Tom Smith.

89 years young and fresh as a daisy.

Here he is today among the early shoppers in a supermarket car park.

Tom drove a coal lorry and the effects of carrying 1 cwt bags of coal for many years has taken it's toll on his joints but apart from a few aches he is in excellent health.

In the 1950's when most family holidays were to the Clyde Coast or Butlin's, Tom took his family to Spain on his coal lorry. A frame covered by tarpaulins was built on the vehicle platform body. The 'covered wagon' was then fitted out with camping equipment, cooker and all the family luggage. By all accounts they all had a great time despite the high temperatures , hard springs, bumpy roads and before Motorways ( in the UK at least). 40 MPH would have been the top speed for most commercial vehicles at the time, with many restricted to 20MPH max.

Later he bought a Bedford Dormobile in two tone blue that became the local Rangers Supporters weekly bus to every game throughout the season. He built goalposts and cleared the long grass at the foot of the garden where he would coach his son Hugh and other friends and relatives. This of course he christened 'Ibrox'. Tom says football now is 'wasted' too expensive and not much worth watching.

Tom Smith: Resourceful, energetic family man, a credit to a generation that lived through World War II, food rationing and post war austerity and still going strong at 89.