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James mcbain ...

Born: on 23rd April 1916, Glasgow.
Baptised:
Married: to Elsie Lilian Tromans
Divorced:
Passed away: 8th October 2002


his children:

his funeral service:

  • details of the order of service More ...
  • click on the image to see the cover of the Order of Service

 

other information:

mom & dad's wedding day

Dad was born within the shadows of Celtic football club, Glasgow. He was the second child to Barbara & William McBain. Dad moved to England to find work and found lodging at the home of my grandparents in Cradley Heath. The rest, as they say, is history!


leaving dad alone with his own thoughts - 29th May 1985, the day when dad saw his own father's grave for the first time. An emotional time for us all. Dad, shown here, had just laid a wreath at the grave - situated at Varennes Military Cemetery, Somme, France

Dad never knew his own father who was killed in December 1916 in the Battle of the Somme. More ...


The Selkirk Grace, by Robbie Burns. This is a copy of the grace that we printed up for dad and which he kept in his living room.
 

 


   

 

below is a copy of the Order of Service for my dad's funeral service:

 

Order of Service

the music "Rowan Tree" will be played as the family & coffin enter the church

 Opening Sentences

Hymn
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Prayers
  led by Rev Paul Donnison

Poems
  read by Katie McBain and Abigail Bevan
 [click here to see a copy of their readings]

'To a Mouse'
 written by Robbie Burns and read by Morag Arthur
 [click here to see a copy of their readings]

"Our Dad"
by Beverly Bevan

Hymn
For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;

refrain
Gracious God, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
refrain

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
refrain

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild
refrain

For each perfect gift of Thine
To our race so freely given
Graces human and divine 
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven
refrain

  Bible readings:
  Psalm 23 - read by Bill McBain
  John 14, verses 1-7 & v27 read by Belinda McBain

  Address
  by Rev Paul Donnison

  Prayers & the Lord's Prayer

Final Hymn
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

  Benediction

the music as the family leave is "Flower of Scotland"

****************************

[and we included this homily on the inside cover of the Order of Service]

Our Dad

He loved
Ballroom dancing
Bing Crosby
Chopin 
Robbie Burns
Family times together
Haggis, neeps & tatties
A visit to the pub
A scotch before bed
Anything in the field of electronics
The successes of his grandchildren:-
- their promising careers
- university acceptances
- scoring the winning goal for their football team
Anything & everything Scottish
His children – unconditionally

He lived for his family
and we thank God for his love

 

below are the bible readings, poems etc used during the service

The Gift 

I have a gift you gave to me
Strong warm love that guided me
A few quiet words a gentle smile
Left an impression on a young child
Constant, Unchiding and a sense of fun
So much pride in the things I’d done
So pleased to see me though it had been a while
Met with gratitude and a smile
Unhappy thoughts were shared with few
Still so much of you I never knew
How careless are we with the time we share
Does it take goodbye to make us aware?
Because with a whisper it was over
Your gift of life had gone
For me,
Your gift of love lives on


(written by Jane McBain - read by her daughter Katie)


You can shed tears that he is gone
You can shed tears that he is gone
or you can smile because he has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he's gone
or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
or you can do what he'd want - smile, open your eyes, love and go on.


(read by Abigail)

 

To a Mouse
"On turning her up in her nest with the plough"

Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi birckering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an chase thee,
Wi murd'ring pattle!
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken nature's social union,
An justifies that ill opinion

Which mak's thee startle
At me, thy poor earth-born companion,
An fellow-mortal!
I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen-icker in a thrave

's a sma request:
I'll get a blessin wi the lave
And never miss't
Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
Its silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An naething, now, to big a new ane,

O foggage green!
An bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell and keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an waste,
An weary winter comin fast,
An cozie here, beneath the blast,

Thou thought to dwell,
Till, crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro thy cell.
That wee bit heap o leaves an stibble
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,

But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An cranreuch cauld!
But mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresite may be vain:
The best laid schemes o mice an men,

Gang aft agley,
An lea'e us nought but grief and pain
For promis'd joy.
Still thou art blest, compar'd wi me!
The present only thoucheth thee:
But, och! I backward cast my e'e,

On prospects drear!
An forward, tho I cannae see,
I guess an fear.

(written by Robbie Burns - read by Morag Arthur)

 

Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: 
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: 
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: 
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

(read by Bill McBain)

 

John 14 verses 1-7 & v 27
 (v 1-7) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest;
and how can we know the way?
 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: 
and from henceforth ye know him,  and have seen him.

(v 27) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: 
not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
 neither let it be afraid.

(read by Belinda McBain)

 

 

 

 

dad's career
The following is an extract of a profile contained for dad in the 1969 National Journal of the Guild of Cleaners & Launderers: -

James (Jim) McBain was born in Glasgow and entered the industry in his native town as an apprentice dyer with W. & J. Bowie Ltd. He moved south just before the 1939-45 war and became foreman dyer with Valeting Service at Cradley Heath, Staffs. He saw war service and after the war he returned to Valeting Service as a departmental manager becoming works manager in 1949 and remaining with the company until its dissolution in 1968. He is now general manager at Cavendish Cleaners (Midlands) Ltd. 

Jim has always been a keen Guild member, joining in the Birmingham Centre shortly after its formation. He has been Centre Chairman and from 1966-69 was Chairman of the National Council. He is now a Guild representative to the Education Committee. He is also an Associate Member of the British Institute of Management. 

Married, with three girls and two boys, Jim is also a grandfather. He lists as his hobby anything in the field of electronics.

After the Valeting Service closed down, dad went into his own business owning two shops as general manager of Cavendish Cleaners (Midlands) Ltd. 

On his retirement, he still maintained an interest in the arts of dyeing by undertaking a lot of work for weddings etc in dyeing shoes & other items to match exactly the colours of everything else!"