A couple were reunited with their wedding day venue 61 years after they were married to launch Queens Cross Housing Association’s new digital archive project.

Part of their 40 year anniversary celebration, the Association organised the trip down memory lane for John and Margaret Smith and their granddaughter Nicola McGrath.

Nicola, one of the Association’s youth workers, and her grandparents hope to encourage others to share their memories and stories of the Queens Cross area.

John and Margaret Smith were born and raised in Queens Cross. They met in Community Central Hall, Maryhill Road in 1945, when it was a Methodist Church. John approached Margaret who, like her granddaughter, ran youth clubs in the Church in her spare time, and asked her to accompany him to a Scout dance.

The happy couple married 10 years later in 1955 in the very hall where they met.

Like her grandmother before her, Nicola McGrath has dedicated her life to supporting others in the Queens Cross community. She has worked in the Association’s Community Development team for eight years, running a busy programme of youth work for young people aged 5-19 years in the north-west Glasgow area.

Nicola said: “Last year, to celebrate my grandparents’ diamond wedding anniversary, I took them on a tour of the area where they grew up and fell in love, which they really enjoyed.

“Their stories and memories of Queens Cross are really beautiful. I know from living and working here myself it’s an area with a rich heritage and a community spirit which spans generations.”

Margaret and John said: “It’s been wonderful to come back. We have so many happy memories and we’re very proud of Nicola.”

To help the Association celebrate 40 years of community work and local stories, they are looking to hear from anyone who has lived and worked in the area with a story to share.

Shona Stephen, chief executive, said: “John, Margaret and Nicola’s story is just one of so many great stories from our vibrant neighbourhoods.

“Local people are the cornerstone of our organisation, so as part of our 40th birthday we want to celebrate the journeys of those who’ve helped make our communities and our organisation what it is today.

“We’d invite anyone who has a story about Queens Cross to get in touch, and share your memories.”

If you have a story you’d like to submit, contact Kate Wilson on 0141 589 7442, photo@qcha.org.uk, or submit at www.qcha.org.uk/weare40, on the Queens Cross Facebook, or on Twitter using the hashtag #QCHA40.