A CHANCE meeting on a winter’s night resulted in a whirlwind romance for North Bradley couple Bill and Ann Trevett, who celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary this week.

The pair, who now live on Southwick Road, tied the knot on March 31, 1956, after meeting one another on a train platform.

Mr Trevett, 83, originally from Dorset, said: “I was a railway fireman on the railway and I had been at a first aid meeting in the night time and it was when I was at the station that I saw Ann having a warm by a fire that stopped the water pipes from freezing.

“It was a very cold night but we got talking and we found out we had similar interests in farming, but she already had a fellow at the time.

“Only a short time later, I went out to Witham Friary, where Ann lived, on my motorbike to arrange a date and after that we didn’t miss a night together.

“It was a real hit and run about our relationship because we were only going out for seven months before we got married.”

Despite their initial meeting lasting only 45 minutes, Mrs Trevett, nee Phelps, she fell head over heels in love.

After their wedding the couple moved to Standerwick where they lived for 46 years.

During this time, they welcomed their three daughters Heather, Jane and Helen and their son Kim as well as 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Mrs Trevett, 81, added: “Then my husband had a series of heart attacks and had to have a bypass that we were living in a big farm house with 0.75 acres of a garden so we decided to downsize and that’s when we moved to North Bradley.

“We love our holidays and we are off on another one soon where we can go hill walking.”

The couple will be holding a family celebration in the next few days at the Peace Memorial Hall.