TWO Prestonpans couples celebrated a century of marriage between them on the same day – thanks to a wedding ceremony which saw two brothers marry two sisters.

Brothers Wallace, 70, and Jimmy Hanratty, 72, were born and brought up in the town.

Jimmy was a previous local community police officer in Prestonpans – he started his career in Edinburgh and moved to work in Prestonpans in the mid-1980s; he has also been a police officer in Musselburgh.

Wallace was previously a builder but more recently a black taxi driver in Edinburgh.

The brothers, before the latest coronavirus restrictions closed pubs, bars and restaurants across East Lothian, enjoyed a weekly drink and catch up in Prestonpans’ Royal British Legion branch.

The pair also love their music and brought their children up listening to 1960s music.

Mary, 71, and Martha Hanratty, 72, (nee Wallace) were also born and brought up in the town; however, they lived in Conisbrough in Yorkshire from 1955 to 1964 due to their father John’s job as a coal miner.

Before retirement, Mary worked as a shop assistant and cleaner in places such as Asda and the Co-op and Martha as a shop assistant in places such as the Post Office in Wallyford and shops in Prestonpans.

Both couples met as youngsters in Prestonpans at the swing park on Rigley Terrace on New Year’s Day 1964.

Martha and Mary came up for New Year with their family and stayed at their gran’s house; they went out to the park, where the boys were playing football, and started talking.

The pair moved back to Prestonpans a few months later and would all hang out in one big group.

They married on October 16, 1970, at a double ceremony at St Gabriel’s Church in Prestonpans, which saw Mary marry Wallace and Martha marry Jimmy.

Their wedding even featured in newspapers at the time.

Mary and Wallace went on to have two children together: Gordon, 47, and Annette, 45.

They are also grandparents to 20-year-old Caitlin.

Martha and Jimmy had three children together: Graham, 48, Carole, 46, and Lynn, 40.

When the couple first met, Martha did not like Jimmy; however, that soon changed and 50 years later the couple still love spending time with each other.

They also have five grandchildren: Elyse, Erin, Adam, Leah and Lori, whose ages range between 22 and six.

Their secrets to a long and happy marriage? Wallace says “do what you’re told”, Mary “you just have to come and go with each other”, but Carole suggested that “it’s more about the women investing in ear plugs to put up with the snoring”.

Both couples are very family-orientated and enjoy spending time with their nearest and dearest when they can.

They often went on holidays together when their children were teenagers.

Wallace and Mary are also members of the local bowling club, with Wallace, a keen Hearts fan, being the founder of Prestonpans Hearts Supporters Club.

Wallace has had a season ticket for Hearts for a number of years and often took his children to games when they were young.

Mary is a keen bingo player, as is Martha, who never missed her weekly bingo session every Wednesday, and the pair would enjoy games at the British Legion in Prestonpans.

Jimmy is a keen walker and golfer and plays with a group of friends twice a week; he is former secretary at Royal Musselburgh Golf Club.

However, these are not the only marriages between the families.

Mary’s brother Tommy married Wallace’s sister Isobel in 1975; the couple are still together and recently enjoyed their 45th wedding anniversary.

Plans to celebrate the big occasion were initially a party at the Royal British Legion in Prestonpans and then a low-key dinner at the Prestoungrange Gothenburg – both had to be cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Annette said: “It’s pretty gutting the party had to be cancelled. Everyone in the family loves a party so it’s really disappointing.

“All of the children had planned together what we were going to do.

“Last year we managed to get and watch some video from the wedding; they were surrounded by family and friends. It looked like a lovely ceremony.”

Instead, both couples enjoyed an afternoon tea at Sweet Boutique in Prestonpans, followed by Zoom calls from their families that evening.