THERE will be twice as much to celebrate tomorrow for Dalton couple Shirley and Gilbert Rhodes.
As they mark the dawn of the year 2005, they will also be celebrating their golden wedding.
The couple were married on New Year's Day in 1955 at Hanover Street Congregational Church in Batley. They had wanted to get married on Christmas Day, but the church was unavailable.
Mrs Rhodes, 69, came from Batley and Mr Rhodes, 75, came from Ravensthorpe.
They met through a love of motorbikes. Mr Rhodes used to ride a Triumph and used to visit Mrs Rhodes's brother, who also had a motorbike.
"I used to ride with my brother and from there me and my husband started courting," she said. "I think I fell for his bike before I fell for him!"
Before the wedding, Mrs Rhodes worked in the wages office at the ICI chemical firm on Leeds Road in Huddersfield. She left soon after getting married, but Mr Rhodes stayed on at the firm, where he worked on the factory floor.
He left ICI and went to work at the BBA factory at Cleckheaton, which makes brakes and clutch linings. He retired in 1992.
The couple lived in Batley, Thornhill, Mirfield and Kirkheaton before settling in Dalton. They have two daughters and two sons. One of their sons moved to Australia 13 years ago. The couple have nine grandchildren - two in Australia.
They plan to celebrate their anniversary with a family meal.
