70th anniversary for Elgin couple Stanley and Isobel Maxton
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Congratulations are in order for Stanley and Isobel Maxton who are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary today.
The couple first met when he was a scout master and she was a cub mistress at Craiglockhart Parish Church in Edinburgh.
And that was the venue they chose to be married in on March 31, 1951.
Isobel (93) says: "I remember it was a wonderful day. A small wedding, but very nice.
"It wasn't that long after the war and rationing was still in place.
"You couldn't invite many people.
"But," she joked, "it meant you didn't have to ask people you didn't want."
The couple honeymooned in Peebles and then went to live at Banchory Devenick on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
Stanley's profession was journalism and he rose to become the chief reporter on the Scottish Daily Mail.
He's now approaching 95, but while still aged in his 20s he became the youngest ever editor of the Aberdeen Bon Accord.
After seven years in that job, the couple moved to Bahrain, where Stanley was the editor of The Islander, an oil industry paper.
On their return to Scotland, they then settled in the Deeside village of Banchory.
From here, Stanley did freelance work for the BBC, writing scripts for school programmes and travelling the length and breadth of Scotland to interview subjects.
He says: "It was hard going but a lot of fun."
In addition, he also set up a free newspaper called the Deeside Piper.
During the period they were living in Banchory oil was discovered in the North Sea.
Stanley says: "It changed everything. Banchory had been a little place beforehand, but then there were houses going up everywhere.
Smiling at the memory, he adds: "There were even Americans coming to live there."
The couple moved up to Elgin 30 years ago to be near their daughter Susan, son-in-law John and grandchildren Christopher, Mark and Caroline.
In addition, they also have a son Nicholas, daughter-in law Katrina, who live in Abroath, and two more grandchildren, Kate and Ewan.
Asked what the secret of such a long marriage is, Isabel says: "A sense of humour."
"And doing what you're told," says John. "That's a joke as well," he adds.
Isobel and Stanley now live at Hanover Housing Chandlers Court.
Their family would like to publicly state their appreciation of the care the couple receive there.
