Midlothian Councillor Ellen Scott, on the left, and Depute Lord Lieutenant Harriet Dalrymple visited Wallace and Susan Clark at their home.
Midlothian Councillor Ellen Scott, on the left, and Depute Lord Lieutenant Harriet Dalrymple visited Wallace and Susan Clark at their home.

Gorebridge Couple Mark 60 Years of Marriage

Wallace and Susan Clark have celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary at the Birkenside home where they have lived for more than half a century.

A Gorebridge couple have received congratulations from the King after reaching their 60th wedding anniversary.

Wallace and Susan Clark were visited at their Birkenside home by Midlothian councillor Ellen Scott and Depute Lord Lieutenant Harriet Dalrymple, who presented them with a royal message and flowers from Midlothian Council.

The couple married at Stobhill Parish Church in Gorebridge on 2 July 1966.

They had met two years earlier at the village café run by the Rossi family, shortly after Susan moved to Gorebridge from East Lothian.

Wallace, now 83, was born and raised in the village. He worked as a coal miner until the pits closed before joining Lothian and Borders Police as a traffic warden.

He later became a familiar figure in Newtongrange as a school crossing guide, continuing in the role until he was 75.

Susan, 79, worked at Duncan’s chocolate factory in Edinburgh before leaving to start a family. She later returned to work after their daughter, Gillian, had grown older.

The couple began married life in Victoria Street, locally known as Tattie Row, where Gillian was born in 1967. They later lived in McLean Place before moving to Birkenside in 1972.

They have remained there ever since.

Wallace and Susan are grandparents to Jamie and Erin, while their son-in-law, Dougie Hall, has become an important part of the family.

Wallace, once a keen fisherman, continues to spend time in his garden and grows his own vegetables. Susan has enjoyed holidays and days out during their years together.

Their anniversary marks six decades of marriage rooted in the Gorebridge community, from the village café where they first met to the family home they have occupied for the past 54 years.

Editorial Team

Editorial Team

Modern Scot focuses on clear, factual reporting and analysis of Scotland’s civic, cultural, economic and environmental life.

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