Sisters in long trek to honour father

Published:

Edith and Willie Hall, the Snape daughters, Fiona Snape, Jane Craigie and Sarah Wimpress holding the tankard, and Aberdeenshire president Ian Shand and his wife, Esther

Allan Morgan, Robin Snape and his dad, Chris, and Gus McLachlan

Walter and Jacqueline Stephen with Jen and Martin Snape

Rye Cope, Pete Chalmers and Alistair Davidson

Dick Gordon with Jane Robinson and little Ella Wimpress, and Bruce Craigie

Benny Elrick, Dot Snape and Ian Clayton

Brian and Val Stephen with Jim Livingston and Mike Morrison

Pam and Peter Snape

THREE sisters made a pilgrimage to Aberdeen to honour the memory of their rugby-mad dad, Jim Snape – and pilgrimage it certainly was.

The oldest of the trio, Jane Craigie, travelled from her home in Orkney, middle daughter Sarah Wimpress, plus her daughter, Ella, came from Plymouth, and the youngest, Fiona Snape, made the trek from London.

“Dad had very happy memories of his time with the rugby club at Mannofield before he went off to join the Army in 1971,” said Jane, whose mum, Eileen Robertson, is from Orkney.

The sisters presented the Aberdeenshire club, long since based at Woodside in the city, with an inscribed tankard to be kept behind the bar and used by players making their debut for the team.

Jim was captain between 1967 and 1969 and for season 1970-71. He rose to the rank of major, serving in Northern Ireland, Italy and Germany before he retired. He died in 2001.

His younger brothers, Pete and Chris, both of Gordonians, attended the presentation which was organised by another former Shire captain, Willie Hall, and his wife, Edith.