1. Roman Catholic counterpart to join the Council, which he did, one of the smaller
Baptist churches dropped out and one of his elders resigned!
An energetic organizer, Kellet was probably one of the ablest Moderators the
Church of Scotland's General Assembly never had. His strong political convictions,
and his forthright and outspoken manner, would not have marked him out as a
safe pair of hands. But his commitment to Kirk and people was unstinting and
unsurpassed. His autobiography is a fragrant memory of a good and gentle shepherd
who touched, and transformed, the lives of many.
Ian Wotherspoon
Roger S Windsor. More Sherlock Holmes than James Herriot: The Veterinary Detectives.
Hove, Sussex: Book Guild Publishing, 2015. Pp xiii, 414, illustrated. ISBN
9781909984714.£17.99.
Edinburgh Vets have always made good expats. Since their Royal Charter was
granted in 1844, untold numbers have rolled up their trouser legs, donned a
pith helmet and scattered to the four corners of the Empire. This one proves to be
no exception. Admitted to R(D)VS in 1958 on the strength of his rugby prowess,
qualified MRCVS in 1964, he spends the best part of two decades in newly
independent Kenya and Botswana, with a tour to Argentina thrown in. Above all, a
knowledgeable bacteriologist, he pulls offthe ultimate trick of combining an erudite
academic discourse on veterinary microbial pathology with a highly engaging and
amusing glimpse of one vet's contribution to the changes in science and society that
accompanied the end of the Empire.
He wears Edinburgh on his sleeve. An ardent prankster, he loves the City, its Vet
College and the characters (or most of them) that teach him there. He sketches the
old days and old ways of the College and the CTVM, and laments their passing. We
meet the musical Maxine, who becomes his long-suffering wife, and see how his
feet begin to itch: '[ ...] with more colonials than Scots in our year I became keenly
interested in the emerging countries' - all before he has qualified.
RSWthe man comes across as likeable, capable but somewhat bombastic, with a
benignly incorrect political streak. All the more agreeable to this reviewer because
of his randomly declared likes (The Archers, Acker Bilk, antique furniture, John
Denver, etc.) and dislikes (new-style vet schools, masturbating bulls, Gatwick
Airport departure lounge, etc.),'
This is a man who loves life; who embodies the best of the expat. Wherever
he finds himself, he teaches the locals, he plays with the locals, he learns from the
locals. And the benefits endure, in both directions. The diseases he investigates, the
people he works with, and the communities he lives in. They all come to life in this
quirky and enjoyable read. Another big tick for Edinburgh.
Stephen G Hillier OBE
Alistair Kerr, Betrayal: the Murder of Robert Nairac Cc. Cambridge Academic, 2015.
Pp 474. Paperback. ISBN 9781903499856.£16.51.
Amongst the countless brutalities of Northern Ireland's Troubles, the murder of
Captain Robert Nairac in the early hours of 15th
May 1977,just across the Irish
border from South Armagh, still has a special resonance. Partly this is because his
remains have never been located and he is counted as one of 'the disappeared'. His
death has been the focus of sometimes outlandish speculation in the media and
from conspiracy theorists, and has been the subject too of several books.
226 University of Edinburgh Journal 47: 3 (June 2016)