Work sweethearts mark diamond day

Six decades of romance for Betty and David

A workplace romance more than six decades ago was so successful that the happy couple are not only still together but have celebrated a momentous milestone in their relationship.

For Blantyre couple Betty and David Reid met, and became engaged, when they both worked at the Newhouse complex of Honeywell Controls – and last week the couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

To mark the occasion, South Lanarkshire Provost Ian Mcallan and Deputy Lieutenant for Lanarkshire Helen Russell visited the couple, the Provost presenting them with a card, framed scroll, whisky and flowers from the council and the Deputy Lieutenant officially handing over a card from the Queen.

While still working at Newhouse, they were married on September 14, 1957, in Stonefield Parish Church, Blantyre (now St Andrew’s Church), with the officiating being minister Rev James Byres.

They set up home in Wishaw before moving to Dalkeith, where David worked for Ferranti.

David then got a job with Honeywell Controls in Uddingston, and they moved to Blantyre where they still live in the same house. Betty stopped working when she had her family but, after her children went to school, she returned to work, taking up employment with J & H Rosenheim, in Rutherglen.

David was involved in voluntary work with football teams, youth clubs and the Scout movement, and is in particular proud of his involvement with 3rd Blantyre Scout Group as having been part of the committee who were instrumental in building the scout hall in the grounds of Livingstone Memorial Church.

Now aged 88 and 81, respectively, David and Betty have enjoyed going on holiday to Europe each year with a group of friends and have visited many of the holiday hotspots in Europe.

The couple have two children: David, who is married to Anne Marie and who gave them grandchildren David and Emma, and Anne, who is married to Jim Cochrane and who also has two children, Beth and Neil, and all of the Reid family are happy to live in Blantyre with its connection to Dr David Livingstone.

The family have the chance to add some extra congratulations this week at a get-together arranged at the Torrance Hotel, East Kilbride.