WHEN Margaret and Fred first locked eyes on a train from Weymouth, neither would have thought they would later become married for 70 years.
Fred Lee, 95, and Margaret Lee, 89, celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary yesterday. They tied the knot at Dorford Baptist Church in Dorchester on Thursday, December 7, 1950.
While a party or gathering could not take place due to coronavirus restrictions, the couple were sent flowers, a cake and cards from their children and friends and had a special family Zoom video call.
Margaret and Fred first met on a train from Weymouth in the late 1940s and have been inseparable since.
The pair, both Dorchester born and bred, have lived in the county town for decades and also travelled the world together.
Margaret recalled the day they first met, stating: “We met on a train coming from Weymouth backed into the station.
“I was with someone else at the time and I was coming back from a dance. When I saw him, I thought what lovely blue eyes he had.
“We met up and talked. He also mentioned he worked as an upholsterer for Woods in Dorchester. Shortly after, my mum needed some furniture repaired and asked me if I knew anyone.
“That was how it all started.”
In a whirlwind romance, the couple became engaged and got married at Dorford Baptist Church. While it was not a traditional white wedding, snow had fallen in Dorchester on the day.
“It was a cold day,” Margaret remembered.
“I remember the bouquet shivered as it was that cold and there was snow around, too. My mum quipped it would never last but here we are!”
Soon after the wedding, Mr and Mrs Lee welcomed two sons - Timothy was born on January 9, 1956 while Garry was born on April 15, 1958. The couple also have five grandchildren.
Fred, formerly a rear gunner for the RAF, also worked for Dorchester hospital as a deputy administrator until his retirement in the early 1980s. In his spare time, Fred took to writing poetry and would often write romantic poems for Margaret.
Margaret spent her career working at the Antelope Hotel and later as a telephone operator for BT. The pair even travelled the country pet sitting.
Over the course of 70 years, the couple have travelled the world, enjoyed many cruises around Europe, dancing together and in later years, visiting their sons and grandchildren in France and South Africa.
Margaret said: “We used to go over to France because my son, Timothy, had a holiday camp. Fred used to cut the hedges and I used a tractor to drag along things and we both used to help out on the camp.”
Their son, Garry, paid tribute to his parents and wished them all the best on their “special” anniversary.
He said: “They have lived through wartime, rationing, Brexit and now Covid. Through it all, they have relied on each other for support.
“This year, which marks 70 years of marriage for them, is certainly an accomplishment in this day and age.”
When asked what the secret to a long-lasting loving marriage was, Margaret simply said: “Pick the right person.”
She added: “It is very difficult - you don’t know the person you marry until you live with them.
“We always talked things over with one and another and came to a conclusion whatever it was.
“We have had a very happy life together. It is getting a little difficult now but we have pulled together over the years.
“We never had a real argument, we just had occasional tick offs. I could have not chosen a better man than I had got.”
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