Jim and Netta Bryson have celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary but have known each other all their lives.

And helping them mark their special occasion were South Lanarkshire Provost Margaret Cooper, who presented the couple with flowers, a special Provost’s bottle of whisky and a certificate on behalf of the council, and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Linda McDowall, who handed over a special certificate.

The couple first met before they had even reached double figures in age, growing up near to each other and playing together in the same area in Larkhall.

They started dating when they were 18 and 20 and were married in 1962, initially living with Jim’s parents in Glen Avenue while they saved up for their first flat, in Percy Street, Larkhall.

Their son, David, was born in 1965 and daughter Aileen followed in 1967 – the same year that the couple bought my Jim’s grandparents’ house in Machan Road, Larkhall, where they have lived ever since.

Jim started working life as a miner before working for many years in the building trade and subsequently becoming a crane driver at Ravenscraig, where he stayed until the steelworks closed, leaving him to work in Rosti for three years until his retirement.

Netta worked in the Co-op while it was in Strutherhill before, like many others in the area, she worked at Daks Simpson where she was a Supervisor for many years until retiring at the age of 60.

Any concerns the family had about the pair handling retirement were dispelled by the double-act that they developed, cooking, cleaning and doing the garden together. And 20 years later, that retirement double-act is still going strong, and the pair are well known round the shops of Larkhall, always smiling and enjoying a laugh with the staff.

Appreciated by their children as being kind, thoughtful and helpful people, Jim and Netta have supported and loved not only David and Aileen but also their grandchildren, Kerri and Jordan, and their great-grandchildren,  Mia, Perri and Hudson. 

Always a very good golfer, Jim played from a young age up until as recently as years ago, and also kept active in swimming three times a week until lockdown, whole Netta has always been a talented baker and knitter, as well as running a popular and successful slimming class for many years.

The couple still enjoy going out to garden centres and dining out for lunch or dinner but, whatever they do, they do it together.

Aileen said: “What I love is that they still love, laugh, cuddle and hold hands together, which is one of the reasons I think they've reached 60 years of marriage.”

Netta added: “The secret to our relationship is that we always talk. And we always sit together – never opposite each other!”

It is hard to argue with that, for after a lifetime with each other, it is safe to say that if ever a couple epitomised togetherness, it is Jim and Netta.