TWO dances either side of his stint in the Army spelled the start of a lifelong love for Philip and Doreen Mannion.
And now the Deighton couple, pictured now and on their wedding day, are celebrating their golden wedding.
The couple met at a dance at Cambridge Road Baths in 1952, but shortly afterwards Mr Mannion, now 75, was called away to serve with the Royal Engineers in the Korean War.
They would not see each other again until his return in 1956, when they met at another dance.
Mrs Mannion, 70, said: “He asked if he could walk me home, I said yes, and things went from there.”
They courted for two years before marrying at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church in Sheepridge. It was a white wedding in more ways than one, because there was a sprinkling of snow on the day.
After their honeymoon in Blackpool they returned to their first home, in Victoria Street, Moldgreen.
They later moved to Huntingdon Avenue, Bradley, before their current home on Deighton Road.
Mr Mannion was a plumber for various Huddersfield firms and later for Yorkshire Water. Mrs Mannion was a printer’s feeder at Netherwood Dalton and then spent 22 years as a dinner lady and cook at Deighton High School.
The couple have two daughters, Josephine and Yvonne, three grandchildren and a great- grand-daughter.
They enjoy gardening and caravaning holidays.
They celebrated their 50th anniversary with a party at Deighton Working Men’s Club and are travelling to Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, for a caravan break. Family members are also treating the couple to a holiday in Spain.
Mrs Mannion said: “I think being together as long as we have is all about having patience and give and take.”
