St Andrews Business Club celebrates 70th anniversary

Formed on January 24, 1950, by ex-provost George Bruce at the suggestion of local businessman David Thomson, the club has worked since to promote and assist trade and business education in the town as well as north east Fife by holding meetings, talks and visiting local businesses roughly monthly between September and April each year, extended to June since last year.

Speakers have included Sir Tom Farmer, Scotland rugby captain Andy Irvine, Sir Menzies Campbell MP, former Lord Advocate Lord Mulholland, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, Lord Ian Duncan and William Dowson, Bank of England agent for Scotland.

Friday’s event brought together seven of the club’s 63 presidents and past presidents Frank Quinault, Stephen Westwood and Ewen Sparks spoke briefly of its activities in decades past after being introduced by the current president, Caroline Rochford.

She became only its second female president in May last year.

In her welcome Caroline recalled the genesis of the club, the debate over the admission of women as members, its subsequent work and meeting places, past speakers and the creation of a new student ‘daughter’ club for University of St Andrews students last year by its marketing communications interns, Sanaa Sachdev and Stanley Parker.

Caroline added: “It is such an achievement for a small business club to have reached its 70th anniversary and be so successful, particularly now with the recent introduction of our ‘daughter’ club. I’d like to thank everyone for making this event such a special occasion.”

A raffle raised £534 for the Refugee Survival Trust, which Food For Support supports year-round through donations from special dishes sold at local eateries.