A DAVYHULME couple who were separated for three and a half years after tying the knot during the Second World War have reached a glittering milestone.

Kenneth and Kathleen Phipps celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary on Monday.

The couple were married in their hometown of Hayes, Middlesex - and three days later were parted when Kenneth went away on war service.

A couple of months earlier Kenneth had been evacuated from St Nazaire in France, three weeks after the main evacuation from Dunkirk.

Kenneth was a professional soldier who joined up as a private in 1931. He served with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and had risen to the rank of Lt Col when he left the service in 1957.

He worked as a purchasing manager for a company in Rochdale after leaving the army. After Kenneths retirement at the age of 60, the couple moved to Davyhulme.

Kathleen, 81, and Kenneth, 85, have three sons, nine grandchildren and a great grandchild.

Kathleen enjoys reading and tending to her family while Kenneth is also a keen reader, a crossword enthusiast and the treasurer at St Marys Church in Davyhulme.

The couple, of Esk Close, will celebrate their anniversary with a party at St Marys Church hall. Kenneth says the secret of a successful marriage is giving in to each other, not rowing - and doing things together.