A MALVERN couple celebrating 60 years of marriage thanked their family for a wonderful day.

Eunice and Bob Hammond, of Jamaica Road, enjoyed a celebration dinner and party at the Bank House Hotel on Thursday, surrounded by friends and relatives.

Eunice, 79, left Abertysswg, in Wales, at the age of 14 and worked the Montrose Hotel on Graham Road, Malvern. On one of her days off she attracted the attention of Bob, now 82, a sailor home on leave.

After marrying in Abertysswg, Mr Hammond returned to his ship, HMS Edinburgh, heading out to sea to seek the notorious German battleship Bismarck.

Mrs Hammond stayed at home with her parents, her husband only able to see her when on leave.

Mr Hammond had no means to tell her when he would be back and it was by chance that, on one occasion, he arrived to find that his first daughter, Sylvia, had been born that very day.

Six more children, 12 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren followed.

Mrs Hammond said last week's celebrations were "absolutely brilliant".

"Everything was wonderful, I can't tell you what a family I've got," she said.

The secret to a lasting marriage, she said, was "give and take".

"You've got to trust each other for a start. There are good times and bad times but we saw them through together. You have to do it as one," she said.