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Harry and Sylvia Harris of Gravesend celebrate 60 years of marriage

It was love at first sight for Sylvia Harris – and after 60 years of marriage to her husband Harry, nothing has changed.

Sylvia and Harry Harris
Sylvia and Harry Harris

Mrs Harris, 80, and Mr Harris, 81, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary yesterday.

It was a meeting of pure chance – he was walking along King Street, Gravesend, after being stood up and she fell for him as soon as she laid eyes on him.

Mrs Harris, of Cambria Crescent, Gravesend, said:“He did have a date with another girl and she didn’t turn up. I was walking along and that was that.

“He had lovely teeth and lovely blond hair – it was love at first sight for me.”

Mrs Harris knew her beau was serious when he took her to meet his family. Fortunately they got on well.

She said: “He took me home to meet his parents and he met mine and they got on well.

“I think people did get on better in those days because they were in the same boat.”

They were forced to spend time apart when Mr Harris was called up for his National Service with the RAF. However, they stayed in touch by writing letters.

Harry and Sylvia Harris on their wedding day.
Harry and Sylvia Harris on their wedding day.

Mrs Harris, a mother of two and grandmother of three, said she was “proud” when she thought of her family and how long her marriage had lasted.

She said: “I was lucky to get a good husband who came from a good family, and I came from a good family too.”

Mrs Harris said one of the secrets to a long and successful marriage was taking the rough with the smooth.

She said: “You’ve got to give and take, you do make sacrifices.

“You have to be honest with each other and love each other and take the bad with the good.

“When people say ‘we’ve never had a row’ I don’t believe it because no one can live without one.

“We’ve never had serious rows and my husband is one who speaks his mind, but we’ve been lucky with each other.”

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