on the people of Edinburgh to pop the kettle on and get talking about dementia.

Ahead of Dementia Awareness Week, which kicks off next month, Alzheimer Scotland has launched its Tea & Blether campaign.

Communities across Scotland are encouraged to host a coffee morning-style event in a bid to raise funds and awareness of dementia.

And it’s simple: Just pick a date, a location and gather up some friendly faces to have a chat over a cuppa – and a slice or two of cake if you fancy!

Alzheimer Scotland’s Dementia Resource Centres will also run their own events to coincide with those happening across the country.

Whether at work, in school, at home or elsewhere in your community, every brew poured and slice served goes a long way to support people living with dementia.

Alzheimer Scotland promises that every penny raised will stay in Scotland as they strive to “ensure nobody faces dementia alone”.

Kirsty Stewart, Executive Lead for Stakeholder Engagement, said: “Alzheimer Scotland is delighted to launch Tea & Blether as a new national fundraising campaign.

“Some of our local teams across Scotland have been delivering Tea & Blether-style coffee mornings for quite a few years and we know our supporters enjoy taking part in this style of event.

“The successful ingredient is, of course, connection, and we hope that by talking about dementia, we are able to help raise awareness, reduce stigma and bring communities together to support people with dementia and their carers.

“Every penny raised for Alzheimer Scotland stays in Scotland and, as a charity, we are continually amazed and grateful for our supporters’ efforts to, ultimately, help us ensure nobody faces dementia alone.”

To get started, first register online for free at blether.alzscot.org to get your fundraising pack that ensures you’ll host a Tea & Blether worth talking about.

Participants are invited to host their Tea & Blether coffee morning during Dementia Awareness Week, which runs from Monday 30 May to Friday 5 June.

However, if you wish to enjoy your Tea & Blether another time, you are more than welcome to choose another date in June.

Whenever you decide to host your Tea & Blether and wherever it takes place, getting together to chat is great for everyone.

Fundraising is key to the campaign, but it’s important to complement this with awareness-raising as we continue to reduce stigma around dementia and educate ourselves on the positive impact that social interaction has on our wellbeing and brain.

To support this, fundraising packs include conversation flash cards to help raise awareness during people’s Tea & Blethers.

All that’s left to do now is sign up and start planning!

Join in the conversation online by posting a photo on Twitter or Instagram with your favourite mug and mention @AlzScot with the hashtag #MugShot.

Royal High table sale and coffee morning this Saturday

The Royal High School PSA Table Sale and Coffee Morning

Saturday 1 November 10am-12.30pm

RHSPlease join us at the Royal High School on Sat 1 Nov 10am-12.30pm and support this exciting new PSA fundraising venture.

Combine your morning tea or coffee with browsing a host of enterprising stalls which will be selling crafts, bric a brac, books, cards, clothes, jewellery, as-new school uniform and sports kit, secondhand bikes and home-baking.

There are still some tables available – let loose your inner entrepreneur!  Or enter our cake-baking competition and win a prize!  To book a table (£10 or £5 for pupils) or for details of the cake competition, email Tina Woolnough at tina@kristina.org.uk

If you wish to sell uniform, sports kit or a bike, all in good condition, please bring them into school at 9.30am, clearly labelled with your name, asking price and telephone number.

Collect unsold items or your cash, less 10% handling fee for the PSA, at 12.30pm. Unsold bikes which are not picked up at 12.30pm will be donated to the Bike Station.