King's Lynn couple set to celebrate 65 years of marriage

A popular South Wootton couple who helped raise funds to build the current village hall will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Wednesday.

Norma and Oliver Jordan are in their mid-eighties and married on March 10, 1956 – the same year Tesco opened its first self service shop and the Suez crisis forced UK petrol rationing.

Oliver lived in Ringstead with his parents and younger brother when he met Norma, also known to many as Pip, at youth club in Holme where she lived.

With no public transport back then, Oliver used to cycle to see his new love every week until he contracted TB and was bed-bound for a year – leaving Norma to do the visiting.

They were married soon after at St Mary’s Church, Holme and their strong bond has spanned more than six decades.

Oliver – a carpenter by trade – served an apprenticeship with Rogers Builders and spent much of his working life with RG Carters before moving to Charles Hawkins Estate Agents.

Norma worked on the packing side at Anglia Canners, where she was a shift supervisor, before working at Frigoscandia.

Family is important to them and has always played a huge part in their lives.

The happy couple had two boys, Terry and Phil, who married Teresa and Deborah respectively and had two children apiece (Charles and Ella, Ashley and Kirsty).

There are now five great grandchildren: Jack, Harry, Charlie, Oliver and Sophie.

As well as being active members of their local community and church, where they still help with cleaning duties, they used to run South Wootton Youth Club in the previous dilapidated wooden building.

They also enjoy travelling and completing the odd jigsaw while Oliver enjoys his bowls and Norma is a regular member of both the Mothers Union and Slimming World.

Due to lockdown, the couple won’t be able to celebrate in the same way this year but Teresa said: “Dad is a whizz on Facebook so we are planning to have FaceTime sessions in the evening after work.

“The wider family is just too big to get everyone together online and we’ll ask people to space things throughout the day so they actually enjoy it more.

“The older elements of the wider family will likely be on the phone all day and hopefully messages, cards and other surprises will bring a smile to them both.”