Retires after 50 years
FIFTY years of service to the agricultural community in the North-East of Scotland was recognised at a ceremony at the Aberdeen and Northern Marts headquarters at Thainstone in June.
Laurencekirk man Alastair Reid has retired after 25 years with the Kincardineshire Auction Mart, then a subsequent 25 years with Aberdeen and Northern Marts.
Born at Drumoak, Alastair moved to the Laurencekirk area at the age of seven. His father Albert was grieve with Alec Anderson at Burnton, Laurencekirk for 30 years.
Alastair left school in 1960 and after three months working in a local garage, Alec Anderson secured him a job as an apprentice clerk and cashier at the thriving Kincardineshire Auction Mart, which at that time ran auctions in Laurencekirk and Stonehaven.
He rose to be head cashier and held that post from 1975-85, at which point Kincardineshire Auction Mart was bought over by Aberdeen and Northern.
In his 25 years with KAM, Alastair experienced the huge changes that ultimately brought about its closure, the amalgamation of farms, the increase in cereal growing and the huge fall in numbers of stock, particularly from hill farms.
At Laurencekirk, he served under managers Willie Fotheringham, Sandy Fotheringham and Jimmy Liddle and four chairmen, David Henderson, Donald Mackenzie, Ronnie Booth and Tim Medlock.
Alastair became a roving cashier with A&N, working at Alford, Aboyne, Maud and various other centres.
Laurencekirk finally closed and Alastair moved permanently to the Aberdeen and Northern base at Kittybrewster, then to Thainstone, when the company relocated to their new purpose-built headquarters there in 1990.
He recalls that his first bosses at Aberdeen were Sandy Mathieson, Melvin Dalgarno and Sandy Wright, then Jack Lind, Brian Pack and Alan Craig were chief executives with John Gregor as the mart manager.
Chairmen in his time have been Angus Pelham Burn, Lord Arbuthnott, George Ritch, Dennis Crowe and currently John McIntosh.
In 2000, the farming industry was devastated by Foot and Mouth Disease. With no marts operating, Alastair volunteered to help eradicate the disease and he moved down the the Borders and the Newcastle area for six months.
He worked with the Animal Health Department, supervising the slaughter of animals and the cleaning and disinfecting of farms and was impressed by the determination of farmers to build up their herds again.
Alastair was off work for four months with a serious illness in 2001, but apart from that has never missed a day in 50 years.
His punctuality and attention to detail were held up as an example to his younger colleagues and was greatly appreciated by his employers and the wider farming community.
His loyalty and dedication was recognised when he was the recipient of three separate gifts.
His colleagues presented him with a cheque and a garden seat and from the directors of A&N he received a piece of Border Fine Arts entitled "Under the Hammer." He also received a cheque from farmers, hauliers and livestock dealers.
Alastair married his wife Helen in 1971 and they have three grown-up sons.
He was a founder member of the Drumtochty Highland Games committee and has just retired after serving as secretary and treasurer for some 33 years.
Alastair said: "It has been a great pleasure to have worked in the farming industry for 50 years, meeting and serving all those who have supported the marts."
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Weather for Montrose
Friday 25 May 2012
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