Harry Hutchison, born Dumfries and a proud “Doonhamer”. Gained a prize in the Burns Competition at primary school and later attended Dumfries Academy. Harry served an apprenticeship as a painter and decorator with Cairns of Galloway Street and later worked at the Crichton Royal Institution. His love of football led him to take up refereeing and he gained a well earned reputation as a firm but fair whistler who would put up with no nonsense. Harry was called up for National Service, initially with the KOSB’s before transferring to the Royal Military Police. Returning home, he joined the Burns Howff Club and was elected to the Executive Committee in the Burns’ Bi Centenary Year of 1959.  He married local girl Molly and the pair were blessed with son Graham and daughters Brenda and Janet. Harry applied to join the police but was “too old” for the local force and moved to Dover in 1961 where he was accepted by the Kent Constabulary. He had a distinguished career and retired after 21 years with the rank of Detective Sergeant in Special Branch. He continued his interest in Robert Burns and was active in the Dover and East Kent Scottish Society serving as president for several terms. As a gifted speaker, Harry found himself in constant demand to propose the “Immortal Memory” and the toast to “The Lasses” at gatherings far and wide. He was appointed to the Burns Federation as District Representative from the London and South East Region in 1991 and became a popular figure at the quarterly meetings serving on the Literature Committee and often enlivened the social gatherings at the annual conference.  He maintained his membership of the Burns Howff Club and returned to his home town as often as he could to support his beloved “Queen of the South” and to attend the Burns Howff Club functions in the Globe Inn. Harry delivered a memorable toast to the “Immortal Memory” at the club’s Anniversary Dinner in 2007 and was awarded honorary membership, of which he later said he was very proud. Although in recent years, Harry and Molly did not enjoy the best of health which restricted their movements, he was always keen to learn what was happening in his home town and would oft times write to the letters page of the Dumfries & Galloway Standard as “the “Rover from Dover” to give his views on local affairs. This was a reference to his youthful membership of “Greystone Rovers”, an amateur football team when in 1951; he was in the touring party to Norway.

Harry Hutchison was a gentleman. His lively wit and ready laugh brightened the lives of the folk privileged to know him and his passing will be felt by a very wide circle of friends both in Scotland and elsewhere. He will be sadly missed.