Former Hartlepool Mail man and wife celebrate 60th wedding anniversary

Mavis and Colin Beattie were married on September 14, 1957, in the town and have been together ever since.

The pair, who both grew up in Hartlepool and now live in the Fens area of the town, met in their youth at a dance and fell in love.

They recently visited Stranton Church, where they married, to mark the momentous anniversary.

Colin worked as a compositor and later sub-editor for the Hartlepool Mail before retirement, while Mavis had several stints working as a receptionist.

Mavis and Colin, who are both aged 83 and set to celebrate their next birthdays soon, are mum and dad to Alastair, 58, and Jane, 55, as well as grandparents to Alastair’s daughters Jill, 24, and Kate, who is 19.

Mavis is originally from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire before moving to the town with her family aged six.

Jill told the Mail: “To celebrate the anniversary we went for Sunday lunch at Wynyard Hall and on the anniversary day itself we had a meal at Hartlepool Marina which we really enjoyed.

“They had a big do for their 50th wedding anniversary, but we haven’t done anything like that this time.

“These days, they just love spending time with their family.

“My grandad was really into his gardening years ago, but not as much now.”

Speaking about the couple’s visit back to the church where they got married, Jill added: “They said the place is so different to what it was back then, but that it brought back a lot of memories for them both.”