Celebrating 60 years of marriage: Meet the couple from Radford Semele who spent their wedding night watching a wrestling event - and got a standing ovation from the 1,500 crowd

Brian and Eileen Berry (nee Semple) got their marriage off to a great start - and are now celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary
Brian and Eileen Berry on their wedding day.Brian and Eileen Berry on their wedding day.
Brian and Eileen Berry on their wedding day.

A couple from Radford Semele are celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary this month - 60 years after their wedding got off to a truly remarkable start.

Brian and Eileen Berry (nee Semple) spent their wedding night at the wrestling in Coventry with a standing ovation from the 1,500-crowd for the newlyweds.

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And now 60 years on, they are marking their marital milestone.

Brian and Eileen BerryBrian and Eileen Berry
Brian and Eileen Berry

Brian was born in July 1938 and Eileen in May 1937. Eileen was born to James and Margaret Semple in Newtownstewart, County Tyrone.

Eileen moved to England with her two brothers John and Edward in 1941 where her brother Albert was born. Her two other siblings, Hamel and Maureen, were born in Hill Wootton where they resided for many years.

Brian was born to Arthur and Frances Berry in Radford Semele where he worked alongside his father as an agricultural contractor which he continued to do round Warwickshire.

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Brian met Eileen when at 17 he took the thrashing drum to Hill Wootton on Christmas Eve of 1955, Eileen being 18 and Brian being 17. They courted for six years and got married at All Saints Church, Leek Wootton on May 20, 1961, by Canon Cornes. Brian’s best man was Trevor Shephard and Eileen’s bridesmaids were Maureen Semple (Sullivan), Jean Batchelor (Bishop), Carol Cardall (Neale) and Rosemary Turner.

In 1962, Kay was born and three years later in 1965, Linda was born. Their only granddaughter Rosie was born in 2002. To this day Brian and Eileen live on the same farm that Brian worked for 60 years, both of them now retired.

Their family said they are so proud of them for reaching this milestone.

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