They were friends together at the village school, they married at the village church and eight of their ten children were born in the village.

And today Paddy and Flora Brigham celebrated 60 years of happy marriage at their home in Bishop Wilton, with a big diamond wedding party also being planned for Saturday.

The couple, both aged 80, of Vale Crescent, were being joined by all ten children, and also their 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Flora said she went to school with Paddy, they got engaged in their teens and they had rarely been apart all their lives, except for a spell in the war when Paddy had to serve in Africa.

"We had ten children - Ann, Mike, Barrie, Pamela, Geoffrey, Susan, Edward, Ian, Jackie and Andrew, and we have 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

"Most of them live in the village. I am proud of them all," she said.

She said her husband worked for more than 30 years on Lord Halifax's estate as a bricklayer before he retired at 65.