My father went to University (Embra) in 1932. Started in New College doing Divinity but quickly strayed on to the primrose path of the Arts Faculty. For which deviation I have always been grateful. I just know that I would not have been happy being a son of the Manse like Gordon Brown or David Steel.
Anyhow, he made lots of friends at said Uni of Embra. One of said chums was a Hebridean Medical student called Donald. Jock-wise, a very common Christian name but it came with an unusual surname.
Which was Duck.
Not a problem until, as Google will tell you, 9th June 1934 when Disney’s Donald Duck swam into view in ‘My Little Hen’. Life changed forever for Dad’s pal that day.
You just never know, do you? Rough hew you it how you might, life has this ability to bowl you a total googly. In my opinion.
The most recent example of this happened for me last Monday. Mrs M was doing musical things at Fettes College and needed to have stuff what she had forgotten brought to her as a matter of urgency. I did my bit.
I drove up and parked. My eye was caught by the War Memorial. Magnificent.
But, I just have this nagging feeling that the sculptor would not have chosen the same motto had he had foreknowledge of an iconic British film series that was to come.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Not too bland for me, JM, whatever others might aver. Glad to hear Mrs M is still in good voice – carrying on, I suppose.
Donald Duck. Father of Malcolm Duck ?
Talking of hindsight, I spotted an albino deer here last week. (Geddit?)
Hi jazz.
Distressingly, I find that my Dad must have been telling me P-p-p-porkies. Dr Donald Duck, father of Malcolm of restaurant fame, did indeed attend Edinburgh Medical School but he was born in 1924, eleven years after my father, so they could never have met at Uni.
Och well, it was a good story
JM, Malcolm Duck did the catering at my sister in law’s wedding reception (held at home) very good it was too………….but no better than the catering at my own wedding done by mother in law.
Jazz, I had a few meals at Duck’s at Le Marché Noir in its time. Thanks for the memories. I feel a visit to Ducks at Kilspindie coming on.
It’s getting good reviews even although it lost its apostrophe in the move to East Lothian..
Dreadful lot of films. Need a carrie oot to watch them.
Meanwhile at Fettes, probably the most famous former student would be Brian Braddock.
If not Tony Bliar.
My aunt was always upset that she, unlike her four sisters, only had one name – Gladys. So sometime in her life she added, by deed poll, another name and called herself Gay Gladys… although one does have to say she was neither ‘gay’ in the old or in the modern sense… when the meaning of gay changed – she went throught the whole process again and added an ‘e’ to her name calling herself Gaye…
Nice one JM. I enjoyed reading this account. Nothing springs to mind other than a Polish teacher I worked with who was forbidden by Management to say “Can’t” to her autistic class of children. (She was forever telling a child “You can’t do that ” in a heavily accented Polish voice.) I suspect the Teaching Assistants reported her for swearing at the child.
My Dad’s Dad (much easier in Danish: farfar) used to joke that he knew a lad called Harry Daft. In later years he changed it – to George! 😜