Real Lives: Platinum pair taken on a journey through 70 years

Arthur, 94, and Margaret Walters, 92, marked 70 years of marriage yesterday with afternoon tea in the communal lounge of The Cedars retirement flats in Corstorphine where they live.

Mr Walters was among those to come under fire during the first air attack on mainland Britain in the Second World War, which was on the Firth of Forth.

The couple’s daughter, Linda Darroch, said: “A bomb went right through the ship he was on at the time – the HMS Southampton.”

Mrs Walters, originally from Gorgie, met Mr Walters, who was born in Leighton Buzzard in May 1940, while he was stationed in Edinburgh with the Royal Marines during the war.

Mr Walters left the marines as a colour sergeant around 1960 and went on to work as an executive officer for the Department of Social Security until his retirement from the Southside office at the age of 62 in 1979.

Mrs Walters was working as an assistant at Baxendale’s, a wholesale merchants in the Grassmarket, when she met her husband-to-be.

After leaving Baxendale’s in 1943, she signed up for the Wrens and worked in supplies for around two years.

Mr Walters popped the question in August 1941 and the couple married at Tynecastle Parish Church three months later.

They had their reception at Mrs Walters’ mother’s home in Wheatfield Road, before enjoying a trip to the Empire Theatre – now the Festival Theatre. They lived in a rented room and kitchen in Gorgie before moving to Redhall Drive in Longstone, where they remained until 2005 when they moved to The Cedars.

Mr and Mrs Walters, who received their third card from the Queen yesterday after receiving a card for their 60th and 65th wedding anniversaries, have five children – Carole, Pamela, Harold, Linda and Maureen – nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Family, friends and residents joined in the celebrations.

Mrs Darroch: “I had a slideshow made up with all the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, all the different wedding anniversaries and their early life.”

In his free time, Mr Walters enjoys walking and doing crosswords, while Mrs Walters loves to cook, write letters and shop.

When asked what the secret of a long and happy marriage was, Mrs Walters jokingly put it down to “spells apart”, while Mr Walters added: “Drinking plenty of beer.”

Mrs Darroch said: “At the moment they are keeping very good health but they have had some health problems.

“My dad had a pacemaker fitted last Christmas. He’s a little bit like Benjamin Button – he’s going back in time!

“They absolutely love living in The Cedars, it’s a really nice place to live and they’re very fortunate to have such good neighbours.”