We are also very grateful for the consistent support of Scottish Legal News.
We are delighted to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity of Alexander McCall Smith and Tom Cunningham for creating The Tumbling Lassie operetta and the performance teams who have volunteered their services to put on operetta to raise funds for the Tumbling Lassie appeal. We mourn Tom's passing in June 2023, while recalling with gratitude his skill, support, good humour and enthusiasm.
We also acknowledge the most generous contributions of the late Stephen O'Rourke QC, a member of the Tumbling Lassie Committee until his tragic early death in December 2021, who dedicated a percentage of the royalties from his debut novel, The Crown Agent, to the Tumbling Lassie appeal.
We are also very grateful to James Thomson and Prestonfield House for the generous terms upon which they allow us to hold the Tumbling Lassie Ball there so as to maximise the money raised for our charities and for the popular auction lots provided.
We acknowledge with gratitude the valuable contributions to the Committee's work of Janys Scott KC, a member of the Committee from its commencement in 2015 until pressure of her many other committments led her to step down in October 2018. We also celebrate the faithful and efficient service over more than 8 years, from 2015 to 2023, of Patricia Comiskey, our founder Treasurer, who has also stepped away from the appeal as she has retired from the bar.
We are grateful for the ongoing support of Richard Blake, the author of the recent book Sugar, Slaves and High Society - The Grants of Kilgraston, 1750-1860 . A beautifully and extensively illustrated book based on new archival research, it lays bare the hidden links between the fortunes of privileged and wealthy Scots in the Georgian and Victorian period and the terrible fates of slaves on plantations in the West Indes. In a gesture of great generosity, and to bring modern good out of ancient evil, Richard donates proceeds of sales from his book to the Tumbling Lassie appeal. The book can be purchased direct from the publisher at https://buskinbooks.co.uk
Finally, we wish to thank artist Diane Rendle for designing our logo.