A founder member of the Richmond Concert Society celebrated his diamond wedding anniversary last week.

Howard Greenwood, 84, has been married to Monica, who is also 84, since December 12, 1953.

He said it was a case of love at first sight when they met at a dance while he was still at college.

He said: “I was a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in central London at the time and my wife’s mother was a mature student.

“Well, there was a bit of a dance going on and that’s where we first met - we haven’t looked back really.

“This would be going back to the early 1950s when I had just come out of my national service in the army and Monica was working as a bacteriologist at the National Physical Laboratory.”

Originating from Shropshire, having lived in Shrewsbury after being born in Ludlow, Mr Greenwood threw himself into a range of different roles in the borough.

Having spent 47 years as artistic director for the concert society, he was also chairman of Richmond Arts Council, now known as Arts Richmond, for six years.

After retiring from 38 years working in the city as a senior underwriter in 1989, Mr Greenwood spent six years as chairman of the Twickenham Town Committee.

He said: “It was very difficult to make money from music at the time so I ended up working up in London.

“I am proud of my work I did as chairman of the RFU Community Committee and I helped to ensure tickets were made available to local people via a ballot.”

Mr and Mrs Greenwood, who taught for several years at Archdeacon Cambridge School in Twickenham, both live in Hazel Close in Whitton.

Mrs Greenwood ended her teaching career at the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park, teaching academic subject to non-English speaking students.

They both attend St Mary’s Parish Church in Twickenham, where they recently celebrated what Mr Greenwood describes as “60 years of bliss”.

He said: “We had a bit of a do at the church the other day, a bit of tea and cake, to celebrate.”