Couple's special day

The air was blue the day that teenage land army girl Lucia met the man that was going to be her husband for 60 years.

Young Lucia was walking from North Barsham to Houghton St Giles, near Walsingham, when she had to jump clear when Harold Bacon came along on his bicycle.

As Harold, 86 and 78-year-old Lucia celebrated their diamond wedding at their home at Fen Farm, Watton Road, Larling the couple's first rude encounter was recalled.

“I remember after having to jump up the bank I swore at Harold and he said I shouldn't swear at him because he was a parson's son. I told him I didn't care who he was,” said Mrs Bacon.

The couple courted for about a year and Mrs Bacon was just 18 when she and Harold married at Fakenham Register Office.

She said that their first home was in an old officer's bungalow at the Egmere aerodrome where she said they were “squatters”. The local council later moved them out into a large nissan hut which they divided into smaller rooms. They then moved to a council house in Walsingham where they remained for about 25 years.

They moved to their present home at Fen Farm, Larling, when Mr Bacon was left some land by his aunt and they had a bungalow built.

The couple had four daughters, Pat, Irene, Heather and Terina. Their last daughter was born when Heather was 15 and Mrs Bacon was nearly 40. “I let Heather chose Terina's name,” she said. They have 11 grandchildren and eight grandchildren.

During his working life Mr Bacon was a plumber.

The couple's secret of a long married life was to have plenty of patience. “You have to take it on the chin” she said.

She said she did not believe couples when they said they never argued.

Mrs Bacon said that feelings for her husband grew over the years.

“I have always been open and honest with my children, they are my friends as well as my daughters and I don't keep anything from them,” she said.

The couple marked their milestone anniversary with a family celebration.