As both Club and Branch were celebrating their golden anniversary in 1978, it was agreed that a suitable venue should be considered. The Plaza Ballroom was one of Glasgow's best venues,  and could hold several hundred couples with accommodation for a 5 course dinner. Entertainment included 3 professional acts and a novelty mini cycle race which was a great success, the most popular was of course the resident band who had no problem getting everyone up onto the ballroom floor.

It was decided that the guest of honour should be the general secretary of the R.A.A. London Headquarters, he was persuaded when we agreed to pay all his expenses, air fare and hotel accommodation, he might have changed his mind had he known what awaited him in Glasgow.

I picked him up at the airport and took him to the Club where he freshened up and had a refreshment, it was then on to the Plaza to meet the members and club and branch officials, he then met the members of the ladies' section and it was at this point he was kidnapped, they dragged him onto the floor and forced him to go through various Scottish dances, after a while I managed to drag him over to the bar for a well earned break, it didn't last long before he was dragged back onto the floor by a number of well endowed ladies.

As this went on for most of the evening he was heard to say in a rather slurred voice " I have never enjoyed being dragged about so much in all my life " I knew it was time to get him back to his hotel room for a good night’s rest before taking him back to the airport the following morning. 

As he left he remarked" your ladies have a great sense of humour, they kept telling me to let my hair down" he then touched his head and would go into a fit of laughter.

I know he enjoyed himself as a week later I received an invitation to visit him in London. When I arrived in London the General Secretary had arranged for me to have a chat and lunch with the Master Gunner,(the most senior officer in the RA ) a special day indeed.