A COUPLE who met in the RAF are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.
Kenneth and Mabel Beattie, who live in Cwmbran, were both working in the RAF and met while on a tea break in Handforth, Cheshire in 1942.
They began dating, and about three to four months after they first met, Mr Beattie, an engine fitter, was sent to North Africa, so the couple decided to get married before he went.
Originally from Newport, Mr Beattie was away for 18 months, travelling from North Africa to Sicily in Italy before returning to the UK.
By this time Mrs Beattie was stationed in St Athan, The Vale of Glamorgan.
In 1945, they decided to move to Cwmbran and leave the RAF, and they have remained in the area ever since. Mrs Beattie worked in Barlett’s fruit and vegetable shop in Commercial Street, while Mr Beattie worked for the Lucas Girling factory for 34 years.
The couple, both 92, have a daughter, Ann, a grandson, Ian and two great-grandsons, Dewi and Efan.
When asked for advice on a happy marriage, Mrs Beattie said: “Don’t go to bed without sorting any quarrels out first.”
They are celebrating their anniversary, on September 24, with a family
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here