ON A JOURNEY WITH WDC AND ME.

1

INSPIRATION AND REFLECTION

Mary Ann MCPhedran.

A COLLECTION OF

POEMS

Mary Ann MCPhedran

Reflections of My Mind

Roseanne

and

The Children

Mary Ann McPhedran

Mary Ann Mc Phedran2017

No part of this book shall be copied nor changed without

Authorisation from the author.

When I was a child

I w would wander

Over fields and meadows near my home

Amongst the wild grass and flowers

I would roam

Oh, how the hours would pass

Making buttercup and daisy chains

All dressed up to visit the past

To those meadows and long grass

In place are buildings tall and drab

Live children vast

Where the wildflowers no longer grow

And they have nowhere else to go

And they have nowhere else to go.

CONTENTS Book 1

A Collection of poems

Book2

ROSEANN AND THE CHILDREN.

5

To Charlie and Morgan my great granddaughters with love from Grandma

Halloween Hooray it's Halloween guising going door to door

All Souls day remember our friends who are here no more

Laughing and being merry at the party

Lots of gifts I've been given today

On this day, they say, all spooks come out to play

Witches on broomsticks fly away

Everyone having a jolly good time fancy dress and a glass of wine.

Empty graves the souls have gone to a walk about

Now it's over and I go to bed planning next year's event in my head

By the Mountain

The lake below

Mountain waterfall's flow

Nature's greenery

Sets the scenery

Reflections of beauty shows

A warm breeze blows

And Gods creation glows

7

Bound Together

Like two roses

Entwined together

Our Love is bound

No matter what the weather

We cling through winds that blow

And strive to whatever life throws

Until God decides one to let go

Left is one solitary rose

8

A View with Nature

On a summers day

Looking out over yonder

I stop to ponder

And take in the view in front of me.

The fields are squares of green

And there's the church steeple

It stands straight as a needle

And here is the meadow in front of me

Long grass and

And one old tree

Fun at the Fair

I had fun at the fair yesterday

A wrist band

Is how I chosen to pay?

The rides were so scary

I began to pray

The pirate ship swinging with a dip

Then climbed so high

Up to the sky

Down to and for

I had such a thrill

Shall I have I have another go?

Oh,

yes, I will

10

Wedding Vows

I in a little chapel

On this special day

We stood at the alter

Fifty years past

We took our wedding vows

And swore they would last

We will gather together

On this special day

To celebrate with

FRIENDS and FAMILY.

12

Two Little Frogs

Two little frogs came to visit my garden today

They were leaping about and having a play

They gave me a fright and I let out a scream

Now the two little frogs are nowhere to be seen

I've looked the bushes and looked in the grass No tittle frogs and I feel such an ass

Because two

little frogs came to visit me today

And I have frightened them a way

13

Believe

Believe in my ability to write

Endless criticism I will accept

Loyal opinions from other I'll heed

Another wrap will do the trick

And there he sits on the floor

Until his eyes will open no m

ROSEANN AND THE CHILDREN

True Love

Have you clean socks in your suitcase?"

"Yes" Danny said, rolling his eyes his mother always made a fuss when he was going on a convalescent holiday. He wasn't her real son. Maggie McGuire was Danny's aunt, and she adopted him when he was a baby. His father died when he was six months old. His real mother couldn't afford to raise her son. The adoption was just an arrangement between Maggie and Roseanne, but it was to be the same rules as an official adoption. She promised to stay away. Maggie said she would explain to him one day when the time was right.

Danny contracted tuberculosis when he was just a baby, and he now was nineteen years old and although he was ill he was quite handsome. He put on his black suit jacket, his black shirt and white tie gave him the George Raft look. He kissed his mother on the cheek and she walked him to the door to wave him goodbye. The Taxi was leaving, to take him to Saint Andrews in Scotland. The taxi driver had another two pickups, after he picked Danny up from Uddingston. He picked Johnny up first at Wishaw, and then Mary in Salsburgh.The three of them had a pleasant journey, and by the time they reached their destination they were friends.

Mary was first to go to the room she was allocated and Danny ran to help her but she only had a handbag. Their cases were sent straight to their rooms to prevent them from any lifting heavy luggage and to save their energy. This was a crippling disease and it sapped all the energy from a person's body.

Can " I take you to the hotel bar for a drink?"

"We're not age."

"Oh, they will turn a blind eye; they won't know we are not twenty-one."

"Okay I will see you at the restaurant at dinner time." Then she closed the door she needed to rest. The room was well aired and the door leading to the balcony was already open, fresh air was part of the treatment. She placed her clothes in the wardrobe and changed rest. some pyjama's, put the do not disturb sign on the door, and lay on the bed

Danny made his way back to the reception desk to collect the keys and to register into the hotel. The Hotel looked like more of a hospital. In foyer at the reception desk it had the look of an ordinary hotel, but when you passed through the doors leading to the rooms, it had all sorts of equipment. Two lifts, and two stair lifts, wheel chairs neatly stacked under the stairway.

He entered his room on the second floor of the building. Mary was on the first floor, this indicated to Danny her condition was worse than his. The ground floor was always kept for people who couldn't cope with the stairs or stress of having to climb the stairs if the lift were not working. The room was quite spacious and off course it was well ventilated. The balcony door was open to let fresh air flow through the room. He opened his case and placed it inside the wardrobe, he -would empty it tomorrow, he put his jacket on to a hanger and changed into a pair of shorts. His long lanky legs looked thin, but the shorts were knee length and he didn't look bad in them, his height was six feet four inches. He put suit trouser o the same hanger as his jacket and lay down on the bed for a rest. He was to save his strength for his evening with Mary.

Individual persuasion and confidence I need

Everyone's help I will never neglect

Vivid imagery and creative I write

Every belief that success is in sight

14

The view

The view from my window

Is a wonderful sight

Morning noon or night

The trees can be seen

Their leaves are

A luscious green

On their branches

The blossoms are bright

Across the garden fence,

A sunflower peep through]

And it's taller than me or you

In the distance fields

The farmer's seed he sows and his crops grow Row by row.

In the evening

When the sun goes down and the clouds go drifting by

Darkness falls

Then stars light up the sky

14

Dark

And the sky is turning black

The branches on the tree are Bare

And there is no one to be seen anywhere

There all indoors keeping warm

Log fires and slippers on

Curled in their favourite chair

No sign of darkness any where

15

Christmas

The snow is in the ground

And tree tops sparkle and white A new day has adorned

Baby Jesus has just been born

Hush my child do not fret

Up in the sky

A star

Will guide mankind to where you are?

Children's toys on the floor

It's too cold to play outdoors Mama is in the kitchen

Preparing the festive spread

All her favourite recipes are in her head

The Christmas tree in the corner

Stands sparkly and looking grand These things we do on Christmas day to welcome Jesus into our homes to stay. 16

The Mill

The old mill still stands

Its propellers no longer go

And all around the weeds do grow

Orange sky up above

The mill stands all aglow

Lights up the history

When once it was working long ago

And the propellers round and round would go

17

Run Run Run Your Work Is Done

A picture of beauty

What a sight

Standing tall

Black as night

A coat that shines

And then he whines

In the field the horse stands

A powerful figure

And looking grand

Enjoy the freedom

Your working days are over

Your retirement just began

Run run with all you might

A powerful sight is the horse

With his coat as black as night 18

The waterfall

I walk along the path

That leads to the waterfall

In autumn with winds that gently blow

The gentle breeze in your hair

And branches on the trees will soon be bare

The colours of nature all around

And the beauty is magnified

With the roaring sound

As the water falls over rock on to the ground's

19

I remember

I wander by the old oak tree

Me my husband and me and family

I see your initials on the tree And I remember

When it was just you and me

On the branch, we would swing

Over the river

And sometimes fall in

The memories come flashing back and reality stop me in my tracks

I have a husband

You have a wife

But as I pass the old Oak tree

A little spark returns to me

20

----

Click Click Click 1 2 3

Wherever you be you will find my camera and me

click click click

Pictures one two three

Pictures of rivers or a tree

And even a picture of me click click click One two three

at a wedding

I clicked the bride to be and a car in flames

the picture I claimed

Click click click

Once again

wherever I be you will hear

Click click one two three

The Dream

I had a dream last night

Not the kind

That gives you a fright

This dream was like a story book

To read the pages

Peep inside and look

In a little red house

Far inside the woods

Lived the fairy Queen

She wore a dress

One half red

The other half green

A handsome Prince by her side

Her soldier

He guards his bride

Fairies and elves all reside

Inside a giant mushroom they hide

A turtle dove

To pledge there love

Now go to bed and dream this book

Open the page and have a look

22

The log Cabin

It was quite late in the evening when I arrived at the log cabin. The sun was just going down and a blanket of black clouds was floating by displaying cracks of orange colour between them. I hauled my fishing tackle from the car into the cabin. It was still summer time and in no need for a fire. I took a rug from the cupboard, and spread it over the settee in case it turned chilly.

I walked down the wooden deck leading to the water, to see the sun set and feel the warm breeze on my face. The reflection of the fir trees, the weeping willow all looked pretty, on the water. It was just like a looking glass. I rolled my trousers to my knees and removed my socks and shoes. I sat on the edge of the decking and dangled my feet in the water. I was at peace with myself, and looking at my reflection in the water, I looked like Huckleberry Fin. I was happy and I soaked up the atmosphere of the evening

23

Purple Pansies

My yellow and purple pansies how well you have grown summers gone

in my tubs and still your blooms are shown

on a winter's day when all the other plants have gone your beauty excels far beyond

24

Sacred Heart

Oh, Lord your heart

Burns with love

Your arms open out to me each day

And in return I will pray

For peace to return in the world today.

Oh, sacred Heart Your hearts on fire

The love you give and peace you desire but still we complain and then we maim

And go to war once again.

Oh, sacred Heart I pray each day

That our love for you will never stray

Blue Sunset

In my mind, I can see

A place where

I'm longing to be

To see the sunset rise

And sit beneath the palm tree

To see them gently blow

To feel the warm breeze on my face

This place I'm longing to go

And see its colours blaze

On the water its beauty show

26

Kindle My Love

Kindle my love

The fire has gone

Ignite the flame that once kept Me warm.

Stir the excitement

Waken the thrill Stimulate your passion because I love you still

27

Christmas

Children love Christmas day

Happy Christmas you will hear them say

Remember the child that was born

In a stable in Bethlehem and a bright star shone

Saviour sent from God on a cold and winter's morn

To save the world from the devil's scorn

Merry Christmas it's time to rejoice

And Christmas eve all the children will pray

Santa will bring toys on Christmas day

Rocky Coast

With cliffs, so high

In shades of night

A purple sky

All alone I wander by

I hear the gulls

Their distant cry

From the shore below

Across the sea where gentle waves flow.

In shades of night and purple glow.

28

When entwined the love we make so passionate Intimacy is my desire your warmth and tenderness with every touch sets my body on fire

the frenzy madness engaged in sweet

Ecstasy

29

The Bench Beneath the Tree

Can we go and sit?

On the bench beneath our tree the time is right

On this fine summers night.

We can take bottle of wine and talk about old times

We can fill two glasses

And toast to you and me

Come and sit beneath our tree

And take a trip down memory lane

Talk about our memories

When I was a girl and you a boy and life was full of joy.

30

New Year

New Year we celebrate with a glass of wine

Ending the old year when the town clock chimes

Welcome let the party begin

Your friends are all gathered round to celebrate

Endless resolutions that we make

And their all right for a little while and then we break

Remember the old year that has gone out and the new one begins

31

Nowhere

Down and down

The road to nowhere

But when I hit

Rock bottom

On this rocky road

There is one road left

And that is up and up

And climb above

The rocky road

And go somewhere.

32

A summer's day

A country road

You and I would meet

We wandered through

The avenue of trees

And listened to

A slight rustle

From the leaves

Of a gentle breeze

From the wind that blows

33

Travel

I feel like boarding a train

And travel around

Destiny to anywhere

I will meet exotic people

Some of them just plain

We will have interesting conversations

But most of all

I will be free just to be me.

34

My Triumph Motor Bike

I once had a Triumph motor bike

In my leathers, I was quite a sight

The wind in my hair

No helmet would I wear

Full throttle out

I rode up and down

The country and round about

Burning rubber

Until my engine burnt out

35

We Quarrel

We quarrel

At once we

Regret

We are too stubborn to forget

We rake up things that happened in the past

Sending our

friendship

Downhill fast

When the day's end.

I pray with my eyes shut tight

And ask my Lord

To put things right

36

On a Summers Day

On a summers day

A country road

You and I would meet

We wandered through

The avenue of trees

And listened to

Gentle rustle

Of the leaves

You and I together

Down the road

Hand in hand

In love

With eyes that shine

And two hear beat

In perfect rhyme.

37

Calm after the Storm

We had a ragging row last night

It was such a terrible fight

And we're both too stubborn

To put things right

But come evening and on to night

Before we shut our eyes real tight

We must make up

To be calm after the storm

Cuddle up and keep each other warm

38

Magnify your profile

Always looking grand

Grand gestures you make when you converse

Noble in your mannerisms

Imposing wherever you can find an audience

From every angle, you look gorgeous

Careful with your clothes and dress smartly

Elegant when you glide across the dance floor

Never forgetting your manners

To find this gorgeous man will someone help me to look?

39

Christmas has come and gone

and

New Year has just adorned

It's

time to move on

New

seasons will begin is

spring

just around the corner.

Clear your dead flower borders.

Plant life will soon begin and

Blossoms will flow from

trees like snow flakes

And birds will sing

a

new season will adorn

SPRING

40

Travel Around

I feel like boarding a train

And travel around

Destiny to anywhere

I will meet exotic people

Some of them just plain

We will have interesting conversations

But most of all

I will be free just to be me.

41

My Maker

My God you are my maker

All that I am I owe to you

King of all other beings

Every script I write you are the author of my inspiration

Remembering what you gave to the world

Offering my love in return

For peace, I will pray

My adoration and devotion I kneel to thee.

42

My Love for You

A mountain

I will climb

To prove my love to you

My feelings for you

Will never stop

From the highest tree

Branch to branch

I will hop

43

New Year

New Year's Day

Has just adorned

And a pleasant morn

I've had a few maybe

1 2 3

But there are no pink elephants

That I can see

My friends have just left

44

Valentine

We have been together many years

Been through hard times floods of tears

Happy and sad times

We faced together

Now in our golden Years

Retirement fun and leisure

Forever you're my valentine4Sunrise

In the morning

When we are still in bed

On the sea

A golden colour you spread

Many people come to see

This wondrous sight

You display

At daybreak of their day

47

What will this year bring?

It's time to reflect

What will this year bring Will it bring me respect?

Or will it reject

I can't sit and worry all day here

I think it's time to have another beer

So, my friends I wish you good cheer and a very happy new year.

48

A Breath of spring

It's time

To open your eyes

And look around you

The trees are budding

There are wonderful things

Happening on the ground

There's little shoots taking root

And the daffodils are on show

Birds are singing at dawn

There'sfragrance have

adorned Spring has just been born.

49

Ask and You Will Receive

Ask and you will receive

Said the lord

When we are worried and in stress

To our faith in God we turn

a miracle we expect

Other times

Our faith in God we tend to neglect

50

Life Flashes

Life has its ups and down

Sometimes it lets you down

Flashes warnings

And pleasure mornings

Flashes of the sun

Up or down

Will you laugh?

Or will you frown

Flashes of life

You have no say

Is it pleasure or misery?

51

Travelling

I feel like boarding a train

And travel around

Destiny to anywhere

I will meet exotic people

Some of them just plain

We will have interesting conversations

But most of all

I will be free just to be me.

55

Hogmanay

Up in bonny Scotland

We are about celebrate

A most important holiday

It will be a very special event.

Every nook and cranny will have cleaned

The furniture will have a special gleam

On the eve of the day

We call it Hogmanay

MOTHER

My Mother wrapped me

In a blanket soft and warm

When I was first born and she laid me

To suckle on her breast

Kept me nicely dressed

Mother you did your best

The sickness and turmoil in your head

Lying in a hospital bed

Your strength you could not keep

With

Pain and worry so deep

To where her child will sleep

When the light goes out for keeps

All these things I think today

And I have turned out OK

I love you with every breath I take Remembering you every day.

54

Christmas

It's that time again

We rush around

And never stop

Long queues

We join in the shops

Presents for the children

On Christmas day

Unwrapping and paper everywhere

Cooking and preparing

The turkey spread

But before we eat

Please bow your head

It's time to pray

And remember why we celebrate Christmas day.

55

Help Me Bare My Cross

Dear God, help to carry my cross

Whenever I'm down give me strength

To shoulder my problems like you

When I'm sick and there's no hope

Help me to be strong and soldier on

And when I awake help me to serve you

With every breath, I take Until you call me to come home

Help me to bear my cross wherever I roam.

56

It's Not Your Fault

Always pleading you're innocent

Must be someone else to blame Ending with your character unblemished

Leaving the wrong

for someone else to put right.

Endless pleading of your not guilty

Someone else must accept the consequences

Some other person started the fight

57

The Traveller

The old man he travels

All around the city he goes

He sits in the park to rest

The sun on his face

Before traveling at a steady pace

His trusty dog by his side

Tramping around along the road

An old bus shelter is his humble abode

They have tramped about shared peoples scorn and lie side by side keeping each other warm. 58

***

My Expensive Umbrella

I looked in a shop window today

Bright rain wear is on display

It has rain coats and wellingtons

With matching hats of yellow and blue One product stood out from the rest an umbrella on display is best.

It's bright and colourful from the rest

It had bands of yellow, red, and blue

It is nice but expensive to

Your price tag is too high for me to own you

But temptation has been put in my way

So, in I went and bought you today

And now I'm left with no pay

59

Ask and You Will Receive

Ask and you will receive

Said the lord when we are worried and in stress

to our faith in God we turn

a miracle we expect

other times

our faith in God we tend to neglect

60

Dreams

When I go to my bed

I have haunted dreams

Inside my head

Horrible faces from the dead

My eyes I close real tight

And pray to God to hear my plight to come to me in the night

And banish the faces from my sight.

61

The lonesome traveller

Walks many a town

In all kinds of weather, He travels around

His feet and the road meet

As he tramps the street

Taking shelter where found

He sleeps on the ground

On a park bench he'll ponder

With food wrapped in foil

Before the road takes him yonder

To labour and toil

He travels around

From morning till late

On and on

Till he meets heaven's gate

62

Help Me Bear My Cross

Dear God, help to carry my cross

Whenever I'm down give me strength

To shoulder my problems like you

When I'm sick and there's no hope

Help me to be strong and soldier on

And when I awake help me to serve you

With every breath, I take

Until you call me to come home

Help to bear my cross wherever I roam.

63

When I was a child I would roam, and run wild

No worries to fret about

Time to run play scream and shout

Ramble over fields and dales

Fishing nets and water pails

64

The Evening Light

I return to the shore

In the evening light. When the sun goes down

And I admire

A splash of red explodes

All through the sky

A soothing

Moment of calm and piece

65

Winter is here

In your boots, out in the snow

Nothing to stop you having fun

Tree tops are sparkly and white

Everything looking bright

Remember to wrap up warm

Dangerous for the elderly

And it's too cold for them to go outside

Your help will make them smile

Some hot drink will keep them in the pink

66

Travelling

Puff

train

Where are you bound?

Your wheels go around

And round

You leave

Smokey trail

Puff puff puff

All along the rail

And your wheels

Go round and round

They hammer on the rails

Chicago chic ado chic ado

67

Oh, beautiful tree

On this fine spring morning

Tall and mighty you stand

When spring is dawning

Your blossoms and colour on show

In the gentle breeze

In winds that blow

Your delicate petals flow around

Like snowflakes they fall to the ground.

And bright green leaves in place will spring

And once again the birds on your tree will sing. 68

Light is Your Touch

The sweet light touch of your embrace

I love the soft smile upon your face

We have been together for many years

There have been good times and bad

And sometimes sad

But our love is strong

Nobody can compare our special bond

It will go on and on and on

Easter day

Come out and pray

On this bright fine morning

The Son of God has risen

A beautiful gift he has given

Your sins have been ridden

At a price, he did pay

Everyone enjoy your Easter season

70

My Teddy Bears

Me and my teddy bear

We travel together everywhere

To see the cow

That jumped over the moon

And had a laugh with dish and the spoon

And followed the pied Piper

But not very far

And had a ride in Toddy's red car

Now it's time to close my story book Tomorrow me and my Teddy Will have another look.

Nature's Green

A beautiful spot I have ever seen

Is nature's ever green

Trees and shrubs planted from the road near by

On the banks and towering high

The conifers and fir trees

Sway gently in the breeze

Dotted between blue skies are clouds

On high

To create a misty scene

On the paths below

Where people go and rivers flow

Are grasses green and wild flower's grow

Who Walks who

I had a pet dog

His name was Rex

All white

And very Good looking

Through the door

He would escape

Sometime during the day Other times very late

I have climbed over fences

To bring him back

But my little Rex

He is very smart

And in my pyjamas

I looked a right tart

I bribed him with treats

And cookies too

But my little Rex

Says I'm having fun with you My Granny and Me by the Sea

A day by the sea

There was my Granny, and me

A little yellow hut

Some sticky buns

And a cup of tea

Me on the sand

With my bucket and spade

And Granny, she sat in the shade

Oh, how I would like to be

As it was by the sea

In the little yellow hut

By the sea

With my granny and me

Daisy Chains

When I was a child

I would wander

Over fields and meadows near my home

Amongst the wild grass and flowers

I would roam

Oh, how the hours would pass

Making buttercups and daisy chains

All dressed up to visit the past

To those meadows and long grass

In place are buildings tall and drab

Live children vast

Where the wildflowers no longer grow and they have nowhere else to go.

When I was a child I would roam, and run wild

No worries to fret about

Time to run play scream and shout

Ramble over fields and dales

Fishing nets and water pails

Nature's evergreen

Beautiful spot I have ever seen Is nature's evergreen

Trees and shrubs planted from the road near by

On the banks and towering high

The conifers and fir trees

Sway gently in the breeze

Dotted between blue skies are clouds on high to create a misty scene

On the paths below Where people go and rivers flow

Are grasses greens where wild flowers grow?

Pavement Artist

On the pavement, he sits with chalks in his hand

He draws and colours Pictures so grand.

Churches, ships,

And even an alligator Money in a pot

He will spend it later.

Down comes the rain

From his drawings

He will refrain

Now the pavement is empty

And all clean again

79

Lost

Huddled on a blanket

In an old shop door

*

His eyes have a look of despair

And he knows he is going nowhere

His life is going downhill fast

With his cup in his hand

Begging for a fix

Another wrap will do the trick

And there he sits on the floor

Until his eyes will open no more

ROSEANN AND THE CHILDREN

True Love

<div>

"have you clean socks in your suitcase?"

"Yes" Danny said, rolling his eyes his mother always made a fuss when he was going on a convalescent holiday. He wasn't her real son. Maggie McGuire was Danny's aunt, and she adopted him when he was a baby. His father died when he was six months old. His real mother couldn't afford to raise her son. The adoption was just an arrangement between Maggie and Roseanne, but it was to be the same rules as an official adoption. She promised to stay away. Maggie said she would explain to him one day when the time was right. Danny contracted tuberculosis when he was just a baby, and he now was nineteen years old and although he was ill he was quite handsome. He put on his black suit jacket, his black shirt and white tie gave him the George Raft look. He kissed his mother on the cheek and she walked him to the door to wave him goodbye. The Taxi was leaving, to take him to Saint Andrews in Scotland. The taxi driver had another two pickups, after he picked Danny up from Uddingstone. He picked Johnny up first at Wishaw, and then Mary in Salsburgh.The three of them had a pleasant journey, and by the time they reached their destination they were friends.

Mary was first to go to the room she was allocated and Danny ran to help her but she only had a handbag. Their cases were sent straight to their rooms to prevent them from any lifting heavy luggage and to save their energy. This was a crippling disease and it sapped all the energy from your body.

''Can I take you to the hotel bar for a drink?"

"We're not age."

"Oh, they will turn a blind eye; they won't know we are not twenty-one."

"Okay I will see you at the restaurant at dinner time." Then she closed the door she needed to rest. The room was well aired and the door leading to the balcony was already open, fresh air was part of the treatment. She placed her clothes in the wardrobe and changed rest. some pyjama's, put the do not disturb sign on the door, and lay on the bed

Danny made his way back to the reception desk to collect the keys and to register into the hotel. The Hotel looked like more of a hospital. In foyer at the reception desk it had the look of an ordinary hotel, but when you passed through the doors leading to the rooms, it had all sorts of equipment. Two lifts, and two stair lifts, wheel chairs neatly stacked under the stairway.

He entered his room on the second floor of the building. Mary was on the first floor, this indicated to Danny her condition was worse than his. The ground floor was always kept for people who couldn't cope with the stairs or stress of having to climb the stairs if the lift were not working. The room was quite spacious and off course it was well ventilated. The balcony door was open to let fresh air flow through the room. He opened his case and placed it inside the wardrobe, he -would empty it tomorrow, he put his jacket on to a hanger and changed into a pair of shorts. His long lanky legs looked thin, but the shorts were knee length and he didn't look bad in them, his height was six feet four inches. He put suit trouser o the same hanger as his jacket and lay down on the bed for a rest. He was to save his strength for his evening with Mary.

Danny waited by the dining hall for Mary, she arrived wearing her hair in the 1920S tile a new fashion which was Very popular. She was wearing a blue dress pleated from the waist down. Danny looked at her and he liked what he saw, she looked younger than eighteen for her age, and more like fifteen

five feet eight she was in height siting in the restaurant together, a table in the corner. Over dinner they conversed more of where they both lived Lanarkshire Danny lived in Uddingstone and Mary lived in Salsburgh.The, and although they both lived in the same shire, Lanarkshire, they lived quite far apart. He would have to board two buses to Salsburgh.The if she agreed to see him after the holiday was over, and he wondered if his health would allow him to. She pushed the thought from his mind. She was here with him now and he was taking her for a drink.

They took their drinks outside into the evening

the evening warm air.

was

and they chatted about what they both wanted to do during the holiday. They agreed to meet next morning at the dining room. After breakfast Mary wanted to go on the beach and feel the sand between her toes. They walked along the beach hand in hand their feet in the water. Danny stopped at one of the cafes to have tea and to rest.

They sat for a while discussing their interests, and found they had similar interests. They both had the same interest in music, and Danny was interested in singing. He was in an armature theatre group and performed in charity concerts

Her mother asked, 'who's the fellow that kissed you?'

"He is a friend."

" Looks more than a friend with the attention he was giving you."

Mary ignore her remark and went upstairs to her room. Margaret was waiting to hear about Danny.

"Who is he? does he, live near, and most of all are you going to see him again?

"Well he says he is going to write, and come on Saturday, but he lives in Puddingstone." The girls chatted about her holiday and Mary's future. Her Mother interrupted their conversation.

"Come on Margaret let Mary have a rest. "And they both went downstairs. Over a cup of tea their mum asked questions about Danny and Margaret replied.

"I don't know anything mum except his name is Danny."

" I don't believe you. You two are as thick as thieves." And she began to prepare a stew for the evening meal.

In the meantime, Danny was having tea with his mother and he told her about Mary and how much he liked her.

"You do know nothing can come out of a serious relationship? that you both have a crippling disease. You are not strong enough." He shook his head in disagreement, and went to his room

. Maggie McGuire, sat and wondered maybe it's time to tell him he is adopted. If he intended to marry he was going to find out. She loved Danny, and raised him as her own. Her other children were married. She had been feeling unwell lately and she decided she would tell him soon. Danny had just posted a letter too Mary. She received it next day.

" Mary a letter has come for you." Margaret said handing it to her."

" Go on open it."

"No I will open it later."

She wanted to read it later when she was on her own, and waited until she went for her rest.

She opened the letter and in it, Danny was coming to meet her on Saturday.

She went straight downstairs and told her parents that she was seeing him.

" Danny is coming to Salsburgh.The to see me can I bring him to tea?" " If he is that keen on you, and as he Her Dad was first to speak.

is coming from Uddingstone to see you, yes you can bring him for tea.

Mary was up early. She was to get herself ready for Danny's visit. A few doors down the street lived her friend, Bella. And she went to see her to and give the news of the visit.

Danny arrived and Mary introduced him to the family, her two brothers were missing because they were married and left home. John lived in the Forth and Tommy lived in Shots. Both towns were also in Lanarkshire and a bus ride from Salsburgh. Mary's mum prepared the table and Mary began to show Danny around the house.

" Don't go tiring yourself out," her mother said as she placed the white linen table cloth on the table, along with the best china and cutlery for tea.

Patrick Connor led his family to the Miner's Welfare Club

He played a few games of dominos with his friends before joining his family, and was surprised to see Danny had put his name forward for the talent contest and said

"You're not shy, are you?" Danny explained he liked to sing and was waiting to go on the Carly Levies discovery show on the radio. His turn came and he sang George Formby, song 'When I'm cleaning windows.' When the results came in, Danny was the winner. His prize was twenty shilling a whole pound. He gave half to Mary to share among her family.

" A whole pound," Mary was excited it was a lot of money to the ordinary worker.

" Don't be daft, you keep the prize money."

Said her father, but Danny was glad to share the prize money. Another hour later he was making his way home to Uddingstone. He loved Mary and he knew then he was willing to share his life with her.

By the time, he arrived home he was tired. The buses weren't as regular in the evening, and it took longer to go home. His mother was concerned about his health.

"Oh, don't fuss I'm in love and I think she loves me too, and if she does

I'm going to buy her an engagement ring."

When he went to his bed his adopted mother sat thinking about Danny and his decision to ask Mary to marry him, and she decided to tell him tomorrow that he was adopted. If he was man enough to take a wife, he should know now about his real mother.

Danny had already written a letter to Mary, and was ready to go to the post box with it.

" Now don't go rushing off I have made a pot of tea, and I want to speak to you."

"Sounds serious," and he looked at his mother with concern.

She looked at him and at first hesitated, in her mind she was questioning herself. Would he dislike her for not telling him before now? e

"Mum what's the matter you are making me nervous."

" I'm not your real mum," she blurted out.

" What do you mean, you're not my real mum."

Mary sat and told him about Roseann, and how his father died and how they had nowhere to go, except the Workhouse. She told him she was his father's sister and his aunt instead of his mother, and how she set up the adoption. When she was finished her story, he stood up from the table and gave her a hug.

"You will always be my mother, but you do know I will have to see

Roseann. I don't know how she will accept me, and the fact that I have TB."

"She already knows, you had the disease before she handed you over to me. Your father died with TB."

Mary received Danny's letter and in it he discussed his mother's conversation, about his real mother. She hoped he would be happy, and not be disappointed when he went to see her.

He approached his mother about where to find Roseanne.

"I'm not quite sure where she went to after she married, but I do know where her sister lives."

Danny took address from his mother and made his way to seek his real mother.

The Bus from Puddingstone to Bellshill is just a five-minute journey.

Danny looked at the paper with the address on it.

He knocked on the door, a little plump lady with grey hair opened the door to him, and she guessed who he was as soon as she saw him. He looked very like her sister. Danny explained, and she made him a cup of tea. As he was drinking the tea, he noticed that she gave him a cup different to the one she and her husband were drinking, and he realised why his mother had to give him away. This family were so scared of contracting the disease TB he had.

A few days later his aunt took him to see his mother. Both fell into each other's arms to embrace their long-lost relationship. He had two brothers and three sisters. He thought about the other two brothers he thought he had, and were now really his cousins, but as far as he was concerned, he would always treat them as his brothers. Now he had four brothers and four sisters. He felt quite proud. His adopted family were all a lot older than him and never lived with him. They were married, and he was close with them. He liked Roseann, and at once decided he would call her mother. She was a widow so he had no father to protest about him coming into the family. He would continue to live with his adopted mother. She would always be called mother.

Maggie sat eagerly waiting to hear what the outcome of his visit would be. She asked herself would he go and live with her? She hoped not she had cared for him since she was a tiny baby, and would like to see him get married from her home.

He brought Mary to visit his home in Uddingston and they spent the day with his adopted mother. A few weeks later he took her to his mother in Motherwell. Mary also took instant liking to Roseann, and Danny's new family. She was younger than his adopted mother and she was so friendly, and she felt quite at home with the family.

The relationship grew stronger, and he asked her to get engaged to him she agreed. Her doctor at the chest clinic said that marriage wouldn't be good for her as she was not strong enough to cope with children. She told them she was going to live her life normally, no matter what the outcome would bring. She went with Danny to pick an engagement ring. She chose a three stone, white stones. The stones were unusual, everyone in the family were pleased.

The Caryll levy's show came, and Danny was the winner, and the prize money helped their wedding plans. He was to go on the road show but his. Health suffered and he had to abandon the idea. His mood was black for a while.

Mary Connor was going to make sure her daughter had good food inside her before the wedding it would benefit her in the days to come when she would start her new life with Danny.

Danny and Mary were discussing the wedding plans, and they decided to marry sooner than the original date they had set for the wedding. Mary wanted to get married now while she felt well and didn't want to waste time planning a big event. Her father booked the welfare hall for the wedding reception

You know the neighbours will be waiting to see if you are expecting, I don't care," was Mary's reply.

Danny sent a letter to his mother inviting her and the family to the wedding. His adopted mother was delighted. She too agreed with Mary's decision to have an early wedding.

"'Life is too short and grab every chance of happiness you can." She told them.

Mary and Danny made their wedding vows to each other in church. Her wedding dress was a long white one, with a little mandarin collar and pointed sleeves with a pearl button on each sleeve. They went on to the reception in Salsburgh. Their wedding was a good wedding, everyone enjoyed it, and Danny booked a hotel in Newhouse, not far from Salsburgh.The, for their wedding night, but a night in a hotel with dinner laid on was a luxury to them. In the morning, Mary went with Danny to Uddingstone, to collect his belongings to start a new life in Salsburgh.The.

Danny's father-in law manged to get him employment at the Miners Welfare, it was singing in the evening, and the post of entertainments manager. His fame of winning the Carlyle Levies show previously, helped to get him the job. He arranged a lot of charity concerts at the club. This job was ideal for him, because he couldn't do manual labour. The pay wasn't too bad and it paid the rent for their room and put food on the table.

A few months later they were expecting their first child Mary and Danny were pleased. Mary's mum was also pleased, but she worried about her health. The ration of food isn't helping matters. The butcher was on good terms with her, and she blended together her butter and margarine, because it gave more of a biuter taste instead of the bland taste of margarine selling a tea coupon. Her butter and margarine ration for the family, she blende asked him to put aside any meat that came into the shop. She was always on the lookout for any coupons she could buy from neighbours. There was always someone dealing and selling coupons.

he council gave Danny his own house, and he and his wife moved into number seven Reid Street. A few doors away from Mary's parents. The family helped them move into the new home, and the couple settled down to their index new lives. Mary sat knitting in the evenings, and when Danny wasn't working at the welfare they would listen to their favourite programs on the wireless

' There is a competition for best singer, and the prise is twenty pounds.'

'Where is it to be held?'

' Wishaw, nice and near home we could do with the money for the baby coming soon.'

' And some furniture.'

Danny entered a singing competition in Wishaw, and the prise money was to be 20 He took the music he had used for the previous competition, The Carrel Levies discoveries, he won, and he had every confidence in winning this competition.

When he stepped on to the stage he reminded himself why he needed to win.

He was doing this for to buy some furniture and a pram for the baby. His performance was a success and he won the competition. Mary and he went to buy a new dining room suite. The pram was second hand from the barrows in Glasgow, but of good quality. 20 pounds was a lot of money in the early thirties, and Danny was a good saver. He paid for the goods and put the rest into a savings account.

As the time came nearer for Mary to have the baby, she was finding it hard to breath and the hospital delivered the baby by caesarean.

She awoke after the delivery of the baby, and was given the news she had a son. She named him Frances, and she cradled him to her. The warmth and softness of the baby had an emotional effect on her and tears welled up in her eyes. Danny looked down on both and he squeezed her hand to let her know he felt her happiness. After a week mother and baby were allowed Home.

Everyone was willing to help them when they first brought Frances home, but they soon were coping on their own. Margaret, Mary's sister was especially close to her, and baby sat for them so they could go out together some evenings. Mary and Danny were coping well considering their health problems with TB.

He was working at the club and bringing home a wage, and she was keeping house for her husband and family.

She spent a few hours a day with her mother at her home only a few doors away.

Sixteen months later Mary had another child. A girl and she named her Mary Annand called her Molly, but her health and that of her children began to suffer.

A few days s later she was washing the clothes, and her father knocked on the door.

Danny answered it.

'Hi what brings you here?'

' He took Danny outsider and broke the news to Mary, she crumpled to the ground.

The death of Mary's mother was a great shock to all the family. Mary tried keep house for her father after her sister Margaret married, and moved to Edinburgh. She was over tired and her health suffered. Danny had to give up working at the club to look after her and the children. She was taking into Hair Myers Hospital in Airdrie, and her health went downhill from then on.

Danny took the children to see her. She could go about the grounds with the children. She was in the hospital and wasn't gaining any strength, and even with convalescent at the seaside she's still couldn't recover. A few months later she knew she wasn't going to get better and asked Margaret to come and see her.

'Margaret what's going to happen to my children.'

' What do you mean? You will get better.'

' No I won't and I fear Danny has not being truthful he is run down and it won't be long before he is in here. I want you to promise you will look after the children for me.' 'You know I will.'

Three months later Mary died, Danny was heartbroken, and the children kept asking for her.

He laid his wife to rest in the same plot as her mother and her twin sister Danny placed a small headstone with the inscription Mary Smile age 27 beloved wives of Daniel Mc Guinness.

The children were a handful but he was coping, but the doctors could see he was failing and were concerned that the children might suffer and they advised him to go into Wishaw Sanatorium to live.

'I can't leave my children.'

' Well Danny they will be burying you, and their health is to be considered too. Molly isn't strong and needs careful attention.

Margaret came and took the children, and Danny went into hospital. It was taken for granted that Margaret would be raising the children, and she confined in her sister-in law.

'I can't have both, Agnes would like Frankie, did you know she offered to adopt Frankie, but Danny doesn't want them split.' 'She isn't family.'

'She is as far as the children are concerned and they call her Auntie.' ' let's have a family meeting and we can all decide?

I

' I can't have both I'm pregnant.'

The two children missed her, but Frankie age four and Molly three, were too young to understand.

Now that he was living in the sanatorium, and there was no hope that he would return to his home to live with his children again. TB was a disease that could be passed on to the children, so he agreed to go into hospital. The children were to be split up and live in different houses.

Mary's friend Agnes agreed to have Frankie. She was married to Bill a fruit merchant and was willing to adopt Frankie. Molly would go to one of her aunts.

The decision had been made, and Margaret, Mary's sister, went to visit

Danny. He was furious,

'You can't separate the children. I'm not happy about this, and I won't agree to them living apart.' Margaret left the ward. There was no reasoning with him.'

He told his mother. He hadn't known his mother very long as he had been adopted himself because of similar reasons.

'Danny, I can have the children live with me, but you will have to wait until I'm rehoused. My house is being demolished. I shouldn't have long to wait. 'His wife's family was going ahead with their plans, and he put his children into a home.

Danny said goodbye to his children on the steps of the home.

"When will we see you?" his youngest child called after him.

Frankie, the eldest child, was four, and he put his arm around his little sister, to comfort her.

"Come now let's get you settled." The sister said.

The Nun took them to a room with eight beds in it.

Frankie, you take your belongings over to that side of the room. The boys side, where Sally was waiting. Sally was a care Assistant who looked after the children.

The sister handed Molly, to the other care Assistant Sarah.

Sarah, showed Molly how to make her bed, and polish around it. Molly began to cry.

"I can't make beds."

"You will have to learn," she replied.

Frankie came rushing over to defend his sister.

"She is only three," he said putting his arm around her, and he received a smack on the ear.

A few days later Frankie wet the bed, and he was given a smacking in front of all the other children. Molly hid in the corner, covering her ears, to drown out the sounds of the loud smacks.

Outside in the play area Molly was given a beaker of hot milk. She didn't like hot milk.

"I don't like this." She said.

" Drink it." she was told. But Molly was stubborn, and she put the drink down the pan in the toilet. Being only three, and hadn't the sense to flush the toilet. Thus, she was found out, and punished. She was not allowed to go on the walk with the sisters. Molly liked going out with the Nuns, and she sat on the bench to wait their return.

Frankie didn't get on with the carers, and when Daddy came he went to visit Frankie on his own. Molly had flue and was in bed. He gave him some candy.

The carers, tried to get Frankie to share it with them. The results where he received a smack in the face for saying no, thus giving him a swollen eye.

When Danny was visiting Molly he realised she was too poorly, and he left early, and came to say cheerio to Frankie He saw the swollen face, ' Who smacked you on the face? He asked.

Frankie was scared to say. Danny suspected Frankie was being bullied, but didn't suspect he was being bullied by the staff, and he complained to the Sisters.

He went to see his mother again and she promised to see the housing agent, to try and hurry the move on.

A few weeks later the children began a new life with their Grandmother.

She raised them until she died in 1957. She was fifty-nine years old.

Her son Danny died in 1948 at age thirty-three.

Frankie and Ellen moved to Corby

A raised their children in Corby Northants, but sadly Frankie died at age 52.

Life after Roseanne

A change had taken place in the household. Roseanne, emptiness surrounding it. She wasn't there to greet us in them in the morning, or when we come home from work.

We all had a responsibility to each other to run the establishment smoothly. I for one had the shock of my life when it was suggested that I cook the evening meal. The reason being I was first home from work.

'Me, cook! I had never cooked anything since Domestic science at school.' My Grandmother did all the cooking.

I entered the house, the neighbour next door came into the house to help me.

"What are you going to cook?" she asked,

"Stove's" I replied,"

Stovies are a meal made of mince with carrots, onions, call put into one pot and cooked on the gas

ring. Granny had a menu for every day of the week, and we all knew it off by heart. We just chose what she

would have cooked. I peeled the potatoes, and prepared the vegetables, Peggy sliced them and put them into the pot. She set the

gas temperature. She left me to do the rest and she returned to her own house. The others came into the house soon after.

As I said previously, they were black mood times A complaint was made, my Grandmother didn't slice her potatoes as thinly as Peggy had done. I didn't care how thin they were I was glad of her help.

Changes were made that evening, we prepared the evening meal for the next day. We decided we would do the meals the previous night, and all we had to do was warm the meal before we were ready to eat.

Preparing the meal, the night before was a successful decision and everyone agreed.

After preparing the meal Jeanie would make the tea. She was quite a comic, she would ask everyone in the

house if they would like a cup of tea, and she would say

"Yes, Jeanie I would like some tea." It wasn't much, but she helped to put a smile back on our faces.

It was the following Sunday when we had our next disagreement. On returning from church my Aunt asked me to put her fur coat upstairs into the wardrobe, and my other aunt told me to put it into the box room, which was a walk-in wardrobe on the landing. They had a disagreement about this, which led to a quarrel but these black moods were our way of grieving, for their much-missed Mother, and my Grandmother.

Things started to get better in the household, we started to live our lives independently. Cathie decided to stay

in Britain, instead of returning to America. She had taken a job in the toy factory at Newstevenston town. A twenty-minute bus ride from

Motherwell, which is in Lanarkshire Scotland

"What's wrong with your face?" Jeanie asked, she was hanging the

washing on the pulley to air, after bringing it in from the back yard.

"I have to go back to the mill in the morning, I hate that job," I complained.

"Well you will have to stay there until you find a better job."

"Could I get my job back on the Fruit farm?" I said hoping that she would say "yes."

"You can't afford to travel there, it's too expensive." I knew this to be true, and went on ironing my clothes for the morning

***

Cathie and I went out the door together, she went down the hill to catch her bus at the bottom of the street, and I went in another direction to meet her two friends. They were accompanying me to the mill until I was settled, and made friends of my own. We were walking to the bus stop.

"If Isa, pushes me in the queue tonight she will hear me "Mary said. "Who is Isa, and why did she push you in the queue? "I asked. "Oh, big Annie, and Isa have volunteered to keep the bus queue in order, "Rena said joining into the conversation.

Before I could ask any more questions, the bus was in sight in the distance, and we had to run the last few steps to catch it.

Lizzie greeted me with a smile When I walked into the department, 'The Drawing room,' I would like to have returned the smile but my face fell as soon as I saw the machines.

I listened with intent to her instructions. I did want to make a success at operating the machines, but I was finding it difficult to operate three machines running at the same time.

Herbert, who was English spoken, (The factory was in a town called Uddingston, in Scotland,) I didn't understand his English accent. He came up and put a bobbin on to the bench and said something to me, I didn't catch what he said, I began to panic.

"What did he say?" I said to Lizzie, in stressful voice.

"It's all right he only wants you to take the bobbin to the office." When I returned, Lizzie asked me what I thought about the job, I answered her question truthfully.

"I do like the job, I like working with you, and the other women, I just can't do it. It's the running of the three machines together, that I can't do, and I don't think Herbert likes me."

" He is not used to young ones in his department." I looked around, she was right, I was the only young person there, and they all spoiled me.

"Look if you are unhappy, would you like me to talk to Isa? And ask her to ask Herbert to give you a transfer to another department? "

"Why Isa, and can you? "

I asked with hope in my line of question.

A few hours later, Herbert was standing beside me and he asked if I would like to work in the winding department. I said "yes" and he made the arrangements.

Before finishing time, Isa appeared at the machine.

"I have asked Marry, the desk girl, to look after you while you settle into your new department. The desk girl is the person who takes care of all the paper work. I was surprised at this statement, but I was thankful for her kindness.

I went home feeling excited, I had something to tell the family.

3

New Year

By Mary Ann McPhedran

Some of the girls were having a celebration drink when we finished early for the holidays ND they asked me if I would like to chip in with them for a bottle and I went along with them. It was my first taste of Elderberry wine." Oh boy! Was I drunk."

I woke up in bed about eight in the evening with no idea how I had arrived home. The girls at work told me later they had to take me home and Jeanie had to put me to bed, to sleep it off.

"Seeing you have been sleeping all afternoon, you can make us all a nice cup of tea." I grinned at her and made my way into the kitchen. I was relieved they left it that because I was under age limit to drink, but because it was the holiday period it was over looked.

Our family celebration was to start at twelve O clock. We never knew who would turn up.

We had a tradition is in our small part of the world that went something like this; after the midnight bells rang in the New year, everyone would leave their doors open and go around to visit their friends and neighbours', to first foot them and bring them good luck.

Our family had an extra two places at the table for our New Year meal, my brother Frankie was bringing his girlfriend. Frankie was my only brother, and we were brought up by my Grandmother. He was now living in

Glasgow, where he worked.

Before the bells on New Year's evening was always a busy time in the household, cleaning the house so you had a clean spotless house for the start of the year.

The celebrations started well, George's pall Peter, came and he first foot us. Frankie made announcement he was finally getting engaged and was having an engagement party to be held following Friday at Ellen his girlfriend's house. I was looking forward to it.

The New Year celebration went on until six o clock on the second of January... Every time we thought

We were ready to put our feet up, some more visitors would arrive. One person was sadly missing that Year, Roseann my Grand Mother, she died.

I was eighteen and courting.

I continued to work along with Isa, I was quite confident about running the machines while she was working with me. I never met anyone who cleaned her machines as she did, I constantly had a rag and a bottle of paraffin in my hand.

There would be times when I would go and set the machine up, with a new order on my own, but it was a different story if she didn't turn in for her shift.

No matter how hard I tried, I never seemed to master the three machines running together at the same time. The problems would start when one of the machines would start to run out and needed reset. It would run out and if I switched it off, another operator would switch it back on. Because we were in a group bonus.

I would leave at the end of a shift and she would have to set up the machines in the morning. For waste, you were allowed six or eight oz., I can assure you I had more like two or three pounds.

I would carry waste out in my pockets and in my bag, sometimes Isa would bribe the lad, that collected the

waste, with two shillings to take it away. But all good things come to an end when they had to weigh and record what they collected.

If Isa said she was going to be off, I conveniently took a sick day and

also, was off. She soon became wise to me, and she stopped saying when she was going to be off. I would go home after a shift at the factory and go to meet Donald in Glasgow I soon would forget about the drawing room, and the mess that I had left behind.

We would go to the Cartoon Theatre and then into RS MAC CALLS cafeteria where we would spend the

rest of the evening. At the weekend, we would go dancing to one of the big dance halls mainly Barrow land,

but because he was serving a trade at that time, we only saw each other twice during the week and at the weekend.

It was my eighteenths birthday, and it wasn't any different to any other birthday except you received a pay

rise. Donald bought me a ring, a black signet ring with his initial D on it. I came home to the family quite excited and couldn't wait to show it off.

Jeanie and Cathie hadn't gone to bed yet, although it was after midnight. I showed the ring to them and then went to bed. I set the alarm to get up a little earlier. I decided to go into work and make an early start, on the setting up at least one of the machines before Isa came in. During my time in the Drawing room there was a murder hunt, it was discovered in Mount Vernon in

Glasgow. My family were concerned for my safety, I was coming home from Glasgow on the last bus, and it

didn't get me home till after twelve midnight. They suggested that Donald should travel on the bus to see me

At the weekend, he could stay over.

He was a little annoyed about this, it meant that he had to come to Motherwell and see meowed had less time to spend together because the last Bus back to Glasgow was before ten. They eventually caught the murderer, he was a local man who lived just up the road from the factory.

The trial was a big event, because they hanged people for murder .

The newspaper men were coming into the factory daily with the trial up dates.

I can't comment on the actual case because at that age I didn't pay any attention to it. Isa and Lizzie were

paying more attention because he was local man. He was found guilty and I think that was the last person to be hanged to my knowledge, I didn't hear of any other cases in Scotland.

All I was interested in was that I could return to meeting Donald in Glasgow again

I arrived home from work one day, to find Cathie she was sitting on the couch admiring two cardigans, she showed me one of the cardigan.

"Do you like this?"

"Where did you get it from was it Grafton's?"

" No Johnny the salesman he is Indian, he comes around the doors with a suit case and he lets you pay it up"

She threw one to me and I Haws quite pleased with it, Bill shouted from the kitchen.

"You shouldn't be taking on debt"

Cathie just ignored him it was her money and she knew he was only making a comment. I was only having ten shillings' pocket money and was glad to be paying it up at two shillings a week. I wore it out that evening.

A few weeks later, the family discovered that I was cheating them in my pay packet information.

When I received, my pay rise I wanted to keep it so I obtained a blank pay slip

From a friend of Isa's and re arranged the figures from my old slip to my blank slip. I was clever enough to

get away with it for a week or two, but I slipped up wounded had previously warned me that I would be caught out. I came into the house, Cathie was waiting for me. " How much wages do you get Mary Ann?" calling me by my Sunday name, I was called Molly any other time.

I looked at her and saw the slip in her hand.

"OK, I needed some more pocket money?"

" Well I think you should pay the same as the rest of us, you can start paying three pounds ten shillings and

keep the rest but you have to buy your own clothes" I was given two pounds back along with the ten shillings that I had already received for my pocket money. I felt quite rich I couldn't wait to tell Donald.

My Brother, Frankie, changed his employment and left Glasgow, but instead of coming home he went to stay in Shots with his girlfriend's parents'

This was the district where my parents were married and we all lived together as a family before my mother died. Frankie and I were just toddlers when she died.

A few weeks later I received two letters, one was from my mother's sister Aunt Margaret, and the other was from an Aunt Helen.

A new chapter was about to begin in both our lives

.***

Meeting the new relations.

Donald could stay over on the Friday when we finished for our annual holidays. All the works in

Glasgow and Lanarkshire closed for two weeks' holiday, it was called the Glasgow fair fortnight. I never seen a fair in Glasgow, and Donald hadn't either.

Bill and George went out and when they come home they brought some friends back with them. They were

both confirmed bachelors, I think they too fond of their money to spend it on a girl. Why would they want a?

girlfriend, when they had four women in the house running after them It didn't happen very often but it, was the holidays and we all had a little drink. Because Donald would have to walk to his sisters in Bellshill he spent the night on the couch. I had to visit the Butcher shop at the bottom of the street, Donald

accompanied me. I raised a few eyebrows

in the queue at the Butchers shop. I was a such a Tom boy when I was child, the neighbours were eying

Donald who was very hansoms, his black hair was so black, a glint of blue reflected from it in the sunshine. He had a cream shirt on, and with his sleeves rolled up, it showed his brown arms.

We went to Shots to see Frankie and he and his girlfriend Ellen had set the date to be married. We had a nice evening and we came home on the last bus.

On Monday, we decided to go and see this new Aunt, she didn't know we are coming because she didn't have a

phone. Likewise, we didn't have a phone ether. We boarded the bus at Motherwell, and the journey was a long one, we changed buses at Lanark for the bus to take us to the Forth.

We had to wait one hour for our connection to the Forth. We hadn't visited Lanark before, so we looked around the Town until it was time for our bus.

I knocked on the door at the Clog lands the address I had on the letter. A lady with slightly gravy hair and wearing a knitted twin set and a grey skirt opened the door, and I was about to introduce myself to her

"Oh, it's you Molly come in" and she gave me a welcome hug.

She told me that I was like my Mother. I introduced Donald to my Aunt and Uncle. My uncle and

Donald, they were getting on very well, talking about Glasgow.

My two cousins came home from their work. They were my age group I liked them instantly.

They worked in the mill in New Lanark I worked also in the mill in Uddingston. We had something in common with each other.

This family were so friendly, and I was sorry when it was time to go home.

My Aunt and Uncle invited us back for the week end to meet the rest of the cousins. We accepted their offer and said that we would come on Saturday. I was so looking forward to spending time with them. I had a lot catching up to do.

***

My New relations

I opened the letter that was waiting for me when I came home from work. A photo fell to the ground and I

picked it up and looked at it, it showed a young couple standing beside a sideboard, or it may be called today, a dresser. I was age eighteen and the couple looked just about my age.

It read on the back of the photo, your mum and Dad before they were married.

I Felt a lump in my throat, but also a surge of pride swell up inside me the couple looked very attractive.

My Father looked very handsome and didn't look like the man that I knew and loved and it was at this point I

realized how ill he must have been. Both my parents died with Tuberculosis, Mum age twenty-seven and Dad thirty-three. During the 1940 s there was an outbreak of the disease. My brother had his height but not quite as tall. My dad was six foot four inches and Frankie was six' one"

Memories of my Mother, I had none to compare the picture with. She looked so young she looked like a girl

age sixteen and I could see a resemblance of likeness to myself, and Frankie. We had the same nose and jaw line and I looked like her. She wore a dress with a pretty lace collar. This was my first photo of my mother and I was going to treasure it. I

knew where she was buried, and my brother and I were taken to visit the grave when we were children. But this was different I would be able to look at her in the photo.

I put it back in the envelope, and read the letter that came with it. My Aunt explained that her husband was my Mother's brother John. My family was starting to extend before

my eyes. I now had an Aunt Helen and an Uncle John with five of a family and they were all anxious to meet my brother and me.

The contents of the other letter were the same, it was from my cousin

May, who was inviting us to my Aunt

Margaret's home, and this was my mother's sister.

Margaret's house who was my Mothers sister who I vaguely remember her name being mentioned, in the home, before my Grandmother had taken us from it, and provided us with a home here.

Cathie and Lily were encouraging me to visit them, only one person was not amused and that was Jeanie,

"Where were they when you were growing up? It's all very well getting in touch now, that all the hard work is done."

"Well I don't know, I don't think they knew where they were? Because Danny lifted them from where they were living and put them into a home, until my Mother managed to get rehoused. Your dad was in the Hospital, at the time, when your Mother died

and you were going to be split and live in different homes. he didn't want you split up8

And eventually Jeanie agreed with her but still had her last say on the subject.

" Yes, go and see them, and let them see that at least one of you is respectable." The family weren't pleased with Frankie, because he was living at his girlfriend's house. I had plenty to tell Donald and Isa,

Donald suggested we go and visit Aunt Helen first because she lived nearest to us.

When Isa heard my story, she was giving me advice, of what to do and what not to do. She was more of a mother than a friend, she suggested that I could go and visit during the holiday period.

I decided to go with Donald's suggestion, to go and visit Aunt Helen's during the factory holiday, which was next Friday when we break up.

Everyone was excited in the drawing room, it was the last day before the holidays. We were having two

weeks off and you get paid two weeks' pay. Isa had me cleaning the machines, while she was making sure the

machines were set up for the return, from the holiday, so she would just have to turn them on. everyone

eyes were on the door. We were all waiting for the wages clerk who delivered your pay packet into your

hand. I was excited Donald was going to be staying, in Bellshill, with his sister Mary for two weeks during the holiday period. It was only a short bus journey from where I lived.

In our household the Fair fortnight, and called, the holiday period. It only concerned George, Bill, Cathie and myself, Jeanie and Lily worked as bus conductresses and worked during it.

At last in walked the wages clerk, and gave us our pay. Isa received hers and went for her jacket, "I'm going over to the shop across the road Dave knows, I will be back soon?" When she came back in she handed me a lovely lemon mohair cardigan and she said

"Thanks for all the hard work you have put in working with me." I was overwhelmed by this gesture, and thanked her.

The horn sounded to finish work and we were now on holiday.

More visiting and back to work.

The following weekend Donald and I returned to the Forth to visit Aunt Helen, who was going to introduce

us to the rest of my new cousins. I had been over to the Forth the week before and met Mary and Ellen, two

of her family. She had another three that were anxious to meet me. They all knew about Frankie and me we were always known as the missing cousins.

My Dad was an ill man and he did what he thought was best for his children. He didn't want to see us living in separate homes, and when his Mother offered to give us a home, he accepted.

I wasn't going to think about that now: I was a grown woman and I was going to meet my other family.

When we arrived, my brother Frankie and his girlfriend were sitting in Aunt Helen's. Aunt Helen had sent a letter asking them to come to her house so we could all be together.

Robert was the first to come in followed by Mary. Helen was visiting Tony's her boyfriend; his real name was George. Everyone called him Tony, because he wore his hair in the same style as the star Tony Curtis.

All the men during the nineteen fifties wore their hair in this style. Including Donald, Bobby, and Frankie. Frankie had a stylist do his. He had straight hair, and it was expensive

It was hard to keep well-groomed so he went back to his old style where he wet it and did his own Tony

Curtis. He looked smart in his suit he wore to Aunt Helen's.

.

Ellen arrived with Tony at five and Aunt Helen went to get busy with the chip pan leaving us all to get to know each other.

I could see why they called Ellen's Boyfriend Tony, he did look like Tony Curtis.

Later after tea John, her married Son, arrived for the introduction and I was told the story of how it was that we all came to meet.

John lived in Shots beside Frankie, and Frankie asked John his name. It turned out that they thought they were cousins. After gathering some information from his Mother, the result was that they were cousins.

After tea, the men went for a pint, now in Scotland, during the 1950S the women didn't go to the pub only t

men. Donald didn't drink, and, they were all under the age to drink, but

he went along with them. John was the only one of age to go into a pub.

While the men were out, Aunt Helen and the rest of us went to see Grace, her eldest daughter who was married and lived in the next street. We had some more tea and I was introduced to John, Grace's husband.

I enjoyed my weekend at my Aunts Helen and I promised not to stay away. I was welcome to come and visit any time.

On the way home I had only one criticism and that was to say my Dad should have made up with my Aunts. I felt that I had been cheated of my childhood. I felt we should have been able to grow up together with these cousins I had just met. The rest of the week flew in and soon it was Monday again and I was back at wo

Back in the Drawing room

I arrived a little early on the Monday to find Isa was already in the drawing room.

"Your early" she said,

"I was feeling energetic with it being our first shift back"

"Well you might need your energy." At once I had a sick feeling at the pit of my stomach, it could only mean one thing, someone wasn't coming into work.

"Who is off? "I asked,

"Who is not coming back?" you mean.

I looked around and everyone in our group was present and busy getting ready to start up the machines.

Oh, not Big Annie's group?"

I wasn't ready to take on machines, especially, in the same group as Annie.

She laughed at this, and then looked at my worried face.

"She is not that bad," she said,

but I wasn't convinced. Whenever I made a mistake on the machines, Annie would come over and correct the mistake. But she would make sure that Isa knew about it. Davie came over to me,

"Your next in line for machines?" He looked at me, and he knew that I Didn't really want them.

"I will ask the next person in line if she would like them, but there is a little end machine job you will have to take it."

"You will have to work with whoever takes over your machines, when you have no ends to run."

I looked at Isa for her to wave her magic wand, but she just couldn't help.

I didn't want to run the big machines.

But I settled for learning the end machine. After Davie went away I groaned

"I'm still going to be in Big Annie's group"

Isa agreed with me," I picked up a bobbin and put it on to the machine.

"It's tomorrow that I start over there not today."

I went to Dolt (Empty} the machine that was standing still. Isa went down to the cloak rooms. She was in the toilet, she heard Ellen discussing me.

She stayed behind the door in the cubical and listened.

"I'll make sure she does her fair share of work while she works with me."

At this point, Isa made her appearance.

"I couldn't help over hearing your conversation, but I can assure you, Molly will give you a good day's work without you having to force it out of her," and she turned and left the cloak room. Isa marched by me, and round to the over looker's desk. I wondered what she was mad about, I could see that she was having serious conversation with him.

She came back to the machines, Davie came with her.

"Molly, when you do your end machine job tomorrow, and when you have no ends to run, work with Isa."

When Isa told me about the conversation in the cloak room, I was quite hurt, and said

"Well one good thing has come out of it, I'm not working on Big

Annie's bonus group."

The end machine job was a successful, and satisfying little job. I would gather all the long pieces of waste and join them up and run them through the machine, and then take it to the operator of which the ends were to be put back through the production line.

I liked the end machine and I settled down to work. I even liked Big Annie, she wasn't bad, she just had the habit of being around when she wasn't wanted.".

Donald joined a Judo club and he was going to it quite often, and sometimes he would go for a grading on a

Saturday. To achieve a belt for contest. I would have to wait at home, and sometimes it would be Sunday.

A rift was starting to form between us. He was seeing more of his Judo friends than he was of me. The months went by and it was Easter Monday, and we were going to the Clyde park.

We took a picnic with us and I thought that we were having a good time. He suddenly started to bring up the subject of the Judo, on our way home to my house.

He said he wanted to spend more time at the Judo and before I could

complain, he looked behind him and saw the bus, it said Glasgow 240,

I want to finish it."

He boarded the bus and I was left standing. I was shocked and in disbelief of what was happened and feeling miserable

I couldn't believe what had happened. I was standing on the pavement, watching the bus disappears carrying Donald on it. He just ran and left me, jumped on to the bus. He didn't even look back to wave to me. I was confused, I didn't know why.

I thought he was just in a mood, when he said that he didn't want to be in a relationship any more.

I walked slowly home hoping that he would get off the bus at the next stop. Tears welling up in my eyes, I dried them and hid with a little face powder. Before entering the house.

The girls were in, Cathie and Lily, Cathie was my Grandmothers youngest daughter, and she wasn't much older than me. Both my aunties were getting ready to go out.

"Where's Donald?" Cathie asked.

"Good Question. He just jumped on to the Glasgow bus and left me standing."

"Maybe he had something to do before he starts work tomorrow." They were trying to be nice.

I just agreed with her. I didn't want to make a fuss about it. I hoped that Donald would come over after work tomorrow.

They were getting ready to go out,

"Where you are going?"

"We are going to Straven to a dance. Why don't you go and see Mary both you come with us?"

Mary was my friend, and they were thinking that her being my age, and my friend she might want to come with us.

I put my coat back on and made my way to Mary's house, there was no point in waiting for Donald he was on his way to Glasgow.

I went to the dance and I had a good time but Donald was never far from my mind.

Next day at work, Isa knew that there was something wrong. I was too quiet.

and I told her about Donald saying he wanted to finish it. She just said a few words,

"That's how life is." She told me not to dwell on it.

I had been going out with him for eighteen months, and I enjoy going to and from Glasgow. I felt lost.

I travelled into Glasgow to see him at his digs, but he wasn't in, so I left a message for him. I asked him to meet me in Motherwell the next day at the Bridge Work, but he didn't turn up. It was time to put him out of my mind. I had spent the last three weeks watching the door of the dance halls expecting to see him. I finally accepted that it was over.

A few weeks had passed, and I never heard from him, so instead of going out with him. Mary, my friend, took his place. I sampled every dance hall in the area.

Frankie and Ellen were married, and I was best maid. He came home from Shots to get married from the house, and we had a few drinks instead of a stag night out.

The wedding went well, Frankie sent an invitation to Donald and I looked for him but he never came.

Aunt Helen and cousin john came. When it was finished, we went back to her house in the Forth. They lived in a little village out in the country side. The bride and groom stayed on a few days.

A few weeks later I was offered machines in the drawing room I still didn't want them. I wasn't confident but because they were Lizzie's machines and Isa offered to take them, I was given hers. We ran the six machines

between us, I was all right at running them except, for the waste. I never managed to keep to the fixed. amount.

Nineteen and Isa drops a bombshell

Donald and I had split up and I was missing him so much.

I went to the dancing with Mary. It was my favourite night and dance hall. I kept looking at the door expecting to see him come through it. Mary read my mind.

"Your no fun, he's not going to come through the door. If anything, he will be out with his friends at one of the dance halls in Glasgow. " I knew she was right, and tried to forget him, but he was always on my mind. At home the girls tried to cheer me up by making fun of me. If the door was knocked they would look at me and say,

"That might be for you," and I would go to answer it hoping to see him when I opened it. It would be Jeanie taking the Micky.

"Is Molly in " she would say. And I would have to put on a brave face, and laugh with them. The truth being I was missing him so much, and I was miserable. I tried everything to see if I could end this rift and to get our relationship back together.

I decided to go and see Mary, his sister. I was walking towards her house and there he was coming towards me. I couldn't believe my eyes. He was wearing a new blue suit and tan shoes. All the time that I was going

out with him I had to put up with him wearing some jacket and trousers. I didn't mind this because he was an apprentice and it was cheaper to buy. Suits were all the fashion in those days.

"Where are you going?" he asked,

I had to say that I was going to his sisters, and I decided to come straight out with it.

"I was on my way to see Mary in the hope that I would see you,"

"Oh, I'm just going back into Glasgow"

"I was hoping that we could get back together?"

"I don't want a relationship, I'm enjoying going out with the lads from the Judo," and his bus arrived at this point. I waved goodbye and he was gone. I turned around to the shops instead of going to Mary's.

I returned to work on Monday morning only this Monday morning was my birthday, I had a card in the post from Donald, and it read happy birthday from Donald. Isa gave me a card with two pounds, buy something with it. I had a pair of black watch tartan trousers in mind, with sixteen-inch trouser leg bottoms, which was the fashion.

In the afternoon she went missing, I saw Dave putting someone on her machines, and thought,

"Why didn't she tell me she was going early?" It must have been personal.

I went on with my work until the end of my shift.

The next day after we had set all the machines and they were running smoothly and we were standing by the machine bench. "I've something to say to you."

" "What is it, you are making me nervous, is there something wrong?" "No, you haven't done anything wrong, I'm leaving here I have another job."

"You are leaving! Where are you going, what am I going to do, is there any jobs for me where you are going? "I asked, panic stricken.

I couldn't even think what it would be like to be not working with her especially this job and machines.

"Calm down, I'm going to work in the Ranco, and yes they are interviewing at the Ranco

But you must go through the brew, (Brew Scottish for Unemployment office) I kidded on that I was sick and was sent home, but instead, I went to the brew, and I managed to get an interview and given a verbal promise of employment. I was told not to put my notice in until I heard from them, they would let me know when to start by letter. I had a job.

I came home and gave the news to the family and they advised me to keep quiet about the job until I had news when to start. I went into work next day. And told Isa. I just had to wait now.

Two weeks later Isa went to Peterborough, she was going to a wedding, and before she went she put a spare waste can behind my machine. "Put your extra waste in there you are leaving anyway." I just nodded. When she was due to come back she would be giving in her notice, and I hadn't heard from them yet. I was starting to worry and wonder if I was ever going to hear from them.

On Monday I was going to work, and wondered who they would put on Isa's machines. To my surprise it was Lizzie, she was starting back. Lizzie was Isa friend who left after having major surgery.

We worked together, just as I did with Isa, running the six machines between us.

I was careful not to let her see the spare can that I was using for my extra waste. One good thing came out of Isa being off that week, was that I didn't have time to think about Donald. I worked on Saturday morning, me

shift was from eight to twelve, and towards the end of the shift Annie saw me putting some of the extra waste into the spare can. She came over and went behind my machine.

"Oh, my God," she said, and shook her head at me.

"Why don't you stay over where you belong? Your machines are over there not here."

I knew she didn't have time to discuss it with anyone because the horn blew for time to go home.

All the way home I had a nagging feeling about her seeing the waste, and I hadn't heard from the Rancho yet. I entered the house and George, my uncle said,

"There is a hand delivered letter on the sideboard for you,"

I couldn't get the letter opened quickly enough, my finger was all thumbs, and I managed to open it. It read

Report to the Coil Winding at seven forty-five am Monday morning August 27/8 /1959.

I felt a surge of relief, engulf my body, it was over I didn't need to go back to face the consequences, my days in the drawing room were over. I wouldn't be there when Isa returned, but she was to start work the following week in the Ran co.

I asked Nicki, who lived next door to me, if she would collect my cards for me. You didn't have to give notice to leave in those days.

On Monday I was home early and decided to walk up to meet Nicki to collect my cards from her.

The first person who came off the bus was one of the girls from the drawing room.

"Oh Molly, you are for it, they found your waste, and the big bosses were all around your machines"

"I don't work there anymore." I said, touching my screw driver in my top pocket of my new pink overall.

Chapter 35

First day at the new job

I arrived at the Coil winding early, and I reported to the Supervisor Office. I was taken to the department, with two other girls, and I was pleased about this. At least I wasn't starting on my own.

The foreman introduced himself as Bob, and then he introduced the two girls, Jean and Anastasia. I in turn introduced myself. We were each given a machine, and because it was so simple to work, I asked the machine setter.

"How many of these do we have to run?" The girl in the next machine overheard me, and she answered my "How many do you want? She said in disgust, and she was shaking her head and laughing. I wanted to explain, to her, about the size of the other Machines at the Mill, but I decided not to bother, and I went on listening to the instructions of how to operate it and make the coils.

it was simple, there were two drums of copper wire at the side of the machine. Then you had to tie the wire on to two steel formers, and switch the machine on. It made the coils and then you tied them up and put them into a bin, and fill it with the coils.

Quite a difference from the monster machines, that I had to run, in the Mill, and had to work three machines. with forty-eight bobbins on each on and all operating at same time, and have eyes at the back of your head to watch them in case one of the threads would break.

At break time the other two new girls and I went together to the canteen, and we made friends especially

Jean, she was my friend all through the time that I worked in the Coil winding.

I entered the canteen-and a familiar voice said,

"Hello when did you start?"

I turned around and saw it was Isa's Daughter,

"Today, there was a letter waiting for me, when I arrived home on Saturday."

I will tell my mum you are in the best job in the factory, I laughed at this remark. But it turned out she was telling the truth.

I didn't do too bad with the production at the end of the shift I did three hundred coils. The woman, who mocked me in the morning, persuaded me not put them all in as it may jeopardise their bonus.

I thought to myself "Isa, where are you? I'm actually been asked to slow down in the job."

I thought about her, "God bless her She had carried me all through the job in the Drawing room. She was a good friend to me, almost a Mother."

On the Saturday I bumped into Isa in town, and we went to the fish and chip Restaurant at Motherwell cross.

She told me all about what they were saying about my bin full of waste.

She defended me right to the end.

She told Davie that it could have been the Twilight shift that filled the bin

full of waste. Davie answered her by saying,

"Oh, yes anybody but Molly,"

I filled her in on the new job, and she advised me just to do my best, make a bonus if I could.

We worked in different departments in the Ranco, and we moved in different circles, but we were still friends.

My brother Frankie came down to the house to give us the news that that his wife was pregnant, and I was

very happy for him. Our family was about to extend. Frankie and I had been on our own, our parents died

when we were children. My Grandmother did a good job in raising us and we now had her family for support. I treated them as though they were my sisters. Bill and

George, were a little older and I called them by their first name. This baby was going to be the first to add to our family, The McGuinness family, and I couldn't wait for the baby to arrive. I spent the coming Months saving and gathering little garments for new the arrival.

I arrived home from work to find a visitor in our house,

Cathie's friend. She lived in the next street to us with her brother and she had come over from Ireland. Her name was Siobhan, and she was moving in. Her Brother, Sean, came with her to help her with the luggage, but he was probably checking out where she was going to be living. She had lovely auburn hair, and she was a lively character. She put some life into our house. I think it was what we needed. The house was never quite the same after Roseann, my Grandmother, had departed from it.

My Grandmother wasn't much of a baker we bought all our cakes and bread from. The nearest to home baking was when Cathie would buy a, Mary Baker packet of cake mix.

Siobhan Baked on a Sunday, Soda bread, scones, and cakes. We began to look forward to Sundays.

My friend Mary joins the Rancho.

I settled into the Ran co and was impressed with my pay on Friday. When the wages Clark comes around, and hand you your pay packet. For those who don't know, it's a little brown envelope which contained

money instead of the banks. The pay Clark was a little man, who was slim built, and in his fifties. Ancient. To a person age nineteen. He wore a blue suit and he was smartly dressed. But wore too much bridle cream on his hair. There was something exciting in those days receiving that little brown envelope.

I opened mine with anticipation, wondered if it would be a little more than I received at the Mill. I was fumbling with the sticky glue which held it closed. It didn't seem to want to come apart and I was trying to be discrete. The machines were very close together. My dig money and catalogue, would leave me a tidy sum of five pounds.

"Someone looks pleased?"

It was Isa. She was standing by my machine, I gave her the catalogue money and I noticed she had her fingers all taped up.

"Why are your fingers taped up like that?"

"It's that damn job, it's those coils you are making. We fit them into a stator and the wire hurts my fingers."

I felt sorry and a little guilty, she had been so good to me in the Drawing room at the Mill. She saw the expression on my face and said

,"Don't worry as soon as another job comes up in the factory, I will go for it. It's only a matter of time." My friend Jean and I would watch the married women work. They never lifted their heads. One of them would take a yeast tablet to get her through from, three O' clock till five O' clock.

At four O' clock every day I would see Isa go by, and she would give me the nod to join her in the Cloak room.

One of the woman could work very fast but she had the art of looking around her, and she saw everything. We nick named her, Hawaiian eye, you know the TV program.

The married women would try to encourage me to stay on my machine and earn a bigger bonus. I did it once

and earned a good bonus, but the tax man took nearly half of it. I die certain amount every day, and finished. I was happy with what I had every week.

The weekend came around, and I was going out with Mary to the late night at the Earthily welfare. She looked at my new skirt that I bought from town

'New skirt?"

"Yes, I went up from work to Grafton's only nineteen shillings and eleven-pence."

"It might as well be sixpence, I've just had a fight with my maw because our Margaret had to have new shoes.

I'm sick of it, if it's not her it's one of the others."

Mary had three brothers and a sister younger than her.

"Why don't you go on your own, give dig money and buy your own clothes?"

"I don't have enough wages in my job,"

A few days later Mary came into the house quite excited,

"Can I get ready here?"

It was Saturday morning and I was puzzled.

She had an interview at the Rancho. She didn't want her Mother knowing about the interview, and that she was leaving the co-op. Where she had been working since she left school at fifteen.

She left for the factory and she said she would call in on the way back. I waited quite excited at the thought of

Mary working beside me. I started to think of what her Mother would have to say about her changing her job. And that she was going to be giving in dig money. None of Mary's family ever paid digs.

She came in and it was official she would be starting in the Stator room at the factory. I left her to break the news to her Mother. her bed and I told her about Mary. Siobhan was next to get up. Jeanie came in for her break on the buses and gave us some news. She was getting married.

We gave a cheer at this news.

She and Nat had been going out together since I was a child. They were having a quick wedding because

Nat sister was to be rehoused by the council. The house she was living in was private landlords. And his sister asked the factor for the house for Nat, and he was granted it for rent. We had a wedding to plan.

Mary started work in the Rancho, but the Stator room was a shock to her. It was quite different to the co op

serving customers, and being her cheery self. On the way home,

she didn't say a word to me and it was the same

performance next day.

A few days later she had a skin rash, she was allergic to the material in the stator room. She was transferred to the inspection, and It put the smile back on her face.

It was a satisfying time. I was in a good job, with my two friends, Isa, and Mary. Frankie's baby on the way, and a wedding to go to, life felt good.

Visit to Siobhan's home in Ireland

Jeannie wedding went well, she didn't have the usual Saturday wedding. She was married on a Friday night. In the church on Merry street. Her wedding outfit was a Suit and matching accessories. She had the wedding reception in the Saint Brides Hall Motherwell. After the Wedding the bride and groom went to their new home. It was the September Bank Holiday coming up and the girls were planning what to do. Cathie had met a new boyfriend. in Corby, Northamptonshire, and was deciding to go to his Mother home for the week end. She had been before to his home in Corby.

She was Cathie's friend, Rena, Aunt. Cathie and Rena had been to Corby several times before. The last time

she visited, she became friendly with Rena's Cousin Tom, and they had arranged to meet on the Bank Holiday.

I had no plans, because Donald and I had split up. I was at a loose end.

Usually I would be doing something with him.

I had started going skating instead of the dancing. A special bus left from Motherwell to Paisley Ice Rink, every Tuesday and Saturday.

It took me a little while to master my balance on the skates you hired at the rink. I became quite good, and could do the fifteen-minute speed skating session when announced.

The skaters would all go into the middle of the rink, and we would speed skate.

I hired my boots from the ice rink. I had seen a white pair of boots and I was saving for them.

"Why don't you come home with me for the weekend?" said Siobhan.

A weekend in Ireland, going in an airplane. This was an inviting offer, that I could not refuse, and at once I accepted. The skates were abandoned and the money was used for a flight ticket.

I went with her into Glasgow to book the tickets for the flight. We waited in the queue at the Travel Agents, in those days there were not very many Travel Agents. We gave our details and said.

"Two flights to Dublin.?"

"The assistant looked at us and said,"

"Sorry we are fully booked for that weekend,"

"Siobhan looked disappointed. She had a boyfriend, and her family all expecting to see her on that weekend. We arranged to accept cancellations if there were any. We left disappointed.

"I'm going home, no matter what, even if I have to take a week off

work and go the week before the bank holiday." She said.

A few days later Siobhan had a letter offering her a cancellation, which left on the Wednesday, before the bank Holiday weekend.

Shat once accepted it and went into Glasgow to pay for it. There was no sign of any for me and I had resigned to the fact that I would be buying some new skates at the Ice Rink. I came home from work on Wednesday night to find a letter from the travel agent. I Had to go to pick up

ticket and fly on Friday night. I sent a telegram to Siobhan to say when I was arriving. I decided with my foreman to get away from work one hour early on Friday.

I arrived in work on Friday morning with my suitcase. I couldn't do any work that morning, I was so excited.

The thought of traveling on an Airplane and going to Ireland. I couldn't wait.

It was time I was boarding the plane, I looked at my ticket and found my seat, I was sitting next to a

the way, it was only one hour flight and he kept ringing for the Stewardess to bring him a whiskey.

" Would you like one?"

"Oh, no thank you, " I replied

And he went on talking again and soon we were landing in Dublin. I was glad to see Siobhan.

She introduced me to her brother and sister who came to meet me at the airport. Sean and Brae.

We travelled to her parents' house by car, it was Sean car

I was introduced to her Dad,

"Dad this is Molly McGuinness from Scotland,"

"Not with a name like that she's not, she must be Irish. Somewhere in her life line.?"

"I think my Grandfather was Irish? He died when my Dad was a child so I don't know much about him. I replied," Siobhan's parents were lovely. After tea, they were having visitors and Siobhan her sister and I went to get dressed before they arrived.

Brae had Siobhan do her hair. We finished dressing, and we were on our way down stairs. Her Father met Brae and he looked at her and said.

"Brae are you not going to do something with your hair it needs tidying before your Aunt arrives.?"

Brae turned and went back upstairs to redo her hair without a word of complaint. I felt very comfortable in their home and enjoyed the visit. Sean crammed into our weekend, as much as he could, by transporting us around the resort.

We walked down O'Connell street. Went dancing at night, and it was the one and only time that I had the choice of asking the men to dance. I loved that visit to Ireland.

We had to return to Glasgow on different flights. I arrived first and waited for Siobhan to arrive, and we travelled home from Glasgow to Motherwell together.

We arrived home at eleven O clock at night. Cathie was home from Corby, and we had a lot of exchanging stories to tell. It was at this point I realized how much I missed Jeanie.

I decided to go and see her tomorrow after work.

Chapter 37

A letter arrives from Glasgow.

The S and L department where Jean and I were transferred to from the coil winding, wasn't that bad. Only the bonus. Mary O Brian wasn't exaggerating when she quoted ten shillings. She was spot on, I tried everything to earn a few shillings more without success.

We were all single, and under twenty-one years of age in the S and L. Unlike the Coil winders, which had a mixture of age groups. None of us were married.

Mary O Brian seemed to lead every event. She would arrange to go on nights out. We went to the big hit

movies. i.e. 'THE GUNS OF NAVARONE,' Some nights we would start at a pub for a drink or go for a meal. and then on to one of the big dance halls in Glasgow. Now Mary O Brian was a well-groomed person. She would wear good clothes to work. I would wear certain clothes that I kept for work only.

We lived in the same area and she went to Mayra's to have her hair styled. She would tell me on a Monody, after twirling me around, that Mayra would have styled it better. My family, Cathie, Lily and Jeanie all went to Mayra to have their hair styled. I went to Braden's in the town on Merry street. The reason for this is that I liked to go on a Friday after work. Mayra's was packed.

Brayan's wasn't busy, and I could be in and out in an hour.

Lily went to Birmingham to live. Jeanie being married and living in her own house left Cathie, Bill and George and myself at home. Cathie was courting Tom, but he lived in Corby in Northants. He arrived unexpectedly at his

Aunts house who lived around the corner from us. He was given a job as a steel erector on the Forth Bridge.

Joining Edinburgh to Fife in Scotland, He had a two-year contract. Cathie was happy.

I came in from work and there was a letter waiting. I picked it from the mantelpiece. It had a Glasgow post mark. I went upstairs to my bedroom eager to read the letter.

It was from Donald asking for my brothers address. He also asked if I still went to Bellshill Suit. It was the

Dance hall that we went to on a Saturday night when we were together. I was excited and I wrote back telling him that I went to Paisley Ice Rink. It had been a year since we broke up

I was eager to tell someone and I put my coat on and went to Mary's house. Cathie grinned at me as I left.

Mary listened to me going on about my letter but there was no feeling in our conversations and I soon realized she wasn't really pleased for me.

I changed the subject and we talked about her new job. But I was going Skating on Saturday with or without her.

On Saturday, she said that she wouldn't be going Skating she was going to the new dance hall in Motherwell. I

went to the Skating without her. On the special bus that left from the town. There were plenty of other people I knew and could join their company.

It was during the speed skating that Donald Appeared and he called over from the side. I was in the middle with the other skaters. I went over to him. We had good fun and at the end of the night I arranged to go to Frankie's with him. It wasn't a date but it was a start. He was picking me up at the house.

I was on tender hooks and I knew that I had to make a good impression.

I would wear my good coat with all the accessories. A beige fur coat and African violet straight dress with matching colour of shoes and walking stick style umbrella baby, Danny. We had to leave early for Donald to get the bus back to Glasgow. Before the bus arrived at Motherwell, where I was getting off, he asked to see me again. I said yes and we arranged to meet on Tuesday. Perhaps Mary's mum would be right in her prediction that we would end up married

Chapter 37

A new arrival to the McGuinness's

Mary and I travelled to work together. She put me to shame with the energy she had in the morning.

When we entered the factory, all the way up the corridor to the cloak room she would chant.

."Good morning Cathie, "

Next person she would again say.

"good morning" and this would continue with every person we passed until we reached the cloak room.

I would just grunt or nod, I was not energetic like Mary.

We parted company after we changed into our smocks. She went to the inspection and I went to the Coil Winding, we may bump into each other in the cloak room. Our breaks were different

A new coil was introduced to the department. It was clumsy, and awkward to handle. No one liked the new coil, and the time study man We would be on average bonus until there was a time set on the coil. It was my day to take a turn on the coil, and I followed every one's advice. Because there was no time set on the coil I followed every one's advice, do less until there was.

The married women were not impressed with the coil and they all insisted that each person should move up a machine each day. The foreman agreed.

I was tested by the time and study, and was glad that it was over. It was my turn to go on the machine, and I did all right until next morning. I was about to move to the next machine and the woman who should have moved up refused. "I'm not moving, why should I? You only do a certain amount, and then you finish. You're not bothered.

"It doesn't matter I don't like it just the same." I protested. But they still wouldn't move.

"Well if that is how you want it? I will break the timing and we will end up not making a bonus at all. Remember the timing is still not set." They laughed at me and still didn't move.

I was furious and went to pick up my empty bins.

They looked at me. I had seven bins at my feet. As a rule, inly filled five a day, it didn't bother them at first. I was angry and the coil wire was horrible to work with.

Rage kept me going and one by one I filled each bin I was on my eighth and Annie came up to me.

"You can't put all those in.

"And, why can't I? You had your chance this morning" I replied. And started to put my number of coils on my time sheet.

"Please don't Molly, keep some for the next day?"

After negotiating I decided to wait and give in my time sheet to Bob in the morning. If they moved up one machine I will put in less coils, if not they would all go in.

The next morning, they moved up one machine and I moved on to another coil. The rest of the day went well and I was looking forward to the end of the shift. It was Friday night the week end.

I went home satisfied with my performance for the day, I ate my dinner and was washing up the dishes. Frankie, my brother, walked into the house.

"Ellen is in the maternity she is in labour."

To be near, the Hospital he was staying until she delivered the baby.

I was excited and looked at all the little things that I had bought for the Baby when he or she arrived.

Frankie could not contain himself he was up and down at the phone box. He was at the hospital earlier and they sent him home to wait. It was the next day before Ellen delivered a Son.

Daniel Patrick McGuinness was born 26th of June 1960. I cried with joy. My parents were not around to greet their Grandson. They died.

My Grandmother's family were delighted to celebrate their Great nephew into the family.

I went with Frankie to see Ellen and the baby, my nephew.

There now was another McGuinness in Our family. It was extending.

Mary did what she set out to do after joining the Rancho. She gave her Mum board money and she was buying her own clothes. Her Mum wasn't impressed.

She was s turning up to visit more than usual.

"What's up?" I knew that something was wrong.

"Oh, my maw says I'm only paying lodging money, so I've to be treated like a lodger and stay in my room. But let's see how she can go to the Bingo if I'm not in to look after the kids."

It was true she did like her bingo and Mary looked after her younger brothers when she went out to the bingo.

A few days later, Jeanie and I went to the bingo. Mary's Mum was there and gave me an ear bashing, about

Mary paying dig money, all through the session. She practically accused me of putting the idea into her head. It didn't matter what she said Mary still paid digs and we were going on our big shopping spree.

We are after Astrakhan coats, I had been saving for Months for mine. I knew that it would be expensive.

Mary bought a black Astrakhan coat and she looked perfect in it. She was five feet eight inches, she was slim like as we all were in those days. Her dark hair lay gracefully on her shoulders and she looked lovely. It was my turn, Oh no! Black did not suit me at all. I looked washed out in the colour, I was disappointed. "Don't give up already, lets see what we have? "the shop assistant said. She brought this light beige three quarter length coat, which had the Astrakhan design which surprised me.

I thought you could only get grey, and black Astrakhan coats?"

It's not an Astrakhan, It's a Beaver Lamb fur."

Again, I was surprised, I had only seen a brown Beaver Lamb coat. In the 1959, there was no stigma in wearing fur not like today.

It was a beautiful coat and it suited me. I didn't care what the cost was, I was having it. I had enough for shoes and a dress. We went to a shop that sold shoes and dresses in the one shop.

I picked the colour African violet, straight, dress, shoes, bag, and Umbrella all to go with the coat. All dressed up in the outfit, and considering the mirror, and I felt

Back with Donald

Donald and I continued to see each other, and I returned to traveling to and from Glasgow. I preferred going into Glasgow during the week.

There were more things to do in Glasgow.

He was still an apprentice, Slater and Plasterer. Our favourite place to go was the Cartoon Theatre. When it was finished, we would go into RS McColl's cafeteria. Sometimes we would have a meal and other times we would just have tea.

Our big night out would be in Glasgow a film or a dance in one of the dance halls. We liked. The Barrow land and we went there quite frequently.

Isa, Nicky, and Mary had all received letters for to return to the Ranco. They didn't waste any time they sent there replies right away. They started back two weeks later. I had my three friends back in my work place again.

Mary was a little huffy with me, she didn't come in for me to go to work and catch the bus together. I was nearly late. She made the excuse that she was late herself and she thought that I would be gone.

It was Isa who told me that Mary had made a remark to her about me. The remark was... "Now that Molly, has her man she has forgotten her friends." I was shocked at this. "I haven't forgot about her," I protested.

"Well that's how she feels, and I think you should go and see her and put things right between you." I said that

I would but I was annoyed at her remark to Isa about me.

Isa was always mothering me and she was a good friend.

I went to see Mary at her house and her Mum opened the door to me.

"I'm glad to see you," and she left Mary and I to sort out our differences.

We sorted things out and I had to admit that I was neglecting our friendship a little. I decided to go to the late-night dance on Friday night.

A few weeks later Isa collapsed at her bench. I could see from my bench and when I realized it was her I laid down my tools and went straight to her. Betty, her Daughter, arrived just behind me. Her foreman started to question why I had turned up. Before he could say anymore Betty said."

"Molly's almost family "

"She was rushed into hospital. Betty told me to go back to my work and she would come by my house tonight to let me know how she was. I didn't do much work for worrying about

Isa had a growth and went through an emergency operation to remove it. I was visiting Jeanie my Aunt who was more like a sister. She gave me a card to give her. She often came to the bingo with Isa and myself.

I went to see Isa on Sunday after she had her operation and she was sitting in bed chatting away as though

she had nothing wrong with her. She told me off at once for not having gloves on to match my blue suit.

"You're not properly dressed without gloves," She said,

I agreed with her just to keep her happy. She was off work nine weeks and during that time Donald and I went on Sundays to visit her. She became very fond of him.

A few weeks after Isa was back at work she came to my bench and said, "They were doing over time last night in the coil winding, which means they are picking up again."

"Do you think I should ask for my job back?"

"you don't someone will ask for your job it's the best paid job in the factory."

At If break time, I told Jean what Isa had said. We went along to see Bob if we had any chance of getting our jobs back. He advised us first to see our supervisor on S and L. If we didn't get any satisfaction then to come and see him. We asked the charge hand if we could see the Supervisor.

Our Supervisor came that afternoon and we set the ball rolling. A few days later we were in the personnel office asking in person for our jobs back.

Our Supervisor made it quite clear he didn't want us to go back and was making this statement to us but also the personnel officer. I could see our jobs slipping away from us.

A few days later I was sent back but not Jean. In Jeans place was another person.

The rest of the winders asked why and I couldn't explain. Jean went by and she looked over to nod for me to join her in the cloak room.

When I arrived, I could see that she had been crying,

"It's the charge hand, he won't let me go, he says that I'M already a coil winder in his department."

This was true Jean was winding coils. Different coils than in the coil winding department, but winding coils just the same. She was quite upset and I tried to console her. I told her to fight her corner and ask to see the personnel about it.

I went to my work mates told them what Jean had said to me and how she was upset. They came up to me ten minutes later. "Come on we are going to see what Bob about this and they had all down tooled. Bob went to see the Supervisor and by the afternoon Jean was on her machine.

The woman who was on the next machine to me said I was keeping her back from her work. I was talking

too much. I shrugged my shoulders and gave her a smile

I was happy I was in the coil winding, on a good coil, I knew that I could do my three hundred a day. I would have a decent wage next week. Before the end of my shift I went across to Isa at her work bench. To thank her for giving me the advert.

Chapter 38

Mary and I travelled together to work. This day was special, it was the day we break up for the holidays and we collect our holiday pay.

I had worked a little harder last week and I was expecting a little extra, in my pay packet, along with my holiday pay. I was hoping the Tax man wasn't going to reap the benefit of my hard work. Mary and I were traveling down to Birmingham on the night train, and I needed the extra money for my holiday.

I was pleased with my pay when the clerk handed the little brown envelope over and I checked the contents.

I was excited about the trip and it slowed down my work performance. I was in and out of the cloak room, all

morning, whenever I saw one of my friend go by. I still managed to put the number of coils, into my production sheet, that I was supposed to at the end of the shift. We were visiting my Grandmothers step daughter Rose. Rose would visit my Grandmother when

and I called her Auntie. She was married and only saw her when she came on holiday. When I became an adult, I dropped the word Auntie and reverted to Rose, just as I had done with the rest of my Grandmothers family who I live with. Mary arrived early, at the house, to go to the train station. It was only eight O clock, and our train wasn't due until ten. We were only five minutes from the station.

"Why are you so early?"

" Oh, my maw is moaning about me giving her dig money again." Mary changed her job and her way of paying for her keep. She decided to buy her own clothes, and only

pay lodgings. Her Mum didn't like it. No one else in the family had paid for lodgings, they all handed over their full pay.

I made both of us some tea, and it was soon time to go for our bus to take us to the station.

We arrived at the Rail Station with fifteen minutes to spare, and Mary bought some chocolate for the journey.

The train was packed. In those days, it was the carriages. We managed to get a seat and we settled for the journey. We both slept most of the way. Our sleep was disturbed, when passengers were coming on and

the train and the sound of slamming doors being closed. We arrived at Rose's house at last it had been a long journey

The children were around us and excited. Rose had three children. Mary was eight Susan was three and Denis was eighteen-month-old.

During the day time, Rose would take us to all the bargain shops, the flea market, and many others. Our first place was to a factory shop which sold clothes. We both had given Rose some money for our keep, at first, she refused and I insisted that she take it. She accepted half.

She took us into the factory, shop. Mary and I were both wanting to buy everything that we saw. The garments were so cheap. I bought two skirts. Mary bought three, and I had to remind her we had two weeks to get through with our money.

Rose's next stop was the Market. She called it the flea market but it was all new stuff they sold. I couldn't understand why it was called the flea market.

From there we bought white hand bags. They were a bargain compared to the prices on the High Street.

We had only been a few hours in Birmingham and we had spent quite a bit of our spending money. I said this to Mary.

"Don't worry we will meet a couple of chaps tonight and they will pay for us when we go out." we set off for the local dance hall The Ritz in Kings heath.

Mary was right, we were jiving in a corner, and two chaps came and split us up. They were our partners for the night and for the rest of the holiday. George was my boyfriend and Less was Mary's.

George was wearing a charcoal gravy suit with a red handkerchief in the top pocket and a red tie to match,

and black Swede shoes. He had dark hair. Less had Blond hair, and was wearing a navy-blue suit. We arranged to meet the next day.

When we met the lads, they took us to the Crossed Guns a pub. Mary and I were surprised, Apart from the

fact that we were too young to drink, women didn't drink in pubs in Scotland. We enjoyed the pub. We had been to a club before but not a pub.

We frequently went to the Crossed Guns during the fortnight.

George offered to write but I told him no, my heart was elsewhere. I had still a gut feeling that I would see

Donald again. And we would go back together. We had split up about eight months ago, and although I had moved on with my life, he was still in the back of my mind.

A few weeks later my twentieth birthday I received a card from him with a bracelet sell taped inside it. It just said from Donald.

Less came to visit Mary and found a job and stayed for three months. He went back to Birmingham and Soon after Mary finished with him.

Mary's mum predicted that I would end up married to Donald. And I answered.

"Well I can't see how that can happen. I have never seen him since we split up." I replied, but deep down I hoped she was right.

After returning from our Bank holiday on September, we had quite a shock as we entered the factory door.

There was a huge notice board placed right at the entrance. It read,

Redundancies: A SELECTION OF

EMPLOYEE'S WILL BE NOTIFIED INSIDE YOUR PAY SLIPS ON

Friday

Chapter 39

Back in the coil winding.

By Mary Ann McPhedran

I was back doing the job I liked best, but the new coil was still causing friction in the department. None of the

workers liked it including myself. Each day we would move up a machine, because it was set on average bonus and no one would be stuck on it long term.

All of us in the department refused to accept the time that was set on it. We insisted that we could not do the coil.

Bob gathered us to his desk and then escorted the whole lot of us to the Supervisors office.

He sat at his desk looking stern. He never mixed with the workers and any information or questions he had for us would go to Bob. Bob would pass it on to us. So, to be summoned to the office meant it was serious.

As soon as we all settled, around his desk, he told Bob to close the door. "I have called you here to talk about the new coil and to find out why you can't make timing that was set on the coil.".

One of the workers felt brave enough to say that it couldn't be done. He almost jumped out of his chair.

"I'm not standing for your lame excuses. I've been here before. You made out that you couldn't do the others,

and now you are making well over on bonuses. I'm not being taken to the cleaners again."

He asked we liked our jobs and before we could say yes, he continued to speak.

"If you don't think that you can do the time set on the coil then you can find another job. That's all I must say on the matter, let me know what you decide." Bob escorted us from the office. One or two of the workers said that it was time we had a union in the factory.

We had a little discussion about whether we move up a machine every day. We decided to continue moving up one machine. I knew that I would have to work a little harder on the coil. I worked out that I could work each day a little harder on the good coils that way I wouldn't have to worry...

It was at first as we thought hard to make the target, and it wasn't the fact that the target couldn't be reached.

It was the fact that you had to do more, a lot more.

I was glad when Friday night came and it was time to leave work for the week end.

It was only six weeks until Christmas and Donald was looking for presents for his sister's children. She heard

that we were back together and she was inviting us to her house. She moved to Dalmellington near Ayr. It's a sea side town.

We were going to see her in two weeks' time.

I was buying a gift for baby Danny my brothers baby. After shopping Donald and I went back to Motherwell.

Cathie, Tom, Donald, and I had a night in.

Back at work on Monday, each department received a letter saying we were having visitors from Sweden.

They were coming on Friday. Everyone was talking about the young executives. My friend Mary, was talking none stop on the way to the factory about them.

"They're bound to be good looking as they are coming from Sweden. "She said.

I just nodded and agreed with her. I wasn't very good at making conversation in the morning.

On Thursday night Isa asked me to come and see her at her house and to bring Cathie with me. Cathie said we should dress as there must be a reason for inviting her.

We were arrived at Isa's house and discovered she was having a dinner party. The visitors from Sweden

were the guests of honour? She was a great hostess After the meal we all went into her front room. We had some drinks and a sort of party. we all had to take a turn at entertaining the others in the room.

At my turn, I was singing and Vaughan the youngest of the visitors was singing along with me. He was singing in his own language.

When we were going for our bus, Isa and Vaughan walked to the bus stop with us.

Isa said not to say anything about the dinner party in work, and I respected her wishes.

At the factory, the next day Mary O Brian from the S and L department came and spoke to me in the cloak room. She was all excited, about the visitors coming. She made a comment about my hair.

"You should go to Mayra, and have your hair styled." I just nodded and she went on applying her make up.

The coil winding can be clearly seen from the S and L and Mary O Brian was looking for the visitors. When

they came into our department Vaughan came up to me and started to pretend to be singing with me and then he Asked if I was all right. Everyone was astounded by how we were larking about. I could see Mary O Brian from my bench, looking across. When they went away and the visiting was all over she came over to my bench.

"You're a sly one, you never said that you were familiar with the visitor. " I explained about the diner party and at that moment Isa came to see me.

"You didn't invite me to your party," she said, fluttering her eye lashes."

"I only invited a few select friends, "

This statement made my day Mary went off to her own bench. I went back to winding my coils. It would soon be finishing time and the week end.

Chapter 40

Saving for a n engagement.

After the New Year holiday, Donald went to Glasgow to his work. We started to save for the holiday that we were going to have at his sisters.

Back in the coil winding. The new coil was still causing problems. Not that you could not make the time on it.

The fact is that you could. But the people who were used to doing more and getting a good bonus were the ones that were finding it difficult. It was slowing them down.

The complaint that I had with it, was that the coil was bulky and awkward to handle. Though it slowed me

down I still managed do enough to make the time, and a little extra to show a small bonus. It was only one day we had to work on it.

At the weekend, Donald had a Judo grading for his brown belt. I was seeing him on Sunday. Mary and I went to a young lad's funeral who worked beside us. Tom O Connor and his mother worked in the Ran Co.

I discovered that he was buried in the same graveyard where my Mother was buried. I had been to the

cemetery when I was a child with my Grandmother, and I had a vague idea, where she was buried. Toms

Mother was surprised to hear that I once lived in Salsbur and my mother grew up in Salsburgh, on returning to work on Monday, Hawaiian eye, we called her as a nick name. She was always looking

around her while she was working. She never missed anything. She was waiting by my machine. She

informed me that she was my Mothers best friend at school. She was working on the next machine to me and she filled me in with information about her. Like how she looked when she was a school girl and I was over whelmed by it all. My Grandmother who brought me up would not know any of this information Because my mum died not long after I was born. Which would mean that they were only married three years.

There were two events which we had a sweep stake for each of them. The Grand national and Scotland England football match.

It was the Scotland And England game this weekend it was being played at London.

I put my sweep on with Isa she was collecting for the area around us. In Scotland and Scottish football there are two rival teams which involves religion, and they are Celtic and Rangers.

. I was a catholic and supported Celtic and Isa was Protestant, and she supported Rangers. This was

Scotland and England that were playing so I went off to enjoy my weekend with Donald.

I was not that bothered about the game only the result to see how I did in the sweep stake. Bill and George

were glued to the TV watching the game. Donald

joined them. They were devastated Scotland lost by nine goals I think the score was nine-one. The goal keeper was a Celtic player. I thought nothing of it.

On Monday when returning into work. There in front of me was a giant dummy hanging from a beam in the roof. It was dressed in a Celtic top and across his chest read Frank Hafey and the score 9-1.

It was right in front of my machine and Isa was giggling in the corner. That poor goal keeper he never lived down the humility of the score. I never ever heard anything again about him playing football but he was known for years because he let England beat Scotland 9-1.

Mary and I go to the theatre

By Mary Ann McPhedran

Mary gave me a wave, which was a sign, to join her in the cloakroom. When she was passing the coil winding. I tied the last coil up and placed it into my bin. This would be three hundred coils my quota for the day. Betty on the next machine looked at me and said,

"You still have time to do another bin;" I gave her a smile and made for the cloakroom.

Mary was in the middle of drying her hands.

"The social club is running a bus to the theatre. Cliff is appearing in it.

Shall we get some tickets?"

"Okay."

"Just Okay is that all you have to say. It's Cliff we have to go?" We agreed to buy tickets and see Cliff. I wasn't fond of him.

I entered the house. Cathie, dressed in her good clothes and not her working clothes. She had just come in from Glasgow. Tom and bought her an engagement ring.

I was a little jealous because Donald and I were saving for a ring. He was still an apprentice. I put the thought to the back of my mind and joined in with the congratulations. I looked at her ring, a solitary diamond. "I asked are you going to have party. Cathie and Tom had their party. It went on until the early hours of the morning. And it was fun. I was sent to do a forfeit, and Donald came with me. We went to neighbour's house to ask for sandwich of bread butter and

jam. I apologised for it being so late, and did my forfeit. The neighbour, Mrs. Robinson, received me into her house and made me my sandwich. I returned to the party with the forfeit.

It would my turn next to be engaged. Donald and I were saving for our engagement.

Saturday night the Social Club arranged a private bus to take us to the show. I was amazed when I saw the

crowds. I was in a queue. Which was six deep, and I didn't even like Cliff. Someone from a window kept

appearing, and the crowds were cheering for Cliff. The police were taking order of the queue. And here was

I at the theatre to see Cliff, and I didn't even like him as a singer. When we arrived inside and settled into us

seats. I was starting to enjoy the show. I was passionate about the music of his group 'The Shadows' I was a fan of the Shadows. At the end of it all I did enjoy the outing.

On Monday, there was a lot of talk in the factory about the show and I did have to agree it was a good show.

I saved a little more money by doing an extra bin of coils each day. We were planning a holiday as well as an engagement, and Donald was still serving his time as an apprentice.

Whereas Tom he had a high paid job as a steel erector, and he didn't have to save for Cathie's ring.

Twenty first birthday and engagement

Donald and I spent a few Saturdays at Franker's and Ellen's in Shots. There was one Aunt, and Uncle, lived in Shots.

. My mother's brother, who I never met. We met Auntie Maggie on the bus a few times, and she would say,

"Hello Molly, I'm your Auntie Maggie, are you going to Franker's? I would have known you anywhere.

You're the image of your mother'

I smiled and held out my hand to her, but she put her arms around me. "Now before you go back to Motherwell come and see me and your Uncle Tommy here is my address." before we went back to Motherwell. But being young, and not knowing her, we never seemed to reach the house she gave us directions for. I knew of my uncle but never met him. He never came to see Frankie get married, and he only lived a few streets away.

Frankie and Ellen had their own house, and we would spend a lot of time there.

Donald would stay over sometimes, but I had to be home on the last bus to Motherwell. They walked with me to the bus stop to catch the bus. I didn't like the road that I had to walk to reach my home, when I disembarked from the bus at Motherwell. When I was a child I would run fast to get by this part of journey home. I wished that I was a child once again, and run past this dark road, past the swimming baths which was gloomy. I was wearing high heels, and in the quietness of the night you could hear my clicking heals.

During our holiday in Ayr at Donald's sisters, I was invited to meet his mother at her home in Ayr.

Donald and his step father were friendly with each other. He and Donald went to a bar. In the evening, we went to a club in Irvin and we joined Donald's cousin and husband. Jimmy and Mary. They lived in Irvin, and asked us to come and visit them some time in the future. We promised we would. We ended our evening strolling along the sea front at midnight. I had a wonderful holiday meeting all Donald's family.

On Sunday we left quite early, and instead of going from Ayr to Glasgow, we went from Ayr to Motherwell.

I arrived at my home and Donald stayed a few hours before returning to Glasgow.

At work the next day my ring was looked at by all my friends. I had to arrange a party for my twenty first birthday, and it would also be my engagement party.

Planning our wedding

of the night, you would hear the clicking of

my heels in the darkness. I let out a sigh of relief when I came to the bright street lights, past the gloomy road, and nearer to my home.

I missed Donald company when walking home, but I couldn't grudge him a few hours with his friend. They both were in the same lodgings up until Frankie left Glasgow and went to live in Shots.

I arranged with the family to have a party for my engagement, on my twenty first birthday. The girls Cathie, Lily, and Jeanie bought me a watch for my twenty first birthday, Donald gave me a gold crucifix and bill and George gave me the drink for the party. Frankie gave me an engagement present. I was grateful that he could come to the party. He had a family to support, Ellen managed to provide a baby sitter to look after Danny.

Donald's Mother came with her family. He took them to their room and attended to them.

I was now waiting on the girls, and two men from the factory, Isa already told me she would pop in and see

me some time during the evening. I was starting to think that my friends had changed their minds, when they all came together to the door. They had met up for a drink before coming to the party.

Bill set about managing the drinks during the evening, and the party went well

We didn't do forfeits instead we had records playing. It was different from Cathie's party and was a younger age of people.

Isa came to the door, but decided not to come in. Cathie, Donald and I went to the gate to talk outside to her, Isa gave me a gold locket for my birthday.

It had a picture of her and Eddie in it, and I wondered what Cathie would say.

" You're too good to her" Cathie said and Isa informed her she treated me like one of her own."

I felt relieved that my Grandmothers family, who brought me up, didn't take offence.

She remembered Cathie, from when she worked in the mill. We stood talking for a little while, and Donald went back to his family, leaving myself and Cathie chatting to her. The party came to an end quite early, because of buses to catch. The girls in the factory, lived in different areas, and they had different buses to catch.

The following week we went to Donald's sister's

Mary lived in Dalmellington, a little town in Ayrshire. It was a short bus ride to Ayr.

Also, there were two other Seaside resorts close by Ayr. Troon, and Irvin. The bus had taken an hour and a half to Ayr, and when we disembarked from it, we had another hour to wait for our connection to Dalmellington. Donald suggested that we take a walk along the sea front.

We had just started to walk when I come across a friend who lived two doors away from me. We stopped

to talk and I showed her my ring and she congratulated us on our engagement. She was on holiday at her Aunt's in Symington a little village just outside Ayr. When she went away, and we were on our own, Donald made a remark. "Trust you to run into someone you know from Motherwell. I thought my family would be first to see the ring?"

I just smiled and I made no remark, and we continued our walk. Mary was waiting for us when we came off the bus at Dalmellington square. She had the children with her. Agnes, Margaret and Tammy. In those days, on a Friday, most people in Scotland would have fish and chips from the chip shop. Mary was no different from any one else and joined the queue in the shop. The

children were asking for chips and black pudding, and because they were so large she shared one between two and there was enough for little Alex, who was at home with his father. After tea, we sat and watched a film on the TV, and tomorrow we would all go into Ayr for the day.

Mary pulled down a bed settee for me to sleep for the next two weeks and Donald shared a room with little Alex.

Next morning, we went to the corner shop, and he bought picnic food for the day out. We packed a shopping

bag with picnic food, and another bag with towels and swimming costumes. When we were finished packing

everything up Mary closed and locked the door, and we all set off down the hill to catch the bus for the beach.

The children were so good they had whatever Uncle Donald offered them, but they never asked for anything.

Mary paid for a beach hut the first day. It had a kettle, and other facilities for making tea. There was a table

and four chairs. This was good when we were having our picnic food. It was such a success that Donald paid for one every day for a week. We had brilliant weather all through the fortnight.

Donald had a pair of flippers, which were supposed to make him swim better. I don't know if they did, but he did look funny when he was walking down to the severe leaving on the Sunday. Donald had a word with his sister and told her he would be going to his mother's house for the last two days. His mother lived by the Race course in Ayr.

I was introduced to her. She said to call her Jenny. Donald was very like her in looks and she was very friendly. We went to the town, instead of going to the beach. We looked around the shops, and I bought some gifts. When we finished, she took us to join his step father Jack. He was in a pub, but it didn't look like an ordinary pub. He was sitting in a big arm chair by a roaring coal fire. It had turned cold that day compared to the good weather we had during the week.

Jack was Italian born but lived in Ayr most of hi

After we were engaged, we planned to get married the following year during the annual holiday period, when it was the fair fortnight. We had to plan our wedding in stages. Donald was still an apprentice until July, and he found it hard to save, so we were paying for our wedding together.

Cathie was planning her wedding at the same time, but marrying Tom in February. She was having her

wedding dress made by the Tailor who lived in the next street to us, because She was five feet one inch tall. It was better for her to design her own dress rather than alter one to fit her, because most dresses in the shops were too long.

My dress was given to me by my best friend Isa. Her daughters had a double wedding, the same year as was saving for my wedding. Isa asked me over to her house, and she offered me one of the dresses. It was

full length white with a shiny silver thread through the lace it fitted perfect. I offered to buy it, but she wouldn't hear of it. She even had it dry cleaned for me. My friend Mary was my bridesmaid, and she had her own dress which was pink. She looked very pretty. Isa helped us with the planning of the wedding.

We booked the cars, the hall, the caterers and the saving was hard but we managed.

In between wedding plans, it was Cathie's wedding day. Her dress was a perfect fit. The Tailor had pointed

the end of the sleeves and had little pearl buttons. Lily came home from

Birmingham to be bridesmaid, and

Susan, our niece, who was only seven was the other bridesmaid. Their dresses were a sort of Amber colour.

Her wedding was a great success.

We were starting make the final arrangements with the caterers for our wedding when we had a letter from

the place we booked the hall from, cancelling our booking. We couldn't believe it, now we had to go and find another.

We visited every establishment that we knew, but they were all booked up. We concluded that we would have to have the reception in the house.

It meant that I would have to cut my wedding guest list in half. I was devastated. Donald suggested that we keep looking right up until it was time to send the invitations out. Isa enquired around her town, but she had no success. IT was almost time to send out the invitations, when Cathie and lily came up with an Idea. They went to visit

their cousin, who was also my dad's cousin, at the British Legion club, which he managed. They told him about my problem, and they not only did they managed to book the club, Pat gave it to us free of charge as gift.

All he asked was that Bill didn't have a free Bar. His reason was that he wanted to make a profit from the Bar.

Bill agreed to put a free Bar for the first two hours. Our wedding plans were going well. All Donald had to do was arrange his outfit for the best man and himself

We were delighted when they told us we had a venue for our wedding.

Having all the wedding arranged made, the next step was a place to live.

Isa came to the rescue.

She was standing at my machine with the evening paper, from the previous night.

"There is a house here for rent, if you go after it tonight you may have a chance. Offer key money." I wasn't quite sure what she meant by the term key money. I knew it meant having to give money to secure the deal.

"I don't know if I can afford it." I said, and she just shook her head and walked away. Then I felt bad, I knew

she was right, and I had no choice. I had to go after the house, because we didn't have a spare room in my grandmother's house.

I went to her and she gave me the address. I followed the advice she gave me, and I was given the keys to our first home. While we were waiting to be married, Donald moved into the house instead staying in his room he rented

Chapter 48

Donald moves into our new home

After receiving the keys, to the house we were to live in, Donald moved straight into number 17 Coursing ton

Road Motherwell. He had to travel to work in Glasgow by train. There was a new service, 'The Blue train.' It

was the start of the electric train, and it ran every fifteen minutes from Motherwell to Glasgow. It joined the underground service.

When we applied for the house we offered key money. Key money is money you pay the landlady, in favour

of you getting accepted as a tenant. She accepted it, but she put the

extra money into the house. She added

tiles around the sink area, and new lino into Kitchen and new wallpaper. She expected Donald to do the work, so the last three weeks before the wedding we were very busy getting the work done.

I'm sure the neighbours must have thought that I had already moved in before the wedding. After work, I would go straight to the house, and have Donald's dinner ready for him coming home from work.

Neighbours saw me around the back yard putting washing out, and going to and from the back yard. Another

time I arrived at the door at eleven O clock at night. Donald, and I were going to the late-night dance next door asked me if I was locked out. Donald and I would giggle at this. There was no living together before marriage in those days. The house was looking smart, the kitchen with its new lino, and the new tables and chairs that we bought. The furniture in the living room was old fashioned, but it came with the house. We just had to accept it.

Isa and I went into Glasgow, and chose a carpet. A large square and coloured natural, which would match up with any colour of furniture in the future.

Isa would also appear at my machine at work some day with a wedding gift, and it was noticed that she was attending to my needs and helping me. Now in Scotland religion can be very intimidating on both sides. Catholic or Protestant. Isa was Protestant and I was Catholic, but believe it or not she never brought the subject up with me. She was also in the Orang Walk, an organisation against Catholics. It was on this subject one of my work mates in the department came to my machine and asked me.

"Molly, tell me something, is Isa going to the Church service at your wedding in the Catholic Church?"

"Yes, I would think so she has bought my wedding dress " was my answer.

"Well you must be someone special because it's a wonder the church don't fall down because she is very against Catholics.

"Maybe I am but we don't discuss religion unless we are joking about it. Isa had taking me under her wing when I left School, and started work at the mill. We came together, to work in the Rancho, and we have been best of friends since"

"I must get to see you on your wedding day this I must see with my own eyes." She said as she walked away from my machine. I just ignored the remark.

A few weeks later the family won the sweep stake, it was the church Sweep Stake. As a child, I remember

my grandmother paying this sweep ticket every week. We had been buying the same two tickets every week

for years and never won. We shared it out, and I had 10 pounds from the share out. I bought Isa a necklace, as a thank you for helping me.

Our wedding day came, Frankie arrived at eight O clock in the morning of the wedding He wore his wedding hired suit, and looked very smart in it. He didn't keep well; his diabetes had made him very thin.

Donald was staying at the best man's house which was just around the corner. The cars came to take the bridesmaid and the three girls. Bill and George went in the other car.

It was only Frankie, and I left in the house, and both of us began to reminisce about when we first came to Granny, to live in this house. The car arrived, and the neighbours were out in the street. To see the Tom boy child, who had grown and was about to get married. My dress looked perfect in the mirror. White with the nip in waist line, and full length the little silver thread was glistening in the sunshine and reflecting in the mirror.

We went to the front door, and opened it stepped out of the door. I was leaving this house, and I didn't know

what the future would hold for me. I was marrying Donald today, and was about to start a new life.

Chapter 49

I was married and the photo's all taken and the reception was going well. Donald and I changed into our

Going away outfits and were enjoying the reception. My Mother's sister, Aunt Margaret, Aunt Helen and

Aunt Maggie were all at the wedding and they all gave me their best wishes.

It was time to take the Taxi to Glasgow. We were catching the train to Aberdeen. Our best man and brides

Maid came into Glasgow to see us off on the train. Donald and I were starting a new life together.

Afterwards

The following year we moved from Motherwell Corby

Northamptonshire England. Donald worked in

The Steel Industry, we raised a family, four children. A son and three daughters. We now have twelve grand

children, and thirteen Great grandchildren. We still live in Corby, and hope to celebrate

our Golden Wedding in two years. Sadly, my brother Frankie died at the age of fifty- two. His family live here in Corby, and they live near me. Lily and Donald died in 2013.