Dewsbury couple celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary

Eighty-two year old Pauline and 86 year old Willie Sinclair, who have lived in the same house on Dewsbury Moor their whole married life, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday (June 9).

Pauline, who was born and bred in Dewsbury worked as an evening home care health assistant for Dewsbury Council, visiting residents around Thornhill Lees for 15 years before retiring at 66.

Willie - who was born in Scotland - worked as a panel beater and welder at a garage before becoming a Workshop technician at Earselton High School, where he worked for 20 years.

The couple unexpectedly met in 1956 when Pauline was just 16 years old whilst working with Willie’s sister Annie at a shop in Dewsbury.

After dating for six years, the couple married on June 9, 1962.

Pauline explains: “Willie was in the Air Force at the time and he had an accident which meant he was off work and at home recovering after being in hospital.

“After he recovered and he was still off sick, Willie was at a bit of a loose end and he used to come on his motorbike and take his sister home.

“One night he came to pick Annie up at 5.30pm when the shop shut and she called me back as I was heading towards the bus station for a bus.

“It turned out Annie’s husband had come from her in a van and she said that Willie would take me home on his motorbike if I wanted - and I thought that was lovely.

“I took him the longest way round that I could think of, I never thought I would get on a motorbike again and I loved it.

“So, that was it, until one Tuesday when I went to Annie's house to help her clean up after she had a chimney sweep.

“There I was in Annie’s husband's old trousers in a real mess, cleaning up when Willie walked in.

“I felt so embarrassed in these horrible trousers. From then on we dated for six years before we married on June 9, 1962.

“We got married at St John's Church, which overlooks the house we moved into on our wedding day, which we have lived in ever since.

“We have two children, Andrea was born in 1967 and lives in Melbourne Australia now with her husband and Gillian was born in 1971 and now lives in Canterbury, Kent.

“We had a lovely anniversary today (June 9), we went out and had a meal at the Liversedge restaurant in Heckmondwike and it was very nice.

“We have always been very happy and content with everything that we have done and have been happily married for all these years.

“We don’t really row - we might have a few odd disagreements, don't get me wrong - you just have to give and take, and that's what we do.

“You also have to take marriage seriously and carry on and accept issues - there's no point getting upset.

“We have had a very happy married life together.”