A COUPLE who got married two just weeks after they got engaged are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary.

Maureen, 78, remembers seeing her husband, Gerald Labbett, now 79, for the first time when she lived in East Ham.

"I was 14 at the time," she said.

"I saw him coming along the road and thought 'he's nice'.

"As he came closer I said 'I'm going to marry him."

Despite her keenness, it took years before the pair started dating.

But then Gerald, who was then in the army, was posted to Tripoli, Libya.

"He said he had good news and bad news, the bad news they are sending him to Tripoli and the good news he was coming home for the weekend," added Maureen.

"I said 'it's best we get married then so I can wait for you'.

"My dad was so angry, looking back I think I would have done the same."

The drama continued for the pair though, as they were in a car crash before the big day.

Maureen said: "We went out to tell relatives and were on the way back when we were in an accident.

"The car rolled over and over.

"We were taken to hospital - the nurse said I had broken my shoulder."

After getting married the pair had three children, two girls and a boy and in later years fostered 25 children.

They now have eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren, the youngest of which is two years old.

After many holidays in Dovercourt the couple moved to Low Road 17 years ago.

They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a trip to Lowestoft and plan to spend the actual day with family.

Maureen said: "We really appreciate what we have.

"It feels the same as when we first got together - I still have a photograph of him in the suit with a silver waistcoat he was wearing when I first saw him, his hair was like Tony Curtis.

"There is a lot of give and take but we do a lot of joking and laugh together.

"And we just love to keep busy - I think that has helped us stay together."