Diamonds are forever for Staveley anniversary couple who always say ‘I love you’ before going to sleep

His wife Pam said: “He’s a right romancer – he always has been. I’m a bit disabled now and can’t walk very far so he does everything for me. He makes me meals and drinks and brings them to me.

“We never go to sleep unless we've said we love each other. That's been a policy of ours all our married life.

"If we do have any words, we always sort them out. My husband says ‘I always have to agree with her whether she's right or not’!”

Pete and Pam were teenagers when they met at the Diamond Horseshoe cafe in Bolsover. Pam, who was 15 at the time, said: “They used to have a jukebox in there and we all used to gather in. I called in there with a friend when we were going to the pictures and my friend introduced me to Pete. He said: ‘Why don’t you go to the Sportsdrome and have a dance?’ I told him I didn’t think we’d got enough money. He said: ‘I’ll pay the extra if you want to go’ and that’s how it started.”

The couple married at Duckmanton Parish Church on June 17, 1961, four and a half years after they first met.

They now have two daughters, Susan and Paula, seven grandchildren, eight-grandchildren and another great-grandchild is due in September.

Pete, 82, and Pam, 79, have lived in the same house at Middlecroft, Staveley, for 56 years.

During his working life, Pete was employed at Bolsover, Ireland and Markham collieries as a chock fitter, served with the Sherwood Foresters regiment, worked as a fitter on lorries at Clugston and as a fitter at Robert Hyde, then had a job at Arnold Laver before retirement.

Pam worked as a hosiery factory in Bolsover, did hairdressing, was employed at Inkersall Green School where her duties included cleaning and serving food, and was a cleaner at Middlecroft School until she retired.

In their younger days, the couple enjoyed hiking and caravanning.

Pete and Pam remain dedicated to the sounds of the Fifties, particularly songs by Elvis Presley, Billy Fury and Engelbert Humperdinck. Pam said: “We still love music. It keeps us young.”

They had hoped to celebrate their diamond wedding with a cruise to America and Canada but their holiday booking was scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic’s restrictions on travel.

However, family members are making sure that the couple’s diamond day will be full of special memories. Pam said: “Our eldest daughter is planning a surprise for us.”

Pam has an anniversary gift for her husband but was keeping mum about it before the big day. She said: “I know he will love it.”

READ THIS: Chesterfield neighbours celebrate golden wedding on same day

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