'Our parents thought it would never last': Scarborough couple celebrate diamond wedding anniversary

Gill and Frank Edmond first met in 1960 when Frank was working in the maintenance department of the prestigious store and Gill was working in the gowns section.

"We met in the canteen,” said Mrs Edmond. “I said to my friend: ‘He looks nice, in the blue jeans’ and he said to his friend: ‘Look at her, she’s lovely.’

"He thought I was very posh!

"We started going out, I would have been about 15 and Frank, 17. We had our first date at the Odeon Cinema. I can’t remember what we went to see – but it was probably a cowboy movie.”

The couple married in 1963. Mrs Edmond said: “Our parents thought that we were too young to get married and that it would never last – how wrong they were!”

They had three children, Tracy, Karen and the late Nicola, who sadly passed away in 2014.

"Karen and Tracy are so much help to us,” said Mrs Edmond. “When we were younger we used to go on caravan holidays and go for weeks in Scotland which the kids really enjoyed.

"For our first big holiday we went to Florida. We had never flown before, and we enjoyed that.

"We were there for two weeks, but hadn’t done everything we wanted to do, so Frank rang home and asked for another week off work.

"After that we went back every year.”

Asked what the secret for a long and happy marriage is Mrs Edmond said: “Never go to bed on an argument.

" We’re together and we always want to be together.

"I wouldn’t know what to do without him, and he wouldn’t know what to do without me.

"We’re still very much in love.

"He’s very good, he just does things to help me.

"We still go out and have a meal or go for a few drinks together.”

The couple will celebrate their anniversary with a party at the Railwaymen’s Social Club on Sunday, September 24 at 2pm.