YOUNG Marjorie Blandford only lived in South Street, just across the road from St Mary’s Church in Bridport – but she still managed to be late for her wedding!

Anxious groom Albert Gale must have forgiven her because on June 28 Mr and Mrs Gale celebrated 60 years of marriage and their diamond wedding anniversary.

“My dad was fuming, because I was late, because I had just been mucking about,” recalls Mrs Gale.

Albert, 85, and Marjorie, 83, met when they both worked at the then Joseph Gundry works in West Street.

Marjorie mended nets and Albert, from Uploders, was an electrical engineer, a job he continued to do for 50 years.

He served in the army in Palestine for two years after joining up in 1946.

The couple began married life in Uploders and moved to their current home in Court Close, Bradpole in 1966 where they brought up their children Michael and Valerie. They now have three granddaughters.

Marjorie recalls that their wedding day was beautifully hot and sunny.

“I do remember it was a gorgeous day and when I came to have to take my gloves off to put the ring on, my hands were so hot I couldn’t get them off,” she says.

“In those days if there was a wedding in South Street everyone came out to see it. We all worked together at Gundry’s – everyone knew each other.”

One of the couple’s great loves has been bowling and Mr Gale is still a greenkeeper at the Bridport Bowling Club.