‘Love at first sight’

John and Patricia Fowler, who met in Middle Barton, near Bicester, in 1956, celebrated at home together on New Year's Day.

Mrs Fowler said she didn't want to have a party, but planned instead to pay for the whole family to go on holiday to Cyprus in May, as well as taking friends out to dinner.

The couple, who married at St Mary's Church, in Kingham, near Chipping Norton, have four sons and six grandchildren.

Recalling the time the couple first met, Mrs Fowler, 66, said: "It was love at first sight for me.

"We lived in a house opposite the village pub. I used to see John walking to the pub. We got chatting and we have been together ever since."

She added: "Last year John and I were on holiday in Greece and we were discussing what we were going to do to celebrate our anniversary.

"We decided the nicest way to celebrate would be for everyone to be together and that's why we're paying for everyone to go on holiday together."

The couple did not want their friends to miss out on the celebrations, and began by taking a group to the Oxfordshire Inn Hotel, in Bletchingdon, on Sunday.

Mrs Fowler, who still works as a collections agent for a financial services company in Oxford, said: "We will be taking more friends there this month.

"It's better to take smaller groups out because you can talk more easily and we wanted everyone to be a part of our anniversary.

"John retired some time ago, but I'm still working and have no plans to retire just yet. I enjoy working and I want to keep going for as long as I can."