Grantham ‘dancing duo’ celebrate golden anniversary today

A Grantham couple, whose love of music and dancing brought them together, are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.

Dennis and Joy Hobbs, of Wensleydale Close, first met at The Commodore rooms, Nottingham, in 1964.

Joy, then aged 16, was working for Gas Board (now known as British Gas) and they would often host dances. David, then aged 20, was invited along with his friend, who also worked at Gas Board.

After meeting on the dancefloor, the pair were soon inseperable.

Joy, 69, said: “It was a great time to be dating. It was the height of the Beatles era and as Nottingham had a great music scene, we managed to see many bands during our courting days. It was a different world back then.”

After two years, Dennis proposed and they married a year later at the Holy Trinity Church in Clifton, Nottingham on 1 Oct 1967 - the first couple to be married on a Sunday at the church.

Joy added: “My father was working as a collecting agent and as the majority of his work fell on a Friday and a Saturday, he could not afford to take a Saturday off, therefore we decided to get married on a Sunday, which was very rare 50 years ago.”

After getting married, the couple moved into a static caravan in between two pubs as they saved up for a deposit to buy their first home together.

Their hard work paid off when they moved into their first home, a new build bungalow in 1969 and their two boys Christopher, now 45 and Darren, 44, arrived shortly afterwards.

When the boys were still young, the family moved to Skegness in 1972 and opened up a guest house. They ran the guest house for five years before Joy trained to be a nurse. Once qualified, the family moved to Boston, so Joy could work at Pilgrim Hospital.

Since moving to Grantham 15 years ago, Joy became the registrar for births and deaths before her retirement four years ago. Dennis has worked in various firms in the commercial art and design industry throughout his life as well as working for British Gas for eight years.

Since retirement, the couple have no plans to slow down. They are regulars on the local indoor bowling scene and have just returned from a bowling break in Norfolk. Aswell as bowling, they also play bridge three times a week and Dennis runs the St. Wulfram’s art group once a month and regulary puts on exhibitions. He also helps out at Harlaxton Manor in their events programme.

When they are not at their clubs, the couple enjoy spending time with their four grandaughters Lucy, Emily, Scarlett and Juliet and taking their ‘spoilt’ border terrier dog, Hetty, on long walks.

As their anniversary approaches, it is clear that the couple are still as much in love as they were 50 years ago.

Dennis said: “We are very good friends aswell as husband and wife and rarely argue. I know and love everything about Joy. We probably know each other more than we know ourselves.”

Joy added: “Although everyone says it, being able to give and take is key to a happy marriage. Dennis is also very tolerant and will do anything for anyone.”

The couple are planning to celebrate with a family lunch at The Thatch Restaurant in Bottesford on Sunday.

Dennis added: “It will be exactly 50 years to the day that we got married. Being on a Sunday has made it even more special.”