We both left BGS in 1956, Margaret to take up employment in the Purchasing & Stores Department of the National Coal Board at East Cramlington and Jim to continue his studies at Birmingham University.

Following graduation in 1959, Jim took up employment with the Electricity Supply Industry and we were married in April 1960. We first set up home in Cramlington and moved to Darlington and then to Billingham in 1968 where we still live.

We had three children, David, Keith and Wendy, the youngest, who was born in 1966. Whilst Jim pursued his career in Electrical Engineering, currently working as principal Consultant for a firm of Consulting Engineers, margaret spent some time teaching music in school but eventually concentrated on piano teaching, working from home.

After the tragic death of our elder son, David, in may 1981, we both became involved with The Compassionate Friends, a world-wide charity which supports parents and their immediate family following the death of one or more of their children. Margaret trained as a bereavement counsellor and is now the local contact for TCF as well as being International Liaison Officer and Jim serves on the UK national Committee.

Currently we are supporting Margaret's mum who lives nearby and is registered blind. We have two grand-children and in our spare time, of which there is very little, Margaret is Musical Director of two choirs as well as being President of the local Womens' Institute and Jim "plays" at computing and DIY.