A BICYCLE crash led to long-lasting love for one Worcester couple.

Joan Lampitt, aged 82, and her husband Les, 83, of Comer Gardens, St John’s, met when they were both aged 20 after Mr Lampitt knocked into the back of her bike “accidentally, on purpose” as she was cycling to work.

They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary yesterday and are celebrating the milestone with family and friends at the Royal Oak in Broadwas today.

The couple, both born and raised in Worcester, met while cycling to work along St Nicholas Street.

Mrs Lampitt, who worked at W L Cotton in Foregate Street, said: “I suppose we met in passing but we’d never spoken to one another.

“I was cycling to work when the bike behind me bumped into me and it was him. He was apologetic but it was all done on purpose.

“We got chatting and he invited me out.”

For their first date the couple went to the cinema and were together for about two-and-a-half-years before they got married.

Mrs Lampitt said they were walking along the sea front in Rhyl, North Wales, with her mother, when Mr Lampitt turned and said: “Don’t you think it’s about time we got married”.

The pair married in Holy Trinity Church in Shrub Hill and lived with Mrs Lampitt’s mother before the couple took over the former VG Food Store at the corner of Solitaire Avenue and Oldbury Road, in St John’s.

The couple have two sons David, aged 59, and Christopher, 57, daughter-in-law Dawn, and two granddaughters, Kim, 21 and Emma, 20 Mrs Lampitt said they key to a successful marriage was give and take and talking about any problems which may arise.

She said: “I would think it’s give and take but if we have any sort of problems, don’t let it rumble on, talk about it.

“When we had the shop we were together 24 hours a day but you’ve just got to talk about it and sort it out.”