65 years of marriage for dancing couple

Sheffield Lord Mayor Tony Downing with the Lady Mayoress his wife Valerie Downing joined Mr. & Mrs. Philip Mann for their 65th. Wedding Anniversary celebrations at their June Road, Woodhouse home.

Little did she know that it was her love for dancing that would lead her to meet the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

Margaret, of Woodhouse, now married for 65 years, recalls the time she first met her husband Philip, who is now 90. But, unlike some love stories, it was not a case of love at first sight.

She said: “It’s a funny story. My mother had a friend who used to visit her every so often and I’d gone out that night to dance.

Margaret Mann and Philip Mann on their wedding day, October 9, 1954, in St Mary's Church, Handsworth

“She told her friend I’d gone out to City Hall to dance, and her friend said she had somebody in her office who also goes dancing at the City Hall.

“I didn’t know all this, only afterwards. So my mother gave her a photograph of me and he found me. Now, I don’t know if that was good or bad!”

Philip, who used to work in the beer, wine and spirit trade, said he had confused her when he asked about her job during the dance.

“I asked ‘have you done anybody’s hair today’ and she was like, ‘how did you know that’?” he laughed.

Margaret Mann and Philip Mann showing off a congratulatory card they received from The Queen.

Philip and Margaret, who have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary, said they were each other’s one and only.

“I didn’t see anybody else apart from Philip as I used to go out dancing a lot with my girlfriends,” to which Philip replied, “She is my first, too.”

Describing Philip as ‘a good dancer’, Margaret said her husband was a true gentleman with ‘nice manners’.

She added: “It was so different then. People were all so polite. Life was so much simpler too. When you get married, you really commit yourself to it and you wouldn’t think that it won’t last long. As we get older, I don’t think there’s much to argue about. Unless I tell him to do something and he does something totally opposite, I’d just shout then!”

Margaret said they both loved going on cruises to different places and meeting new people.

The couple still travel even though Philip is now visually impaired after he suffered from a stroke 10 years ago.

“We still go to Woodhouse village for coffee morning almost every day,” she said.

Philip and Margaret’s daughter, Judith died from ovarian cancer seven years ago when she was 54.

Judith left behind her son Andrew, 33, and daughter Danielle, 31, and a granddaughter, Lily Rose, 10.

Their anniversary celebration was held at their home on June Road and they were joined by Sheffield Lord Mayor Tony Downing and Lady Mayoress Valerie Downing.

They also received a congratulatory card from The Queen to mark their anniversary.