Christopher and Adrianna Richardson of North Hill were the proud recipients last week of a 70th Wedding Anniversary card from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The card read: “I send you my warm congratulations on the celebration of your platinum wedding anniversary which took place on February 9 2003. I hope your celebrations were particularly happy and memorable. Elizabeth R”.
On the day of the anniversary special recognition was given to the couple at a church service at St Mary’s Anglican Church where the couple was married. Father Fahie conducted the service and recalled his sailing days with Christopher. The day was spent answering many phone calls from around the world and entertaining guests who visited to congratulate them.

Christopher is 96 and Adrianna 97 and they are believed to be the oldest married couple in Anguilla. Christopher still manages to cultivate his garden with peas, corn and sweet potatoes but is disappointed this year as the dry weather has meant many of his plants have died. He still attends the Zion Methodist Church at North Hill nearly every Sunday. Adrianna who was originally from the Farrington is an Anglican but does not manage to attend church often due to her failing sight. However, she enjoys company and the couple manages their own home and garden.

As a young man Christopher sailed the Caribbean on many of Anguilla’s schooners including the Eagle, the Warspite and the ill-fated Liberator. He was the cook on the Liberator when it sunk on its maiden voyage to Curacao and was so earnest in his job that he spent the first night baking bread and other things with some of the stores saved from the ship. He spent a number of years working at Sombrero Lighthouse as the cook and was there in Hurricane Donna in 1960.

The Anguillian joins relations and friends in congratulating Christopher and Adrianna on their 70th Anniversary.

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