On Tuesday 01 October 2019, it was the first time that Dr Mark MacGregor returned to the school after matriculating from Bishops in 1987.  The MacGregor family at Bishops goes back to Mark's Grandfather J. Gordon MacGregor (at Bishops 1915-21). Mark was accompanied to the Museum by a school friend of his late father, Neil MacGregor, the world-renowned ornithologist Peter Steyn (OH - 1954/1955 PM).  Both Neil and Peter matriculated from Bishops in 1954 and remained friends ever since until Neil's sad passing on 01 July 2010.  Neil a renowned conservationist farmed merino sheep, wheet and roobos tea on the farm 'Glenlyon' in the Nieuwoudtville area.  He was one of three boys sent to Bishops; Malcolm (now deceased) who matriculated from Bishops in 1947 (School House); a surviving brother The Reverend Alistair Gordon MacGregor (Bishops, 1951), who currently resides in Cape Town, and Neil. 

The original name of the MacGregor farm in the Niewhoudtville area in the Northern Cape, was Katlaagte purchased by James MacGregor, who came out from Scotland with his family in 1840. Subsequent generations continued the farming operations and in 1929 the Glenlyon homestead was built by Gordon MacGregor (at Bishops from 1915-21) who married Helen Lyon, whose father John Lyon, a Scottish architect, designed the homestead, and from where it got its name.  Gordon decided to send his boys to his old school: Malcolm, Alastair, and Neil.  In 1991, the BBC Natural History Unit filmed The Private Life of Plants on Glenlyon and it was visited by the world-renowned natural historian, conservationsit and BBC Narrotor, Sir David Attenborough, and his team.  Today Glenlyon is a National Botanical Heritage site.
 

Above - the farm house Glenlyon, of the MacGregor family.
Source: https://www.sanbi.org/gardens/hantam/history/


 

 
In the photograph above is Dr Mark MacGregor (left) with Peter Steyn, in front of the Exhibit of Bird Photography and History, that was kindly donated to the Museum by Peter. (Among the exhibits in the Peter Steyn Photographic Collection, are items that were awarded Royal Gold Medals from the Royal Photographic Society). 

T​​​​​​the photograph right at the very top of the article, shows Dr Mark MacGregor at one of the statues currently in the school Museum, kindly donated by the artist Dr Garth Hockly (OD).  Dr Hockly matriculated from Bishops in 1955 and currently lives in Queensland Australia, where he farms.  Mark knows Garth well, as Mark practised medicine in Australia where Garth was a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, probably from where he developed an interest in sculpture.  Mark currently works as an Anaethetist at St George's Hospital in London.  When asked about his schooling Mark commented that Doug Clark at the Prep was inspirational.  One of his teachers at College was Bishops' tenth Principal John Peake of whose one famous saying in class, talking about History, was "Things have changed immensely".   

Garth's book 'Half Forgotten Days' is a collection of memories of growing up on a sheep farm in the Karoo (Uplands), and of his memories at Bishops. 

Garth's Mother, was Marjorie MacGregor, Gordon' sister, which makes Garth a Great-Uncle to Mark.  Pages 22-28 of 'Half Forgotten Things' covers family history at Glenlyon.  

The Bishops Museum is greatly honoured to have links with such distinguished Old Diocesans.