Kenilworth couple celebrates 60th wedding anniversary

Chris and Daphne Thomas with their card from the Queen

Chris and Daphne Thomas celebrated the diamond anniversary with a family luncheon at their daughter's house in Kenilworth on the special day Thursday January 2.

A few friends joined the family in their celebrations for a glass of champagne and a piece of anniversary cake.

The cake was made and decorated from the Andrew Davies bakery in Warwick Road, Kenilworth and was a star attraction of the day, along with the card from the Queen.

A Thomas family photo with their daughter Candy Evans (on the sofa arm on
the right-hand side of the picture) and niece Amanda Davies (next to
Daphne on the sofa) with their respective families, including
great-great-nephew Fred Weeks — A Thomas family photo with their daughter Candy Evans (on the sofa arm on the right-hand side of the picture) and niece Amanda Davies (next to Daphne on the sofa) with their respective families, including great-great-nephew Fred Weeks

They first met on the school bus on the way to their respective schools in Chichester, West Sussex.

Daphne (now age 82) wasn't exactly impressed by Chris (83) at first.

She said: "My friend Avril thought he was fantastic and she guessed Christopher liked me. She asked me to sit next to her on the bus so he would always sit near us and it worked. But it wasn't until my 17th birthday party that I realised he was quite nice.

"He came to the party to support another shy friend and the rest, as they say, is history!"

Life hasn't always been easy for the couple, with the loss of three children in infancy and an evacuation from Libya during the Six Day

War in 1967 where Chris was working for the British Council.

However, Chris said: "When I wrote a bit of an autobiography I called it 'an enjoyable life' as I believe it has been.

"Our Christian faith has been the mainstay of our life together and with the support of lovely friends overall we've had a great life so far."

The couple moved to Kenilworth in January 2000 to be close to their daughter and her family and rapidly became involved in local life, partly through the church at St John's Knight Meadow where Chris became a lay reader.

Daphne said: "We love living in Kenilworth as it's such a friendly place. We have to make sure we have plenty of time when we go shopping as we're always waylaid by chatting to people in Warwick Road on the street or in the shops."