Memoirs of Gordie Bannerman - World War II

• This is a continuation of my first trip North to Bonnie Scotland. Quite an experience! Meeting all my relatives, or at least some of them. I was certainly getting the best of treatment. I was to meet friends of my Mum's, and when you are 18 you think your parents are old and to meet her friends that were still only about 50 made one stop and think. At this time, in 1941 Mum would be just 48. I forget the special friend of Mum's name, but she worked at Smith's, the biscuit baker. These biscuits were famous over the island and Mum always had a tin box shipped to Canada around Christmas. In fact, I have an empty tin from Smiths Biscuits in my shop. It must be over 55 years old at least.

  I did not get to meet my cousins on my Dad's side of the family, but I did go to meet my Aunt Annie Bannerman who was the widow of My Uncle Alec Bannerman. Uncle Alec was in Canada in 1924-25 and was to bring his family to Canada, but my Aunt did not pass the immigration medical. Dad had even bought the Beech place to settle his brother and family, but this was sold as soon as we found out that the Alec Bannermans were not coming to Canada. At this time I met my auntie Jean , my Dad's sister. She was a shy wonderful person. I will go on about her another time.