Harry and Anne are still the very best of friends after 60 years

Harry and Ann Hardy met for the first time at Sunderland Royal Infirmary in 1954.

Harry was visiting his mother on the ward where Ann was working as a staff nurse.

He said: “Ann was in charge of the ward and it was love at first sight.

“I thought she was lovely; she still is.

Harry earned permission from Ann to ring her on the ward and the couple met again just a week later.

Ann said: “I thought he was rather nice. He had a bit of an intense look in his eye. He really looked at you when he was speaking to you.”

However, early in their relationship the couple were separated as Ann departed to complete her midwifery training in Northampton.

During their six months apart Harry, a chemistry graduate working for ICI, and Ann wrote to one another every other day.

And on September 1 1956, they were married at St Pauls Church, in Ann’s home town of Ryhope.

The newlyweds settled into a bungalow in Shotton Colliery, Harry took a job at an explosives factory in Haswell and Ann worked at Thorpe Maternity Hospital.

In 1957 their first son, John was born and in 1959 when his younger brother Peter was just six months old the family moved to Manchester where Harry worked for Dyestuffs.

Ann worked as night sister at the regional chest hospital where the first open-heart surgery took place.

The family lived in Manchester for 17 years, with youngest son Andrew arriving in 1966.

After a five year stint in Wigan, in 1979 Harry took a role with ICI in Ponteland and the family returned to the North-East.

The family settled in Wylam, where they have stayed after both retiring from work in 1985.

The couple have three granddaughters, Emma, Steffi and Ruth, who have organised a family trip to the Lake District to celebrate Harry and Ann’s diamond anniversary.

Reflecting on their 60 years together, Harry said: “We are friends; we’ve always been friends.”

Ann added: “It’s important to work together and respect each other.