Whiteabbey couple who founded pensioners' club The Breakaways mark an amazing 70 years of marriage
A Whiteabbey couple who are due to mark their 70th wedding anniversary have shared their secret for a long and happy marriage.
Joyce and Trevor Campbell, who are founders of pensioners’ club The Breakaways, will celebrate the amazing milestone on October 1.
Their daughter-in-law, Jane Campbell, described how the couple met all those years ago. “They were both living in the Dundonald area at the time and met at the shops where Trevor asked for a sweet from the packet she'd just bought,” she said. “Then one Sunday she came out of her local church and he was waiting for her!
"When they married they had so little money they had a registry office wedding, at The City Hall in Belfast. There were no guests, just a witness, and they couldn't even afford a photographer. They had no honeymoon and only one wedding present - a lemonade set of six tumblers and a glass jug!”
Trevor was working as a joiner, eventually setting up his own joinery firm that Joyce helped with.
They had three children - Trevor, Rosemary and Gordon – and seven grandchildren: ‘wee’ Trevor, Tom, Ashley, Callum, Amy, Kitty and Sophie.
Recently, Joyce and Trevor became great-grandparents to a baby girl called Everleigh.
They started a pensioners’ club over 20 years ago and were originally based at the British Legion at Whiteabbey, moving from there to the Blues Club at Rathcoole.
The club finally became The Breakaways, now based at The Working Men's club in Whiteabbey.
The group, which offers weekly social events with dancing and refreshments, affordable trips and residentials, as well as informative sessions on healthcare and home safety, was awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in March 2025.
The award is the highest given to local voluntary groups across the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
The club has also raised money for local cancer charities over the years.
“[The Breakaways] is a lifeline for many local elderly people; it is a such an important outreach and is very popular. They love running it,” Jane said.
And as for the secret to her in-laws’ long marriage? “Working together, planning everything, looking ahead, and a positive attitude,” Jane added. “He still pinches her sweets!”