A much-loved Winwick couple are preparing to celebrate an extraordinary milestone as they mark their Platinum Wedding Anniversary after 70 years of marriage.
Eric and Barbara Runcorn will celebrate seven decades as husband and wife on Tuesday, 8 September, having married on 8 September 1956.
Family, friends and members of the Winwick community will come together ahead of the anniversary for a special celebratory service at St Oswald’s Church, Winwick, at 12.15pm toay, Sunday, 6 September.
For Eric and Barbara, there could hardly be a more fitting place to celebrate. Their lives together have been closely intertwined with St Oswald’s and the wider Winwick community for much of their marriage.
Their story began in July 1952 when Eric met Barbara while on holiday in Blackpool. They soon discovered that their families already had connections. Barbara’s family originated from Lowton, as did Eric’s father Albert, and it was even thought possible that Eric and Barbara had crossed paths as young children. They became engaged in 1954.
In 1955, the young couple bought Cherry Cottage in Church Walk, Winwick, for £150, helped by a loan from Eric’s father which had to be repaid at £1 a week. They married the following year and initially lived with Barbara’s parents. Their daughter Janet was born in April 1958 and the family finally moved into their own Cherry Cottage that June.
It was the beginning of a married life in which Winwick would always remain home.
Eric and Barbara became deeply involved in St Oswald’s and village life. Barbara joined the church’s Young Wives organisation, while Eric and Canon Unwin established a church youth club after noticing the number of young people in the village with little to do. Eric was subsequently elected to St Oswald’s Parochial Church Council.
The couple were also founder members of the Winwick village Church School PTA. Eric served as a parish councillor during the 1960s and was later formally recognised for his long-standing service to the community and environment of Winwick.
Eric’s own connection with St Oswald’s stretches back almost his entire life. He joined Sunday School at the age of four and the choir two years later. In later years he served as a churchwarden, helped oversee major work to the historic church and devoted countless hours to looking after its churchyard.
But their 70 years together have also taken Eric and Barbara far beyond Winwick.
The couple developed a great affection for the former Yugoslavia after first visiting in 1978 and became involved with the British-Yugoslav Society. Eric went on to serve as treasurer of its North West branch and was a member for 25 years.
During the conflict in the Balkans, their connections helped support humanitarian efforts to collect food, medicines, blankets, toiletries and other supplies for hospitals in the war-torn region, with Winwick Church Hall becoming a local collection point. Their contribution was not forgotten.
When Eric and Barbara celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in Dubrovnik in 2006, they were presented with a certificate from the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and local authority recognising their support for the former Yugoslavia during the civil war years and their continuing support for tourism.
Their travels also brought some remarkable encounters. During a visit to Cambridge University they were introduced to the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Ronald Runcie, while their time in the former Yugoslavia also brought them into contact with former Labour leader Michael Foot.
Now, seven decades after their wedding day, their remarkable marriage is being celebrated back where so much of their story has taken place.
The couple’s Platinum Anniversary is also being recognised by the Mayor of Warrington, who has sent Eric and Barbara his warmest congratulations and best wishes on reaching 70 years of marriage.
The Mayor has also invited Eric and Barbara to the Mayor’s Parlour at Warrington Town Hall, where their remarkable milestone will be recognised and celebrated.
Cllr Stuart Mann, who represents Burtonwood and Winwick, said:“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Eric and Barbara for nearly all my life, so this is a particularly special anniversary for me personally as well as for our village.
“They are one of those couples who are simply part of the fabric of Winwick. Generations of local families know them, and the contribution they have made to St Oswald’s and our wider community over so many years is quite remarkable.
“When you think about everything that has happened in the world since Eric and Barbara stood together on their wedding day in September 1956, reaching 70 years of marriage really is an incredible achievement.”
It is particularly fitting that the main community celebration will take place here in Winwick and at St Oswald’s, a church which has been such an important part of their lives.
“Eric and Barbara are a wonderful couple and very special members of our community. I know the whole village will join me in congratulating them and wishing them a very happy Platinum Wedding Anniversary.”
A 70th wedding anniversary is traditionally known as a Platinum Wedding Anniversary and represents an exceptionally rare with only 1 couple in a million reaching the milestone.
For Eric and Barbara, however, their anniversary represents far more than simply the passing of 70 years. It is a celebration of marriage, family, friendship, faith, community service and a lifetime of experiences shared together.
And perhaps most fittingly of all, after seven decades, countless memories and adventures around the world, Winwick remains at the heart of their story.
A special service celebrating Eric and Barbara Runcorn’s Platinum Wedding Anniversary will be held at St Oswald’s Church, Winwick, at 12.15pm on Sunday, 6 September. Their 70th wedding anniversary falls on Tuesday, 8 September and everyone is welcome to come and celebrate.
Eric and Barbara on their wedding day
Credit for research, photos and history to Peter Beck.
