Sunday Post #6 Stealing Apples

For many people it's the start of autumn'...season of mist and mellow fruitfulness.

'

As August turned to September and then drifted toward October the daylight available to play started to diminish, but immediately after school finished there were still enough hours for adventure .

Some of the fun to be had revolved around apples.

Outwith the likes of Mr McQueen at Oxgangs Park not many fruit and vegetables were grown in Oxgangs so half the fun was that a group of us would have to venture out of the area - for apples it was mainly to Greenbank or occasionally to Colinton or even as far afield as Blackford.

These trips always gave us a buzz because strictly speaking we were stealing and there was a high degree of risk - possibly even getting caught.

Because of the nature of the theft, somehow it didn’t feel like theft in the normal sense of the word; I suspect this was because of tradition and partly because of the nature of the items involved.

Painting by Karl Witkowski

We weren't after the apples s because we were starving or desperate for a piece of fruit. We didn't eat apples very often and the apples stolen would often be sour.

The fun was in the act.

The fun was in going out in a group and searching out particular gardens where trees were heaving with apples - usually located in residents’ back gardens.

There was the daring involved in clambering into these gardens usually over walls, fences or through gates and then stealing the apples.

On many occasions we would be spotted by the owners and it gave us an enormous buzz when we would all have to take to our heels and run like the deer. After we had reached safety back at Oxgangs we breathlessly exclaimed our relief and laughter at our narrow escape as we headed for home, although there was always still a small risk that the police might yet appear.

Extract from Retep Nnamffoh’s Diary: Sunday, 12th September, 1971 It was a very bonny morning to be out 'n about - cool, but with the prospect of it being a scorcher, not to mention, no school today - braw man! I cycled up to the City Hospital to do my papers. It was good to see my large bundle of newspapers awaiting me. Stuart Baird had at least got up out of his bed on time and got the finger out to deliver them in his cool Triumph Herald.

I managed to sell out once again. I sat with an old patient for over ten minutes having a wee blether with him. I enjoyed doing that and after all, with it being a Sunday I was in no hurry.

Hillend Ski Slope, Capital Collections

Later on in the day a wee bunch of us cycled from Oxgangs up to Hillend to the ski-slope. My sister, Anne and I went on the chair-lift. I always think it's not quite as tame as it looks - particularly coming down the way. But, what a very braw view across old Edinburrie toon - even more so as it was an absolutely boiling day. It's funny the way it sometimes works out when you go back to school; anyway, we were all off to be able to enjoy it.

After our tea a big group of us all went stealing apples at Blackford - what a flipping laugh we all had. It's such a great buzz being out in a good group with all the excitement of us sneaking in to someone's garden.

Happy days and a very braw way to finish off a good weekend.

The Wednesday Profile #5 Dr Motley

Perhaps the most remarkable story of all the individuals at Oxgangs during the early days was that of Dr Motley.

I always thought he looked amazing.

As a wee boy, he would have been the first black man that I had seen.

I couldn't take my eyes off him.

The fact that he was a different colour to me - black to my white; then there were his hands - I noticed too the contrast of his palms which were a much lighter colour. And of course there was his voice - a lovely, deep, rich, American sound; with a sweet cadence, musicality and deep mellifluousness which was something to hear and behold.

I always found him to be a very gentle man - a gentleman - positive and sympathetic to his patients - he struck me as being a very happy person with a happy disposition - he laughed a lot. As I grew older I got a sense of how immaculate in appearance he was; he dressed in beautiful suits, shirts and ties - class jewellery - a gold ring and a lovely watch and a handkerchief in his top pocket.  He had a real sense of style and must have cut quite an exotic figure in grey Oxgangs. And although he wasn't tall he was very handsome with a gentle face.

I have spoken regularly about the concept of transactions and relationships.

Partly because it was the 1960s; partly because for years it would have been a one man practice; and partly because of the nature of the man, I always felt I had a personal relationship with him. But no doubt hundreds of his patients over the decades would have felt the same way.

But what a story.

Just imagine for a moment how challenging it must have been for the young Arthur Phillip Motley at the start of his career.

He travelled thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the late 1920s when he came to Edinburgh as a student from the Deep South of the United States of America.

At that time as a black man in Edinburgh he would have been in a very small minority both at Edinburgh University and also in the city.

I would imagine that over the years and across the decades he must have suffered some prejudice and the vicissitudes of discrimination. 

When I looked at his gentle countenance I sometimes thought of the slings, arrows and brickbats he probably endured from people - with his manner he probably did what many smart people do - never reacting, never responding - just ignoring such things and getting on with life. Although my mother made an astute point to me when she said would it not have been a lot worse back in the States?

Coming to the city to train as a doctor at the university and at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh says a very great deal about his character. To go on to form, develop and build up a practice at McAlester Cottage in the fledgling community of Oxgangs in the late 1940s and early 1950s must have been an even greater challenge.

My early memories of McAlester Cottage are of what a lovely house it was - white and red and the finest house in the immediate area - in a small way it reminds me of the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens’ work.

The waiting room had a highly polished parquet floor with seating arranged around the perimeter; in the centre of the room were eight high quality heavy duty, small brightly coloured chairs for young children - it was great fun to sit on them.

The Motley family would have stayed at the practice too. I don't really remember seeing either his wife Annette or his daughter, also called Annette - they must have kept a fairly low profile.

When he was building up the practice he must have worked incredibly hard and long hours - no doubt he would have been called out at all sorts of times of the day and night. Building up a practice on his own with all the inherent stresses and strains must have been very challenging for him. And yet whenever he saw you he never exhibited any sign of this.

Until now I have never thought about the name of his home and surgery practice - McAlester Cottage - after all it's a good Scots name. However it's now occurred to me that he would have had the house built for himself - after all it's unlikely that such a house would have been built there at the time if it wasn't for a young doctor. But, I've now realised that the name was a reminder of home!

He was born around 1906 in Texas.

The family must have moved after this to McAlester City (the McAlester of McAlester Cottage to remind him of home?), Oklahoma where they resided at 903 E Monroe.

Dr Motley was listed as being a resident there along with his father R Frank Motley who was a minister and his mother Ethel Motley. This is taken from the US Census of 1940.

However it's interesting to see that five years earlier, 1935, he was listed as living in Edinburgh where he was a medical intern at the Royal Hospital, Edinburgh. Did he move back to Oklahoma when the Second World War started? Or was it because there were no jobs available in Edinburgh? Or was it for family reasons?

However, he must have begun studying in Edinburgh in the late 1920s because in the 1928 Yearbook for Lincoln University, Pennsylvania - the leading black university says the following:

Arthur Motley 1928

A R T H U R  M O T L E Y

"Hoops" Motley, now living in McAlester, Oklahoma., also comes to us  from Wiley College.  He belongs to The  Firm, to the Varsity  " L "Club,  and to Alpha .  " Hoops " has been among the honour group students since his matriculation. He is a profound philosopher of life and religion; a lover of women, Wiley, and Bull Sessions. A few years and  "Hoops" will be an M.D. from Edinburgh, Scotland.

I'm surmising here, but I think he perhaps chose to study in Edinburgh at that time, because it was regarded as being the leading medical school in the world.

A medical degree from Edinburgh meant that (in theory) one could have practiced anywhere in the world, although that said, as a black man, this would undoubtedly have restricted his opportunities. Many people would have had deep reservations about being treated by someone who wasn't white.

He was still in Edinburgh in 1935 where the Census records him as working in Edinburgh at the Royal Hospital, Edinburgh as a medical intern. However, in 1940 he was recorded as being back at the family home in Oklahoma.

My mother knew he had been a ship's doctor during the Second World War, but was unsure whether it was with the US Navy or the British - I assume it was the American. He told her that when the ship was in port in South Africa and the sailors encouraged him to go ashore he said no I'll have to remain on board-when they asked him why he replied that he was frightened I'd be lynched!

The big question is why he came back to Edinburgh to set up a practice.

Again, surmising, it is likely that this was because he had met his wife, Annette.

She was the daughter of a shopkeeper who sold tobacco and confectionery.

The shop was close to his digs and he'd met her there. I would imagine this must have been why he chose to stay in Edinburgh; my mother said that he loved Edinburgh - good taste!

When he was developing the practice at Oxgangs he could be seen cycling on his bicycle to visit patients - again what a wonderful sight that must have been. He must have set up shop around the time of the start of the NHS in 1947 - up until then patients had to pay for treatment so people always thought twice about visiting the doctor, not to mention such bills were always paid for in guineas!

Being married to a white woman must have made life challenging, both socially and professionally, yet my mother says that he held regular large parties at home and a line of fancy cars could always be seen outside.

Before McAlester Cottage was built he stayed in one of the Gumley houses across from the Store. When Dr Shepherd joined the practice he moved in there whilst Dr Motley moved to McAlester Cottage. In later years he lived at Buckstone.

Dr Shepherd was an excellent doctor, probably superior to Dr Motley.

Dr Shepherd delivered my sister, Anne Hoffmann, at home at 6/2 Oxgangs Avenue on 19 September, 1961.

In the decade or so prior to this it must have been challenging for Dr Motley to learn all the skills required to be a general practitioner - being human he undoubtedly will have made mistakes. On one occasion I had a poisoned big toe - the poison spread up to my knee - I was delirious and there was a danger that I could have lost my leg - when Dr Shepherd visited on an emergency call out he immediately took control and lanced it.

Over the years Dr Motley was very supportive of our family. It was at his practice that I got a message in June 1976 that I'd been picked for the Olympic Team - ironically I was there getting an injury treated.

Peter Hoffmann 1976

He regularly offered to get me a scholarship to Oklahoma University which I never followed up. Two years later when I moved up to 800 metres for a year I would have been ranked number one in the United States so undoubtedly a good scholarship would have been available, particularly with his connections there.

He kept in touch with his old classmates as can be seen below.

After being selected for Montreal he arranged a collection for me as a poor student to support my athletics. I was about to go off to Loughborough University (which I gave up after a week - I didn't feel Sebastian Coe was good enough to train with when I had David Jenkins et al!). I received a sizeable cheque but we think it was Dr Motley who provided the bulk of the money!

Front row, the author; Dr Motley; Mrs Anne Duncan with the equally remarkable, Rev Jack Orr - two men who made an outstanding community contribution to Oxgangs

As indicated, he kept in regular touch with his alma mater, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, but I suspect also Wiley College - look out for the film The Great Debaters - all about the outstanding debating team which was formed whilst he was there as a student:

DR.ARTHUR P. MOTLEY, a medical practitioner, travelled the long distance from Edinburgh, Scotland, to be present at Commencement and to celebrate his 55th reunion with his classmates.

Mother doesn't recall ever seeing his daughter, Annette. I thought that I had, but my memory must be playing tricks. Was she black, white or mixed race heritage? Was she sent away to a boarding school and therefore wasn't in Oxgangs very much? She married someone from Scandinavia, possibly Sweden and settled there. 

She may have become estranged from her father and possibly quite bitter toward him.

Towards the end of his life she wrote to him and made an attempt to get back in touch but Dr Motley said that although he intended to leave most everything to her, he felt it was too late in the day and that there had been too much water under the bridge. My mother thinks that back in the 1980s grandchildren came to visit him and he took them for a tour of Edinburgh on the top deck of the number 32 bus which had a circular route.

Whenever I think of Dr Motley it is with great fondness - the very mention of his name brings a smile to my face. He was kind, gentle and a caring doctor. He had an appetite for life and you felt better for spending a few minutes in his happy company.

What a remarkable man and extraordinary character he was.

Updates and Comments

Whilst editing The Stair into a book format (1 October, 2013) I came across the following extract from the Lincoln University Centennial Alumni Directory(1954)

MOTLEY, Arthur Philip, physician; b

Clarksville Tex June 18 1907; prep

L’Overature HS McAlester Okla; at-

tended Royal College of Surgeons Edin-

burgh: LMSSA (London) 1939; m Annette T H Comb Oct 1929; chil-Annette. Gen prac of med. Mem Brit Med Assn; assoc mem Brit Assn for the

Advance of Sci; mem Coun of Scotish

Health and Soil SOC; foundation mem of

the Coll of Gen Practioners; mem Edin-

burgh Clinical Club, Edinburgh Inter-

nat Hous. Ch of Scotland. Capt Royal

Army Med Corps 1940-46. Address:

(res) McAlester Cottage Oxgangs Rd

Edinburgh Scotland.

This puts a slightly different interpretation on one or two points in the vignette on Dr Motley from 16 December, 2012.

First of all he married his wife much earlier than I had surmised - in 1929, not very long after he came to study in Edinburgh. And second, he was an army captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps between 1940 and 1946.

The standard period of service in this unit was seven years which ties in with those dates. So clearly he served in the British Army rather than the British or American Navy. He would have needed to have trained for 6 months at RAMC Depot, Crookham Camp, Aldershot.  

Immediately after leaving the army he would have sought work, so perhaps he either joined a practice in Edinburgh or set up on his own at Oxgangs.

Again, I’m surmising here, but I wonder whether he recognised that because he was black and because many people would be prejudiced it would be very difficult for a local medical practice to appoint him and that he therefore realised he would have to branch out on his own and open his own practice?

Comment From Neil: Great article Peter, thank you. Dr Motley was always a classy person, we were fortunate to have him in Oxgangs. Your article got me thinking about the dentist - Dr Russell, if my memory serves me correctly. Never had a problem going to Dr Motley but hated every visit to the dentist, Dr Russell!

Response: Aye, I can empathise; I did a swift paragraph on Mr Russell when I was wrapping up the The Stair back on 23 December, 2012. A charming book well worth searching out is Leaves From The Lives Of A Country Doctor by Clement Gunn set in Peebleshire a century or so ago - a rather lovely read - you won't be disappointed! :-) 

Hello Peter Hoffmann,

Dr. Arthur P Motley is my Grandfather. I am jumping up and down with joy. I have been searching for my grandfather for quite a while. I have done Google searches before but all I would get would be old dudes from the 1600 and 1700s. I did it today and up pops your blog. I found a lot of unknown information about my grandfather. Thank you. 

As you might be able to tell I'm from the States. My father Lewie Motley passed on in 2006. He was born in McAlester Oklahoma in 1925; I think that was Dr Motley’s senior year at High School. My grandmother and Dr Motley were never married. My father never talked about his father. So I did not start searching for my grandfather until after my father passed. As a teenager I got a chance to go to high school in McAlester Oklahoma in 1965 at L'Overture; the schools were segregated white only and Black schools until 1968. Some of the teachers I had at L'Overture taught Dr Motley too; they were always talking about how smart he was. While I was living in McAlester I got a chance to meet Dr Motley's mother, my great grandmother and his adopted father Rev. Frank Motley. 

Harold Motley

I would like to find Dr Motley's descendants. I would greatly appreciate any information about his daughter which you can give me. Peter thank you for the treasure of information about my grandfather. I attached a picture of myself to this email.

Harold Motley     

Harold,

Many thanks for your fascinating e mail - one throws a stone in a pond never knowing where the ripples go! 

I've attached a link to a further update I did on Dr Motley, in case you didn't pick up on that one

Harold getting in touch from thousands of miles away raises many further interesting questions: Did Dr Motley know that he had a son (Lewie) and indeed a grandson (yourself, Harold)? Why did he not marry your grandmother? Did it have any influence on him moving so far away to study in Edinburgh?

It's interesting too that both your father and you were given the Motley name. Also, that as you visited Dr Motley's parents (your great-grandparents) it begs the question as to whether Dr Motley was actually aware he had a son and grandson.

You mention that the Reverend Motley wasn't Dr Motley's real father - I wonder who was? Do you have any memories of his parents - what they were like and what they said about Dr Motley? 

Like you I found it difficult to track down any information about him. If his daughter, Annette, is still alive she must be around 85 years old now. As I wrote, my mother thinks she married a Swedish gentleman. It may be possible to track down information about her through Register House, Edinburgh.

My mother was very friendly with Dr Motley and has a lot of information and knowledge about him - they used to meet up for many years each week after he retired until he died. She would be happy to speak to you - her telephone number is 0131… - bear in mind the time difference in Edinburgh! Her e mail address is…

I would be happy to speak to you too - my number is…

If I can be of any assistance don't hesitate to get in touch. As I wrote, your grandfather was a lovely, remarkable man and a legend in Oxgangs!

All the best.

Peter  

Hello Peter Hoffmann,

I was happy to find and read about my grandfather Dr Arthur Motley here on your blog! Amazing to read and see pictures of him. He was a wonderful grandpa. He taught me 'grandpa stick it up yo jumpa' 'I dene kene but canna whackum' He would test us again and again if we remembered who invented the telephone and the raincoat.

He was very generous. His daughter Annette married a Norwegian man and they moved to Sweden and adopted me, my sister and brother. Annette died in 2000, 69 years old in London. She inherited all from her father but lost it all to men cheating her. After Annette and my father divorced she got involved with men of the lowest rank possible unfortunately for me and my sister. She had a very unhappy upbringing though (in spite of such a wonderful grandpa in my eyes) and never found lasting love in her life due to having severe personal problems much caused by her own mother Annette, probably why you saw so little of them. His daughter Annette was a very artistic person, she worked back stage on some theatre when she met my dad. In my youth she designed clothes and painted on glass.

All the best
Yvonne Hjertholm 

Hi,

I lived at 52 Oxgangs Farm Drive; my mother still lives there today and has since my dad built the house in 1957. I have just returned from a visit there over Christmas. Dr. Motley made a big impression on my early life: he was statuesque, kind and dapper. His name for me was 'small fry' and he always said 'You are the bonniest of all the Mckennas'. His surgery, McAlester Cottage, was a pleasure to visit. It had skittles in red leather in the surgery and I never understood why they were there. We had little knowledge of race relations in Edinburgh at that time and Dr Motley was the only black person I knew as a child and that felt like a gift. I think he had a bike in the early days. I have many happy memories of my Oxgangs childhood and would be good to hear from others. 

Caroline McKenna

When I was 12 to 17 I lived next door to Dr Motley in the Oxgangs area of Edinburgh. He was the first black American to study in the late 1920's in Scotland and then set up a GP practice in the late 1940's. I remember him as a lovely, kind and jovial man. I regularly took his wee Jack Russell a walk up the Pentlands. A vicious little devil. On returning Dr Motley would give me a handful of sweets. My Mum, a district nurse, whom he called 'Angel' occasionally helped bath his frail and elderly wife. 

When I was 15 I did this drawing from a photograph of him.

Also, on my wedding day we went to visit him in hospital.  We turned up in full wedding gear and flowers for him. He couldn't come to the wedding so we took the wedding to him. He was very generous. He gave us £100 in an envelope before the wedding. I was so surprised. He died two months later aged 84.

I'd like to thank my Mum for setting a great example and for never saying, 'he's black but he's very nice' in the way I've often heard down the years.

Vicky Mount

Hello, my name is Richard Cropper and I`m so glad to have found your page via Lost Edinburgh. I was brought into the world by this lovely man on 29/10/62 at 2B Oxgangs Green. My younger brother was also delivered by Dr Motley on 29/1/65. My late Dad remembers rushing along Oxgangs Avenue when my arrival was imminent, knocking on the door of McAlester Cottage. Always unhurried, "Calm down Mr Cropper, I`ll be there in a few minutes!"

I continued as his patient up until about 1978 I seem to recall (We relocated to Murrayburn Park,Wester Hailes in July 1970 but still continued with AP as our Doctor). Always referred to us boys as "Professor", as perhaps to all young male children in his practice? I remember him fondly as the archetypal kindly family Doctor "How are your Parents? And your Brothers and Sister?" but I recall his diagnoses could be somewhat hit-or-miss.

Richard

Comments From PsyGeo 'Thanks for remembering Dr Motley; he did his best to help my mum - that trip to the cottage was a regular one with me in tow. We lived at 34 Oxgangs Avenue in the mid-70s/early 80s - so far away now, and a mostly unhappy time but made me who I am.

The Wednesday Profile #4 Linda's Story

‘Just taking an opportunity as I write at my desk (Autumn, 2017) (at work...still working full time), mostly because I have a great job, friendship with co-workers, a super boss, and a single "lass" who will likely or eventually walk doggies to fill some time when I do retire, but for now happy and able.

I have to admit although Jean Douglas (8/3 Oxgangs Avenue) gave me your book (The Stair) last year when visiting, I had thumbed through it a little but not had the opportunity to really read it more thoroughly until now, after leaving it somewhere else. I can only think that undertaking this venture your BLOG must have been a busy item. It is wonderful that so many kept in touch. Congratulations on your work.

We were one of the originals at 6/4 Oxgangs Avenue.

My dad was good friends with Les Ramage (Senior) in the 4 block as well as the family across our hallway, the Stewarts - the chap was a policeman.

We were a family of five - my parents, my brother John, sister Audrey and me.

I was 8 and both siblings 13 and 10 years older. They both got married and as it was once family downsized we had to move to smaller rental space hence going to the flats at Firhill – ‘the village in the sky’.

I’ve been friends with Jean Douglas all these years and will be seeing her when I am over next week (Autumn 2017). We leave Friday going with my sister to visit cousins in England.

My daddy was a very social man - a wonderful man - I was indeed a daddy’s girl and he passed 22 years ago on October, 23rd.

My family came to Canada in 1967 after an initial journey to Canada in 1957 and returned in 1958. 

My mum could not settle there at that point in her life and not knowing that she was mentally not stable at the time, but we were unaware of her condition, she just wanted to return to Scotland. Dad had enough saved to send my mum and me back to Scotland.

Sadly staying with friends my mum was hospitalised (she had a breakdown and very sadly was in Bangor Hospital for 36 weeks) and I was shuttled away to stay with an aunt and uncle, then on to neighbours I knew prior to leaving for Canada. (We lived on 41 Whitson Road before going to Canada and the Cruikshank’s were neighbours and extremely kind to mind me). 

My dad had to save monies to return after another 4 months. My sister and brother were working in Canada. 

Once my dad returned we lived in a couple of little rooms and then secured a home and that was 6/4 Oxgangs Avenue and Mum was allowed out of hospital and my sister and brother came back from Canada.   

After my brother married in 1960 he returned to Canada and had two children. 

My sister Audrey married in 1961 hence your mum (that gave us a smile when I told my sister about your mum (Anne Hoffmann, 6/2 Oxgangs Avenue) and Molly (Swanson, 6/1 Oxgangs Avenue) pushing the pram up to St. John's Church to see the bride).   

That was quite the tradition; whenever there was a wedding, neighbours would hurry off to see the bride and the kids would gather for the "poor-oot”.  

I only ventured to that a couple of times. However, after not much luck at even getting a penny, never again. My sister Audrey and brother in law Alec, now married these 56 years, are still healthy and going strong.  

Given our family size dropped we had to move and so off we went to Caerketton Court. The Scots were not much for high rise living. The buildings were not kept well. My mum was a bit of clean freak (it did rub off on my sister and I...but thankfully I am not too fanatical about it)...I do remember every second Sunday my Mum sending me to the dry-salters (T. Frances, 29 Oxgangs Crescent) for a bottle of bleach and told "firmly" not to run with the glass bottle...then why send me...if it was going to harm me...luckily, I was a girl that did what I was told and never a broken bleach bottle to my name!   

Anyway, with my brother returning to Canada, then my sister encouraging her husband Alec that it is THE place to go the plans were set and on March 15th 1967 they and their two small kiddies left for Canada. 

I was to travel with them at that time and my parents were booked to travel in June (with both my siblings in Canada and now four grandkids my Mum figured she would give it another go) in Canada.   

Unfortunately I had a problem with my medical and they changed the date for my travels to April 9th, 1967so at 17 I travelled on my own and went through immigration in Montreal to a new life in Canada. Hard to believe 50 years ago on Canada's 150 year of celebration. It has been a good life (like most lives and family the ups n downs happen, as well as unforeseen circumstances. But that I believe could be one's fate anyway).

In the last say, 15 years I think I have had about 8 trips back to the UK...I have to say, perhaps it is that in as much as I have a very nice life in Canada.  Married here, now divorced, one son Gavin (he and his wife, Alyssa are both teachers) and two grandchildren, Kieran almost 13 and Tayla 11...and many wonderfully incredible friendships...when I return to Scotland, I get this ‘’hard to explain" feeling ..it is my goodness this is "home"!

Jean and I played and spent time together a great deal prior to secondary schooling and yes, all the Douglas family were lovely. Jean's mum is still living on her own and in her 90's. Sadly her dad passed away at a fairly young age. She went on to Boroughmuir and I to Firrhill Secondary.   

From the time I was about 10 I wanted to type and was grateful for the commercial subjects classes at Firrhill. 

I felt fortunate that I knew what I hoped to do for a living, at least start doing as a career and was glad of good marks in all commercial subjects. I started working as like many at 15. My first job in a  stockbrokers office in Charlotte Square...lasted a year but there, met a lovely friend there, that I still keep in touch with after all these years.

I moved on to Olivetti business equipment ..only a year there and again made a wonderful friendship with an older woman whose family welcomed me with open arms and I still kept communications and a few visits to her until her death three years ago at age 90.  I do believe the paths you go down are what is meant for you, good or not so good. These were most definitely wonderful stepping stones in my life that were instrumental in many ways of how I looked at life and the friendships that helped shape my life.

After my first couple of jobs in Canada working as a typist in the bank, then working for Olivetti in Canada (now closed) I took some courses in Human Resources at Queens University in Kingston Ontario.  I went on to work  13 years at  Gliddens Paint Co. then Alcan for many years in HR, then on to a Dofasco company, after a downsizing and out of work, my path lead me to my current job with Trillium Therapeutics Inc. a immuno-oncology company that has grown amazingly in the 14 years with them...and so very grateful to have such good fortune to work for a wonderful boss and incredible CEO that has created a most unique work environment.   

I am very much looking forward to my trip over to the UK - we leave on Friday. Flight to Heathrow , then training to visit cousins in Torrington, Devon...3 days, then to cousins in Stafford for another 3 days...then up to Edinburgh on October 27th 2017 (in between a visit in Innerleithen to another few cousins) returning to Canada with my sister on November 5th, 2017.  

As I sit back in my chair and think, well that's a bit of a ramble that you wouldn't necessarily ever share, just somehow felt compelled to say what happened to us after the openness of life stories in your book, and so in a fashion, this is where the wee girl at 6/4 went to.

August, 2018 Postcript from Oxgangs – A Pastime From Time Past ‘Oh, such a huge thank you for this wonderful photo Alan Clark. Went right round my heart - special memories. Mrs. Williamson was our teacher before moving on to Firrhill – a very special teacher. My daddy was a painter and the company he worked for was assigned to painting the school. I remember how cool I felt when he (me being a daddy's girl) and a crew were there for weeks on end doing the work. I have thought and seen this in my mind's eye many times, but this is special to have the photo...love it!