Happy memories for artist Moira

A former employee of DC Thomson took a very special trip down memory lane with a visit to her old office.

Moira Stewart, 87, was a balloonist, who added text to speech balloons, in the art department at DC Thomson’s Meadowside building for 33 years before retiring in 2006.

Now a resident at Balhousie Brookfield care home in Carnoustie, Moira was delighted to be invited back to reminisce about her time working there.

The team at DC Thomson warmly welcomed Moira, along with Brookfield Activities Coordinator Jennifer McKeown, to their DCTea event where retired employees return for a cuppa, cake and a catch up with former colleagues.

Moira, who suffers from dementia, had the opportunity to look at some of the comics she worked on over the years, including Bunty, Judy and Victor. She even critiqued the comic strips, sharing lots of insights about the creative work she did on the various children’s publications.

Despite her condition, Moira had no hesitation in recalling many memories from her time at DC Thomson and was delighted to recognise Mr Murray Thomson, a former company director and member of the Thomson family, whom she remembered vividly from her time at the Meadowside building.

Moira said: “I worked on the ninth floor for many years. The building has changed a lot since then and there’s lots of new faces, but I remember, clearly, the comics I worked on for all those years.”

Moira’s visit is part of an initiative from Balhousie Brookfield to offer their residents a Nostalgia Day, and part of this scheme will be to revisit their careers and jobs.

Jennifer commented: “It has been such a fantastic day out for Moira visiting her old work at DC Thomson. Seeing the old annuals and comics she worked on brought back many memories of her days working there. Seeing Moira remember and reminisce is what our Nostalgia Days are all about and was lovely to see.

“Being back in the surroundings of their working life can make a visible difference to our resident’s energy and speed of recall, which is especially valuable for those living with a dementia diagnosis.”

DCTea events run monthly through the winter and are well subscribed, with dozens of former staff, like Moira, coming along.

GREAT TO SEE YOU: Moira enjoyed a catch-up with former DC Thomson director Murray Thomson in the company’s Meadowside offices.