Platinum celebrations for Portgordon couple
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THERE was a platinum start to the new year for a Portgordon couple as they celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary.
James and Margaret Reid, who are 92 and 89 respectively, marked 70 years of marriage on Monday, January 3 at their Station Road home, where they have spent six of their seven decades together, previously living in Buckpool.
The couple's daughter, Donna Cruz-Reid, revealed that a packed cinema in Norfolk nearly three quarters of a century ago was to help Cupid's aim and bring the couple together.
She said: "They first met in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, when James was very proud doing his National Service with the RAF and Margaret was working in service to a major and his family.
"When James went to the cinema with his chum Robert to see an Anna Neagle film it was really busy, there were only two seats left so James and Margaret landed up sitting together, whereupon their relationship together began."
They courted for two years, during which James returned after his National Service in the RAF to his native Buckpool, followed by Margaret who found work as an auxiliary assistant in Dr Gray’s Hospital.
"They got married in Aberdeen on January 3, 1952," Donna continued.
“The railways went through the area at the time, and when the train driver found out that he had a newley-wed couple on board bound for Portgordon, he blew his whistle all the way from Buckie to Portgordon. All the other passengers wondered why on earth he was blowing the whistle for so long."
The newlyweds first set up home in Buckpool where James's mum, Maggie Coull, stayed. Nine years later, in October 1961, they made the short trip along the road to Portgordon, where they settled.
James spent his working life as a cement finisher and labourer with varied employers until he suffered an unfortunate industrial accident, a 20-ton skip running over his leg. As a result of the incident he accepted early retirement.
Margaret, after raising the couple's family, was to become an employee at the former Cox’s fish factory in Buckie for many years although she, too, had to take early retirement due to ill health.
The couple were blessed with three daughters – sadly, however, one daughter, Barbara, passed away in 2002 – and have seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Donna added: "I'm so proud to be their daughter and they are my inspiration.”
Sadly the Reids were not joined by their family for their platinum wedding celebrations with them due to Covid measures and majority of family living to far away, therefore. However, there were quite a few phone calls on the day from family and friends as well as cards and gifts in the post to help them mark their big day.
Unfortunately, Donna's plans to travel up on for the anniversary to present her parents with flowers as well as gifts on behalf of the Reids' extended family and circle of friends were scuppered by Covid, with both she and her husband contracting the virus. However, she was able to visit after receiving the all clear and hand James and Margaret her anniversary gift, an oil painting she had done of the family dog, Spey.
Among the many cards James and Margaret received was from no less a personage than Her Majesty the Queen. Like the Reids, 2022 is a landmark 70th anniversary for the Queen in the shape of her platinum jubilee year, the first British monarch to celebrate seven decades on the throne. The Reids were a little more than a month married when the 25-year-old was crowned on February 6, 1952.
