A MELKSHAM couple who met at the town’s youth club have celebrated their golden wedding on Saturday, September 2.

Anne and Alan Cranham first set eyes on each other at the Methodist Youth Club, now the United Reformed Church in Melksham, when Anne was only 14 and Alan 17.

Anne, now 68, recalls: “Alan would walk me home from the youth club pushing his bike and then ride off home.”

Alan, now 71, added: “Anne had long hair and was very attractive. We get on because we have the same wicked sense of humour.”

Love blossomed when Alan, an apprentice plater at the Spencer foundry in Melksham, later started taking Anne to school in his car on a Thursday before going on to Trowbridge College.

“Alan used to drop me off at the Cattle Market in Castle Precinct so that I could walk to the Victoria Commercial School,” said Anne.

“I just thought Alan was generally a nice guy. He was good looking and still is good looking.”

The couple now live in Crescent Road, Melksham. After leaving school, Anne worked at the Avon Rubber Company in Melksham while Alan qualified as a plater with Spencer’s.

The couple started going out on September 1, 1963 and got engaged two years later on September 1, 1965. They married two years later on September 2 at St Andrew’s Church.

Anne stopped working after having their first child, Leigh, in November 1969, and had their second son, Rik, in January 1971.

After Rik was born, Alan moved to work at the Avon Rubber Company while Anne started work as a special needs teaching assistant at the Lowbourne Infants School.

Later, she worked at the Bowerhill Primary School for seven years. She finally retired five years ago aged 63.

Alan moved to Hampton Park to work with industrial polymers. He finally retired in 2009 aged 64.

Anne has been a Scout leader with 1st Broughton Gifford and Holt Scout Group for the past 39 years. She will chair their 40th AGM next year.

Back in April, she went to Windsor Castle to receive a Silver Acorn at a Queen’s Scout parade.

She was Melksham’s civic ‘Person of the Year’ in 2015 and also enjoys skittles, country, line and modern sequence dancing.

Alan is a good general handyman and is always willing to lend friends and neighbours a helping hand. His other interests include tending their garden.

The couple have seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They celebrated their anniversary with a family party at the Bell Inn at Lacock.

Anne said: “I have always loved Alan. I would not be here if it weren’t for him. We have been through a lot together.”