A Workington couple are preparing to celebrate 60 years together.

Joe and Margaret Gaunt, of Loweswater Avenue, will celebrate their diamond anniversary on Thursday with a family party at the Broughton Craggs Hotel, Great Broughton.

The couple got married at St Mary's Church in Westfield in 1957.

Mr Gaunt, 82, said: "It will be nice to get together and celebrate. Sixty years of marriage is an important thing.

"We've had good times and bad times, but we're still here."

Mr Gaunt moved from Liverpool to Workington after World War Two at the age of 11.

He said: "One day I was walking down the street with a friend when Margaret and her friend were coming out of the Oxford cinema. My friend knew her friend and we got talking and that was it."
Mrs Gaunt, 80, said: "We were engaged for eight months before we got married. We had a big wedding. It was a nice day."

The couple have three children, Graeme, 59, Julie, 55, and Gaynor, 51.

They also have seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mr Gaunt said he had lovely memories of family holidays.

He said: "The best one we had was in New Forest, because there was loads to do for the children.

"We did a lot of caravanning in Scotland when the children were small, we had some good years, we've enjoyed our lives together."

Mr Gaunt worked in the coal mines before joining the army for 22 years.

He later worked for Walter Wilson's shops and worked as a pub fitter for Jennings before retiring in 1994.

Mrs Gaunt started her working life at the steelworks and her last job was in a tobacco kiosk in Workington.

The couple lived on Frazer Street before moving to their current home 57 years ago.

Mr Gaunt said: "We're really looking forward to celebrating our anniversary, I'm sure we'll enjoy it."