THEY first met on Great Yarmouth’s seafront and, ever since then, a Bradwell couple celebrating their golden wedding anniversary have been virtually inseparable.

Reflecting on their time together, grandparents Shirley and Brian Saul can’t believe how quickly the time has passed.

Brian said: “It doesn’t seem like 50 years at all. It’s just gone by so fast and I guess that’s because we’ve always had something to do, whether it’s going on holidays, which we love, or gardening.”

And having marked the big day last Friday together, they will be joined tomorrow by a wide circle of family with a celebratory meal in Gorleston, including a visit from Shirley’s brother, David, from Corfu.

“It will be a good old family get-together, and there should be 21 of us there. Just to get our kids and everyone else together is all I want,” the 73-year-old added.

It was in 1959, and with the Norfolk coastline as backdrop, that they first came together as their groups of friends mingled.

Recalling that her interest was first stoked by Brian’s kiss curl haircut, Shirley, 69, added that when they decided to get married it wasn’t done in the most traditional of ways:

She said: “We were having a pint in the pub and I remember we were just like, how about getting married?”

So it came to be that they were the last couple to marry at what used to be St Peter’s Church in Yarmouth, despite a jokey cry from the pulpits of “he’s had it now” from Brian’s friend after the couple had taken his vows.

A lorry driver at the time, the couple moved into their new home in Bradwell, before Brian went on to work at the Bird’s Eye factory.

Meanwhile, Shirley took time off to care for their three children, before returning to work at Rosalind Foods.

Into their retirement, and they’ve kept busy seeing the world and visiting friends they’ve made along the way. A particular favourite has been Halkidiki in Greece, where they’ve been 11 times.

Reflecting on a long and happy time together, Brian added: “We’re lucky that we’re so well matched – we don’t argue and we’ve looked after one another.”