AN OKEHAMPTON couple who have ridden many miles together down life?s road on their tandem bicycle celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last week. Les and Joan Back are the oldest of four generations of the Back family living in Okehampton. Les will be 81 next week, and joining the couple at their celebrations last week were son David and grandson Jamie. The youngest of the clan is two-year-old great-grandchild Joshua. The couple were married at Christ Church, Bexleyheath, on August 3, 1946 while Les was on 48-hour leave from his national service. The couple originally met when they were both in Les? words ?silly teenagers?. Although the war was over, it was a modest wedding ? the couple had to get supplementary rations to get a wedding cake and the evening entertainment was provided by the local Home Guard dance band. Les said in the early years of their marriage, one of the couple?s favourite pastimes was setting off for long rides on their tandem bicycle. The couple clearly enjoyed being on the move, as apart from cycling, another big passion was caravanning. For many years, Les organised caravan rallies at the weekend and they have taken their vehicle around the country and off to Holland and France. Until the last couple of years, Les was still playing bowls regularly, and the couple still keep active by doing Tai Chi exercises. Les continued to work for the Ministry of Defence, ending as a technical author, before retirement. Joan worked as a shop assistant. Both 80, they moved to Okehampton from Whitstable six years ago. Les said they were familiar with the area through visiting their family, before moving. ?There is a vast difference between coming to somewhere on holiday and actually living there,? he said. ?We have got a very supportive family and I am glad we have made the move.? The couple have one son, two grandchildren and two great-grandsons. Les said the key to such a long and happy marriage was to remember what brought two people together in the first place. ?Love is paramount,? he said. The couple celebrated their anniversary in the delightful garden at Wardhayes Residential Home where they have been staying in the re-enablement unit for a fortnight. They were joined by their family last Thursday for a celebration with cake and flowers.
