Speaker's Evening Past President Iain Fairbairn

You Couldn't Make It Up was the title of Past President Iain Fairbairn's talk at the Rotary Club of South Queensferry on Thursday 3rd September. Thirty years' service with Lothian and Borders Police furnished Ian with a rich store of experiences and anecdotes. Starting as a constable at Gayfield Square, Iain's career included brief service in the drug squad followed by a long period in the traffic division. Having learned to drive as a youngster on private estate roads, Iain loved cars and was a natural traffic policeman. The job provided many comical episodes such as when he retrieved an abandoned taxi and a lady passenger stepped in because the light was still on. A specialist security escort driver, Iain often escorted the Princess Royal. He and his colleagues were personally thanked by Price Charles in the mews at Holyrood House. After further service as a police driving instructor, Iain joined the firearms unit which also had its amusing side, like when a neighbour offered cups of tea while they were raiding a house! Promotion saw Iain moving to a senior position in West Lothian and he left the police before the creation of the single Scottish police service.

Iain's talk was well illustrated with pictures of cars he had owned and police cars he had driven. His favourite was the 3.5 litre Vauxhall Senator used by the traffic department in the nineties.

The meeting was chaired by President Elect Graham Leith. Iain was introduced by Enrico Prentice and the vote of thanks was proposed by Robert Farrelly who said the talk showed immense pride in the job and a rich sense of humour. Fittingly, Iain's sister Valerie Edwards was a guest for the occasion.