The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Matthew and Helen Conway, once two shy teenagers who did not talk to each other despite being neighbours, are now celebrating 60 years of marriage.
ADundee couple are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. Helen and Matthew Conway were shy teenagers “who didn’t talk” to each other, despite being neighbours.
The couple, who are now 80 and 81 respectively, first met when Matthew plucked up the courage and asked Helen to dance at Kidd’s Rooms in 1955.
Helen recalled: “The first time I saw Matt, he was on a bike carrying a tennis racket.
“He must have been about 15, he’s a year older than me.
“But we didn’t talk. I knew his mum well, but I didn’t talk to him.
“We went to Kidd’s Rooms, which was dancing for teenagers on a Saturday.
“He came over and asked me up to dance. It kind of started from there, we didn’t start going out right away but we started talking.
“Then eventually he asked me to go out with him and that was it! I would have been about 17, he would have been 18, when we started going steady.”
Two and a half years later, the couple knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.
After a midnight mass on Christmas Eve in 1960, Matthew asked Helen to be his wife.
Helen said she still remembers her “lovely” wedding day, which took place on July 15 1961 in Lochee.
She said: “The wedding day was a lovely day. Both our mum and dads were there.
“His sister and my sister were bridesmaids, and it was held in St Mary’s Church in Lochee.
“Then the hotel where we had our reception is no longer there.
“It was called the Ballinard Hotel, which was in Broughty Ferry, but it’s houses and flats now.”
Afterwards, the couple boarded a train in Dundee to take them to Blackpool for their honeymoon.
The couple were not alone for long, with son Alan joining them in 1962, Jerry in 1963 and Jeff in 1966.
Helen said that the family had incredibly fond memories of Blackpool, adding: “We took the boys down a couple of times when they were younger and they enjoyed it.
“I don’t think any of them would go to Blackpool now – they’re all about going abroad on holidays. But it holds good memories for us.”
Helen said the best advice she had for a successful marriage was to “be good to each other”.
She added: “Just try to remember to share with one another.
“Have good times with one another – go out, be together.
“In our later life we did a bit of walking together. Spend happy times together.”