A Life lived to the full
Created by Rod 7 years agoA LIFE LIVED TO THE FULL
ALEX WAS BORN IN PERTH SCOTLAND ON THE 6TH FEBRUARY 1935
They didn’t expect Alex to survive long after his birth due to complications and a priest was called.
However he was a fighter and survived an operation as a baby to live a fulfilling life for 81 years.
On leaving school Alex joined the textile firm of John Shields as a tenter and learned a trade in turn weaving, spinning, and yarn drawing and progressed to screen printing.
Alex had hoped to follow in his father footsteps with a career in football but unfortunately on medical grounds this wasn’t possible.
From a grounding of athletics at school Alex joined the local harriers and at a sport event in Dundee he was approached by Bill Clements a Perth schoolteacher who was hoping for a lift back to Perth on the Coach. They talked country dancing on the way home.
A family friend attended Scottish Country Dancing classes at the Perth prison officer’s social club and persuaded him to join up.
It was two years later at a dance that Bill introduced Alex to the Gowrie group demonstration team and a week later he joined a practice of the Group. Three years of happy dancing was followed by a demonstration dance at the Scottish/English football match at Hampden Park and for guests at the famous Gleneagles hotel.
Alex guested a few times with the Inchside [Perth] and many times with the Dundee Claverhouse dance group.
In 1959 he went with the Gowrie group who were invited to represent the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society at folk dance festivals in France and Italy.
The euphoria of the trip was short lived as the textile firm closed down without any warning during Alex’s absence. It was the wrong time to look for work as there were also many school leavers so he left Perth to look for work in London on the 24th October 1959.
Within a week he found temporary work in various offices of the Inland Revenue and did this for the next three years.
As his eight Scottish lower qualifications were not acceptable to the Civil Service Commission he had to wait three years to sit the basic [adult] entrance exam and on passing joined the legal division as a clerical assistant grade four, moving up over the next four years to grade two.
His duties were as a gopher to five solicitors who specialised in fraud and bankruptcy etc linked to non payment of national insurance contributions by firms/individuals for their employees.
Later on he was promoted to clerical officer and was assigned to the Shoreditch office of the national assistance Board.
One day on trying to help one very feisty lady he got a black eye and a cut lip for his troubles. A week later the lady returned with a bag of mints for the ‘foreign lad’ who had helped her.
Promotion to executive officer took Alex into head quarters establishment division as a staff personnel officer where he had seven years of a happy work life.
On promotion to Health Education Officer he joined the new Ministry of Health as manager of their general office.
Five years on his post was taken by an ex army logistics officer with warzone medical experience and he was offered retirement at 59.
When Alex first moved to London he wanted to dance but couldn’t afford the class fees or the fares to get there. In 1971 he started again and joined the Sheene Scottish Country Dance Group.
For most of his London life Alex lived in Kingston and got on very well with his neighbours including Judith and Clive his next door neighbours.
During the London dance years Sheila Thorncroft became a close friend through their passion for Scottish dancing.
He then began travelling the country for dance Balls and Royal Scottish Country Dance Society AGM’s in the Company of Christian Catto, Donald Campbell and the late Beatrice Nairn.
Beatrice was like a sister to Alex and he was very upset when she passed away a few months ago.
Over the years he guested with Caledonian society and ad hoc groups to dance in France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Austria and Switzerland. Unfortunately he had to turn down a trip to Warsaw as he had access to classified information.
After Alex retired he guested with Glasgow branch in Spain and Portugal and the Edinburgh Castle Tattoo and also went to the Faroes with Perth branch.
In 1996 he welcomed in the New Year dancing an eightsome reel on a torch lit beach with the Dunedin Scottish club in New Zealand.
Through actor friends Alex found bit parts and appeared in three films and two documentaries for TV including the movie Four Weddings and Funeral where he danced ‘Strip the Willow’.
Nearly twenty years ago by lucky chance Alex and Rod met for the first time in London and hit it off straight away. Alex would come for long weekends to Rod’s home in Essex and Rod would visit Alex in Kingston. Over the next year their courtship continued with visits becoming more frequent and they decided to settle down together, eventually moving down to Dorset with the help of good friends Tom and Bryan.
Alex suffered a minor stroke and was in intensive care for a while but yet again like the fighter he was he recovered and came back stronger and more determined to live life to the full.
On one of their trips to Florida Alex and Rod attended Scottish Country Dance classes at the synagogue in West Palm Beach. The only Christians in a very large class they were made very welcome. The teacher was an elderly Jewish lady who held a Royal Scottish Country Dance Society teachers certificate gained at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Later they danced at the 5th Florida Highland games and attended the ball as guest members of the Boynton dancers.
After a 3 month stay in Florida Alex was very reluctant to return so plans were made to buy a condo out there for winters away. This was duly done and the only regret was he was not able to visit it.
Alex and Rod joined the Dorset Caledonian society here in Bournemouth and had many memorable times with them including their wonderful Burn’s night suppers. He had a special rapport with Margaret Robson and loved to partner with her on the dance floor.
Alex’s love of travel took him to all five continents. He loved America, especially Florida, New York and San Francisco with thirteen trips in all to the United States.
Other places he visited included Sri Lanka, South Africa, Grand Canaria, New Zealand, Singapore and many trips to Europe.
Close friends were very important to Alex and he always kept in touch with Patsy and Johnny in Scotland with frequent visits both here and there.
Locally, Bryan and Tom and latterly Ken and Rick and Des became part of his extended family.
Alex was very happy when he learnt that Pamela had given birth in March to Ellis a beautiful baby daughter and he loved the photos of her.
For 4 years Alex bravely fought cancer going through chemotherapy and an operation to remove the tumour. Throughout he kept his sense of humour and gave Rod strength to keep going in the darkest of times. A braver man you will not meet.
Alex is dancing with the Angels now and will remain in our hearts here, always close to those he held dear.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To my Alex
"I see you with every glance.
I miss the ordinary, the everyday normal, the simple shared things that made us one.
Shine bright in heaven.
You are still here, you have not gone.
Together, always."
Rod
ALEX WAS BORN IN PERTH SCOTLAND ON THE 6TH FEBRUARY 1935
They didn’t expect Alex to survive long after his birth due to complications and a priest was called.
However he was a fighter and survived an operation as a baby to live a fulfilling life for 81 years.
On leaving school Alex joined the textile firm of John Shields as a tenter and learned a trade in turn weaving, spinning, and yarn drawing and progressed to screen printing.
Alex had hoped to follow in his father footsteps with a career in football but unfortunately on medical grounds this wasn’t possible.
From a grounding of athletics at school Alex joined the local harriers and at a sport event in Dundee he was approached by Bill Clements a Perth schoolteacher who was hoping for a lift back to Perth on the Coach. They talked country dancing on the way home.
A family friend attended Scottish Country Dancing classes at the Perth prison officer’s social club and persuaded him to join up.
It was two years later at a dance that Bill introduced Alex to the Gowrie group demonstration team and a week later he joined a practice of the Group. Three years of happy dancing was followed by a demonstration dance at the Scottish/English football match at Hampden Park and for guests at the famous Gleneagles hotel.
Alex guested a few times with the Inchside [Perth] and many times with the Dundee Claverhouse dance group.
In 1959 he went with the Gowrie group who were invited to represent the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society at folk dance festivals in France and Italy.
The euphoria of the trip was short lived as the textile firm closed down without any warning during Alex’s absence. It was the wrong time to look for work as there were also many school leavers so he left Perth to look for work in London on the 24th October 1959.
Within a week he found temporary work in various offices of the Inland Revenue and did this for the next three years.
As his eight Scottish lower qualifications were not acceptable to the Civil Service Commission he had to wait three years to sit the basic [adult] entrance exam and on passing joined the legal division as a clerical assistant grade four, moving up over the next four years to grade two.
His duties were as a gopher to five solicitors who specialised in fraud and bankruptcy etc linked to non payment of national insurance contributions by firms/individuals for their employees.
Later on he was promoted to clerical officer and was assigned to the Shoreditch office of the national assistance Board.
One day on trying to help one very feisty lady he got a black eye and a cut lip for his troubles. A week later the lady returned with a bag of mints for the ‘foreign lad’ who had helped her.
Promotion to executive officer took Alex into head quarters establishment division as a staff personnel officer where he had seven years of a happy work life.
On promotion to Health Education Officer he joined the new Ministry of Health as manager of their general office.
Five years on his post was taken by an ex army logistics officer with warzone medical experience and he was offered retirement at 59.
When Alex first moved to London he wanted to dance but couldn’t afford the class fees or the fares to get there. In 1971 he started again and joined the Sheene Scottish Country Dance Group.
For most of his London life Alex lived in Kingston and got on very well with his neighbours including Judith and Clive his next door neighbours.
During the London dance years Sheila Thorncroft became a close friend through their passion for Scottish dancing.
He then began travelling the country for dance Balls and Royal Scottish Country Dance Society AGM’s in the Company of Christian Catto, Donald Campbell and the late Beatrice Nairn.
Beatrice was like a sister to Alex and he was very upset when she passed away a few months ago.
Over the years he guested with Caledonian society and ad hoc groups to dance in France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Austria and Switzerland. Unfortunately he had to turn down a trip to Warsaw as he had access to classified information.
After Alex retired he guested with Glasgow branch in Spain and Portugal and the Edinburgh Castle Tattoo and also went to the Faroes with Perth branch.
In 1996 he welcomed in the New Year dancing an eightsome reel on a torch lit beach with the Dunedin Scottish club in New Zealand.
Through actor friends Alex found bit parts and appeared in three films and two documentaries for TV including the movie Four Weddings and Funeral where he danced ‘Strip the Willow’.
Nearly twenty years ago by lucky chance Alex and Rod met for the first time in London and hit it off straight away. Alex would come for long weekends to Rod’s home in Essex and Rod would visit Alex in Kingston. Over the next year their courtship continued with visits becoming more frequent and they decided to settle down together, eventually moving down to Dorset with the help of good friends Tom and Bryan.
Alex suffered a minor stroke and was in intensive care for a while but yet again like the fighter he was he recovered and came back stronger and more determined to live life to the full.
On one of their trips to Florida Alex and Rod attended Scottish Country Dance classes at the synagogue in West Palm Beach. The only Christians in a very large class they were made very welcome. The teacher was an elderly Jewish lady who held a Royal Scottish Country Dance Society teachers certificate gained at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Later they danced at the 5th Florida Highland games and attended the ball as guest members of the Boynton dancers.
After a 3 month stay in Florida Alex was very reluctant to return so plans were made to buy a condo out there for winters away. This was duly done and the only regret was he was not able to visit it.
Alex and Rod joined the Dorset Caledonian society here in Bournemouth and had many memorable times with them including their wonderful Burn’s night suppers. He had a special rapport with Margaret Robson and loved to partner with her on the dance floor.
Alex’s love of travel took him to all five continents. He loved America, especially Florida, New York and San Francisco with thirteen trips in all to the United States.
Other places he visited included Sri Lanka, South Africa, Grand Canaria, New Zealand, Singapore and many trips to Europe.
Close friends were very important to Alex and he always kept in touch with Patsy and Johnny in Scotland with frequent visits both here and there.
Locally, Bryan and Tom and latterly Ken and Rick and Des became part of his extended family.
Alex was very happy when he learnt that Pamela had given birth in March to Ellis a beautiful baby daughter and he loved the photos of her.
For 4 years Alex bravely fought cancer going through chemotherapy and an operation to remove the tumour. Throughout he kept his sense of humour and gave Rod strength to keep going in the darkest of times. A braver man you will not meet.
Alex is dancing with the Angels now and will remain in our hearts here, always close to those he held dear.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To my Alex
"I see you with every glance.
I miss the ordinary, the everyday normal, the simple shared things that made us one.
Shine bright in heaven.
You are still here, you have not gone.
Together, always."
Rod
Pictures
Sunset