A COUPLE celebrated 60 years together in Chipping Norton.

On Saturday July 28 a party was held at the Crown and Cushion Hotel in Chipping-Norton to mark the anniversary of Cyril and Brenda Smart with 60 guests.

Mr Smart has lived all his life in Chipping-Norton.

He was born in 1932 to Cyril and Minnie Smart the third of six children, his father was employed as a butcher for the local Co-op and his mother was a seamstress for the Co-op as well.

He met Mrs Smart, then Miss Jones, on a blind date in Chipping-Norton, herself coming from Abingdon, originally born in Dawley, Shropshire the only child of Ernest and Daisy Jones.

They married in Abingdon and settled down to married life in Chipping-Norton.

Mr Smart worked at the furniture factory Parker Knoll from 1969 until his retirement in 1997 and Mrs Smart worked at the Co-op until her retirement.

They have two children, Angela who now runs Adlestrop Post Office and her brother Carl who works in Chipping-Norton for Cotswold Kitchens, they also have six grandchildren, one who recently got married herself.

They had a party attended by many friends and family that they had not seen for many years and enjoyed catching up with each other throughout the evening.

Their highlight was receiving a congratulatory card from the queen to mark the occasion.