Couple celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary
Alan (96) and Marnie (94) Hill are celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary. Picture: Ian Burt - Credit: Archant
A couple who met and fell in love during the Second World War have celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.
Alan and Marnie Hill on their wedding day in 1943. - Credit: Archant
Alan and Marnie Hill, who live in Thetford, married each other on July 17 1943.
The pair first laid eyes on each other in 1941 at a cafe owned by Mr Hill’s aunt in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.
Mrs Hill, who was working as a book keeper at a furniture shop at the time, said: “I was in the cafe one day having my lunch and reading a book when a young man walked in and said could he share my lunch because it looked good.
“I was only eating beans on toast because it was war time.”
Alan (96) and Marnie (94) Hill are celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary. Picture: Ian Burt - Credit: Archant
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Later on, the owners of the furniture shop invited Mrs Hill to the wedding of a family friend – who happened to be Mr Hill’s sister - and said they knew a young man who would be in attendance.
“He was just perfect to me,” said Mrs Hill, 94. “He was quite handsome and slim and we just seemed to hit it off straight away.”
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The pair got engaged on May 2 1942 and married one another at All Saints Church, Gainsborough, the following year.
During the war, Mr Hill, 96, spent a lot of time working away which the pair have credited towards their milestone marriage.
“We were lucky during war time as Alan was part of the Admiralty team and spent time studying radar and installing radar on the destroyers,” said Mrs Hill, who worked for the Post Office during the war.
“We had a long time spent apart and we think that has helped.
“We spent a lot of time apart but I looked forward to when he came home and we just made the most of the time we had together.”
The couple moved to Bardwell, near Bury St Edmunds, before moving to Thetford, where Mr Hill, an electrical engineer by trade, worked at Hayssen and Mrs Hill worked at Thetford library.
The pair, who have a daughter called Diane, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren, will celebrate their achievement with family at a lunch in Lavenham.
“We have had a happy marriage,” said Mrs Hill. “But we have never had what I would call a proper fall out. I have got angry, but Alan has always kept calm.
“We had a nice social life. And we think we have been lucky to get to this age.”
The couple received their card from the Queen, in which it congratulated them on their “remarkable milestone”.
