Busy Wigan couple celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary

A couple who say they have been too busy to argue over the past 60 years are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary.
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Pat and Dave Clitherow were both just 17 when they tied the knot on January 25, 1961 at Stuart Road Baptist Church in Walton, Liverpool.

They had met 12 months earlier when Mr Clitherow joined his father on a mercy mission.

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He said: “My father was working for the RSPCA and was sent out to rescue sheep, I think. It was out in the country somewhere. He had got some volunteers from a school and Pat was one of them. It was a chance meeting.”

Dave and Pat ClitherowDave and Pat Clitherow
Dave and Pat Clitherow

The Shevington couple have had a busy six decades, welcoming two sons - Michael and Gary - as well as five grandchildren and their first great-grandchild.

Pat worked as a personnel manager for Asda for several years, while Dave took on a number of business ventures.

He said: “I have been all over the place. I started working for a wholesaler for 10 years where I learned more common sense than anything, and a lot of business. That was probably the best 10 years of my life.”

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He opened a supermarket in Northwich, which did well until it was destroyed by fire in an arson attack.

Dave was then employed by a company installing fruit machines, jukeboxes and pool tables in pubs and clubs, working his way up from installation engineer to regional manager.

He moved to Greece for three years to open a water sports business, offering jet skis and banana boats.

Dave then returned home and opened a stall on Wigan Market, where he sold balloons and decor for occasions such as weddings and birthdays, as well as children’s toys.

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He said: “We were very busy on that stall. Nobody could touch us on price. I went for very cheap prices and big volumes.”

He ran the stall for 20 years, before shutting up shop in 2012.

The couple, both 77, now live a quieter life, as Pat has Parkinson’s disease, and will celebrate their anniversary at home.

And the secret to such a long marriage?

“The pair of us have been very busy, we have been workaholics all our lives. We didn’t have any time for arguments,” Dave said.

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