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Bill Copeland
Bill Copeland is a lawyer practising in Lanarkshire. Until recently he specialised in criminal defence work but given the swingeing cuts in Legal Aid, he has become a conveyancer as there is now more money in acting for those buying houses than those burgling houses.
Born in Govan, a quaint fishing village on the banks of the Clyde, home to Sir Alex Ferguson and Billy Connolly, he attended a tough school – tough? There was a boy in the class who was allergic to peanuts and they used to take him round the back of the bike shed and make him play Russian roulette with a packet of Revels. There he learned the three R’s ….. Rangers and Rangers Reserves.
Attended Alan Glen’s School, which was selective,
not doing too well as he selected to go only on Fridays. Left with 6
A Levels but was caught at the gate and made to return them to the Headmaster.
Studied at Strathclyde University, graduating B.A., LL.B. which his criminal
clients think stand for “buy us a lager and a large Bacardi”.
Married to Marilyn from Larkhall. It’s a mixed marriage, she’s
a human being and he’s a lawyer and dotes on his daughter 12½ (it’s
a daft name but Marilyn chose it). Hobbies? Plays a mean game of golf – won’t
pay the green fees. Bill’s ambition as a speaker is to follow his
grandfathers advice “Always leave them begging for more.” Which
was the very attitude that led to granddad being struck off as the world’s
worst anaesthetist.
Has been on the circuit for several years and have spoken at dinners for 70 to 700, and am a regular with all of the major Scottish usual suspects such as George McNeil, Craigie Veitch, Andy Cameron, Willie Allan, Willie Hunter, John Gahagan, John McKelvie, Chick Young and Dougie Donnelly and the sportsmen Jim Leishman, Alan Rough, Murdo McLeod, Brian McGinlay, Willie Young, Sir Bobby Charlton, Jack Charlton, Denis Taylor, Jim Watt, Tommy Docherty and Ian St John. On a more serious note Dr John Reid, Sir George Younger, Alex Salmond and Robin Cook
Corporate Dinners - RB of S,
Bank of Scotland, Auto Trader, Reg Vardy ,B.M.W, Bett Homes, Persimmon
Homes, Trinity, Ernst & Young, Scottish Universal News
In December 2003 at the invitation of Total Oil twice entertained the workforce
on North Sea oil rigs 90 miles from the Norwegian coast.
Various Trade Associations e.g. Institute of Chartered Accountants,
Institute of Master Plumbers, Institute of Waste Management, Scottish
Property Managers. The Legal dinners of Glasgow, Aberdeen Edinburgh,
Paisley, Stirling. Edinburgh High Constables Dinner COSLA
Football Clubs - Aberdeen, Alloa, Celtic,Clyde, Dundee United,
Dunfermline, Falkirk, Hamilton Accies, Inverness, Motherwell, Partick
Thistle Queen of the South, Rangers Stenhousemuir, Referees Associations
throughout Scotland. Also Highland League, Junior and Amateur clubs
dinners
Golf Clubs - From the prestigious The New Club, St. Andrews
to Municipal owned clubs. Have spoken at company Golf days at St Andrews
Bay, Turnberry, Gleneagles etc for Actuaries to Zoologists.
Rotary Clubs- Charter and other dinners from Berwick to Wick
Rugby Clubs - Posh to proleterian
Government Bodies - Scottish Enterprise,
Scottish Heritage, L.D.A and several Enterprise Trusts
St Columba’s Hospice won Wits Dinner 1999, Quarriers Homes, Wooden Spoon,
The Scottish Licensed trade Benevolent Fund “The Ben”, St Andrew’s
and St. Margaret’s hospices, The Maggie and Chas Respite centres are
a few of the Charity dinners addressed
Bill has also guested on Radio Scotland’s
early morning topical news and chat programme “The Fred McAulay
Show.”
John was
born in Burma or Myanmar as it is now called. He married Elizabeth,
a Scottish School teacher, 39 years ago and they have a grown up family.
John is a retired Local Government Officer. He worked with Edinburgh
City Council until 1992 as the Capital Financing and Collection Manager.
His hobbies are family, golf and reading the poems and songs of Robert
Burns. He was Chairman of Victoria League in Scotland for five years
until May 2000.
John Htet Khin is unique
in his after-dinner speeches. He never fails to have his audience holding
on to his every word and there is rarely a second when laughter can
not be heard around the room. A definite asset to a successful evening.
Apprenticeship: Taught for one year in Blantyre before joining the Prison Service as an assistant governer in 1969. Prison Sentences Has served: In Polmont Young Offenders, Longriggend Remand Institution and Edinburgh. Prison Has been Governor: Castle Huntly Young Offenders Institution, Governor, Dungavel Prison, Deputy and Acting Governor, Barlinnnie and since June 1994 Governor, Cornton Vale (Scotland’s only female establishment)
Family: Married with 2 girls, the younger of whom is profoundly handicapped. Developed a walking aid for her with his staff and prisoners in 1981 and is now being used in 41 hospitals and schools in Scotland to teach handicapped children how to walk.
Fame Claim: William McIlvaney based his story, “The Prisoner” in his book of short stories, “The Walking Wounded” on him after he visited Dungavel.
Sporting Career: In his youth, played junior professional football but his career was cut short tragically at an early age due to lack of ability Still holds Lanarkshire Schoolboy 440 yards record, because now metric.
Pastimes: Is a member of Lamlash and Hamilton Golf Clubs Is a member of the Variety Club of Great Britain. Is a member of Hamilton and Lochaber Burns Clubs
Having been filmed singing rather politically incorrect songs in 1999 Donald has recently been in even greater demand on the Scottish After Dinner Circuit.
He served as Rector of St Andrews University between 1993 and 1999 and is a regular contributor on current affairs on both television and radio. In 1998, Donald published his first novel, the court-room drama Three Verdicts.
He brings his varied interests and colourful background to any dinner and enhances it with his quick wit and the same theatrical skills that have seen Donald Findlay become the most sought after criminal advocate in Scotland.