Carluke couple toast Platinum Anniversary

Tommy and Betty Dickson tied the knot on June 23, 1951, and are now celebrating 70 years together.

On June 23, 1951, the couple were married in the town’s St Athanasius Church – and they are still going strong, an incredible 70 years later!

Sadly, plans to toast their Platinum Wedding Anniversary have had to be scaled back, due to the pandemic.

However, their five children – Tom (69), Elizabeth (66), John (65), Agnes (60) and Pauline (55) – eleven grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren will be certain not to let it pass without ceremony!

The happy couple on their wedding day on June 23, 1951; they remain happily married today.

Betty attended St Athanasius Primary while Tommy was at Kirkton so their paths didn’t meet until a chance encounter in Moor Park when they were teenagers.

At that time, Betty was studying shorthand typing at the commercial college while Tommy worked at Westend Nurseries.

Just a year later, they married and moved in with Betty’s mum in Hillhead Avenue. When their eldest Tom arrived, they moved to Glenafeoch Road where they have lived for the last 66 years.

As well as having the children, Betty worked for a spell as a domestic at Roadmeetings Hospital and for 15 years at R&W Scott jam works before retiring at the age of 60. Tommy worked the crane at Motherwell Machinery until he also retired at the age of 60.

Betty is a keen knitter, even teaching classes for a time, while Tommy enjoys the garden and played indoor bowls, prior to the pandemic.

While Betty (86) has travelled extensively abroad, mainly with her sister, Tommy (90) is more of a home bird so they’ve also enjoyed many holidays on British soil over the years.

Their different tastes and interests, however, have only served to keep them together.

As to the secret to their success, Betty said there is no magic formula.

"We’ve had our ups and downs over the years but we’ve been very happy and it really doesn’t feel like 70 years,” she said.

"The kids kept us busy too and still do – if you’re coming to ours on a Sunday for tea, you’ve got to bring your own seat because there’s no room otherwise!”

After cancelling the party they’d organised, Betty has been kept in the dark.

She added: “We’re not getting told anything so we’ll just have to see what they have up their sleeves!”