A COUPLE who had their Platinum wedding anniversary in lockdown last year today celebrate 71 years of happy marriage.

Roman and Mary Szpitter met in 1948. "My mother was asked to take in a Polish man as a lodger. He was in the same Army unit as Roman and they worked together at a Great Horton mill," said Mary. "One day he brought a friend for tea - it was Roman, and that was that." The couple married at St Peter's Church, Leeds Road, in 1950 and honeymooned in Morecambe. They lived at Wrose and Fagley, before moving to Sandy Lane, where they have lived for 46 years. They had two children, a daughter, Maria, and their late son, Ian, four grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Mary, 91, worked as a seamstress and in homecare for Bradford Council and Roman, who is nearly 95, worked at Denholme Velvets Ltd. "Roman can turn his hand to anything - I have never needed anyone in to do any jobs," said Mary. "Last year, because of Covid, we couldn't go out and celebrate our 70th anniversary. This year our daughter is taking us for a meal," said Roman.