70 years of love: Pateley couple mark platinum celebration

Norman, 91, and Sarah Ducker, 89, celebrated the ‘platinum’ milestone on Monday February 15 cosy in each other’s company at home.The couple first met in 1945 during their time in the army, while working in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers workshop at Scorton.Sarah said: “The war started in 1939 and my father went away that same night it started and he never came back.“Things just weren’t right anymore so when I got to 17 I decided I was going to join the army.”But just a few years before Sarah moved from her home in Argyllshire, Scotland, to join the army Norman had already been called up to work as a recovery driver.Although, a Yorkshire man born and bred, Norman’s move had only seen him travel a short distance, leaving his hometown of Wetherby.For Norman and Sarah things moved fast, after only six months of dating, Norman was called to go overseas and decided to ask Sarah the big question.He said: “I went out with her a couple of times and then I got called up to go to Egypt and Palestine.“We only had 10 days so I said to Sarah should we get married.”Sarah added: “Norman sent a telegram to my mother to ask for her permission because I was just 19 and she answered back and said it was alright.”Short of both time and money, the couple had a reception at the Wetherby mid-way filling station with just six guests.But the happy young couple were content together and enjoyed a honeymoon in Agryllshire.After five long years in the army, Norman was demobbed, returned home and the couple moved into their first house.Their first child, Norman Junior was born in 1948, followed by a daughter, Jeanette in 1951.From Wetherby the couple moved to Deighton Bar and Kirk Deighton before going to Harrogate and then onto Pateley, where they have lived for five years now.Today, the couple say the success in their marriage has been through living a busy life.Sarah said: “We’ve enjoyed life we’ve had ups and downs fallen out just the same as anybody else but its never come to it that we’ve wanted to leave each other - we maybe thought it but we didn’t do it!”