Shrewsbury couple celebrate diamond wedding anniversary
When Ernie asked Ruth to the pictures back in 1953, he never expected she would say yes.
Now, years later, the pair have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with loving friends and family.
Ernie and Ruth Harsum, now aged 87 and 89 respectively, met in 1953 and got married six years later on 17 October, 1959, at St. Peter's Church in Stoke-on-Tern and are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary this week by hosting a small party for family and friends.
The couple, who now live in Shawbury, said they consider the anniversary an achievement and have had a lovely life together.
Ernie said: "We have had a lovely 60 years together and I would not change her for the world. I still love her the same after all these years.
"How we met is a bit of a long story. When I was younger, I was working on farms and we used to have to call at a farm where Ruth's father worked. My friend said there was a lovely girl who worked there and that he bet I would not ask her out.
"So one day I jumped off the truck and went up to her and asked if she wanted to go to the pictures with me and she said yes, and the rest is history.
Happy
"We moved into a little cottage in Ollerton while I was working at GKN Sankey in Telford. A year later we had our first son, Roy, followed by Paul and our daughter Mary.
"Myself and Ruth used to go out dancing together and biking in those days. We used to go to Wellington to dance – anywhere there was a dance we went.
"We have always had a very active life. I used to do a disco, Dale Sounds Disco, and Ruth was my roadie. It was very heavy work. We went all over the county."
The pair have three grandchildren, Matthew, Ashley and Glen.
Mary Jones, their daughter who lives in Market Drayton, said: "It's such a nice thing to celebrate and I think it has kept my mom going because she has been poorly over the years.
"They have both been quite emotional in the lead up to their anniversary. There's been a lot of happy tears.
"I also celebrated my 30th anniversary with my husband this year, and my son Glen recently got engaged – it has been a year full of love."
