Diamond couple celebrate 75 years of marriage

Albert and Catherine Ball, aged 99 and 98 respectively, enjoyed a party to mark their second 'diamond' anniversary with family and friends at Streets Meadow care home in Wimborne yesterday afternoon.

Among their many cards was one sent from Buckingham Palace.

Both Bert and Cathy were born in Parkstone and met in their mid-teens. At the time she was working as a milliner in Westbourne - making hats for the gentry - and he was working as a painter and decorator.

Mr Ball said: "I used to see her when she came home from work. She was making hats at the time and I was working and living on my own.

"We met when she was about 16 and got married about seven years later.

"While we were standing outside the church for a photo an air raid siren went off, we saw a plane come overhead and had to rush back inside."

The pair married at St John's Church in Parkstone on July 20, 1940, and just two days later Mr Ball was called up to serve in the Royal Air Force, which he had joined a few months prior.

He worked as an aircraft technician, while Mrs Ball also contributed to the war effort at local firm Humphries.

After the war, Mr Ball returned to painting and decorating, while his wife continued working until their son Clive was born in 1957.

Mr Ball became closely involved with Poole Speedway, acting as a flag marshal until the early 1980s. He himself was a keen motorcyclist and the couple travelled extensively during their younger years.

Mr Ball, who visits his wife at Streets Meadow every afternoon alongside their 58-year-old son Clive, said the couple had maintained their union thanks to a close friendship.

"We have always liked one another, and we have always liked the same things," he said.

Their son, who lives in Brazil but is currently looking after Mr Ball at his home in Corfe Mullen, said: "It is pretty amazing, dad has had a lot of health problems and mum has had Alzheimers since 2005 so it is an impressive age to reach."