In 1948, 21-year-old Alex was something of a local star when 19-year-old Ina caught his eye as he was singing for Sam McLean's Band at Linlithgow Town Hall.
After a short courtship, Alex realised he'd found the girl he wanted to spend his life wit
h and proposed to her in the local picture hall and they were married in the Scout hall in nearby Bridgend. Now, 60 years on, the couple have celebrated their diamond wedding surrounded by friends and family in the village.
Ina said: "He had a great voice back then and all the girls would shout up to him. I was 19 at the time and one night he came off stage and asked me to dance – and that was that."
Ina had a job in a box factory in the Maybury area of Edinburgh, and when Alex wasn't wowing the crowds at the Town Hall he worked in the Dock Mine in Bo'ness.
Ina added: "After a few months he asked me to marry him. He didn't get down on one knee or anything but I said yes.
"We were married in March 1948 and I fell pregnant with our first child the following April. We were both delighted."
The couple's first child, Isabella, was born in January 1949. Ina gave up her job at the factory and devoted her time to raising their child, while Alex left the mine to work as a janitor for West Lothian Council – a post he occupied for 32 years.
The couple's second child, Georgina, was born five years to the day after their first, with their third child, Ruby, following three years later.
Some of the couple's happiest memories are of seeing their own children marry and have children of their own.
The result has been that Alex and Ina now have six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Ina said: "We had a very happy life together. I can't remember a time when we ever struggled. It was really wonderful watching all our children grow up.
"The secret of a happy, long-lasting marriage is simply love and trust, and I hope that's something we've passed on to our family. They asked if we wanted anything for our anniversary, but we said no. We were just happy to have our family around us."
The full article contains 410 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
