Bothwell business owners celebrate 60 years together

Apr 15 2010 by Carla Callaghan, Hamilton Advertiser

A WELL-KNOWN couple from Bothwell celebrated a special anniversary this week with family and friends.

Rosato and Anna Di Mambro, who have had businesses in Bothwell and Hamilton, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a gathering of around 100 friends and family.

A papal blessing organised by a priest from the Italian village of Portella where the couple were married was a special surprise to mark the occasion. The blessing was presented during Mass at St Bride’s Bothwell.

The couple’s children organised the event to mark their parents’ special anniversary with a meal at the Grapevine restaurant in Bothwell and a party afterwards.

Rosato (89), born in Blantyre of Italian parents. met Anna (77), when he was on a trip to his parents’ house in Monte Cassino, in the South East of Italy in 1950.

The couple soon married in the nearby village of Portella on April 13 and Anna then left Italy to live in Scotland with her new husband.

Settling in Hamilton, the couple started working for Rosato’s father at The Playhouse Cafe in Hamilton’s Quarry Street.

Their first child, Antonia (Annette) was born in 1951, then followed Linda (57), Stephen (54), Monica (50) and Rosanna (45).

After a few years Rosato and Anna bought over The Playhouse Cafe, which they ran until 1972. They then moved to larger premises across the road which today still trades under the Di Mambro name as a delicatessen

The couple, together with their five children, then moved to their current home in Bothwell Main Street, where they bought the shop directly below.

Well-known to many Bothwell residents, their business, R and A Di Mambro started off life as a newsagent and toyshop.

Throughout the years Di Mambro's of Bothwell Main Street evolved from chip shop, to café and gift shop, and was well-known for its beautiful Italian confectionery and specialist gift hampers.

The couple have 17 grandchildren and two great-grandaughters, Ciarra (6) and Lisa who is just four months old.

Boasting a large family, the couple have 17 grandchildren aged from seven to 35.

Rosato and Anna’s niece is Scottish playwright and screenwriter, Ann Marie Di Mambro who penned the Scots/Italian play ‘Tally’s Blood’ and has written screenplays for soaps EastEnders and River City.

Dedicated to their family, Rosato and Anna enjoy looking after their grandchildren and Anna enjoys travelling back to Italy for holidays.

Youngest daughter, Rosanna who is a marketing consultant, said: “It was a fantastic day, it was so beautiful to see the whole family around my mum and dad.

“People were travelling from all over the place to be here and they even had visitors from Italy.”

Rosanna added: “We had to mark the occasion with something special, and it really was a great day.”

Antonia said: “We had to mark the occasion with something special. It was a great day and we cannot wait for the 70th anniversary.”