A Keighley couple who have ‘married’ each other three times are celebrating their diamond anniversary.

Donald and Florence Drake, of Broomhill Mount, wed on November 11, 1950, at St John’s Church, Ingrow.

But the couple were ‘married’ again in 1956 when Florence converted to the Catholic faith.

And not long afterwards the priest came to their house and carried out a ring dedication ceremony, essentially marrying them again.

“We had a little service in our living room,” recalled Florence.

Donald, 86, and Florence, 81, grew up on the Broomhill estate and knew each other long before they were married.

Donald worked most of his life as a builder and roofer, but started work when he was 14 at Clough’s Mill.

He also worked for Stell’s Tube Mill before joining the Army at the age of 18. He served his country from 1942 to 1947 and was stationed at locations throughout the world.

Florence was a spinner in local mills, starting her working life at Stell’s, also at the age of 14. In her 50s, she worked as a home carer until her retirement.

“We’ve never had a lot of money, but we’ve had a good life with some wonderful children,” said Florence.

The Drakes have four children, Danny of Auckland, New Zealand, Angela of Farnhill, Tim, who lives in Wales, and Lindsay, who lives on Broomhill Mount. They also have eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

One of the highlights of their 60 years of marriage was a trip to New Zealand to visit their son.

“We were only going to go for a few weeks, but we ended up stopping for three months,” said Donald. “I love New Zealand. I’ve travelled all over the world, but New Zealand is the top of the list. It’s a lovely country.”