Crawley couple mark diamond wedding

Daphne and Wilfred (Bud) Shore met at a funfair in Earlswood Common near Redhill on Friday June 13 1952 and married three years later.

Bud was a familiar face. “I had seen him from my office window,” Daphne explained.

She struck up a conversation, he escorted her to the bus stop, and 63 years on they are still together.

They got married in 1955 while Bud was still in the national service as an engineer. The ceremony was held at St Mary’s Church in Bletchingley, Surrey, where Daphne lived.

Bud grew up in Crawley and a few years later, the newly-weds moved back and have stayed for the past 56 years.

Bud said: “We’ve just always got on well together. You can’t deny that there hasn’t been a bit of friction, but it’s worked out well for us. We’ve just enjoyed life.”

Daphne and Bud, now 82 and 81, have three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and the family have remained close.

A shared love of motorbike racing across the generations has made attending races a family affair. Their grandson, William, recently won a British title in the sport.

Fond memories of camping trips with their children and seeing the family grow up are also among the couple’s favourite recollections. “We’re all a friendly family, all get on well,” explained Daphne.

A family plan to celebrate the diamond wedding with a hot tub and barbecue garden party.