Margaret celebrates 50 years service

When Assistant IT Analyst Margaret Ramsay joined the then East Lothian County Council in September 1974, she could not have conceived of what her role would look like today. Not only was the creation of East Lothian Council as we now know it over twenty years away, but the technology that Margaret routinely supports and organises for staff in her current role did not exist.

At the time she didn’t realise that this would be a lifelong employer and was happy to join the motor taxation department, a function that was then administered locally from offices in Court Street. When services moved to Edinburgh and Swansea, which is where DVLA is now based, Margaret joined the finance team working in what would now be considered revenues.

“In these times you had to balance everything manually using ledger books,” she laughed. “There were quite a few staff involved in the various procedures. I was there from 1977 for around ten years.

Early steps into IT

Following her time in finance, Margaret moved to join the data room and East Lothian’s early steps into IT. “People didn’t have a PC on their desks in those days,” Margaret explains. “Across the council there was information that needed to be computerised such as creditors, property maintenance, housing, and payroll that needed to be paid. These records came to the central area and had to be processed in the data room.” She and her colleagues worked in shifts as part of a team of six entering the paper-based information into computers and carrying out back-ups of the systems onto tape.

This was to be the next phase of Margaret’s career within the council. She has been involved in IT ever since, supporting its adoption and roll-out within the organisation and keeping systems up-to-date as the technology itself has advanced. 

“Around 1994 people started getting PCs on their desks and then mobile phones came into it. It’s supporting the council’s big picture. During Covid it was really, really busy with the amount of equipment we were giving out to people,” admits Margaret.

A changing organisation

Throughout her careers, Margaret has witnessed the creation and dissolution of East Lothian District Council, the formation of East Lothian Council through local government reorganisation in 1994, and the evolution of John Muir House campus. She is one of a group of current colleagues who will remember working from Portakabins in the car park area as the building was extended to its current size creating new space for an increased number of services.

Despite the many changes that she has witnessed over the years, Margaret also reflects on similarities in the role – namely her continued focus on customers whether they were businesses during her time with the motor taxation department, the general public whilst in finance or, now, colleagues across the council. She enjoys the variety this offers, saying: “I like the job because you’re dealing with everybody in the council. You can be dealing with someone from property maintenance one minute and councillors and the Chief Executive the next. It’s varied that way. There are always people coming into the office looking for support. I might not always be helping them technically but I’m there to meet and greet them.”

Enthusiastic for the future

Margaret recently enjoyed a small reception hosted by Depute Provost Andy Forrest and Chief Executive Monica Patterson where she was able to share her reflections on her career and interests outside the council. Away from work, Margaret is heavily involved in the Haddington Twinning Association which organises and promotes links between the town and Aubigny-sur-Nère in France. As a member of the committee, she is currently preparing to welcome visitors in April who will visit the town as part of their Scotland-wide trip. She is passionate about the project and the benefits it offers.

“Aubigny-sur-Nère is a lovely place with a real Scottish connection; they have big Scottish weekend celebrations with people coming from all over. Each year the Association sponsor a student from Knox Academy to go to Aubigny for a few weeks in the summer, working in the tourism office when the festival is on. It improves their language greatly and they make friends for life,” she explains.

With a council career spanning 50 years (and counting), Margaret remains enthusiastic about her work with the authority and her service is a testament to embracing new opportunities. The rate of technological advancement doesn’t show any signs of slowing but, thankfully, neither does Margaret. “I’ve always enjoyed working here as there are always different things on the go,” she says. “It’s very varied and I still find it really interesting.”

Thanks for your service Margaret!