A COUPLE who have spent the majority of their lives in Cam have just celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

In 1951 it was love at first sight for Theo when he met the future Judith Sparrow at a party in Lower Cam when he was 21 and she was 16.

He had just returned from America with his family where he had trained to be a student Methodist minister and was keen to go back as soon as possible.

“I sat next to Judith at this party and soon after I didn’t want to go back to America,” he said.

“I spoke to my mother later that night and said that’s the girl I am going to marry.”

Three years later the pair were married and moved into a cottage on the bottom of Cam Pitch at a rate of seven pounds a week.

Theo, now 84, would work as a signaller for British Rail for 20 years before moving into engineering and then working as a sales engineer until retirement.

Judith, 79, and originally from Eastington, would work in personnel for several years and said their successful marriage had been a case of give and take.

“Sixty years is a long time, there have been ups and downs with Theo’s health but other than that we are here to tell the tale,” she said.

The couple held two parties with family and friends to celebrate their 60 years and were pleased with the card they received from the Queen.

They have one son, Richard, 57, and two grandchildren, Jaime, 25 and Ellen, 20.

Throughout his life Theo would work with the Methodist Church as a preacher and stood on Cam Parish Council for 20 years and for a time was the council’s chairman.

“I wouldn’t want to change anything if I started again. We have lived in good times,” he said.

“I have always enjoyed living in Cam and have lots of friends here.

“We have always been content, we have had to work hard and that’s why we left the railway industry because there was no money and I had a child to raise.”