John and Chris (Christina) King enjoyed a celebratory lunch at Kings Acre Golf Club at Lasswade in Midlothian on Saturday.
The guests included Chris’ twin brothers Bill Brown, who lives in Millhill, Musselburgh, and Wilson Brown, of Inchview North, Prestonpans, who will be 85 in November.
John, now 93, and Chris, 92, were married at the High Church, situated near the Rennie Bridge on High Street, Musselburgh, on October 29, 1955, and enjoyed a reception at the Store (Co-op) Tearooms.
John, who is from Bilston in Midlothian, worked as a motor mechanic, initially at Sonny Swinton’s garage at Straiton, on the site where Asda now stands, at Bilston Garage and with Hunters Buses in Loanhead, He took an extra job in the sinking of the pit at Bilston Glen to save up to get married.
Chris, who is originally from Musselburgh, where she was known as Chrissie Brown, worked in Panton’s Mother & Baby Shop on North High Street, and then Reed’s Beehive, which sold wool and woollen garments, before moving to Mrs Olive’s Shop, a drapers business, also in Musselburgh.
Her family lived on Inveresk Road and her father George worked at Inveresk paper mill.
An avid reader as a child, Chris recalled him bringing home paperback books for her to read before they went to the pulping machine.
The family then moved to Windsor Park in Musselburgh.
John and Chris met at the dancing in the Palais in Edinburgh. When John offered to give Chris a lift home, she was impressed that he had a car, “an unusual occurrence in those days”.
However, her hopes of a romantic evening were dashed as another five friends had also been offered a lift home and they all piled into John’s works van!
John also went to the dancing in Musselburgh.
After marrying, the couple moved into a new house on Myrtle Crescent in Bilston. They were both regular attendees at Bilston Parish Church, which they still attend. John served as a church elder, Chris was president of the Woman’s Guild (now The Guild), and both were Sunday School teachers and were involved with the church choir, taking part in concerts.
John and Chris have two daughters: Ann and Fay; four grandchildren: Stewart, Alison, Caitlin and Elspeth; and five great-grandchildren: Ethan, Finn, William, Murdo and Michael.
The couple now live with their daughter Ann in Fairmilehead, Edinburgh.
