Janet MacVicar was appointed Matron at Clifton House in 1947. At the time of her appointment she was nursing in Ayrshire. Our feline loving followers will be happy to read that Janet was an animal lover and was granted permission to bring her cats with her to her new employment. Based on our research we believe these were the first pets ever in Clifton House!
As an interesting side note, in the late 1940s Matron MacVicar was interviewed along with some female residents about life in Clifton House. Janet reflected that the older ladies always got dressed up in their best finery for going to the dining hall “as if they were going to the theatre- gloves, hats, handbags and everything!”. She brought the reporter to meet some of the female residents in the day room overlooking Clifton Street. He asked them of there was any craic to which one lady replied tongue in cheek “Oh plenty but we wouldn’t tell you what we talk about”. The reporter was particularly intrigued by a woman who always sat at the window watching passers by. She identified herself informing him she sits by the window from she gets breakfast until dinner. The reporter reminding her that curiosity killed the cat was met with a smile and the response “No, the radiators by the window!”.
Picture: Matron MacVicar with resident Thomas Hutchison
