PLANS to celebrate an Ilkley couple's Diamond anniversary in style had to be abandoned when one of them became seriously ill.

Hilary (Jill) Rennison, 81, and her husband Allan, 83, were looking forward to a telegram from the Queen and a big party at the Craiglands Hotel, Cowpasture Road, after being happily married for 60 years.

The couple tied the knot on February 12, 1938, two days before Valentine's Day.

Mr and Mrs Rennison, of Wheatlands, used to run Central Fisheries on Leeds Road before retiring almost 20 years ago.

They moved to Great Ouseburn near York then came back to Ilkley around five years ago.

They have six children, 13 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Anthony Rennison, of Skipton, said that the party had to be cancelled when his mother was taken to hospital with a chest problem.

He said that her condition had improved but she was unlikely to leave hospital for a while.

The Craiglands party had to be postponed but family members were planning to visit Airedale General Hospital to celebrate the event.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.