LEYTONSTONE: Couple make it three diamond weddings in one family

10:13am Thursday 11th March 2010

By Mhairi Macfarlane

DEVOTED grandparents have become the third couple in their family to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary.

Bert and Peggy Webster were married at St John's Church, in Church Lane, Leytonstone, on March 11, 1950, and marked sixty years together with loved ones at a blessing on Saturday, with the bridesmaids and best man from their wedding day.

But long-term love is not unusual in their family. Mr Webster's parents, Annie and Albert Webster, from Leyton, were married for 62 years, celebrating their diamond anniversary in 1984.

And Mrs Webster's grandparents, Jack and Rosetta Grimes, were married in Leytonstone on March 10, 1885, and were also married for more than 60 years. Mrs Webster still has a cutting of the original report in the Guardian.

The 79-year-old former wedding dress designer, said: “There is a history of long and happy marriages. I think the values have been passed down and faith in one another and faith generally has helped.”

Mr Webster, 81, a retired civil servant, said: “Our parents and grandparents showed us a very good example of stability, which I think is very important as the family grows up. It was there in their families and has been passed down to us.”

The couple met at the Methodist Church youth club in Grove Green Road when they were 14 and grew fond of each other very quickly.

Mrs Webster said: “He used to play in a band with the Boys' Brigade and one day I was sat there watching them perform and thought, I do like him. And it went from there.”

At aged 19, the sweethearts married and, following Mr Webster served two years of National Service, settled in their first home in Grove Green Road.

Mrs Webster worked at her family's engineering business, GD Ponsford, also in Grove Green Road.

The grandparents-of-six later moved to Overton Drive, in Wanstead, where they have lived for 42 years and raised their three children, Margaret, 58, Paul, 55, and Jane, 49.

Mrs Webster ran a wedding dress-making company and opened a “Peggy Webster” shop in Ilford.

Mr Webster said the secret to their long union has been, “loyalty, love and laughter”.

Mrs Webster added: “You have to have an understanding of each other and realise that you don't always have to agree on everything.”