Tea time meet leads to 60 years of wedded bliss

When Freda Armstrong went to her friend’s house for tea, she didn’t realise how it would change her life.

Aged 19, she met and fell in love with her pal’s brother, Geoffrey and the married three years later at All Souls Church, in Heywood.

The couple, who live in Duxbury, Chorley, recently celebrated their diamond anniversary at a party at The Armstrong Centre at St Michael’s C of E High School, where they both act as governors.

Freda, 84, said: “I met Geoffrey through his sister, as we were friends and I went round for tea.

“Geoffrey was there and we began dating. He was about to go into the national service and he went away to Kenya and Germany.

“He returned and got a job in the textiles industry, which took us to Chorley.

“Five years after we got married, I had our daughter and we later had a son. We have five grandchildren.

“Our advice to a successful marriage is to always keep happy. Life is not always easy, but you have to carry on and be strong.”