TWIN sisters Jean and Janet Miles and their husbands have recreated the moment they posed for their wedding photographs after marrying 60 years ago.

Gordon and Janet Mumford and Geoffrey and Jean Walter went back to Holy Trinity Church in Bradford on Avon to celebrate their double diamond wedding anniversary.

Both couples married in a joint wedding ceremony at Holy Trinity Church, Bradford-on-Avon on August 2 1958.

Sixty years later, both couples were delighted to be back at Holy Trinity Church with some of their families to recreate their wedding photographs.

Janet said: “There’s no magic formula or secret to a long and successful marriage, we all have our ups and downs.

“Gordon and I have always kept our individual and joint interests at the heart of our relationship.”

Jean added: “Geoff and I compromise and we have found that understanding and hard work has ensured that we have remained happily married.”

All four are extremely close friends and continue to meet at least once a week, as they have done for more than 60 years, to socialise, entertain and enjoy their families.

Janet and Jean met their husbands-to-be while living in St Lawrence Road, Bradford-on-Avon. Gordon lived in Wine Street and Geoff lived in Frome Road, Trowbridge.

Janet met Gordon through a friend while playing tennis and the pair soon became a couple.

Jean met Geoff while both were working at Spencer Moulton in Bradford-on-Avon and soon discovered they had mutual feelings for each other.

The couples honeymooned together in Lulworth Cove in Dorset, however they recall it didn’t start too well as, unbeknown to them, the hotel was unlicensed.

With no off-license or restaurant nearby, they were unable to toast themselves on their wedding night - much to their amusement looking back!

Gordon and Janet made their home in Trowbridge while Geoff and Jean settled in Bradford on Avon.

In 1961 land was made available by Gordon's father on the Mumford family nursery in Winsley and, by 1963, both couples had built their own bungalows, where they lived next to each for almost 20 years.

During that time Gordon, 83, and Janet, 80, raised four sons: Philip, Paul, David and Christopher, and now have 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Geoff, 81, and Jean, 80, raised two sons, Stephen and Martin, and now have five grandchildren. All the sons and grandchildren remain very close to this day.

At the time they married, both Janet and Jean were working at the Nestlé cereals factory in Staverton.

Gordon, who is widely known as Danny, due to his resemblance to the American entertainer Danny Kaye, was working as a photographer for the Wiltshire Times and Geoff was working at Avon Industrial Polymers.

Later, Janet and Jean took roles in local government, working at County Hall in Trowbridge.

Geoff worked at Avon Industrial Polymers as Quality Assurance Manager for the Aerosol Products Group until his retirement in 1996.

Gordon later joined the Mumford family horticultural business until taking the role of project manager in 1984 at the Government-sponsored Bradford-on-Avon Task Force, focused on getting the young and unemployed people into work, and retiring in 1995.

Following several moves, Gordon and Janet now live only 100 yards from where they were married, in Abbey Mill, Bradford-on-Avon, while Jean and Geoff now live in Hilperton Road, Trowbridge.

The happy couples will celebrate their double diamond wedding anniversary with a party for more than 80 guests, including family and friends, at Trowbridge Rugby Club.