IT's all down to the Second World War that sparkling couple Vincent and Eileen Hamer have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

Vincent wrote to mill worker Eileen to propose while he was posted abroad, he then wrote to her father and while on leave he officially asked in person for her hand.

Eileen said: "My father said we could get married because the war was on -- if it hadn't have been he would have insisted we waited until I was 21!"

The couple, from Heckenhurst Avenue, Worsthorne, had only 10 days together after they married at St Mary Magdalene's, Burnley, 60 years ago during the war.

Vincent, 82, and Eileen, 78, lived only streets apart as children growing up in Burnley but had never met until 17-year-old Eileen and her friends decided to go to the Empress cinema in Sandygate instead of dancing. She said: "I was in the circle, where seats were only a shilling, with my friends and on the opposite side was Vincent and his friends. I don't know how it came about but during the interval he waved at me and towards the end he came across and asked to walk me home."

They married two years later, but their first few years were spent seeing little of each other as Vincent served in 81st Field Regiment Welsh Division of the Royal Artillery and got leave only every six to 12 months.

After the war Eileen continued to work in local mills eventually working for a leather merchant, while Vincent returned to work on Corporation buses, then trained as a plumber working for Sankeys.

They have one son James, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. There will be a family celebration at the Harper's Inn in Fence.

Eileen's secret for a happy marriage is: "The most important thing is listening to each other's problems if you have any, seeing the other person's point of view and trying to work with each other."