Jump to content

MargUK

03: Full Members
  • Posts

    3
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Female

Recent Profile Visitors

1,267 profile views

MargUK's Achievements

New Signing

New Signing (1/10)

1

Reputation

  1. Hi Grant - I realise this post is quite old now and I apologise for not seeing it at the time I was writing. My brother, Mike, inadvertently came across your post while doing some research on our family shop, Skinner's, and realised it was in reply to one of mine so I'm really hoping you are still active on these boards as we're very interested in the fact you're related to Tom and Ray. Tom was my Dad's uncle and originally had the baker's shop in Stephen's Brae. We think it might have been a baker's before this but are not sure. Tom was a hard-working, no nonsense, fairly strict man who took no prisoners but when we realised how much tragedy he had gone through in his life we understood him better. His wife, Fanny, died on Christmas Day (I'm not sure of the year) and he lost both of his sons to diphtheria, one dying on Boxing Day. Rumour has it that he ran through the streets of Inverness with the body, unable to bear his grief. It was no surprise then that he became very close to his surviving daughter, Ray, whom he lived with in Auldcastle Road until he died. Ray ran a cafe at the bottom end of Church Street called, I think, Strattons, or something similar. (I need to check that out.) She never married and looked after her father until he died, still living in the same house in Auldcastle Road when she herself died. We know of no-one named Grant on Tom's side of the family so wondered if you were connected to Fanny's family? We know almost nothing of her family at all so it would be really interesting to find out. Dad sadly died in 1976 but Mum lived until 2015 when she died at the ripe old age of 94! My sister still lives in Inverness as do 2 of her daughters and their families. I myself am in Aberdeen and my brothers, Ian and Mike, live in Fort William and London respectively. Let me know if there's anything else you would like to know - I may not know the answer but can find out. Margaret
  2. Charles - I was at a family meal on Sunday as my brother, Mike, was up from London and we were talking about the shop when my Uncle Tom had it. He mentioned that he'd seen me posting something about the shops and I had no idea what he was on about but luckily he remembered the website had something to do with Caley Football Club and that rang a bell! All 4 of us were at the Academy - I can remember you being there when I was so I think Ian & Mike would have passed through its portals by then but you were right - Ian went on to become a geography teacher and had a successful career at Lochaber High School for many years. He has now retired and still lives in Lochaber. We did have another shop in Kenneth St (No.79) on the corner of Attadale Road but the Stephens' Brae one was the main one and very popular with the Academy pupils as you so correctly pointed out. I personally haven't found any better cakes than Dad used to make and I loved working in the bakehouse with him but then I suppose I'm slightly biased!! He took the BBs in the East Church and the Young Brothers and also ran the badminton club - in a different life he would have loved to have been a minister and often did lay preaching, standing in for Donald McFarlane, the minister of the East Church. He also took services in the old Barn church out at Culloden - the original one. Sadly Dad died prematurely in 1976 of a heart attack. Mum carried on the business for several years afterwards but eventually sold it to a hairdressers initially then to Girvans. My apologies if I've already posted this - I haven't read the whole thread - but I seem to remember my posts were back in 2012/13 (which is why I couldn't remember them when Mike mentioned it!) and as your post here is 2015 I probably haven't. Mike had inadvertently come across the postings when doing some research of his own on the shops at the time our great-uncle had them. That old photo of the Stephen Brae one we think was around 1920ish - Dad's uncle, Tom, had it then - Dad came up to Inverness to work for him then eventually took over the shops when Uncle Tom became too infirm to do so. Tom's daughter, Ray, ran a cafe near the Old High Church end of Church Street - can't remember what it was called but think it started with an S? Strath something maybe? Now I'm away to search for a post Mike found from someone who said they thought they were related to Tom and Ray which we found really interesting. We think that may be from Tom's wife side of the family whom we know nothing about so I hope I can find out more. Hope you are well - loved your books on the Academy - brought back many great memories!
  3. Hi - I realise this thread is a few months old now but was interested in the above. I'm the youngest daughter of Alistair Skinner who owned Skinners the Bakers - info on here is correct - there was a shop at the bottom of Stephen's Brae and one in Kenneth Street and I worked in both! All the family did. That's how we earned our pocket money! The original bakehouse was behind the shop in Stephens Brae but in latter years it was moved to larger premises in Argyll Street. Dad died suddenly in 1976 - he'd had a heart attack in December 1975 and was making a good recovery but got flu and his body just wasn't strong enough to fight it. Mum kept the business going for a few years after that then sold it to a hairdresser I think. And yes he was very active in the BBs - a regular churchgoer in the East Church of Scotland, sang in the choir, was a BB officer, took the Young Brothers for years as well as running the badminton club - also did some lay preaching in his spare time. I have to say I thought every kid had scones, pancakes and cream cakes at teatime till I started going to friends' houses and realised they didn't! Which is probably why I was virtually on a diet from around age 14 ...... Are you doing the history for any specific reason?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. : Terms of Use : Guidelines : Privacy Policy