A MAN and woman who could not stand each other when they first met are today celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary (December 26).

For former Waltham Abbey town mayor William Ranson and wife Ruby Ranson, of Woodbrook Gardens, it was certainly not love at first sight when they were introduced as teenagers at an east London youth club just after the end of World War Two.

Mr Ranson, 81, said: “I don't know what it was but there was something about her that irritated me – everytime I saw her.”

Mrs Ranson, 84, said: “I just didn't like him and he didn't like me. But something changed and as time went on we saw more and more of each other and then we started to go out.”

Despite their mutual dislike, they soon discovered they had more in common than they first realised. Both share a love of football and dancing, and both have the same birthday – October 19th.

Eventually, love triumphed for the pair, and, after three years of dating, they wed on Boxing Day 1949.

“It was a lovely wedding and it tied in with all the Christmas celebrations having it on Boxing Day, but the date didn't really make any difference to me. The wedding was the most important thing and it was actually quite a warm day so it didn't seem like Christmas,” said Mrs Ranson.

The couple went on to see the birth of their only child, daughter Linda, in 1953.

“Looking back on our marriage, I think the day she was born is my happiest memory,” said Mr Ranson.

After their marriage, Mr Ranson worked for a tobacco company before joining the staff at the NatWest bank in 1960, while Mrs Ranson worked in an office.

After their retirement, Mr Ranson became mayor of Waltham Abbey in 1994, and the couple became well-known faces at both the town council and at the local branch of the Royal British Legion.

And the secret of a happy marriage?

Mr Ranson said: “You've got to work at it and trust one another.”

Mrs Ranson added: “All marriages have their ups and downs but you've just got to pull together.”