Deluxe or Bog Standard !

Bog Standard: completely ordinary, without anything special added:

Deluxe: very comfortable and of very high quality:

A contradiction but thanks to Viridor Credits, the Dunbar Castle Social Club Toilets have undergone a complete refurbishment.

Main contractor:-
James Davie                    Plumbing
David Smith                    Joinery
George Sutherland        Electrical

DCSC wish to thank our patrons for their perseverance while the upgrade work got underway.

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LIVE MUSIC Friday 12th August 16 at Dunbar Castle Social Club.

Country Music

Country Music and Dance.

Friday  12th August 16 at 8.15 pm in DCSC.  The Golden Eagle Country Music Club regular monthly meeting celebrates this month again with  live music.

  Continue reading

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Congratulation !

Congratulations to Kate and Dave Dickson on their recent Marriage. The couple chose to hold their wedding reception meal and dance in Dunbar Castle Social Club. They were able to mingle during the afternoon and evening among the 90 or so guests who attended. A selection of photos of the happy event can be found here.

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Its Arrived !

DSC_0046-E1The bar of Dunbar Castle Social Club has recently had draft beer re-installed, after a number of years of absence, to the delight of members and party goers. Local brewers Belhaven installed the equipment during April 16, the font displays the club logo and the beer is called Dunbar Castle Lager.

 

 

 

VIMTO is also available along with other soft drinks on request !

1280px-DSCN0690BandOfHopeBanner

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LIVE MUSIC Friday 11th March 16 at Dunbar Castle Social Club.

Country Music

Country Music and Dance.

Friday  11th March 16 at 8.15 pm in DCSC.  The Golden Eagle Country Music Club regular monthly meeting celebrates this month again with  live music.

  Continue reading

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Robertsons Martial Arts and Fitness Black Belt Grading

Black-Belt Grading Robertson’s Martial Arts instructors are set up to improve fitness & well-being within the community through their unique training methods of Taekwon-Do, Kick-boxing & Kick-boxing Fitness.

Today they are holding their Black Belt Grading  in DCSC.

 

Black-Belt-Award       Congratulations to UKITF Scotland‘s newest        black belts.
Promoted 07/02/16 –
                       Cameron Bisset   I Dan
                       Chiara Lynch        I Dan

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BANKING CRUNCH 1810 Touch of the Times.

HISTORY OF EAST LOTHIAN BANKING COMPANY 1810

The East Lothian Banking Company was established on 1st June 1810 on which date it commenced business in Dunbar. The main mover in establishing this bank is thought to have been Christopher Middlemass who was not only a well-respected local dignitary but was also an experienced banker, having been employed in the town as agent of the British Linen Company in 1808, when he was dismissed for negligence following a robbery of the British Linen Company office.
The initial contract of co-partnery for the East Lothian Banking Company was for 21 years; the capital £80,000, in 400 shares of £200 each.  There were 27 Partners, chiefly small landed proprietors or tenant farmers; 9 ordinary Directors and 3 extra ordinary Directors.
The Cashier was William Borthwick who was recruited from the Falkirk Union Banking Company.  On 10th April 1822 Borthwick absconded with a large sum of the Bank’s cash and bills with this resulting in the closure of the Bank.
The then Edinburgh agents – Sir William Forbes, James Hunter & Co. – assisted the directors in their difficulty and provided credit of £100,000, on ample security over the Partners’ estates, until the Bank’s assets could be realised.  Mr William Paul, Accountant, Edinburgh was appointed to assist a committee of Partners in the winding up of the Bank.  This took many years (actions still seen in the 1840s) although all Creditors were paid in full.

William Borthwick.
William Borthwick was recruited by the Directors of the East Lothian Bank at the outset of the business and moved from his employment with the Falkirk Union Banking Company to take up the position of Cashier.  There is some doubt as to his age at the time of the appointment although it is thought he was in the region of 20 – 22 years of age.  His youth for such a position is thought to be reflective of the general lack of experienced Scottish bankers as a consequence many having been recruited by other Scottish, UK and International banks.
Borthwick’s responsibilities were considerable with the Directors (mostly lacking any banking experience) leaning heavily on him.  It is thought that his role was sound in the early years.
Much can be found on his stated intention to kidnap the Directors of the Bank; to imprison them in air holed vessels and to then set them off on a trade ship to Danzig although whether these comments were a true intention or not is difficult to say.  It is certain that he (either alone or with an accomplice named Goudie) removed cash and bills from the Bank and departed in 1822.  It is very likely that the economic climate of the time was causing other businesses in which he had an interest (with his Brother, Bruce Borthwick) financial difficulty and that William Borthwick was propping up these businesses using the Bank’s funds.  When he could support this no longer he fled.
There is some debate as to whether he ever stood trial for the offence although it is known that he was arrested in South America.

John Aitken  a bank official is credited with being the author of the following poem which appeared soon after the failure of the Bank.

Touch of the Times. 

A sad confusion has happened here,
By William Borthwick our cashier,
He’s run away with a’ our gear –
A roguish turn.
Which many ane, I am apt to fear,
Have cause to mourn.
 

First, Mr Goudie he maun thole,
To site awhile in yon dark hole,
With no window, but a bole
With Iron gate;
Nae doubt he’ll think it e,en right droll
In sic a state.
 

Next, monie a farmer, far and near
Who had lodged in her their pennie dear,
Which they had gathered thro the year,
With the intent,
When terms came their lands to clear,
And pay the rent.
 

There’s monie ane will suffer loss,
But what it may be in the gross,
To state it fair, I am at a loss.
Till the conclusion,
I fear they may draw a black cross,
Through eighty thousand.
 

But yet, I think some are to blame
To let Will Borthwick play such game;
Sure they some better care should ta-en
To search things out,
Which would have saved them meikle pain
You need not doubt.
 

But now he’s fled and left them a’
It’s said he’s off to America,
If he got there the feint a flaw
He’ll care for ane.
He’ll be fu’ safe, by Yankee law,
In his new hame.

Extract from [http://bankingletters.co.uk]

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TEA DANCE. 2nd December 2015 at 2pm DCSC


Tea-Dance-030615-E2Tea Dances are on the first Wednesday afternoon in the month and have become an enjoyable and increasingly popular event for many. Come along to meet new and old friends, enjoying music and a dance, a raffle and a welcoming cup of tea with sandwiches. The first dance will be at 2.00 pm.

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Charity Fund Raiser Walk to Benefit Local Groups

Five walker from a Dunbar Charity (SC045428) dig out their walking boots to raise funds for locally deserving groups including Friends of Belhaven Hospital. The walk comprised of a 15 mile stretch of the John Muir Way. This coast to coast route crosses Scotland from Helensburgh in the West to Dunbar in the East and was opened in 2014 to create a new long distance route named after John Muir. The 15 miles undertaken by fearless five covered Section 10. This section is the last section in the 134 mile passage but the local Dunbar lads found it more appropriate to start in the town recognized as the birth place of John Muir and head to North Berwick the nearest town en route.
The Scottish Charity ‘The Lodge of Dunbar Castle Benevolent Fund’ carries out fund raising with the aim to makes grants, donations, loans or gifts for, amongst others, the advancement of citizenship or community development. The five strong team set out at 09.30 from their Dunbar premises on Belhaven Road Masonic Hall hopeful that the weather should be kind to them. The temperature was a comfortable 17 degrees with cloud cover, ideal walking conditions, but the intrepid team was prepared for anything the elements could throw at them. Suitable footwear and clothing had been planned including the essential foot plasters. With a short pause for pictures and they were off.
The following page shows image of the start and end point with some of the spectacular scenery of their home county of East Lothian.
Sponsored Walkers raised £500 and were:-
STUART ROBERTSON
KEITH TAIT
JOHN McGOVERN
STEPHEN REID
DOUGLAS TURNBULL
Setting out from Dunbar75_001WEB

 

 

 

Enjoying the View75_005WEB

 

 

 

Lunch Break75_004WEB

 

 

 

The End – Arriving at North Berwick.75_010WEB

 

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Cannon or Jokers to the Right ?

In a recent programme TV chef Rick Stein, while indulging in exotic menus, made a point that the 1972 song written by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan “Stuck In The Middle With You” used the line ‘Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right’ may in fact have been a distortion of the line ‘Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them’ from “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson 1854.

A narrative poem  about the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. Lord Tennyson was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom at the time of the writing of the poem.

The Charge of the Light Brigade
1
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!
“Charge for the guns!” he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

2
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Someone had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

3
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

4
Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder’d:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel’d from the sabre stroke
Shatter’d and sunder’d.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

5
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro’ the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

6
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made,
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

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