Diamond day joy for musical couple
ADEVOTED couple who first met at primary school then lived, worked and played in a band together have celebrated 60 years of marriage.
Mart and Janet Rodger, both 81 and originally from Cheadle Hulme, initially met when they were aged four and marked their diamond anniversary on August 3.
They both went to Queens Road Primary but lost contact after Mart fell seriously ill for a year and eventually returned to another school.
But the lovebirds were reunited when Janet went to watch her friend’s jazz band. Mart was also playing on stage and Janet was hooked.
The couple fell in love and maintained their romance despite Mart having two years’ national service in Cyprus and Egypt.
They married at St Mary’s Methodist Church, in Handforth, on August 3, 1957 and have been inseparable ever since.
Janet said: “We had lost touch until I was 17 and went to see the band. I really liked him and followed the band round.
“We are both on the same wavelength, you have to have shared interests. It has been great spending all that time together.
“We are still speaking after 60 years, you have to like each other as well as love each other.
“We don’t do many things separately.”
Janet and the rest of her class had actually written get well cards to Mart when he was off school with a bout of tonsillitis that ended in complications.
After marrying Mart had his own business, Martin Mills Limited, which made workwear for food companies. Janet worked there as a shorthand typist.
They also played in the same jazz band for around six months and were captains at Disley Golf Club together.
Mart is the leader of Mart Rodger Manchester Jazz and both have been on trips with the band to locations including Venice, Norway, and Vancouver in Canada.
Together the couple, who now live at Fletcher Drive, Disley, have three children - Simon, 58, Andrew, 56 and Claire, 53, as well as five grandchildren.
They marked their anniversary with a meal with friends and neighbours and will have a party with family at Disley Golf Club in September.