They may be former smallholders but their love has continued to grow for a Helston couple who celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Thursday.

Eric and Betty Read live today at Tenderah Road, where they retired to in 1993. Before that, however, they spent many years at Trevenen Bal – initially at Wheal Betty (although the name was a complete coincidence) where they moved to in 1968. They carried out a complete rebuild of the property, making it into a five-bedroom guest house and smallholding.

Along with Betty’s sister and brother in law, Ron and Mary Heaver, they started a small pig farm with a reputation for producing quality pigs that were sold to be fattened. They also reared turkeys for Christmas, which were individually hand plucked before sale.

In the early 1980s they sold Wheal Betty, moving in to what is now Trevenen Cottage in Trevenen Bal. At the time it was three small cottages, which they converted into one large cottage, with views towards the Lizard and Land’s End.

Eric, a carpenter all of his life, retired in 1993 prompting them to move again, this time into Tenderah Road, where they still are today.

The couple met in a night club in Croydon around 1952, marrying in 1954 at St Peters Church, South Croydon. They subsequently moved to Crawley where their sons Paul and Glenn were born.

Through a local advert Eric joined and ran a self-build group, building 16 houses with 15 other men in 18 months through the early 1960s.

Over the past 60 years they have never been apart for more than a few days at a time and love each other ”dearly”.