About Ruth - continued

Ruth and Len's first Christmas dinner together in Dundee was one never-to-be-forgotten. Ruth's parents had been invited to come to St Martin's Rectory in Dundee for Christmas dinner. However, it almost did not happen! Five days before Christmas, while Ruth was recovering from minor surgery, Len came through to the sitting room and said, 'Don't worry I'm just going to turn the electric off... the kitchen's on fire'. The old faulty electric cooker had caused a chip pan to catch fire.

Ruth, never one to let something stop her from doing what she wanted to do, went out with Len to the Dens Road second-hand market in Dundee and they bought two Baby Belling electric cookers, one big enough to fit a turkey, and, when the day arrived, Ruth cooked the full Christmas Dinner. She continued to do this for the next 50 years. Even in the couple of more recent years, where they had Christmas at Mary’s house, she still prepared and made most of the meal – but she didn’t have to do the washing up.

The following year, 1977, Len was offered his first charge as Priest-in-Charge of St Ninian's in the Seaton area of Aberdeen, and early that year, with a very young George, Ruth and the family moved to Aberdeen. The house was very close to the North Sea coast, close to the mouth of the River Don. It was a cold and damp house but as she always did, Ruth made the most of things.

They arrived at St Ninian's on a Wednesday and Len quickly discovered there were no vestments in the church. Ruth being Ruth put baby George his push chair, took him on the bus and went and bought some green fabric to make her first set of vestments in time for church on Sunday. Little did she know then what this would lead to in the future.

Their second son, Simon James, was born in Aberdeen at the end of April 1978. Ruth and Len were both delighted ... and George didn't seem to mind too much!