Diamond couple met at fair

Peter and Joyce Watts met at the funfair on Fords fields near the former foundry site in June 1950 after he had finished his national service in the army.

They got engaged the following June and had their wedding at St Nicholas church in Warwick on September 19 1953.

Peter said: “We argue every day but it never lasts for long and nothing comes of it so that’s one of the reasons why we have stayed together.

“We’re also very compatible.

“I’ve not been very well recently and Joyce has looked after me very well.”

Peter has lived in Leamington for all of his life but Joyce grew up in Warwick and moved the few miles to Shrubland Street when the couple got married.

They lived there for 15 years before moving to their current address in Elizabeth Road.

The couple have worked in various jobs throughout their lives with peter taking early retirement from AP at the age of 54 in 1984.

Joyce also retired early, leaving Boots in the parade in 1990 aged 57.

The couple’s four children Josephine, Peter, Mark and Lindsay are also celebrating wedding anniversaries this month and in October with the family having 172 years of marriage between them.

Peter and Joyce also have nine grandchildren - Peter, Sinead, Anthony, Rebecca, Esther, Hannah, Lucy, Michael and Stephen.

To celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary the couple are having an afternoon tea party with family and friends at St Patrick’s Irish Club in Leamington on Sunday.