It was a particular celebration for one Blanefield globetrotter final week as she celebrated her one hundredth birthday.
Marion Black marked the massive milestone on Friday at Blanefield Home Care Residence with household and pals, celebrating her diverse life which has seen her journey to faraway spots together with Australia, Canada and the Caribbean.
The celebrations continued into the subsequent day with one other gathering on the residence of a household good friend in Balfron. Members of Marion’s household travelled from England, Australia, Canada and America for the event.
A spotlight of the day was a particular visitor look by Scottish singer Alasdair Gillies who sang for Marion.
She was born as considered one of 4 youngsters in Edinburgh in 1922, together with her father John Balfour Crawford later occurring to grow to be treasurer to the Financial institution of Scotland between 1942 and 1952.
Marion attended college in Edinburgh and would go on to satisfy her future husband Moreton whereas enjoying in a hockey match towards his Glasgow Academy crew, with the pair later getting engaged in 1942.
It started an odyssey of discovery for the pair, with Moreton heading off to conflict to combat within the North African marketing campaign, whereas Marion labored for the WRNS as a visible signaller, deciphering Morse code at each West Hartlepool and Rosyth bases.
The pair married in 1945 following the conclusion of the conflict and had their first baby, Rosemary, collectively a yr later.
Moreton’s profession as a contemporary languages instructor quickly took them on their subsequent journey, emigrating to Australia for 3 years, however transferring again to Scotland following the beginning of third baby, daughter Tiki.
The couple additionally had two sons, Graham and Dougie.
Marion supported her husband’s work as the top of the trendy languages division again at Glasgow Academy, together with serving to out taking teams of pupils from Glasgow Academy for journeys into Europe each Easter and summer time holidays. Following the pair’s retirement, they continued their globetrotting methods and have been famend within the village for his or her beneficiant hospitality, together with Marion’s countless residence baking.
She additionally frequently baked for the Strathblane Guild effectively into her 80s and raised cash for the native church.
Following Moreton’s loss of life in 2009, Marion joined the household on a number of cruises and remained at her residence in Blanefield till earlier in her one hundredth yr, when she ultimately settled into Blanefield Home, simply alongside the highway from her flat.
Daughter Tiki stated: “She is a stunning woman – gracious and giving, appreciative and loving, and as a supreme home-maker, has given her household probably the most invaluable items of selflessness and generosity, and the means for all generations to return collectively and be in contact throughout the miles of bodily separation.
“It's becoming that each one her surviving three youngsters, eight of her 11 grandchildren and all eight great-grandchildren are current immediately.
“Marion is an instance to us all and held within the highest regard by all those that have had the privilege to know her.”