Diamond wedding anniversary celebrated by couple from Penryn

Robert and Margaret Hilder from Penryn celebrated their 60th year together at home in Lower Market Street today (October 24) where they've lived for 60 years.

The couple met in the early nineteen sixties when Margaret, 81, went to a dance in St Ives Guildhall with a friend.

They were spotted by Robert, now 87, who was also at the dance, and he came over to them but asked the friend if she wanted to dance instead.

“I saw him at the dance and he came over and asked my friend for a dance,” said Margaret. “She turned him down but I said ‘I will dance with you’,”.

The dance led to a marriage proposal and then to a wedding at  St John’s In The Field church in Halsetown on October 24, 1964.

Robert and Margaret on their wedding day on October 24, 1964 (Image: File)

To celebrate this remarkable achievement the couple were presented with a framed photograph and congratulations from the King and Queen.

The framed card and photo says: “We are so pleased that you are celebrating your Diamond Wedding Anniversary on October 24, 2024.

“This brings you our warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes on this happy occasion.

“Charles R Camilla R”

The couple have one son David and a granddaughter Anna and have lived the whole 60 years of their marriage in the same house.

The couple really are “Penryn Legends” and are both very well known in the town.

Mr Hilder worked in Falmouth Docks as a shipwright for 21 years before retiring while at first Margaret worked at Woolworths in St Ives before she had David.

Robert and Margaret celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary with their family including daughter-in-law Olga, son David and granddaughter Anna (Image: Staff)

Both were very active in the sports scene with Margaret in the league winning Cornwall netball team in 1975/76.

Robert was champion gig rower who rowed, coached and built boats as a member of the Penryn Rowing Club which won the county championships at Newquay on no less than five occasions before it moved to the Isles of Scilly.

Mr Hilder’s father Leslie, who helped set up the club, was a well-known face on the waterfront in his role as the then Penryn Quay and Harbour Master.

When asked by the Packet what the secret to such a long marriage was, Mr Hilder said: “She was always there for me,”. While Mrs Hilder said: “Tolerance.”.