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Childhood Years
I was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian
on 5th October 1940. My family moved to a rented
house in Rosewell, Midlothian.
My sister Elma was born there on 29th November 1943. My father was a barber. My
parents knew that something was wrong with me, so they took me
to see the doctor. He examined me and told
my parents to take me to the School for the Deaf. This happened when I was six
years old. My mother took me to the boarding school
for the Deaf in September 1947. The teacher taught
me to write, read, speak and lip-read in a classroom. She never taught us sign
language. All of us deaf children used our own sign language while we played outside.
I found it difficult to speak and to lip-read. When my mother came back to take
me home, I was happy to see her and cried tears.
Years later, Elma grew up and went to another school as a
pupil. She is different because she can hear and talk. I was aware we were not
the same.
In September 1948, mother took me to the boarding school
again and left me there. I learned different things. I loved to draw with pastels
on brown papers and newspapers in the classroom. This is how my love of art began.
My favourite artists are Constable and Marjorie Blamey, who is an excellent botanical
artist. Before the long school holiday in 1952, I had a watercolour picture of
tulips hung on the wall on Prize Day. I won a prize with it and it was the best
memory of my life.
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