A LOCAL couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a coveted ‘telegram’ from the King and Queen.

Today Val and Keith Cornwall of Upton Bishop enjoy a terrific family life surrounded by their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Their family always comes first, and they celebrated their milestone diamond anniversary among family and friends.

Born in the Parish, Keith Cornwall met Val when she moved to the village from The Lea at the age of 15.

After their courtship, the couple were married at St Mary's Church in Ross-on-Wye, their reception was held in The Railway before they honeymooned in the West Country.

Val worked locally in retail but spent much of her working life with Chicory Crops. Keith worked for the council and at Cadbury, and later he drove heavy goods vehicles.

During their younger days, the couple travelled extensively throughout the UK as well as embarking on trips to Europe.

These days they enjoy pleasures closer to home, Keith being a prominent figure in cribbage and skittle leagues throughout the Forest and local area.

Val's great love is making jams and pickles and at Christmas she produces amazing wreaths for the local community.

Keith's great love is his sheep and he is still to be seen every day tending to sheep and lambs throughout the Parish.

However, one incident remains fixed in the family’s memory. A jack-knifed lorry collided with a bridge pier on the M50 between junctions two and three in December 1978, the impact not only caused the tragic fatality of the lorry driver but resulted in the collapse of the road deck above the motorway.

Keith was driving a milk lorry on the bridge when it collapsed, leaving his vehicle in precarious position over the motorway.

And as part of the re-opening ceremony Keith was invited to be the first person to drive over it.