Waterlooville couple say they're 'the best of friends' on diamond anniversary

Celebrating 60 years of marriage, the Malthouses, from Waterlooville, recall how they met during the winter of 1955.

Derek, 82, says: ‘Peggy and I first met at St George’s Church youth club in Waterlooville. She was 16 and I was 17.

‘We got engaged the same year.’

During their five-year engagement, Derek was working as an agricultural mechanic apprentice and Peggy was working in a small shop in Cosham. They tied the knot at St George’s Church, Waterlooville, on June 11, 1960.

‘We moved into a small property in London Road, Cowplain,’ explains Peggy, née Walsh.

‘We had two sons. David, who was born in April 1963 – the very hard winter – and Christopher was born in April 1966.’

While raising their sons, Derek worked for Southern Electric for 36 years and Peggy was a district commissioner with the Girl Guides for 20 years.

Derek says: ‘Christopher emigrated to New Zealand in 2005 and we have visited him and his family twice.’

The Malthouses are also grandparents to eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Although they haven’t celebrated how they hoped, they enjoyed seeing their family and friends from a distance.

Peggy smiles and says: ‘We’re celebrating over two days and have allocated time slots for our family to come and see us at a social distance.’

Looking back across the past 60 years, Derek and Peggy say they couldn’t be without each other.

Derek says: ‘These 60 years have whizzed by. It feels like we got married yesterday.

‘We’re the best of friends – he means the world to me,’ adds Peggy.