When Tom and Janice Heeley walked down the aisle, just six months after their first date, there were some who said it would never last.
Fifty years on they’ve proved the doubters wrong.
“We mixed in the same circle of friends, so I’d seen Janice a few times and then asked her out on a date, she said no at first, but I persisted,” said Tom.
Janice remembers it well, saying: “We went to a Wimpey bar in Durham. He had lovely black hair and a nice smile. The hair has gone now but he still has that smile.”
Janice was just 17 when she walked down the aisle, Tom had just turned 20.
“Not everyone was happy at the time, but it has all worked out well,” said Janice.
Tom worked as an electrician at Langley Park before the family moved to the Midlands where he found similar work and Janice managed a community home.
After raising three children they moved back to the North-East and retired to Witton Gilbert where they enjoy long walks with their labradoodle Molly.
The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on 24th July with a meal with family and are looking forward to a Mediterranean cruise next year.