Jinglin’ resounds again to sound of journalists’ banter

T was just like old times at Edinburgh pub, the Jinglin’ Geordie, when names past and present at the Edinburgh Evening News last night gathered for the first of what is expected to become a series of staff reunions.

The Jinglin’ used to be one of the most popular pubs among Evening News’ journalists, until the paper – along with sister titles, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday – relocated over a mile away, near the Scottish Parliament building. That was 11 years ago.

Among those attending were Stephen Rafferty, Ray Notarangelo, Scott Douglas, Nigel Donaldson, Dick Pringle, John McLellan, Colin Somerville, Nicola Barry, David Hardie, Claire Gardner, Erikka Askeland, Scott Reid, plus Dorothy Grace-Elder and her husband, George Welsh.

Also there were Frank Shennan, Jane McGurk, John Ellingham, Fiona Laing, Drew Allan, Chris McRae, Ian Pope, Mark Smith, Alastair Ross, Jack Mathieson, Ian Swanson, Helen Puttick, Chris Holme, David Lee and guest Clive Fairweather, Shaun Milne, Ruth Macleod, and guests Sonia Frost and Angie Millar.

The evening was organised by Victoria Masterson, who was the paper’s business editor between 1994 and 1995. Another reunion – perhaps on a Friday evening – is scheduled for later this year.