“You should join the writers’ group,” I told Marjory as she lay prone
in her hospital bed.
It had been touch and go, a
broken neck after a major car crash and weeks spent in the Spinal Injuries Unit
then at the home of her daughter-in-law’s parents where she was to receive
proper nursing care. But now it looked as though this pussycat had several
lives still to enjoy!
I recalled the letter
Marjory had sent her colleagues at St Columba’s school, a vivid description of
her visit to the jungles of Borneo and an
encounter with a baby Orangutan. “You’re a super writer,” I told her. “And it
would give you something to do.”
Little was I to know that
joining Erskine Writers would lead to a completely new career for Marjory, as
she relished researching and writing articles about Scotland
for the US
publication, The Highlander magazine. Not just that but Marjory made a host of
new friends and enjoyed everything about the group.
Christmas saw her bring her melt-in-the- mouth mince pies and coconut
tarts to our annual “Mince pies and manuscripts” session and she always
contributed a massive fresh fruit salad at the garden party each May, an
occasion she thoroughly enjoyed.
The SAW conference was a
highlight of her year and we were all thrilled when she won the scholarship,
gaining a free place (and our admiration) on that particular occasion.
Over the years we have been
friends (almost 28) Marjory and I had lots of fun together. We shared a love of
football and tennis as well as books, writing and travelling and loved to have
a good old gossip about international tennis players (she adored Nadal!)
Family meant most to
Marjory and her frequent trips down south and to Mallorca
gave her real joy. Although I only met them occasionally, I took a genuine
interest in the grandchildren and their progress over the years and enjoyed
meeting up whenever the parties in Riverside
took place.
Marjory was a good sport
and encouraged me such a lot in my own writing career, even allowing me to use
her flat in a scene from one of my Lorimer novels. When I undertook a
“Riverman” walk with members of the public, Marjory’s was the final destination
and she proudly offered coffee and scones for all of the readers. I was glad
that I had used her name for a minor character in my latest book, Still Dark.
That made us both smile.
Over the past year it has
been sad to see deterioration in Marjory’s health and it was not too big a
surprise when she was admitted to hospital at the end of April. She had come
through so much: major surgery, painful fractures and more recently a series of
falls. But this was the indomitable Marjory MacKellar whose own mother had
lived almost to her hundredth birthday. Surely she would defeat the odds yet
again? Sadly it was not to be and on Monday May 1st she passed away
surrounded by her beloved family.
I will miss Marjory as much
as any one of my own family, she was so dear to me. And she will be a very sad
loss to everyone at Erskine Writers. Our deepest sympathies are with Douglas,
Marg, Gordon, Lorna, Helen and Tony and all their children as well as her
brothers, Wallace and James.
Sandra McGruther
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