Tell me about your family

 I was brought up in Falkirk and have been married for over 48 years to Tom.  I have three children, Shiona, Donald and Moira, and six grandchildren, four boys and two girls.

What are your interests?

I get great pleasure from my grandchildren and go to two keep fit classes.  I like swimming, reading and walking and used to enjoy dressmaking, baking and country dancing.  In my younger years I did office work at Carron and ICI.

How did you come to join Falkirk Old and St Modan’s?

I was married in Irving Church and then, when we moved from Stenhousemuir to High Station Road in 1972, we joined Falkirk Old.

In what ways have you been involved in the church here?

I used to really enjoy Young Women’s Group and helped with the crèche for over 30 years.  I visited at the Infirmary and have helped wash the communion glasses for a long time and still do.  I helped with the magazine for 18 years and was magazine editor for 10 years, taking over from my daughter Shiona.  I now help with Traidcraft and deliver flowers from the church.

What have been the most memorable occasions for you?

Obviously the most memorable times are family ones - when my two girls got married in the church and the baptisms of four grandchildren.  I also remember many happy times at socials in Falkirk Town Hall and Falkirk High School. 

What does the Church mean to you?

For me, and maybe it is the same for everyone,

I think that you have to have something inside to see you through life; you have to have a soul, something to cling on to, an anchor or safety valve.  If you have that, it helps you through difficult times when it’s needed.  A lot of times you can say a silent prayer and it helps.

What do you think about the Church today?

I don’t like to see the declining numbers, especially of young folk, and I worry about what we can do and how we can increase the numbers attending.

I don’t understand why it has happened.  I worry about the next generation; they seem to be less faith centred and to get less RE in schools.

I started school every day with the Lord’s Prayer.  There aren’t even religious programmes, like Late Call, on television anymore, so that people are not getting the chance to learn about and reflect on religion.