A couple who met during an illicit visit to a local pub have celebrated 50 years of marriage.

Wendy Bryant was just 18 when she went into The Bell pub in Elm against her mum’s wishes and met Malcolm (Mally) Pope. Three years later they were married and the rest is history.

“We met in the pub, but I wasn’t supposed to be there, my mum didn’t like the idea of me going to a pub,” said Wendy, who married Mally at Southea Church in Parson Drove on May 13 1967.

Mally worked for over 40 years for J D Floyd Coal Merchant. Wendy worked at Frank’s Butchers before her marriage.

After her marriage she became a full-time wife and then mum. The couple have two children: daughter Jayne Haycock and son Martin and three grandsons.

They celebrated with a meal with friends, a stay at the coast and a family buffet.

The big question is how have they stayed happily married over five decades?

The answer according to Mally: “It’s because I’m perfect!”

Something Wendy could neither confirm or deny.

“We’ll just leave it there, with a question mark at the end,” she said adding: “We would like to thank everyone for all the lovely gifts and cards.”