My Scottish Granny Mary’s story is one of hard work, opportunity and public service.
Education was important to the young Mary Campbell Tyre, born 12 March 1910 in the remote village of Tayvallich, Argyll in the Scottish Highlands. She was the fourth of eight children.
First she hitched a ride in the postman's pony-cart to get to Achahoish Primary School 3 miles away, then she went into lodgings aged 12 to attend secondary school in Lochgilphead, before ultimately taking a ferry from Ardrishaig to Dunoon Grammar School, aged 16-18.
Her father James Tyre had six or eight horses and a three coaches, delivering parcels, potatoes and people from Ardrishaig, where the Streamer boat came from Glasgow every day, to their destinations in North Knapdale, Argyll. Sadly he was delivered early to his grave, when Granny was 11, leaving her hard-up mother Mary Campbell to raise eight children.
Despite getting good grades in her Higher exams and her mother’s hope she might attend the University of Glasgow, she simply couldn’t afford it. There were few, if any, grants in 1928 and chances were even scarcer for women.
Out of the blue, Mary’s mother heard that the UK Civil Service were having an exam for a new grade and, what's more, that 18 and 19 year old girls, as well as boys, would be allowed to apply for the first time.
She travelled to Edinburgh, a long way in those days, and stayed in digs for a whole week, while she took exams in English, French, Latin, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography and Scripture — a very thorough-sounding application process!
My Granny was successful and was offered a job in the Civil Service, joining the executive class in 1929, where she met my Grandpa, working in Somerset House, then both posted to Llandudno during the Second World War. Their first date was at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 1948 to see “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
While living in London, she never forgot her Scottish roots, insisting on taking her wedding vows in 1948 in the ruined crypt of the “old” St Columba’s Church of Scotland on Pont Street, Knightsbridge and travelling north across the border to baptise her first born son, my father Ian Campbell Bradley, in Argyll, where her story began.
They lived in Bourne Lane, Tonbridge in Kent and had two sons:
Ian Campbell Bradley, b. 28 May 1950, Berkhamsted.
David William Bradley, b. 11 June 1952, Tonbridge, d. 27 May 1987, London.
After my sister and I were born, they moved to St Andrews, Scotland to be near us.
