North Lanarkshire’s deputy provost and his wife are celebrating 60 years of marriage in style.
Councillor Bob Burgess and his wife Jean welcomed the local authority’s provost Kenneth Duffy and Lanarkshire Lord Lieutenant Lady Susan Haughey into their home in Wishaw.
Bob said: “This must be the first time the provost has handed over a card like this to the deputy provost! It was a great day and we certainly enjoyed ourselves.
“Lady Haughey also attended and presented a certificate from the Lieutenancy and card from the King and Queen Consort.”
Bob met Jean, who was from Bellshill, at the Majestic Dance Hall in his home town of Motherwell and were married on June 7, 1963.
Their first home was in Factory Road, Motherwell near to the silk factory, and cost just £300.
However, it wasn’t long before they were on the move.
“The home was compulsory purchased to make way for the tower blocks to be built,” said Bob.
“We weren’t complaining as we ended up getting a brand new house in Millbank Road.
“Since then we’ve moved from Motherwell to Pather then Netherton to where we live at the moment.
“Our two daughters and son live not far from us so we remain close.”
Bob and Jean welcomed daughters Shirley-Anne and Linsey as well as son Robert into their family and the couple worked hard in their sports trophy and engraving business.
They started the business in Motherwell's old town hall Motherwell with a grant from British Steel. He retired from the business in 2016.
"Our highlight and proudest moment was when we won the contract to design and supply the Commonwealth Games Medals for the games held in Edinburgh in 1986," said Bob.
Bob, who's a 3rd Dan black belt in the sport of Judo, also had the honour of representing Scotland in the Commonwealth Games that year.
He joked: “Jean got a medal when she finished up! She certainly deserved it.”
Over the past few years, Bob has been elected as a Conservative councillor for the Central Wishaw ward and was named as the council’s deputy provost last year.
The couple's daughter Linsey became the first Conservative Councillor in North Lanarkshire Council winning the Ravenscraig seat.
Bob added: “I tried to get elected eight or nine times but my daughter Linsey managed to get elected at her first attempt; I couldn’t believe it.
“Over the years with Jean we’ve had arguments but I don’t remember us ever having a big falling out which is quite incredible.
“We’re heading to Las Vegas with the family so we are really looking forward to that.”
Bob and Jean’s wedding day was also a key moment in music history as The Rolling Stones’ first single Come On was released in the UK.
Other major events in June 1963 included Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first woman into space; US President John F. Kennedy giving his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in West Berlin and Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) succeeded the late Pope John XXIII as the 262nd pope.
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