Double golden wedding delight (From This is Hampshire)

Double golden wedding delight

5:08pm Thursday 29th July 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

A FAMILY get-together was the ideal way for two golden couples as they celebrated a special 50th wedding anniversary on Friday.

In 1960 Pat and Alan Franklin, from Weyhill, and Ray and Val Hoare, from Appleshaw, enjoyed a double wedding ceremony in Hatherden Church – the first the church had seen in more than 100 years.

To make the wedding even more special, Ray and Pat were brother and sister and the foursome have now become firm friends. Pat said: “Val is now more like a proper sister to me than a sister-in-law.”

Following a reception in Wildhern Village Hall, Pat and Alan enjoyed a week’s honeymoon is Sussex while Ray and Val spent a few days travelling and enjoying days out.

To celebrate the double anniversary the foursome enjoyed a get-together at The Bell in Weyhill surrounded by their family.

“The four of us don’t see each other all that often but we know if we ever need each other we’ll be there,” said Val.

“It was lovely to spend our anniversary with them just like the wedding day itself.”

Ray added: “We all get on so well it’s unbelievable.”

The two couples believe the key to a successful marriage is staying together through bad times as well as good times.

“We’ve had good times and bad times, everybody does, but at least we got through ours,” said Alan. “It’s important to stay together through everything.”

Pat and Alan had two daughters but sadly one passed away eight years ago. They also have two granddaughters.

Ray and Val have four sons and one daughter and three grandsons and three granddaughters.