NEWTON Abbot couple Melville and Marilyn Bishop say they will join the ‘unofficial one per cent club’ when they celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary today, Thursday, August 18.

They were married at St Andrew’s Church Plymouth where Marilyn’s Brownie pack was out in force.

At that time Marilyn was the youngest Brown Owl in Devon if not the country.

Marilyn and Melville have lived in Newton Abbot for almost 50 years and in that time Marilyn has been a Brown Owl, secretary of the Newton Abbots Art Group, Victim Support Counsellor, with a specialist role and a Dartmoor Guide.

She now gives talks, on a variety of subject to various groups ranging from University Graduates, the WI, U3A to and other social groups.

She was a volunteer for Clic Sargent and now devotes her talk income directly to that charity in its new name of Young Lives vs Cancer.

They have two children, both born in Devon.

Julian now lives in America (see his book ‘High, Wide and Handsome’) ‘with his locally wife Lorna Bulpin, whom he met when both Young Conservatives.

Daughter Sarah, an engineer with Proctor and Gamble, is married to Chris Selby who is also an engineer and management consultant. Sarah is also a Brown Owl.

The Bishop grandchildren are three daughters. Tilly, also now an American national, has just graduated from the University and is an engineer. Her sister, Nancy, is also an undergraduate at the same institution.

Their youngest granddaughter is Josie Selby at school in Berkshire. To the delight of her grandfather one of her GCSE subjects is Latin.

They were both college lecturers in Business Studies, Marilyn in Plymouth and Melville in Torquay and sundry other colleges in Devon and elsewhere.

As a keen gardener Marilyn uprooted the lawns in their new home in Ogwell and created an old-fashioned cottage garden full of colour.

What does Melville do? He modestly says: ‘I bask in the reflective glory of my wonderful wife and on occasions act as driver and bag carrier.

‘The rest of my time is spent in scribbling in my study and playing bridge with Marilyn, the stronger player – and looking forward to giving a talk to the Friends of the Museum next year.

Its subject? ‘The Ruffians of Newton Abbot!’