Sidney describes his family life and the tragic deaths of his two wives.
INT: When did you get married Sidney?
SM: I got married for the first time in 1952.
INT: And where did you meet your partner? Where did you meet your partner?
SM: Well, in cafes, you know. In those days we used to go to the Jewish Institute and cafes and that’s how we met.
INT: And she was a local Jewish, Glasgow girl?
SM: Yes. Cohen her name was. And unfortunately she was, she took ill quite a lot and she had a load of surgery, operations and she was alone in the house, wanted to take a bath and unfortunately fainted and drowned in the bath.
INT: Oh that was…
INT: Terrible.
INT: …terrible.
SM: That was in 1970.
INT: Right, that’s terrible.
INT: Did you have any children with her?
SM: Two children, I’ve a daughter and a son.
INT: I see.
INT: And I think you married again did you?
SM: And then I married again in 1972. And I married a divorcee with a daughter and unfortunately nine years ago she also had an accident. She was run over with a lorry on the Ayr road.
INT: You’ve been very unfortunate. You’ve been very unfortunate.
SM: Yes. I’ve been unfortunate and fortunate, some of each.
INT: Yes, I suppose that’s the human condition. I suppose that’s the human condition.
SM: Yes.
INT: A bit of both.
INT: And what are your children doing now Sydney?
SM: My daughter is married and my son, he is a taxi driver. He has a black ‘hack’. Alan Meyer, he’s quite well known and he’s a good golfer.
INT: Oh yes, yes.
INT: When you first came to Glasgow were you involved with other refugees?
SM: Not really. Only one, one boy, he lived in Newton Mearns and I was friendly with him. He was the only… but we always spoke English. And he emigrated to Australia not long after the war. So that was that. I never associated with German people at all while I was here.
INT: And do you, did you regret that? Had you any wish to mix with other people who had come from similar backgrounds to you?
SM: I didn’t then, no. I do now but I didn’t then. I didn’t then, no.