A Blantyre couple have an extra-special shared celebration to add sparkle to the festive season as they mark their diamond wedding anniversary.
Elizabeth and Charles Findlay celebrate their remarkable 60 years of marriage on December 28 – a date shared by son Ian and daughter-in-law Carol, who also exchanged vows on the same date and are celebrating 28 years of marriage.
Their six decades together were honoured with a certificate from the King and Queen, as well as flowers and a commemorative gift from South Lanarkshire Council.
Known as Betty and Charlie, the couple are “Blantyre born and bred” and first met at the local miners’ welfare dance night when they were respectively aged 17 and 22.
They courted for several years and were then married in Livingstone Memorial Church in Blantyre on December 28 1964.
After spending the first few years of married life in Rutherglen, they soon returned to their home town where they have lived ever since and raised their three sons, Ian, Paul and Graeme, and are now grandparents of three.
Graeme and wife Linda live nearby in Blantyre with children Jennifer and Ben; while Ian and Carol emigrated to Australia and had son Evan. Sadly son Paul passed away three years ago.
Charlie was a time-served plater who worked at the electricity board and Ravenscraig, retiring when the steelworks closed down more than 30 years ago, and Betty was a credit controller for her last 30 years of working life.
The couple love to travel and as well as a few trips to Australia, go on a cruise each year; and say a trip to Sorrento in Italy is top of their memory list after getting up early to catch the dawn and were just in time to hear a road sweeper sing the famous Neapolitan classic O Sole Mio.
Charlie and Betty were surrounded by family as they celebrated their anniversary over the festive season, and had a special visit from South Lanarkshire depute provost Bert Thomson and depute lord lieutenant Dr William Morrison Young.
Depute provost Thomson, who represents their home ward of Blantyre, presented the couple with flowers and a certificate on behalf of the council, and Dr Young gave them the memorable gift of a certificate from King Charles and Queen Camilla.
*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.