Diamond pair still sparkling
A couple who met across a paint pot have celebrated 60 years of wedded bliss.
David and Jean French from Houghton are still sparkling as they mark their diamond wedding.
The couple met when David, a painter and decorator, was called in to spruce up the Newcastle Arms pub in Houghton.
Jean, 81, explained: “My dad was a pub landlord and we had moved about to a number of pubs.
“I was 17 when we moved into the Newcastle Arms.
“He had just taken over the pub and David was one of the decorators called in to repaint it.
“He asked me out on a date and the rest is history.”
David, 83, who is an artist and has held several exhibitions, was called to do his national service and after that the couple tied the knot at St Michael and All Angels’ Church in Houghton.
The couple, who have two daughters, one son, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, celebrated their big day with family and friends with a party at the Burnside club in Fencehouses.
Jean, who worked as a shop assistant in the old Woolworths store in Houghton, said she never imagined they would reach such a milestone as their diamond wedding, but they have been very lucky.
While David enjoyed his passion for art, Jean enjoyed being a member of Houghton St Michael’s Variety Group, which used to put on entertainment shows with music, dancing and comedy sketches.
Together, the pair have always loved the great outdoors and have spent a lot of time in the Lake District, hill and mountain climbing.
Jean said: “We still love putting a flask up and going for a ride out.
“We still love the lakes, but we can’t do the climbing anymore.
“We just enjoy being together.”