GORLESTON man George Crane may have been a surprise guest at his wife's 21st birthday party, but he has been a familiar face ever since.When Jean Brown had her party at a Sunday school in Caister in 1948, little did she know she would meet the man with whom she would be spending the next 62 years of her life.

GORLESTON man George Crane may have been a surprise guest at his wife's 21st birthday party, but he has been a familiar face ever since.

When Jean Brown had her party at a Sunday school in Caister in 1948, little did she know she would meet the man with whom she would be spending the next 62 years of her life.

But George, 84 and Jean, 83, of Ormesby Road, Caister celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Thursday, having married at Holy Trinity Church in the village on February 25, 1950.

The couple already knew each other through mutual friends before they fell in love at the party, but Jean was not expecting her future husband to turn up with his friend Owen Dodson, who played piano at the party.

She said: “I did not know he was coming. I did not know who had invited him, and we did not really go out until afterwards.”

During their courtship, the couple used to go on regular walks on Great Yarmouth seafront.

Former Priory School pupil George was raised in Englands Lane, Gorleston, by parents George Snr and Hilda.

After leaving school at 14, he served as an able seaman/gunner in the Royal Navy before going into the building trade with a number of local firms, including Jewsons and Richard Costain.

Jean was raised by parents Elsie and Bertie Brown and attended school in Caister, before leaving to work for Grouts Silk Factory in Yarmouth and BhS in Regent Road.

She said: “I think the key to a long marriage is not to be possessive. If he wants to go out somewhere with friends I don't mind and vice-versa. We don't need to be in each other's pockets.”

The couple have two children, Timothy Crane, 58, and Diane Morley, 56, three grandchildren, Rachel, 29, Oliver Morley, 27, and Raoul Crane, 29, and three great grandchildren.

They celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on February 20 with a surprise dinner at the Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth organised by their relatives.