Man, 90, gets floral clock cuckoo wish after 30 year wait

BBC News

18-07-2025

In 1995, teacher George Thomson took his P7 class more than 100 miles from their school in Aberdeen to see the wooden cuckoo at Edinburgh's famous floral clock.But much to his horror, when they got there they discovered the clock wasn't working and they wouldn't get to see the life-sized bird "pop out" of its house.Now after three decades George has asked his son to take him back to see the cuckoo as his 90th birthday wish."I've been telling this story for the last 30 years and it's given friends and family a laugh over the years but if I didn't see it today I was going to go cuckoo myself so I'm highly delighted that I've now been able to see it," the great grandfather-of-eight told BBC Scotland.
Edinburgh's floral clock is the oldest of its kind in the world and was first planted in 1903 with the cuckoo being added in 1952.The mechanical bird marks every 15 minutes by popping out of its box and saying "cuckoo".George, who had taken his class from Seaton School in Aberdeen, said he was so intently watching for the cuckoo to appear that he hadn't noticed the clock wasn't working at the time as it was being repaired."I was telling all the kids to keep an eye on the wee house but one of the pupils kept tugging on my arm and asked me why the clock had no arms."That's when it dawned on me it wasn't working and I had to quickly tell the kids 'right, it's teatime' instead."Luckily, not one of them complained that I had been mistakenly looking for this cuckoo when the clock was being repaired."
George, his partner Lilian Wyness, 66, and his son, also called George, finally made the trip to see the cuckoo at the clock on Friday.Park ranger Ricki Keenan also met the family to give them some history about the clock.The floral clock, which is in West Princes Street Gardens, is made up of more than 35,000 flowers and plants and will be in bloom until October.George junior said: "He's told this story over the years because there were no hands on the clock and it's just that moment when the penny drops and having to deal with the disappoint of the kids."It's been a favourite family story, the cuckoo story, so when he said on his 90th birthday in June that it was his birthday wish to see it, I thought I would take him down after double checking online that it was now working."
George jnr also read out a poem he had written for the trip:Cuck-ooMr Thomson stood with his class in line,By Princes Street Gardens' floral clock—lookin' fine.What a rush it was to get them all there,"Keep yer eyes on the prize, and dinnae you dare!"As the half hour approached, expectations were lit,"Concentrate everyone, or you'll miss-it!The cuckoo's a legend—dinnae blink or talk,It peeks oot for a second, and calls cuck-oo from the clock!"The pupils waited, all breath held ticht,Edinburghers wondered at the curious sicht.But all was still, you could hear a pin drop,No twitch, no sound, no cuckoo pop!Alas one observant loon gave a shout,"Mr Thomson - will it still come out……If there's no hands on the clock!!!?"For an instant - George was in the dock!He gave the scene a second glance,As if the wee birdie still hid a chance.Said he, without skipping a beat—his usual show…"Good question, loon— Tea-time—time tae go!"
George junior said it was a delightful moment seeing his dad finally meeting the cuckoo."It was so funny because while he was waiting for it to come out I could see the bird in the shadow of the box looking in the direction of my dad and my dad looking towards it."It was like an unrequited love, like brothers who hadn't met for 30 years. They had never met before that kind of sentiment, for me, and out it comes and that's it and he's seen it and we can now all rest."George senior said: "It was worth the wait and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the cuckoo coming out. I feel joy and happiness now I've seen it.