A WEST Wiltshire couple who met on a blind date in Trowbridge have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

John and Margaret Humphries were treated to a champagne afternoon tea at the Shelburne Restaurant at the Bowood Hotel near Calne.

John, 91, and Margaret, 89, of Whites Corner at Whitley, were set up on the blind date by Margaret's work colleague.

Their only son Colin Humphries said: "Margaret was working in Frear Hills, the haberdashery shop in Trowbridge when her colleague Martha suggest she meet her boyfriend Terry Chivers'

best mate John.

"A blind date was set up and on their first outing together they went to the Gaumont Cinema in Fore Street, Trowbridge."

They married on Saturday, October 21, 1950 at St Nicholas Church in Bromham and Colin was born in 1951.

He now runs a double glazing company in Belper, Derbyshire, with his ex-wife Susan, and his son, Ryan works for the NHS in Derby.

Margaret is one of five siblings. She has two sisters and two brothers. John comes from Bratton and was one of six children. He is the only surviving member of his family and had two brothers and three sisters.

After they married, John worked in the building trade for J W Holdaway, while Margaret worked for Frear Hills in Trowbridge and then for Southern Electricity in Bradford on Avon.

Later, the couple gave up their jobs to run a convenience store in Chippenham for many years.

Mr Humphries later worked for Wiltshire Farmers and then for Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, the 9th Marquess of Lansdowne, on the Bowood Estate.

Lord Lansdowne was unable to drop by the afternoon tea at the Shelburne Restaurant at Bowood Hotel, but Mrs Humphries' only surviving sister Christine attended with her husband Dudley Pearce.

Colin said: “We had only five of us for tea because of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.”

The couple received a best wishes card from the Queen and put their long and happy marriage down to love and patience and working together to overcome any problems.

These days, they live a fairly quiet life, with John enjoying gardening, and Margaret reading, cooking and watching television.