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IT's a song that has been ringing in her ears for nearly 60 years.

When Edith White and her husband Fred hit the road on their tandem the words of the popular "a bicycle built for two" tune are never far away.

"People often sing that to me as we are cycling along," says Edith.

The couple, both in their eighties, who live in Lock's Heath, have just celebrated their diamond wedding and say enjoying day trips on a tandem is one of the things that has kept them together.

Their passion for cycling began in 1949 about a year after they got married.

They were living in Morden, Surrey and Fred, 81, said: "We bought the tandem from a neighbour for £25."

The couple clocked up about 2,000 miles with day trips to Guildford, Brighton and Hastings.

Later family outings included the couple's children, Brenda and Peter, in a sidecar.

Fred said: "We cycled through all weathers but we never had a cold."

They sold their first tandem for a fiver but it was not long before their hobby was back on track.

When they moved to Lock's Heath in the early sixties their interest was rekindled when they saw the late Roy Castle on TV with a tandem.

They bought another and it was soon steering them towards the New Forest and the Isle of Wight.

Apart from the odd puncture their tandem trips have been trouble free although one journey nearly ended in disaster.

Fred explained: "We were at Longleat and coming downhill when we developed a speed wobble. A cart came out from a side road and we thought we were going to end up in the hay! But we managed to slow down."

When they started their tours in the late forties and early fifties there was not so much traffic.

Edith, 80, said: "There were not the cars around then and it was brilliant. Nowadays they do not give you any room to wobble."

Fred always takes the driving seat but he says that Edith is a good backseat driver.

Since buying their second tandem they have clocked up another 2,000 miles but nowadays tandem trips are usually restricted to the local shops.

Occasionally, though, they like to venture further afield with a spin down to Lee-on-the-Solent. They take their frying pan and have breakfast on the beach before returning home with a "bicycle made for two" ringing in their ears.

Fred and Edith, who have five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, celebrated their diamond wedding with a big family party.

8:30am Tuesday 12th August 2008

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