Billy and Averil mark a golden milestone

Former Portadown Times advertising manager – and Morton Newspapers advertising director – Billy Austin and his wife Averil reached that golden milestone of 50 years marriage on Sunday.

And they looked back on lives together well spent. For after Billy left the newspaper trade, they set up their small and successful printing business Austin Graphics, which they deemed their finest hour.

For Billy and Averil literally “built” the business, in that they constructed almost every aspect of the 1,000 square feet printing hall beside their home at Brackagh, having designed and done much of the work in building their well-appointed original bungalow.

Both retired now, they look upon that project as the most rewarding of their lives together – except, of course, the birth of their son Roger and their three grandchildren. Roger and wife Judy are the parents of Rosanna, Wesley and Georgina, and live in Edinburgh.

The golden couple recall that they did all the work on the printing hall, except for preparing the foundations and the electrics. They put in the floor, did the brickwork, the plumbing, the plastering, the roofing, including the joists, and then had the printing machinery installed.

“We started the business as a side-line in the garage,” said Billy. “We did work like printing invoices and brochures, with a lot of work coming from churches.

“We never advertised, we didn’t have to go out selling, as we didn’t take it all that seriously at the start. But churches kept telling one another, the work flowed in, and we had to take the decision to go full-time. I left a well-paid job with car and all the trimmings. But the decision was made for us with the amount of work. It developed into brochures, work for companies, a very wide range, and we loved every minute of it.

“We had such satisfaction building the print hall. It was a one-man-one-woman enterprise, with me doing the printing and Averil the administration. She had been in charge of the office at the old linen firm Portadown Weaving Company (aka Greeves) at the Annagh and knew the ropes. We were a true partnership in every way.”

Billy also started in the textiles business and was a clerk in Spence Bryson’s (Meadow Lane) after he left Portadown Tech before joining the Times. He spotted Averil at (of all things) the annual Portadown Empire Day Youth Parade. “I was watching the parade and Averil marched past as part of the Ranger Guides section, and I decided there and then she was the girl for me, introduced myself afterwards and the rest is history.

Billy lived in Portadown 

and Averil at Clonmacate, the Birches, and they were married at St Andrew’s (Milltown) Church of Ireland by Rev A.E. Crawford on March 30, 1964. The honeymoon was spent at Dun Laoghaire, near Dublin, and their first home was at Harford Street (off Portmore Street) before they settled at Brackagh where they still live.

Billy was a self-taught printer, and in the 30-or-so years that he and Averil ran the business, they never once had to tout for trade. “It was totally word of mouth, and we attracted as much work as we could possible handle,” he said. “We thoroughly enjoyed working together. We’re perfectly suited in every way.”

Family plays a bit part in the life of the Austins. They visit Roger and family regularly in the Scottish capital. He’s an actuary over there in the insurance business, and mum and dad travel over in their trusty campervan. Indeed, the ‘camper’ is their second home as they’ve been to virtually every country in Europe in it – France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Yugoslavia (as was) and many more. Virtually every county in Ireland has had the wheels of the van on its roads, and they particularly love Achill Island in County Mayo. “We love to travel and don’t fly,” said Averil. “The van is a perfect compromise and Billy adores driving.”

They celebrated their 50 years with an extended family meal in Zio’s, William Street, which Roger organised as a surprise and the three generations were there.

“It’s amazing how swiftly the years have flown,” said Billy. “I can’t believe it’s been half-a-century since young Averil Rogers marched past me in that parade.”