A couple are celebrating 60 years of marriage after he pulled her – with a WOLF WHISTLE.
Cheeky Derek Wade, 78, pursed his lips together to catch the attention of his future wife Joan six decades ago at a dance hall.
Joan and Derek on their wedding day
He whistled at her and asked her to dance leading to a long marriage and five children – one boy and four girls.
Joan, 80, from Jarrow, County Durham, said: “He whistled and said ‘are you getting up?’. He still whistles to this day when he wants to get my attention.
“Was it love at first sight? Well, I suppose it was.”
The couple married at South Shields Register Office on 27 July 1955, and later had a ceremony at St Bede’s Roman Catholic Church in Jarrow.
They also had their marriage blessed at the time of their Golden Wedding a decade ago.
Joan, who worked at a community centre, added: “I can’t believe it is 60 years since we got married, but it has to be because our oldest, little Derek, or Deca as he is known, is 59.”
Derek was a professional comic for more than 30 years, touring pubs, clubs and other venues across the North East. He says;
“Sixty years, can you believe it? Not even Peter Sutcliffe got that. They have been good years.”
“Yes, we have our arguments, who doesn’t, but it only lasts minutes, not weeks, and we talk things through.”
Comedian Derek performs in the 1960’s
Although retired as a full-time comic, Derek still makes occasional performances at charity gigs, often for Cancer Research.
“You can never really pack it in,” he added.
Joan added: “Derek’s always been a joker. I’m never sure if he’s telling the truth or not.
“Sometimes he gets on my nerves and I just tell him to shut up.”
