The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Sharing a special celebration year with The Queen
Couple met in 1949 and married in February 1952
A couple who live in Stanground share a Platinum anniversary with Her Majesty The Queen.
Keith and Sheila Jackson, of Kingfisher Court in Stanground, married on February 9, 1952, just three days after the death of King George VI.
Now, 70 years on, they are celebrating their Platinum Wedding Anniversary with family and friends.
The pair met as love-struck teenagers back in 1949. Keith had just started his National Service and Sheila served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.
They married three years later after Keith was demobbed. He then worked as an auctioneer’s clerk.
Keith (91) and Sheila (89) held their wedding ceremony at the Baptist chapel in WoodKeith’s ford, Northamptonshire, and they both fondly remember the lead up to their special day.
Keith said: “I had a stag ‘do’ the night before the wedding in Woodford. I recall getting rather inebriated but not much else!
“The wedding reception was in a relative’s front room in Woodford and whilst setting it upearlyontheweddingmorning we realised we hadn’t got the wedding cake pillars. So I had to get on my motorbike with my best man and race to fetch them from where Sheila lived in Kettering.’’
Despite a few setbacks for Sheila too, nothing could dampen the happy couple’s day.
Sheila said: “I was 10 minutes late for the ceremony because I got stuck in Woodford village behind a herd of cows heading for the milking parlour.”
The pair honeymooned in a relative’s house in Oldham, the couple then lived with mother for 18 months before getting their first home in Corby.
Keith remained a reservist for eight years and went back into the RAF in June 1959.
He served for 25 years, much of it overseas in 27 countries – the majority together and some with their children – including Singapore, Cyprus, Denmark, Malaysia, Yemen, and Masirah in Oman.
The couple went on to have three children – Elaine, Robert and Mark. Elaine and Mark still live locally in Peterborough and Robert emigrated to Australia.
Sheila and Keith are beloved grandparents to eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
To mark their special 70th anniversary, Keith bought Sheila a diamond and platinum eternity ring. Her Majesty the Queen has also sent the couple a special anniversary card to mark the occasion in her own Platinum year.