Sixty years ago they walked down the aisle of a York church to make a lifetime commitment to each other.

Above: Diamond wedding couple Frank and Wilna Buckle who were given a surprise service at the Holy Trinity Church, Heworth, York

Below:Frank and Wilna Buckle pictured on their wedding day in 1939

And as they celebrated their diamond wedding yesterday, Frank and Wilna Buckle, were whisked back there again for a surprise celebration.

The couple tied the knot at Holy Trinity Church, in Heworth, York, on December 23, 1939, just before the Second World War pulled them apart for the next four years.

To mark yesterday's occasion daughter Diane Threappleton secretly set up a special thanksgiving and blessing service with the Reverend Don Andrew.

Friends and relatives, including their other daughter, Christine, and son, John, waited at the church while the unsuspecting couple were lured from their home in Heath Moor Drive, Fulford, under false pretences.

Once there, the couple retraced their footsteps down the aisle of the flower-decked church and joined the congregation in singing the same hymns they had done on their big day.

Wilna said: "It was such a wonderful surprise and it was the last thing either of us expected. I just couldn't believe we were walking down the aisle again."

The pair, who also received a congratulatory card from the Queen, then enjoyed a celebratory drink back at home with friends and family.

Daughter Diane said: "We thought that sixty years was such a great achievement that we wanted to do something really special for them."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.