Rev Dr Kay Gauld has been recently appointed as Deputy Lieutenant for Banffshire. This commission was a complete surprise for her: an unexpected letter came from Mr Andrew Simpson who is the current Lord Lieutenant representing His Majesty King Charles III in Banffshire.
In her new role, Dr Gauld supports the Lord Lieutenant in his duties which include attending official events, welcoming members of the Royal Family during visits, participating in civic ceremonies, and representing the Crown at various functions.
I asked Dr Gauld to tell us her life story. How did it all come to be? What is the pathway leading to such an honorary position?
Dr. Gauld graciously shared her story with us, here it is, in her own words:
Daria asked me, “If someone had told a ten-year-old Kay that - one day - she was going to be a Deputy Lieutenant of Banffshire, what would she have said?” She would have said, “Eh? Fit?!”[1]
I grew up in Aberchirder, a village of 1,000 folk. We all knew each other. In the summer months we played “Rounders” and “Stick in the Mud”, and in the winter months we sledged in Hector Hosie’s park. If you couldn’t steer your stuffed bag of straw through the open gate at the bottom and over the bridge, you ended up in the burn and would go home soaking. As a youngster, I enjoyed being part of our village family.
At Banff Academy, I played the violin in the school orchestra. There was always fun. One day a sixth year lad lowered the piano stool of our music teacher who was four foot eleven. When she sat down, her chin was level with the piano keys! She took it in good fun. The orchestra was another happy family.
My ambition was to be a music and Latin teacher. However, the Careers Officer told us that there would be no jobs for teachers when we graduated, so I entered the Clydesdale Bank. I enjoyed talking to customers and being part of the staff team, another family.
From the age of fourteen, I played the organ for my church. I formed a Youth Group and we had great fun writing funny scripts and impersonating pop groups such as Bananarama! We raised a considerable amount of money for the church and - despite it being a country church - the congregation grew and we were a happy family. Those were special times.
And then my life changed: my uncle, my dad and my brother-in-law all died suddenly within a time scale of four months. Life seemed surreal for the next few years. But with the support of family and friends we began to live again. My faith played a large part in coping and, eventually I knew it was time for a positive change in my life.
I asked my Minister what I should do to become a Youth Worker. He stated, “You will be a minister!” I replied, “I could never get into a pulpit!” He said, “We’ll look into this together.” We did, and soon I was off to University and through selection school too. I enjoyed being with my University Family. And that is where I met my husband Ranald.
In my first Hebrew class I couldn’t see what was written on the blackboard and moved forward into the only vacant seat - next to Ranald. From our short conversation in class, I thought, “That guy is weird!” Little did I realise that I would end up marrying him!
We eventually had a joint ministry at Keith: St. Rufus, Botriphnie and Grange where we had almost twenty very happy years. The folk of that parish will always be special to me. It was in the year 2000 that life changed again as Ranald was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer, the first of the four primary cancers he would have in the next thirteen years. After his first operation, he had to remain silent for nineteen days. He communicated by writing notes.
One day, I asked Ranald to buy haddock from the fish man. When he arrived, Ranald wrote on his notepad, “Hello, how are you today?” The fish man didn’t speak; he took Ranald’s notepad and wrote, “I am very well, thank you! How are you?” Ranald, who retained his sense of humour to the last, wrote, “Pardon?”
Ranald’s fourth cancer was lung, gullet and lymph gland, from which there would be no recovery. Members of the congregation drove him into Aberdeen for his treatments; made liquidised soup for him; and walked our dogs as I was now doing my job and his, and I was also appointed as the Interim Moderator for a neighbouring charge. I don’t know how I got through those months as Ranald became more and more ill, eventually becoming bedridden. Faith played a large part.
Ranald died on the 5th of February 2014. Losing a loved one is only the beginning of a long journey of grief, a journey which may have begun during the illness if the death is expected. It’s taken me ten years to reach a place of peace. During my grieving process, I encountered a lack of understanding of the trauma experienced by those who have journeyed with their loved ones through a terminal illness or those who have suffered a tragic death. This experience made my commitment to help people in their greatest time of need even stronger. And that may be one of the reasons that a surprising letter arrived in May!
The invitation from the Lord Lieutenant, Mr Andrew Simpson, to become a Deputy Lieutenant came out of the blue! It was a humbling experience that Andrew believed I had the necessary communication skills to carry out such a prestigious role. It is a great honour to serve the King and the Lord Lieutenant. As a deputy, I carry out duties on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant.
My first solo engagement was in September when I welcomed a lady from Azerbaijan as a citizen of the UK. Her journey to reach citizenship status took her almost fifteen years! The ceremony marked a positive change. It was a delight to share in her joy.
I have also recently presented certificates to students with special needs on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant. They are part of a family with volunteers who teach them a number of skills so that they achieve things they never thought possible. Part of our work is to encourage voluntary and charitable organisations in the wonderful work they do, for they make positive changes in the lives of folk.
In conclusion, the role of the Banffshire Lieutenancy (which is apolitical) is to serve the King and connect the communities across Banffshire by celebrating, inspiring and promoting the vibrancy of county life. Our Lord-Lieutenant makes a significant impact on Banffshire by recognising, commending, communicating and thanking all who contribute to the wellbeing of the county. It is an honour and privilege to help him in his work of caring for our Banffshire family.
[1] “Fit” – “What” in Doric
Rev Dr Kay Gauld presenting certificates to students with special needs.