HAPPY couple Geoff and Ann Oakley have told how their eyes first met across a crowded dancefloor more than 60 years ago.

The pair, who live in Crandon Lea, Holt, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last Thursday; 60 years after they married on October 6, 1951, at St Mary’s Church in Witney, Oxford-shire.

Two years earlier, they had been at the same dance when they met for the first time.

Mrs Oakley, now 78 but 18 at the time, said: “Geoff asked me to dance and I thought, ‘He isn’t bad,’ so I said yes.

“He was lucky really, because there was a lot of competition from the Americans and marines who all came to the dance too.”

Just months after they were married, Mr and Mrs Oakley moved to Germany to allow Mr Oakley, now 83, to pursue what would become his 50-year career in the Armed Forces, starting out in the Royal Signals and at the height of his career serving as lieutenant colonel.

Mr Oakley has a statue of the Roman god Mercury in his back garden, in a proud tribute to the figure which appears on the cap badge of the Royal Signals.

The couple have lived in 24 different locations throughout their marriage, including several stints in Germany, as well as Kenya and Singapore.

Closer to home, they lived at Sandhurst and York before moving to Chippenham for three years, and then Holt, near Trowbridge, 25 years ago.

Mrs Oakley, neé Goddard, said: “We travelled everywhere. Once you live in a place for a while, you get used to it, and we always had a good time exploring these places and getting to know the people. We were too busy to stop and think about hobbies.”

The couple have two daughters – Carol, 54, and Sarah, 45, – two granddaughters and three great-grandchildren.

To celebrate their 60th anniversary, Mr and Mrs Oakley held a party at Cumberwell Park, where one of the guests was one of Mrs Oakley’s original bridesmaids.

Other party guests included the couple’s friends and family members.