A FORMER pupil of St Columba’s School has told of her pride at being made a Dame.

Eleanor Laing, who is a long-serving MP, recently received the honour in recognition of her public service.

Eleanor attended the Kilmacolm school and has always been involved in her local community.

She says that her education in Inverclyde has been a key foundation of her success in life.

It was while attending St Columba’s that Eleanor was inspired by one of her teachers and performed at the Inverclyde Musical Festival.

She said: “One of my inspirational teachers was Mrs Elspeth Buchanan who taught speech and drama.

"She still lives in Greenock and was well known for her involvement with the Greenock Players.

“She arranged for her pupils to take part in the music festival every January in Greenock Town Hall, which is where I made my first 'public appearance’.

"As a young girl I was terribly proud of the cups and certificates I won there!”

Eleanor then went on to attend Edinburgh University, where she studied law, and became the first woman to be elected President of Edinburgh University Union in 1980.

She was a Conservative candidate for the constituency of Paisley North in the 1987 general election, finishing second.

She subsequently moved to London in 1989 and became a special adviser to John MacGregor MP, who was the secretary of state for education.

In 1997 she was one of only 13 Conservative women to be elected to the House of Commons as MP for Epping Forest, an area where she has now lived for 22 years.

The mother of one was elected Deputy Speaker in 2013 and in 2017 she became a member of the Privy Council.

A few months ago she received a letter stating that the Prime Minister had recommended to the Queen that she be made a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Eleanor said: “I was very surprised and I was also very pleased.

“It is a strict rule that recipients of honours must not divulge the news before it is officially announced.

"I told nobody and managed to keep it a complete secret for more than six weeks until it was announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours."

Eleanor admits she is still getting to grips with her new formal title.

She said: “I haven't got used to this 'new name' yet, it is a bit overwhelming to be addressed as The Right Honourable Dame Eleanor Laing MP'.”