Bill MacKinnon
The Pocket Money Distributor and Collector of Fines
Morag Aitkenhead’s younger brother Bill MacKinnon joined the staff in 1943. Bill had left school into a situation of low employment. Eventually he joined the Merchant Navy. Like many young people at that time he felt he had a patriotic duty to serve his country in some way. As a young man Bill had been a very keen and able footballer.
He thought he was destined to become a professional and played for Winton Rovers the local Ayrshire side. During a run for the Scottish Cup Bill was scouted by Blackpool who came up to Ardrossan to sign him. The agent took Bill to the railway station to weigh and measure him as part of the ‘medical.’
The arrangement was that on completion of the ‘Cup run’ Bill would be free to sign for Blackpool. Unfortunately, Bill was to suffer a severe ankle injury which put paid to his football career. On leave from the Navy, Bill visited Kilquhanity and did not return to the navy. He never qualified as a teacher – he was ‘self-taught’. Bill stayed for a few years, met and fell in love with Käte, a German refugee. They married and then moved on to work with A.S. Neill at Summerhill for five years before moving again to other progressive schools – High Cannons (AP?) and Beltane. Käte encapsulated her experience of Kilquhanity by quoting Goethe:
Hier bin ich Mensch, hier darf ich sein: Here I am a person, here I am free to be.’; ‘the trust to be accepted for what you are gave the kids the confidence to express themselves. Many idealistic staff made valuable contributions to Kilquhanity, but John and Morag stood the test of time.
At a later date, (1951), Bill was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident resulting in him being hospitalised for a year and leaving hospital on crutches which he required for a further year. He is known to have said that at that time he thought he would never work with kids again. Aitkenhead persuaded Bill to re-visit Kilquhanity where he stayed, as a teacher and pocket-money distributor and collector of fines and levy’s, for the rest of his working life.
Bill and Käte moved in the early 1960s to Ashbank cottage in Kipford on the Solway coast. At this time Bill developed a personal interest in amateur dramatics. Specifically he was interested and motivated by the desire to direct. He produced many successful productions and won prizes in local amateur dramatics contests. As well as ‘teaching’ sports, most usually refereeing football matches, Bill taught drama at Kilquhanity.
The following are quotes from two ex-pupils who appear to have remembered him fondly.
Clare Albon
Bill’s play-reading classes of Shakespeare – I never quite understood the language but I certainly remember Bill’s presence and I can hear him now.
Sue Rose
I must mention my dear friend Bill MacKinnon, who from my arrival as a small girl to my leaving showed me unwavering friendship and support in everything I became involved in….. I never had any sort of relationship with John A (Aitkenhead). In fact I always thought that Bill would have made a better head – John seemed rather unrealistic to me and not really involved with us as people, only as a school to put his ideas into practice.
Tensions between Bill and Aitkenhead were apparent – possibly jealousies; Bill wanted to be known as ‘Deputy Head.