A CLYDEBANK family has staged a special tribute to a beloved wife, mum and grandmother.

Margaret Murray passed away on June 23 last year, after more than a quarter of a century of marriage to her sweetheart Tommy.

Margaret made history in 1987, aged 26, as the first woman in Scotland to give birth to children conceived through the then pioneering IVF treatment.

The couple were married on August 4, 1990, the day before Margaret’s birthday, which Tommy jokes was to ensure he’d never forget either of the important dates.

And, last weekend, the family took a trip to Largs – a favourite destination and where there is a plaque to Margaret’s memory – to celebrate all the happiness she had given them.

Margaret was born in Corby on August 5, 1960, but her family later moved to Faifley and she attended the former Braidfield High School.

She met Tommy while working at the procurator fiscal’s office, before welcoming daughter Amanda-Jane in 1978.

Last year, she battled health difficulties and was in a coma three or four times before passing away in hospital, leaving her loved ones devastated.

Her triplets – Nicole, Sean and Steven – are now 30 and, with seven grandchildren also on the scene, Tommy is certainly not alone.

But Tommy, of McGee Street, admitted: “The whole family misses her.

“Largs was a place we went on a nice day. We were just thinking about the nice times we had and the songs that meant a lot.

“Every place reminds you of things but there’s a lot to still celebrate.”

The Post reported in 1990 how the couple, then of Langfaulds Crescent, Faifley, travelled to America to be married by Margaret’s uncle, who was a justice of the peace.

The then family of six went to Disney World for four days but the event was not without its trials.

A £60 vase sent as a wedding present from Margaret’s mother had been smashed into tiny pieces when it arrived.

Their luggage was also damaged and the car they were travelling in was struck by lightening, although nobody was injured.

And, while on honeymoon, a washing machine hose became loose and the family home and their downstairs neighbour’s were flooded.

Margaret told the Post on her return: “We have suffered a ruined carpet and kitchen floor, but the flat below was recently decorated and has paper hanging off the walls and broken electrical appliances.

“It’s just as well we are good friends, or she might not have been so understanding.”

Steven recently got married and, when Nicole tied the knot at Morison Memorial Church in Clydebank in 2012, Tommy said: “When I was holding them in my arms 23 years ago, the last thought was walking my daughter down the aisle on her wedding day.

“I cannot believe those tiny babies who survived against all the odds have grown up into healthy young adults.

“It’s a proud day for me and my wife, one of many we have had in the last 23 years.”

Margaret said after the wedding: “It feels like only yesterday that I discovered I was carrying triplets.

“I have loved every minute of being a test-tube mum. I am so proud of them because they are all doing so well. They are all happy and healthy and you can’t ask for much more than that.

“The last few weeks preparing for the wedding have been as exhausting as when the kids were born. At least this time I’m not being woken up in the middle of the night.”