FOR one Davenham couple, the chance to see the spectacular Northern Lights for their golden wedding anniversary was too good to miss.

John and Judith Barnes are celebrating 50 years of marriage today, Thursday, and were hoping to mark it with some special memories of the natural phenomenon.

But then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and they will instead be celebrating with a socially distanced visit to their daughter’s garden and a caravan holiday around the UK later in the year.

Despite this, the couple are looking forward to spending some quality time with family members having been unable to visit them during the lockdown.

Small gatherings with family are nothing new to John and Judith, as they married on June 27, 1970 at Northwich Register Office with only nine guests in attendance.

They met at a Saturday night dance at Tarporley Community Centre in March 1967.

Northwich Guardian:

At the time of marriage, John was a tanker driver at ICI Winnington and Judith was a secretary at ICI Mond House, with Judith moving to take up a role at Mid-Cheshire College in 1993.

Shortly after they married, they moved to Davenham, where they have lived in the same house for 45 years.

In fact, the happy couple are living just a field away from the same house where Judith was born.

The couple have a daughter, Louise, who was born in 1976, a son-in-law, Dave, and two granddaughters – Eleanor, aged 11, and Evie, aged seven.

John and Judith say that they love spending time with them and have very much missed that contact time with them during lockdown.

And that is why they are looking forward to seeing them on their special day, albeit two metres apart.