Flight of fancy that became love affair
Royal Air Force couple celebrate 60 years of wedded bliss
A couple who were hitched within five months of meeting each other have toasted 60 years of married bliss.
Jacqueline and Ian McCrindle, both 82, from Prestwick, celebrated their milestone diamond wedding anniverary this month.
The grandparents-of-four first met in Gibraltar while posted out with the Royal Air Force.
Jacqueline was a dental hygienist at the time and invited Ian, an armourer who later went on to work for the Ministry of Defence at Faslane, along to get his teeth done after admitting she “quite fancied him.”
Jacqueline, a retired teacher at Marr College, said: “He came along and I gave him six appointments before he asked me out.
“The wing commander who was in charge said, ‘that chap McCrindle seems to be coming in a lot’.
“Later, Ian said, ‘are you going to the St Valentine’s dance?’ and I said, ‘I didn’t know there was one on’ and he said, ‘well you’re going now’.
“I thought, ‘oh, is he asking me out?’ “That was our first date on February 4, then we got engaged on May 12 and married on July 12 the same year.”
The couple hadn’t met their respective in-laws and organised their big day with a little help from friends for a grand total of £15.
Jacqueline said: “We got married in St Andrew’s Church of Scotland in Gibraltar then we went to the sailing club for the reception then we went into Spain for honeymoon.
“And the whole thing cost us £15 then, which is quite cheap.
“Because Ian and I lived in separate barrack blocks we had nothing beyond our personal possessions so airmen’s wives helped out.
“One made the dress and another made the bouquet. Ian did the church
flowers at the last minute because we had forgotten them.
“We started married life in a cold water flat: one bedroom with two metal beds pushed together, a dark living room and a kitchen. No hot water and we washed in the sink.
“We came home one night to a
commotion and found a maid killing a large rat in the hallway.
“Not the start to married life that most couples aspire to today but we made it!”
Jacqueline said the secret to a long marriage is to “just stick at it”.
She added: “We need each other and we’ve got each other and that is the big
thing.
“Maybe a lot of people don’t give their marriage enough of a chance. I know that my husband’s always on my side.
“I think you just have to stick at it because you’re going to have times that aren’t good at all and you just get over it and come on to good times.”