Couple celebrating 70 years of marriage 'wouldn't change a thing' about each other

A couple that met during World War II at an RAF aircraft factory in Flintshire have just celebrated their 70-year wedding anniversary, and according to 92-year-old Ernest Simmonds, he wouldn’t change a thing about his “wonderful wife”.

To celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary, Mr Simmonds and his wife Gwyneth, also 92, held a party for family, friends and staff at Pendine Park’s Hillbury Care Home in Wrexham, where Mr Simmonds still visits his wife every day.

The couple have four children, Anne, Vera, Robert and Phillip. There are also five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The smitten pair say they are still in love as much today as when they got married in 1948, and owe the longevity of their marriage to not dwelling on an argument. Mrs Simmonds said: “People ask me what ‘s the secret to being married 70 years, well it’s making sure you don’t fall out and if you do, make up it up straight away. That’s what we have always done, and it works.”

Mrs Simmonds believes that she has the perfect partner; one who has always been her ‘best friend’.

She added: “We have had a marvellous life together and no matter where we have been and what we have done we have had a good time. He has always been there for me."

The couple have fond memories of when they first met at the Vickers Aircraft Factory in Broughton where they worked after the war ended. Mr Simmonds was in the Fleet Air Arm during the war; he looked after two Spitfires in Somerset after he’d trained near Cannock Chase. He explained: “The two Spitfires I looked after went over to France on D-Day and I never found out what happened to them.

“I then got posted to Australia for a year with the Fleet Air Arm. I was only a young man. When I got de-mobbed I landed a job at Broughton in the aircraft factory. That’s where I met Gwyneth. I was from Brynteg and she was originally from Coedpoeth”.

They were both working in the aircraft factory, but Mr Simmonds was making portable houses, he said: “I was working at one bench and Gwyneth and her friend were at a different one quite close to mine.”

It seems the pair were instantly attracted to each other and their conversations across the room were clearly distracting them from the tasks at hand. Mr Simmonds laughed, and continued to say: “We started talking and my boss eventually said he was moving Gwyneth to my bench as we might get more work done if we were together instead of me trying to talk to her all the time.

“We started going out, but we can’t remember where we went on our first date, it was too long ago. I eventually plucked up courage and asked her dad at their house in Brymbo and thank goodness he said yes!”

Son Phillip, says the whole family is proud of his mother’s and father’s achievement and adds they have always been happy together. He said: “They have never been apart until mum had to move into a Hillbury in December. It was just before Christmas and I thought it would prove to be a terrible thing but in actual fact it’s really helped.

“Dad is more relaxed now. He couldn’t cope at home and mum was equally unhappy. Now she gets spot on care and dad visits her every day and very often has lunch with her.

“He is still driving so gets himself down here whenever he wants. Mum had been in Chirk Hospital for quite some time and was getting a bit down and depressed but since she has been at Hillbury the improvement is amazing. And dad is so much more relaxed and back to his old self.”

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