Hedge End couple celebrating 60 years of happy marriage

Kay and Roger Kellaway, from Hedge End, were still at school in 1959 when 14-year-old Kay, from Bitterne, was introduced to Roger, 16, by her friend Susan, whose garden backed onto his in Thornhill. 

This weekend, the parents of three, grandparents of seven and great grandparents of 14 will be joined by 26 members of their immediate family, including four siblings, for a celebratory diamond wedding anniversary lunch at The White Swan in Mansbridge. 

(Image: Family collection)

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The celebrations are being put on hold briefly as Kay will be busy, helping her sister run a weekly club for pensioners. 

On the secret of their 60 years of success, Kay told the Daily Echo: "I think we've just been lucky, we just clicked. He'd say I do what he says, but I say he does what I say! 

"We just get on, it's one of those things. A marriage either works or it doesn't. Luckily for us, ours always did."

79-year-old Kay and Roger, aged 81, were married on September 19, 1964 after a relaxed proposal in his front room and moved into their own first home together, a bungalow just off of Peartree Avenue. 

Kay, who worked on the children's ward at Southampton General Hospital for 24 years after swopping hairdressing for nursing, and Roger, who had his own building firm, brought up their three children Natalie, Alison and Gary, and lived in Locks Heath, Park Gate and Sarisbury Green before a 16-year stint in France where Roger spent his semi retirement renovating homes for British expats. 

Returning to the UK about ten years ago, the pair have continued to be regular visitors to Australia, where daughter Alison and her family live. 

Their growing family keep Kay and Roger busy in their retirement and they love taking care of their boisterous ten month old puppy Alfie, but absolutely hate the expected pensioner activity of gardening!