'The secret of a long marriage is not to throw in the towel' - Shropshire couple's advice after celebrating diamond wedding anniversary
A Shropshire couple have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a card from the King and some sage advice for younger couples.
Keith and Margaret Cunliffe celebrated 60 years of man and wife on October 23 with a family meal.
- Sign up today to get all the latest news headlines from Shropshire and Mid Wales delivered straight to your inbox with the Shropshire Star’s free newsletter
Former miner Keith, who used to work down Highley Pit in Shropshire, met wife-to-be Margaret when the pair were at school.
But the couple say they weren't really high school sweethearts.
"I don't think she liked me much back then," said Keith, now 80. "But we met up again when we were teenagers and it went from there.
"Our first date was at the old miner's club in Madeley but it was so long ago now."
The couple's diamond wedding anniversary also landed them a royal surprise, after Clarence House sent a congratulations card from King Charles III.
The pair, who now live in Stottesdon, got together with daughters Julie Sperring and Brenda Dolphin and some of their six grandchildren to celebrate their big day.
And Keith says the secret to a long marriage is to work at it.
"The secret is to not throw in the towel," he said. "People are too quick to throw it in these days, but we've fallen out and fallen back in again. You have to keep working at it."
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.