Waterlooville couple say they're 'the best of friends' on diamond anniversary
![Derek and Peggy Malthouse, from Waterlooville, celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on June 11 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: Sarah Standing.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmU0OTQwZjkwLTdhYTAtNDQyNS05ZDVlLTI2YTkxNWEzZjZhYzplNTlkNWFhZC0zOWY3LTRmN2EtOWY2Mi1jYzI2OTQ0NWU1ZDY=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Derek and Peggy Malthouse, from Waterlooville, celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on June 11 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: Sarah Standing.](/img/placeholder.png)
Celebrating 60 years of marriage, the Malthouses, from Waterlooville, recall how they met during the winter of 1955.
Derek, 82, says: ‘Peggy and I first met at St George’s Church youth club in Waterlooville. She was 16 and I was 17.
‘We got engaged the same year.’
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Hide Ad![Peggy and Derek on their wedding day in 1960.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjg0YjIxZGM4LWViNjMtNDVlYS05MWQyLWQwOGFkNGU2ODMyYToyYjI4ZDc4ZS04NjlhLTRiOTUtYTNmZC1jOWQwMTdiYmYwZDE=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Peggy and Derek on their wedding day in 1960.](/img/placeholder.png)
During their five-year engagement, Derek was working as an agricultural mechanic apprentice and Peggy was working in a small shop in Cosham. They tied the knot at St George’s Church, Waterlooville, on June 11, 1960.
‘We moved into a small property in London Road, Cowplain,’ explains Peggy, née Walsh.
‘We had two sons. David, who was born in April 1963 – the very hard winter – and Christopher was born in April 1966.’
While raising their sons, Derek worked for Southern Electric for 36 years and Peggy was a district commissioner with the Girl Guides for 20 years.
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Hide Ad![Derek and Peggy Malthouse, from Waterlooville, celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on June 11 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: Sarah Standing.](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjRjMDhhYWNhLThiNjMtNGIxMi05ZmY4LTZhNzNmYTQ2NmIxYjpjZDZlMDAwMi01ZDY5LTRhMjktODEwZS02ZTM3MWRjNzQ4NmM=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Derek and Peggy Malthouse, from Waterlooville, celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on June 11 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: Sarah Standing.](/img/placeholder.png)
Derek says: ‘Christopher emigrated to New Zealand in 2005 and we have visited him and his family twice.’
The Malthouses are also grandparents to eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Although they haven’t celebrated how they hoped, they enjoyed seeing their family and friends from a distance.
Peggy smiles and says: ‘We’re celebrating over two days and have allocated time slots for our family to come and see us at a social distance.’
Looking back across the past 60 years, Derek and Peggy say they couldn’t be without each other.
Derek says: ‘These 60 years have whizzed by. It feels like we got married yesterday.
‘We’re the best of friends – he means the world to me,’ adds Peggy.