A TEIGNBRIDGE couple who recently celebrated 60 years of marriage have said that give and take goes a long way toward a happy marriage.

Colin and Audrey Squirrell celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last week on Thursday, August 29.

The couple were surprised to have received a card marking the occasion from His Majesty King Charles III, and Her Majesty The Queen.

‘We didn't how this came about, but later the family mentioned they had organised it all’ the couple said.

‘We don’t know how they did it, but it was such a lovely surprise!’ they added.

To celebrate the occasion Colin, 82, and Audrey, 81, had a party for family and friends the weekend before their anniversary; it was then off to Teignmouth’s premier Greek restaurant, Trade Winds, with the family on the actual date of the anniversary.

But what is the secret to a long, happy marriage?

The couple both agreed that give and take goes a long way!

Colin moved to Teignmouth from Surrey in May of 1959 at the age of 17; a couple of months later he acquired employment on the railway as a Signalman at Starcross after training at Newton Abbot.

At that time Audrey, aged 16, was working in a solicitors office in Dawlish as a shorthand typist. The pair met when Audrey used to go into the corner shop on Coombe Vale Road, which was owned by Colin’s parents.

One day Colin asked Audrey for a date and that, as they say, was that.

And what were their first impressions of one another?

‘I though that Audrey was a great looking, smart girl’ Colin said.

‘Colin had a great sense of humour and he liked all sports’ Audrey said.

The couple married on August 29, 1964 at St James Church.

And it was off to Jersey for their honeymoon, before setting up home in Teignmouth.

Colin and Audrey have two children, Andrew and Tina, six grandchildren and step grandchildren, together with daughter-in-law Emma.

‘Over the years we have been fortunate to have travelled on many holidays to varying countries throughout the world’ the couple said. ‘We moved to Kingsteignton from Teignmouth around 20 years ago’ they added.