A GOLDEN couple who have lived in Barrhead all their days have revealed the secret of a happy marriage...don’t keep secrets.

Ronnie and Nan Jack took a wander down memory lane as they prepared to celebrate their Golden Wedding with family and friends last Saturday.

And the duo are in full agreement when it comes to offering advice to any couples who are about to tie the knot.

Ronnie, 74, said: “The secret is not to have any secrets. You’ve got to be honest and you’ve got to go 50-50 with everything.

“If you start keeping secrets, you better have a good memory and be a good liar.”

Nan, 70, added: “Just be honest with one another, especially about money.”

The couple first met at a Sunday dance at the old Auchenback Community Centre in 1962.

Five years later, Ronnie and Nan were married at Barrhead South and Levern Church.

Recalling their first meeting, Ronnie said: “Me and my mates heard there was a dance on, so we went and Nan had a lemon dress on, with white shoes and a white necklace.

“One of the boys dared me to ask her to dance, so I went over and asked and the rest, as they say, is history.”

The couple started married life in a flat in the town’s Newton Avenue, before moving to Braeside Crescent, where they have lived ever since.

Ronnie’s formative years were spent in Bowerwalls Place, while Nan was raised in Crossmill Avenue.

While Ronnie served as a platoon sergeant with the Territorial Army, Nan worked as a cleaner in St John’s Primary and the town’s high schools.

After leaving the army, Ronnie spent 20 years working in security and also worked at a food distribution business in Darnley.

Now retired, he still keeps busy as a lollipop man at St Mark’s Primary.

The couple were joined by children Louise, 49, Alan, 47, Andrew, 45, and 39-year-old Susan at their Golden Wedding bash.

It was the ideal celebration for Ronnie and Nan, who love spending time with their family, which includes 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.