Family fun marks Margaret's milestone

The oldest resident of a block of flats in Dumbarton has celebrated her 100^th birthday with a special visit from family, friends and local dignitaries.

Margaret Thompson has lived in her flat in West Bridgend for 60 years.

She spent her big day with her son Billy and daughter in law Margaret.

Her family gave her a special present of a book of newspaper accounts of the big events which took place on her birthday every year for the last century, among them the invention of the internet.

Margaret is a proud mother of four children, Tommy, Billy, Annette and Linda.

She is a granny to eight and great granny to 11.

On her birthday, she was also visited by the Provost of West Dunbartonshire, Karen Murray Conaghan and Deputy Lieutenant, Professor Elaine Boyd OBE, who read a message of goodwill from King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Margaret says her secret to long life is spending time with her family.

A Dunbartonshire centenarian has celebrated her 100^th birthday by looking forward to many more years of activity after a long and full life of work, travel and hobbies.

Born in Glasgow in 1926, Margaret Watson has enjoyed an extraordinary life.

During World War Two she was a welder and riveter in a Clyde shipyard while also pursuing her lifelong passion for dancing.

A talented tap and Highland dancer, Margaret spent many years performing and teaching dance, proving that she was as comfortable on the dance floor as she was in the shipyard.

Margaret met her husband John while working at the Singer sewing machine factory in Clydebank.

Together they enjoyed golf, music, dancing and travel, while raising their family.

They had a daughter, two granddaughters and two great-granddaughters.

Margaret proudly points out, "they're all girls!"

Now 100, she continues to enjoy crochet, painting and playing the piano, and remains an inspiration to those around her.

Dunbartonshire Deputy Lieutenant Sandie Scott joined family, friends and residents at Boclair Care Home in Bearsden on 12 August to celebrate Margaret’s 100th birthday.

On behalf of His Majesty the King, Sandie presented Margaret with her congratulatory birthday card, marking the very special occasion.

Everyone at the celebration enjoyed hearing stories from her remarkable century of life and joined in wishing her a very happy 100th birthday with many more happy memories to come.

A couple who got engaged after they met walking past each other in the street every day, have celebrated their Platinum wedding anniversary.

Family and friends gathered to mark the 70 years of marriage of Thomas and Jean Cousins from Bishopbriggs.

And along with the gifts and toasts they received goodwill messages from the King and Queen.

Tommy was 22 and Jean 21 when they married. 

He attended St Mungo’s Academy in Glasgow and left aged 16 to start work.

He joined the civil service and initially worked for Customs and Excise.

Latterly he dealt with overseas aid.

He got chatting to Jean after they passed each other in the street in Roystonhill in Glasgow every day.

Jean attended St Roch’s and also worked for the civil service and then took a number of jobs, one in a butcher’s shop, while raising their 2 sons.

They initially lived in Springburn, then Easterhouse, before moving to Kirkintilloch and then Bishopbriggs.

They have two sons, Tom and Gordon and a total of six grandchildren,  Laura, Matthew, Sarah, Christopher and two step grandchildren Jack and Harry.

They spent their anniversary in Edinburgh with Tom and his wife Rosanne, enjoying taking in the city and an Italian meal.

They were joined at home by the Provost of East Dunbartonshire, Gillian Renwick and Deputy Lieutenant, Margaret Stewart, who delivered a goodwill message from the King and Queen.

Mrs Margaret Carmichael, a resident in Edinbarnet Nursing Home in Clydebank, marked her 100th birthday with two special visitors.

West Dunbartonshire's Deputy Provost Hazel Sorrell presented the lucky lady with a bouquet of flowers and Deputy Lieutenant Maureen Cummings read out a goodwill message from King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Clydebank's Jean McInnes celebrated her 100th birthday with a special family day out and a message from the King and Queen.

Jean was was one of 8 children, born in Govan and raised by her aunt and uncle.

Her career saw her working in a biscuit factory then a pawn shop and latterly as a school dinner lady.
Jean married Duncan and the couple had three sons, four grandsons and a great grandson and great granddaughter.
Her grandsons have certainly flown the nest and spread themselves out, one lives in the south of England, one in Belgium, one in Singapore and one in the Bahamas!

When Jean's great granddaughter was 8 years old, she asked Jean what is was like during the war and she replied, 'I had a great time, I spent a lot of time going dancing!'

Jean is last of her family still living.

At a special celebration at the Clachan Inn in Drymen, she was joined by family and friends. The Provost of West Dunbartonshire, Karen Murray Conaghan presented her with a bouquet of flowers and Deputy Lieutenant Kenny Grieve read a congratulatory message from King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Janette and Andrew Rodger of Bearsden have celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary.

They recieved a special visit from East Dunbartonshire Provost Gillian Renwick and Deputy Lieutenant Anne Smillie, who read a congratulatory message from His Majesty The King.

The couple were joined by family members to mark the occasion at their home in Bearsden.

Glen and Jane Munro from Cumbernauld got married on 26th March 1966 and celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a special message from the King and Queen.

The big day was marked with a visit to their home by Dunbartonshire Deputy Lieutenant, Joe Stanfield MBE, who read the goodwill message from Buckingham Palace.

The Provost of North Lanarkshire, Bob Burgess, delivered a bouquet of flowers and a congratulations card from the council.

The couple met in the Highlanders Institute in Glasgow, which was a really popular dance hall for people from the Highlands and Islands.

Jane comes from a farming background in Cumbernauld and Glen is from Strachur in Argyll.

Once married they settled in Dalmuir then lived in Bathgate.

They have a daughter Ileen and a son Christopher.

They spent four years in South Africa in the 1980s after moving there because of Glen's job.

Once back in Scotland they settled in Cumbernauld and have lived there ever since.

They have two grandsons, Greg & Euan.

Elizabeth Dorrian celebrated her 100th birthday with friends and family, many of whom travelled all the way from New Zealand, at the Queen's Quay House care home in Clydebank, but the secret to a long life was not something she wanted to share.

Betty received flowers and gifts from friends and family and Deputy Lieutenant Elaine Ferguson read a goodwill message from King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Betty's family took her out to the chippy boat in the town for a birthday dinner of her favourite meal of fish and chips but she's also partial to mince and tatties.

Elizabeth Dorrian was born on May 18th, 1926 to James and Catherine.

She has two brothers Frank and Charles and six sisters Anne, Helen, Catherine, Martha, Grace and Theresa. 

Elizabeth and Theresa were identical twins. 

Elizabeth grew up in Summerville, Clydebank and attended Our Holy Redeemer in Clydebank.

Elizabeth had various jobs. She worked in Singers sewing machine factory, making milling machines.  She also worked in the Shipyards as a welder’s help and in a cork factory. 

When War broke out she made lifejackets. 

Elizabeth’s last employment was as a domestic cleaner in a Police Station.  She enjoyed all the places where she worked.

Elizabeth never married but she was very close to her twin sister Theresa and they enjoyed going on holiday together to Lourdes and Loret de Mar.

Elizabeth has extended family in New Zealand who are coming over to spend time with her. She also spent time in Australia with her brother.

Elizabeth has a very close relationship with her great nephew Stephen.  They enjoy spending time together whether it is going clothes shopping or attending appointments. 

If you ask Elizabeth the best thing that she and Stephen do, the answer will be going to the chippy boat for a fish tea which they do every Friday.

When asked what her secret for long life is she said that her secrets would remain secret.

William Gemmell from Bearsden has received a special message from the King and Queen as he marked his 100^th birthday.

He was born on the south side of Glasgow and served in the Army at the end of World War Two.

After the war he studied at Glasgow University, graduated with a degree in Engineering and worked in that field until he retired.
He has been married for 67 years and still lives at home.

William spends a lot of time on his exercise bike every day and says it is important in life to have a goals.
He is now intent on reaching 105.

The congratulations message from Buckingham Palace was presented by Deputy Lieutenant Margaret Stewart at a celebration at his home attended by family and friends.

John and Irene Brown from Kilsyth have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a special visit from the King's representative and the Provost.

John met Catherine Smith, known as Irene, in the Kilsyth Co-operative Dairy where she worked. Irene was only 16 when they met and John, a painter and decorator for the Co-operative, was 21.

He took her to the Co-operative dance at the Leapark Hotel in Grangemouth for their first date and asked her to marry him when she was 17.

They wed a year later and had their first daughter, Carol Ann, when Irene was 19.  John William arrived in June 1968, Katrina in 1969 and Mairi was born in 1977.

John worked with the Provident as a painter and decorator until he retired but went on to start his own company Shangri-La Decorating and had a steady flow of returning customers until he finally retired.

Irene has had a varied career, mostly in the care sector.  She worked at Lennox Castle, the Coachman Hotel and laterally Quarriers and even went back to college as a mature student and studied for an HNC in Social Sciences and took a cookery course at Cumbernauld College. She also worked as a dinner lady.

John loves music and was in the Columban Singers as well as playing in bands and performing at events for the local community.

Irene is a knitter and loves helping others whenever she can.  She now volunteers at the Credit Union in Kilsyth and enjoys meeting people.

While raising their children, they took them on lots of summer holiday trips camping or in a caravan, having lots of fun in the process.

John and Irene now have 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren and still live in Kilsyth, where they were both born and raised.