24/07/2026
❤️Back Where She Belonged🍬
I don't think any of us will forget today - a few weeks ago, I asked Cathie a simple question. "If I could grant you one wish, what would it be?" She looked at me and, without a second's thought, said... "to be back at McCowans." Those words never left me. How do you take someone back to a place that no longer exists?
Well, thanks to Mhairi McAinsh we managed to source the one and only McCowans 1957 Albion delivery van still in existence.
This afternoon we waited outside, nobody really knew how Cathie would react. Then, in the distance, we caught sight of the van driving along Beaumont Drive, as the van got closer, Jack piped the van towards Carrondale... time seemed to stop.
Cathie came outside, super excited as always, looked up... and for a few seconds didn't say a word but the tears were visible. She opened her arms, walked over to the van and kissed it. She didn't see an old van, she saw the young woman who went to work every morning; she was seeing friends who had become family, she was seeing factory life, tea breaks, conversations, familiar faces and a life that had shaped who she is.
For those precious moments... Cathie was home!
As the stories began to flow between Cathie, Marane and Janet, it felt as though we had all been invited into one of the happiest chapters of Cathie's life.
Cathie, you reminded us that reminiscence isn't about looking backwards, it's about helping someone reconnect with a piece of themselves they thought had been lost forever. She didn't revisit a memory... today she lived it!
To Marane and Janet... thank you for giving your friend such an incredible gift.
To Jack... thank you for making an already special moment unforgettable.
To George... thank you for preserving a piece of history that meant the world to one very special lady.
And Cathie... thank you for trusting us with your wish. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone isn't something new... it's the chance to hold yesterday in our arms, just one more time ❤️ Marane Bell Mhairi McAinsh !
