Two lovebirds who ‘hated’ each other when they first met at primary school have celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary – and revealed they’ve ‘never had an argument’.
Osborne and Edith Hancock, both 92, from St Helens, didn’t get on with one another when they sat next to each other in class aged just ten – but twelve years later they were tying the knot.
The pair began courting in their late teens, but were separated for two years when Osborne joined the RAF and was based in Singapore.
Determined to keep the romance blossoming, they stayed in touch by writing to each other every day – with Osborne even proposing to his sweetheart with a letter in the post, and the pair have remained inseparable ever since.
They celebrated 70 years of marriage on Wednesday with a buffet in their garden as friends and family dropped by to give their best wishes, cards and gifts.
A couple (pictured on their 90th birthdays) who ‘hated’ each other when they first met at primary school have celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary – and revealed they’ve ‘never had an argument’
Osborne and Edith Hancock, both 92, from St Helens, didn’t get on with one another when they sat next to each other in class aged just ten – but twelve years later they were tying the knot (above)
Osborne, who said the couple had a ‘lovely day’, revealed: ‘We’ve had a great life and we’ve got a wonderful family. We all get on and it was lovely to see them all.
‘We don’t feel our age at all, we look after each other and ourselves and we’re healthy and happy. We’ve never had an argument really, maybe the odd cross word, but nothing serious. And we never slept on it.
He added: ‘It’s got to the point now where we’re almost telepathic, we can read other’s minds and we know what each other is thinking. Plenty of times I’ll suggest something and Edith will say “I was just thinking that”.
‘We just get on. We take each day as it comes and we always have done. I think it comes from the days of the RAF when we didn’t know what would happen.’
The pair (pictured) began courting in their late teens, but were separated for two years when Osborne joined the RAF and was based in Singapore
But Osborne said the couple didn’t always see eye to eye, adding: ‘She hated me at first, she always copied off me in class.’
The couple soon hit it off as they got older and began dating when they left high school.
Osborne explained: ‘We both went to grammar school and then as we got older we saw more of each other. We had seen each other a few times and then I joined the RAF and was posted to Singapore for two and a half years so you could say our courtship was by post.
‘There was no internet then, no landlines even, so everything was done by letter. I proposed to her by letter and she accepted by letter. I even sent her £20 to pick her own engagement ring.
Determined to keep the romance blossoming, they stayed in touch by writing to each other every day – with Osborne even proposing to his sweetheart with a letter in the post, and the pair (pictured on their wedding day) have remained inseparable ever since
‘We planned the wedding by letters back and forth. We could never argue about who said what back in those days as it was all written down.’
The couple, who have four children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, married at their local Salvation Army Church in 1950.
The buffet was largely provided by Osborne, who brought food back with him from his post in Singapore because rationing was still being enforced in the UK.
He said: ‘One of my kitbags was just full of food, we had quite a feast on the wedding day.
‘I was always very attracted to her and I knew I would like to propose eventually as soon as we started dating. I got to 21 and thought I might as well get married now.
They celebrated 70 years of marriage on Wednesday with a buffet in their garden as friends and family (pictured above, before lockdown) dropped by to give their best wishes, cards and gifts
‘I don’t know what she saw in me, though. I was a six stone bag of bones when I came back from Singapore.
‘Edith was a professional cookery demonstrator back then though, maybe she saw me as a challenge and she thought she’d fatten me up. She’s done well, she’s been fattening me up ever since and still is today.’
Edith, who spent 30 years in nursing after having children, said the couple had always been happy and their home had always been filled with love.
Recalling Osborne’s proposal, she said: ‘I thought he’d have proposed to me after me writing to him for two years, so it wasn’t a surprise. But I was glad he did.
‘There was never a chance I was going to say no, I started planning the wedding straight away.’
She added: ‘I think the one reason we get on so well is we have so many shared interests and the same tastes in music. We’re very much alike and we’re just always happy, always making each other laugh.’