A FORMER Bury couple are "home" from Australia to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in style.

Ellen and Brian Green have lived in Sydney for the last 18 years but arrived back home on Tuesday, November 30, to party in the best possible way - among friends and family.

The couple are staying with Dawn Green at her home in Meadowbrook Close, Bury. Ellen is Dawn's mum, Brian her step-dad.

Their 25th anniversary was actually last Tuesday , November 23, which was also Brian's birthday.

Their "do" in Bury -at St Bede's Social Club on Bell Lane - is tomorrow.

Dawn (31) was set to start a new life in Australia last year - until she met her partner Nicholas Harrison. She also decided to stay in Bury to be near her dad. Her sister Jill Green also lives in Australia but has been back in Bury for a year. She will go back with the silver wedding couple in January.

Jill is a bar supervisor in Sydney and has worked in town centre pubs during her stay over here.

Ellen and Brian set off for Australia after both were made redundant. Ellen worked in a curtain factory and Brian was a plumber.

Now he has his own plumbing business which Ellen organises from home . . . home is at Coogee, near Bondi Beach!

Dawn said: "My mum really only has me here but my step-dad has lots of family over here. I have been getting hold of long-lost friends for them which has been hard. They just mentioned names and wondered where they are. It has been up to me to track them down!"

And she added: "In some ways I have two lots of parents now. And I have had three good holidays in Australia. My mum and step-dad have been home a couple of times since emigrating but not for anything on as big a scale as this."

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