Forres couple's 60 married years
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EVERY Thursday evening Forres Town Hall would be the venue for dances that attracted young people from miles around.
And it was here, while enjoying the tunes of the Clyde Valley Stompers and other popular acts of the day, that Andrew Hutchinson first met Joyce Morrison, as she was still known at the time.
He was a young RAF man, who had grown up in County Down, Northern Ireland, and was stationed at RAF Kinloss.
She was local, having grown up besides Kinloss Church.
The couple courted for two years before tying the knot on April 21, 1959, in that same church.
Not long afterwards Andrew was posted to RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire and Joyce went with him.
It was still an era when military families often had to move around regularly, both to other parts of the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.
Cyprus, which was dogged by fierce political disputes at the time, was the couple's next destination.
Andrew's specialism was survival equipment, such as parachutes, ejector seats and life rafts.
Over the following years his services were required at RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire and RAF Cottesmore in Rutland.
After a period of living and working in Germany, the couple's next move was RAF Wittering in Northamptonshire
Finally, in 1974, the returned to Moray when Andrew was posted to RAF Lossiemouth.
Leaving the military in 1977 with the rank of sergeant, he went to work for the Inland Revenue in Inverness.
However, he kept up his association with the RAF, working with the Forres Air Cadets for 33 years.
A keen fisherman and a member of the Forres Vintage Vehicle Association, he also volunteers in the Highland Hospice shop on Forres High Street.
Joyce, meanwhile, is a regular at the keep fit classes in Forres Leisure Centre.
The couple, who have lived in their home in Forres for the past four decades, have two children.
Peter lives in England while Patricia, whose married name is Goureau, lives in Forres
They also have a grandaughter Lisa White, who lives in Roseisle and is a teacher at Greenwards Primary, plus a teenage grandson Nathan.
Their great-grandchildren are Aaron (3) and Ava (four months).
This coming Sunday the family will be celebrating Andrew and Joyce's 60th wedding anniversary with a meal at the Ramnee Hotel.
Asked what is the secret of staying happily married for so long, Peter says: "Never go to bed on an argument."
