Christmas is always a time to remember loved ones but for Lorraine Ritchie, the festive period just isn’t the same without her mum and dad, Westhill couple Morag and Allan Brand.
The pair, who fell in love by the warmth of a roaring fire, were together for more than half a century and their memory will be kept alive this year too, as part of our Christmas Without You memorial series.
New love stoked up by an Aberdeen fireside
Morag McKenzie was born on September 15 1938. Although her family hailed from Inverness, her birth mum was Jessie McKenzie, she was raised by Dinah Morrice from Seaton Road, Aberdeen.
“Taken in” as a baby, Morag – known as Morrie – grew up seeing Dinah as her mother, adopting the wider family as her own.
Granite City loon Allan Brand was born the year before his future bride, on April 11 1937.
Tasked with picking up his friend – Billy Morrice from a house in Seaton, Allan and Morrie locked eyes while she stoked the fire.
“Mum was at home poking the fire. One of her ‘cousins’ was waiting to be picked up. His friend turned out to be my dad.
“The story goes that mum looked up from the fireplace and saw my father in the mirror, and that was that.”
Railway platform goodbye for the newlyweds
Love at first sight, Allan took Morrie to the pictures, “and the rest is history.”
A sergeant in the army, Allan proposed, and the pair were married on February 7 1958. Just two weeks later they said goodbye to one another at Aberdeen Railway Station when Allan was posted to Aldershot.
The couple had four children: Lorraine, born in 1961, Jackie in 1963, then Allan in ’67, and finally Allison, who arrived in 1968.
As a family they lived in Seaton Road, then later Alexander Drive Tillydrone, before moving to Westhill.
In-demand business, Brand and Knowles plastering
Allan went into business with Gordon Knowles, forming Brand and Knowles plastering firm, sought after all over the city and shire.
“Dad was always telling us stories about doing plastering for football players and other movers and shakers in the city.
“One day he came home and told mum about these lovely houses being built in Westhill.”
Allan was offered first refusal of “the best plot in the street” for a £100 deposit.
Morrie – who did several jobs over the years including prawn peeler and cleaner – worried about raising the deposit but Allan saw the opportunity to make a family dream become a reality.
They managed to get the money together and bought the land for their future family home. Allan and Morrie raised their children there, and remained in the property until the early 90s when they moved into a nearby bungalow.
‘They were devoted to each other until the very end’
Home birds, when the children were younger they all enjoyed holidays to Butlins and Primrose Valley, but latterly the couple preferred the company of each other, at home.
After Morrie suffered a stroke in 2002, Allan devoted himself to looking after his wife.
Sadly on December 7 2015, three weeks after being admitted to hospital, Morrie passed away aged 77.
Then on August 22, 2023, three weeks after he too was admitted to the same ward as his late wife, Allan died aged 86.
“I went up to see dad every day,” Lorraine said, “but typical of him, always thinking about everyone else, he passed away without us there. He wouldn’t have wanted us to see that.”
Festive family traditions remembered
This Christmas Lorraine will be taking time to remember her mum and dad – who were also grandparents of seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren – and some of the traditions they instituted over the years.
“Dad would take his great big long size nine socks and fill them with fruit. He’d go to the Orange Grove on Rosemount and we always got a Mac Red apple, an orange, a tangerine and a banana.
“We’d be lying awake as he would be sneaking about with presents.
“Jackie and I always had a wee peak.”
‘It’s so hard without them,’ said daughter Lorraine
One of Lorraine’s most cherished memories is how much the Brands valued family time at Christmas.
“Dad always loved it to be just us. The four kids and them. That’s something that’s always stuck with me.”
This year Lorraine and her siblings plan to light a candle to remember Morrie and Allan.
“I find it so hard at this time of year without them.
“I cannot watch The Sound of Music, or any Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, without a tear in my eye. They just loved all of them.
“As soon as Climb Every Mountain comes on, I’m gone.
“But it’s nice to remember them. They were the most loving, most hard-working parents. And we miss them.”
Conversation