Still waiting

Despite being stood-up on her first date and never receiving a proper marriage proposal, a woman from Sawtry celebrated 60 years of marriage on Saturday.

Joyce Cottle, 80, and her husband Jack, 87, from Fen Lane were married at Sawtry Church on April 22, 1946, after meeting 10 months earlier on the village green.

It is a running joke between them that Jack never asked the magic question.

"He has never proposed to me and I'm still waiting for him to do it. He just said to me do you want to get engaged and then he handed me his wallet and told me to go and buy myself a ring. He did ask my father for permission first though," said Joyce.

That's not the end of the story, though, as when the couple first met, Jack had his eye on Joyce's younger sister Marge.

"He came over to me and my sisters and offered us some chocolate and asked my younger sister out on a date. Thankfully she didn't turn up otherwise he wouldn't have asked me out a few days later," added Joyce.

But Joyce was stood-up by Jack on their first date. "I found him in the pub after I had been waiting for an hour and a half but I forgave him and asked him round to mine for something to eat and we haven't looked back since."

Joyce also revealed the secret of their long marriage may be down to the old adage that opposites attract.

"I don't know how we have managed to stay together for so long as we are two opposites. He loves television and music and I don't. He loves fish and I don't. I guess it's because we are both content staying in with each other's company."

The couple, who have one daughter, Pamela, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary with a family party in Glatton Hall on Saturday.