AN ALVA couple celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary over the weekend.

Andy and Jenny McLean were married on August 14, 1956, at The Manse in Alva after meeting at the nearby Cochrane Hall.

Edinburgh-born Andy was doing his National Service at the time and was based at Stirling Castle when a group went to Alva for a night out.

It was then he met Jenny and the relationship blossomed from there.

The couple would go on to have two sons, Ronald and Alan.

Ronald said: "My dad's a really keen gardener, loves his garden. When he was younger he played football for a lot of teams in the area.

"My mum loved going to the dancing; she was never one for the bingo or nothing like that."

Andy, who is now 86, served with The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and was sent to help in the Suez Canal crisis.

After his National Service Andy went on to work at Stirling University as a porter while Jenny worked at the Devonvale Mill in Tillicoultry.

Thankfully, the couple have had each other throughout the long months of the Covid-19 lockdown and Ronald's brother Alan has been there to help out when needed.

"My brother's been really good," Ronald said. "He's been really brilliant with them – he's done a lot of things for them around the house. He's been a brilliant help."

After 65 years of marriage, Ronald said the couple's key to a long and happy marriage is a simple one.

"They're honest with each other," he said. "They don't argue a lot, they've always been faithful to each other and enjoyed each other's company."