A COUPLE who ran a well-known Johnstone chip shop are saying ‘cheers to 60 years’ as they mark their diamond wedding anniversary.

Sandro and Doris Vanni, who tied the knot in Italy on April 29, 1962, are celebrating the special occasion today.

The pair first met at a house party in 1959, shortly after Doris moved to Italy to work as an interpreter and translator while Sandro was studying geology at university.

Doris, 86, said she has shared many happy times with her husband, who is one year older, since they exchanged vows.

She told The Gazette: “I didn’t have a lot of my family at my wedding, as most of them lived in Scotland, but did have an aunt and some cousins who attended.

“I remember we all gathered to have a wedding breakfast together, then we went on our honeymoon to Spain.”

The couple had their daughter Alessandra and first son Umberto in Italy before the family moved to Johnstone in 1969, where Doris gave birth to her third child Enrico.

Soon after arriving in Scotland, the pair took over a fish and chip shop in the town’s High Street, which was owned by Doris’ mum.

The Gazette: Photos of the happy couple on their wedding day in 1962Photos of the happy couple on their wedding day in 1962

The couple became popular members of the local community as they managed the eatery together until they sold up in 1993, as they both wanted to retire.

Their legacy in Johnstone lives on, though, as the shop is still called Sandro’s.

In 2016, it won the title of Best Fish and Chip Shop at the Scottish Italian Awards.

Following their joint retirement, Sandro and Doris have enjoyed sailing on many cruises, travelling the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea and various rivers around the world.

The couple, who are now grandparents to Christopher, Laura and Olivia, are looking forward to celebrating their wedding anniversary with their family at the River Inn, in Crosslee.

Doris, who is originally from Johnstone, said she still has great fondness for the country where she first met Sandro.

“I moved to Italy when I was four and came back to Johnstone when I was 10,” she added.

“I was desperate to return to Italy, which is why, as soon as I graduated, I went back. We still have a little holiday flat there.”