Wolverhampton couple celebrating 60th wedding anniversary reveal marriage secret
A Wolverhampton couple celebrating 60 years of marriage say the secret is “a lot of patience, sense of humour, and give and take.”
John, 82, and Enid White, 80, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary at their home in Bushbury on Thursday, March 25.
Enid was 14 when she first met John, a 17-year-old van boy at the time, in 1955 in a tea chalet in West Park and they dated for six years – before marrying on March 25, 1961, at St Andrews Church in Whitmore Reans.
She left school in 1956 and later started work at a spinning and cotton factory before working at the James Beatties store for 10 years. Recalling that first meeting she said: “My first memories of John were that he was very attractive, good looking - the usual things that girls fall in love with, and we are still in love now.
“You couldn’t afford a honeymoon back then, but we went to where my sister lived. We went out and about, and even went to the pictures over there.
“They were very different times back then. More simple times, people got on with each other a lot better. You could walk about without being frightened and things like that.”
“My children think it’s wonderful we are still here, we have had good fortune that we are still here and have our health.”
Enid retired at 56, and John, who was a security officer for 12 years, later retired at 60.
The couple have three children, six grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.
Angela, 56, the couple’s eldest daughter, added: “We can’t celebrate the way we would like too, obviously. We [the couple’s children] are all coming at different times in the garden, but we will celebrate later in the year hopefully.
“We might have an afternoon tea, or something like that, it’s what we were planning originally – we’ll see.”
