TWO sisters who walked down the aisle together to marry their sweethearts have each celebrated 60 years of marriage.

Former Oxford headteacher Melville Summers, his wife Gwen, her sister Rose and her husband Ambrose Pope were married in Beaufort, Wales, on August 4, 1947.

The quartet returned to their home town to celebrate their diamond wedding with family and friends this weekend.

Mrs Summers, 81, met her husband when she was working as a nurse in Wales and was caring for his friend who broke his back in a coal mine.

Mrs Summers, of Glebelands, Headington, said: "I was only 18 or 19 when I met him, he is my only true sweetheart."

Mr Summers taught at St Clements Primary School, Oxford, before becoming headteacher at West Oxford Primary School.

Meanwhile, Mrs Summers's older sister was getting to closer to a childhood friend.

Mrs Pope, 83, said: "He knew my brother and we were both in the airforce, me in the Women's Auxiliary Air force and him in the RAF."

The church they chose to get married in had two aisles, so one sister walked down on her father's arm and the other on her brother's.

After they were married, the Summers moved to the Oxford, while the Popes stayed in Wales until moving to Australia 23 years ago.

They flew in from Australia for the celebrations, which started in Wales and ended with the family sightseeing in Oxford.