Barnton couple Brian and Sylvia celebrate diamond wedding

Brian and Sylvia Jones met at Pickmere Lake in 1961, where the funfair was a huge draw for teens all over Cheshire.

“He took me on the waltzers and the ghost train,” said 77-year-old Sylvia.

“And we’ve been knocking about together ever since.”

The couple married on January 25, 1964, at St Mary and All Saints Church, Great Budworth, where Sylvia was in the choir.

Children soon followed – four in total – who’ve brought them 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, with a 14th on the way.

One of the few pictures of the couple have of their wedding after their cine camera footage was accidentally damaged (Image: Angela Carter)

The pair have lived in Barnton for 53 years and share a passion for travel, often in their own gypsy caravan, which Brian, who was originally from Stockton Heath, built himself.

Brian left school at 14, and worked on farms for 10 years before joining Greenall’s brewery in Latchford, where he spent the next 30.

After being made redundant when the brewery closed, the 79-year-old moved to Antrobus Golf Club, where he still works three days a week as a greenkeeper.

Sylvia and Brian at a family wedding in 2021 (Image: Newsquest)

When she finished school, Sylvia went into British Crepe’s silk works in Middlewich, and still does two days a week at Weaver Vale Garden Centre in Winnington.

When asked what’s the secret to a happy marriage, Brian said: “In my opinion, when a couple are starting out in life together, they should have separate bank accounts.

“That way, you're not living in each other’s pockets, and there's no arguments about how you spend your money.

Brian and Sylvia Jones: A fashionable 1960s couple (Image: Angela Carter)

Sylvia, who agrees, said: “If I want to go out and buy a new dress, I go and do it. I don’t have to come to him and say, ‘excuse me sir – ‘can I have a new dress today?’ like a little girl.

“I earn my own money and I spend my own money. But what’s mine is his, and vice-versa, of course!”

“We also lead a life full of friends. We’re always out and about with a gang, and we have big parties. We’ve always tried to really enjoy life. That all really helps.

Brian and Sylvia are both big fans of travelling (Image: Angela Carter)

Brian added: “We’ve managed to stay together so long also because we’ve both been in work most of the time."

The couple are planning to mark their big anniversary in style. 

Sylvia added: "We’ve got 155 people joining us at Hartford Golf Club for the party on Saturday, January 27, and that’s after cutting it back quite a bit. 

“We got a pretty big family, which we really love.

Brian and Sylvia are no strangers to the high life (Image: Angela Carter)

“We used to have a big party every year, as it’s also Burns Night, but then Covid came along."

The pair say their only regret is not having a photographer at their wedding.

“We don’t really have wedding photographs. It was such a long time ago we had it filmed on a cine camera, but one of the neighbours accidentally burned the film when he was showing it to the kids.

“We were upset about it at the time, but there’s no point fretting about things you can’t do anything about.”