Drives in the countryside and trips to the seaside are the secret of one happy couple, who are set to celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversary, later this month.
After 60 happy years together, Arthur and Vera Murphy who come from a large family have decided to organise an intimate gathering and have opted to spend the evening with their closest relatives, planning a small dinner party in a nearby restaurant to toast their marriage.
The couple began their blossoming romance when they met at a social in their local youth club in Millwall, at the age of just 17.
They pair previously lived and spent their earlier days together in the Millwall area, where they got married at the St Paul’s Church in Westferry Road, which is situated on the Western side of the Isle of Dogs Island.
They then packed up and moved to their house on Abbotts Close in Romford in 1956, where they set up the family home and have lived ever since.
Arthur, 84, who spent his entire life in engineering, formally working as a precision engineer, and Vera, 81, who formally worked as an office worker, both have two daughters named Diane and Janet.
They both share the same hobbies, and still like to go for drives in their car, Arthur said: “We try and do lots of different things and get out as much as possible together, that’s always been important to us both.”
They couple also have a keen interest in bowls, and although Vera can no longer play due to arthritis, she still likes to spectate on the sidelines at Harold Hill, while her husband Arthur manages to get out and play a few times a week.
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