A couple are celebrating their Platinum anniversary after an extraordinary 70 years of marriage.
Pat and William Lawrence were married on June 7, 1952 and were “schoolyard sweethearts”. They both went to Stonebridge Lane Council Senior School and lived round the corner from each other in West Derby before getting married aged 21 and 22.
Pat, 91, and Bill, 92, suffer from dementia and live in Westhaven care home in Hoylake, Wirral. They moved there in February after living in Wirral for 63 years. The care home was one of the few that allowed them to stay with each other.
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When asked what the secret to their long-lasting marriage is, Pat jokingly said: “We don’t like each other!”. She added that they just “plod on” and, when asked whether they argue, their daughter Barbara said they have “good banter”.
The couple have three daughters - Sandra, Barbara and Pamela, six grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. The pair have a lot in common, enjoying gardening, walks around the lake at West Kirby every Sunday and Quality Streets – which they always get in their shopping.
The couple were eight and nine when war broke out and it meant their time at school was disturbed. At secondary school Bill was head boy and came in early to put the boiler on for the caretakers.
Pat worked on Bold Street in the centre of Liverpool when she left school, before starting as a typist at the Liverpool ECHO. She went home on the same bus as Bill, who she knew from her school days.
Bill was working for Smith Coggins at the port and asked Pat out during the bus journey home one evening. It was the first relationship either of them ever had.
They honeymooned in London after the wedding. To this day, neither have ever been on a plane.
Barbara said her mum loved dancing and cooking, while her dad was “marvellous” at DIY. He always blocked off the windows in the garage in November as he started building things for Christmas.
The care home is hosting a tea party to celebrate the anniversary in June. They will make a cake and have invited the couple’s old friends – including a bridesmaid from their wedding 70 years ago.
The family said they were very happy with the support they received from Westhaven care home. The daughters said: “They are looking after mum and dad with great care and affection. We welcome the professional manner and support from all the staff and we are looking forward to the anniversary celebrations!”
