AN ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ couple have been raising a toast with their family to celebrate their milestone diamond wedding anniversary.
Peter and Ruth Wilson were joined by family and friends to mark 60 long years of marriage, following their wedding on April 3, 1963.
The octogenarians met in Belfast in the 1960s when Bangor man Peter convinced his Belfast bride, then Ruth Creighton, to set up house in his home town.
Not long after they welcomed two daughters, Tracey and Beverly, and are now the proud grandparents of five boys – Jack, Louis, Ethan and Elliott and Jolee. Their sons in law are Ian Campton and Simon Murray.
Their family ties were celebrated at their family home in Bangor last month and with a special dinner at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club.
Tracey said her mum was just 17 when she met her dad, who she married five years later, after toasting their nuptials at Belfast Castle.
Ruth worked as a hairdresser at the time, continuing in that field in Bangor right up until her retirement, while Peter was a senior training manager and facilitator in the health service until he retired.
“They went on their honeymoon to Marbella and they named their first house in Broadway, in Bangor, ‘Marbella’,’ she said, adding her parents later moved to the Baylands area of the town.
“The first house they bought was actually the house dad had played in as a child, as it had belonged to his great uncle, Jack Couples,” she recounted.
Ardent bridge players throughout their lives, Ruth and Peter still enjoy the challenging card game and continue to play with friends in bridge clubs.
“Dad was a great swimmer and swam for Bangor Swimming Club and still swims today, regularly, at Aurora.
“Mum is very active with the U3A, doing all types of activities with them, and mum also did charity work for Action Cancer.
“They are both very supportive of friends and go on visits to friends who are quite ill and in nursing homes.
“They are really both inspirational,” said Tracey, adding that they also received a lovely 60th anniversary card from the King, ahead of his Coronation this week.