Page 180 - RSDG Year of 2023

178 EAGLE AND CARBINE
from launching. He also suffered from heatstroke and sepsis during his time in India and woke up one morning to find his tent surrounded by the pawprints of a tiger.
During his time in India, Jim thought a lot about one Connie Stewart from Selkirk, someone he had met just briefly prior to being called up. He returned to find she had been given his job in the bank while he had been away! Jim asked Connie out, and proposed on their first date. They were married in 1950, and so began an extraor- dinary life for the two of them.
Jim was given the bank managers post in Innerleithen, and then the one in Selkirk, where he and Connie set up home. Whilst in Selkirk, Jim was the driving force of the Camera Club, he ran the Old Age Pensioners, was a kirk elder, and was on the Abbeyfield Committee. Jim’s love for photography stemmed from a young age- and always featured in his life. He became an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society while in Selkirk. Jim and Connie’s love of travelling, photography and painting was well known. They travelled widely, including going to Eastern Europe when it was still firmly behind the iron curtain. Jim left the bank in 1977, and they moved to High Letham and then to Spittal in Northumberland, which became their home for over forty years. During this time Jim and Connie joined various organisations like the History Society and Camera Club, and went to archaeology and painting classes.
JOHN WILSON
John Charles Wilson, was born in Edinburgh in 1954. He was a proud Scotsman and, despite spending the majority of his adult life outside of Scotland, carried his love for his home in his heart and in his voice, never losing his distinctive accent. He was the older and only brother to his sister, Janette. As a child he loved to read. He once read all the books in his school library, prompting his school to realise they had to buy more! He was a keen cyclist and would often cycle the route between Glasgow and Edinburgh just for fun.
John joined the Royal Scots Greys in 1969 at the age of 15 and served in it and the Royal Scots Dragon Guards until 1994, reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. During that time he served in and travelled round the world, including the UK, Europe, North and South America, Belize, Bermuda and Canada as well as going on six tours to Northern Ireland. Inevitably, he spent many years stationed in North Germany.
One of the highlights of his early career was escorting the Queen’s Carriage in 1977 as part of her Silver Jubilee. Prior to that, he had also escorted the Sword of State
Jim always had a great interest in the salmon fishing industry at Berwick. He could see it was at risk of disap- pearing and was determined to make a detailed record of it. He made friends with the local fishermen, going out with them in all weathers just to catch the all important photograph. After its decline, his work became of great historical importance, and still is to this day, with his images being used in both newspapers and on television. Jim held several exhibitions of his works, with the large prints that were displayed all being developed and produced from his darkroom at Spittal. Following on from this, Jim was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, with the panel at the time saying they had never seen a more worthwhile Fellowship award. He was also given the Northeast award from the Eastern Borders Development Association, to acknowledge the beneficial work he had done for the area. Jim was one of the founding members of the Friends of Berwick and District Museum and Archives, and served on their Committee for many years. He also helped relaunch Berwick History Society in the mid-nineties and often gave talks to local history groups. He was the ‘go to person’ to ask a question on the history of Berwick. A collection of his work is now with the town.
Connie, with whom he shred so many experiences died in 2019 and Jim died on 11 April 2023 aged 97, leaving behind a rich legacy and happy memories for those who knew him.
which is kept in Edinburgh Castle to St Giles Cathedral or Parliament. His memories included catching a nurse shark in Belize and trading it for a bottle of whiskey from the locals, training with the Alpini in Italy in Aosta, climbing Mount Blanc in the process and learning how to ski and becoming a ski instructor. His friends always enjoyed hearing about his daring feats, including the risky chip shop run across the Northern Ireland border during the troubles.
When he left the Army John was employed as a Health and Safety Expert for the Ministry of Defence in Abbey Wood , Bristol He was extremely proud of the facilities and community and one of his big successes was in organising Families’ Days. His granddaughters loved the experiences of visiting his work and especially doing Science experiments. He was a pivotal member of the team during the Covid pandemic prior to his retirement and he provided advice and guidance to seniors and staff. He worked with Public Health England and the NHS to ensure the site was operating within the guidance, and he was a rock during a really difficult time. He retired during the Covid pandemic.