A COUPLE are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary after a football match helped them score their first date more than half a century ago.

George Pryke, 71, took Pauline Day, 70, to watch a film with him at the Regal, in Harwich, in 1965 after her football game. Pauline had left her football boots on a pitch after a match and George found them and returned them to her home before asking her out on the date.

Before long the couple, who both attended Harwich and Dovercourt High School, were engaged.

They married at All Saints Church, in Dovercourt, on August 5, 1967.

Pauline worked as an export clerk and George was a butcher at Dewhurst Butchers, in Dovercourt, where they also lived together upstairs.

Their first child Sallyanne was born in 1968, second daughter Stephanie was born in 1971 and son Paul was born a year later.

Pauline then went on to work for Harwich Hospital in both A&E and outpatients for 29 years.

George carried out a variety of jobs which included being a driver for House of Holland, a vegetable delivery driver, and a transporter lorry driver.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard:

Anniversary - George and Pauline Pryke 

The retired couple, who live in Devon Way, Dovercourt, now spend their time helping look after their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Stephanie said: “Mum and dad are enjoying their well-earned retirement pottering in their garden and socialising with their family.”

She said her parents have something a lot of people don’t have, which is a sold, grounded relationship.

“As children have been brought up in such a loving and supportive way,” she added. “They are always there when things go wrong, and are also always there to show us how proud they are went things go right.”

“There has never been a time where we felt that any of us had to go without them.

“They also showed us that working hard to achieve what you want was the right and best way to be.”

She added:“The key to their marriage is always talking over decisions, having love for each other, and supporting each other in whatever they do which leads to a very solid married life.”