Couple from St Albans celebrate 60 years of marriage
Jean and Graham King celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary. Picture: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Sonya Duncan
A St Albans couple who met on the dodgems at a fair 62 years ago, are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.
For Jean King, nee Webster 79, and Graham, 81, it was love at first sight when they saw each other from their bumper cars.
For him it was her smile, and for her his RAF uniform that attracted them to each other in the fairground back in September 1958.
“When I saw her I stayed in one place,” Graham said. “I remember her smile, after that I took her home on my scooter and we just kept seeing each other.”
After two years of courting and a quaint proposal the pair got married in an intimate ceremony with close family on July 30, 1960.
That evening the couple got on a train to start their life in St Albans, where Graham was born.
“There was more work in St Albans which is the main reason why we moved,” Jean said. “It’s where we had our two children, Sarah and Michael, and where we spent most of our married life.
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“I worked in Marconi’s and Graham worked for BT.”
When asked about the secret to a 60 year marriage, the couple spoke of their focus for their own relationship.
Graham said: “We didn’t look at what everybody else was doing, if a couple we knew bought a new car - we didn’t go and get one just because.
“We were and still are just focused on our own marriage.”
Jean added: “Of course we have had ups and downs and our fair share of disagreements but we sit down, talk everything through and come to an amicable agreement.”
To celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, the pair were planning a night away and a nice dinner to celebrate, but due to the coronavirus this ended up falling through.
Instead, their daughter has organised a special afternoon tea for the couple, which will see all eight of their grandchildren celebrating with them either in person or over Zoom.
They are also due to get a card from The Queen, congratulating them on their achievement.
