A COUPLE from Okehampton recently celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary with friends and family — and raised more than £1,000 for charity. Julia and Roger Porter decided to organise a party to commemorate the milestone. But instead of receiving gifts they asked people to make a donation to the charity FORCE, which they feel has done so much for the family. Roger, who will be 65 in June, said: 'We didn't want to pressure people into giving loads of money to the charity so we just asked for donations, and we raised £1,020 for the Exeter charity.' The couple celebrated their wedding anniversary on March 20 but had the party at the Conservative Club in Okehampton with their three sons, Mark, Justin and Matthew, and around 90 friends, including people who were at the wedding 40 years ago. Roger met Julia, 62, through a mutual friend when she was 18. They were married three years later at Okehampton Parish Church. Roger said: 'On our wedding day it snowed, rained and the sun shone — and the same day 40 years on it did the same thing. 'I don't think we have ever had an argument — we just don't argue. 'Julia was a brilliant mother — she gave up her career to look after our boys and now she is working to enjoy what she missed out on. 'We share everything — I guess that is also something to do with a long and happy marriage.'
