60 Years and Counting for Peter and Ruth

Who doesn’t enjoy a good Love Story?

This week we welcomed back Peter and Ruth Kirkham to YMCA St Annes. The couple now based in Horsham returned Northbound to their home towns Blackpool and Lytham St Annes to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

YMCA St Annes was the very place where Peter and Ruth came for their first date. After meeting in their workplace, Premium Bonds, the couple headed for an initial dance at the Tuesday Night Hop. A night with the jukebox and a few toe taps at the YMCA.

Peter Kirkham OBE was a talented footballer and spent a lot of his youth at YMCA St Annes. He was part of the YMCA St Annes Cup winning side in April 1966, hosted at Bloomfield Road, Peter scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win against ICI Thornton (after extra time). Peter was often known to be helping out Mrs Richards (Harry’s wife) in the café, serving refreshments to the local sportsmen and women of St Annes.

The 1966 Cup winning side pictured above, including Peter Kirkham (front left), and current YMCA Honorary President Ian Patterson (3 in from the left).

Peter and Ruth also quite regularly helped out at the YMCA jumble sale to raise funds for the local community – true community heroes.

The happy couple are spending their anniversary in the Lake District, staying at the same hotel where they spent their honey moon 60 years ago.

Thanks to Peter and Ruth who came by this week and shared their wonderful story – it was a pleasure to have you back home for a short while. We send our best wishes to you both, and a huge congratulations on your 60th wedding anniversary.