Meet the Forum Staff.

[Steve Ashton]

As with virtually all online forums, ours has Forum Moderators that assist with questions, problems, and watch over discussions here to maintain our rules. Our current Forum Moderator roster is:

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THISTLEDOWN



Name: Rex
Screen Name: ThistleDown

Inducted 16 Oct '10

Rex was born in Western Canada of a Scots father and an English mother. He was educated in Scotland and Canada and read history at Aberdeen and English at Manchester universities. He lived for several years in Ireland where he raised pigs and hawks. He has dual UK and Canadian citizenship and considers himself equally Canadian and Scottish, with dearly-loved homes in Inverness-shire, Graubünden and British Columbia.

He was a history and archeology feature writer for a prominent English newspaper, a researcher for the Scots editor of British Columbia’s largest daily newspaper, and public affairs director for one of Canada’s largest energy companies.

He is a retired lecturer in Scottish history, a retired director of the BC Innkeepers Guild, and a well-respected former restaurateur and innkeeper in British Columbia. He is ‘retired’ except from XMarks

Rex and his Swiss-born architect wife, Ruth, live roughly one third of each year in the Scottish Highlands and Switzerland and two-thirds overlooking the Salish Sea above Vancouver.

His various relevant interests include a 40-year and ongoing term as a Council member of the Clan Chattan Association, multiple terms as Secretary of the St. Andrew’s and Caledonia Society of Vancouver, a thirty-year elected Fellowship in the Society of Antiquaries, Scotland, and a founding membership on the Steering Committee of the Centre for Scottish Studies, Simon Fraser University in BC.

His avocations include hill-walking, woodworking, knife-making, leather-crafting, gardening, shooting, stalking and – surprisingly new to his life given his history -- cooking. He is a voracious reader and a prolific writer for several private history publications.

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Alex


Name:- Alex
Screen Name:- Cessna152towser

Inducted 16 Oct '13

I was born in Scotland in 1951 and still live in Scotland although most of my relatives are in Canada. I bought my first kilt in 1993 but did not wear the kilt much until a leg injury in January 2003 put me on crutches and forced me to wear the kilt to work as I was unable to get into trousers. I was so impressed by the comfort and by all the positive comments that I began to wear the kilt almost every day and soon added more kilts to my collection.

I joined Xmarksthescot in December 2005. I worked in the legal profession in Scotland for 35 years, both in the public and private sectors and then took early retirement at age 58 in favour of less stressful part-time work driving buses, minibuses and taxis.I married Ann in 1984 and lived with her till 2009 when sadly a stroke left her paralysed from the waist down and led to her early death. Now living with my new partner Gabrielle. I have an adult daughter Laura from a previous marriage.

I am Scottish Director for Clan Cunningham International and was also secretary and treasurer of Hawick Highland Games. My other hobbies are Scottish Country Dancing, aviation history, classic vehicles and model trains.

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Pleater

Name: Anne
Screen Name: Pleater

Inducted 1 Sep '11

I began sewing kilts for my own use when I was losing weight and found that conventional clothing was simply not adaptable to my changing shape and size. When using the internet to research the correct method of construction, I found my path directed again and again to X Marks. Before long I joined, hesitantly, I must confess, and discovered I had found a home from home.

Being wife, mother of two grown up offspring and now a grandmother time can sometimes appear insufficient for all requirements, but nature has resolved this with occasional insomnia. During those times I would sew kilts and knit or crochet, but I now add using the computer. My given name is Anne - the 'e' is pronounced by older people in my native South Yorkshire, but not so much since Princess Anne came on the scene. I have had the surnames Gillot, Winslade, and now Croucher.

These days I wear a kilt just about every day, and have quite a selection of kilts and pleated skirts but I still make more as I find the different ways of pleating them fascinating. I should construct other garments, as my output of all sorts of clothing used to be far more diverse, but somehow the kilt proves too interesting.I earn a little money from my interest in knitting machines, and I teach, repair, service and sometimes sell them, and I do make garments with them once in a while. I play my guitar and sing a little - mainly during the first week in August when I decamp to the Sidmouth folk festival in Devon from my present location close to Poole harbour, Dorset, in England.

When I have some I will edit in a photograph or two, but first I will have to devise some method to get images of myself.

Anne Croucher

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Father Bill



Name Bill
Screen Name Father Bill

Inducted 13 Apr '13

After thirty-two years in the public elementary school system as a teacher, vice-principal and principal, Bill retired only to hear a call to the priesthood less than a year later. Three years in the seminary, and voila! Father Bill, a priest with a bent sense of humour! After four years in a rural three-point parish, he came home to take a parish in his home town. He is now retired from parish ministry, but still an active priest in good standing.

Even as a little kid, Bill had a fascination for everything Scottish — the pipes, the kilts, the history, the clans, the tartans. While doing some digging he found a family path leading back to Caithness and the Orkneys, and bought his first of two Sinclair kilts. It seems that Scotland was always hidden in his blood, and now the circle was complete!

Bill discovered X Marks in 2011, and now signs in almost every morning and often through the day while he works at his desk. He enjoys the discussion and repartee, and is highly appreciative of the kind, respectful discussion that characterizes the forum. The members of X Marks are considered friends!

Bill is married to his ever-beautiful freshman sweetheart, Liesel. They are parents to Bill III, and grandparents to Bill IV and Klara.

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Geoff Withnell




Screen Name Geoff Withnell
Name Geoff

Inducted 26 Jan 2014

I have always been interested in wearing a kilt, but only started a few years ago when my lovely bride Michele got me a great kilt at the Maryland RenFair. I discovered I liked wearing a kilt, and Michele thought I made me look good, so my collection grew. At first I wore universal tartans or my USMC Leatherneck tartan. I knew my heritage was primarily Celtic, but I thought it was Welsh (father's side) and Irish (mother's side). Some research into family history disclosed that my father's mother was not a Welsh Davies, but had come from "up North", which could only be Scotland. Well, since Davies, or Davis, or Davys (all three spellings exist in her written records, sometimes on the same page!) are septs of Davidson, I have since joined Clan Davidson Association USA, and have become mildly active therein. I am also active in the Scottish American Military Society, being a proud Marine veteran.
No discussion of my kilt wearing would be complete if I didn't mention the recently retired XMarks Mod, Ern Malcolm, who was a great friend and encouragement in my first steps in our mutual addiction.
Professionally, I am a Quality Assurance engineer, currently a consultant for a nameless Department of Defense agency outside Washington, DC.
Personally, I have been married to Michele for 42 years as of this writing, and we have 4 children and 14 grandchildren. Besides going to Highland Games and Renfairs, we also square dance, and are active in our local synagogue.
I hope I can be as much help to new kilt wearers as this forum was to me, when I was getting started.

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Mike In Dayton

NAME: Mike
Screen Name: Mike In Dayton

Inducted 26 Jan 2014

For the last 27 years I have worked in the IT (Information Technology) field. Prior to moving into IT I worked for the local power company in telecommunications. I worked with the two-way radio system in the service trucks and on the microwave point-to-point communication system that tied the power plants and major substations together. My hobbies include Amateur Radio, electronic design, and I flew as a private pilot for about 30 years. I have recently taken an interest in making kilts.

My interest in kilts goes back many years but not having a significant connection to Scottish or Celtic ancestry that interest was mostly suppressed. I do have confirmed English and eastern Europe ancestry. Of those two my interests were on the English side which evolved to being more connected to the Scottish and Celtic culture. Around the year 2000 my interests in kilts awakened. I don’t remember how I found X Marks but I joined the group. It was not until 2007 that I was in a position to obtain my first kilt and I went from there. I now own around 25 kilts ranging from traditional to utility type kilts. My primary kilt preference has moved toward the traditional side over the past couple of years. I wear kilts about 50% of the time all year round. Being a shy person wearing kilts as much as I do forced me to be more outgoing and accepting of the attention. You cannot avoid the attention when you live in an area where you only kilts you see are at Celtic festivals and parades. I have meet some very interesting people on this journey into the land of kilts.

I live in Dayton, Ohio, USA, with my Silky Terrier dog Max and Yorkie Bella.

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Liam

Screen Name: Liam
Name: Bill

Inducted 20 Nov 2017

My name is Bill Rennie. As the forum name Bill was already taken I chose Liam.
I was born and raised in Western Canada and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a BSc in Mech. Engineering. I worked in the oil and gas industry for 40 years prior to retiring at age 61.
I have been married to my wife Lorna for 43 years and raised 4 children.
My ancestors came to Canada from Turriff, Aberdeenshire in 1834. I first wore a kilt while visiting my wife’s Grandfather in Aboyne in 1978. About 10 years ago our 2 sons were getting married and wanted to do so “kilted”. We arranged to have the Rennie family tartan woven and kilts made. Other Kilts followed and the wearing of a kilt became a regular part of my attire. Following my retirement I became a daily kilt wearer for 3 years. I now do not wear it daily but regularly.
I am an avid amateur wine maker and wine Judge. I volunteer as an historical interpreter at Calgary’s Heritage Park and at Lougheed House. I also volunteer as Santa Claus.
HoHoHo!


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Richrail

Screen Name: Richrail
Name: Richard


Inducted 20 Nov 2017

My name is Richard Bromley I was born in Southern California but my family moved to a small rural community in Nevada were I grew up on a 600+ acre ranch. My wife and I have known each other since 3rd grade in 1968. We have four married children, one granddaughter and the second grandchild on the way. I work for Union Pacific Railroad, thus the Richrail name. I am a licensed engineer and certified conductor. I started wearing kilts about 6 years ago, I usually wear a kilt when I'm not working. I got involved with our local Celtic society with my wife who is also a Xmarks member as Arboribabe. I have done some genealogy and did discover a Scottish connection that my farther never talked about, I knew about my Irish side on my mothers side of the family. I tend to the traditional form of highland dress. I have had the pleasure of meeting other Xmarks members at Highland gatherings in California. I am a home brewer and we love to get out camp a few times each year. I do sign on to Xmarks at least once a day, granted at strange hours because of my work. I have no set schedule I am on call 24/7/365. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

It is a pleasure to serve.

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