A CHANCE meeting at Cowdenbeath's Palais De Danse saw the start of a romance that reaches a glittering milestone this week.

Kathleen and Donald Haldane, Gordon Street, Lochgelly, celebrate their diamond wedding on Thursday and they both recalled their first meeting.

Said Kathleen: "I was brought up in Perth but the Palais De Danse was known as one of the best dance halls in Scotland and that evening I came down to Cowdenbeath with my sister and met Donald on the dance floor and we had a nice time."

But the couple did not meet up again until they both headed for the dancing in Kinross Town Hall two months later, when they again enjoyed their respective company.

Said Donald: "That was in 1957, when we really started to go out together, and we got married on February 21 1959."

Donald completed his apprenticeship at Cowdenbeath's NCB Central Workshops and then went to work in Rosyth Dockyard in 1960 but was to spend 20 years working at the Westfield Opencast Site near Ballingry.

He had three other jobs before he retired at 65.

Kathleen started work in Dunfermline and spent four years at a petrol station before moving to the Philips factory at Pitreavie and then had 21 years with Marconi, at Hillend, in their payroll department.

The couple have always enjoyed travelling and when their family were young they enjoyed caravanning and camping and spent happy times all over the UK and in Europe.

They have also been twice to Australia and these days like holidaying in Benidorm.

However, to celebrate their diamond wedding they will be heading to Blackpool with daughter Heather, son Gordon, and grandchildren Kelly, Andrew and Fiona, for a big family occasion.