Brandishing a slightly alarming looking green puppet with bright red hair, he stands beaming in the sunshine on the steps of Kaikorai Primary School.
He is here alongside 16 of his former childhood schoolmates for a reunion of their time together at the Roslyn school.
The puppet was made at more than 60 years ago during his time at the school as a young boy.
The red hair was a rascally reference to his teacher, Miss Wilson, he said.
"When she saw it [she said] ‘oh, I love the hair’."
As the septuagenarian school chums arrive for a tour of the school, they greet each other with smiles, handshakes and hugs.
Some display a glimmer of recognition as they look around, searching for each other’s names before falling into friendly conversation.
Jim Shanks organised this get-together, which included a tour of the school, as well as an evening meal.
Out of around 60 children who arrived at Kaikorai Primary School in 1954 and 1955 as 5-year-olds, about 40 have kept in touch over the years.
They have had about five or six reunions, the first one in the mid-1990s and the last one in 2019.
"We are all getting older. We are all 75 this year.
"Time and tide wait for no man or woman."
His memories of his time at the school included "getting the strap".
"I was always pushing to see how far I could get."
But he also had happier memories, including helping out with sporting events.
"We had a lot of painting batons and counting ammunition for the starting rifles and pistols."
Mr Shanks also remembered helping out on swimming days at the Moray Pl Swimming Baths.
"I remember the last time I was down there, me and another young fellow were carrying a table around the side of the pool.
"I slipped and fell in," he said, laughing.
