Ainslie Park High School
Encyclopedia
Ainslie Park High School was a state secondary school in East Pilton
, Edinburgh
, Scotland
, prior to its demolition.
and opened as a school, the building was designed to be used as an emergency hospital, such was the fear of the nuclear bomb being used against the UK.
The first Headmaster was Norman Murchison who also had the honour of becoming the first Citizen Of The Year for the City Of Edinburgh. A lecture theatre was also named in his honour at Edinburgh University Kings Buildings Campus. He retired in June 1968 and was succeeded by Norman Chalmers. The school colours were red and gold and the badge was a golden dolphin on a red ground. From its opening in 1948 until 1965 it was a junior secondary school meaning pupils left at the end of their third academic year. If they wished to sit O level examinations they had to move on to another school. The 1965/66 academic year saw the school attain senior secondary status thereby allowing pupils to remain into fourth year to sit O level exams. The school subsequently expanded the academic syllabus to offer higher examinations.
The opening of Craigroyston School and the falling birth rate since the late sixties was the beginning of the end of "Ainslie" as a viable secondary school and the building became the North Campus for Edinburgh's Telford College
.
There were plans in the late 1990s to convert the main building into flats or demolish it.
to Corrour Bothy.
Only two members of the party survived — instructor Catherine Davidson and pupil Raymond Leslie.
The members of the party who died were: Sheelagh Sunderland [instructor], Carol Bertram, Susan Byrne, Lorraine Dick, William Kerr and Diane Dudgeon.
it stands as the UK's worst mountaineering disaster.
[Dennis Middleton] Medical History
East Pilton
East Pilton is a housing estate in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is north of Ferry Road, west of Granton and east of West Pilton and Muirhouse.Built as council housing in the 1930s, to help in the clearance of slum properties from the city centre, the estate comprises mostly two- and three-story blocks...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, prior to its demolition.
History
Built at the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and opened as a school, the building was designed to be used as an emergency hospital, such was the fear of the nuclear bomb being used against the UK.
The first Headmaster was Norman Murchison who also had the honour of becoming the first Citizen Of The Year for the City Of Edinburgh. A lecture theatre was also named in his honour at Edinburgh University Kings Buildings Campus. He retired in June 1968 and was succeeded by Norman Chalmers. The school colours were red and gold and the badge was a golden dolphin on a red ground. From its opening in 1948 until 1965 it was a junior secondary school meaning pupils left at the end of their third academic year. If they wished to sit O level examinations they had to move on to another school. The 1965/66 academic year saw the school attain senior secondary status thereby allowing pupils to remain into fourth year to sit O level exams. The school subsequently expanded the academic syllabus to offer higher examinations.
The opening of Craigroyston School and the falling birth rate since the late sixties was the beginning of the end of "Ainslie" as a viable secondary school and the building became the North Campus for Edinburgh's Telford College
Edinburgh's Telford College
Edinburgh's Telford College, named after Thomas Telford, the great Scottish civil engineer, was established in 1968. The College is a corporate institution governed by a Board of Management whose members are representative of key industrial and commercial sectors, professional organisations and...
.
There were plans in the late 1990s to convert the main building into flats or demolish it.
1971 tragedy
On 21–22 November 1971 five members of a mountaineering club at Ainslie Park School and an 18-year-old trainee instructor from Newcastle-under-Lyme died in a blizzard while trying to walk from Cairn GormCairn Gorm
Cairn Gorm is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands overlooking Strathspey and the town of Aviemore. At 1245 metres it is the sixth highest mountain in the United Kingdom...
to Corrour Bothy.
Only two members of the party survived — instructor Catherine Davidson and pupil Raymond Leslie.
The members of the party who died were: Sheelagh Sunderland [instructor], Carol Bertram, Susan Byrne, Lorraine Dick, William Kerr and Diane Dudgeon.
it stands as the UK's worst mountaineering disaster.
Notable alumni
- Ron BrownRon Brown (Scottish politician)Ronald Duncan Mclaren Brown , known as Ron Brown and nicknamed Red Ron, was a Scottish Labour Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom for the Edinburgh Leith constituency, from the 1979 general election to the 1992 general election...
MP, - Frank Doran MP,
- Irvine WelshIrvine WelshIrvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
Writer, - Bert JanschBert JanschHerbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
Musician, - Joe MorganJoe MorganJoe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
Footballer - David RennieDavid Rennie (footballer)David Rennie in Edinburgh) is a retired Scottish footballer who played as a defensive midfielder or defender. He made more than 400 appearances in the Football League, playing for Leicester City, Leeds United, Bristol City, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Northampton Town and Peterborough...
Footballer, - Willie StevensonWillie StevensonWilliam 'Willie' Stevenson is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.-Life and playing career:...
Footballer - Bryan McIntosh Film maker
[Dennis Middleton] Medical History