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Margaret Ann Parker Davies. Born at Thornyflat Hospital
(Ayrshire) on 30th November 1952.
Margaret never met her mum's parents, but knew her Grandparents
(William and Harriet) on her dad's side. Her Grandad died
when she was 4, but she knew her Gran (Harriet) until
she died during the 1980's.
She went to Glenburn Primary School in Prestwick, and
then Prestwick High School.
Margaret left school and went to work as a cashier in
Carroll's (Bakery/Tea Room). She then worked for the cooperative
at Prestwick Road as a shop assistant, and this was followed
by working in Malcolm Campbell's in Prestwick while also
holding down a job working in a café at night (Central
Café).
Mum and Dad met on the way to a party, when he gave a
lift to mum and 12 others from the Railway station. They
were properly introduced shortly after when Dad drove
a friend through to see one of Mum's friends.
She got a transfer to Malcolm and Campbell's in Ayr
where she was 2nd in charge of the meat counter and worked
there until she got married in 1972 and moved to Stirling
(they lived with Dad's parents until we moved to Riverside
on October 31, 1983) and started a family (Stewart - 1973,
Steven - 1977, Ann - 1981).
Margaret helped out occasionally at Grandad's shop in
Kincardine as a shop assistant. She had to stop working
to care for dad when he fell ill with M.E, and had cared
for him full-time ever since.
Margaret is a Christian and enjoys helping Charities,
and collects money/raises funds regularly for Children's
1st, Red Cross, RAF, RNIB, PDSA etc. She is also a Sunday
School Teacher at Viewfield Church, helps out as a volunteer
for the Befriending Service, and did a Red Cross Course
for Hand Care. She enjoys doing crosswords, and watching
TV as well as many other activities.
In November 2001, Margaret flew abroad for the first
time ever to visit her Auntie Jenny (Grannie's sister)
and her family. She was able to fly there again in November
2005.
Margaret is the backbone of our family. She is always
organising things and helping us all out.
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John Thomson was born at Stirling Royal Infirmary on
28 February 1951.
He went to Allan Primary School (Stirling) then Riverside
Secondary School for 1st-3rd year (which later became
the primary school that Stewart, Ann and I attended)!
He then attended Bannockburn Secondary where he left at
the end of 4th year.
When he left school, Dad started work at the R.E.M.E
(Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers) as an engineering
apprentice (1967-1971) and then became a fully qualified
engineer from 1971-1979 (still at the R.E.M.E). John's
main job was to repair army vehicles, mainly armoured
ones. The depot had the contract for Land Rover gearboxes
and axles, so the R.E.M.E had 6 people working on the
gearboxes, and dad was on the axles, so he was doing all
the axles for the British Army by himself!
John had to stop working in 1979 when he was diagnosed
with M.E (after the Doctors finally worked out what was
wrong). M.E has caused him to give up work and be housebound
ever since 1979.
John lived with his parents in a house at Baker Street,
then, Douglas Street and then Irvine Place, where he began
married life (1972) living with his parents, and in 1983,
Mum and Dad moved down to Riverside with their 3 children
(Stewart, Steven and Ann).
John was housebound, and ill, so he mainly spent his
time watching TV (mainly Sci-fi) and reading books. In
1981, he got his first computer - an Atari 800. This got
him into computers, and things really took off from there.
This computer was followed by the Atari 130 XE, then the
Atari ST 1040, then the Amiga 500, and Amiga 1200. By
the late 1980's, John had a vast number of computers,
and helped out at Stirling computer club once a fortnight
in the town library. John had also made a vast number
of new computing friends who still visit the house regularly.
John had been taught to play the piano accordion up
until the age of 15. He started learning the keyboard
because he was stuck at home. His first keyboard was a
Yamaha PSS-680, which he swapped for the Yamaha PSR-47.
He then managed to obtain a Home Organ, which he bought
after he had started attending Stirling Organ Club. He
now plays the Yamaha PSR -5700 which my Grandad bought
me.
John eventually got his first PC in 1995. He enjoys
playing Quake and Unreal Tournament on a Network with
friends, and also watching TV (mainly Sci-fi), playing
card games and mah-jongg on the computer, reading and
playing the keyboard.
Dad's favourite web-site is the Search for Extra Terrestrial
Intelligence (SETI).
John hopes to get a car sometime soon so that he may
be given a new lease of life and get out the house a bit
more regularly than at present, so watch this space!
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