Hospital helps couple celebrate 70th anniversary

Jock and Pat got married in October 1955, but Pat broke her hip in advance of the couple's 70th anniversary

A hospital team helped a couple celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary after one of them had to be admitted for an injury weeks before the special day.

Jock and Pat Winton got married in October 1955, but Pat broke her hip in advance of the couple's 70th anniversary.

She was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, but the team on her ward arranged a cake for the family, made up of two children, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, to share.

Daughter Maggie said: "Mum and dad adore each other and it was such a shame they were not able to wake up together on their anniversary – this is the first one in 70 years they have woken up apart.

"But it was lovely to be able to celebrate on the ward, and mum said dad looked gorgeous in his smart suit for the occasion."

The couple lived in south London for the majority of their time together, but have now relocated to Tankerton to be closer to their family.

On the day of their wedding, Jock worked his shift as a postman in the morning before they got married in the afternoon, and they celebrated with a honeymoon on the Isle of Sheppey.

Maggie said: "We are so lucky to have them both here to celebrate their platinum anniversary.

"They got married at 11:00 BST, so we made sure we were on the ward then to celebrate."

Ward manager at the QEQM, Kelli Smith, said: "Our aim was to try and make it as special as possible given the circumstances, and to help celebrate this incredible milestone and a couple who are clearly still very much in love."