THURSDAYwas a diamond of a day for GEORGE and Minnie Pearson. For the couple who married at St GEORGE'S Church, Tyldesley, on St GEORGE'S Day celebrated 60 years of wedded bliss.

George, 82, and Minnie, 85, met at St George's when they were both Sunday school teachers and have had a active church life since.

George worked in the Nook Colliery office, Blackmoor, before serving in the Royal Corps of Signals during the war. After completing his service, he went into teaching and for 18 years was headmaster at Tyldesley Central School. He retired 19 years ago.

Minnie's working life started at Caleb Wright and she worked on munitions during the war before helping in local shops.

The couple who have a son, Malcolm, and daughter, Eileen, three grandaughters and a great grandson, still attend St George's where they have both served on the Church Council and George was a one time warden and chorister.

And ironically on their big day the vicar, the Rev Ian McAlla, will lay the foundation stone for a new school on the site where George taught.

The couple, whose recipe for a long marriage is helping one another and keeping together, will celebrate with a family party on Saturday at Tyldesley Conservative Club.

They are pictured looking at their wedding report in a 1938 copy of The Journal. PACL756/20A

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.