Tuesday 17th July, Allan & Lynn McWilliam

We were treated to an entertaining personal life journey by Allan & Lynn McWilliam on Tuesday evening. The story for Lynn starts with education in a private convent before moving to Wembley and then up to Kilwinning where she refused to work in her father’s new business, preferring to pursue an education career by joining Craigie. While studying there, Lynn took up many jobs including waitressing, shoes shop assistant, a playgroup leader, secretary of the local Young Farmers Club and even selling jumpers for a Newmilns factory. In 1989 she secured a full time teacher’s role in Dundonald Primary, during which time she achieved a post graduate qualification in media studies at Jordanhill College. Lynn has two children.
Allan’s story started in 1953 in Craigie Housing Estate, beginning his schooling at Prestwick  Public School, onto Prestwick Academy, Ayr Academy and then up to Dundee University where a chemistry resit, did not appeal to him. This led him to employment in BMK Dye Technology. The attentive audience were regaled with three stories from his career which included the hung-over BMK worker who shaved too much off 1000s of meters of carpet, rendering the product useless. The trail of coal dust from an Ayrshire primary school yard to a local house which revealed stolen coal. After Allan had insisted he wanted to use a more inclusive approach to teaching, his head teacher in another rough Ayrshire primary school, presented Allan with a “tawse” telling him “you’ll need it” Eventually Allan was appointed head teacher in Dundonald Primary School where he remained for many years until he was asked to take up the role of IT training specialist in 2004, training Head Teachers in South Ayrshire. Ian Alexander gave a humorous vote of thanks.