Sunderland couple celebrate 65 years of wedded bliss

Pat and Peggy Gray were joined by family and friends to mark their Blue Sapphire Wedding.

A tea party was held in the centre at Dovecot Meadow, where the pair now live in sheltered accommodation.

The pair, who both hailed from East Yorkshire where they met while both members of the same Methodist church, had a lovely afternoon.

Peggy, 86, and Pat, 89, eventually settled in Sunderland in 1969 after moving around with Pat’s job working for the railway.

Daughters Jane Earl, 59, and Liz Pearce, 56, travelled up from their homes in London for the celebration and the couple were also joined by friends and neighbours from both Roker and Seaburn, where they previously lived.

Jane, said: “They were married in East Yorkshire when dad was working on the railways and mum was teaching.

“Dad moved around with his job to get promotion. At one point he was the station master at Durham and we lived right above the railway.

“We then moved to Scotland for a while and came to Sunderland in 1969 where he was the manager for Sunderland and Hartlepool railway until 1985.”

She said the family settled in the city and Peggy began teaching adults at Monkwearmouth College.

She said the pair, who have five grandchildren, made lots of friends in Sunderland and would not live anywhere else now.

Jane said for her parents to reach their Blue Sapphire Wedding is a remarkable achievement and it is lovely they still live together, although Pat is now suffering from dementia.

The devoted couple are still both active with the Methodist church and added: “They both have a good sense of humour and both love doing crosswords.”