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| MEMBERS: John Cugley - Oor Kilwillie |
| Written by Eddie Tait | ||||||
| Thursday, 01 May 2008 | ||||||
|
One of the stalwart and colourful members of Scots In London is
John Cugley, Senior Legal Counsel for Citigroup (pictured centre below).
From Loch Awe to Canary Wharf for 3 days a week
John lives on the shores of Loch Awe in Argyll and works from his
summerhouse at the edge of the croquet lawn on Mondays and Fridays. On
Tuesday he leaves the house at 4.45 am and drives to Glasgow Airport
flies into City airport and then works in Canary Wharf for 3 days.
As he puts it “I leave a single track road in the West Highlands where
the nearest shop is 7 miles and the nearest supermarket 22 miles and
then a few hours later I’m in the high rise environment of Canary
Wharf.”
Has rowed each way across Scotland
A former oarsman of repute (and a full member of Leander Club) he
stopped rowing 25 years ago but over a number of years starting in 1996
he undertook a series of solo rows which raised over £85k for charity.
Of the many solo rows, for example entire River Thames source to sea,
treble boat race course against the clock etc etc, the most memorable
has to be each way across Scotland from Fort William to Inverness and
back i.e. the Great Glen and a bit more besides, which John undertook
in 2000 in an 1896 Thames skiff. This row was described by The Times as
being “in the best traditions of British endeavour” and by John’s
fellow Leander Club member Sir Steve Redgrave as “sheer bl****y
madness.”
A cross between Oliver Reed and Lord Kilwillie
Sithe Mor House, John’s country house on the shores of Scotland’s
longest freshwater loch, Loch Awe (also rowed solo each way by him!) is
open to guests (www.sithemor.com
) and has much Boat Race memorabilia, antlers, portraits and antiques.
The Americans love it and always seem to think John is a cross between
Oliver Reed and Lord Kilwillie from Monarch of the Glen!
Vintage Kilts and Vintage Toppers mixed with After-Dinner Speaking
Having lent or sold so many kilts to Americans John also has a wee
business of selling wonderful vintage heavyweight kilts in all sizes
and highland dress (www.VintageKilts.com
) . Scots In London members can get terrific deep pleated 16 oz kilts
for as little as £125. At then moment he has over 70 kilts in stock!
Combine all this with his talent as a classical and Scottish traditional musician, silk top hat expert (see www.vintage-toppers.com ) and former semi professional after dinner speaker and this gives you a measure of perhaps one of Scots In London’s most colourful members!
Further Information:
Picture of John courtesy of Ian Macaulay .
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