WALTER Pattison says the same thing every single day.

"Do you know what the best day of my life was?" he says. "The day I met Audrey."

Audrey and Walter Pattison, 85 and 82 respectively, have been married for 60 years today.

On July 20, 1957 they exchanged vows in St John's Church, on Yarm Road, Darlington.

They have three children, Stephen, Annette and Lynn, who all work for the family business, Pattisons minibuses, as well as nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Their sixth great grandchild is on the way.

The couple met over 60 years ago when Mrs Pattison worked at Paton and Baldwins textile factory, which is now Lingfield Point business park, and Mr Pattison worked for his family business, which was then Pattisons coke and coal merchants.

The business traded for more than 100 years, and has evolved into the minibus company it is today.