Philip and Dorothy Smith celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary.

Work dance led to 70 year marriage for Norfolk couple

Tuesday, January 8, 2013
10:29 AM

When Philip Smith pulled off some silky moves at the work dance, he was possibly not expecting a romance to last for 70 years.

But the former aircraft assembly worker, 90, and his wife Dorothy, 88, of Balmoral Close, Attleborough, celebrated their platinum wedding on Wednesday after they married on January 2, 1942 at St Paul’s Church in Chatham.

The couple met at a work dance held for employees at Shorts aircraft factory in Rochester, in 1941.

After marrying, Mr Smith became a bus conductor and also worked as an auxiliary firefighter at a BP refinery and the couple lived in Chatham and then various towns in the Medway area of Kent.

Dorothy later became a housewife to look after the couple’s six children, four of whom –David, Keith, Philip and Angela –have since died leaving Sheila and Deanne as the two surviving children.

They moved to Norfolk 30 years ago after Mr Smith took early retirement aged 55.

They had a quiet day to celebrate their anniversary with family and friends supplying flowers and gifts.