WHITCHURCH couple Ken and Peggy Alexander celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Monday, 60 years after their wedding was almost halted due to a snowstorm.

The pair, who live in Chatter Lane, are marking the special day with a party on Sunday at the Bourne Valley Inn, joined by family and friends.

And they will be remembering their wedding on 21 January 1942, when Ken was stranded at his home in Lambourn and Peggy had to walk into Newbury to collect her bouquet due to the weather.

The pair first met as young children when they both attended Lambourn school. They began courting years later when Peggy returned from domestic service and Ken was working for Great Western Railway as a crossing keeper.

After they married Ken was away for three years during the war and Peggy moved to Whitchurch with her family. On his return the couple settled in Whitchurch and Ken returned to the railways as a signalman, where he worked for 29 years before being made redundant.

He then worked for Thornycroft in Basingstoke and spent 14 years at Laverstoke Mill before retiring. Peggy stayed at home to bring up the couple's three daughters.

Peggy said: "We've always got on so well together. We've had our ups and downs but you've got to give and take."