Diamond Chesterfield couple mark 60 years of marriage

Roy and Shirley Whitham were in their early 20s when their eyes met across the floor at a dance event in Huddersfield in the 1950s.

They quickly began going out together, got engaged and were married at The Primrose Hill Baptist Chapel in 1958.

In 1964, the couple moved to Chesterfield where Roy worked as a chartered accountant and later as a director at Bryan Donkin, an engineering firm.

Shirley worked in the textiles industry but became a homemaker when the couple had two children, Debbie and Neil.

In her spare time, she played the organ at St John’s and St Peter’s churches.

Now in their 80s, the couple now live in Holymoorside and have five grandchildren, who all live in the area and visit regularly.

Asked what the secret is to a happy marriage, Shirley said: “It’s all about give and take.

“Sixty years is definitely quite an achievement.”