Diamond day as devoted couple mark 60 years of wedded bliss

Beryl and Thomas Askey met on Boxing Day in 1958 at Station Street Club in Walsall.

At the time Tom was known as a Jack the lad, whereas Beryl was much more shy and quiet.

When Beryl was 16 and Tom was 21, the couple got engaged on May 23, 1959, before they married on December 17, 1960.

When they first married, they lived in Tasker Street in a one-up one-down, before moving to Queen Mary Street in Palfrey to be closer to their family.

In their early years the pair had various jobs. Tom worked as a fireman on the railway and Beryl worked at Walker’s Bacon Market.

Both of them ended their working careers after working at Walsall Metropolitan Council, with Beryl working as a warden in sheltered housing for 33 years and Tom being a plasterer for 28 years.

The couple have two daughters, Catherine and Jayne, four grandsons, Mark, Thomas, David and Jonjoe and one great grandson, Roman.

Due to the pandemic, the family’s plans to celebrate together have had to be postponed.

As Tom is vulnerable, his family are putting off their get together to keep him safe.

Jayne Highway, daughter, said: “Both enjoy their holidays and have had family trips abroad to Ibiza, Benidorm, Tenerife and Cyprus, however of late they enjoy coach holidays.

“We had a party and family meal planned, as family is very important to Beryl and Tom and we all wanted to be there to celebrate with them.

“Like a lot of families we understand they are having the same heartache not being able to celebrate such a milestone.

“We are like a lot of families unable to celebrate our mom and dad’s diamond wedding anniversary altogether as a family.”