Robert and Mary Menzies met at a New Year’s Day party in East Kilbride in 1960, having each moved to the town from Glasgow – in Robert’s case, in 1955, from Govanhill, while Mary had moved from Partick in 1958.

The couple wed in St Mark’s Church in the town on 6 November 1965, went on to have three daughters and seven grandchildren. They initially lived in a flat in Calderwood before moving to their current house in Glen Feshie.

After working in Kraft, in East Kilbride, Mary moved to the Tax Office where she worked for more than 20 years until her early retirement at the age of 51. Robert retired when he was 62, having worked in the National Engineering Laboratory for many years until he joined engineering firm McGowans, in Cambuslang.

Now both 82, having been born just a week apart, the couple have never been short of things to do during their retired phase of life. Robert is a keen and frequent bowler, playing indoors bowls at John Wrights Sports Centre and outdoors at Brancumhall, and maintains an interest even now in what his family describes as “making, breaking and mending things”.

Mary was also keen bowler until she had to give up playing through injury, but she still attends Tai Chi every week as well as a bridge class, and is known as the go-to person for alterations due to her love of quilting and sewing.

The couple celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary with all three daughters, but were also congratulated on the day by two special guests: South Lanarkshire’s Provost Margaret Cooper, who presented Robert and Mary with flowers and a certificate on behalf of the council, and Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Lanarkshire Brian Miller, who handed over a certificate to mark their achievement and a congratulatory card from King Charles.