Getting in touch with your classmates
This page is intended to help our alumni make contact with former classmates and schoolfriends. If you meet regularly or are thinking about a possible a reunion for your yeargroup we would like to hear from you at jgtalumni@gmail.com
‘Gillespie Gathering’
The October ‘Gathering’ took place on Saturday 5 October and we were delighted to welcome 85 alumni, teachers, trustees and the current head teacher, Neil McCallum, to the Muriel Spark Building on bright Saturday afternoon. Our most senior alumni visitor started school in 1940 and the youngest left school in 2007. We know that many who attended are not currently on our database and if would like to join please complete the form on this website. There is no membership charge. The highlight of the afternoon was hearing from former pupil Grant Stott who talked about his time at school. It was highly entertaining and very much enjoyed by all.
I attach below a group photo and more photos will be posted in the coming week. If you have any photos or memorabilia that you would like to pass on to the archive, please get in touch.
Plans for events in 2025 are still taking shape and if you have any ideas or suggestions for events or activities we would be pleased to hear from you. Thank you to all who attended and made the afternoon such a success. The Alumni team look forward to seeing you again in 2025.
Group photo outside Bruntsfield House
Photos from Grant Stott’s talk in the Muriel Spark Theatre
Alumni Visitors 1 (inside)
Alumni Visitors 2 (inside)
Alumni Visitors 3 (outside)
Selection of exhibits
Provisional reunions planned for 2025 and 2026
Interest has been shown in reunions for those who left senior school in 1965 (60 years) and 1975 (50 years). The alumni team would like to hear from anyone interested in attending (or helping to organise) such events in 2025 and 2026. We would also be keen to know of any interest in possible 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015 leavers events. Please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you at jgtalumni@gmail.com
‘Gillespie Gathering’ – Saturday 5 October – update
Only a few days now to the next ‘Gillespie Gathering’, open to all former JGHS students and staff and free to attend. It will be held on Saturday 5th October from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm in the Muriel Spark Building at the school, (opposite the front entrance to Bruntsfield House).
Light refreshments will be provided and there will be some books, related to the school, on sale for around £10. Although free to attend we invite donations towards the work of James Gillespie’s Trust and to cover the cost of refreshments. However, for these donations and the purchase of books we ask you to bring CASH, as unfortunately we are unable to use card machines, due to the lack of signal in the grounds of the school.
Entrance to JGHS is from Warrender Park Road or from Whitehouse Loan (next to Links Dental Practice). There is no longer an entrance on Lauderdale Street. Limited parking is available at the school or in the local area (no tickets and regulations on a Saturday).
If you are thinking of coming along do please let us know and we look forward to seeing you at the October ‘Gathering’. Thanks.
The Alumni team. alumni@jamesgillespiestrust.com
Next ‘Gillespie Gathering’ – 5th October 2024
The next James Gillespie’s Alumni event will be on Saturday 5 October from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm. It will be held in the Muriel Spark Building at the school and we are delighted that actor, broadcaster and former pupil Grant Stott has accepted our invitation to give a talk about his time at James Gillespie’s and his subsequent career. The event is open to all former pupils and is free to attend. It is an opportunity to catch up with school friends, peruse school photographs and school magazines, and to revisit the school to see how the site has developed over the years. Further information will be posted here in due course. In the meantime please put the date in your diary. We look forward to seeing you in October.
‘Gillespie Gathering’ – 27th April 2024
The April ‘Gillespie Gathering’ took place in the Muriel Spark Building on Saturday 27th April, a bright sunny day and a bright and sunny event. There was great enthusiasm from all the alumni who attended and we enjoyed a highly entertaining talk by Olga Wojtas. There is a group photograph on the ‘JGTrust and Alumni News’ page and below you will find some other photographs taken on the day. If you have any photographs of the event that you would like to pass on to us we would be delighted to receive them. Thank you again to all those who attended and who made the occasion such a memorable experience. See below for links to photographs:
Olga’s talk in the Muriel Spark Theatre
A selection of the exhibits
Some of the alumni guests
‘Gillespie Gathering’
Looking forward to meeting many of you at the ‘Gillespie Gathering’ this coming Saturday, 27th April. Thank you to those of you who have said that you will be coming along (or not on this occasion). If you are planning to attend, but have not yet let me know, do please drop me an email.
The event is from 10 am to 12.30 pm in the Muriel Spark Building (opposite the main entrance to Bruntsfield House) and at 11 am there will be talk by author and former pupil, Olga Wojtas. A selection of Olga’s books, copies of John MacLeod’s book ‘Faithful and Brave’ and two books by Norma Allan will be on sale, for payment by cash only. Sorry we do not have a card machine. Light refreshments will available and any cash donations to cover costs and to support the work of the Trust will be gratefully accepted. We will also be pleased to accept donations of school related archive materials on the day
Entrance to the school is from Warrender Park Road (opposite Marchmont Street) and from Whitehouse Loan (around the corner from Thirlestane Road, beside Links Dental Practice). There is no longer an entrance at the top of Lauderdale Street.
Limited parking is available in the school car parks and parking in the local area around the school is free of charge on a Saturday (regulations apply Monday to Friday only).
Further information about the event is available on the James Gillespie’s Trust website where you will also find other items of interest including a new page under development, which has copies of some school magazines and photographs.
‘Gillespie Gathering’
The next James Gillespie’s alumni event is a ‘Gillespie Gathering’ on Saturday morning, 27th April 2024 to which all former pupils are warmly invited. The ‘Gathering’ will be held from 10 am to 12.30 pm in the Muriel Spark Building (opposite Bruntsfield House main entrance) and all are most welcome. The event is an opportunity to catch up with old school friends, meet new friends, and chat while looking at old school magazines, photographs and memorabilia. Light refreshments will be provided. There is no charge for the event but any cash donations to cover costs and to support the work of the Trust will be gratefully accepted. The highlight of the morning will be a talk by author and former pupil, Olga Wojtas in the Muriel Spark Theatre at 11 am. To give us an idea of numbers please let us know by email if you can come along. Thank you. alumni@jamesgillespiestrust.com
We are delighted that Olga has agreed to join us and give a short talk about her career in writing. Olga Wojtas, who went to both Gillespie’s primary and secondary was, she says, inspired by one of the English teachers during her time there to pursue a career in writing, both as a journalist and as an author. Her writing is a series of comic crime books inspired by Muriel Spark’s “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” Olga’s heroine is a former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls (the name Spark gave to Gillespie’s), now a librarian in Morningside Library, who gets sent on timetravelling missions. Olga will talk about how the school has influenced her “Miss Blaine’s Prefect” books, which even include her own version of the school song. It is certain to be an interesting morning, and copies of Olga’s work will be
available to purchase on the day.
Although this ‘Gathering’ has been arranged to coincide with the 50th anniversary reunion of the 1968-1974 cohort taking place on the afternoon of the 27th, this Gathering is open to all, regardless of the years you attended the school, and is free to attend.
1968-1974 cohort 50th anniversary reunion 27th April 2024
Pleased to report that following a recent callout to pupils from the 1968-1974 cohort, over 50 former pupils responded. The 50th anniversary reunion team, led by Sheila Capewell (née Wragg) has now organised an afternoon event on Saturday 27th April 2024 in Bruntsfield Hotel between 1.30pm and 5.30pm, to celebrate the year-group that entered S1 in 1968 and left 6th year in 1974 (or before).
There will be an afternoon tea, a celebration cake, fizz, music from the era and obviously a LOT of chat! Tickets are £30 per person and must be bought by Monday 8th April from jghs68to74@gmail.com We have already contacted about 80 from the year-group and there will be lots of memories to share. Even if you can’t come on 27th April please get in touch to gain access to photos, stories and info about the year-group and to hear about the possibility of another catch-up later in the year.
There is a link to the 6th year photo above (with names soon)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZBgkjZQgLUZhsSYk8
Still searching for year-group pupils in S1 August 1968 to 6th year in 1974 or before. Do you know anyone above? Please ask them to get in touch. Even if they can’t come, we’d love to hear from them. alumni@jamesgillespiestrust.com
2003 leavers
We have had a enquiry from Lizzy Shamash asking if anyone is thinking about a 2003 leavers reunion. She would also like to get in contact with classmates. If you know Lizzy and would like to get in touch please email us and let us know. alumni@jamesgillespiestrust.com
1973/1974 arrivals from James Gillespie’s Boys School
We have had an enquiry from Jim Gray. He would like to know of any reunions, events or the like from the first & in particular second intake of boys in 1974 to James Gillespie’s High School. If you are in this cohort and are interested in contacting Jim or are planning an event, please let us know. alumni@jamesgillespiestrust.com
