A COUPLE celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary by hopping on a bus with friends for a trip down memory lane.

Alan and Barbara Turner, who both have a keen interest in the railway, hired a vintage bus to take them from Tavistock to Buckfastleigh, where they jumped aboard the train to Totnes and back. This was followed by a barbecue and a disco featuring music of the 50s and 60s.

The couple married in London on June 14, 1958 — Alan a 19-year-old soldier in the military police and Barbara a 17-year-old copy typist. Fate and business brought them to Tavistock in 1988 where they celebrated their 30-year anniversary.

Alan and Barbara said: ‘Then 40 years came and went, the 50 years came and went and before we knew what was happening, we were at the threshold of our 60 years together.

‘For our sins, we both volunteer at the South Devon Railway, Buckfastleigh, working in the running shed where the locomotives are serviced and repaired and where we have a camaraderie with other volunteers of similar interests. Quite what would interest great grandparents in working on a railway isn’t quite clear but we enjoy ourselves and it is a very effective way of keeping fit and active.

‘There are, of course, other couples who have more than 60 years under their belt and they know how easy it is to get there — just live it day to day.’