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Nelson couple celebrate 60th wedding anniversary

News | Rhys Williams | Published: 09:00, Thursday March 14th, 2019.

Vera Thomas and David Thomas have been married for 60 years

A couple from Nelson have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

David Thomas, 84 and Vera Thomas, 80, met in 1954 and got married on March 14, 1959.

The couple have since had three children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, with a tenth currently on the way.

Mr and Mrs Thomas are marking the big day with a family party.

Vera said: “David and I first met on Mill Road in Trelewis on a Sunday afternoon.

“I was walking down the road with a friend and David was coming up the road in his car. He stopped and we started chatting.

“He asked if he could take me out in the evening and I said I had to go to chapel. He asked to meet me afterwards and I said yes.”

The couple were engaged three years later and got married at Trinity Chapel in Trelewis on a “drizzly day” in 1959.

David and Vera on their wedding day in 1959

After getting married, they went to Bournemouth for their honeymoon.

They then lived with Vera’s mother for their first seven years of marriage.

David, who is originally from Quakers Yard and worked as a miner at Deep Navigation Colliery in Treharris, said: “I had to wash the dishes every day.”

Shortly after their marriage they got their first car together – a Ford Prefect.

David and Vera moved to Ystrad Mynach in 1966, where they owned a sweet shop on Commercial Street, which they owned until 1971.

Vera said: “Lots of school children used to come into our shop.

“Lemon bonbons and midget gems were their favourites.”

Vera went on to work at Nelson Library and Caerphilly Library before retiring aged 65 and still has regular meet ups with her former colleagues.

During their 60 years of marriage, David and Vera have visited a number of different countries together, including Malta, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Yugoslavia, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Vera said: “Of all the places we’ve been together, Malta has to be our favourite.”

But their favourite part of married life has been seeing their family expand.

Vera told Caerphilly Observer: “The highlight has been seeing our children grow up, having grandchildren and seeing our family grow.”

The couple moved to Nelson more than 30 years ago and have stayed there ever since.

Vera said: “We put our 60 years of being happily married down to never going to bed on a quarrel. You make up and when you wake up in the morning it’s all forgotten.”

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