Platinum anniversary

Barbara and John Hooper, both 92 years old grew up in Ledbury at a time when “it was much smaller and everyone seemed to know each other.”

“We tended to go around in groups to Ledbury cinema and dances at the Malvern Winter Gardens, so we knew each other growing up,” they said. When he left school, John went on to work at RRE, Malvern and Barbara went to work at TRE, Malvern. They would meet up on the Malvern-Ledbury train, “when John wasn’t riding his motorbike,” said Barbara.

The couple eventually tied the knot on September 1st, 1949 at Ledbury Methodist Chapel.

“My mother always told me to marry someone who could cook,” John said, “and Barbara certainly could.”

In fact, Barbara won the Feathers Hotel Challenge Cup for Cookery at the Ledbury Horticultural Show in 2015 – at the age of 88.

They are both are still extremely active - Barbara is a keen artist and John enjoys flying model airplanes – and they are both talented and enthusiastic gardeners.

Joined by thirty two friends and family from various parts of the country, John and Barbara celebrated in style with a luncheon at the Ale House, Colwall, organized by their four children, Hilary, Briory, Tim and Tony, and attended by one of their bridesmaids, friends, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews and nieces. Their anniversary greeting card from the Queen was proudly displayed next to an impressive cake.