Surrounded by measurements, tools, patterns and papers while he slept, Mike Davidson was surely destined to follow in the footsteps of his master tailor father.
But while the Elgin Academy pupil’s bed was nestled inside his father’s workshop it would be a different kind of creativity he’d be inspired to pursue.
Going on to help bring Birmingham’s Spaghetti Junction to life, and designing some of the first major roads in Kuwait, we chart the life of Scottish civil engineer, Mike Davidson, who has died aged 81.
Elgin upbringing
Born on May 16, 1940, Mike was the son of Charles Davidson and his wife, Robertha (nee Cormack-Smith) from Glasgow.
On his return from Australia where he had been injured as a logger, unable to then serve in the military, Charles met Bertha.
Encouraged to go into the family tailoring business – Davidson’s of Elgin – like his four brothers, he did as was expected.
The couple had three daughters, Sandra, Connie and Elizabeth, and one son, Mike.
Talented designer
A love of model planes and watercolour painting whet his appetite for a future in design but without a Higher in a foreign language university wasn’t an option.
Instead, in 1958, Mike attended Robert Gordon’s Technical College in Aberdeen to study for an HND in civil engineering.
But although he was lacking language credentials, he wasn’t short of love.
For he and childhood sweetheart Anne Campbell, whose father Willie Campbell ran their community’s corner store, married on June, 26, 1963 in Lossiemouth Baptist Church.
A big wedding for its day, more than 200 people attended the reception.
And what started when Mike was in Anne’s sister’s class at school, resulted in 58 years of happy marriage and three children.
A move south
After graduation, Mike and Anne moved to Birmingham and rented a flat where he began work with Birmingham City Council.
Later he would also work with George Wimpey to design complex sewerage systems.
In 1964 Andrew was born. Neil came along in 1966 and Fiona was born in 1968.
The family moved into Langley Villa in Walmley Village.
In 1965 Mike joined LG Mouchel and Partners, gaining a qualification as a chartered civil engineer from the Institute of Civil Engineers shortly afterwards.
Spaghetti Junction
The company, now WSP Global of Canada, one of the world’s largest civil engineering organisations pioneered reinforced concrete in bridges.
The Liver Building in Liverpool was a landmark construction for the company, and much to the delight of Mike’s son Andrew, Spaghetti Junction too.
Andrew said: “I have a lovely memory of dad taking me to a high point on the empty road of what is now one of the busiest roads in the UK.
“We had hard hats on and I got to see the construction work.
“My dad Mike had a great impact in the design and management of lots of projects from dams in Wales, to the M6 Spaghetti Junction.
“He then began working abroad in 1975, in Africa and the Middle East.”
Kuwait calling
Away from the family a lot, handling contracts in Kurdistan, Northern Iraq and Nigeria, he made a decision that for his next move his family would all go with him.
So in 1976 the Davidsons moved from the West Midlands to Kuwait.
Mike had won a contract for footbridges but was then also to design and supervise the construction of Kuwait Town Highway.
The project would connect Kuwait International Airport to the Kuwait City Sheraton Hotel on Riyadh Street.
“That was some of the best times of our lives, and for me certainly that time influenced me greatly,” Andrew added.
In 1987 Mike suffered a heart attack and remained managing director of Mouchel Middle East until 1988.
He returned to the UK to take on a personnel role in Surrey until his retirement in 1995.
A hankering for home
More consultancy work followed through a community partnership in Plymouth.
Mike and Anne moved to the costal city where Mike worked for the charity, and where he also became involved with strategic planning at the local authority.
But in their latter years the pull to return to their roots saw Mike and Anne move back to Scotland.
The couple bought land near Lochaber, on The Knoll, and built two homes.
The first, Grey Corries House, they lived in then sold.
And the second, Coromandel, was where they remained.
Andrew said: “My dad was a wonderful man, full of great warmth and kindness.
“He was full of integrity, a good listener and could always see both sides of an argument.
“I sound biased but he had an extraordinary intellect. Very well read and as much as he loved civil engineering, he also loved his family. We are all very grateful to have had him for a dad.”
Mike is survived by Anne, Andrew, Neil and Fiona, and his grandchildren Mark, Dylan, Liam, Dana, River and Willow.