The Smart family started on 10th September 1958, my brother Ian was born.  As a parent myself now i can at last appreciate what that meant. But becoming a father came easy to me. My parents had tried hard for a decade, even being told on a few occasions childbirth was not possible for them, even potentially dangerous for my mum, given her own delicate state of health,which included a long term heart defect. But they never gave up and lived with the risk and. problem sorted, all three of us came along within 4 years. And the  Smart family, all boys, except my mum was complete...I never missed not having a sister, but i have since wondered what it was like for my mum being the sole female in an otherwise all male household..Why i think my mum was especially pleased when my younger brother, David became the first of us to date properly. Shirley, who went on to be David;s first wife and the mother of three of my parents grandchildren became close to my mum , especially since she arrived on the scene just after my dad had died.   I know my daughter, Jessica Isobel Smart, would have formed a strong bond with my mum, the grandmother she never knew, like she did with Carol, the one that she did

As the Smarts, we were very lucky.  I remember wanting  for nothing , and very few family arguments. None at all between my parents..I am sure they must have had them - they just kept them away from us.

The highlights of our family life were always our holidays, now i see because these were also the highlights of my parent pre parenthood lives. Always a 10 day Easter break on the Isles of Bute or Arran, then a fortnight at a YMCA hotel or caravan park in the South of England..And one memorable trip to Paris, in what turned out to be out last summer holiday as a family.  I still recall the excitement of my mum recalling earlier visits to a city she loved...Montmatre in particular she loved showing us round.

Of course there were occasional fall outs, harsh words exchanged..But the one thing none of us would ever do was in any way disrespect my mum in front of my Dad.  He worshipped her. Protected her from everything, even a row with her own kids!. Why I felt so sad for my mum when my dad died.. As she told me even as a 16 year old, she never envisaged being the one left behind.  But she kept the Smart family going. Despite her own failing health and the loss of the love of her life. She saw all three of us enter university, something denied to her by the circumstances of her time.  And,,along with my dad, ensured we were well taken care of after she passed on.  The bravest part of her life, for which I admire her most of all.

They had to wait a while, but were brilliant parents..Save a longer life for both of them, I could not have wished for better parents, They deserved a long happy retirement and to welcome their grandchildren into the world.  This website i hope helps show their grandkids what they missed out on.