It was the small things at first, says Stuart Lambie. His father, Ian, would ask a question and then repeat it, minutes later, seemingly with no recollection of it having already been answered. “It was my wife, Hazel, who noticed first,” explains Stuart, “but gradually it became obvious that something was going on.
“I’d have described my dad as a very gentle man,” he continues. “He was an incredibly kind and supportive father to my sister and me.”
Growing up in Glasgow, Ian had served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and enjoyed a career with British Rail before setting up his own construction company. “He was fit, active and sociable and had many friends,” Stuart adds.
However, living nearly 300 miles away in Shropshire, Stuart became more worried about his dad. “I suppose I didn’t want to admit to myself what was happening,” he says, “and I felt bad that we weren’t closer. But when my parents came down for a visit in 2011 it was obvious that something was very wrong with Dad’s memory.”
Married since 1954, Stuart’s parents were a close couple. Now his mum, Netta, was also worried. “We agreed that I would talk to him and try to persuade him to seek medical help. So, one morning at breakfast, when there was no one else around, I broached it. It’s probably the toughest conversation I’ve ever had in my life,” he adds.