Couple celebrate 65 years of wedded bliss

Billy (89) and Anna (83) Walker met at the dancing in Brightons in 1951 when Anna was just a teenager and Billy was 23.

He said: “I was really taken by her and it just snowballed from there. It was great being together.”

Less than a year later they were married at St Anthony’s, Rumford on June 28, 1952 and honeymooned in Ayr.

Billy, originally from Camelon, was a delivery driver for a local builders’ merchant and built their home in Wallacestone with the help of some contacts.

His wife Anna, from Maddiston was a machinist.

They have a son Billy (63) and two grandsons, Brian (38) and Alan (35). Their daughter Shirley died as a baby. Although Anna and Billy enjoyed holidays abroad to visit their son in Switzerland, they also liked to stay at home and spend time in their garden at their Wallacetone home and go on regular day trips.

Sadly they are now forced to live apart with Anna, who has dementia, a patient in Bo’ness Community Hospital.

However, Billy’s devotion to his wife and their love for each other is clear to see as he spends a few hours every day by her side, listening to music in her room.

He said: “We love Sinatra and all the crooners. She loved a bit of the Osmonds. I come and see her for a few hours each day. It is a shame that Anna has this illness. She’s been in the hospital for eight years.

“It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were celebrating our diamond anniversary. It was a nice experience staff mucked in and there were balloons. It was a nice day.

He added: “She gets well looked after here and they look after me too.