A GAINFORD married couple, who have shared “a lot of laughs” celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary in style with a family party at Headlam Hall.
Bob and Betty Woodman were joined by their daughters Joan and Christine and their husbands, along with their five grandchildren and three great grandchildren to mark their 70th wedding anniversary.
The couple, who moved to their Balmer Hill home 30 years ago, met in 1953 when they both working in the coal mining industry in South Wales.
Mrs Woodman said: “I worked in a colliery canteen and Robert was down the mine, at a different colliery but his father worked at the colliery I was at.
“We were seeing each other and we were engaged for a year before we got married. There wasn’t any big proposal, more like ‘shall we get married then?’”
The pair, now 93 and 91, were married in South Wales on May 17, 1954.
She added: “Robert had a motorcycle and we’d been out for a date. He told me he was going off on a holiday on his bike and I thought I’d never see him again. But he came back.
“It was quite a modest wedding because it was not long after the war and rationing was still on. Family and friends helped out with the buffet lunch.
“My mother wasn’t too happy because I wore a blue dress and pink hat and not the traditional white dress, but I never gave that a thought. I chose it because it was my favourite colour.”
The couple moved to Gainford 30 years ago. They received their second anniversary card from royalty.
Ahead of the celebrations they received a card from King Charles and Queen Camilla congratulating them on reaching their 70-year milestone, to add to one they got from Queen Elizabeth II to mark their 60th anniversary.
The couple arrived in Teesdale 30 years ago after Mr Woodman retired from his job as a lecturer.
Mr Woodman said: “I’d gone into lecturing because I had all my teaching qualifications up to date and Betty was worried about accidents at the mine.
“We moved from Wales to Stoke on Trent first and then to Cannock and we were there for 25 years.
“We ended up in Teesdale because our daughter asked us to buy her house as they hadn’t found a buyer and her husband’s job had move to Cornwall.”
Mrs Woodman said: “We never gave it a second thought about buying her house and we’ve been here ever since and been very happy.
“I would have loved to have more babies, as we only had two, but we have lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren and we have enjoyed the family time we have had with all of them.
“We’ve shared a lot of laughs over the years.”
Mr Woodman said: “We were asked what was the secret to our long marriage when we celebrated our 60th anniversary. Back then I gave a bit of a facetious answer that I’d heard on television. The husband said it was because he didn’t listen to anything his wife said and she in turn didn’t listen to anything he said.
“I’ve had 10 years to think of something better. Something witty, wise and original to come up with and it came to me last week and the wife said what is it, but I said, I’d forgotten.”
