'Black tie' questions

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

A few words about David Lumsden of Cushnie, and his famous ACBW cards, would seem to be in order. For those who didn't know David, I should like to point out that he was a most genial gentlemen. At 6'4" tall, and a former athlete (played polo, rowed at Cambridge), to mention nothing of his time in Africa during the Mau Mau rebellion where he actively engaged the insurgents in the bush, David was more than capable of dealing with those he deemed offensive, especially if they became physical. I well remember a September evening in Edinburgh when David and I were waiting for a taxi and David was accosted by a thick set man in his thirties who obviously thought he was tougher than the 60+ year old Baron of Cushnie. Annoyed that Cushnie was ignoring him, the thug made the grave error of poking David in the chest with his finger. Fast as lightning David grabbed the man's arm, spun him around, dislocating the thug's shoulder, and rammed him face-first into the lamp post at the taxi rank. The confrontation was over in a few seconds...

If the recipient of one of David's ACBW cards asked of its meaning, David would, in the most jovial (and conspiratorial) manner gently explain why "white socks" weren't "the done thing". No one, at least as far as I'm aware, ever took offense at David's rather amusing "sock lectures", and if they had, I'm sure he would have been the first to apologize for having caused offense when he merely meant to tease.

I'm also quite sure that he'd have had no trouble putting down anyone who wanted to express their sense of indignation in a physical manner.