Angus couple Les and Mary Craib have celebrated 60 years of marriage after love which blossomed as teenagers grew through their shared passion for gardening.
The popular Forfar couple are lifelong stalwarts of the local horticultural society, with Les being one of Scotland’s best known vegetable judges.
And on Thursday’s diamond day a string of wellwishers visited the Yeaman Street house which has been home to the couple throughout their entire married life.
Teenage dream
Both are from Forfar and the fairtyale began in January 1957.
Les was at a social evening held to thank the artists from a concert held to raise funds for the new Boys’ Brigade Hall.
“Each boy was given a ticket with a girl’s name on it and that was their partner for the evening,” Les said.
But he didn’t get Mary.
So Les asked a friend who the girl in the blue dress was and the first seeds of romance were sown.
Les was 19 at the time, Mary 15 and still at Forfar Academy.
They met from time to time and when Les was called up for National Service later that year both already knew they were destined to be together.
Mary left school in October 1957 to take up her first job in the Bank of Scotland.
And she continued to receive letters from 5044917 L Craib during his two years in England and then Cyprus.
Les came back to live in Forfar in 1959 and the sweethearts announced their engagement on December 23 1960.
They were married in Forfar’s East and Old Church on September 8 1962 and honeymooned in Ayr.
And they moved to Yeaman Street, which has been home for the past six decades.
It’s been extended to accommodate family life with the arrival of son Ian and daughter Lorna, and the couple have a granddaughter, Rachael and grandson, Scott.
And outside is the garden where their love has grown through a shared passion for horticulture.
But Mary admits there’s a very clear dividing line there.
“I’ve always loved plants and Les likes his veg so we each keep to our own half,” she said.
“My father and mother were on the committee of the flower show and I was always growing things when I was a little girl.
“When we got married Les took it up and he joined the committee in 1963.”
Their commitment to the organisation has been remarkable, with Mary serving as treasurer from 1973 until now.
And Les was society chairman for more than 35 years until he stepped down from the role at the age of 80.
They remain closely involved and were delighted to see the show’s recent return after the pandemic.
In 2017, the National Vegetable Society honoured Les with its highest accolade, their prestigious Gold Medal.
But Les, 85, and Mary, 81, are definitely on common ground when it comes to the secret of a successful marriage.
“You have to be able to trust one another to go where they want to go,” said Mary.
“We don’t argue. We have differences of opinion but we don’t fall out over it.
“Trust is the most important thing.”
Les, who was a well-known painter and decorator in Forfar, added: “You work as a team.
“There’s no sense in having a pair of horses with one pulling one way and one another.
“You’ll never get a straight furrow that way.
“And never go to bed without saying goodnight because you never know what the next day will bring.”
Conversation