Grangemouth couple who met on the buses celebrate 50 years of marriage

Jim and Joyce Cummings, of the town’s Almond Street, reached the marital milestone on Friday.

The couple, who have always lived in Grangemouth, were married in the town’s old parish church on May 5, 1973 – which is also Joyce’s birthday.

Joyce, 71, said: “I was brought up in Gunn Road and he was in Brooke Street. We first met when he was a bus driver and I used to get on his bus.”

Husband Jim, 74, added: “Despite the fact we lived round the corner from each other and Joyce had the name Cumming and I was Cummings, we didn’t know each other until meeting on the bus.

“The minister said it would cost me a fortune to put an ‘s’ on her name and he was right.”

When they were first married the couple lived in Bowhouse Road, before moving to their home in Almond Street where they have lived for more than 40 years.

Jim started his working life delivering milk before taking up an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic. After his mum died at a young age he became a bus driver and it was while on the road he met Joyce.

She worked at ICI before stopping work to raise their three sons – Alan, who sadly passed away a few years ago; Brian and Richard. Joyce later worked as a cleaner for Ladbrokes, before getting involved in care work, working in care homes across the Falkirk area. She was a team leader in the care homes when she retired.

The Cummings marked their 50th wedding anniversary with their family, including a surprise visit from one of their seven grandchildren who had travelled from Australia for the occasion.

When asked what he thought was the secret to a long marriage, Jim said: “We’re like every other couple and we’ve had our arguments but it’s pointless carrying them on. Forget the arguments that you’re having, the next day is another day and you start again.”