Sat. 14th cont...
Jean Deas Hunter is now considered the matriarch of the family.
We gathered at the Tudor Hotel in Airdrie for dinner. There we met Kenneth and Janis Burton.Janis is a grandaughter of Archibald Stewart and her mother Janet was born in Rhodesia. We also met Linda and Jim Rennie who had travelled up from Largs in Ayrshire to meet us. Linda is the daughter of Jean & Jimmy Brabson and grandaughter of Mary Stewart Malcolm Donald. Mary was a sister to Jock Stewart. We met Margaret Aitken nee Urquart the great granddaughter of Mary Stewart. We were formally introduced to the family group and made most welcome by Margaret Reed. We found the experience and the evening humbling with some emotion, to be made so welcome and presented with a Scottish "quaich" - a cup of welcome and farewell. Traditionally this orginated in the Scottish highlands, is a shallow drinking bowl with two handles. Today made of pewter and silver - which is filled with scotch whiskey and passed around. We also received an album which included a number of Stewarts old and new with a few gems amongst them. There was alsoa gift of clotted cream fudge together with a picture of Jean Brabson nee Donald who died at the age of 90 in 2010.
Richard passed around Jock Stewart's family book and David has agreed to copy the disk for other members of the family. We now have a few more email addresses in order to keep in touch. The dinner ended with a creditable rendition of Auld lang syne. Some of us retired to Nancy and Ronnie's home for another coffee and chat before David and Margaret returned us to the hotel in Livingston. A most memorable and enjoyable day - thanks to all.

Saturday 14th May
Woke up to a sunny day but cold wind. Had a call from Glenn from our house - thank you Glenn, we turned 45 today!
David and Margaret Reed collected us. Margaret is the grandaughter of Archibald Stewart brother of Jock Stewart. They took us up to the New Monkland cemetry to view a Stewart grave in which amongst others are interred the remains of
Archibald Stewart. We had a drive around Airdrie looking at the old and new before arriving at Jean & Harry Hunter's home. Jean is the daughter of Bella Stewart who married Joe Deas. Bella was a sister of Jock Stewart. Jean & Harry have been married 62 years. Much chatter and photos taken and looked at, plus a lovely tea, before we moved on.
Nancy and Ronnie McKinnon and Jean Kelty (Nancy's twin) were waiting for us. Nancy and Jean are Margaret's elder sisters. More chatter laughs and a wee drop of sherry/wine and more photos looked at and taken. We have always known how canny the Scots are, but learnt from David a Yorkshireman, that in fact it was those from Yorkshire who taught the Scots to be "tighter than tight as"!! cont....