Couple recreate first date for diamond anniversary

A couple described as "true community heroes" have returned to the place where they had their first date to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

Peter and Ruth Kirkham, who are now based in Horsham, travelled across England to their home towns of Blackpool and Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

For their first date, the couple had headed to the YMCA St Annes for a dance at the 'Tuesday Night Hop', and that was where they decided to return decades later.

The YMCA said it was a "pleasure" to have them back home for a short while.

The Kirkhams met while working at the Premium Bonds, which was run from the Fylde coast.

Peter Kirkham OBE was a talented footballer and spent a lot of his youth at YMCA St Annes.

He was part of the YMCA St Annes Cup winning side in April 1966, hosted at Bloomfield Road.

Mr Kirkham scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win against ICI Thornton.

He was often known to be helping out in the café, serving refreshments to the local sportsmen and women of St Annes.

Peter and Ruth Kirkham also helped out at the YMCA jumble sale to raise funds for the local community.

The centre called them "true community heroes".

After a visit back to Lancashire, the happy couple spent their anniversary in the Lake District and stayed at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 60 years ago.

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