Current Chieftain and Past Chieftains
2022 Chieftain Willie Porteous
William Porteous was born in Dumfries 1954 and moved to Peebles at the age of 6 months when his father Tom took up position of Gardener with the Miss Ramsay Smith’s at Kingsmuir Hall and his mum Betty worked as a cook in the War Memorial Hospital until its close. Upon leaving school he was employed as an Apprentice Tuner for the then D Ballantyne‘s at March Street Mill, Peebles, sitting his City and Guilds in Craft & Tuning at Galashiels College of Textiles. When he was made Tuner he had a section of 6 weavers where he worked on the Dobcross Shuttle looms. In 1979 he was sent to Switzerland for 6 weeks to learn Sulzer projectile looms and in 1984 he was sent to Germany for two weeks to learn Dornier Rapier weaving machines followed in 2001 with a 2 week trip to Schio, Italy to learn Smit looms. He also worked on Bonas and Staubli Jacquards which were used in March Street Mill for making upholstery and sold under the Replin brand name which were well known for making the cloth for aircraft seats, until the mill closed in 2015.
After the mill closed William was employed at Peebles High School as Janitor till his retirement in 2020. In his youth he was involved in the Youth Fellowship connected to Peebles Evangelical Church in the 70s and was involved with a group called Scottish Counties Evangelist Mission which held Children’s Summer missions and took part with them at Lockerby, Hopeman, Walkerburn, Innerleithen and Peebles and even travelled to Austria with a youth group for a bible camp. In 1980 he was elected as Peebles Cornet and it is said that this is the highest honour that a border town can bestow on a young man, his Lass was Lorraine Haddow, a very good family friend.
William met his future wife Helen that year when she became Herald’s Lass in Jedburgh, her home town. They married in 1982. Helen works as an Admin Assistant at Peebles High School, they have two children Gary, working at Semichem, Peebles and Karen who works as a Bar Supervisor and now lives in Edinburgh. After his stint as Principal he served 20 years on the Beltane Committee and was convener for the Beltane Dance and then Children’s Sports. In 1985 he was asked to join the Peebles Highland Games Committee and was Gates Convener for many of these years. His hobbies include DIY, Computers - two of which he built from scratch and a bit of 3D graphics along with Stamp Collecting and now being retired a bit of walking and gardening. He has kept his involvement with the Border Common Ridings visiting a few every year and is a ‘weel kent face’ at some.
He still keeps in touch with Daniel the owner of one of the last Dobcross looms to leave March Street Mill on its close in 2015. This loom is now owned by The London Cloth Company.
William celebrated his 65th birthday at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow with Peebles Ex-Servicemen’s Pipe Band.
This has been a very special year for William and Helen, with Helen receiving an invitation to the Royal Garden Party at Holyrood Palace during which Helen and him were presented to Prince Charles. With William now being asked to be Chieftain for the 50th Highland Games it is making it a very eventful year.
Past Chieftains
1972 The Lord Lieutenant Sir Robert H Scott
1973 Lieutenant Colonel A M Sprot M.C.
1974 Provost Robert Kirkpatrick
1975 John Askew Borders Regional Council Convenor
1976 Ex Chief Constable Sir John Orr, OBE QPM
1977 Lieutenant Colonel H C Paterson
1978 Mr Philip Taylor, Chief Executive Scottish Tourist Board
1979 George (Dod) Hall
1980 Dr Hamish Stewart
1981 Mr Robert Euman Ex Pipe Major Innerleithen Pipe Band
1982 Sir John Campbell JP
1983 Mr Norman Thomson
1984 Mr Alan Deveraux Scottish Tourist Board
1985 Mr Charles Stewart Holland & Sherry Limited
1986 Chief Superintendant Harry Gilmour Lothian & Borders Police
1987 Mr James Sandilands
1988 Mr Andrew Hall Ex Pipe Major Peebles
1989 Councillor Alex Walker JP
1990 Mr Alexander Brown Ex Drum Major Peebles
1991 The Rt Hon The Viscount Whitelaw KT, CH, MC
1992 Capt. J David B Younger
1993 David Chisholm
1994 David Suckling
1995 John I. McC. Salvesen
1996 Gerard F. Ronner, Hon. President Netherlands Pipe Band Ass.
1997 The Rt Hon Lord Steel of Aikwood KBE PC DL
1998 Archie Watt L.CH., M.INST.CH & POD., S.R.C.H.
1999 Mike McGrath B. Com., C.A., DL
2000 Eric Gilmour
2001 Ian Jenkins M.A., MSP
2002 David A. Hoyle
2003 Robert Veitch
2004 Lady Catherine Maxwell Stuart
2005 Alasdair J.M. Gunn
2006 Richard N. Inglis
2007 Colin C. S. Chisholm
2008 John Connor
2009 Norman Scott
2010 Ex-Chairman Alex Briggs
2011 Callum Forsyth
2012 Jim Currie
2013 No Games
2014 Alex Shields
2015 Ex-Chairman Margaret Abbot
2016 Kenny Macpherson
2017 George Blair
2018 Bob Abbot
2019 Andrew Currie
