Vera Rose range

“In a recent column, you mentioned the factory of Douglas Fraser & Co,” emails Ken MacDougall. “I am sure that this would be the same people who had a candlewick factory in Friockheim in the early 1960s.

“My late mother-in-law was Vera Wishart (born Vera Rose Line in Amersham, Bucks) and my late fatherin-law was Robert Petrie Wishart, born in Aberdeen. His father had a gents outfitter in Aberdeen and they lived in Kinneff.

“They then moved to Friockheim and Vera worked for Douglas Fraser. As far as I know, she designed the bedspreads and the range, Vera Rose, was called after her.

“They moved to Dundee a few years later when my father-in-law took up a post of works manager for the Marshall and Brush carpet factory. He and Vera had met during service in the RAF during the war. Robert was an engineer and the RAF sent him to Cambridge where he toyed with inventions like the tufting machine. They were both bright, talented people.

“They lived in Broughty Ferry then and had a large house and while Robert saw to the production of carpets during the day, Vera let the spare rooms of the house to students and professionals. I think she had the business brains of the couple.

“Later, the couple moved to Blackburn in Lancashire where Robert took the post of works director for Scapa Dryers. They later retired to the Mull of Kintyre, bought a house and turned it into the Ashbank Hotel, Carradale. “They led quite an interesting life – innovative and productive.”