Work / Working Life

I was born Mary Greig in the home of my grandparents in 16 Hepburn Street, Dundee in 1935, the second daughter of Joe and Mem Greig. My father had been unemployed for a few months and decided to go to Canada. Interviews were taking place in the Labour Exchange. When he saw the queues he was about to go home but saw a lady at a desk so asked about a job. 'I can get you one in Greenock' - so to Greenock we went - Mum, Dad, sister Anna and me & the baby (my wee sister was born in 1937. We stayed there until we were bombed out when Mum took us back to her Mum's in Dundee. Anna and I stayed with our grandparents until our Mum came back a year later. Read more......

I read George MacDonald's story about his dad being a manager at Bonar Long. I worked in the office at Bonar Long and was office girl and then secretary for about 3 years to the works manager whose name was Roy MaCdonald, so I think it may have been his dad. I left in 1960 to go to another job but still have fond memories of my days at Bonar Long. As a teenager I remember going to Kidds dancing and to the Chalet at Broughty Ferry. I now live in rural Manitoba, Canada. I am 67 years old now but still have many happy memories of my time growing up in Dundee. Read more......

I was born in 1947, I lived with my mother, father and 3 other siblings in what they called a single end at 164 Overgate, my mother's family the Martins and Neys lived at 150, 155. All the women worked in the Mills and some of the men in the docks. My father came from Glasgow, some of his family came to live in Dundee they were steel-fixers by trade. The male line of the Ney's worked in Dundee as lamp lighters from the 1800's. They lost 3 good sons in the wars. My first school was Tay Street. Read more......

Working from home is not a new phenomenon. The majority of general practitioners did so in the pre-NHS and early NHS days. This is just a reflection of my early days in one Dundee practice from 1964 where the senior partner and house owner had only recently moved to separate accommodation but a caretaker and family was in residence in the house. Read more......

I started my apprenticeship at Bonar Long in 1962. I started in the transformer test department and I was the last 5 year apprentice when during my last year these were reduced to 4 year apprenticeships. I eventually became Chief of Test and Inspection.In 1979 I accepted the position as Chief Engineer in a joint venture, being set up by Bonar Long, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That was an exciting project as it started from a green field site. We supervised building the factory, equipped it and then trained the local staff. In 1980 I also appointed Works Manager. Read more......