Gnome is where the heart is for Banbury diamond couple

Len and Sybil Hudson, from Banbury, celebrate their Diamond wedding anniversary. NNL-180724-171618009

Len and Sybil Hudson met each other at the Upper Heyford Air Base and were married on this day, July 26, in 1958 after a brief courtship.

Len said: “We first met at school many years ago. We met again in 1957. My wife was working on the air force base where she worked for 40 years.

Len and Sybil Hudson celebrate 60 years of marriage this week. Here they are tying the knot in 1958 NNL-180725-093426001

“I worked up there for a short time. It must have been love at first sight, well second sight, as we were married in 1958.”

Sybil was living in Aynho and it was there the couple had their first date.

Len said: “ Probably the first official date was in Aynho and we went for a drink in a pub called the Bear and it just blossomed from there.”

Over the years the couple have enjoyed travelling, taking motor home excursions across the UK and Europe but they also shared one unusual passion that brought them some fame.

Len said: “We lived in Deddington for 40 years.”

And Sybil added: “We were the ones that had the garden with all the gnomes in. We used to have coach loads stop to look.”

Len added: “We had over 300 at one time. It’s been on television several times. Sir John Gielgud came down and Sarah Kennedy for a show called Brilliant Gardens.

“The only problem with them was mowing the lawn.”

Len and Sybil are part of the Valentine Club at Steeple Aston and enjoy once a month get togethers with other members.

The pair came from large families with Len having six siblings and Sybil seven but they themselves have had no children.

Celebrations will be low key for the couple but Sybil’s younger sister Penny and husband John remain an integral part of the couple’s life helping out during Sybil’s recent ill health.

Len said: “To be truthful we have kept it reasonably quiet as we didn’t want people sending a lot of presents and things like that.”

The couple have lived in Banbury for the past nine years, relocating to a bungalow with not a gnome in sight.

After 60 years together the pair have simple advice for a long and successful marriage.

Sybil said: “We all have our ups and downs, I don’t think there is such a thing as a perfect marriage.”

Len added: “It’s the making up that counts.”