Peter Aitken: We'll not see his like again

Following his retirement, he became renowned for writing a book about its most famous sons and daughters, Wha’s Like Us? Bo’ness – The People.

Sadly, Peter, who passed away on October 8, never got round to writing his own biography, for that, too, would have been well worth a read.

Born in the miners’ rows in Kinneil Road, he was the youngest child of Peter and Agnes, better known as Nessie, who also had three daughters – Jean, Grace and Nan.

Peter was educated at Kinneil Primary School and Bo’ness Academy. Aged 16, he followed his dad to Kinneil Colliery, beginning a mechanical engineering apprenticeship with the National Coal Board which saw him working both at the coalface on the machinery and above ground too.

After ten years at the colliery, Peter gained additional qualifications which enabled him to work as an instrument engineer at BP in Grangemouth. He went on to work as a field engineer for an instrument company, working on sites all over the country.

His son Keith said: “Dad didn’t like whisky but it was mainly distilleries that he worked on so he could tell you about every whisky distillery in Scotland!”

For the last 20 years of his career, Peter worked as an instrument engineer in the North Sea oil industry, both designing and commissioning instruments for the platforms. Even when he retired at the age of 60, he continued to work freelance.

Keith recalled: “The last job he did was working in Shetland for a few months but it was over the winter; it was freezing cold and windy and he’d had enough!”

Music was Peter’s other passion, having played the accordion from a young age and regularly playing with a band at the Carriden Community Centre on Friday nights.

It was here he met the greatest love of his life, Doris-Anne Dixon; they married in Bo’ness Old Kirk on June 18, 1960, setting up home firstly in Bankhead before moving to Linlithgow Road, Willow Dell and the family home at Stewart Avenue.

Prior to having their two children, Keith (56) and Joy (54), Doris-Anne worked in the payroll office at the colliery. After the kids flew the nest, Peter and Doris-Anne downsized and spent 24 happy years at Bonhard Court.

Doris-Anne latterly worked as a secretary in Linlithgow and in the 1980s ran a playgroup in the grounds of Bo’ness Public School, before retiring.

Peter and Doris-Anne shared a love of musicals, joining Bo’ness Amateur Operatic Society where they performed in many different productions. Peter went on to join Falkirk Bohemians in the late 1960s, where he had a number of principal roles.

He and Doris-Anne took full advantage of retirement to enjoy holidays to the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, New Zealand, Italy and Tenerife. Devoted grandparents, they also loved spending time with Adam (26), Euan (24), Blair (21) and Hope (20).

Other than on holiday, Peter was a man who preferred to keep his mind and hands busy.

Having worked away from home most of his days, retirement enabled him to support the Bo’ness Children’s Fair Festival.

He served on the committee for many years, working with David Hannah on marshalling the procession.

Doris-Anne also played a starring role – as a fairy in 1946 and flower girl in 1951 while at the Public School and as Queen of the Flower Girls in her last year at Bo’ness Academy in 1954.

So she was delighted to be invited to crown the centenary Fair Day Queen, Ashley Oldham, in 1997.

Another of Peter’s retirement projects proved to be a major boost for the Fair.

For many years, he admired the work of those who documented the town’s history, such as Bill Hendrie. However, most books were on the town's history and Peter saw a gap in the market.

Keith said: “He wanted to write a book about people from the town who had gone on to find some level of national or international success – be that in business, sport or other professions.”

Peter thoroughly enjoyed researching the book and planned to finance its publishing. However, at the last minute the Coalfields Regeneration Trust stepped in to cover the costs.

Wha's Like Us: Bo'ness – The People was initially published in 2002 and flew off the shelves, with all the proceeds going to the Bo’ness Children’s Fair Festival.

Thanks to local businessman Alan Steel, the cost of publishing the updated version in 2013/14 was also covered and all proceeds were again donated to the Fair.

Keith added: “Dad loved writing the book; he had to do a lot of editing but I’ve still got the original on floppy disc somewhere.

“I also found a box of the updated version in the loft, a few of which are still available at the Inkspot in Bo’ness so dad’s still raising money for the Fair!

“He was delighted that, between the two editions, it raised more than £20,000 for Fair Day.”

Sadly, Doris-Anne was diagnosed with dementia and, with Peter’s own health starting to decline, they took the hard decision for her to move to Linlithgow Care Home in December 2022, where she passed away on November 8, 2023.

Having been married for 63 years, Peter never really got over it. In February, he too moved to Linlithgow Care Home where he passed away last Tuesday, 11 months to the day after Doris-Anne.

Peter’s funeral service will be held at Bo’ness Old Kirk tomorrow (Thursday) at 2pm and thereafter to Camelon Crematorium at 3.15pm. Family flowers only please.

The retiring collection for those who wish to donate will aptly be for Bo’ness Children’s Fair Festival.