Bill and Betty Hourston have been married for 60 years.
Their diamond wedding on Wednesday was a special day for them and visitors to their St Cyrus home, including family and the Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire, Dr Andrew Orr.
Even the Queen paid her respects, sending a card to the couple who were married in Ferryden Church, Montrose, on June 16, 1961.
As we look back at Bill and Betty’s marriage, we’ve also listed the names of other wedding anniversaries and considered whether changing marriage patterns mean younger generations are less likely to reach the diamond milestone Bill and Betty have.
Mr and Mrs Hourston
Bill, 83, and Betty, 82, met at the Locarno Ballroom, in Montrose, and began going out as a couple shortly after.
Betty worked in an office in Montrose and Bill was working on the family farm, where they live to this day at Nether Woodston.
She left work to bring up their children, Garry and Kay, but later became the clerical assistant at Rossie School, in Montrose. This was in addition to farm duties, which included collecting the eggs of 4,000 hens.
‘Give and take’ is Betty’s advice for a successful marriage.
She said: “Everyone has their ups and downs but we really get on exceptionally well. It’s all about give and take.”
Betty will turn 83 in September, but she said: “I’m young at heart and a great person for a good laugh, and I think that helps you along life’s way a lot.”
What are the other wedding anniversaries?
Aside from diamond, the most well-known special wedding anniversaries are silver, 25 years, and gold, 50. Couples have to be married for 70 years to reach their platinum wedding.
But other years have special names, starting with paper for one year, and couples often exchange gifts on that theme.
Will fewer couples reach their diamond wedding?
Life expectancy is increasing, but fewer couples choose to get married than did 60 years ago, and those who do tend to get married at a later age.
When Bill and Betty wed in 1961, almost half of those who tied the knot that year were aged between 20 and 24. Just over a quarter of the women who married then were aged between 16 and 19.
The latest figures available from the National Records of Scotland show that 40,235 marriages (based on a five year average) took place in 1961, and the mean age of the grooms was 26 and the brides 24.
Roll on to 2019, and 25,789 men were married and 26,225 women (figures include same sex marriages). Just over 3% of the men were aged between 20 and 24 and just over 6% of women.
The mean age for men to marry in 2019 was 39 and for women 37, meaning they would be 99 or 97 at their diamond wedding.
