Published: Thursday, 2nd July, 2009 6:00am

Fond farewell to retiring pair

STAFF and pupils at St. Gabriel"s Primary School gathered together last Wednesday to bid farewell to two retiring employees, who between them have worked at the school for more than 50 years.

Marion Fairgrieve and Douglas McAllan were given a grand farewell at the school"s prize giving ceremony, where they were each presented with a silver quaich engraved with their names and dates of service.

Mrs Fairgrieve, of Nimmo Avenue, Prestonpans, left the school after 30 years as a cleaner.

The 60-year-old grew up in Dunbar - attending Dunbar Primary School and Dunbar Grammar School - and was a hairdresser before she became a housewife, looking after daughter Marianne, now 40, and son Richard, now 37.

Mrs Fairgrieve now plans to spend her retirement with her husband Andrew and her six grandchildren, aged between five and 17, who should keep her busy!

'I will miss all the children and all the staff very much but I will pop back in to see them all so I will still be in touch with them,' said Mrs Fairgrieve.

'The leaving ceremony was lovely and I will take a lot of good memories away with me.

'When I started at the school, I knew children who have now grown up and have brought their children to the school, which is such a lovely thing to see.'

Mr McAllan, who lives in the school house, joined the school as a janitor in 1990 after moving to the county from Lauder, near the Scottish Borders.

The 62-year-old, who is originally from Aberdeenshire, joined the army at 15 before leaving in 1977 to work on a farm in Lauder. He moved to Newtongrange in 1985 and has not looked back since.

'I wouldn"t have changed anything for anything and I have really enjoyed my time at the school but I think 20 years is long enough!' he said.

'When I first moved here, I wasn"t very happy, but over the years it has got better and better and I will definitely miss all the kids.

'The farewell service was very emotional but they were very generous and it was very much appreciated - the personal cards from the kids were lovely.'

Mr McAllan plans to leave Prestonpans and move to Swinton with his wife Janette for a 'quiet, peaceful retirement'.

Last Friday, the retiring pair attended the P7 leavers" mass in St Gabriel"s Church, where they were both presented with a bouquet of flowers. Staff also held a special luncheon at which Mrs Fairgrieve was given a pearl necklace and Mr McAllan two tickets for the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Anne Torley, head teacher, said: 'Both Dougie and Marion have given a huge amount to the school and always gave over and above what was asked of them.

'As a community, we would like to thank them very much for all their hard work and long service to the school.

'The children will miss them a lot as they were part of the school for a very long time.'