A thank you paperweight gift, for setting up and doing the electronic timing at the Golspie swimming pool, probably in 1994. A small part of the appreciation shown for giving up my weekend to help at their event. Can't remember if this was before the infamous event at Banff, which was the complete opposite, I very much suspect it was after that one, which had gone like this:

 - early on Saturday morning, over a mile long walk down to the main road to be picked up by someone from the Inverness Club to travel through to the venue.
- arrive and set up all the touchpads in the pool, and then connect-up all the cabling, back-up buttons, signal blocks, computer unit (not any kind of PC system back then), results display unit, and the starting system.
 - quick check, and we're off.
 - about three hours of races, and I'm running the Omega computer timing system, which requires a lot previous knowledge to cope with all the things that can go wrong. It definitely was nothing like a PC back then, with only a rudimentary display and keyboard combined in a case. Printouts on thermal paper of the race results are passed on to the officials, as well as shown on the big (external) display.
 - break for lunch, when I find there's nothing provided for the officials, unlike almost every other event, and as it's only half an hour, I run to the nearest shop and buy some basics with the little cash I have on me, and eat on the rapid return.
 - and we're off again, for another three hours plus of races. It all worked fine, with results for all the races... not always the case in the hostile environment of water splashing everywhere, and electronics.
 - at the end I take everything apart, dry what's needing dried, and pack it away whist the others are walking away.
 - catch-up with my return lift and the pleasure of some pleasant blethering on the hour and a half journey back.
 - walk back up the mile plus hill from the A96 to Croy, and home (at that time).

It had been a full-on day that was mostly non-stop whilst at the pool. There was a fee charged for hiring the "North District's" timing kit, which is largely to help maintain it with parts etc. None of that is for the operators (just me on this occasion) or their transport, and I certainly would never have sought that. I turned up at an event in my own time and effectively gave a full day's work with specialist experience and knowledge to perform a key part in making some others' event a success, and yet not one single person from the hosts said hello, or thank you, or even spoke to me, smiled or acknowledged my presence. No offers of assistance were forthcoming, at any stage. Some warning of the lack of food etc. would've been useful, so I could have brought something. Was a tad hungry and parched by the time I made it home.

The only relief from the locals ignoring me, was very professional, Ed, the chief referee. Ed, of course, was from a different club, nowhere nearby.

Aye, things were so very different with my visit to Golspie, and the Sutherland club, to the extent I felt spoilt.

After about a six year period, stopped doing the timing at swimming galas in 1995, when persuaded to run the Highland Cross - too much training was required for a mostly non-runner to do a ~21 mile run followed by a ~28 mile cycle. The big Winter championship events that we (myself & Den) covered in Aberdeen at the Bon Accord baths were probably the most fun, and most exciting, with various Scottish records often being broken over those long weekends. Great for our Club's kids too, with many good laughs. Golspie was the nicest event, and thank you from me to the Sutherland club - still remembered and appreciated so many years afterwards. Best say no more of that other event...