A COUPLE who met at the fair during wartime are celebrating 70 years together.
Wilfred and Dora Hartley will be enjoying their platinum anniversary today.
The Chirk couple put the longevity of their marriage down to friendship.
Grandaughter Elizabeth Berry, 45, said: “They’re still very good friends, even after all this time. They say it’s down to friendship and a good family around them.”
Wilfred, 92, and Dora, 88, held a party at the Royston Club in Acrefair on Sunday for friends and family.
“At the party my gran got a bit emotional and started to cry and grandad immediately went to put his arm around her,” said Elizabeth.
“You can see he still idolises her very much which is very sweet – if only it was the same for everyone.”
Wilfred and Dora had already been married nine years when the Queen took to the throne.
Their wedding was in 1943, two years before the end of the Second World War, when George VI was on the throne and Winston Churchill was Prime Minister.
It was the year the classic wartime romance film Casablanca was released.
Wilfred, originally from Llay, was in the RAF during the war, and it was while stationed in West Yorkshire that he met northern girl Dora.
Elizabeth added: “They met at a fairground in Featherstone, near Pontefract, which is where my gran is from. Grandad was in the area at the time.”
The couple married at Southgate Church in Pontefract and stayed in the area after the war, Wilfred going to work in the Prince of Wales colliery there.
Dora was a cook for most of her life, working in various places, including schools.
They moved to Chirk about 60 years ago and have lived there since. They had four children, Elizabeth’s mum Rita (Collins), 68, son Robert, 66, and twins William and John, 61.
Between them the four siblings gave Wilfred and Dora 10 grandchildren, who in turn have gone on to create quite a dynasty – Wilfred and Dora have 16 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
They are still very much enjoying life, Elizabeth said.
“Gran is still a keen knitter and they’re still both very active for their age.
“They have received a letter from the Queen. Gran is very pleased about that.
“They will get a letter every year from now on,” she added.