A walk in the park led to diamond days

ALL IT took was a walk in the park for Hilda and Charles Pearce and true love blossomed from there.

The pair met in Greenwich Park, London, 61 years ago and have just celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

Hilda, 78, said that she caught Charles' eye while she was walking in the park with a friend.

She said: "Charles decided that he wanted to get in with our conversation.

"We walked my friend home and then he walked me home and things just went on from there."

They married on Whit Sunday on May 24 1942, in St.Lukes Church in Charlton while the Second World War was raging.

Hilda said: "Everyone had to work every day of the week at that time and Sunday was our only day off.

"We had to go back to work the next day."

Charles, now 86 did not have to go and fight during the war because he was an engineer and was needed to work here. Hilda was a hairdresser and ran her own business.

The couple from Ransome Road, moved to Ipswich around 20 years ago to be nearer to Charles's mother and one of their sons, who has now moved away.

They have four children, Colin 57, Alan 53, Deborah 42 and Lorna 38, and they also have seven grandchildren.

And 61 years on, Hilda still classes walking as one of their hobbies as well as gardening and DIY.

So far they have not celebrated their big day but will be visiting their son in Clacton soon when the whole family will get together.

Hilda said: "Because they are scattered all over the country, we have not all been together since our Golden Wedding.

"It is also my son's silver anniversary and my youngest daughter's tenth anniversary around the same time so we will be celebrating them all together."