A COUPLE who have lived in Bigbury their whole lives have just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and raised £1,500 in the process.

Ellen and Harry Bardens, 83 and 85 respectively, had known each other their whole lives and started ‘going together’ in 1951 and were married in Bigbury Church four-and-a-half-years later on November 10, 1955.

Ellen let us into her secret for a long and happy marriage: ‘patience’ she said with a giggle.

Harry was born in the house the couple now share, and Ellen and Harry both reminisced about when, instead of going to hospital, women used to go home to their mother’s to give birth. Ellen was born in her grandmother’s house half a mile away.

Harry’s father owned the garage in Bigbury – a mechanics, petrol station, post office and village shop where Ellen and her family used to go in for petrol. Harry became his father’s partner, while Ellen worked in the shop at Challaborough.

Ellen went on to be Bigbury’s postmistress, working there between 1968-1997 before she retired.

The couple had two children, Carol, who sadly died, and Andrew. They have five grandchildren, Carol’s daughters Bethany and Emily and Andrew’s sons Joshua, Oliver and Harry.

Harry is a passionate bell-ringer, and in celebration of their anniversary the couple asked not for presents, but for donations to the Bigbury bells, which have been out of action for many years.

Harry bell rings at Loddiswell church, and has done for the last 40 years, often going to bell-ringing competitions; the couple recently spent a week in Gloucestershire while Harry was ringing.

The held their anniversary celebrations in the same place they held their wedding reception, Bigbury Memorial Hall, with friends and family. Together, they raised £1,500 for the Bigbury Bells, which will be added to the fund to get them repaired.