A Byfleet couple enjoyed a red-letter day recently when they celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary on March 31.
John and Pat Reynolds were married in 1951 at St. Michael’s Church in Wallington, Surrey. They moved to Byfleet in 1966.
The couple met in 1947 at a youth club in Wallington, where they were both attending a dancing lesson.
John laughed when he recounted that first meeting. “Pat was supposed to be teaching me the basic waltz but the dance teacher accidentally put on Tango music by mistake and we did laugh,”John said.
They got engaged two years after they met and married two years later.
John worked as an apprentice electrician and Pat in an office as a junior at United Dairies.
They have a daughter, who has sadly passed away, a grand-daughter, Kerry, and a great-grandson, James.
John and Pat received a celebratory card from King Charles and Queen Camilla, who sent their “warmest congratulations and best wishes for your seventy-third wedding anniversary on March 31, 2024”.
The card arrived the day before their anniversary and becomes the sixth to be added to their remarkable collection. It will take pride of place on their hallway wall.
They celebrated by going for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Weybridge, where Pat made sure that they would be able to serve Dover sole, her favourite dish!
John tucked in to a steak as their family joined them for the special occasion.