War veteran James Houston, who served alongside author Charles Dickens’ grandson, then worked with some of the biggest names in British publishing, has turned 100.
He threw the first bowl at a celebration match and barbecue at Balgay Bowling Club, Dundee.
James, known as Jim, only stopped driving six years ago and is still a familiar sight walking near his west end home in the city.
Despite having two plates put in his ankle, losing the sight in one eye and having both hips replaced, Jim remains active and only gave up bowling regularly when the pandemic started.
Jim’s first wife, Greta, died in 1979 after 30 years of marriage and his second wife, Margaret, also predeceased him. He has a son, three stepsons and two stepdaughters.
He began his career in accountancy, became a sub-editor on boys’ papers at DC Thomson and then joined his father in the family ironmongery business, Fyfe Douglas, and retired as a director in 1988.
During his time at DC Thomson, he met the company’s founder, David Couper Thomson, and worked with legendary figures such as RD Low, the man behind the “big five” British boys’ papers and co-creator of Oor Wullie and The Broons.
James also had the immense privilege of sitting in the home of artist Dudley D Watkins to witness him bringing to life some of the country’s best-loved characters.
“I remember watching him using a pencil to draw in the bone structure and muscles on the arms and legs of the characters in Oor Wullie and The Broons,” said Jim.
“This was his way of making it correct and it was fascinating to watch. When he was happy, he would ink in the outline of the arm or leg and then rub out the pencils. Dudley was a very nice chap.”
Jim also made a lasting mark on The Courier during his time at DC Thomson. When Roy Paterson, who wrote the Billy and Bunny strip which appeared in the newspaper daily, went on holiday, Jim stepped in to write the accompanying poems below the cartoons.
He was born on July 21 1923 a 51 Erskine Street, Dundee, to James Houston, manager at Keith Martin ironmongers in Princes Street, and his wife, Margaret, and grew up with a younger brother, Ron, who died 12 years ago.
Jim began school at Clepington primary just as his parents moved to a new corporation house in Clepington Road.
At the age of 12, he won a bursary to Dundee High School, funded by the corporation but to this day he appreciates the sacrifices his parents made to fund the extras required.
“All the schools in the city competed for the places, and I got one of them. I have always been deeply indebted to my parents
“They allowed me to accept the bursary, which I think was £20 a quarter, something like that, but they also had to pay for everything else, like rugby boots and the rest of it.”
When he left school, Jim joined an accounting firm but the work did not suit him so he applied for a job on boys’ papers. He was interviewed by RD Low and started work on The Wizard in 1941.
The Meadowside office was blacked out and sandbagged as bomb protection when he started and the Second World War came to Jim in 1942 when he was called up and signed on with the Royal Navy.
He trained as a writer and served in the Tunisia office of Rear Admiral Sir Gerald Charles Dickens, grandson of the author.
He returned to DC Thomson after the war and in 1949, married Greta Tolmie, who worked the company’s Creed tickertape machine.
Jim had excellent typing and shorthand skills and was disappointed to be overlooked for a job as a newspaper reporter so when his father asked him to join his firm, Fyfe Douglas, he took the opportunity.
Greta died in 1979 and he married Margaret the following years and, in 1988 he retired as a director of Fyfe Douglas.
Outside work, Jim was a member of Dundee Chamber of Commerce and, in 1966, was invited to join Abertay Rotary Club, later called Broughty Ferry Rotary Club, and is a past president.
He played golf at Rosemount, Blairgowrie, is a past president of Broughty Ferry Curling Club and took up bowling at Balgay in 1992.
Jim said: “I gave up driving about six years ago. My car was automatic and I hit the accelerator rather than the brake and bumped the garage door.
“I don’t bowl anymore but I do keep active walking around where I live.”