John Archer Soutar and Sarah Johnston Robbie
John Archer Soutar and Sarah (always known as Sis to the other members of her family) Johnston Robbie were married on July 18th 1907 at Mathers Hotel, Dundee. At the time of marriage he was 34, a commercial traveller with Van den Berg Ltd and she, 26 and an assistant school teacher in Blackness School. She wore, not a bridal dress, but a dress in cream satin, trimmed with red velvet. The couple had been introduced when John's brother-in-law, Willie Peddie-Petrie who was organist at Liff Church, took John and other of his choristers from Dundee to sing at Liff Church, where Sarah and her family were members. After the wedding the couple lived their whole married life at 85 Magdalen Yard Road in Dundee.
Three children Douglas, Stanley and Hilda were born between 1908 and 1916 all of them being baptized in St. Pauls (South) Church by Rev. James Boath Wood.
Magdalen Yard Road was an interesting area to be brought up in. About 8.15am. figures could be seen walking from Windsor Street, Shepherds Loan and round about and converging on Magdalen Green Station to catch one of the two trains which stopped there about 8.20am and which would carry them to the centre of town. All movements on both the LMS and LNER railway lines were clearly seen from the windows of the house. The Band Stand was the social centre on summer Sundays when performances were given every second week. People would come from all over town and sit on the grass for several hours, listening. The annual flower show also took place on the "Green". This was preceded by the building of a high wooden fence which, although sturdy, could be climbed if the right place was chosen near one of the uprights. Many of the local boys could gain free access this way.
The children played various games in season: rounders, kick the can (which involved running through back greens and over fences) and daisy chain making. Although the children in Taylors Lane played hopping games such as hop scotch those on the front didn't, probably because parents and neighbours would have frowned upon any chalking on pavements. In fact the children on the front didn't play much with those in Taylors Lane, not through snobbery, but because they went to different schools. The call home for the Taylor's Lane children never varied "Willie, Jean, - yer wantit". In more genteel families, big brother was sent out to fetch you.
At a cousin's wedding during the first war the guests at the reception in Queens Hotel were described in detail in the local paper: Mrs John Soutar in apricot ninion with yoke of net and black hat. Mrs Peddie Petrie in azure blue bengaline relieved with lace and worn with a black plumed hat Mrs D.M.Brown (no relation but wife of the owner of the shop of the same name) came in a toilette of tabac corded silk, with golden brown hat. Miss Helen Stevenson in a pretty gown of knife-pleated white chiffon, her black hat trimmed with a cerise plume. At another wedding around the same time the descriptions are Mrs J Soutar in peach coloured silk mousseline, and a smart black hat with black plumes and Mrs Peddie Petrie in a pretty saxe blue frock and black hat.
For children below school age, a favourite walk was to see the horses being shod in the smiddy west of Greenfield Place - an exciting place for children. After they started school, Harris Academy in Park Place, the children passed the smiddy daily until it closed. Horses played a big part in everyday life at that time and Hilda recalls two stories, one about which she still feels slightly guilty. The coalman's lorry was standing outside the manse. As she passed she said "gee up!" and was shocked and amazed when the horse moved off round the corner and, quite slowly, up Taylors Lane. To make amends she quickly ran round the back to where the coalman was delivering to tell him "Your horse has gone off". The other incident happened outside their door when a horse fell, struggled to get up but as it was still firmly fixed in the shafts of the cart it couldn't. People trying to help couldn't release it because of its struggles. Sarah came to the door and with the benefit of her country upbringing shouted "Sit on its head". They did, the horse stopped struggling, and they were able to release it from the shafts and it could get up.
Good behaviour was always required on the way to school as the Rector, Barry Robb who lived in Wormit travelled by train to Esplanade station and walked up Magdalen Yard Road (now Roseangle) to school. He presented an impressive figure in his frock coat and striped trousers. Once Hilda reached school age, Douglas, being the oldest, got, as his mother said, "the durdram" (the strife), that is, had the responsibility of looking after her even when she insisted on standing on his feet as he walked a few paces up the street. This lasted until he eventually complained to his mother about it. As the children grew older they would be sent up to the shops for messages, Stanley got the reputation for being unable to remember what he had been sent for but he never came back empty handed. If he couldn't remember what he had been sent for he simply brought a quarter of best coffee although his mother took a dim view when she was presented with a quarter of best coffee twice in one day. One thing they were always warned about was not to be caught in Taylors Lane when the bummer went at lousin' time as they would be covered in jute fibres (ooze) in the crowd.
All three children gained University entrance qualifications but, as John's father Andrew, had run into financial difficulties when he put one of his sons, George, through university, John, not wishing a repetition of this made his own family finances more secure by putting Douglas out to work (in the Clydesdale Bank) before completing the education of the other two. Stanley went to St Andrews University (at Dundee) where he studied medicine and Hilda studied art at Dundee College of Art.
Going on holiday was a great event preceded by the packing of the trunk. Hours of washing, ironing and packing preceded the arrival of the porter from Magdalen Green station who loaded the trunk onto his barrow to be sent "luggage in advance" to arrive, as if by magic, at the holiday destination - often St Andrews but at other times, Kirriemuir, Aberdeen, Pitlochry and Montrose (where Hilda remembers Douglas helping teach her to cycle). St Andrews was popular because John could travel back and forward for two weeks before joining the others full time for his own fortnight's holiday. A house was taken and the whole extended family holidayed together - Aunt Lizzie, Uncle Willie, Aunt Jessie, Uncle Jim, Aunt Jeannie, were all present on various holidays. The pattern during the holiday was that the women and children went to the beach where they sat beside the bathing shelter, played in the sand, made sand castles and some of them even went into the water while the men went off to play golf although perhaps without much success.
The family's visits always seemed to co-incide with the Childrens Special Service Mission run by Mr Hudson Pope whom John's sense of humour renamed Hudson Soap. (Hudson's Soap was widely advertised at one time). One of Hilda's cherished memories is of the day when walking to the beach, her mother stopped one of the boys leading the ponies to the beach and paid six pence to let her ride all the way to the beach.
The children all excelled at sports and athletics and on one occasion when they entered for the local sports in St Andrews, Douglas and Stanley won every event between them. Their mother was "black affronted" and they were made to return the prizes. On one occasion the family took a mystery tour by bus from St Andrews - it took them to see of all things the Tay Bridge! (The family home overlooked it).
Visits were also made to Benvie; Hilda's earliest memories of Benvie are of Aunt Mim's wedding in 1921 when she was a bridesmaid, aged four. The wedding was held in the parlour which she is sure would have been decorated with the sweet peas which grandfather prided himself in growing with four or even five heads. The boys went to Benvie too and enjoyed "helping" Grandfather to stoke the fire to dry grain spread on the slatted floor above. This should have been done by keeping an even layer of smouldering chaff burning slowly, adding an extra scoop of chaff to any part of the fire which threatened to burn through but the boys would soon have a roaring fire going and grandfather would have to re-make the whole thing. Swimming in Mill pond was also enjoyed.
Douglas who had been transferred by the bank to Coatbridge married Nettie Nelson there on 14 July1934. Before marriage when Douglas returned home at weekends, his father would leave the church in the middle of the evening service to go to the station to see him off. In 1943 Stanley married Margaret Darling on 12 Nov at St George's Parish Church, Edinburgh and Hilda married Alexander Allan at 85 Magdalen Yard Road on 22 August 1944.
John had learned to drive when he was in The Volunteer Force (City of Dundee RASCMT(V) ) as no. V595902 from 18:07:18 to 31:03:21 and later bought a car but didn't drive as driving made him too tense and, as a result, Hilda did most of the driving. As a pedestrian though, John took the attitude "I was here before the cars so they can keep out of my way"
John retired in 1938 an event recorded in the paper:
"A very well known personality in the provision trade in Dundee and district, Mr John A Soutar, 85 Magdalen Yard Road, is on the eve of retiring. Mr Soutar's connection with the margarine trade extends over a very long period. He entered the service of Van Den Bergs, Ltd., as traveller in 1898 and later transferred his services to Jugens, Ltd., as district manager. He continued to occupy that position when the two firms were amalgamated some years ago and became part of the Unilever organisation.
Mr Soutar had a remarkable record in the matter of health. He had been 39 years at business without having been off."When John died, three years later the obituaries repeated the above information and added: "One of the oldest members and secretary of Dudhope Bowling Club which he joined in 1898, he in his younger days frequently represented the club in Hunter Cup matches".
"He took a leading part in Dundee Grocers' Benevolent Society, and was session clerk of Old St Paul's Church."
"Mr Soutar is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. One son is Mr Stanley Soutar F.R.C.S. (Edin), resident assistant in the surgical department of Dundee Royal Infirmary, while Mr Douglas Soutar is a banker. The daughter is an art teacher."Confirmation:
Soutar, John Archer, commercial traveller, retired, 85 Magdalen Yard Road, Dundee Died 20 March 1941 at Dundee, testate, confirmation Dundee 5 June to Sarah Johnston Robbie or Soutar, 85 Magdalen Yard Road, Dundee, widow, executor. Will dated 24 Apr 1930. Recorded 30 May 1931. Value of estate £875:14:7.After John's death, Sarah continued living at Magdalen Yard Road for about fifteen years when, suffering from angina, she moved to stay with Stanley in Somerville Place. She died 6 Jan 1964.
Confirmation:
Soutar
Sarah Johnston Robbie or
1 Sommerville Place, Dundee
testate
Recorded Dundee 10:3:64
James Neilson and Jeannie Cuthill Forrester
James Neilson and Jeannie Cuthill Forrester married 26 June 1902 at Dunbeth United Free manse, Coatbridge. He was a grocer's salesman aged 23 of 10A Dunbeth Road. She was a dairymaid, aged 24 of 50 Academy Street.
After the wedding they moved in to 48 Academy Street where Nettie was born 09 June 1904, at least that is what the birth certificate says although the family thought it was the 3rd June until Nettie got a copy of the certificate before going to college at age eighteen. The explanation may be that the other important event that month was the cattle show and it was on the third and that is what was remembered! Five years later, on 12 November, Chris was born at 46 Academy Street and was given the name Nelson not Neilson whether by intention or design is not known.
The explanation for all the addresses in Academy Street is that the houses were all owned by Jeannie's mother and were let out for income. Relations were more likely to look after the houses than other people so they were let to relations if possible. One story from there which Nettie remembered was of the dog yawning one day. As it did so, a mouse jumped out of the cupboard into the dog's mouth and out again leaving a very surprised dog.
When Nettie started school she loved it and everything about it so much so that one teacher visited the family at home to recommend that Nettie follow a career in teaching. This she eventually did. Chris on the other hand didn't like school. Her mother said later that she had to take her to school and put her in the gate. Even so Chris was sometimes out another gate and back home before her mother!
James Nelson was grocer's salesman with Reids. Later he opened his own shop in Lang Loan. In 1924, when the family moved from Academy Street to "Elton Mar" in Church Street (which was purchased by Granny Forrester on 26 March partly with the help of loans from Joe and Jeannie). Jimmy started boarding kennels there that year, work which he continued for the rest of his life despite his rather severe asthma.
He loved dogs and the dogs reciprocated - sometimes dogs returned to him the day after being taken home by their owners and had to be chased away in no uncertain fashion. Some owners would bring a box of chocolates so that their pets could continue their habit of having a chocolate or two each day!
When Nettie was sixteen, she developed a rash which the doctor diagnosed as scarlet fever. She was given the option of staying at home or going to hospital and chose the latter out of consideration for others. After reaching hospital the rash disappeared - it hadn't been scarlet fever. By now she had been in contact with the disease and she was kept in, developing the disease later and spending a long six weeks in hospital. At one point a mouse came into her bed and she jumped out and wouldn't get back in. Matron was called and to convince Nettie the mouse was gone she put her dog into the bed to make sure it was frightened away! This seemed to make everything alright! When she recovered, Nettie began to help the staff and as a reward they took her round the diphtheria wards before she went home!!
When Nettie left school she successfully completed teacher training at Jordanhill and joined in social activities including Charities Day with enthusiasm. Nettie was good at using the sewing machines at College, something that many of the class found difficult, at one point the teacher left the room so Nettie helped the others out by "mass producing" the articles they were making. On another occasion she handed round peppermints. The teacher went round the whole class except Nettie, who was standing behind her, asking "Who has them? Is it you, is it you? No one owned up but Nettie giggled and gave the game away. In later years Nettie liked to recount a story about a daring dress she had in the 1920's - she showed friends the back first then turned round shocking them with the very short front.
Some sixty years later she wrote about some of the experiences she had when she started teaching and these are included elsewhere although she missed the one about her bus driving experiences. A boyfriend owned a bus and as Nettie needed to get to school and there was no suitable transport it was arranged that a service would be run from Coatbridge to the school and back each day with Nettie as driver most days. This had some disadvantages, for one thing, splashes of acid from the battery burnt her stockings and for another, the headmistress wouldn't go on the bus if Nettie drove. Each day she would get on the bus, walk to the front, open the door to the drivers compartment, if Nettie was driving she got off again!
Chris remembers an occasion when she was on Nettie's pillion and they ran over a hen. A lady came out shouting "That hen cost me half-a-crown (2/6)" Nettie put her hand in her pocket and gave her two shillings and sixpence, lifted the hen, put it on Chris's lap and the two of them drove off. Their father plucked and cleaned it and it made two days' soup
Nettie had been a member of the Girls Guildry when younger and later was a Sunday School teacher and started the 1st Coatbridge Life Boy Team. One year when organising the Sunday School annual picnic she hired an entire train to carry everyone. Only years later did she think that if people hadn't turned up for the picnic she would have been responsible for the whole cost herself. She continued running these organisations until her marriage to Douglas Soutar on 14 July 1933 at Elton Mar, Church Street, Coatbridge.
When Chris left school she tried several things including nursing but wasn't happy in any of them. Finally as the family prepared to give up, Nettie paid for a hairdressing course. This was successful and was followed by employment with McGregors hairdressers and eventually her own business, run from home. She married William Forrest on 21st August 1929 at Elton Mar. Granny Forrester died the next year on 28 December. Her will left all her property in trust for Jeannie and Joe (Jeannie's brother) and the family remained in Elton Mar until after Jimmy's death in 1946 when the trust was wound up and Jeannie and Joe went to stay with Chris and Willie in a specially built cabin at their farm, Muirhouse. In 1948 they moved with them to Raith farm, Jeannie later moved to stay with Nettie and Douglas in Dundee and Joe remained, helping on the farm until he went into care after having a leg amputated because of gangerine.
On one occasion Jeannie was preparing lunch, she was "getting on in years" and to champ (mash) the tatties put the pot on the floor of the kitchen at Raith. She then walked across the kitchen to get the tattie champer and as she did so the dog came across and looked at the pot. Jeannie turned round and started saying "Get your ....". She stopped looked at the grandchildren, decided to say it anyway, and said "Get your shitty paws out of that". They dissolved in laughter. On another occasion when visitors were expected, Jeannie thought the peas in the soup were not softening as they should so she added baking soda to soften them. The result was that the soup boiled up and over. With guests expected any time, Jeannie scooped it the soup in the ladle as it dripped from the cooker, returned it to the pot and served it - and was complimented on her soup!
Before it was sold, Elton Mar was decidedly old fashioned. The kitchen was in a glass-roofed porch. They had no cooker, only two gas rings. There always seemed to be tripe cooking on the fire for the dogs. In the kitchen there were also girnels of flour and oats. Tightly packed, these would keep from one harvest to the next. Next door to the kitchen porch was the sitting room with its hair-filled chairs and sofa. The hair always seemed to stick through the covers and prickle the back of your legs. On the wall beside the fire was the telephone, to use it you had to lift the earpiece and ca' the handle to call the operator, give her the number you wanted as well as your own before being put through.
William Valentine and Isabella Innes Smart
William and Isabella were married on 31st December 1900 at Lochee. He was a blacksmith living at 32 Church Street, Lochee and she a factory worker living at 33 Liff Road, Lochee. She had been born on 1st January 1873 at Park Place, Lochee to Robert Smart and Ann Neish (although her father was resident at "Bell and Sime's Land" at the time of the birth). He was the son of William Rea Valentine and Ann Jenkins. No wedding photos of the couple are known to exist but the one in the scrapbook shows them four years after marriage on a post card to Isabella From "C" postmarked Madderty on May 9th 1904.
William was a blacksmith to trade although it is not clear whether he had his own business. What is known is that latterly he spent most of his time working for his father's business (later his sister's). In what spare time he had he was a keen sportsman and is shown with a cricket team in the scrapbook
A daughter, Annabella Stewart Neish Valentine was born in November 1901, another daughter, Helen Fleming Valentine in July 1906 and a son William Valentine on 28 July 1908. Helen unfortunately contacted diphtheria and died on 20th August 1908. William's christening and Helen's funeral took place on the same day.
Annabella was a talented elocutionist and won several certificates for this. On leaving school she worked in the office of a jute mill but scarlet fever struck in 1920 when she was nineteen and she died on the 17th October. After this her mother could not bear to hear her son, a violinist, play although it has to be admitted that it might have something to do with the quality of the playing as well.
Although Annabella had attended Harris Academy, she did not complete the course, leaving at age fourteen. This reflected badly on the family and, as a result, Willie was not accepted for Harris and attended Ancrum Road School, leaving there in 1922.
From school, Willie joined Jute Industries as a mill clerk in Walton Works, serving there and in Rashiewell Works until around 1929. About this time also, Willie attended Spanish classes with a view to emigrating to South America although he never actually achieved this ambition.. Study at this time was part of his life and he amassed quite a list of qualifications.
By 1933 Willie had become a keen golfer, a passion he retained for the rest of his life, and he became a founder member of Downfield Golf Club in Dundee.
Sundays were a day for walking, perhaps to Menzieshill (now the site of Ninewells Hospital) and returning by tram, or for listening to bands in the parks, Baxter Park being a favourite. Young Willie would turn out in his spats and bowler hat. For less formal occasions plus-fores were the height of fashion. He enjoyed sport and played football and tennis among other things.
Both William and Bell are remembered as being nice cheery people. As he was always working she had to make her own entertainment enjoying among other things, visits to the cinema.
On 13th December 1934 William Sen. died aged 64. His son, Willie, in later years told both his son and son-in-law that his father had been kicked by a horse he was shoeing, blood poisoning resulted and in these pre-antibiotic days proved fatal. Nan, Willie jnr's wife told her daughter that she thought that he died as the result of haemorrhoids which became infected. The death certificate does not agree exactly with either of these explanations, listing "Gas gangerine of the perineum and acute toxic myocarditis.
Only two years later on 2nd June 1936 Bell also died. She had been suffering from cancer and spent some time when ill with relations at Madderty. This long-term illness resulted in Willie junior's marriage to Nan Fraser being delayed until the year following his mother's death.
For a time after his mother's death, Willie stayed at Tofthill with his Aunt Cathie and her companion Margaret Doig but hated the arrangement (for one thing Aunt Cathie would walk into his room and switch the light off even if he was there). Both Cathie and her companion had a reputation for talking about people behind their backs - one of Cathie's comments had been "Bell isn't much of a cook" which, as the house had only one gas ring, was rather unfair. Kate, the wife of Cathie's brother John (known as Jeck) was also rather upset by comments made by Cathie as were others.
The gravestone in Balgay cemetery reads:
In loving memory of my dear husband William Valentine who died 13th Dec 1934 aged 64 years.
Also our daughter Annabella who died 17 Oct 1920 aged 19 years, Helen who died 20th August 1920 aged 2 yr.
Isabella Smart beloved wife of the above who died 2nd June 1936 aged 63 yr.
also their son William who died 24 May 1980 aged 71 years
James Fraser and Maggie Dobson
Jim and Maggie were married on 22 July 1910 by Rev. D.R.Robertson of Clepington church at the Forfar & Kincardine Hall. He was 32, Journeyman baker having served his time at Rough & Fraser's and was living at 4 Isla Street. She was 28, a sack machinist working in Grimmonds factory and living at 115 Strathmartine Road. Charles Dobson was best man and Jessie Fraser bridesmaid.Their first daughter, Annie Hanton (later known as Nan) was born 30 April 1911 at home in Watson Street. Shortly after, the family moved to Provost Road to a new, modern house with a toilet. Even houses further down the street didn't have toilets as the owner, a doctor, didn't believe in them, thinking that it was more hygienic to have them outside. The houses were in the country and surrounded by fields, fields from which the children were, in the future, often to be chased by farmer Johnston. This house was closer to Jim's work, baking with Dundee Eastern Co-operative Society where he had a 3am start each morning. Two years later in 1913, Isabella Ferguson was born on 9th March and their son, David was born 20 November 1915 both being born at 52 Provost Road. Granny Dobson who was frequently called upon by families in the district on such occasions was the midwife for all three births and all were baptized by Rev Robertson of Clepington Church.
By 1916 Jim and Maggie's brother, Charles, also a baker were planning to open their own bakers shop in the Vault but the war intervened, Charles died from wounds received in Palestine and the idea never came to fruition. Jim volunteered for army despite being 39 and served in France with the Royal Garrison Artillery on "the Big Guns" which resulted in some deafness in later life.
Margaret the youngest, was born on 31 May 1920. The family were still at 52 Provost Road. Over the years, all four children attended Dens Road school the older three then went to Stobswell and Margaret went to the newly opened Rockwell.
In 1925 Annie started work in G.L.Wilsons training as dressmaker. In the workroom at the top floor of G.L.Wilson's fumes drifting over from Smith Brothers caused her to develop bronchitis, which was to develop into Asthma, and which plagued her all her life. Nevertheless, when she was able she walked to and from work via Hilltown and Wellgate four times a day. When Bella's turn came to leave school in 1927 jobs were very difficult to find during the recession but Bella found work in J.K.Mearns, wholesale drapers, at 10 shillings a week. Shortly after, Jim had an accident with a dough machine and had 25 stitches in his hand. When gangrene set in a finger he said "I've a family to keep - take it off". This injury resulted in his being off work for about a year. Bella remembers winning the Derby sweepstake at J.K.Mearns (£7) which helped the family to buy shoes at this difficult time and David found a job as a message boy with Murray the butcher in Clepington Road to help but the family wouldn't take his money so he bought a bike with it. The bike later disappeared when he was on active service during the war and he never found out what happened to it!
When David's time came to start work jobs were, if anything, even harder to find. He started as a message boy with Crolls fruiterer, as a salesman to G.J. Mason wholesale drapers in Bain Square where he was paid off at 21. He then spent some time selling Hoovers before moving to Taymouth Castle as a kitchen porter then on to Lawleys china shop before spending six months in Leicester training in engineering then returning to Dundee to work, first on cleaning trams then as a conductor. Later he worked on a cutting machine and as a salesman at J.K.Mearns.
Granny Fraser died 12th Aug 1929 aged 74 and Maggie's mother died 7th January 1934 at 333 Strathmartine Road. Her husband had had a difficult time with her as she was becoming senile and would, for example tell him to go out and then when he came back quiz him about where he had been. By 1934 also, Margaret was working in Hunters store in Wellgate. Later in the 30's when the family was at it's biggest they moved to 56 Provost Road to a bigger three roomed house. From here, Annie married William Valentine in Albert Halls (corner of Tullideph Road and Ancrum Road) on 16 April 1937. The following year, Maggie's dad died 28 Oct aged 78. He had seemed healthy and had visited the barber that day but died suddenly when making the dinner for himself and Auntie Annie at their home, at 333 Strathmartine Road, Dundee.
World war started in 1939 and David volunteered in 1940. After service in North Africa he was captured at Tobruk whence he was taken to Tripoli then Italy and finally to Germany. By 1998 he didn't seem to have quite forgiven Bella for making his Plus-fores into a skirt while he was in POW camp! Back home Jim and Maggie were having their own troubles during the blackout. On one occasion after visiting Nan and Bill in Strathmore Avenue they set out as usual to walk home on a very dark night, so dark that, with no street lights and no lights from traffic, they lost their way totally on the short journey and ended up somewhere in Dens Road before eventually managing to find their way home.
By 1941 Margaret had become very withdrawn, hardly speaking to anyone and suffering from irrational fears. When her mother did her washing (standing over the big boiler in the washing house on a Tuesday), Nan would take Sheila over there to look after Margaret while the washing was being done although Margaret usually remained in her room and wasn't seen. Eventually she was hospitalised just before Bella's wedding to John Lamb on 9th Sept. in Regent Rooms, Nethergate. Jim thereafter travelled by bus from Lochee High Street to Liff to visited her every weekend, rain, hail or snow until she died on 8th November 1945.
Granddaughter, Sheila remembers her aunt's wedding because she had a ring, which she bit, twisting it out of shape and it had to be removed by Uncle Bill (Luddington) using soap. She also remembers that about this time she went for walks with her mother often to Den-o-Mains. They would arrive at her granny's after she had had her afternoon rest and her recollections of these visits are of the budgie, Jocky, the highly polished teapot and brightly polished range - shininess measured respectability! Shortly after, about 1947 they moved back to 54 Provost Road. and as late as 1955 Sheila was still visiting her Granny on a Tuesday, travelling from school on a no.2 bus. Nan took something for tea and after tea, Nan and Sheila would walk home, Nan always being told by her mother "Keep Yer mooth shut for the cold air". On return home Nan would start to her washing - scrubbing the clothes on a scrubbing board! Jim worked to about age 70 and died in 1956 two months before his 79th birthday. After this when Granny visited Strathmore Avenue, Sheila was entrusted with the task of seeing her Granny home.
In the early days, family holidays were taken at Easthaven staying with Auntie Ag and Uncle Jek although care had to be taken not to offend Auntie Maggie and Uncle Ken in Millgate Loan, Arbroath as great jealousy existed between them. Jim had 3 days holiday (only one if he was on mixing dough) then returned home to work and fend for himself while the rest of the family remained on holiday. Travel was by train to Easthaven station. Most of the Easthaven family seems to have worked on the railway. Later around 1929, holidays were taken at Rattray near Blairgowrie with Jim's aunt Jessie Williamson who years later was to live with Maggie for a time when she wasn't well. In 1948 when Jim & Maggie went on holiday to Bella's in Aberdeen, he, being very security-conscious, shook the door handle furiously after locking up, with the result that the large, highly polished handle came off in his hand and had to be taken on holiday too!
In 1958 David married Julia Finnon on 4th April in Bothwell Road manse, Hamilton. They stayed in several parts of Hamilton before moving to Dundee and then Carnoustie. He worked as a bus driver before becoming a paramedic on ambulances.