CARRICKDRIVE

There are many thoughts going through my head just now. Recalling your BD 1969 and visiting you in the school 6th form room- all a bit sneaky never would happen today with security. 

We had been going out for six months since we met in Aviemore the previous New Year. We actually never met again until Easter 1969. There was a fair amount of postage spent, paper and many extended phone calls between 5 Mansionhouse and a certain red phone box in Minworth.

Just over a year or so later we were married in September 1970 in Shettleston New Church, Glasgow and went on to be married for 45+ years and have 3 wonderful boys to share our life together. 

I know as I think back to 1970 and the boys growing up and sharing their families with us it is a part of our life that was very special for us both. 

Sadly you are no longer with us but all the family and friends think of you so fondly a wonderful person to have known.

Thinking of you always Michael

This time in September each year beginning in 1970 when Margaret and I were married at Shettleston Parish Church. Loosing Margaret in January 2016 was a big loss to me and my three boys and their families. Words are difficult to articulate sometimes in how I recall that day in 1970 and the 45+ years we had as a family and my best friend.

I found this poem which really reflects my thoughts just now:-

The depths of sorrow we cannot tell;
Of the loss of one we loved so well;
And while she lies in peaceful sleep;
Her memory we shall always keep.

We know that she is happy;
In our Saviour’s home above;
Growing fairer as she lingers;
In the sunshine of His love.

Her loving face I hope to see again;
Though the days have passed away;
Sleep on, dear wife, and take thy rest;
They miss you most who loved you best.

We are sad within our memory;
Lonely are our hearts today;
For the one we loved so dearly;
Has forever been called away.

My lips cannot tell how I miss her;
My heart cannot tell what to say.
God alone knows how I miss her;
In a home that is lonesome today.

The pearly gates were opened;
A gentle voice said “Come”;
And with farewells unspoken;
She gently entered home.

Gone from the earth so swiftly;
Just like a flower in bloom;
So young, so fair, so loving;
Yet called away so soon.

We’ll meet her some glad morning;
Resting by waters fair;
She is waiting for our coming;
In the upper garden there.

You are resting my love but you are always in my thoughts, the boys and their families and all who knew you.

Michael XXXX

So much happened in 1969 for Margaret and I.

I left Glasgow for Minworth on January 3rd after my Holiday in Aviemore with John Burford and friends. 

Margaret and I seemed to keep the postage and paper retailers in business writing so many times a week till we met up at Easter 69. 

Margaret made her first trip south for my 21st in May. It was soon to be Margaret’s 18th at the end of June which I made a trip north to celebrate with her. 

That trip north in June 1969 after so many letters that year seemed to further bring us closer together as a couple. 

Much was to unfold in August when I finished my electrical apprenticeship and travelled north and got a job at Scotts working on the Glasgow Stow University (College back then) and starting night school studying electronics. 

As I reflect today on 1969 there are so many memories come to mind some very personal which sustain me in remembering Margaret’s personality and our love for each other despite of everything that was to unfold over the next 45 years.

Forever Michael.

This was the day in 2016 that we laid Margaret to rest. It was an emotional week following her death on the 31st January 2016. 

Many grateful thanks to our three boys Steven, Philip and Matthew, they got me thro, with the help of Yvonne, Jacqui and Fiona.

The church service was in the afternoon @ Sandyhills Church and as I reflected this week with a funeral in the church to that day in 2016 the thoughts came flooding back.

Just over a week ago I was nursing Margaret in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as best I could with a Burns Supper on the 25th and a meal on 26th but she then took a turn for the worst unbeknown to us at the time it was her time to go to the Lord. 

I am so grateful to all of Margaret’s family and my boys and their families with me during the week to follow with so much to do.

You can never prepare yourself for that time especially as we had two scares previously with issues, but Margaret pulled through each of them. Sometimes I wondered how she managed it with MS and each problem further making her dependent on others for her needs. 

Despite, all the problems that she had to deal with we managed some great holidays together till her final moments. 

Rest in peace Margaret

Deep are the memories
Precious they stay
No passing of time
Will take them away

 Thank you Margaret for everything.

How does one begin to rationalise the week of feeling to what would have been our fifty second wedding anniversary today. 

The death of our Queen has been a difficult period to process. Many of the images seen this last week have been so moving. 

I have given a lot of thought of this day 16 September for some time especially how I would I wanted to recall 16 September 1970. Even writing that day down brings back so many images of Margaret as she walked down the isle at Shettleston New church that day.

I would like to leave you with this very touching video which when you listen and reflect on the on words on screen illustrates my feelings today.

Video YouTube link
the only scars in heaven casting crowns lyrics

Always in my thoughts Margaret
Love Michael

Big announcement  at Brown and Wallace today.

Matthew has been promoted to salaried Partner at Brown and Wallace Quantity Surveyors in Glasgow. Matthew joined the firm straight from school grained his degree and promotion within the firm.

He secured a job with  Aecom working overseas in Oman responsible for two hotels being built. He returned to the UK and continued working for Aecom with many large projects under his wing.

Matthew has done very well building upon his experience in the industry and made many connections though his job.

I know for sure that there is someone looking down who would be so proud of his achievements.

New Years Day 1969 Margaret and I with a group of friends had made it back to Newtonmore Youth Hostel following bringing in the New Year in Aviemore. There was deep snow on the ground and the youth Hostel was not open till 06-30 it was bitterly cold in the car waiting for the hostel to open. I had only met Margaret 3 days previously and the next 5 days or so till I made my way back home to Minworth, Warwickshire seemed to go so quickly.

What was to follow for the next 45 years until Margaret’s death on 31 January 2016 was a journey that we both took openly, first immediately re locating to London , then to Farnborough Hampshire and finally back to Glasgow in 1974. We had three boys I am now dwarfed by them but I know that Margaret’s influence on them is so apparent, kindness, thoughtfulness and respect as they make it in the world.

This is my 5th Christmas and New Year without Margaret and was focused so much the other day when Ellis my youngest granddaughter had said before we left their house on the 28th December to release two balloons in memory of her Gran’s. It was quite an emotional moment as we watched the balloons fly high into the night sky finally seeming to join up making their way into the heavens.

2022 who knows masks may still be visible for sometime but lets hope we move on and can once again meet our families, rekindle relationships much more than we have done in the last two years.

Margaret Abbott

Coming to this week in the calendar will always be a week of reflection as I remember Margaret and her life we had together. However, this past year has been even more difficult as I have been very much on my own due to the Covid 19 Pandemic restrictions. There has been a handful of occasions in between enforced restrictions where I have been able to meet up socially. Thankfully I had golf to go to post lockdown one in May 2020 but that has come to an end just now. No bowls or badminton for over a year. The hardest thing to come to terms with is not being able to travel to Northampton to see Philip and Jacquie. The last time I saw them was in December 2019.

OK, Zoom, FaceTime and Skype are available which is some comfort, but I need to see my boys and their family smiling bouncing around making fun of the old man is sadly missed. To have that hug from them is so important just now.

Pauline Graham

Sadly, as this week began, we got very sad news of someone who had been part of the family for over 30 years had passed away having contacted the coronavirus. Her name was Pauline Graham. Pauline was our hairdresser who came every week to do Margaret’s hair. It was the only time in the week apart from the district nurses that Margaret would get a chance to have that time in girly talk.

Pauline has been coming for so long she is really part of the family- seen the three boys get married watch as their families grew, she would bring her nephew’s and nieces to pick strawberries and play in the garden. I recall one time coming home from work after Pauline had gone, Margaret’s hair was lovely, but Margaret was left with rather large dark eyebrows, it was so funny Pauline had forgotten to wipe off the dye etc.

Reflecting on this week and especially Sunday 31 January I recall going to church early and sitting their quietly, praying, wondering what today was going to be like before we travelled across to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to see Margaret. It is difficult to put in words the feeling that this day was going to be last time I would see and hold Margaret’s hand, talk to her, wipe her lips and try and be positive.

There was an item on Newsnight in the week in which the programme closed with a poem to reflect on the figure of over 100,000 deaths due to the pandemic in the UK.

The closing line spoke about the hand of loved ones no longer with us but will always be with us always.

That is so true and more difficult just now with many not being able to say their goodbyes, have a reassuring hug or just sit with them. So sad.

Finally listen to this audio/video track we recorded in our church ‘Be Still in the presence of the Lord’ sung by my dear fiends Maureen Sharp and Liz Milne with Ian Sharp on piano.

© David J. Evans, The Oxford Choir  Mission Praise 50

Our family have happy memories of our dear friend Pauline and send our condolences to William and all the family as they come to terms with their loss.

God bless Margaret at peace but never forgotten.

16 September 2020

Today would have been our Golden Wedding Anniversary. A lot has happened since that day in 1970 in Eastbank church when Margaret and I were married.

In our early years we were in London and Farnborough Hampshire till our move back to Scotland in 1974, strangely amid another crisis petrol rationing, books were issued but no rationing.

The birth of our three sons Steven, Philip and Matthew and their growing up getting married and their respective children were a delight to us. Margaret and I were so delighted that perhaps we did get something right in developing these young men to be proud off.

Sadly, Margaret was diagnosed with MS around 1980/81 which was a blow to us as a young family and something we had to learn to cope with over the years following. We had no idea how this was going to impact on our lives together as a family. Margret and I set ourselves a target of trying our best as we could to not let it stop our three boys being as independent as possible. To Margaret’s credit she was the driver, she had a vision of what she wanted and how to go about it, our three boys are a credit to that that vision she had.

The loss of Margaret in January 2016 was a loss to me and the family that even to this day in 2020 is still raw emotion each and every day.  Who knows how we would have copied in the face of current restrictions because of covid-19 – self isolation for all these months from March this year?

So, as I reflect on my life with Margaret it is one of great joy to have met her way back in December 1968, 13 weeks till we saw each other again, communicating by snail mail over 200 letters we sent to each other, and that other thing called a telephone – put coins in a box then pressing button B to connect. The cruises we had latterly were a joy and pushing the wheelchair up some big hills in Istanbul and Malta nothing was really impossible. She saw Disney world, Cayman Islands and a lot of Europe including a rather expensive ice cream in St Mark’s, Square Venice.

As I close this, I remember two very dear friends Dorothy and Gill who have the same Anniversary date as Margaret and I 16 September.

Thinking of you always Margaret

Michael