Love blossomed in the bank queue       

By Mike Donachie A COUPLE have proved that it’s never too late to find love — and their happy ending has given a boost to our CHAS Appeal. When she lost her husband Pete after 44 blissful years together, Ada Oliphant, from Perth, had difficulty coping and thought she would be alone forever. But little did she know that a routine visit to the bank would lead to romance. Arthur Rodgie, who had just lost his wife after 48 years of their own happiness, had known Ada since they were both in their 20s and had worked together on the buses in Perth. He was a driver and she was one of the famous “clippies” — a conductress. Ada explained, “After I lost my husband, I just couldn’t cope with life, but then I met Arthur. “I was in the bank with my sister and she said, ‘Somebody behind you wants to talk to you,’ and I looked round and it was Arthur. “We started meeting after that and it just went on from there.” Romance After a few years of romance, 69-year-old Ada and Arthur, who is 80, decided to marry, and, on April 16 at the Tulloch Institute in Perth, 133 delighted guests watched them tie the knot.  They included best man Alfred Duncan (72) and bridesmaid Irene Butcher (63), the sister who was with Ada in the bank that fateful day. But instead of wedding gifts, the new Mr and Mrs Rodgie asked everyone to make a small donation to CHAS, and the impressive total of £1100 has just been presented. Both families were delighted to see the couple’s love blossom, even if Christmas dinner is about to become a far busier affair. Arthur has two sons and three grandchildren, while Ada has a son and three grandchildren of her own. A tearful Ada said, “He’s a lovely man. I had one good man and I lost him, but now I have another.” Many of the couple’s generous friends are regulars at the social club where they were married, and have been enthusiastically taking part in the club’s own fund-raising for CHAS. Last week, a presentation was made to the charity after the various fund-raising elements, including a parlour derby held on Easter Sunday, came to fruition. So, to add to Ada and Arthur’s total, the club’s Jack McLean presented CHAS with a superb £2227. Jack said, “When you visit Rachel House, and see the children there, it changes everything in your life. It makes you humble.”

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