By Julie Morgan

Published at 11:10, Thursday, 22 March 2012

SURROUNDED by all their family, Sally and Stan Irvine celebrated their diamond wedding recently.

happy couple: Stan and Sally Irvine celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary

The couple, of Walkmill Brow, Whitehaven, marked their anniversary with their two daughters, four sons, 16 grand-children and 10 great-children.

Sally, 79, and Stan, 83, meet in Morecambe when she was training to be a student nurse and he was in the Royal Navy.

After courting for three years, the couple married at St Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster in 1952. Just months later, Stan was transferred to a base in Japan supporting troops in the Korean war. He didn’t see Sally for two years.

“You just accepted it in those days,’’ Sally explained. “I went to live with his mother and we wrote lots of letters.’’

On his return, the couple returned to Sally’s hometown of Whitehaven. Stan, who originally hailed from Lancaster, loved his new home and still refers to Whitehaven as “God’s little acre’’.

He worked in the goods yard at Whitehaven train station, Marchon, and as a contractor at Sellafield. “Stan also worked in roofing, carrying slates until he was 62,’’ said Sally, who was a machinist at Edgard’s. “He loved his job and still misses the company of the lads.’’

The couple held a celebration party at The Puncheon “thanks to Ralph and Janice’’ and also received a card from the Queen.

“After nearly 64 years, Stan and I are still great friends,’’ Sally added.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk