Anniversary: Ada and Ken Simpson celebrate platinum wedding anniversary

Ada and Ken Simpson are celebrating 70 years of marriage with their platinum wedding anniversary.

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Rochdale couple Ada and Ken Simpson are celebrating 70 years of marriage with their platinum wedding anniversary on Monday (7 August).

Having met at John Bright’s Fieldhouse Mill during World War Two, Ada (née Evans) and Ken married in 1947 at the now-demolished Church of the Good Shepherd on Entwistle Road, Rochdale at the ages of 20 and 19, respectively.

The happily-married couple, who have won several trophies for the best kept garden in Rochdale, have four children: Anita, 67, who lives in Bury, Alison, 66, who lives in Rochdale, Kenneth, 59, who lives in Bristol, and Sharon, 55, who lives in Thrapston. They have also been blessed with three grandchildren, Andrew, 43, Jenny, 41, Natasha, 40, and a great-grandson, Ryan.

Son Kenneth said the secret of such a long and successful marriage is their devotion to each other.

He added: “It is a remarkable achievement: 70 years of marriage is very special and something very few couples will achieve. They are devoted to each other and love each other, tolerance would be one element and a shared love of gardening.”

To commemorate the occasion, Anita and Alison are visiting their parents, and putting on a celebratory tea. Kenneth will be travelling to Rochdale for the weekend with Sharon visiting on Saturday (12 August).

Born on 19 June 1927 as the only child of William and Emily Evans, Ada, now 90, has lived in Rochdale ever since. Ada returned to work as a welder/assembler for Presswork Components when daughter Sharon was in middle school and Ken worked at John Bright as a carder for many years.

Ken, now 89, was born in Kingston upon Hull on 18 November 1927. A middle child, he moved to the borough as a young teenager, following the Hull blitz in May 1941, with his dad, William, and four siblings.

His mum, Gertrude, died when he was nine and his dad William died shortly after moving to Rochdale. Ken’s brothers, Bill and Peter, have also died, his sister Doreen lives in a care home and his brother Roy lives in Perth, Australia.