St Patrick’s Day Diamond wedding anniversary

Couple share secret to long marriage as they celebrate 60 years together on St Patrick’s Day.

A ST ALBANS couple who got married on St Patrick’s Day must have the luck of the Irish when it comes to having a long and successful marriage, as they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Thursday, March 17.

Doreen and Arthur Worbey, who have received a celebratory message from the Queen for their 60th wedding anniversary, initially met at the tender age of just seven, when they sat together in class through their junior years at school.

They met again years later, when Arthur came home from army service in 1950, at a fair in St Albans. A year later the happy couple married on St Patrick’s Day at St Stephen’s Church.

However, because of rationing after World War II, while Doreen and Arthur had managed to save enough coupons to have a fruit cake, they didn’t have enough for the icing. There has been plenty of icing recently though as the happy couple have enjoyed celebrating their special occasion with family.

The couple, both aged 81, said the secret to having a long and happy marriage was, “enjoying each other’s company and hardly ever arguing.”

Doreen and Arthur have three children, Christine Jackson-Parr, Linda Canty and Joanne Steadman; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

They look forward to many more happy years together.