From Gordon Donaldson
I was born almost a year before Margaret. Our grandparents, George and Margaret Donaldson, had two children, Millie, Margaret’s mother, and George, my father, so we were first cousins.
Margaret and her brother Donald were much more to me than cousins, I always regarded them as my best friends. Due to the war and its aftermath, my parents had to move between the north-east and London several times, I lost track of school friends, but never lost touch with Margaret and her family.
I believe Margaret’s only home outside Tyneside was in Minehead, for a while, after she married Stuart. He became a good friend too, occasionally acting as our solicitor. I travelled overnight on the train from London to attend their wedding, but she was unable to get to my wedding with Ann, as she was having Jim, her first child, at that time.
I qualified as a Mathematics teacher and settled in North Wales , while Margaret found her vocation as a Nursery assistant with very young children, studied at home and, to her great credit, achieved Qualified Teacher Status, although I do not think she sought employment in that capacity.
Ann and I attended many family events of Margaret and Stuart and vice-versa. One very memorable occasion was at St Columba’s North Shields for their Golden Wedding anniversary. They, with a number of children and grandchildren came to our’s too. We were back at St Columba’s for the sad occasion of Stuart’s funeral.
Margaret has kept regularly in touch with us, by phone, letter and even live video. Our final face-to-face meeting was last year for our Diamond Wedding celebration and we enjoyed her company, with Tricia and James, in our home for a few hours afterwards.
We are so pleased that, just a few weeks ago, our eldest daughter Jane, her husband Gwyn and daughter Cerys, holidaying in Northumberland, spent an afternoon with Margaret in her new home. Cerys told us that Margaret was “very switched on and happy”.
Gordon Donaldson
09/11/2023
