60th wedding anniversary marked by a card from the King
A Telford couple who found love after becoming pen pals following a school trip have received a card from King Charles to mark their 60th wedding anniversary.
Olive Mortimer, aged 81, and Michael Thomas Mortimer, aged 84, of Hollinswood, began writing to each other when they were about 15-years-old and finally began courting when Olive was about 18-years-old.
The couple finally married on January 26, 1963 at Bushbury Parish Church in Wolverhampton.
Olive said: "I lived in Thorne in Yorkshire and Michael lived in Wolverhampton when we first met on the school trip and we became pen pals.
"I went on to work in a wool mill and Michael was employed in telegraphy on the railways.
"Michael went into the Army in 1957 and did National Service with the 12th Royal Lancers in Germany.
"We moved to the countryside in Telford in December 1968 and for seven years ran a news agency in Trench Road in Telford.
"Michael then joined the Shropshire Star and went to work in the print works for 26 years until his retirement in 2001."
After their marriage the couple went on to have four children; Nigel, now aged 59, Lesley, now 57, Raymond, now 55, and Stephen, now 52.
Their extended family includes nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Olive believes that the secret to a happy marriage is "sorting things out by talking about problems".
She said: "Not a day goes by that we don't say that we love each other."
Michael said that the recipe for happiness was also "talking things out".
The couple celebrated their anniversary last weekend with a party for family and friends at Shifnal Memorial Hall.
