Sixty years of fun for Nairn couple celebrating diamond anniversary with royal greetings
A Nairn couple has celebrated their diamond anniversary with a card from His Majesty The King.
Christine (nee Gow) (83) and John (83) Matheson marked their special day with a family party at St Olaf care home in Nairn and reminisced about their time together.
They were honoured to be surprised by the presentation of the card from the Lord Lieutenant of Nairn, George Asher.
The happy couple first met at a dance in the Strathpeffer Pavillion in the early 60s.
After John asked Christine for a dance, they got talking and discovered that their grannies were next-door neighbours and they had met as youngsters while on holiday.
That night was the start of their relationship, and they married on 18th July 1964 in Alness Parish Church.
Christine and John have three children together, Brian, Allan and Brenda, as well as five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. They were fortunate to have all family members present to join in the party on the day.
Retired nurse, Christine and retired ambulance technician, John would sometimes find their paths would cross while they were working shifts. Laughing at old jokes they would play, John said, “when I saw Christine I would be cheeky and bypass her to cuddle the other members of staff as a bit of a laugh!”
According to the couple, the secret to a long, happy marriage is compromise, sharing, talking to each other and never sleeping on an argument; as well as getting on well with family members.
John added: “Always keep your mother-in-law sweet!”
The 60th anniversary party was held at St Olaf Care Home, run by care home provider, Meallmore Ltd, where Christine has lived since May 2023.
Commenting on the momentous occasion, John said: “Christine and I were honoured to receive a card from the King and Queen - and being presented with the card by the Lord Lieutenant, George Asher was the icing on the cake. We have watched George grow up as he was at school with one of our boys.
“I felt that Christine deserved a medal for her patience and humour over the years (and putting up with me for so long) and she was thrilled to receive this from me and wore it with pride.
“We had a lovely afternoon at St Olaf. They decorated the conservatory with banners and balloons, and there was a great spread of sandwiches, sausage rolls, quiche and a cake - all washed down with tea, coffee and bubbly. Our family all joined us – with some travelling from the south of England to be with us to celebrate.
“We cannot thank the staff at St Olaf enough for making our day memorable. Nothing was too much bother for them, they went above and beyond.”
St Olaf General Manager, Kath Allan added: “It has been an honour for St Olaf to be part of John and Christine’s special day. Their marriage is an inspiration to us all and it is lovely that their wider family have been able to come together and celebrate such a momentous occasion. Christine says she is ready for the next 60 years!
“Here at St Olaf, we pride ourselves on the importance of family and we take every opportunity to celebrate milestones such as anniversaries and birthdays. I’m really proud of the team and delighted that Christine and John enjoyed their day.”
