Whitchurch residents, Patricia and Philip Hickmott, recently celebrated their Platinum wedding anniversary at their home, near Ross-on-Wye, along with their family.

They first met in December 1944 at Bo’ness serving in the WRNS and RN respectively. Philip, having previously taken part in landing American tanks on the Normandy beaches, was serving as 1st Lieutenant of a tank-landing craft preparing to sail to invade the Pacific Islands, held by the Japanese.

Patricia was serving as a driver in the WRNS, and whilst waiting for instructions, together with other drivers, inhabited a caravan on the dockside alongside Philip’s landing craft.

After a long distance courtship the couple married and in 1973 moved to a new-build bungalow in Whitchurch where they happily joined in the village activities. Together they delivered Meals on Wheels for many years in the area and they later became founder members of the Short Mat Bowls Club in Whitchurch. See the full story in this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here