61st celebration for Anne and Ron

IT may be a year later than planned but Ron and Anne Grant finally had the landmark anniversary celebration they wanted.

The Stratford couple, both aged 84, had planned to celebrate their 60th anniversary with a bash at the town hall last year but, like so many other events, the pandemic got in the way.

However, proving that a 61st anniversary party can be just as good, the pair celebrated with a special family get-together in a marquee at their home on 31st July..

Ron said: “It was a great day. We had 22 people here, many of whom we’ve not seen in more than two years. It was disappointing that we couldn’t celebrate with everyone last year, but we were in the hands of the government and it was a health issue.

"There are people who have had it worse than us, not being able to attend funerals or have their weddings, things like that. However, Saturday was certainly worth the wait.”

Anne and Ron met each other back in 1948 at the age of 11 when they both attended Hinckley Grammar School. They married on 1st August 1960 and moved to Stratford in 1968, where they have remained ever since.

Ron qualified as a mechanical engineer and over the years worked as a sales engineer for Lucas in Birmingham, while Anne taught locally and was a listener for the Samaritans for almost 27 years.

Well known in the town’s sporting circles, Ron has been a member of Stratford Golf Club for 40 years and is a life member of the Rugby Club.

He added: “I suppose the secret of a long marriage is having a bit of flexibility on both sides. We also both love to travel.”