There’s something about Mary. Of course there is, why else would we host an event in her memory every single year?!

Mary is my Gran-in-law and a very special part of who I am today. A kind, welcoming, family-centred treasure who sadly left us too soon because of The (original) C Word.

We hold our Macmillan Coffee Morning every year to raise vital funds for this amazing charity that helped Mary but most of all we hold it as a celebration for her. As our 10th event fast approaches, and the 15th anniversary of Mary’s passing, I wanted to share a little bit more about this wonderful lady to help you understand why we hold this event each year. Who better to help me than Marian, her daughter and my mum-in-law? A massive thank you to her for helping me put this together and sharing so many memories.

An Introduction

Mary was a kind, loving, family-orientated lady, the heart of her family. Her garden, especially her roses, was her pride and joy. She loved the theatre, classical music and was an avid Strictly fan. She also played the piano and loved to sing. 

Tea or coffee?

Coffee. She loved drinking from proper china cups wit a saucer and always had milk and sugar.

Favourite biscuit?

Mary always preferred cake, a cake of any type too!

Best place for tea and cake?

A keen gardener and an avid fan of garden centre cafes, one of her favourite spots was the Cupar Garden Centre.

Famous bakes?

Mary’s baking was the families best. She was famous for many of her creations! Amongst family and friends, she was renowned for her truffles, coconut jammies, soda scones and petticoat shortbread. She used to man the phones for the taxis at Links Garage, part of the family business, and the taxi drivers always loved her lemon meringue pie.

Did she follow a recipe?

She had many recipes written down and then she’d adapt them to make them her own. Marian uses some of her recipes for our Macmillan Coffee Morning though, in true family style, she has adapted these to make them her own too.

Favourite Recipe Book?

Lofty Peak Homemaking Flour Recipe Book

Did Mary always bake?

Oh yes, she was always in the kitchen. She even used to work in a bakery!

Why Macmillan?

Macmillan Cancer Support is here to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can and support their families. 

When Mary’s health deteriorated Marian moved in to be her full-time carer. Macmillan came every day for bedtime and morning, in addition to giving Marian rest bite twice a week to let her have time to herself. Whether it was to go out or simply catch up on much-needed sleep as Mary required round-the-clock care.

They were more than nurses, they were friends. Although Mary didn’t want nurses she accepted Macmillan. They always had time to chat when they came and took the pressure of Marian putting her mum to bed, settling her and getting her up in the morning. Always with a kind word, laughter, making sure that Marian was okay too and reminding her they were only ever a phone call away.

It would have been a lot harder if they weren’t around.

Our fundraising means they can be right there for more people living with cancer and their families.

Did she have a favourite nurse?

Her favourite was Marian’s friend’s, Fiona Anderson’s, sister.

What made them special?

She was a genuine, caring person who Mary had a connection with. They had lived just over the road from the family when they lived at the garage.

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Our 10th Macmillan Coffee Morning is being held at 188 Townhill Road, Dunfermline on Friday 30th September 2022 from 10am – 1pm, we’d love to see you there! If you can’t make it along but still fancy some cake, just let us know! We can fill up a cake box of delicious treats ready for you to collect in return for a donation.

Donations can be made online via this link DONATE or in person on the day.