This months sponsor, the late Janet Burns (Hay) was one of our regular readers. Because of her love of Rothes and the pleasure she got from reading the 'Rothesian' her wish was to sponsor the Christmas edition. This wish was achieved with the help of her friends Sandy Buchanan and Millie Herd and her stepdaughter Val Hutcheon.
Janet was born and brought up in Rothes and spent her schooldays at Rothes Junior Secondary School where she was Dux in 1937. She went on to Elgin Academy where she took her highers, reaching university standard at the age of sixteen. However, she had no intention of going there, as folk from working class backgrounds didn't do that, nor could they afford to. She had to earn a living so opted for the Civil Service. She had arranged to sit her entrance exam on the 8th September, 1939 but war was declared on the 3rd September - all exams were cancelled.
On the advice of her headteacher she returned to school for sixth year studies and to enter the Aberdeen University bursary competition. She duly
won a bursary and started her degree in October, 1940. This was wartime with rationing, blackouts and hours spent in air-raid shelters, she was even
bombed our of her digs two weeks before her final degree exams. Despite this Janet won the Kaye Prize for Education at University, and at the end of her year at teacher training college won the McGregor Memorial for best graduate student teacher.
Janet taught in Aberdeen from 1944 - 1956 before becoming a Youth Employment and Careers Advisory Officer. During her years in Aberdeen she was a member of Aberdeen Opera Company, Aberdeen Choral Union and West Church of St Nicholas Choir. In 1958 she won the Open Challenge Trophy at Aberdeen Festival. She finally left Aberdeen in 1963.
From 1963 to 1968 Janet had come home to teach English and history at Rothes School. She just had to join a choir and the nearest was the Spey Valley