A FAMILY is full of joy as devoted parents celebrate their landmark 70th wedding anniversary today.
Bill and Betty Taylor tied the knot in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi back on November 18, 1950.
The couple have dementia and while Bill is in a care home, Betty remains at their home in Leigh, where she has an army of carers.
Simon Taylor - the youngest of six sons - is overjoyed to see his parents reaching 70 years of marriage.
He said: “I couldn’t be prouder. My parents gave up everything so that their sons could be educated and prosperous.
“They had no luxuries like rich foods, alcohol and cigarettes, which ironically has probably been the reason for their long and healthy lives.
Throwback - Bill and Betty are celebrating 70 years of marriage having tied the knot in Kenya back in 1950
“Like all couples, they would have had more than their fair share of ups and downs but they have stayed 100 per cent devoted to each other for 70 years and I have nothing but admiration for them.
“To say that my pride is through the roof is an understatement.”
Bill, 95, and 93-year-old Betty met at the London School of Economics.
They got married in Nairobi as Bill secured a job in Kenya after serving his country in World War Two.
Eldest sons Gerald and Malcolm were born in Africa before the family returned to their roots, where Colin, Peter, Derek and Simon were welcomed into the world.
Simon, 48, feels having a large family has been the key to Bill and Betty’s long marriage.
He added: “Family has to be the key to their marriage.
“To most people, being rich means you are financially wealthy.
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“My parents never cared for financial riches.
“With six children, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren - along with two more on the way - it is safe to say they see themselves as being the equivalent of multi-millionaires and nothing makes them happier.
“Both of my parents now have dementia so, in a strange way, that has protected them from this pandemic as they don’t really know what is happening.”
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