Kenneth and Barbara Pickard, who first met in Trowbridge Park in Wiltshire on VE Day in 1945, now have a spot to call their very own after the Friends of Trowbridge Park unveiled a new bench and floral border to honour them.

Kenneth, 92, (who became an above-knee amputee in Normandy in 1944) and Barbara, 89, attended the opening ceremony with Mayor Roger Andrews.

Everyone was so happy all those years ago because of the end of the war and I spoke to Kenneth because we both went to the celebrations on our own – it was pure chance, you could say, and we took it from there.

I was only 17 or 18 at the time and I was quite quiet, but I felt that I had to go and join in with the celebrations because my brothers were serving in the Forces at the time.” adds Kenneth who was recovering at the time.  

The couple married 18 months later at St James’ Church while Kenneth was an apprentice at the Wiltshire Times. Nearly 70 years on, the couple have said shared interests, such as gardening, have kept their relationship strong, and they hope the new edition to the park will bring other couples as much happiness as it has to them.