Newport couple, both 94, share secret to 70 years of happy marriage
A Newport couple who are celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary have shared their secret to 70 happy years together.
Alan and Violet Billingham are celebrating 70 years of marriage on March 20. The couple married in 1954 after meeting at a youth club in the Black Country when they were both 16 years old.
Now 94, the pair reminisced on the day they met, which was a day before Violet's 17th birthday.
"I thought she was wonderful," said Alan.
"He kept coming after me to go out," replied Violet. "In those days thre wasn't very much you could do. It was just after the war, you see. We would just go to the cinema. It was January 29, 1947.
"The next day was my birthday, we walked around in the snow until we went home. It was cold!
"We just liked each other and the friendship just went on from there until we got married in 1954."
They bought their first house in Penn Fields, Wolverhampton, and now have two daugters, Patricia (Trish) and Carol, and three grandchildren, Verity, Robert and Alex.
The pair shared their honest secret to a happy marriage.
"You give and you take, and always admit when you're wrong," said Violet.
Alan simply said: "I do what I'm told."
The couple had their celebration on the weekend with a family get-together, where they were all said to have a 'lovely time', with Trish and Carol doing the catering.
A friend of the family made a fruit cake adorned with the number 70 and yellow roses.
