DIAMOND wedding couple Tom and Ruth Stobart celebrated 60 years of married life last Thursday with their loved ones.

The Barnton couple enjoyed a family meal, thanking everyone who sent them cards, messages and gifts to make their special day one to remember.

They met in London in 1953 whilst Tom studied under the guidance of Ruth’s father to become a Baptist minister.

Tom said: “I went along to the family home one night for some extra training sessions and we just started talking. I knew there and then it was only a matter of time before I married her."

Ruth, originally from South London, trained as a primary school teacher and worked in South London whilst Tom completed his national service.

They were married on Saturday, August 2, 1958 and moved to Millom, in Cumbria, where Tom was originally from.

Tom ran his first church parish and Ruth taught reception children at a local school before they relocated to Cheshire in 1972.

Tom and Ruth, now 86 and 81 respectively, raised their four children; Jill, Ian, Lyn and Jon in the county and their family continued to grow.

They have seven grandchildren; James, Rebecca, Hannah, Joel, Charlotte, Eleanor and Emily; and seven great-grandchildren; Esther, Martha, Oscar, Alivia, Theo, Jacob and Jonah.

Ruth added: “It is one big, happy family and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Having so many means that the house is never really empty, we always have visitors to keep us company.”

To mark the marriage milestone, the pair will be heading off on holiday together in September.

Speaking about their long, happy marriage, they said: “There really is no secret, you just need to love one another. Once you have that, you’ll have a lifetime of happiness and won’t need any special tricks or tips.”