Pressing news kept love alive

A lot of women find themselves ironing their loved one's shirts or trousers. But for almost four years, devoted Phyllis Thomas ironed copies of the Sporting Star for now-husband Len.

As the couple mark 60 years of marriage, they have spoken of their unusual arrangement when Mr Thomas was abroad with the army. Pressing the papers meant they could be fitted into a small air mail package and sent to where Mr Thomas was serving with the Grenadier Guards so he could get news of his beloved Wolves as soon as possible.

Mrs Thomas, of Wednesfield, explained: "I used to buy the Pink for him and try and flatten it with the iron so I could get it into a very small envelope and send it by air mail and he would get it in about three days. If I put it in a normal envelope and it went by boat it would take weeks to get there."

Mr Thomas was posted to Palestine in 1946, just months after the couple had re-discovered each other after first meeting at primary school. They say their shared love of Wolverhampton Wanderers helped to keep their blossoming romance alive while apart.

"I used to go to all the Wolves matches," said 83-year-old Mrs Thomas, who used to work as a cleaner.

"And when I got back, I would write him a letter telling him what had happened and who had played and send it to him as well as the Pink. There were a lot of Midlands lads serving with him and they all used to pass around the paper."

Mr Thomas, who was later posted to Malaya in 1948, said Mrs Thomas's efforts were a welcome treat every week. "It was lovely to get the copies of the paper," said Mr Thomas, also 83, who left the Grenadier Guards in 1953. "When we were in Malaya, we'd come out of the jungle and I could sit down, have a shower and read the Pink."

The football fanatics married on April 8 1950 and have recently celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

Although the couple, of Olinthus Avenue, do not go to Wolves games any more, they still keep a close eye on their heroes. The couple have one daughter Pauline, who is married to

Roger, while their only granddaughter Elizabeth, married to Richard, has a season ticket at the Molineux.