LOOKING on the bright side of life has helped a Bradwell couple to enjoy a happy half-century of married life.Douglas and Audrey McSteen celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday on Cyprus, the sunny island of love god Aphrodite.

LOOKING on the bright side of life has helped a Bradwell couple to enjoy a happy half-century of married life.

Douglas and Audrey McSteen celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday on Cyprus, the sunny island of love god Aphrodite.

Their romance has not dimmed in the 50 years since they walked down the aisle together at St Peter's Church, Great Yarmouth, on September 26 1959.

It was a relationship that was rekindled by a chance meeting in Regent Road just five months earlier.

Douglas had just finished

his national service with

the RAF and Audrey had returned to Yarmouth from London to help run her mother's hotel.

They had dated briefly as teenagers in 1953, but Audrey dumped her future husband after he failed to turn up for a date on the day of the great flood.

Douglas, now 74, worked as a motor mechanic for several years in Caister and later at the Matthes bakery at Gorleston.

Audrey, 73, was for a time a nurse at the old St Nicholas Hospital in Yarmouth.

The couple have a son, Ian, and a 17-year-old grandson, James.

Both are members of the congregation of Cliff Park Community Church, and they share a love of gardening, walking and travel.

Douglas is also a keen indoor bowls player and archer,

while Audrey enjoys going swimming.

Reflecting on the secret of a successful marriage, Audrey said: “Basically, you have to laugh at things, compromise and encourage each other, and having a faith helps in a relationship.”