Chance meeting on the dancefloor have led to 60 years of marriage for Harborough couple
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Hazel and Phil Spittle marked their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on November 2 at The Shoulder of Mutton pub, with friends and family, including daughters Jane and Clare, grandchildren Harry, Tom, Nancy, Will and Evie.
The couple also received an anniversary card from King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
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Hide AdHazel moved from Peterborough to Leicester in her early teens, and Phil originates from Leicester, with both attending their respective Wyggeston Grammar Schools.


In March 1962, at The Trocadero Dance Hall in Leicester during the Leicester University Rag Week, Phil saw a beautiful looking LRI nursing student across the dance floor - Hazel!
He was in his final year at Loughborough PE teacher training college. Offering a lift home clearly impressed Hazel, but later discovered that the car belonged to his pal. Nick Tarratt!
Almost all of Phil's teaching career was at Welland Park School - he finally ended there as a supply teacher at the age of 80!
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Hide AdHe was head of PE for many years, coaching and enjoying seeing many students go on to achieve the heights of their sporting careers, namely, among others, Martin Johnson, Andy Key and Richard Key, Jez Harris, Andy Peak, Dick Callan and Julie Sanderson. He finally gave up that post to work within the maths department. until retirement.


Whilst being a PE teacher's widow (he was always out with the sport teams playing squash or cricket!), Hazel and Phil decided to pursue a sport together and took up golf at The Market Harborough Golf Club in the mid 80s, achieving success in a number of mixed competitions. Phil went on to be captain in 1994 and more recently president.
Hazel went on in her own career, working at St. Luke's Hospital before having a long career in the district nursing sector. Having settled in Market Harborough - after three house moves - the family settled happily in 1983 to live in Spinney Close, where they still enjoy gardening and relaxing - and the odd trip to the local!
The family said that Market Harborough has been a wonderful place to live.