PRESS RELEASES

"2000 TATTOO - DETAILS UNVEILED"
Posted 16th July 2000

TATTOO PRODUCER SET TO UNVEIL SPECIAL 50 ANNIVERSARY SHOW LINE-UP AT EDINBURGH CASTLE

Including a unique glimpse of what's in store this August and the launch of the Tattoo's new Golden Anniversary video cassette on Friday 21 July at 10.00am

Details of the complete programme for the forthcoming Golden Anniversary Edinburgh Tattoo (4-26 August), which this year features 'A Celebration of the Commonwealth' and includes the largest gathering of Pipes & Drums ever seen on the Castle Esplanade, will be revealed by Tattoo Chief Executive & Producer, Brigadier Melville Jameson in the Jacobite Room of Mills Mount Restaurant at Edinburgh Castle on Friday 21 July at 10.00am.

The Producer will also provide participation particulars about the eagerly anticipated attendance of hundreds of Commonwealth performers from the four corners of the globe including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies.

Fife-based internet marketing company, CamVista, will be in attendance to transmit the conference live to the world via the Tattoo's web site at www.edintattoo.co.uk. ExpressMedia, the web site producers will co-ordinate the web site pages.

New General Officer Commanding 2nd Division the Army in Scotland and North of England the Major General Robert Gordon will also be on hand for comment.

Press and Media are invited to send a reporter/photographer/camera crew to record this event.

Refreshments will be served.

Jacobite Room, Mills Mount Restaurant, Edinburgh Castle on Friday 21 July 2000

- Ends -

For further information, please contact :

The Tattoo Office, 32 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QB
Tel: 0131 225 4783 Fax: 0131 225 8627
Email: edintattoo@edintattoo.co.uk

PERSONAL PROFILES

Brigadier Melville Stewart Jameson CBE

Brigadier Melville Jameson was born and brought up at his home near Blairgowrie in Perthshire and educated at Glenalmond College.

In 1965 he was commissioned into The Royal Scots Greys from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He served with his regiment in Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus, the Middle East and Edinburgh, where in 1971 his Regiment amalgamated with 3rd Carbiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

His regimental service included three years as a Squadron Leader in Chieftain tanks and two years as Second in Command.

Following a tour as Chief of Staff, 52 Lowland Brigade in Edinburgh Castle he was appointed to command The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards from 1986 to 1988 at Tidworth in Hampshire.

He was subsequently posted as Directing Staff to the Joint Service Defence College and then appointed Colonel on the Military Secretary's staff. For three years he was Commander 51 Highland Brigade in Perth and left the Army in December 1996.

Having produced the 1995 and 1996 Tattoos, the Brigadier joined the company as full-time Producer prior to becoming its Chief Executive and Producer in January 1998 upon the retirement of the Business Manager.

The Brigadier is Honorary Colonel of the Aberdeen Universities Officers Training Corps. He is a member of the Royal Company of Archers, The Queen's Body Guard for Scotland.

He is married to Sarah and has two sons, Harry aged 22 and Michael aged 19.

MAJOR GENERAL R D S GORDON CBE MA
( Late 17th / 21st LANCERS )

General Officer Commanding 2nd Division
and Governor Edinburgh Castle Designate

Major General Robert Gordon was born on 23 November 1950 and was educated at Wellington College and St Catharines College Cambridge where he read Modern History.

He was commissioned into the 1 7"'/2l ~ Lancers in 1970, and served as a young officer in reconnaissance, armour and on foot in Cyprus, Germany, Northern Ireland and on exchange with Lord Strathcona's Horse in Canada, before becoming an instructor of tank gunnery at Lulworth.

After 2 years weapon and staff training at the Army's Staff Colleges in Shrivenham and Camberley his early staff appointments were as 4th Armoured Brigades Chief of Staff in Germany (1952-1984), as a weapons stair officer in MGOs Secretariat MOD (1987), and, on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel as Military Assistant to CinC BAORICOMNORTHAG (1988 - 1990) in Rheindahlen.

From 1990-1992 he commanded the 17th / 21st Lancers, an armoured regiment equipped with Challenger 1 tanks, in Germany, England and Canada.

On promotion to Colonel in 1992 ho was appointed Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee in the MOD until 1994 when he took command of the 19th Mechanised Brigade in Catterick in which post he went to Bosnia in October 1994 for 7 months to assume command or UN Sector South West Bosnia and the British Forces in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.

He was Director of Army Public Relations in the MOD from January 1997 to April 1999, responsible as such for the Army's Corporate Communications Strategy.

He is a graduate of the Higher Command and Staff Course 1994 and the Royal College of Defence Studies 1998.

He assumed command of the 2M Division in York iii the rank of Major General in May 1999, and will move with the Divisional Headquarters to Edinburgh in late March 2000. He will then assume command on 1 April 2000 of the Army in the North of England and Scotland and the additional appointment of Governor Edinburgh Castle as a member of the Royal Household in Scotland.

He and his Canadian wife Gina have 2 teenage sons, Seaton (17) and Charlie (14). His interests include history, offshore sailing, shooting, tennis, and more recently, golf.