A COUPLE from Riccall will celebrate their Diamond Wedding anniversary today.

Ken and Fay Tomlinson first met outside the Riccall Village Institute and after a four-year courtship, they were married in the village church.

Ken, 83, has lived in Riccall all his life, but Fay had lived in India and other countries when her father Richard was serving in the Royal Air Force, before moving to Park View in the village.

Ken worked on various driving jobs, first at Mooney & Morley and later spent 27 years as wagon driver at Porter’s Timber Yard, then later worked for Elcock Power Tools before retiring at the age of 71.

Fay worked as a cashier typist at Borders café in York and later worked at Fletchers factory in Selby.

The couple have been heavily involved in the community life, with both ran the village Darby and Joan Club for 12 years, and Ken served as chairman of Escrick Club for 12 years, chairman of Riccall Village Institute, and was an honorary member of the village Royal British Legion and formerly Poppy Day organiser, a position now held by his son David.

The couple, who have four sons, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, held a family party three weeks ago to tie in with family holidays, and said “give and take” was their recipe for a happy marriage.