A COUPLE from York, who have lived in the city since 1968, celebrated reaching their Diamond wedding anniversary earlier this week.

Joe and Ann Friend were married in Manchester on October 19 1960.

The pair met when they were in their younger years at a wedding, and did not end up going on their first date until eight years later.  They then continued to date until they were married a year later.

The couple moved to Woodthorpe, York in 1968, where they still reside, when Joe secured a position working for Yorkshire-General. He stayed in the role for 23 years before taking retirement at the age of 60.

Ann worked at Woodthorpe Primary School as a Dinner lady from 1973 until 1991.

She also became a bit of a “speaker on the circuit”, educating young people in schools.

The pair have two children, Lynne and Roy. As well as this, they are grandparents to Daniel, Katie and Luke and great-grandparents to Mila, aged 2, with another great-grandchild due in January.

Jokingly, they say that their secret to a long marriage is “switching off Joe’s hearing aid from time to time.”