Past Times

GALLERY: Aberdonian anniversaries through the decades

1987 - Youngsters at Dyce Nursery School release balloons with their names on a tag as they celebrate the nursery’s 10th anniversary.

By Reporter

December 4 2022, 6:00 am

December 4 2022, 6:00 am

This year, we celebrated many anniversaries in the granite city.

Dracula fans flocked to Cruden Bay to celebrate the classic novel’s 125th anniversary, Macduff Marine Aquarium turned 25 and International School Aberdeen celebrated it’s golden anniversary.

Looking into the future, next year marks Aberdeen FC‘s 120th birthday and the 40th anniversary of their Gothenburg victory.

Until then, let’s take a look back at some past anniversaries… We found plenty of photos in our archives, including Girl Guides planting a tree to mark their 75th anniversary and Princess Anne visiting the Highland Pony Society on their birthday.

A group of girl guides with their leaders surrounding a tree being planted on their anniversary — 1985- 1st Maryculter Girl Guide company and Brownie pack plant a weeping flowering cherry tree at Storybook Glen to mark the 75th anniversary of the Girl Guides.

A cricket team on their anniversary — 1982 – Aberdeenshire and Scottish Cricket Union President’s XI players line up before a match at Mannofield to mark the county’s 125th-anniversary celebrations.

A group of brownies gathered around two cakes — 1993 – The 47th A Aberdeen Brownie Pack marked its 40th anniversary, which coincided with the birthday of Brown Owl, Sandra Wisely. Helping her cut the cakes were, from left, Brownies Joanna Carroll, Stacy Leiper and Ashley Davies with Mrs Wisely, left, and assistant Brownie guider Jill Hogg.

A large group of women sat in four rows, the youngest girls sat in the front row — 1988 – Youngsters in the Explorer section of the 11th Aberdeen Co Girls’ Guildry/Brigade, with some former members, pictured at an open night, which was held as part of 75th anniversary celebrations.

A large crowd of people sat in rows in a town hall, gathered for the 50th anniversary — 1985 – Members of the 1st Dyce Brownies celebrate their 50th anniversary with former members.

People crowded around a table in formal-wear, two people at the table are holding a large square cake — 1973 – Bucksburn Pipe Band Pipe-Major David Duncan shows off the 25th anniversary cake at the band’s silver jubilee dinner-dance in the Royal Athenaeum.

A teacher in front of a class of children pointing at a chart of words and letters on the anniversary of the school — 1987 – Teacher Anne McQueen tells primary 3 and 4 pupils what it was like in the old days as Woodside Primary went back in time to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

A group of people of all ages smiling for the camera during a golden wedding anniversary — 1994 – Nancy and Peter Young, of Torry, celebrate their golden wedding at the White Cockade.

A crowd of elderly people holding champagne flutes smiling and laughing at the camera during a celebration — 1989 – Founder member William Gavin takes centre stage at the 40th-anniversary dinner of the William Gavin Players at the New Marcliffe Hotel.

Princess Anne smiling at a horse during an anniversary event for the Highland Pony Society — 1973 – Princess Anne meets riders who took part in a trek from Ballater to mark the 21st birthday of pony trekking in Scotland, and the 50th anniversary of the Highland Pony Society.

A sign of a giant above an Isaac Benzies store on george street — 1965 – This giant figure standing on top of the canopy outside Isaac Benzies in George Street was advertising the popular department store’s 71st-anniversary celebrations.

An elderly couple smiling at the camera with a golden wedding anniversary card in between them — 1994 – Celebrating their golden wedding were Jessie and William Smith, of Bridge of Don.

A man and a young boy holding a cake slice each smiling at each other with two cakes in the shape of a 7 and 5. — 1992 – Barry Watson, seven, of Ruthrieston Church Boys Brigade Junior Section celebrates the 75th anniversary of Juniors’ attachment to the BB with Tom Mackie, 83.

An elderly couple smiling at the camera on their golden wedding — 1979 – John and Bessie Smart were to celebrate their golden wedding with a party at the Windsor Court – with their nine children and 26 grandchildren.

A group of people all dressed up to celebrate the couple in the middle's golden wedding anniversary — 1977 – Family gather round David and Christina Kilgour for a souvenir picture at the couple’s golden wedding celebration in the White Horse Inn, Balmedie.

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