When James arrived back from Raigmore and was placed on the couch in 17 Millicent Avenue, Golspie my first impression was that this new baby looked remarkably like cousin Cecil (Eekie). For the first two or three years I was very proud of him but could not really take him anywhere very far.  However, as he got older and I obtained my driving licence there were more opportunities to get out and about. He came out with me to all sorts of interesting places and often on fairly routine trips like a visit to the local shops.

   

James with his father and brothers, Allan and Ian, in the front garden at 17 Millicent Avenue, Golspie

Above James with cousin Margaret Rowe and her husband Don who were on holiday from Canada and below a selection of photographs from the photo archive.

   

        

        

     

James spent a lot of time with me when he was young. One particular occasion which comes to mind was a visit to Inverness for a day out when he was quite young and probably under five years of age.  I took James into Stewart's Restaurant which in those far off days was one of the very few suitable eating places in Inverness.  He liked fish and chips so that was the order.  When the plate arrived it had a large slice of lemon on top and James immediately said 'I don't want my pudding yet'!  Another visit was down Loch Ness when we 'searched for the monster'.

 

To list all the place we went and the times he was with us when Pat and I took him with us would make a long list but also the detail is now a distant memory. However, after we moved to Aberdeen this gave us an opportunity to give him a view of life in a big city.  He came with mum and dad but on one occasion he came with cousin Angie Melville.  They were put on the train in Inverness and met by us in Aberdeen.  James had a great time and went to various place in the city including a visit to His Majesty's Theatre (to see The Black and White Minstrel Show!) the Beach Show Ground and Duthie Park.

 

James's first visit to a major football stadium was in Aberdeen.  I arranged for stand tickets and we entered the main stand and made our way up the internal steps.  When we emerged out from the stairway into the sunlight James simply said 'Wow' and looked in wonder at the park and the terracing. Maybe not the biggest stadium in the country but still an exciting experience for a young boy.  This must surely have been an experience which made James a life long Aberdeen supporter.

 

Later James never lost this love of football nor his feeling that Golspie Jubilee and later Golspie Stafford were the best teams in the north.  Win or lose he always telephoned me before and after a cup final and the Highland Cup matches.  When they won it should have been by more and when they lost they were unlucky.

                                            

Though James had no family himself he was always very good to children and my own family, Fiona and Andrew, and grandchildren, Morven, Neave and Lewis, were very fond of him.  The picture below shows the young James helping Fiona with her ice lollie!

                                                               

James enjoyed attending the Boys Brigade

James was fortunate to have so many good friends who took him to football matches at home and abroad.  He travel throughout Europe with his friends as members of the Tartan Army and told me of memorable events on his travels.  Amongst those a great time in Paris and a meeting with Ally McCoist and the rough cobbles in Prague as he bumped along in his wheelchair pushed by friends.  Without his Tartan Army friends he could not possibly have reached all those foreign parts nor would he have seen so many matches in Scotland. Even when he was very ill he was taken to the presentation of the Scottish First Division Championship Trophy to Ross County at Victoria Park, Dingwall.  His football friends carried him onto and off the train and ensured he got into his seat at the park.

   

 

 

After leaving school James was never unemployed for more than a day or two. He started his chosen career as an apprentice Welder with Highland Fabricators at Nigg in Ross-Shire.  He was employed there when the yard was operating and on the occasions when there was a shut down between orders he quickly became gainfully employed in various occupations.

 

On one occasion he set up a freezer food distribution business in a unit on the industrial site in Brora.  There was a special government grant to assist with this and brother Ian, a butcher to trade, was a considerable help in the enterprise.  Freezers old and new came from around the area and produced a good outlet for a variety of products including the famed 'Spannerburgers'.

 

Much of James's work away from the Nigg site used his skill as a welder. He travel to Holland, Belgium and Germany to carry out his trade and had many stories to tell regarding those experiences.  In addition to those sorties abroad he also gained work on a contract from the MOD at Plymouth working of one of the country's biggest warships. During his time at Nigg and during the closeure breaks his welding skill was always in demand to make an ironwork gates, fancy railings, the ornate top for a boundary wall or a repair to some piece of farm equipment.

 

I suppose some of his hardest jobs must have been the tree planting contracts he applied for and won for the replanting of fir trees in areas where the Forestry Commission had harvested previously grown areas.  Again he was helped from time to time by Ian and they worked together on the arduous task of planting young saplings at Dunrobin.

 

I recall his detailed explanation to me of how a 'new' method of re-harling houses was being carried out and what he was employed to do as part of this work. I seem to remember that this work was being carried out on houses in Ardgay.

 

James loved to travel and enjoyed holidays abroad with his partner Liz.  They enjoyed trips to many different places in Europe and went to Canada to visit family in Newfoundland.  This was, however, not his first trip to North America as he had gone there as a youngster in the early 1970s with his mum and dad.  I guess one of his favourite places must have been Majorca and in particular Alcudia as he named his house after that resort.

                                                                                             James, Allan and Ian Lannon