A COUPLE who met at a swimming pool are celebrating their diamond wedding.

Albert and Daphne Brown, of Redfern Avenue, off London Road, Worcester, will be with friends and family to help them enjoy 60 years of wedded bliss. They met when Mr Brown, aged 84, was with his brothers in a swimming pool in Nottingham and he noticed Mrs Brown, 79.

But despite his many attempts at asking her out, she declined.

Mrs Brown said: "He was with his brothers when I met him and he just kept asking me for a date, but I said no.

"But when I left I got to the turnstile and changed my mind, I don't really know why but I am glad I did."

Mrs Brown had lived in Jersey but was evacuated to Bolton about six months before the Germans invaded. She was visiting family in Nottingham when they met.

Mr Brown was in the Navy from the age of 16 and they married when he was 24 and Mrs Brown was 19, tying the knot at a Nottingham register office.

"It was a nice day and it didn't rain. I didn't have a dress, I wore a suit as during that time we still had coupons to buy clothes. So we thought it was the best thing to do and were quite happy with it," she said.

Shortly after they got married, Mr Brown was sent to Northern Ireland and his new wife went to live with him in Londonderry, where they lived for 18 months and had their first child, Carol.

The couple then moved to Gosport, in Hampshire, a naval town, where they had a further two children, Charles and David.

Mr Brown, who rose through the ranks, was promoted to a chief petty officer in 1954.

They now have eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Mr and Mrs Brown moved to Worcester when he got a job as a recruitment officer for the Royal Navy and they have lived in the city for 46 years.

"I really love Worcester, we are both very happy here and have some great neighbours," she said.

The couple will be celebrating with friends and family at a special party held for them at Whittington Hall.