Diamond day for Stenhousemuir couple Geordie and Freda Clark

Love blossomed for the couple during a trip to a cinema in Alnwick in the 1950s when Freda, who was there with a female friend, offered Geordie a sweet.

“Geordie and his friend came in and sat next to us so I asked them would they like one of our sweeties and we just started chatting,” Freda (81) recalls.

“After the film he asked to walk me home and he then asked me for a second date and that was that,” she said.

At the time Freda, who is originally from Chirnside in the Scottish Borders, was working as a nurse in Alnwick and Geordie, who was born in Camelon, was stationed at the radar base at RAF Boulmer.

The couple dated for 18 months before becoming engaged and tied the knot at St James Presbyterian Church in Alnwick on June 27, 1959 when Freda was aged 21 and Geordie was 24.

They had a daughter Charaine followed by son Kevin four years later.

The couple now also have two grandchildren, Laurie (16) and Callum (11).

When Freda and Geordie moved back to Scotland they lived with Geordie’s mum in Camelon for a while before securing a house in King Street in Stenhousemuir.

The couple later moved to Kinnaird Drive, where they happily remain today.

Geordie is an electrical and gas fitter by trade and served his time at Carron Ironworks after leaving school aged 14 and also went back to work there after the RAF.

When it closed he went to work at Glynwed and he continued working right up until his retirement aged 65. Freda meanwhile worked as a nurse all her life.

When asked what the secret is to a long and happy marriage Freda said: “We have our ups and downs as every other couple does but we always give each other a wee kiss before we go to bed at night and also have a cuddle in the morning.

“We have enjoyed doing things together over the years like going on holiday all over Europe but we also have our separate interests too, for example, I like to go to meet my nurse friends once a month and like going up the street every day for my messages and Geordie likes watching his football and he used to enjoy playing bowls too.

Geordie (85) added: “We enjoy a lot of family time and love to spend weekends together watching the telly.”

Although their anniversary is today Freda and Geordie say they plan on celebrating properly when their children and grandchildren next visit so all the family can be together to mark the special occasion.