A couple who shared their 60th wedding anniversary with the Queen’s jubilee were unaware of the special occasion until Her Majesty reminded them herself.

Jim Lawrence, 84, and Bett Lawrence, 82, from Canbury Park Road in Kingston, met at the old Jolly Brewers pub in 1951 and married just a year later.

Retired builder Mr Lawrence said: “She saw that I was a good catch.”

Mrs Lawrence replied: “You had more hair back then.”

Thinking back on their wedding that took place in 1952, Mr Lawrence remembered how their parents’ friendship brought them closer together.

He said: “We ran out of beer at our wedding reception, so our fathers rolled down a barrel of beer in the cold snow.”

The couple started their 60th year together not knowing they were sharing their special anniversary year with the Queen.

Mr Lawrence said: “We didn’t even know it at the time.

“It was when the postman knocked on the door four days before our anniversary with a card from the Queen herself that we realised.”

Their anniversary was celebrated in Eastbourne together with Mrs Lawrence’s brother and his wife, who also celebrated 60 years of marriage at the same time.

Over the jubilee weekend Mr and Mrs Lawrence celebrated at the Canbury Park Road street party on Saturday, June 2.

The pair have lived in the road since they were married in the 1950s and have regularly been involved in community events in the road.

Mrs Lawrence who baked cakes for the street party, said: “It was such an honour to receive the card from the Queen.”