An Aberdeen couple who are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary have recalled how their special day almost didn’t happen.
James and Gladys Maitland got married during Aberdeen’s typhoid outbreak of 1964, a bleak time that became infamous around the world.
But despite the challenges facing many, the “lucky” couple made it down the aisle at Trinity Church, now known as the Maritime Museum.
James said: “I was working in London before we got married and came home the week before the big day. The highlight of that period was the typhoid epidemic.
“It was a nightmare – I even had to change best man at the last minute as he couldn’t make it.
“We were extremely lucky to have our wedding – if it had been the way they tackled Covid, they would have cancelled it.”
The wedding date was particularly important to James, as he joked about wanting his anniversary to land on the same day as his birthday so he would never forget.
Beach Ballroom holds ‘happy memories’
James first caught sight of Gladys while taking the bus home from work, admiring her from the window.
The first time he spoke to her was during a dance at the Beach Ballroom in 1961, where the two have enjoyed many “happy memories”.
James added: “We hit it off fairly quickly and there was never much doubt.”
After the wedding the pair got to experience life in the big smoke as they ventured to London.
They later moved to Essex and eventually Edinburgh in 1969 when James got a job with a firm of stock brokers.
But it wasn’t long before home was calling their names and the pair moved back to Aberdeen in the 1970s to raise their children, Fiona and James.
The pair are also doting grandparents to Rosa, Jessica and Maria.
Couple took over Aberdeen newsagent
Back home in the Granite City, the couple bought a newsagent shop called GMC stores, which they would run for 28 years.
Located in Stockethill, James recalls how busy it was everyday.
“We had 14 paper boys delivering Evening Express papers every night. We delivered a lot of EE’s over the years,” he said.
“It was really good and we very much had a community shop, helping people.
“Gladys loved it, she was always very popular with the customers as she is a people person.”
Over the years, the happy couple have travelled the world together visiting places like America and Spain.
They feel extremely “fortunate” to have been able to enjoy lots of family holidays with their children as they grew up.
James said: “We had trips to the states like Florida and California. These were always great holidays.
“We also went to Europe to places like Ibiza when kids were younger.”
He said Gladys has been an “excellent wife” and that the pair have had a very happy life together.
“The secret is to give and take a bit. At our golden anniversary, someone asked how we managed it and I said Gladys is always right!
“Over all those years you get to know each other very well and Gladys came from a large and close knitted family.
“They accepted me fairly quickly and it made life easier, we couldn’t be happier.”
To celebrate their special day on June 6, the pair are having a dinner for close family as well as a get together with friends afterwards.