Black Country couple's love still going strong 70 years on
"I couldn't take my eyes off of Joan and I knew she was the one for me."
A Black Country couple are ready to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary with a socially distanced afternoon tea party.
John Westwood, known as Jack, aged 92, and Vera Joan Westwood, known as Joan, 91, are marking the rare platinum anniversary.
The pair have lived in Dudley all their lives and both grew up and still live in Gornal.
They met at what was a picture house in Red Hall Road known as 'The Bump'.
Jack said: "I couldn’t take my eyes off of Joan and I knew that she was the one for me."
Jack and Joan got married at St James the Great Church in Gornal on July 14, 1950, around 20 guests attended the ceremony and the couple honeymooned in Torquay.
After they got married they moved to Coopers Bank where they lived for nearly 60 years, their son Philip and daughter-in-law Carol had a house built in their garden 16 years ago so they could be close to them to look after them as they got older.
They now have two granddaughters, Gemma Westwood, and Hayley Church and two great granddaughters who live in Wales.
Jack worked as a Lorry driver and Joan was the security officer for the Concord markets in Sedgley and Brierley Hill.
When they were younger, the couple used to enjoy sequence dancing, travelling all over the world and playing crown green bowls.
Jack has always been a keen gardener and still loves to get in the greenhouse to plant his tomatoes and kidney beans.
When asked the secret of a long happy marriage, Joan said: "Good food, sharing and love" and Jack said: "Pulling together."
They added: "It is a wonderful achievement and we are very lucky to still both have each other."
The anniversary is on Tuesday June 14 and the couple will be celebrating on the following Saturday.
