Among the visitors to their home at Fruithill were their grand-children Paul and Alana Clark - both posties in the town - who personally delivered a congratulatory telegram from the queen.

Gordon and Mary first met when Mary was visiting an aunt of Gordon's in Forfar, and they were married in the West End Reid Hall by the Reverend Henry Cummings of the Lowson Memorial Church on June 26, 1948.

Prior to that Gordon had served with the RAF in the middle east during the war and Mary worked in munitions, making bombers in Leamington Spa.

They started married life in Dundee where Gordon worked with Cargill & Company at the Dundee Bleach Works at Mid Mill.

The couple spent nine years in Dundee before moving to Graham Crescent in Forfar.

Gordon spent 20 years at the bleach works whilst Mary raised two sons, David and Alan, and a daughter Karen.

The couple now have seven grandchildren and four great grand-children.

Gordon (87) later took up employment as storeman with the Strathmore Woollen Company where he worked for 25 years, retiring some 23 years ago.

He also worked as a petrol pump attendant at Stout Brothers in Craig O'Loch Road.

Mary (86) worked as weaver at Craiks Limited and spent a short time at the Haugh works.

She was also a school cleaner at Langlands Primary School for 11 years.

Both Gordon and Mary are life members of the Order of the Eastern Star and were both high office-bearers in the organisation.

They were delighted when their grand-children delivered all their anniversary cards - with Mary noting they were keeping it "in the family" as her father was a postie and Gordon's brother was a postman.

The couple marked their special marital milestone at a party for family and friends hosted by their son and daughter-in-law, Alan and Nancy, on Saturday.