Golden couple wed a week after they met

He spotted her while he was washing his car and invited her to help, an invitation she duly accepted. That was on the Sunday and for Brian, it was love at first sight - he proposed just a few days later on the Wednesday. And just over a week after they met, the couple married on Monday, April 4, 1966.

Despite their short courtship, the couple have proved they can go the distance and on Monday this week, they popped a bottle of Champagne to mark their golden wedding anniversary.

Brian, now 72, laughed as he recalled his first meeting with Anne when he was just 22 .

He said: “As soon as I clapped eyes on her, I knew and I just didn’t want to hang about. I was working night shifts so I asked her to marry me before I went to work. It was lightening quick.”

“She just went along with it!”

Organised in a hurry, the couple had a low-key wedding with the marriage taking place at Stamford Registry Office with just their parents and a handful of friends.

Afterwards they enjoyed a roast dinner at Anne’s parents, followed by a buffet tea at Brian’s parents. Luckily the couple’s fathers knew each other and toasted the new marriage with a glass of whisky.

But 50 years on, they had a proper celebration with a party at Ketton Sports and Social Club on Saturday, surrounded by their nearest and dearest.

The couple, of Eleanor Close, Stamford, went onto have three children: Suzette, Colin and Sharon, and have five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

They have lived in Stamford for most of their married life with Brian working in engineering with spells at Blackstones and Newages. Anne was working at a laundry when she met Brian and also had a brief spell working at the town bingo hall before raising the family, who spoiled them with cards and gifts to mark the milestone anniversary.

Asked what the secret is to a long and happy marriage, Brian replied: “There’s no secret, you just buckle down and get on with it, don’t you?”