Dance hall sweethearts Handel and Hazel Jones, of Pembroke Ferry, are celebrating their Golden wedding anniversary to the sound of Glenn Miller on Saturday (October 11th).

The happy couple, who met at a dance hall in Cardiff in January 1957, have kept up their ballroom moves during their 50 years of wedded bliss and made a special request for A String Of Pearls to be played at a celebratory get-together.

Family and close friends will join Mr and Mrs Jones for a buffet and a trip down memory lane at The Ferry Inn - an occasion for which Hazel had left plenty of space in her wedding photo album.

Having already renewed their vows for their 25th wedding anniversary, Handel and Hazel are now planning a second blessing for their 50th.

Hazel, 70, believes the secret to their long, happy marriage together is all down to good companionship and a bit of give and take.

Seventy-four-year-old Handel quipped: “Yes, I give and she takes,” adding in jest: “It’s cheaper to stay married than to get a divorce!”

“Sometimes I’ll be thinking something and he’ll come out and say it,” said Cardiff-born former legal secretary, Hazel.

“Mind, I could strangle him sometimes! he’s something of a wind-up merchant.”

In 1976, the pair built their bungalow Pembroke Ferry, on the banks of the Cleddau. This was an Ideal location for Handel and Hazel to pursue their interest in sailing. Hazel worked for Philip Roache solicitors, on Meyrick Street, Pembroke Dock, as well as T J Francis, and now enjoys her role working with Age Concern.

After leaving his post as an airframe fitter in the RAF, Handel later worked for Rediffusion, Pembroke Dock, for 25 years.

The couple have three sons and five grandchildren, who will join Mr and Mrs Jones in their celebrations on Saturday.