Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser | News | Gran waits 65 years to receive Dux medal

Sunday, 7th September, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 2nd July, 2008 12:00

Gran waits 65 years to receive Dux medal

By Nicola Findlay

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Ann Noble with her Dux medal.

Pic by: Jan van der Merwe

IT WAS a case of better late than never for an Alloa gran when she was awarded with a Dux medal more than 60 years after she won it.

Ann Noble (nee Johnstone) attended the annual prize giving at Alva Academy after she was told that one of her five grandsons was being presented with a prize.

However, it was actually Ann who was being presented with the belated Dux award, which she won as a pupil at the school in 1943.

Due to the war, medals weren’t presented to pupils as there were restrictions in place.

Ann told the Advertiser, “It came as a complete surprise and a bit of a shock but it was very much an honour to be given the award – even if it was a bit late.

“I went along to the prize giving thinking that one of my grandsons was being presented with an award when it was really me.

“My two daughters were the only ones to know what was happening apart from the school – I don’t know how they managed to keep it from me.

“Everyone at the school was lovely and it was very kind of them to do this for me after all the years. I thought my school days were well behind me and I never imagined for a minute that I would be getting presented with a Dux.”

Ann’s award came about after boards with the name of Dux winners were saved from the rubbish bin. Despite not receiving her medal back in 1943 Ann said that she and other award winners of the era didn’t think anything of it.

“I wouldn’t say I was too disappointed at the time.

“We had a prize giving but we weren’t presented with medals because that was just the way it was. I do remember getting a book and some money though.”

After leaving Alva Academy Ann studied at university gaining an Inter BSc and went on to work as a lab technician for Shell in England.

She moved back to Alva to work as a lab technician in Stirling Royal Infirmary and stayed there for eight years before leaving to bring up her two daughters.

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