Latest news with #JohnDickson
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Britain's last surviving WW2 Victoria Cross hero John Cruickshank dies aged 105
BRITAIN'S last surviving World War Two Victoria Cross hero, John Cruickshank, has died aged 105. The RAF flight lieutenant won the medal for destroying a Nazi U-Boat while piloting a flying boat in June 1944. His crew spotted the sub threatening UK vessels and defied heavy gunfire to launch a bombing run. But the bombs did not release, forcing him to turn back and attack a second time. He successfully dropped the bombs himself by straddling the U-Boat with his Catalina flying boat in the Norwegian Sea. The pilot, from Aberdeen, suffered 72 injuries from anti-aircraft fire including two wounds to his lungs and ten to his legs. His navigator John Dickson was killed and his co-pilot and two other crew members were seriously injured. Flt Lt Cruickshank managed to limp the aircraft back to its base in Shetland where he was given a blood transfusion before he even left the plane. He never flew operationally again and left the RAF in 1946 for a career in banking. Last week he became the last to die of 181 who won the country's highest military honour during WW2. His funeral will be conducted in private. D-Day veteran war hero and TikTok star who survived German gunfire on Normandy beaches dies aged 102 2
Herald Sun
14-06-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
When jobs ads open for Geelong's biggest hotel revealed
The new general manager of Geelong's biggest hotel has revealed when recruiting will start for the bulk of front of house jobs before the first paying guests arrive. The 200-room Crowne Plaza Geelong is a key component of the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre which is under construction on the waterfront. Industry veteran John Dickson has been appointed Crowne Plaza Geelong's general manager and has hit the ground running ahead of an expected opening early next year. RELATED: Long-time publicans list popular Geelong West hotel for sale After putting off the Ritz, Geelong hotels join Oaks brand Queenscliff Brewhouse set to reopen with Australian Venue Co revamp Mr Dickson said a date hasn't been set to welcome the first paying guests, but revealed the hotel would open before the convention centre, once the pre-opening team had been recruited and the hotel put through its paces. 'We'll get the hotel handed over to us from the builder towards the end of the year and we'll start co-ordinating the installation of furniture and fittings and equipment and all the operating supplies that we need to present the hotel to a standard so we'll be ready to open,' Mr Dickson said. 'This sounds easy but I can tell you it goes into detail from picking knives and forks for the restaurant and the bed linen and towelling for the rooms and everything in between. 'In January, we'll put the staff through for a trial stay under normal hotel conditions and we'll test everything to make sure that everything works exactly as it should.' Head of sales and marketing Karen Jackson is Mr Dickson's first appointment, while recruiting has opened for human resources and finance manager. 'Over the course of the next three to four months, the management team will come on board, and then towards the end of the year we've got some assistants and supervisors to come on board, and then we'll also recruit in December for all of the front of house people,' he said. 'We're going to be around 90-plus people for the pre-opening period, and then we'll be in the new year, we'll train them up in January.' Among the people to be recruited will be a sommelier, who will oversee the wine selection that will heavily feature Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast producers, and mixologists for the hotel's 10-floor Sky Bar. 'The Sky Bar will be a unique aspect of the hotel. That'll be a 90-seat cocktail bar on the 10th floor of the hotel, overlooking Corio Bay.' The up-market bar and lounge will have its own kitchen and be available for before and after dinner and for functions. 'That will be a great asset for the hotel and for our guests, but also for locals to. It obviously will have amazing views.' An all-day Italian trattoria on level one will include a 100-seat restaurant and a 60-seat bar, with a wood-fired pizza oven. The $120m hotel is fully funded by Plenary Group and will be operated by IHG Hotels & Resorts under the Crowne Plaza brand. The development is part of a total $250m being invested by Plenary in the convention centre precinct in associated retail, commercial and mixed-use spaces.
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
When jobs ads open for Geelong's biggest hotel revealed
The new general manager of Geelong's biggest hotel has revealed when recruiting will start for the bulk of front of house jobs before the first paying guests arrive. The 200-room Crowne Plaza Geelong is a key component of the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre which is under construction on the waterfront. Industry veteran John Dickson has been appointed Crowne Plaza Geelong's general manager and has hit the ground running ahead of an expected opening early next year. Mr Dickson said a date hasn't been set to welcome the first paying guests, but revealed the hotel would open before the convention centre, once the pre-opening team had been recruited and the hotel put through its paces. 'We'll get the hotel handed over to us from the builder towards the end of the year and we'll start co-ordinating the installation of furniture and fittings and equipment and all the operating supplies that we need to present the hotel to a standard so we'll be ready to open,' Mr Dickson said. 'This sounds easy but I can tell you it goes into detail from picking knives and forks for the restaurant and the bed linen and towelling for the rooms and everything in between. 'In January, we'll put the staff through for a trial stay under normal hotel conditions and we'll test everything to make sure that everything works exactly as it should.' Head of sales and marketing Karen Jackson is Mr Dickson's first appointment, while recruiting has opened for human resources and finance manager. 'Over the course of the next three to four months, the management team will come on board, and then towards the end of the year we've got some assistants and supervisors to come on board, and then we'll also recruit in December for all of the front of house people,' he said. 'We're going to be around 90-plus people for the pre-opening period, and then we'll be in the new year, we'll train them up in January.' Among the people to be recruited will be a sommelier, who will oversee the wine selection that will heavily feature Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast producers, and mixologists for the hotel's 10-floor Sky Bar. 'The Sky Bar will be a unique aspect of the hotel. That'll be a 90-seat cocktail bar on the 10th floor of the hotel, overlooking Corio Bay.' The up-market bar and lounge will have its own kitchen and be available for before and after dinner and for functions. 'That will be a great asset for the hotel and for our guests, but also for locals to. It obviously will have amazing views.' An all-day Italian trattoria on level one will include a 100-seat restaurant and a 60-seat bar, with a wood-fired pizza oven. The $120m hotel is fully funded by Plenary Group and will be operated by IHG Hotels & Resorts under the Crowne Plaza brand. retail, commercial and mixed-use spaces.
Scotsman
13-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Scotsman Obituaries: John Dickson MBE, senior fire officer and champion piper
John Dickson MBE, senior fire officer and champion piper. Born: 1937 in Dundee. Died: 27 April 2025 in Dunning, aged 87 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... John Spence Dickson MBE, known as Ian, died peacefully at home on 27 April 2025 aged 87. He was one of Scotland's most senior fire officers, along with being a champion piper and time-served carpenter. Born in 1937 in Muirfield Street, Dundee, he attended Downfield Primary then Rockwell High School. His father, John Snr, was a serving police inspector in the Dundee City police, his mother Muriel was part of the Dryden business family. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Aged nine, he joined his brother Gordon at the McLeod Pipe Band, based in Dudhope Castle, to learn the Pipe-Chanter. This progressed quickly, assisted by his father who was also a piper in the Dundee City Police Pipe Band, culminating in him winning the coveted Queen's Silver Medal (under-21s) at Braemar Games in 1957. Ian later joined the Dundee City Police Band, then the Bullionfield Band. John Dickson - known to friends and family as Ian - was hugely respected and loved A keen and active member of the Boys Brigade from an early age, he left school in 1954 to begin an apprenticeship with a local firm, Kerr B Sturrock and sons, as a carpenter and shopfitter. He remained there until 1958 when he was summoned for National Service to the Black Watch barracks in Perth. This was truly a turning point in Ian's life, as he embraced everything the Army had to offer, particularly as he was able to become a full-time piper. Saturday nights were filled each week with a train journey out to Gleneagles Hotel to play in the dining room. It was a highlight for Ian, to be in a five-star location playing for the great and the good, topped off with some food and refreshments before heading back to the barracks. Only the best pipers were chosen for this duty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After a wonderful posting to Cyprus for 18 months, Ian returned to Perth where his eye was immediately caught by Keay Maclean, whose parents owned the newsagent's shop opposite the barracks. Things blossomed and they soon became a courting couple. John Dickson in piping regalia Demob took him back to Sturrock's but by this time he was due to be married to Keay, so in 1963 he joined Perth & Kinross Fire Brigade. This led to a hugely successful career spanning 30 years, with Ian rising through the ranks to become Divisional Officer. His experiences in dealing with emergency situations ranging from small domestic fires to large critical and fatal incidents shaped how Ian lived his life – there was no speeding or careless driving from this man. After marrying Keay in 1963, a new house was bought in Perth. Things were tight financially, so the motor car was sold and Ian cycled to work. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ian was hugely popular throughout his fire service years, attending rural retained stations while on call each week. He also took over the running of the Tayside Fire Service Benevolent Fund, which required a significant sacrifice of private family time; however, to his delight, his fundraising activities and organisational skills allowed him to encounter fellow officers from across the UK, many of whom became firm friends. His success in this role culminated in Ian being awarded the MBE at Holyrood in 1993, a very important day for a former soldier and staunch royalist. His family recall the pride in hearing Fire Master Derek Marr comment at his retiral service that 'any young firefighter need look no further than John Dickson as a template of how to conduct themselves within the fire brigade or everyday life'. Ian and Keay had one daughter, Karen, in 1965. She was the apple of their eye and they formed an extremely close and loving family. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After retiral Ian joined his son in law, businessman Simon Howie, for ten years before fully retiring in 2003. He and Keay had a new home built at Findony Farm, Dunning, which brought them next door to their family. Both grandparents played a pivotal role in bringing up grandchildren Ross and Lynne, born in 1990 and 1993. Ian's piping continued to be a big part of his social life – he always enjoying highland games, the Military Tattoo and anything that involved Scottish music. His delight in hearing Simon Howie playing Scottish music with his dance band, either live or on the radio, was something he treasured. He loved nothing more than sitting in his chair on a Saturday evening, with a whisky in hand, listening to the BBC Scottish dance music programme. Over the years Ian's piping took him to many parts of the world, including his performing at a memorable St Andrew's night in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1975. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A lifelong passion for caravanning took Ian and Keay all over the UK, with their last destination being a static caravan at Kenmore. This allowed Ian to relax and indulge his love of polishing his car, keeping everything immaculate, just as he liked it. For all these professional achievements, as well as the places Ian had visited, undoubtedly the most rewarding period of his life was the time he spent with his family, particularly his young grandchildren. He simply adored them, and his influences can be seen to this day. The family gathered to celebrate the couple's diamond wedding anniversary in March 2023. He was thrilled and overwhelmed to see the band of 3rd Battalion The Black Watch, which had travelled from Fort George to surprise him by, marching towards his house playing his favourite 6/8 March. 'What could be better?', said he. Ian was a devoted family man who squeezed the best out of life. He genuinely saw the good in people and had a bad word for no one. He was never happier than receiving the daily visits from his family. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Fire commander Alec Masson described him to a colleague in 1975 as 'a true gentleman' Ian is survived by his wife Keay, daughter Karen, two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Obituaries
The Courier
03-05-2025
- General
- The Courier
John Dickson MBE: Perth fire officer and champion piper dies at 87
Tribute has been paid to retired senior fire officer, champion piper and 'true gentleman' John Dickson MBE who has died peacefully at home aged 87. John Spence Dickson MBE, known as Ian, served for 30 years with Perth & Kinross Fire Brigade, rising to become divisional officer. His family say he will be remembered as a 'devoted family man who squeezed the best out of life'. Ian, who lived in Dunning, was born in 1937 at Muirfield Street, Dundee. He attended Downfield Primary then Rockwell High School. His father, John Snr, was a serving police inspector in the Dundee City Police. His mother Muriel was part of the Dryden business family. Aged nine, he joined his brother Gordon at the McLeod Pipe Band, based in Dudhope Castle, to learn the pipe-chanter. This progressed quickly, assisted by his father who was also a piper in the Dundee City Police Pipe Band. It culminated in him winning the coveted Queen's Silver Medal (under 21's) at Braemar Games in 1957. Ian later joined the Dundee City Police Band then the Bullionfield Band. A keen and active member of the Boys Brigade from an early age, he left school in 1954 to begin an apprenticeship with local firm, Kerr B. Sturrock and Sons, as a carpenter and shopfitter. This continued until 1958 when he was summoned for National Service to the Black Watch barracks in Perth. This was truly a turning point in his life, as he embraced everything the army had to offer. He was particularly delighted at the opportunity to become a full-time piper. Saturday nights were filled each week with a train journey out to Gleneagles Hotel to play in the dining room. This was a highlight for Ian, to be in a five-star location playing for the great and the good, topped off with some food and refreshments before heading back to the barracks. Only the best pipers were chosen for this duty. After a posting to Cyprus for 18 months, he returned to Perth where his eye was immediately caught by Keay Maclean. Her parents owned the newsagent's shop opposite the barracks. Love blossomed and they soon became a courting couple. De-mob took him back to Sturrock's. But by this time he was due to be married to Keay so in 1963, he joined Perth & Kinross Fire Brigade. This led to a career spanning 30 years, rising through the ranks to become divisional officer. Ian attended rural retained stations whilst on call each week. He also took over the running of the Tayside Fire Service Benevolent Fund. Many of the members he met across the country became firm friends. Ian's success in this role culminated in hi being awarded the MBE at Holyrood in 1993. His family recall the pride in hearing fire master Derek Marr comment at his retiral service that 'any young firefighter need look no further than John Dickson as a template of how to conduct themselves within the fire brigade or everyday life'. Ian and Keay had one daughter, Karen, in 1965. She was the apple of their eye, and they formed an extremely close and loving family. After retiral Ian joined his son in law, businessman and butcher Simon Howie, for 10 years before fully retiring in 2003. He and Keay had a new home built at Findony Farm, Dunning. This brought them next door to their family. Both grandparents played a pivotal role in bringing up grandchildren Ross and Lynne, born in 1990 and 1993. Ian's piping continued to be a big part of his social life. He enjoyed Highland Games, the military tattoo or anything that involved Scottish music. His delight in hearing his son-in-law Simon Howie playing Scottish music with his dance band, either live or on the radio, was something he treasured. He loved nothing more than sitting in his chair at home on a Saturday evening, with a whisky in hand, listening to the BBC Scottish dance music programme. Over the years his piping took him to many parts of the world including performing at a memorable St Andrews night in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1975. A lifelong passion for caravanning took the couple all over the UK with their final destination being a static caravan at Kenmore. For all these professional achievements, as well as the places he had visited, undoubtedly the most rewarding period of his life was the time he spent with his family, particularly his young grandchildren. He simply adored them. The family gathered to celebrate the couple's diamond wedding anniversary in March 2023. He was thrilled and overwhelmed to see the band of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, which had travelled from Fort George to surprise him, by marching towards his house playing his favourite 6/8 March. His family say he 'genuinely saw the good in people and had a bad word for no one. He was never happier than receiving the daily visits from his family.' Ian is survived by his wife Keay, daughter Karen, two grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Ian's funeral takes place on Friday May 9 at 2pm, in Dunning Church and thereafter at Dunning Cemetery.
