A couple that met whilst working at Cwmbran Shopping over 30 years ago have celebrated their silver wedding anniversary.

Joanna and Mike Kirkham-Jones met when they were both worked at the town’s Woolworths store. They caught sight of each other in 1982 while working on adjacent counters at the store. After leaving their jobs, the couple reunited in 1987 when Joanna, now a building society cashier, made contact.

After eighteen months together, the couple married in Pontnewydd and have since had three daughters aged 14, 21 and 22.

To mark their relationship, Joanna and Mike, an IT project manager, returned to  the town to write messages on heart-shaped cards displayed on ‘The Love Stand’. The stand exhibited couples’ romantic messages to each other and on the stand that has been at the centre all this week leading up to Valentine’s Day.

There was also Valentine’s sofa named ‘The Cwtch Couch’ and a competition to win Thornton’s chocolates and flowers.

Joanna Kirkham-Jones said: “Cwmbran Shopping is such a special place to us as it’s where Mike and I first met and we’ve witnessed its wonderful redevelopment over the years. It’s incredible to think that we have been married for a quarter of a century and I’m looking forward to our next 25 years together.”

Paul Rich, Centre Manager at Cwmbran Shopping, said: “It is fantastic that Joanna and Mike’s relationship was sparked by working at Cwmbran Shopping together. This is an inspiring love story and hopefully more couples will come to write their messages on ‘The Love Stand’. We hope this and other activities happening at the centre over the Valentine’s period may kindle some romance. Cwmbran is such a close community where strong relationships do form, and long may this continue.”