TWO wartime weddings within a week for a Northwich family means that there is a pair of diamond anniversaries to celebrate.

Ron and Phyllis Hornby, of Beech Grove, Weaverham, were the first to walk down the aisle on May 19, 1945, followed a week later by Ron's sister Vera and her fiancé Albert Smith, who now live in Eaton Lane, Davenham.

'I was a bridesmaid and bride all in the same week but unfortunately Ron couldn't attend mine because he had to go back to base,' said Mrs Smith.

'It was just a coincidence that we married when we did. It's not something we planned to do, it's just how it worked out.'

Mr Hornby, a flight engineer in Bomber Command, was given a 48-hour pass for the marriage and had to report back to his base near Lincoln after a short honeymoon in Blackpool.

He completed numerous operations in Europe before being posted to Burma where he worked as a winch operator on Dakotas snatching gliders from out of the jungle.

In civilian life he helped build the Wings Club in Northwich and spent 11 years as commanding officer of Northwich Air Training Corps.

He met his wife-to-be at a dance in Norley and the couple have spent many happy years keeping in step at dances all over the Northwich area.

While Mr Hornby was given just 48 hours to get married and have a honeymoon, his sister nearly ended up having to cancel her honeymoon when her fiancé's cherished 16-day embarkation leave was cancelled at the last minute.

'We decided to get married before he was sent overseas and on the morning of the wedding we got a message from his unit saying he had to report back by 2300 hours,' Mrs Smith recalled.

'We sent a telegram back telling them we were getting married and then had to wait for a reply. They said they needed verification so he had to cycle over to the local bobby and get him to sign something.