A couple from Haddenham say that ‘give and take’ is the secret to a happy marriage as they prepare to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary.
Victor and Denise Braybrook, of Lion Court, are to celebrate 60 years of marriage on Thursday July 14, and the couple are set to mark the occasion in style – with a big party St Ives Golf Club next weekend.
“We’re expecting 54 people for the afternoon lunch and 22 more for the tea dance in the evening,” said Mr Braybrook, 83.
“We’ve got friends and family coming from all over and we’re both looking forward to it.”
Mr and Mrs Braybrook met in Hainault, North London, before moving to Billericay in Essex. Victor worked as an engineer for Ford until his retirement in the early 1990s, while Denise worked as a shorthand typist before giving birth to their two daughters, Melina and Kim.
They then relocated to Cambridgeshire to be closer to their children.
“Both our daughters live in the area,” said Mrs Braybrook. “They wanted us to come down and we lived in rented accommodation until we found a place in the village about three-and-a-half years ago.”
The couple have many hobbies, including sequence dancing, dinghy racing and kit-car restoration, and Denise says that keeping active has played a big part in their marriage.
“We go dancing twice a week, and we used to do things like ballroom dancing and dinghy racing when we were in Essex,” she said. “We like to be as active as we can be.”
One of their daughters, Melinda, also believes that their zest for life has kept them happy and healthy.
She said: “It’s with great love and support that we have both grown up with parents who gave us the best childhood - unconditional love, fantastic holidays, interests such as sailing and horseriding, the love of the countryside and life.
“They both have a wonderful sense of humour and the best attitude to life which continues today. They are always holding hands and are still very much in love.”
And what do Mr and Mrs Braybrook believe is their secret to 60 years of happy marriage? “A bit of give and take and a good sense of humour,” they say.
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