A MIDDLEWICH couple celebrated 60 years of happy marriage in the town this week and chose the special occasion to have their first picture taken together. 

Frank Arrowsmith and his wife Ethel, both 83, have lived in Middlewich all of their lives and despite being married for 60 years, until now they had never had a picture taken of just the two of them – not even on their wedding day.

The couple met through mutual friends in Middlewich at the age of 20 and used to go to the pictures together in Northwich. 

They tied the knot at Northwich register office and moved into their first home together on George VI Close where they have lived ever since.

Frank said: “I did my national service in Egypt and when I got back I met Ethel and we started going out all the time to the pictures and other places in Northwich. 

“They put me up in a council house in Holmes Chapel for a short time and Ethel used to walk from Middlewich to Holmes Chapel to meet me. It took her about two hours to get there but people did that then because cars weren’t as popular. 

Frank worked for sports ground contractor CSC for more than 40 years and laid tennis courts and sports pitches at schools around the town, while Ethel gave up her job at Kinderton Salt Works to become a house wife when the pair married.

Frank and Ethel insist that there is no special secret to their happiness other than taking their problems with a pinch of salt. 

“We have our arguments the same as anybody else,” said Frank, “we don’t bother with it though we just carry on and it doesn’t really matter to us.
“It doesn’t seem like 60 years, the time has just flown by.”

Frank and Ethel celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary at the White Lion in Coppenhall on Sunday, January 25, with their children Linda, 59, Ellie, 51, and David, 48, grandson Ian 30 and 18-month-old great-granddaughter Mier-Grace.