HOW impressive to celebrate a Diamond Wedding Anniversary. And how typical in these truly bizarre times that for Gordon and Shirley Hetherington attending a vaccination centre for a second Covid-19 jab was treated as a perfectly acceptable thing to do when they should have been partying with family and friends.

In fact they positively welcomed it because it meant they could at some time in the future do exactly that. Only five per cent of couples reach this monumental milestone marking 60 years together, Spectator has discovered. For the Hetherington's it's clear that they have been a huge support to each other and put the secret of a long and happy marriage down to 'give and take and healthy argument'.

As a personal injury lawyer Gordon acted for a number of Trade Unions, including the Blast Furnacemens' Union, and as solicitor for some of the Teesside victims of the Piper Alpha Disaster. An after dinner speaker he offers talks about Gertrude Bell, who was involved in the creation of Iraq and one he dubs "Forty Five Years on the Game" about his legal career.

A keen writer, he has spent lockdown on his memoirs, and tells the story of his father Joe, a reporter for the Northern Echo, who was desperate to be a solicitor and ensured his son followed in the career he always craved, while Gordon would really rather have followed him into journalism.

Shirley was a teacher at Marton Grove Junior School and at Mill Hill School, later studying painting and ceramics, exhibiting through the Northern Potters Association and is an active member of Leven Art Society. In the space of 60 years the couple have done much and with the vaccine the aim is they can look forward to doing much more.