Shropshire couple mark 70 years of wedded bliss

Georgie, 94, and Robbie 'Ted' Roberts, 91, lived in Oswestry for much of their lives but have since settled at the Yockleton Grange care home near Shrewsbury, where they marked their anniversary on Wednesday with a letter from The Queen.

The couple said they were delighted to receive the letter. Their daughter Daphne Williams is to take them for a family tea at Yockleton Village Hall tomorrow.

Mrs Williams said: "My mum and dad are very special people and to reach their 70th wedding anniversary is a very special achievement which not many couples these days will reach.

"They are both quite well known people in Oswestry, as my mother ran Padgett's Record Shop in Willow Street for a number of years, while my father worked as an advertising manager for a number of years as well."

Mrs Williams said: "My dad was serving in the RAF during the war and he was back for a dance in Gobowen where he met mum.

"They didn't hang around long and they were married a few months later on October 17, 1942.

"During the war people did tend to get married rather quickly but it has stood the test of time."

Mrs Williams said Mr and Mrs Roberts have had such a successful marriage because of their shared interests.

"I think you could say they have made such a wonderful happy couple for so long because they are always tolerant of each other and let each other get on with their own interests while still making plenty of time for each other," she said.

She added that the letter from The Queen was the highlight of the celebrations for her parents.

She said: "My dad is such a big fan of the Queen so when they received the letter of congratulations from Her Majesty this week he was absolutely delighted with it.

"I went to visit them on Wednesday and they were very happy. Now we will go for a family tea at the village hall on Saturday, which we are all really looking forward to."