Cuckney: Couple who met aged just 17 still grinning with happiness after celebrating diamond wedding anniversary

Shirley and George Robinson, of Shireoaks Hill, Cuckney, are originally from Ipswich and met when they were just 17 years old.

Now in their seventies, the couple are still going strong and were delighted to receive a letter from the Queen after sixty years of marriage.

They now hope to go on to celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary in years to come.

Speaking of how the pair met, Shirley said: “My friend and I were outside the fish and chip shop, eating a bag of chips, when I turned to her and said I could do with a cigarette.”

“Out of the blue, up walks this handsome chap who introduced himself as George. He said, ‘I’ll give you a cigarette if you let me walk you home’ - and it just went from there. We have been inseparable ever since.”

“We were married nine months later, at Brantford Church in Ipswich, and a year later we moved to Creswell with our son who was seven months old at the time.”

“We came to the Worksop and Creswell area because we had family living up here and there were jobs to be had, and sure enough George got a job down the pit and we went on to have four more children.”

“I really loved the area and I still do. The only thing I ever missed was the rest of my family, who remained in the South.”

Shirley added that her top tip for a successful marriage was to always ‘kiss and make up’ after a row.

She said: “Couples are so different these days- divorcing left, right and centre.”

“My tip to them and others would be to not take things so seriously, and always make up after you have a row.”

“If you have an argument during the day, make sure you’ve made up and are laughing again before you go to bed. Life is so short. You just don’t know what’s going to happen or how much time you have left together- we have been incredibly lucky.”

The happy couple have since gone on to have 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

“I love being part of a big family and wouldn’t have things any other way, I feel blessed,” added Shirley.