19 March 1920 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Rather a nice day + quite dry. David was not feeling very well + didn’t do much. Norah¹ got a wire that her mother was worse + they both went up to London at night. I cycled in the town, [to] Philiphaugh Cottages, the Firs, Broadmeadows, Newarkburn, Bowhill + Philiphaugh Kennels. It took me till 3.15. I got some sandwiches at Bowhill + took a cup of tea before starting for Innerleithen where I attended the dinner of the B.D. at 6 o’clock. Luke was in the chair + I was croupier. There were Luke², Richards³, McRobert⁴, Fairfax⁵, Somerville⁶, Henderson⁷ + myself + 8 guests. It went off all right + I gave them some recitation. I had the toast of local industries⁸. Got home at 11.

¹ Norah Campion Graham née West (1887-1971), wife of Dr David Charteris Graham (1889-1963), medical practitioner

² Dr Thomas Davey Luke (1873-1922), medical practitioner, was at Venlaw, St Ronan’s, 1920 Valuation Roll; a supplementary post has been added to the series to record the story of Dr Luke’s writing career

³ The only Dr Richards identified in the 1920 Valuation Roll is Dr Robert Richards at Aberdeen

⁴ Dr Peter Carmichael MacRobert was at Runic Cross, Waverley Road, Innerleithen, 1920 Valuation Roll; Dr MacRobert is described with affection by Catherine Alice Macdonald née Hume (1905-1999) in an oral history by the Memory Bank, the transcript of which is here http://www.calmview.eu/HUBCAT/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=SBA%2f158%2f96&pos=4, his house was named after the Runic Cross, a medieval Christian artefact which is thought to have been originally discovered on the slopes of the Leithen Valley

⁵ Dr Norman Piggot Fairfax was at Caddon View, Innerleithen, 1920 Valuation Roll

⁶ Dr James W Somerville was at Tea Street, Galashiels, 1920 Valuation Roll

⁷ Dr Percy J Henderson was at Church Street, Galashiels, 1920 Valuation Roll

⁸ See diary entry for 18 March 1920

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]