FAMILY and friends raised a heartfelt toast to Beryl and Patrick Hobdey to congratulate them on their diamond wedding anniversary.

Mr and Mrs Hobdey live in Wincham, which has been their home for three decades, and were married on December 8, 1956 in Baguley near Timperley.

To mark 60 years of married life they enjoyed a special lunch for 30 members of their family and close friends at the Heyrose Golf Club at Tabley.

They also invited their neighbours and friends to share in the celebrations at a party at their home.

The couple have two children, Nigel, who lives in Wales, and Beverley, who lives in Wincham, five grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

They met when they worked at a warehouse in Manchester for a manufacturer of ladies underwear.

Mrs Hobdey worked in the office, and Mr Hobdey was a trainee salesman.

Mr Hobdey was a sales manager for almost 20 years for a Scottish knitwear company, and from 2001 to 2007 he worked for Wright Marshall estate agents in Northwich.

Mrs Hobdey worked part-time in sales for frozen food manufacturer Birds Eye.

The diamond wedding anniversary came either side of their birthdays, with Mrs Hobdey due to turn 83 on January 6, and her husband having celebrated his 85th birthday on December 6.

After they were married the couple lived in Gatley for five years, before moving to Hazel Grove, Heald Green and back to Gatley, before making their home in Wincham, where they have lived for 29 years.

Mr Hobdey was chairman in 1970 of the Wilmslow branch of the UK Commercial Travellers Association, and his wife has been a member for 15 years of the Pickmere and Wincham branch of the WI.

“We met in the July, got engaged in October and were married in the following December,” said Mrs Hobdey.

“We have had a long and happy marriage, and would like to say thank you to everyone who wished us a happy anniversary and for the numerous cards we had, and to everyone who came along to the golf club and our home for the party.”