An evening with Roy Johnston with his special guest Angus MacPhie

Interview of Angus MacPhie, by NOT Michael Parkinson, NOT Terry Wogan, NOT Piers Morgan, NOT even Jim McColl, but our very own Roy Johnston.

A very interesting and entertaining dialogue by the above duo describing a life full of adventure in several countries including being thrown out of a student hostel and on another occasion thrown into cells.

Angus's parents were from the Western Isles, father from Skye, mother from Raasay. Angus was born in Glasgow and educated at Queens Park School. Leaving school he worked at Cockburn Farm run by Alick Buchanan Smith before Agricultural College at Auchencruive. As normal for student hostels many tricks were played. For tying the girls’ bikes up on a tree Angus was thrown out of the hostel and 

had to live in Ayr!

After college Angus went to work in Malawi and then Uganda.The VC10 taking him to Uganda was commandeered by Haile Selassie so he arrived in Uganda a day late.There he was much influenced by Major Ellis, an ex Japanese POW who told everyone NOT to buy a Japanese car, NO Datsun. There Angus worked on farming tobacco and coffee. For some time he worked in the West Nile Region with nine tribal languages while Angus spoke only Swahili. He was held up in Congo returning with cheap petrol and Belgian beer. After three more years in western region, he was persuaded back to Scotland where he extended salmon farming in Skye. He also set up salmon farming in Chile.

He met Sheena who worked with Marine Harvest in Edinburgh. (he dated her flat mate first!). They have two sons, John, a teacher at Forrester High and a Shinty player who has represented Scotland, Donald now living in Hong Kong working on the extension of HK airport.

Latterly Angus owned a fish farm he bought out of receivership and ran it for 10 years. While there he was a member of Lochaber Rotary Club. On retiral, Sheena brought him home to Edinburgh to be near son John and grandson Archie and to escape the midges!

Following questions, Ian Kerr gave the Club’s vote of thanks.

Report by Fraser Marshall