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Ex-Moderator marks a milestone

The Very Rev Roy Sanderson celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday and claimed that hard work, a strong faith and regular walks on North Berwick’s historic west links had been the keys to a long and healthy life.

The oldest surviving former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who lives at the Abbey residential home, told the Courier: “I think it is all to do with keeping active after I retired from the parish ministry. I continued to be a member of the Church’s General Assembly – I attended every single Assembly for over 50 years and I carried on preaching."

Mr Sanderson married former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s parents in November 1948 at Glasgow’s Barony Church.

Installed as Moderator in 1967, he was Chaplain to the Queen in Scotland from 1965 to 1977.

He stirred controversy while on the Business Committee of the General Assembly in 1961 by initiating the proposal that the Moderator of the Church of Scotland should meet the Pope, an important breakthrough in improving inter-Church relations.

Also among his numerous public engagements was the launch of the iconic QE2 at Clydebank.

Full story at the East Lothian Courier.