Romance blossomed for Tony and Beryl Walker after a first date at the Regal cinema, in Cowley Road, Oxford.

They were introduced by Tony's brother-in-law, and it proved to be the perfect match.

Today, the couple, of Crotch Crescent, Marston, were celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.

Mrs Walker, 74, said: "It seems very ordinary now, but for us going to the pictures was the outing of the week. I wasn't nervous when I met him."

They were married at Temple Cowley Congregational Church - now the United Reformed Church - and they moved into the house they still live in.

Mrs Walker said of her 76-year-old husband: "He carried me over the threshold. We brought up our family here. It's our castle."

She believes the secret to a happy marriage is tolerance, sharing and trust.

She said: "We share all our thoughts and ideas. We come from a close family and continue to be close. Even though one of our children lives in Kingston-on-Thames, we see them regularly. The high point of our marriage, apart from the birth of our two children, was when Tony was awarded an MBE in 1996 for his service to the stonemasonry trade in Oxford. He was well known in Oxford.

"We're also very proud of the achievements of our family."

The couple are marking their anniversary by hosting a party for friends and family, including their two children and four grand- daughters.