A PAIR of ‘lovebirds’ from Johnston have celebrated 60 years together by donating £300 to Wales Air Ambulance.

Mabel and Robert Bird marked their diamond wedding anniversary by asking friends to donate to the charity, in lieu of gifts.

The cheque was presented to Wales Air Ambulance coordinator Tony Key at the Pembrokeshire County Show last month, by the couple’s niece Wendy Burgoyne.

Thanking the couple for their gift, Mr Key said: “Mabel and Robert raised this fantastic donation at their 60th anniversary celebrations because they felt there was nothing more they needed than each other.

“It’s such a romantic gesture and demonstrates how much they care about their local air ambulance too.

“We’d like to thank Mabel and Robert for their donation, as well as congratulating them on celebrating 60 years together.”

The happy couple, now in their 80s, met when Robert – known as Bobby – was based at Brawdy with the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy.

At the time, Mabel was with the Royal Observer Corps, and the pair first got talking at the Swan Hotel pub in Haverfordwest – which has since been demolished.

After courting for ten months, they married at St Katharine’s Church in Milford Haven, before moving to Darlington to live with Bobby’s parents.

They spent just two weeks together, conceiving their first daughter Susan – their ‘honeymoon baby’ – before it was off to Malta for nine months for Bobby.

The couple had three more children, Robert, Geoffrey and Julie, and returned to Pembrokeshire in 1959, where they settled in Johnston.

Together they ran the post office and village shop for many years, and became familiar faces in the area.

Sadly, Robert – who followed his father into the Navy - was killed in a car accident aged just 21.

Since retiring, the couple spend all their time together, sharing everything but a bed.

“Separate beds, that’s the secret,” said Mabel.

“But we have a kiss every night and every morning when we get up,” added Bobby.

The couple say that a sense of humour, tolerance, and knowing when to apologise have helped them stay close throughout the years.

“We just love each other,” added Mabel.

Bobby enjoys golf twice a week, while Mabel enjoys baking, and the pair also enjoy spending time with their five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.