Great News
With the children at school, Olive found herself the envy of all the other young mothers in the stair.
Geraldine (Ellesmere), Katherine (Crerar), Linda (Adams), and Brenda (Johnston) all had young children. Only Edna (McCauley) on the ground flat was yet to be a mother. They joked about Olive`s freedom from nappies and Harrington squares - no disposable nappies then. She laughed along with them. Then it happened.
"John, I think I am pregnant!" I don`t know what she expected me to say in reply but I was ovejoyed. Here we were, both of us thirty three years old and thinking our days of night feeding were behind us and now to begin all over again.
We had to wait a few weeks before the pregnancy was confirmed. We did not have the advantage of self testing yet. Anyhow once we were sure, we let the news out. Somehow I think the girls in the stair knew already, for what were coffee mornings all about but to exchange the little confidences?
Everyone was excited for us and the neighbours thrilled to bits. Thirtyish pregnancies were a little unusual then so Olive was put on a bit of a pedestal by them. Changed days now!
We told our family the news, but Olive`s mother was a bit perplexed. She thought it improper her daughter should have a baby at her age. Olive was taken aback at this, but I soon reassured her it was our business and no one elses. On the other hand, my parents were overjoyed at the news. Takes all kinds to make a world.
Our two daughters thought the birth could not come quick enough. October was the date. The New Town life had certainly done something for us.
Social Activities
Riverside school was the hub of the community and many and varied were the activities that took place there. A youth wing had been integrated into the original building and this was used socially by the adults as well as the youngsters.
The school hall had a badminton court laid out in it, and I regularly played there alongwith Billy Ritchie, Jaso the milkman, Terry Ellesmere, and Sibbald Penman, Pamela`s school teacher.
I took the opportunity of asking Sibbald about Pamela. Pamela`s speech at the time had been giving us some cause for concern. In fact Olive regularly had to attend speech therapy with her at the Sick Childrens Hospital in Edinburgh. It seemed Karen was the only person who could understand her and as such was often asked to interpret for us. This used to hurt Pamela.
Olive and Pamela would walk down to Howden Bridge in their Wellingtons and replace them with their shoes once on the bus. Such was the state of the roads in the town at the time.
Anyhow, Sibbald said she found her a very good pupil and understanding her was becoming a little easier. Pamela was soon to improve rapidly and the defect in her speech disappeared forever.
Rugby
Terry Ellesmere had recently graduated from St Andrew`s University and taken up a job with the LDC. He played for and captained Edinburgh Wanderers Rugby Club and was training and advising locals in Livingston in the game. This was to be the Livingston Rugby Club as was formed in 1968. He it was who introduced me to this club. Have him to thank for it. I am still an active member even to this day in 2002. Terry was later to move south and play for Blackheath. He had a trial for England.
Keep-Fit
A keep-fit class for ladies was formed in the school, and all the ladies in the stair attended. Olive was excused on account of her condition.
Basic Amenities.
As to be expected, the amenities were very scarce in those days. These would improve as the town grew and newcomers would determine what if any would be appropriate.
Livingston Development Corporation was in charge of the path in which the town went down, but it was the local authorities who determined the basic amenities available.
Midlothian County Council was in charge of education whilst the West Lothian County Council took responsibility for cleansing, lighting and policing. Not to be left out, the local East Calder District Council allocated the letting of the few playing fields in the area.
Initially we in Livingston were represented at Westminster by the West Lothian MP Tam Dalyell and his Midlothian counterpart, Tom Eadie, dependant on which part of the town we resided.
Library
For those people who loved reading, a mobile library would regularly call round each week. This proved so popular that a determined effort was made to set up a local branch. This fell to Mrs Kerr and Mrs Stevenson, the wives respectively of the headmaster and janitor of Riverside school.
These ladies organised through the help of the council a branch of the library service in the school.
They ran it so successfully that when a custom built library was incorporated into the Almondbank school complex, they were put in charge. This library still operates from this building.
Health
Before the days of the Health Centres, the residents of the new town had their health cared for by Dr Hamish Barber who held his surgery in his house at Broom Walk. He was later joined by the late Dr Frank Hayes who practised in the Groves. They were ably assisted by nurse Chris Reid who had moved into the town in 1966.
As with most of the early residents, both doctors and nurse were regular attenders at the Sunday forums. Dr Barber often appeared in his kilt. He was later to move to Glasgow to take up a University Chair in General Practice. He was replaced by Dr Ross Munro.
Dental treatment was available in Broxburn and Bathgate and, believe it or not, Craigshill. The latter area was served by Mr McLeod who had his surgery in Melbourne Street.
Bangour General Hospital was the local hospital and was held in great esteem by everybody who had cause to attend, be they patient or visitor.
Television
Television was a must then as it is today. It had one drawback in Livingston. No outside aerials were permitted. The LDC had it drawn up in the missives of rental. Each house in the town was equipped to receive the British Relay signal for which a rental fee was charged. A virtual monopoly which was eventually withdrawn with the outside aerial ruling being scrapped.
Bars
Although Livingston is now well catered for in this respect, the early settlers had to travel a bit further afield to partake of supping. Livingston Inn was a popular watering hole as were the bars in Midcalder and Pumpherston. Despite the influx of new pubs into the town, these old established Inns still prove as popular today as then.
