WATCH: North East OAPs recall moon landing
APOLLO 11: "That chaps'll nivver see Earth again" pensioner thought.
Last updated 20th Jul 2019
North East pensioners are recalling their memories of seeing the first man on the moon.
It was 50-years-ago today that NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong on humandkind's first-ever stroll on the lunar surface.
Residents at Glenisla and Netherha Care Homes in Keith and Buckie are sharing their memories of the Apollo 11 mission.
Dolly Bowie said: "When we heard that they landed, we couldn't believe it.
"No one's ever done that before. It was very, very special."
George Shand added: "The only thing I can remember is saying to mysell, 'that chaps'll nivver see Earth again.'"
Jim Skelton commented: "It was incredible. Just getting vehicles to fly in space was something out of the ordinary.
"The pictures really fascinated me because no one had ever seen what the moon looked like."
The pensioners' memories from 1969 were recorded by the son of a resident of one of Parklands Care Homes.
BELOW: Apollo 11 crewmen (from left) Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin...
Aberdeen Science Centre is running a week-long series of events to mark the major milestone.
STEM Learning Assistant Bob Forbes says it's important to capture the OAPs' recollections so we can treasure their memories forever: "It is really important because not that far in the future everyone who went there and everyone who can remember it won't be around anymore.
"My mum told me she watched the moon landing on TV. At the time people knew it was a massive leap forward and the world was never going to be the same again.
"She remembers that feeling that the thing you can look up at the sky - there was actually someone there.
"It's the greatest achievement in human history in terms of exploration, in terms of pushing forward scientific endeavours and advancements, and engineering.
"It changed the world. It was a massively important leap forward for humankind."
Speaking about the Granite City centre's Back to the Moon programme he told Northsound News: "We've got a number of activities. We've got an interactive show about why we have a moon, and what it's made of.
"We're going to be talking about all the things left on the moon. People maybe don't know there was money, and family pictures left on the moon."