A good turnout of members trudged through ice and snow on 8 December to listen to this month’s speaker, local loon Murray Brown, introduced by our own Brian Patterson.
Murray gave a very entertaining talk on the Aboyne Highland Games and his involvement both as a Heavy Athlete in the 1970s and 80s and latterly as the Convenor of the Heavies Committee. Murray’s talk was laced through with highly amusing anecdotes and reminiscences as to how the Aboyne Games had evolved over the years since its inception in 1867. Murray passed around a few quite astonishing photographs of athletes in days past, including pole vaulting onto bare grass – no soft landings here!
The ‘art’ of caber preparation – was it too dry and therefore too light, or too wet and therefore too heavy, as well as the technique of tossing the ’stick’, as it was known to athletes, came in for some detailed discussion. The assembled throng would have listened to Murray’s tales all evening had not Brian brought questions to a close as mulled wine, mince pies and other seasonal delights awaited.