PETER and Sylvia Lucas of Chippenham are celebrating their diamond wedding today. Born in Trowbridge, October 28, 1931, Mr Lucas began his national service at the age of 18 and served in the Wiltshire and Devonshire Regiments across Malaysia and Hong Kong. He was taken as a prison of war during the Korean War in 1951 when serving for the Gloucester Regiment before he returned home in 1953.

It was at a homecoming party for a friend that he met Mrs Lucas, who was born on December 7, 1932, in Essex.

She had moved to Chippenham at the age of eight at the outbreak of war and was based at Hullavington with her family.

The 83-year-old said: “He walked me home from the party and a friend said to me later he wants to take you to the pictures, so we went.”

The couple married on August 25, 1956, in St Andrew’s Church in Chippenham and have two children, Karen born in 1957 and Sally born in 1961.

They also have four grandchildren, Samantha, 35, Simon, 33, Nathan, 25 and Autumn, 23.

They have lived in Wessex Road for 54 years. Mr Lucas worked at Avon Rubber in Melksham before moving to Downing Rudman & Bent and Brown’s in Steeple Ashton.

Mrs Lucas worked at Ivy Lane School for three years as a dinner lady before moving to Redland Primary School where she worked in the kitchens for 25 years.

She suffered a cardiac arrest last year and spent six weeks in intensive care.

Mrs Lucas’ daughter Karen, said: “The people at the hospital said she was a miracle. One of the paramedics was someone who knew her as a pupil from Redland School.

“It’s nice to know that they have made it to 60 years together.”