A husband and wife from the Tyne Valley have celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary.

Harry and Margaret Mole from Oakwood, celebrated being married for 60 years on April 1, and have given advice on how to have a long and successful marriage.

“We met when we were 15, at a dance at a church hall at Berwick upon Tweed and we’ve been together even since!,” said Harry.

“We went out courting as they called it in those days until we were 21 and got married.

We were married at St Andrews church in Berwick which is now a house and we had a reception at the Tweed View hotel which is now an old people’s home.

After getting married in 1961, the pair headed to Dundee in Scotland for their honeymoon, with Harry then joining the police force where he moved around several times.

“I joined the police force, or the Northumberland County Force as it was called then, added Harry.

“We were first stationed at Gosforth, then Wallsend, then Whitley Bay, Slaley and then back to Berwick.

“We then came back from Berwick and lived in Corbridge when I worked in Newcastle.

“Then I spent my last few years in Hexham before I retired from the force.

The pair have gone on to have two children - Keith and Lesley and also two grandchildren.

When Harry was promoted in the force, the pair moved to Berwick and Margaret would then work at Spital school near the town before the pair returned to Corbridge where a knock on the door would then give her her next job.

“We had a knock on the door and it was an advisor from County Hall,” explained Margaret.

“They were wondering if I would help them out at St Joseph’s.”

“I didn’t realise it was a cash cafeteria - I’d never done that before!

“I was there a few years then I moved to Corbridge Middle. I was there for 10 years and then I was at Slaley and I was there for 10 years before I retired as a school cook.”

Away from work, the pair were both keen fundraisers for the North of England Children’s Cancer Research Fund, while Harry has also been involved as part of the commitee running the annual County Show which now takes place at Bywell every year.

When asked what they thought was the best advice when it comes to getting married, the pair had a few suggestions for anyone hoping for a long and successful marriage.

“Don’t go to bed not speaking! (to each other),” said Margaret.

“He’s my best friend!”

While Harry added: “There’s no secrets!”