TWO of Ballingry's best known environmentalists celebrate their golden wedding on Hogmanay.

Maryellen and James Rafferty, from Cleikimin Crescent, have been gardeners since they were very young but over the past 15 years they have spent much of their time ensuring that the Miners Memorial Garden at The Shank looks perfect.

Their efforts, and that of Alex Geddes, won the trio the Benarty Citizen of the Year Award in 2012 and they are looking forward to the 2017 growing season to continue their good work.

Maryellen and James knew each other at school but they were 16 before they started going out together and they married on December 31 1966.

South Glencraig born and bred James was a miner and after training at the Muircockhall Centre, worked in the Peeweep before moving to the Michael Colliery and was there at the time of the tragic disaster which claimed many lives in 1967.

He spent a short time at Bogside Mine before going to Comrie Colliery where he worked for many years before retiring from mining through ill health. He then worked in a number of factories.

Maryellen worked at the Leslie Paper Mill and then in an electronics factory at Hillend before the couple's family arrived

After the three youngsters arrived she decided to go back to work and spent some years at the Portmoak based Scottish Gliding Centre.

Gardening has been a hobby both of them has closely followed since being youngsters so it is no surprise that they have become strong members of Benarty Environment Group and All Benarty Matters and also have been part of Benarty Community Council for some years.

James talked about their involvement in the Miners Memorial Garden: "Having been a miner and seeing the lives lost in the Michael Disaster, it was a project we both wanted to be part of.

"It was a marvellous idea and to see the way it developed at The Shank was really pleasing for us both.

"As time went on we started to spend a lot of our spare hours working away down there and it has been superbly respected by all age groups in the Benarty area.

"We have had some superb backing from many volunteers and the business community too with Frankie Hodge of Recycle Fife being a great help this year."

There is still a few hundred bulbs to be planted in 2017 to continue the bid to get Benarty up to Gold status in the Beautiful Fife Awards.

Their work at the Memorial Garden also got them the George Bird Community Champion Award in November from Central Fife Crime and Community Safety Panel.

The couple have three of a family, Lesley-Ann, George and Shaun, eight grandchildren and 4 greatgrandchildren.