A nice sunny day with a touch of frost in the morning. I cycled over to Riddell avoiding the road from the top of Birkwood entries to Clarklands [sic] by going down the former1. Mark Sprot2 rather better. Came back by Midlem which way is almost 7 ½ miles compared with 5 ½ via Clarklands. Made a few calls in afternoon + tried to get up something for the toast of “Kindred Profession”. Left with D. [David Graham] at 6 + went to Kelso where in the Cross Keys we had the annual dinner of the Div. Fleming3 in the chair. There was a good turnout of 20 members + at least 10 guests, among whom was Drever4, Scottish Secretary. I sat between Fleming + Stevenson5, who is Provost. I proposed “Kind. Profs.” + recited The Pill6. We got home about midnight. It began to rain first as we got to Ladylands.
1 This suggests that the problem with the road near Clerklands was east of the junction at grid reference NGR NT489,246 from which the track southwards leads to Birkwood at NT494,236
2 Mark Sprot (1881-1946), landowner and army officer, of Riddell, Lilliesleaf, 1920 Valuation Roll
3 Assume Alexander Dickson Fleming (1865-1955), M.B., Ch.B. (Edin.), medical practitioner, physician at Kelso Dispensary and Medical Officer to Kelso Union
4 Assume Sir James Drever (1873-1950), F.R.S.E., Scottish psychologist and academic who was the first Professor of Psychology at a Scottish university
5 Provost Allan Stevenson (about 1853-1927), bank agent & actuary, born Gibraltar, died Kelso, stayed at Commercial Bank House with his wife Esther Margaret Stevenson née Murray, 1911 Census
6 ‘The Pill’ is a poem that Dr Muir has recited before but is so far unidentified
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 