Peggy and George Milne celebrate 71st wedding anniversary (From Gazette & Herald)

Peggy and George Milne celebrate 71st wedding anniversary

10:59am Wednesday 9th February 2011 in News By David Jeffels

MARRIAGE is like a job – you have to work at it.

That’s the philosophy of 94-year-old Peggy Milne who, with her husband, George, 92, has just become one of Yorkshire longest married couples by celebrating their 71st wedding anniversary last weekend.

Their romance began when the young Peggy was with her cousin at a children’s festival day in Roundhay Park, Leeds, and they spotted two lads in a boat on the lake.

One of them was George and it marked the start of their long life together.

“It really was just a pick-up,” laughes Malton-born Peggy, whose family had Stephenson’s butchers in the Market Place, a business now run by her nephew, Derek Fox.

They were married two years later at Malton parish church but because it was wartime, there were no bells.

Shortly after, Elgin-born George was called up and after being stationed at Catterick, joined the Royal Tank Corps at Aldershot and was at Dunkirk.

He worked as a maintenance engineer in the corps and during his service was in North Africa and Tobruck. He was also taken prisoner by the Italians.

After the war, George joined Bowers Bacon Factoiry in Norton as an engineer.

On retiring from Bowers he became a horse box driver for a Norton stable until he finally retired.

The couple, now residents at Abbey Residential Home, Old Malton, lived for 34 years at Peasey Hill Road, Malton. They have two daughters, Sally and Ailsa, one grand-daughter and four grandsons.

One of Peggy’s main interests is jigsaws, while George enjoys watching television. Both enjoy walking around Old Malton.