A St John couple who first met at a college dance have celebrated 60 years of marriage. John and Paddy (Rita) Hough were married in St David’s Church, Exeter on August 11, 1956, with John’s father taking the service.

In 1961, their first son David was born and it was soon after that the family moved to Torpoint. Three years later, their younger son Martin arrived, and both sons eventually settled and brought up their own families in Torpoint.

John was a teacher at Torpoint School until 1985, and Paddy worked at the RNXS until 1994, the same year that the Houghs moved home to the village of St John.

The happy couple say that a highlight of their diamond wedding was receiving a card from the Queen – something which they described as ‘really rather special’.