Love blossomed into 50 years of marriage when a greengrocer met his future wife at a birthday party in Oxfordshire.

Bill Stimpson met his wife-to-be Valerie Edens when he offered to give her a lift home from his brother's 21st birthday celebration in Appleton in 1953.

At the time Mrs Stimpson, 73, was working as an assistant in Milwards shoe shop, in Cornmarket Street, Oxford.

But after their wedding at St Aldates Church, in Oxford, four years later, the couple joined forces to run Stimpson's Nursery - growing flowers and vegetables on their five-acre smallholding in Appleton.

Mr Stimpson, 80, also delivered groceries in the Botley and Appleton areas for more than 17 years.

The couple have slowly wound down their business but still live in their house on the smallholding.

They have four children and three grandchildren.

To celebrate their golden wedding anniversary last Friday, they had a quiet meal with family at home.

But they also recreated their wedding by donning hats, flowers and learner plates for a bit of fun on Christmas Day.

Mr and Mrs Stimpson are also active members of the community and organise three charity bingo nights in Appleton village hall every year to raise money for the local Rainbow and Beaver groups.

This year they also used two of the events to raise £810 for the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Amb- ulance.

When asked what the secret to a long and happy marriage was, Mrs Stimpson said: "We work together and we're happy with what we're doing."