Adah Pringle (10 Aug 1930 - 23 Nov 2019)

In loving memory of Adah Pringle (nee Falconer) who sadly passed away on 23rd November 2019.
Beloved wife of 64 years to Douglas. Loving mum to Anne, Tom, Joan and Irene.
Beautiful granny to Anne and Nadja, great granny to Collin, dear sister of Patricia and the late Isabel and James.

Adah was born on the 10th August 1930 and grew up on a farm near Forres in Morayshire – “Drumine”. Her parents were Mary (Polly -nee Duncan) & James (Jimmy) Falconer, her older sister Isabel (Ibby) was a nurse, younger brother James was a farmer. Both Ibby and James are now sadly not with us any more. Her youngest sister, Patricia (Patty) who worked in the Telephone Exchange, still lives up in Forres.

Adah went to the primary school in nearby Edinkillie – one of her main memories was singing solo at a school concert – she was very proud of that, and always enjoyed singing away to herself. She then went on to the Anderson Institute (High School) in Forres. She was keen to follow her older sister into nursing, and until she was old enough to do her training, she worked as a nursing cadet at Leanchoil Hospital in Forres.

Adah trained as a Registered General Nurse at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. She went on to do her midwifery training at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow. A possible heart murmur was diagnosed and she was advised to rest – so she went back to the farm to recuperate. Then a friend encouraged her to do her Registered Fever Nurse training at Culduthel Hospital (Oct 1953 – Nov 1954) in Inverness and during this time she met and married Douglas Pringle, an Executive Officer, from Edinburgh, working for the Forestry Commission.

She continued to work as a nurse, mainly part time, night duty throughout her married life, working at Culduthel (until the end of 1956), the Hilton Hospital, Inverness, for Chronic Sick (Jan – May 1957), Beechmount Hospital, Edinburgh (Jun 1957 – June 1958), City Hospital, Edinburgh (mainly ENT) (Jan 1967 – Apr 1971), Bereweeke Nursing Home, Winchester -part-time Night Sister (Oct 1971 – Dec 1974), Northern General Hospital, Edinburgh (Oct 1975 – May 1977), Medicare Agency, Chester (Oct 1977 – Jan 1984) and Mrs Brown’s Nursing Agency, Edinburgh (1985 – 1991). Latterly she worked as a nurse in older people’s homes which she really enjoyed. She retired around the same time as Douglas, and tried to cope with him being in her kitchen all the time!

She married Douglas on Aug 10th 1955 at Edinkillie Church and they honeymooned in St Andrews. They first lived in a house in Inverness called Green Gables. They have lived in Inverness, Winchester, Chester (Tattenhall) and Bishopbriggs and Currie before finally settling back in Edinburgh when the Forestry Commission HQ moved to Edinburgh. Adah and Douglas have four children – Anne, Tom, Joan and Irene. Living in Germany, they have a granddaughter Nadja, and also step-grand-daughter Anne, and step-great grandson Collin.

Adah made good friends wherever she went as well as keeping in touch with old school friends, friends from the Forres area that she used to meet up with in Edinburgh (the “Varis” group), often at the Roxburgh Hotel and those she trained and worked with, as well as friends of both her and Douglas, and her children’s friends too! Family and friends were important to Adah, and she always enjoyed having people to stay, and Adah and Douglas were known for their great parties! Adah and Douglas were very keen and proficient ballroom dancers and used to go to a dance every week when they were younger, and continued to dance on their cruises.

Adah had a particular love of Minis (the cars!) and one of our enduring memories is of her taking Grandma to the station in Chester, helping her to her seat, and the train setting off – next stop Preston-and remembering she had parked on double yellows!! We don’t remember if she got a ticket!

Most holidays in the early days were spent up at Adah’s parents’ farm at Drumine. The family all went on their first overseas holiday in 1973 – flew on Dan-Air from Luton Airport to Palma Nova, Majorca for a week. Later on, Adah and Douglas started going to resorts like Puerta Pollensa, Majorca, then around retirement age, they loved to go hill-walking in Saalbach, Austria, big exploring trips to the USA and India and P&O cruises – with mainly cruises as Adah got less able. They also continued to have regular trips up to Morayshire to see family there.

More recently, Adah and Douglas enjoyed holidays in the Algarve in Portugal with the family - very special and fun times together, many at the Dom Pedro Golf Hotel in Vilamoura. Adah loved just standing on the balcony looking at the view and people watching. We all enjoyed our walks round the Marina there, often followed by a meal with chips at the Caddyshack near the hotel!

Adah’s hobbies have included tapestry, sewing clothes on her Singer machine, knitting-both with traditional needles, and using her amazing knitting machine, picture framing, walking, rummaging in charity shops, helping Douglas to do the Scotsman crossword, playing Scrabble, making her famous shortbread and always cleaning the house! And not to forget, drinking copious amounts of tea!! In many ways, she was happiest at home, listening to Classic FM on the radio. She always enjoyed watching antique-related TV shows. She did play badminton many years ago. For years, every Saturday, Douglas’s Auntie Annie and cousin George, and Adah and Douglas would take turns to host card, (Estimation Whist) then later domino playing sessions, with a lot of wine, whisky and exclamations on poor hands etc!

Both Adah and Douglas have always enjoyed walking, and got to know a lot of the coffee shops in Edinburgh during their walks – a particular favourite was “Rachels” at the entrance to the Botanic gardens for a latte and large scone. Latterly Adah enjoyed sitting and looking out the sitting room window watching the people, cars, ambulances and buses passing over the Dean Bridge near their flat in Lynedoch Place.

We miss you Mum xxxx