Laurieston's diamond couple celebrate marriage milestone

Laurieston couple Edith and John Wood were just teenagers when they first met and fell in love.

Edith (82) said: “I was 19 and John was 19 or 20 – he had just finished his engineering apprenticeship. We went together for two years and I got engaged at 21 and married at 22.”

The couple, who orginally come from the Glasgow area, were married at a church in Barmulloch on September 15, 1962.

"It was a lovely day,” said Edith. “The reception was held at the Co-operative halls just up the road from the church.”

Settling into married life, John worked as an engineer with Glasgow firm Weirs before moving to a local cigarette factory where he worked for a number of years.

Edith worked for Collins bookbinding, but she moved into providing school dinners to hungry pupils when the couple moved through to the Falkirk area in the 1970s.

“I work in the school meals in Abbotsgrange and then Wallacestone,” said Edith. “It’s a bit embarrassing now – when I go to the hairdressers and its a pupil at the school who recognises me or at the doctors when a nurse says she knows me from somewhere.”

The couple’s family has grown from children Jacqueline, John, Ronnie and Andrea to now include 10 grandchildren – five girls and five boys – and six great grandchildren.

A lot of the family will be present when the couple mark their major milestone at The Stables in Stenhousemuir later this week.

However, sadly one of them will not be able to make it.

"Andrea lives in Australia,” said Edith. “She will hopefully be able to come over in May next year.”

Now retired, the couple keep themselves busy with John (84) spending time working in the garden and Edith – who admitted she does not do much in the way of baking anymore – regularly meets up with friends.

The couple say there is no secret to a long and happy marriage.

Edith said: "We’ve had our troubles, but we just get on well with each other.”

"And I just do what I’m told,” laughed John.