A COUPLE recently celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary after getting married in Tavistock parish church 70 years ago.

Joseph Sydney and Edith Joan Normington, both 93-years-old, spent their joyous occasion surrounded by family and friends.

The couple known as Syd and Joan were married in St Eustachius’ Church in 1946 and celebrated their long and happy marriage last week by visiting the church before joining their guests at the Bedford Hotel for lunch.

The two met at one of Syd’s brothers weddings soon after the war and their relationship blossomed when Syd came to visit his sister who was lodging with Joan’s family.

Syd had spent the war in the Royal Navy whilst Joan worked in the post office in Tavistock and also carried out night time fire warden duties.

The couple married on August 24, 1946. Syd went on to spend 40 plus years as a signals electrician on the railway and during the late 50s and 60s the family lived on the Greenland Estate, which was new at the time.

In order to have a place of their own, in 1968 the couple found a burnt out shell of a cottage on the back of West Blackdown near Brentor/Lydford Gorge and spent every moment they could rebuilding it and in 1971 they finally moved in.

Syd and Joan had three children, Tony, Janet and Nigel, and now also have lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The couple spent a very happy retirement on Dartmoor, before moving to Plymouth in 2002 to be closer to their son, Tony.

Their youngest son Nigel said: ‘They are truly the closest couple I have met in my 61 years on this planet and are not just sharp but such great fun to be with. They are also a wicked couple of lunatic whist players.’

When asked the secret to a long and happy marriage, Joan said: ‘We have both always thought life is too short to quarrel, so never go to bed with harsh words between you. After all this is the person you love the most.’