They’re still in love...and they’ve still got the bill
Betty and Tom celebrate 60 great years
Betty and Tom Picken have many happy memories of their 60 years of marriage.
And one of the more unusual ones is the bill for their wedding reception, which was catered for by the Co-op in Paisley.
The bill was for all of £27 6s 6d, which was a few shillings less than £28.
“It doesn’t seem like much now but that was a lot of money back then,” said Mrs Picken, 79.
“I’ve kept the bill in a plastic folder all this time.”
One of a family of eight, Mrs Picken met her husband- to- be when they were both 16 and living in Ferguslie Park.
She was a spinner in Paisley’s mills, but as her wedding approached she worked on Saturdays in Gall’s drapers in Causeyside Street to help pay for the event.
“Six weeks after we were married Tom went off to do his National Service,” she said.
“We had bought our first flat in Lacy Street for £150.”
Mr Picken, 80, added: “I served with the Royal Engineers and went to Christmas Island.
“Then I worked at Lobnitz as a turner, where I served my time.”
After this, Mr Picken also worked at the Chrysler car factory in Paisley’s Linwood Road, and then at the Ciba-Geigy chemicals plant in the town’s Hawkhead Road.
After working in the mills, Mrs Picken, who is well known for her work at the Senior Forum in Stock Street in Paisley, had number of occupations.
“For the last 20 years I was a driver for Meals on Wheels, which was an interesting job,” she said.
The icing on the cake of the Diamond wedding anniversary for the couple, who have daughters Ann and Gillian, as well as six grandchildren and one great granddaughter, was a message of warm greetings from the Queen, which was delivered by Deputy Lieutenant David Girdwood.
The couple agreed that the secret of their long and happy marriage was down to talking.
“You just keeping talking and never fall out for long,” Mrs Picken said.
And Mr Picken joked: “I just say ‘aye’.”