Glasgow’s Marathon Man tells a long and loving story

Jamie Stuart has more material than most for his autobiography.

That’s because the spry Glasgow character, who has spoken at Parliament and carried the Queen’s baton for Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, has more than 90 years of memories to draw upon.

Jamie, a 94-year-old great-grandfather, has crammed his eventful story into his new autobiography, Still Running.

And in the last 10 decades, he’s been a stage actor, vacuum cleaner salesman, gents’ outfitter and social worker. He’s flown sorties over Germany with the RAF, became a champion athlete and only last week was invited to address MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

A man who’s seemingly on a mission to become a national treasure is determined not to slow down.

“When I spoke at the Parliament I read out a Bible passage, 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, which I’d redone in Scots,” he beams. “It was important to read it in Scots because our language is important.”

Jamie has made several translations of Bible stories into Scots patter, A Glasgow Bible and A Scots Gospel. And the Church of Scotland elder delivered his address with the aplomb of someone who once tread the boards alongside Stanley Baxter, John Cairney and Fulton MacKay.

In 1948 he was appearing in a play at the Citizen’s Theatre in the matinee and evening performance. However the Scottish Amateur Athletics Championships final took place on a day he was working so Jamie got a taxi to Hampden, won the two mile steeplechase and went back for the evening performance.

“I was widowed more than 30 years ago, now,” adds Jamie. “I met May when we were 10 and members of the junior choir. I was always in love with her. She was a fine quickstepper, the bonniest lass in Carntyne.”

Jamie has two daughters, four granddaughters, one great-granddaughter and a great-grandson.

“People think there’s a story in the fact I’m 94, like there’s a big secret. That’s why I wrote a book. There’s no big secret. Nelson Mandela summed it up when he suggested you shouldn’t tell people how to live.

“You should live well and hope to set an example.”

Still Running is available from St Andrew Press.