When we were living in Balgonie Avenue, in Glenrothes – we were giving the name- The Terrible Twins, I think it was because we were always up to mischief & when I think back to the things that we done – well ” Kids would be kids”, but my Mum would get it – as other Mothers would come to our door and say ” Look what your boys have done now ? ”
Our house was only around the corner from the school and I remember the girls in our classroom used to come around to our house and tell our Mum ” we are going to marry “William & Robert ” – when they were at our front door, we used to run out the back door !
We never ever married one of these girls- in fact I had to travel over the seas to meet the love of my love – my brother was happy with the Scottish girls.
We were Identical twins and when we were born and we were sitting in the big pram outside the shops- our mother used to come out and find money in the pram-
Gifting a child with silver was often also logically referred to as ‘silvering the baby’, particularly in Celtic countries; however, in Scotland, it is also commonly known as ‘Hanselling’. Meanwhile, in Ireland, the custom has been slightly adapted and commonly involves a 50p piece.
I also remember and I will never forget this one. When we were out with the family driving in the car – we stopped some where and my brother got out of the car- but some one had shut the car on his hand – then the screaming started !!!! but the screaming wasn’t coming from my brother, it was coming from me – It was I, that was feeling his pain.
As an identical twin I can definitely tell you there were moments when my twin was in serious danger and suffering, in a painful way and I “felt” and sensed it – very strongly, to the point where it made me feel physically sick and this happened on several occasions through our childhood.
We were very close brothers and did every thing together, even when we left school and got married and started our families.
At one time we stayed in the same street, played in the same pop band, worked in the same factory together – when you saw one brother, the other brother wasn’t too far away – and the old saying was ” Fight one brother, you will have to fight the both of them ”
We both married young and we both went through divorces and moved on with our lives – but I moved on a little further than he did – I moved over the water to Sweden to start a new life with the love of my live.
I have been over in Sweden for 30 years now and ever since my Father passed away- I have lost touch with my Scottish family – I am still in touch with my son and daughter – but have lost all contact with my twin brother.
That’s a real shame, as we were so close to one and other – but these things happen in life and one has to move on.
