Northampton couple celebrate 70 years of marriage today

A Northampton couple are celebrating 70 years of marriage.

John and Margaret Oakenfull, tied the knot at All Saints Church on September 6, 1952, and have remained in the county for the duration of their lives.

The pair met at Midsummer Meadows Fair in 1949, aged 16 and 17, and enjoyed spending time with each other so much they went to the cinema the next night – and have been together ever since.

Talking about how to make a relationship and marriage last as long as theirs has, John said: “The key is being respectful and realising we’re all human.”

Margaret added that it is “important to learn to say sorry when you know you are in the wrong”.

To celebrate the occasion, around 35 of John and Margaret’s closest family and friends gathered at a restaurant in Oakham on Sunday (September 4).

Joking about how long of a time the two of them have been together, John pointed out 70 years is “longer than three life sentences”.

The pair adore each other, and say their favourite thing about their relationship is they are “family orientated, hard working, and have a great deal of respect” for the other.

Their fondest memories are the birth of their four sons and the “wonderful holidays” they have embarked on.

Margaret, 89, spent her early years working at The Brook, a Northampton clothing factory, and John, 90, started his working life at British Timken – and they both now reside in Horton.