A COUPLE from Haworth marking their diamond wedding anniversary have collected £400 for Manorlands.

Geoffrey and Philomena Smith's 60th wedding anniversary was last Thursday. (July 20)

But the Saturday before that they had a party at The New Tyke, in Thornton, where they asked guests to contribute donations for the hospice.

The couple, who are both 82, first met while they were working on the Bradford trolleybuses in 1956.

Pamela Southern, one of their five children, said: "They are proud to have reached this landmark. And my dad says we're very lucky for us all to be here to celebrate it with them."

She said her father was born in Bradford and her mother was originally from County Roscommon in Ireland, but moved to England when she was 20.

Mr Smith completed his National Service in the army, during which time he was based in Germany.

He later became a driver on the Bradford trolleybuses, which is where he met his future wife, who was working as a conductor.

The pair were married at St Patrick's Church in Westgate in 1957 and spent their honeymoon in Edinburgh.

They lived in Bradford until 1978 before moving to Cross Roads. They have been living in Haworth since 2000.

Mrs Smith also worked in mills in Bradford – including Lister Mill – and her last job before retirement was in the kitchens at Parkwood Primary School.

Mr Smith was a heavy goods vehicle driver for Henry Long's Transport, in Bradford, and later worked his way up to be a director of this business.

The couple have four daughters and a son, "many" grandchildren and great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild.