A COUPLE are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary today – on Christmas eve.

John Mullen, 82, and Joan Mullen, 79, (nee Banks) met in the summer of 1957 while both working at Enfield manufacturing company which is now Oswaldtwistle Mills.

The couple, from Oswaldtwistle, were engaged in 1959 when John was called away to North Wales and Aldershot to complete his two-year National Service.

While John was on Christmas leave in the year of 1960, the couple tied the knot at St Andrew's church in Accrington.

John was demobbed from National Service and returned to his previous job as a tackler at Enfield. Their first child, Janet, 57, was born in January 1963 and then their second child, Barbara, in June 1966.

Barbara, 54, said: “They are absolutely amazing parents. They have been an inspiration and they are really good role models.”

They are proud grandparents of grandchild Ashleigh, 27, and have two great grandchildren Eliza, 6, and Arthur, 1.

They also received a telegram from the Queen sending her congratulations to the couple on their wonderful milestone.

John and Joan said the secret of their long marriage is by putting up with each others' bad habits and not trying to change one another.