A Donaghadee couple who met for their first date under the former Ormeau Bakery clock have celebrated 60 years of marriage and are now “working on” welcoming their first great-grandchildren.
Brian and Evelyn Knox, of Warren Road, had known each other through their involvement with Cooke Centenary Church before eventually meeting for their first date at the famous old landmark. According to Evelyn, the date went so well that “he walked me home”.
Now both sprightly 83-year-olds, the couple met when Evelyn was almost 17 and spent seven years together before finally tying the knot on August 13, 1966, at the church where they had met as Girl Guide and Boys’ Brigade leaders.
Evelyn fondly recalled the early days of their courtship. “Brian was at Queen’s studying architecture and I worked for a big American company, Norton Abrasives, as a bookkeeper,” she said.
“We were just best friends for a long time and used to meet after his classes at Queen’s and we’d cycle home together – it was all terribly, terribly romantic,” she joked.
The couple were both raised in Belfast but had bought a house in Donaghadee before they married. They moved into it as soon as they tied the knot and have remained in the town ever since, moving from one side of Donaghadee to the other.
Their marriage brought two daughters, Judith and Stephanie, who have gone on to give them five grandchildren. Evelyn said the family is now “working on our first great-grandchildren”.
Judith followed her father into his architecture practice, while Stephanie became a teacher.
Throughout their lives, Brian and Evelyn have maintained strong links with Scouting, with both spending time as County Down Commissioners. They also enjoyed camping and caravanning with the Scouts and their family.
In later years, the couple have kept active by enjoying musicals and trips to the theatre. And, rather than settling into a quiet retirement, they are currently preparing to “retire for the second or third time”.
“We’ve been back working now for about eight or 10 weeks and we are hoping to retire again soon,” Evelyn said.
Brian still enjoys keeping his hand in at the family architecture practice, where daughter Judith now works, while Evelyn continues to look after the books.
Their 60th wedding anniversary was marked in true royal fashion, with Evelyn confirming that they received “a lovely card from the King”. The couple spent their anniversary at The Manse in Cloughey, surrounded by family.
However, Evelyn revealed that an unfortunate mishap meant she was unable to provide a photograph from their wedding day. “On the wedding day the photographer said his son had just broken his camera,” she explained.
“He’d borrowed a friend’s but he hadn’t really learned how to use it and the album is all shaky.”
