James and Dale Sutton celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary with their family on 24th October at The Grange at Oborne.

Born at Templecombe, James then lived at Milton, Fifehead Magdelene and Cuclington before he met Dale in 1963, who lived in Fivehead. They married the following year, moving to a small village just outside Cheltenham to an old black and white house which was once the home of pilot Amy Johnson.

James worked as a design engineer at Dowty Mining Equipment for 15 years, but with the demise of the coal industry they decided to move back to Somerset, settling in Penselwood, where they have been for the last 45 years. James went onto work with Westland Helicopters, seeing the development of the EH101 helicopter from initial concepts to the final production.

The couple has a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Chloe, and between them they have six grandsons and one granddaughter. On retirement they have a large garden and a menagerie of animals which keeps them busy and gives them great pleasure. They have created a Nature Reserve in a two acre field with three large ponds, two of which have islands for the wild ducks to nest on.

They have also enjoyed going on day trips to all sorts of places all over Europe – and have made 49 to date to 35 different destinations, with their favourites being Venice, Rome and Florence.