Surprise party for popular pair's diamond wedding

The couple moved into Croft Meadow, in Tanyard Lane, Steyning, in late 2015 – two months apart.

Sharalee Thrumble, care home manager, said: “It was wonderful to be a part of John and Audrey’s celebrations.

“They are such a lovely couple. The pair are very popular with the other residents here at Croft Meadow and always get involved with daily activities at the home and lead very active lives.”

John, 82, and Audrey, 84, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with residents, family and staff at Croft Meadow.

A display was put together, showing photographs of family members over the years and their wedding day.

Among the many cards and well wishes they received was a card from the Queen to congratulate them.

John and Audrey met in West Grinstead during Christmas 1954, when Audrey was 22 and John was 20.

Audrey, who was friends with John’s sister, met John while he was on leave from the Royal Navy.

He took her to see the film The Glenn Miller Story for their first date – although Audrey did not tell him she had seen it the week before.

They soon became a couple and were married at Henfield Parish Church in August 1957. They went on to have two sons and a daughter.

Audrey said her secret to a happy marriage was ‘to give and take and work things out together’.

John added that the important thing was ‘to trust one another’.

John’s Navy career took him all over the globe. He first signed up on October 21, 1951, at the age of 17, and started off as a stoker.

He liked the ‘moving around of the Navy’ and enjoyed his time in Malta the most. He also enjoyed the comradeship and said the Navy really taught him the value of friendship.

By the time retired, John was an engineer and had spent time on three ships and a submarine. He had visited Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, Italy, Malta, Caribbean, West Indies, Falkland Islands, crossing the Equator and the Arctic several times.

John often talks about his experiences at sea, so Shaw healthcare staff arranged for officers and sailors serving on HMS Shoreham to visit while the ship was in harbour recently, following a NATO deployment in the Balkans.