1973: Claire Cameron Booth: A "made to measure kilt"
Editor of Kilquhanity's Jubilee Book
The Jubilee Book 1940-1990, is a good introduction to Kilquhanity – its time, its celebrations, its people, and its incredibly special place in global free schooling. (See Link)
Although probably not Claire’s greatest work, it is held in high regard by many; especially those present and former staff, pupils and friends of Kilquhanity who attended the Jubilee Celebrations week in 1990.
Along with her little brother Angus she was a pupil at Kilquhanity from 1973 to 1979 (Angus from ’73 – ’80). Claire, like me, was a former pupil of Newnham Croft Primary School in Cambridge, (I attended from 1958 – 1964 – happy memories!)
At Newnham Croft, her primary teacher
wrote a ‘leaving report’ sent to Aitkenhead in July 1973.
The report reads:
Kilquhanity 23 July ‘76
Dear Major Cameron,
To give you as I promised recently, a report on Claire and Angus after their first year at Kilquhanity.
In general they are both now completely settled and at ease in their new school, and in the circumstances in which they find themselves (and outwith which I would not consider their development and progress) my opinion is their school will be at once a valuable constant and a place where their home and parents apart, they can come at some real assessment of themselves. This I believe is possible because the school is small and because of its approach.
Both Claire and Angus have proved to be youngsters of good quality with undoubted potential physically, intellectually and socially. They are friendly and have found friends.
Claire’s teachers find her conscientious as well as imaginative. She is sometimes impatient and therefore the standard of her work suffers. This could follow however from the quickness of thought and action because she is undoubtedly clever and penetrating in her thinking.
Although, as I say, she has friends and in fact is seldom at a loss for companions at work or play it seems she would like to have deeper or more solid relationships than she has yet found or been able to make in her first year.
. . . Mrs Aitkenhead finds Claire one of the most challenging and admirable pupils we have – very able and responsible and sensitive with a keen sense of justice and fair play.
I myself have had Claire for her weekly letter writing and also for arithmetic and mathematics. In these latter subjects what I have said in general applies: her speed and drive and . . . . . (indecipherable AP) . . . . of standards of presentation. I look forward to Claire’s further time at school here.’
On the understanding of Claire’s future
research interests and academic career progression, her primary
school report suggests far less.
Angus and Claire’s mother Lesley was a State Registered Nurse and their father, Brian was a Major in the Royal Engineers. As a forces family there had been much foreign travel in the children’s early years. Angus was aged nine and Claire was aged ten.
In 1974 John Aitkenhead organised the purchase of a ‘made-to-measure’ kilt for Claire.
Whilst at Kilquhanity she was a
contemporary of the Booth brothers – Ed, Adam, and Sam. She later married Ed
with whom she has gorgeous children!
