A Letchworth couple are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary and awaiting their telegram from the Queen.
Gilbert and Juliet Robinson will have their diamond wedding anniversary today, which will be marked with a family party at their home and a telegram from the Queen.
The couple married on August 5, 1958, in Juliet’s home town of Redhill in Surrey, and over their years of happy marriage, welcomed four children – Vanessa, Susannah, Philip and Matthew.
Gilbert, who was born in Ridge Avenue, met Juliet at a local country dance. She was a teacher at Westbury Infant School in Letchworth and he went on to have a successful career at Hawker Sydley Aircraft in Hatfield, English Electic in London and British Aerospace in Stevenage.
Eldest daughter Vanessa shared with the Comet some of her favourite childhood memories. She said: “We had an extremely happy childhood with parents who were devoted to every aspect of our lives.
“With little disposable income and hardly any money spent on themselves, our parents invested it in family holidays in the Yorkshire Dales and music lessons for us children.
“Dad was very practical. He rewired and replumbed our house, made us a full-sized table tennis table and always seemed to have a part of a car engine on the breakfast room table! He had a VW Caravette campervan and he was always mending it.
“Just as dad was reliable, honourable, reasonable and the perfect father, mum – who came to be a primary school teacher in Arlesey – was the perfect mother.
“She welcomed all of our friends to our house and allowed us to develop in our own way. There were few rules and she was a brilliant peace-keeper.
“We had lots of pets and a large pond with lots of frogs.
“Her happy and vibrant outlook was infectious. She was devoted to each of her four children and was proud of them all.
“She also took a very active part in all of their grandsons’ childhoods, and continues to have a close relationship with all five.
“From a personal point of view, she and I are very close and have shared the ups and the downs with a positive outlook. She inspires confidence.”
Congratulations to Gilbert and Juliet from everyone at the Comet.
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