Boughton Hall couple celebrate 60 years of marriage

Childhood sweethearts Olive and Arthur Gould celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a big party for family and friends.

The couple played together as children growing up in Buckinghamshire. Like many friendships theirs was interrupted by the Second World War. But, when Mr Gould left the army and Mrs Gould returned home after serving in the Land Army they were reunited. Love blossomed and they started dating.

Mr Gould proposed to Olive during a romantic walk in bluebell woods near their homes in High Wycombe. Eighteen months later, they married.

The couple went on to live in Buckinghamshire and Somerset before spending 20 years in Herefordshire. They have now settled at Boughton Hall, a retirement community in Filkins Lane, Chester, just a few minutes from son Ian and his wife Roberta.

And that’s where they hosted the party to mark their diamond wedding anniversary, surrounded by friends, neighbours and family.

“We decided 60 years of marriage was a good reason to celebrate and we were lucky to be joined by so many people we know,” said Mr Gould.

After 60 years as Mr and Mrs, the Goulds are ideally placed to advise on the key to a happy marriage.

“A good sense of humour helps,” said Mr Gould. “We had known each other for so long before we got married, we knew, more or less, what to expect!”