Wigan couple celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary!

An while Her Majesty The Queen is enjoying her platinum anniversary celebrations at present, John and Muriel Fairbank can already speak from experience on that front, for in a few weeks’ time they will be celebrating their 71st wedding anniversary.

The couple from Standish – John is 94 and Muriel 90 – were married on June 23 1951 and have two daughters, five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Last year they were delighted to receive a surprise video message from the Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell (Muriel is a huge fan of his) to congratulate them on that rare enough landmark and have already received another from him this year.

The Fairbanks have received cards from the Queen previously for their 65th and 70th anniversaries and it has been confirmed that they will be receiving another one for their 71st.

The pair met when Muriel was sweet 16 at the Empress Ballroom in Wigan and were introduced by a mutual friend.

They would marry three years later at St Catharine’s Church in Scholes.

Muriel worked at the Coops factory on Dorning Street while John was in the RAF during World War Two and then went on to work at the North West Water Authority (now United Utilities) until retirement.

When asked what their secret to a long marriage was they jointly replied: “Compromise and tolerance – lots of it!”