A COUPLE who met after becoming penpals are celebrating their golden wedding.
Alec Thornton was in Cyprus on National Service when Celia Firth began writing to him. Celia, who then lived at Rastrick, was doing her pre-nursing course at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Alec wrote back and 12 months later he returned home and they finally met. Mrs Thornton said: “It was amazing how well I knew him when we met.”
Now they’re bringing their family and friends together to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
The Meltham couple wed at Crowtrees Methodist Church on March 17, 1962 and enjoyed a honeymoon to Morecambe.
Mr Thornton, 75 today, an engineer who worked in textile mills, went on to start double glazing firm, Thorntons at Lockwood, which continues today.
Mrs Thornton, 69, returned to complete her nursing studies, worked as a midwife then became a health visitor before managing community nurses and sitting on the Primary Care Group board.
The couple have sons Lindsay and Richard, daughters Jeanette and Vicky and 14 grandchildren.
