I was supposed to be the volunteer, one of the folk in charge, but I was screaming like a banshee. Damn those shows at Burntisland. While you were trying to win a goldfish the rides were performing sneaky moves behind your back.
'Come on Mo, let's go on that wee ferris wheel. It's not too fast.'
Mo was game for anything even though she wore calipers. As I squealed she snorted with laughter. The cage we were strapped into didn't just go up and down; it tumbled right over on itself. The holidaymakers' tablets fell out of my bag and all over the floor. I was mortified and spent ten minutes gathering them up, then crept away with my head down.
For years we had a fantastic first week in July at a school in Pittenweem – a group of young people, some volunteers and some with disabilities. The WRVS ladies were amazing, making our meals and organising lots of events. Over the years we visited every Fire Station in Fife. I'm still not sure why. There was always a trip to a local stables where we were made most welcome with horse riding and a delicious home made lunch in a barn sitting on hay bales.
One year the WRVS ladies sent us on a boat trip to the Isle of May. Wully, our minibus driver (who became my husband), said, 'Al disnae want tae go on the boat. I'll just stay and look after him.'
He obviously had a premonition. The small open boat took about two hours to get there on choppy waters and volunteer John was green by the time he disembarked. The male helpers had to practically carry the people in wheelchairs over the rocky island path. Health and safety hadn't been invented. It's funny how it only took about half an hour to sail back. Something to do with the tides I think someone said.
One year it was so wet we spent most of our time sitting in a steamed up minibus. Another time it was so hot we had to buy everyone a hat and tons of sun cream.
We had visits from Jimmy Shand and his sons who sang and played for us. The Fife Police came with their sirens blaring and showed us all the stuff they carried in their car. We saw Hercules the Bear and The Alexander Brothers and had great days out at Leuchars Air Base and Cupar Highland Games.
My favourite moment was when we took our two-week-old daughter with us. Three of the guys offered to look after the sleeping Kirsteen while we went off to the dining room for our meal. When we returned it was like a scene from the Nativity with the three holidaymakers gazing at our tiny baby like the Three Wise Men. Happy holidays indeed.