Gold medals, awards and broadcasting moments: Wolverhampton's golden couple Hugh Porter and Anita Lonsbrough

Cyclist Hugh and swimmer Anita have achieved major honours in their sporting careers including championships in their respective disciplines, found successful careers in the media and broadcasting, and served as charity ambassadors for Compton Care.

Hugh was born in Wolverhampton on January 27, 1940, and grew up in the city, with cycling becoming a huge part of his life when he joined Wolverhampton Wheelers at 16, then began winning races as a senior in 1958.

Anita was born in York on August 10, 1941, and made Huddersfield her home at the age of 14, having lived in India and Harrogate due to her father being a Sergeant Major in the Coldstream Guards, and won her first medals at the age of 16 at the 1958 Empire Games in Cardiff.

The couple have never forgotten the moment they first met on the British athletes' plane to the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Anita said they were on the last leg of the flight to Japan and she had been struggling to sleep, so had gone up to the front of the plane to see the view from the cockpit.

She said: “We were all in our different sport groups and the swimmers were at the back of the plane and it was night time and I couldn’t sleep, so I was allowed to go up to where the pilots were and see the view.

“As I was heading back, there were the modern pentathlon boys sitting opposite the cycling team and I knew a few of the modern pentathlon team from the Rome games, so I started chatting to them.

“The cyclists then got involved in the chat and then Hughie leaned over to invite me to breakfast with him and the team when we got to Tokyo.”

Hugh said: “That was how we got to know each other as, in those days, the flight to Tokyo was done in stages, landing every seven hours to refuel, so there were a lot of stops on the way.

“I started chatting to Anita on the plane and we sat down together and talked and just enjoyed each other’s company.

“We weren’t staying near each other as the swimmers were at the main village and the cyclists were in a village 25 miles away, so the next time I saw her was at the opening ceremony when she became the first woman to carry the flag, and we had a good chat then.”

Following the completion of their events, Hugh and Anita said they spent more time together after the cycling team moved into the main village, going shopping and attending the closing ceremony and events afterwards.

On their return to the UK the couple began to work out how to see each other more, with Hugh living in Wolverhampton and Anita in Huddersfield, but Anita said that as Hugh began to train more for his cycling career, she was spending more time in the Midlands and could remember the dates from meeting to marrying Hugh.

She said: "We met on September 25, 1964, we were engaged on March 5, 1965 and got married at St Peter's Parish Church in Huddersfield on June 17, 1965.

"I realised that it was costing a lot of money for me to travel down here as Hughie was training, so I got the job down here in Wolverhampton and we were able to get engaged and then get married."

Hugh said his biggest memory of the wedding day was the sheer number of people who came out for it, testament to how popular Anita was in Huddersfield.

He said: "If you see the photos from that day, it looked like half of the town had come out to celebrate Anita, which was a real eye-opener for me as I was quite shy and retiring back then.

"It was the happiest day of my life, but certainly one of the scariest as I suddenly realised what it was like to be marrying a household name and a superstar, as half of Huddersfield turned up!"

In their 60 years of marriage, both Hugh and Anita have achieved a lot within the broadcasting world, working at multiple Olympic Games and other major sporting events, then going on to become charity ambassadors for Compton Care, carrying the Queen's Baton for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and receiving royal honours in MBEs.

Anita's swimming accomplishments include five Commonwealth Games gold medals, five medals at the European Championships, including gold in 1962, and being one of just two British Olympic Gold medallists at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome after winning the 200 metres breast stroke.

She was also the first woman to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1962, was awarded an MBE in 1963 and, following her retirement in 1964, she taught swimming, became a swimming commentator for BBC radio and was also the Daily Telegraph’s swimming correspondent. 

When the Sports Personality awards came around in 1962, Anita said she had been invited to the awards, but said she didn't have a clue about being shortlisted until she, athlete Dorothy Hyman and swimmer Linda Ludgrove were brought together, and said that even at that point, she still didn't expect to win.

She said: "At the event, they got the top three together and said the three of us should make a little speech, and while they all thought I knew I'd won, I didn't and had no idea as they were dropping hints that Dorothy had won.

"I was thinking I hadn't won it, so why bother making a speech as I thought I was third, so then Linda got named third, then Dorothy was named second and I suddenly realised what had happened.

"We were all sat in the audience, so you had to get out and walk up, so by the time I'd got on the stage, I'd collected my thoughts and then you just speak naturally.

"It was lovely to win it because friends and family appreciated what I did and were proud of me, but to think that the public actually voted for you was something special."

Hugh was world champion in cycling at individual pursuit four times, as well as winning silver and bronze, and was Commonwealth Champion in 1966 at the same event, as well as enjoying a successful professional career.

Following retirement, he started his broadcasting career at BBC Radio Birmingham and became the voice of cycling across the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, World Championships and World Cup events, including commentating on cycling at every Olympics from Los Angeles in 1984 to London in 2012, and even had a successful stint commentating on speed skating.

Hugh said the world championship wins and being given his first rainbow jersey still gave him great pride all these years later.

He said: "You can’t explain what it’s like getting your first rainbow jersey, especially in a country like Italy, where children grow up wanting to be champion cyclists.

“Five-kilometre pursuits were the perfect distance for me as I got faster and faster during each ride, and it suited me.

“There’s a code of respect among professionals; winning a world title meant I became accepted.”

He also cycled into Buckingham Palace wearing a top hat and suit to receive an MBE from the Queen in March 1973; it was a day he said he would never forget, partly for the warmth and kindness of the late Queen.

He said: "It's one of the greatest days of my life - that and getting married, the two stand equal.

"I was invited to the investiture at the palace, I went with Anita and my mother and was awarded the MBE from Her Majesty.

"She was a lovely, graceful lady. She asked me three questions - unfortunately I can't remember them after 50 years - but I remember how well briefed she was.

"The thing I do remember, and I've seen other people say similar things, is in that moment when you receive your award she is just totally focussed on you, it's like there's nobody else in the world or in the room. 

"She emanated kindness and warmth and it was a supreme honour and it left me with a memory I will never forget."

Since marrying, Anita and Hugh said that while there have been challenges through work and health, they had always remained good friends and been there to help each other.

Hugh said: "When I turned pro in cycling in 1967, I was racing in Europe all over the winter, taking part in track meetings, omniums, six-day events and revenge matches and I would be living in Belgium and not coming home until February.

"That meant that Anita would be on her own living here a lot of the time, but we were able to weather that and we've had lots of laughs, been to some amazing places and done some amazing things.

"We've also got something of a standing joke in our house that whenever one of us gets an award or honour, we'll say 'got one up on you now mate!' and Anita has that as she was given an honorary doctorate by Huddersfield University and completely usurped me."

Anita said: "I got my MBE in 1963 and when the envelope from the Palace came through for Hughie, I opened it just to see if he'd got something better than me!

"What has helped us over the years is that we've always remained good friends and we see each other's side of things.

"One thing I would say to anyone getting married is to go on holiday with the other person as it's one thing to see them at home with everything organised, but quite another when you're away and you've got nothing to do."

After 60 years of marriage, it is clear to see that both are still very much in love with each other and both Hugh and Anita are able to say what they love about their other half.

Hugh said: "For all of her achievements, including Olympic and Commonwealth gold medals, she's one of the quietest and most unassuming people I have ever had the privilege of being with.

"She is always kind, never thinks about herself and always thinks about others, and those are incredible qualities."

Anita said: "Hughie has always been supportive and he has a great sense of humour.

"The road hasn't always been smooth, but you have to just walk through it - and I am always happy to walk through it with him."