Ministers celebrate golden wedding anniversary (From Haringey Independent)

Ministers Sydney Murray and Janet Murray of Wood Green celebrate golden wedding anniversary

1:10pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Bruce Thain

Helping others has helped a couple who have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary become a stronger couple.

Ministers Sydney Murray and Janet Murray, who live in Keston Road, Wood Green, celebrated the milestone on Saturday with friends and family.

Mrs Murray, who has worked with the Metropolitan Police as a chaplain for nearly 10 years and helps run community groups in Haringey, said: “I just want to help people, no matter what their background is. I think helping others has helped us become stronger as a married couple.”

The couple, both from the West Indies, met in Holloway in 1961 after coming to the UK a year earlier.

They married in 1963 and soon had two sons, Derrick and Desmond. The family settled in Keston Road where they have lived ever since.

During that time Mr and Mrs Murray have done a great deal of work in the community including running their own church group in the Methodist Church in Hampden Road.

Mrs Murray said: “We have become really attached to the area and something which is very important to both of us is helping people in the community.”

Mr Murray added: “When you see someone you have helped and they have really benefited from it that makes it really worthwhile.”

The couple say they have no plans to stop in the near future and say they will continue to help the community, just at a slightly slower pace.

Mr Murray said: “There isn’t any secret getting to 50 years. I think the determination of my wife and our faith really made us stronger. Over that amount of time you learn to understand each other and how to work together.”

Mrs Murray added: “I have no intention of stopping. As long as people need help I will be there and we will keep working together.”