Liam Griffin

This story arrived in response to a Facebook query in 2025: –

In 1947, my parents moved into a wee cottage at West Haugh, where I was born, across 3 fields off the Cornton Road. We began by walking past what was a Borstal, onto a track which led off a single track road, bypassing the village known as Cornton (Johnston Avenue).

In 1949 my wee sister Margaret was born, and because there were no other families living within 3 or 4 miles of West Haugh Margaret and I grew up in a very close and loving relationship. My Dad had been working as a Railway Guard, having been in the HLI from 1938 till 1946. I went to School in Irvine Place when I turned 5.

Round about 1959 my Dad, Jimmy, got a job at what he called The Rubber Works, now a “village” of posh houses. (the last time I saw them was 15 years ago!) West Haugh was in a curve of the River Forth, which surrounded the wee house on 3 sides.

When I grew to 7 years old, to me West Haugh was a wee bit of Heaven! We had no internal fresh water, no electricity. Paraffin lamps then later Tilley Lamps and Candles supplied the lighting and water came from a tap mounted on the wall outside the house. Mum cooked our grub on a gas fire run off a big giant tank in a shed next to the house.

When I was 10, in 1957, we got a brand new house in Cambusbarron, 8 Underwood Cottages. I joined the Royal Navy as a Seaman Diver in 1966, and though cousins and family friends live in or around Stirling to this day, I have never lived in Stirling since I went to work at sea. I married a lovely Falkirk Bairn, Myra Strang. 49 years and 7 months of married happiness. Poor Myra, Cancer took dear Myra’s Life. I now live in Argyll, in Oban, but have never stopped loving Stirling .

Liam Griffin.