Angus platinum wedding couple Jim and Nancy Cruickshank have reached the amazing milestone of 70 years of marriage.
And they enjoyed the even more remarkable achievement of having their best man and bridesmaid back alongside them for the special anniversary.
It meant a combined age of 358 for the bridal party as the quartet remembered the happy day of seven decades ago.
With hard work, a bowl of brose and the occasional nip of whisky talked about as part of the recipe for a long and happy married life.
North-east roots
Jim and Nancy both originate from the north-east of Scotland.
But they are well-known in Angus having moved to Little Brechin in the 1980s.
And the popular couple are now resident at Balhousie Antiquary Care Home in Arbroath.
Jim, now 92, was one of a family of seven and born in Lonmay, Aberdeenshire, in 1929.
He worked alongside his father and brothers at Kingseat Hospital Farm in Newmachar before moving to Waulkmill Farm at Strachan, near Banchory.
Nancy, who is also one of seven children, was born in 1932 in the local village of Finzean.
Now 90, she was brought up at Powlair Farm, before moving into Aberdeen where she worked as a nanny.
The couple met at a local dance in Feughside.
They married in the old Douglas Hotel in Aberdeen on April 19 1952.
At their side was best man Colin Cruickshank – Jim’s cousin – and bridesmaid Jess Cromar – Nancy’s sister.
Colin now lives in Mintlaw, while Jess is from Brechin.
And they were thrilled to make the journey to Arbroath to be part of the platinum celebration.
The happy couple’s son, also Colin, said the Angus get-together was a very special event.
“It was nice for the bridal party to be all together, and pretty amazing that they shared a combined age of 358 years.
“They just spent the time reminiscing, it was a lovely afternoon,” he said.
“I think my dad would say the secret to a long and happy marriage is hard work and clean living.
“He was a great man for his oatmeal, so a bowl of brose was always something he had – and a nip of whisky.
“As a farmer all his life he started at five in the morning and didn’t finish until maybe after seven at night, seven days a week, so they didn’t really have any time for hobbies.”
Farming life
Jim and Nancy had a family of five boys and moved from Aberdeenshire to a dairy farm near Carluke in Lanarkshire in 1963.
The family business later expanded into another farm near Airdrie.
In the 1980s the couple moved to a croft in Little Brechin where Jim established a gardening business.
He was also a familiar face at Forfar Mart where he helped out for many years and his experience with animals was much appreciated.
In their full retirement, they settled in Kinghorn Place in Brechin, where they lived until recently.
The couple say they have enjoyed a full and happy life together. They have seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
