Lymington couple Joy and Colin Erne celebrate 70th anniversary with bubbly and fish and chips

THE whole street came out to celebrate the 70th wedding anniversary of Lymington couple Joy and Colin Erne who marked their big day with bubbly and fish and chips.

A delighted Joy (93) told the A&T: “We live in a cul-de-sac of five houses and all the neighbours knocked on our door on the day to wish us happy anniversary and give us flowers.

“It was wonderful. In all we received 15 bouquets from friends and family which was quite overwhelming.”

Colin and Joy met when they were just 14 and 15, and married six years later. They first became friends while attending night school at Lymington Commercial College where they were studying shorthand, typing and bookkeeping.

Joy said: “I said to a friend of mine that I had met this really nice boy called Colin Erne and she said, ‘Oh, I think he is one of my choir boys at Boldre church’.

“So, from then on I went to St John the Baptist Church in Boldre every Sunday to see him sing. My friend got us talking to each other and that was that really.”

In the early days of their courtship Colin (91), who lived in Boldre, and Joy, who was from Lymington, enjoyed days out cycling, going to dances and trips to the theatre and cinema.

After leaving school Joy went to work at Lymington’s Lloyds bank while Colin was employed as a switchboard operator for what was then Lymington Borough Council.

They were inseparable until Colin was called up for national service with the RAF at the age of 18 and was posted to Egypt.

Joy said: “That was very difficult for us being apart for two years.

“It wasn’t long after Colin came back that we got married at, of course, Boldre church.”

The couple tied the knot on 14th April 1951 and had a wedding reception for 100 at the then Anchor and Hope hotel in Lymington High Street.

They enjoyed a honeymoon in London before settling down to married life in Milford, later moving to Lymington where they still live.

The couple went on to have three children: Paul (64), Jenny (62), and Linda who sadly died at the age of 43.

Joy left Lloyds after eight years to bring up her family while Colin went on to work for Wellworthy's, Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council before he retired.

Despite Covid-19 restrictions, Joy said the couple had a "marvellous" day on their anniversary.

She said: “My daughter Jenny was with us all day and her husband Nick, who works for Lymington Taxis, managed to get some time off to fetch us fish and chips which Colin absolutely loves.

“We had a glass of bubbly with that which was nice. My son also rang from France and two friends were able to visit us as well.”

Joy says she puts the the success of their marriage down to "give and take", adding: “We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but we sorted them out and got over it.

“We’ve always had good fun together and we have always been very much in love, and still are.

“Although Colin has said before, ‘We’ve only had one argument – but that’s lasted all the time!’”