Couple celebrate 69th anniversary

The octogenarians first met because of a mutual love of music and were married in a city restaurant (which doubled for the reception) on a foggy January 24 in 1941.

Mr and Mrs McWhinney celebrated 69 years to the day by lunching at the House for an Art Lover with their family.

The Netherlee residents, who have three children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, met as teenagers — when Mary was 14. Her brother led a band in which Henry was the saxophone player.

Then, four years after that first meeting, when Mary was 18, they married in wartime Glasgow.

Henry (89) recalled that the circumstances of the ceremony were a trifle unconventional. He told The Extra: "We were supposed to be married in the Tron church but because the war was on it wasn't allowed to be used because of the lights.

"So the minister married us in the Angus restaurant on Argyle Street and we had the reception in there as well.

"The day of our wedding there was really bad fog. So my brother had to walk in front of the taxi all the way from Bridgeton to the Trongate waving a white hankie so we could see where we were going".

Daughter Carole Hannah, who also lives on the southside, said: "We had a lovely meal as a family on Sunday. Dad was on top form telling us how he and mum both met. It's lovely to see them celebrating their 69th anniversary".

Mary, who will be 88 on Monday, revealed: "One reason for our happy marriage is probably because we have always agreed to differ.

"We were also both enthusiastic about the church and had a shared love of music. I played the piano and Henry played the organ".

The married couple lived first in the Gorbals although Henry was then in an RAF uniform and served in London during The Blitz.

When peace returned the couple moved south to the capital where Henry worked as a maintenance engineer manager for Imperial Tobacco 22 years.

They then relocated to Millerston and Henry often attended the general assembly of the Church of Scotland as an elder.

He was also organist at The Glasgow Evangelical Church before retiring last year.