Burns devotee; Born June 20, 1946; Died January 19, 2008. IAIN Lochhead, who has died at home in Spain aged 61, was a former president of the St Andrews Burns Club and a man whose enthusiasm, commitment and energy breathed new life into it. He joined in the mid-1970s, served as president 1983-84 and was made an honorary life member in recognition of his service. In 2002, Lochhead was invited back to St Andrews from his new home in Marbella to propose the Immortal Memory for a second time, an honour only previously given to the celebrated local journalist, playwright and founder of the Byre Theatre, St Andrews, A B Paterson, who proposed the principal toast in both 1949 and again in 1982.
Lochhead's knowledge of Burns was matched by his skill at recitation and over many years he entertained with his wonderful deliveries of Tam o' Shanter, Holy Willie's Prayer and others.
Born in Falkirk, he was raised in Dunipace and after graduating from Strathclyde University, took up an appointment as a mathematics teacher at Bell-Baxter High in Cupar.
Following a spell at Madras College, St Andrews, he returned to Bell-Baxter as head teacher of mathematics before he and his wife, Liz, moved to the south of Spain in 1993.
There he became head maths teacher at the Aloha College in Marbella, and was delighted when, in his inaugural year, his first-year students won third place in the World International Mathematics competition.
He organised and attended many Burns suppers in and around Marbella. Annually, he and his wife organised a Burns Supper at their home, to which they would invite 25 different Scots and one local Spanish dignitary. In his first year at Aloha, Mr Lochhead held the assembly in his kilt and was thrilled when the pupils - 47 different nationalities - joined hands together and sang A Man's A Man For A' That.
Mr Lochhead was an elder in the Church of Scotland in Fuengirola, and he and Liz were both members of the Marbella Town Choir, performing regularly at concerts, theatres and weddings throughout Andalucia.
The couple embraced life in Spain and Mr Lochhead was fond of exploring the old town of Marbella and watching the Christmas and Easter processions. He also enjoyed sailing and nothing pleased him more than to take his boat down the coast to Gibraltar for lunch, stopping on the way to pick up friends.
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