A POPULAR Cowdenbeath couple headed off on holiday this week to celebrate their diamond wedding.

Margaret and Andrew Sharp, of Maxwell Crescent, celebrated 60 years wed on Thursday and on Friday night they enjoyed an evening for family and friends at Broad Street Bowling Club, in the town.

Their secret for a long marriage is ‘you have to work at it, that is a simple fact and definitely be prepared to give and take.’ Margaret (80) hails from Dundee originally and worked in a Dunfermline silk mill until she gave up work on the arrival of her and Andrew’s first child.

Three more children were to follow, but as they started to grow up she went to work at the Babygro factory in Cowdenbeath and then with Stephens the Bakers for over 20 years.

Margaret has enjoyed knitting all her life but when younger she played bowls at the Lumphinnans green and also used to swim regularly.

Andrew (85) was born and brought up in Cowdenbeath and left school at 14 to become an apprentice butcher.

During his time in the army he was a regimental butcher and when he returned to civvy street he went back into the trade and worked with Jimmy Carson in his shop on the town’s High Street before joining the Templeton’s chain of stores where he managed shops in Dunfermline and Cowdenbeath.

Away from work Andrew has been keen on football for almost his whole life and he played for Cowdenbeath Wednesday in the Sunday League and also played for the Kinema Ballroom team.

He managed Cowdenbeath Jubilee and was also chairman of the Dunfermline Sunday League for several years and had the Andrew Sharp Cup named after him.

He also played bowls at the Lumphinanns green and has been a Blue Brazil supporter since a child and is still a season ticket holder.

The couple have sons James, Brian and Andrew and daughter Catherine, who live not far away from them, 12 grandchildren and 15 greatgrandchildren (with two on the way).

The pair headed abroad on Monday to celebrate their 60th anniversary in style.