A COUPLE marking their diamond wedding anniversary were joined in the celebrations by a special guest from across the pond.

Don and Jean Westall celebrated 60 years of being married with a special lunch at the Marriott Hotel with family and friends yesterday.

One special guest was Joy Sylvester, who travelled from America to celebrate the day. She accompanied Jean down the aisle 60 years ago as her bridesmaid.

Don, 83, and Jean, 81, of Lakeside, were married at the Coronation Temple, in Osborne Street, Gorse Hill, on a sunny summer’s day before enjoying a reception at the Co-op Hall in East Street with about 60 guests.

Joy, 83, of Portland, Oregon, met Jean when her father, who was a minister at the Baptist Church in Devizes, came to Swindon to give a service when the girls were teenagers Since then they have been life-long friends and despite Joy’s father moving to America in 1949 the friendship has not suffered, with both Don and Jean making several trips across the water.

Jean also arranged her wedding to coincide with Joy visiting family in the country to make sure that she could be a bridesmaid for their big day.

Joy said: “I had come over on a ship because I had been in the States for four years.

“Jean and Don had arranged their wedding around me visiting my family just so I could be a bridesmaid.

“I just remember that the day was so different from what we had in America. There were ribbons on the wedding cars and I quite enjoyed the little things like that.

“Don and Jean have been great friends, we have shared everything over the years by way of telephone and I am delighted to be here with them to mark this special day.”

Don worked at the Railway Works after leaving the air force and stayed there until it closed in 1986. He went on to work for 10 years at the Stratton Hospital as a volunteer, which he said was the most rewarding job he had had.

Meanwhile, Jean was a teacher at Gorse Hill Infants and Junior School until 1986.

The couple have enjoyed 60 happy years together, but it has not been without its testing times.

In 1959 the pair who have one son, John, and an adopted daughter, Jill, lost a son at the age of just 15 months.

They also were not sure if they would make it to the milestone, when in 2000 Don found himself in hospital for three weeks and his family were told to expect the worst. However, he pulled through and the couple said they were delighted to be marking their special day.

Jean said: “I consider us to be very well blessed to have reached this milestone.

“I don’t think either of us thought we would make it to this day, we have been through a lot but we have been through it together.

“The wedding day was a lovely warm day just like today and we had around 60 people at the reception which was lovely.

“It is very nice to be able to enjoy this day with our family and friends.”