A WEEKEND of family celebrations is planned by a couple from Holgate as they mark 60 years of happy marriage today.

Sheila and Peter Hickes are hosting a party on Saturday for more than 20 family members who are making their way to York to celebrate the diamond anniversary.

Mrs Hickes, 79, said: “We have quite a weekend planned – we are going out for dinner on Friday night and on Saturday the family are coming up. There will be about 22 of them.”

Both Mr and Mrs Hickes come from farming backgrounds and the pair met through a friendship between their parents.

Mrs Hickes said: “We have known each other all our lives. After we got married in 1950 we both became farmers and we came to York when we retired seven years ago.”

“We have our ups and downs as everyone does but we have enjoyed 60 years together. We just sort of help each other.

“We like dancing and Country and Western music – we have been doing that for years and we keep fairly active.”

Looking forward to Saturday night, Mrs Hickes said she and her husband, 82, were looking forward to catching up with everybody and having a “good chinwag”.