One of the UK’s longest-married couples have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at the Salisbury care home where they both live.
Devon-born Mary Penn, 88, and husband Charles, known as Teddy, 97, marked their Platinum milestone with a party at Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge.
Asked for the secret of sustaining such a long marriage, Mary said: “We’ve had fantastic, happy years. We have always loved each other. We still love each other as much as when we first met.”
Her thoughts were echoed by Teddy who added: “Our marriage has never been boring. It’s exciting.”
The pair met in Cyprus in the mid-1950s while Teddy, 27 years old at the time, was serving as an army captain.
They were introduced when Mary, the daughter of an army major, arrived on the island aged 18 with her mother.
Under regular military curfew because of the Cyprus Emergency conflict, they discretely courted on the beaches near to Teddy’s army base and became engaged within a few months.
Back home in Wiltshire, they were married in summer 1956, holding their reception at the Bear Pub in Devizes and honeymooning in the Cairngorms.
A series of army postings followed for Teddy including to Germany, Norway, Aden and various locations in the UK before the couple settled in Yorkshire, bringing up children Charles and Jane.
Team members at Braemar Lodge helped the couple’s family organise the anniversary party which spanned the generations and saw Mary and Teddy’s great grandchildren among the guests.
Companionship Team member Milly Thomson said: “The family produced a photo album and a book of reminiscences which prompted lots of memories to be shared. It was such a lovely, very special occasion with cake, speeches, prayers and a card from the King.”
Official population statistics show that only around 30 UK couples each year celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary, about one tenth of one percent of all marriages.
The 70th is known as the Platinum anniversary, representing a bond that does not break or tarnish.
