Romance blossomed on the back row of cinema (From Evesham Journal)

Romance blossomed on the back row of cinema

4:10pm Thursday 12th July 2012 in Evesham

A COUPLE who first met in Evesham’s cinema are celebrating their diamond wedding today.

Joan and Bill Green, of Cornmill in Elmley Castle, married 60 years ago at Bengeworth Church in Evesham.

Mrs Green, aged 80, said they met while working at the cinema.

The pair now have a plaque on the back of some upstairs seats where Mrs Green said they spent a lot of time.

She said: “We were always on the back row. Bill proposed to me in the big cupboard in the cinema.”

But their romance almost never took off as Mr Green, aged 78, said it was only when his future wife had her hair cut that he noticed her.

“She first made a date with my friend but a few months later she had her hair done in a fresh style,” said Mr Green, who had to undertake his national service just one week after the wedding.

“When she came back I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought, ‘I’m going after her’.

”I found out I was going to Egypt and I saw a ring in the jewellers. I was a bit nervous before I proposed but not too nervous because I had a feeling she would say yes. We were married a week later.”

The couple had five children, but sadly their youngest daughter, who had cystic fibrosis, died aged 16.

Mrs Green stayed at home with their children, while Mr Green worked as a bus driver for Midland Red, a job he applied for after seeing an advert in the Evesham Journal, and spent 31 years taking people around the Vale by bus.

Now they have 13 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

Although the pair say they don’t have a secret to success, Mr Green said: “We always have gone everywhere together. We have never gone a different way and we still do everything together now.”

The couple will be celebrating with a party.