Couple who fell in love in less than a week celebrate Platinum Wedding Anniversary
After only six days of knowing one another, Kirkintilloch couple Anne and Bill Henry decided to tie the knot, and this month celebrated 70 years of marriage. Depute Provost Colette McDiarmid visited the couple to congratulate them on their special anniversary.
Anne and Bill met on 26 December 1952 at a YMCA dance at the Miners Welfare Institute in Kirkintilloch and Bill proposed five days later. Anne asked him to ask again when he was sober, so on the sixth day after meeting he asked again, and Anne said yes!
The couple were married in Park Church in Kirkintilloch on Black Friday, 13 August 1954 and they had their reception back where they first met; the Miners Welfare Institute in Kirkintilloch. Bill and Anne then enjoyed a honeymoon in Bridlington.
The couple went on to have four children: Elizabeth, William, Irene and Scott.
Married life
During their married life Anne worked as a bandsaw cutter in the Pulp Works at Milton of Campsie, before working at the Co-op Creamery and then she became an auxiliary at Woodilee Hospital where she worked until she retired at 60. Bill was a fireman in the Railway at Eastfield Springburn and then a postman in Kirkintilloch where he was a District Organiser for the Union. Bill retired at 52 due to ill health.
In their spare time the couple loved to dance and frequented the Miners Institute, the Waterside Club, the British Legion Club in Kirkintilloch and occasionally the Masonic club at Kelty. Anne enjoyed knitting and line dancing with her daughter Irene and nowadays enjoys doing crosswords. Bill was a keen golfer and played at Kirkintilloch Golf Club, he also played bowls at the Campsie bowling club with his two sons. Unfortunately, Bill had a stroke in 2016 and was unable to continue with his sporting activities, but he loves a wee bet on the horses.
Depute Provost Colette McDiarmid enjoyed a lovely afternoon with the couple and said,
It was lovely to meet Mr and Mrs Henry, they are a wonderful couple who obviously knew when they met they were made for each other!
Be there for each other
“It is quite something to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary and it was an honour for me to present them with a gift and to congratulate them on behalf of the people of East Dunbartonshire.”
Anne and Bill were asked what their secret was to such a long and happy marriage and they said, “Always listen, talk and be there for each other.”
Many congratulations to Mr and Mrs Henry!
