School sports centre pays tribute to George's legacy
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A TELEGRAM with the message, ‘Would very much like you to join us’, lay on the desk of Army physical training instructor George Welsh.
It was 1965, and for the young man and his family, the slip of buff paper bearing Churchill’s Commemoration stamp signalled the start of a new life in Moray as sports master at one of the country’s most famous schools.
Having served in the Army for 27 years – including postings in Malaya, Ceylon, Northern Rhodesia and Egypt – Mr Welsh travelled north to Gordonstoun with a wealth of sporting and fitness expertise.
Nothing prepared him, however, for the humble facilities he was to find at the school.
“There was no games hall, no pool, no nothing. It was the autumn term and winter was fast approaching. All we had was the sky for a ceiling, the tarmac as the floor, and the wind coming off the Moray Firth as the walls,” he said. “Improvisation was the name of the game.”
Nearly half a century on, Mr Welsh (89) was guest of honour as the state-of-the-art George Welsh Sports Centre was officially opened by former pupils, Olympians Heather Stanning and Zara Tindall (née Phillips).
The guests also officially opened a hard sports surface at the junior school, Aberlour House, which is big enough for two full-sized netball courts as well as various other sports.
Named in his honour, the main centre pays lasting tribute to the sporting legacy Mr Welsh created during his long association with the school over almost 50 years.
See Northern Scot print version for a full feature on George Welsh's life.
