Diamond couple: beat goes on for police sweethearts celebrating 60th anniversary

A congratulation card from King Charles and Queen Camilla took pride of place as a couple who met as young police cadets celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

The milestone was marked with two special celebrations for Val and Richard Bennett at Pendine Park’s Hillbury House care home in Wrexham.

Manager Cindy Clutton organised a party for the couple on their anniversary, bringing together fellow residents and staff for an afternoon of music, balloons and a celebratory cake.

The following weekend Val and Richard were joined by their family for a more intimate celebration at Hillbury House, with golden autumn sunshine allowing them to raise an anniversary toast together on the patio outside Val’s room.

Cindy Clutton said: “A 60th wedding anniversary really is a landmark event and we could not let it go by without laying on a celebration for Val and Richard.

“It was lovely to see them in such good spirits, enjoying their day together. They have lots of happy memories to share and we felt privileged to be able to add to those memories by throwing them a congratulatory party of our own.”

Val, 82, is originally from Shotton, Deeside, but has lived at Hillbury since last summer, having moved there after her health declined.

She and Richard met more than six decades ago when they were both stationed at Ellesmere Port as young police officers.

Richard’s family originally came from Membury, Devon, but moved to Cheshire when he was a child, where they ran a Post Office and grocers store in Norcott Brook for many years.

Richard said: “It was when we were there that I decided I wanted to become a police officer. So I joined Cheshire Police and one of my first postings was at Ellesmere Port. Val had also just joined the force and she was stationed at Ellesmere Port too.

“It was a lucky stroke of fate I suppose which brought us together.”

After discovering they were soul mates as well as workmates, they were married at St Ethelwold’s Church, Shotton, Deeside, on September 17, 1966.

At first they lived at West Kirby on The Wirral following on from another stroke of destiny which saw them again both posted to the same police station in Hoylake.

After a few more moves and postings in Wirral area, Val became pregnant with their first child, daughter Sherrie, now 57, and a couple of years later they had twin sons, Scott and Jamie, now 55.

Val decided to leave the police service to focus on their young family but Richard served for another 30 years, rising through the ranks to become an Inspector in Liverpool.

They eventually moved to Hawarden where Richard still lives.

Richard said: “After we had the twins we decided we needed a bigger house and so settled in Hawarden. I had always fancied living in North Wales and we have really enjoyed our life here.

“It’s a nice community and Hawarden is such a lovely area. It was also close to where Val grew up in Deeside and handy for the local road networks for me getting to work.”

He was stationed for many years at the now demolished Coppras Hill Police Station in Liverpool which was decommissioned in 2015 after operating since the 1970s as one of the busiest police stations in the UK outside London.

Richard said: “It was a tough, busy job, with lots of night shifts but I enjoyed it. My last posting was at Bromborough from where I retired. After that, with the kids having grown up, we decided to take life easy. I would play a bit of golf and we enjoyed walking, and travelling a lot.”

The couple had a motor home in which they went on regular tours around Europe together over the course of about 15 years.

Spending time with family has also been hugely important to them over the years and they were thrilled when all three children were able to join the party at Hillbury.

Sherrie is married to husband Martyn Evans and they live in Level Lane, Hawarden.

Sherrie said: “We cannot thank Cindy and everyone here enough. They really have gone to town to ensure a special week for mum and dad.”