AFTER plucking up the courage to ask her out at the age of 17, Trowbridge councillor John Knight celebrated his golden wedding anniversary with his wife Jill on Saturday.

The couple first locked eyes when they both worked at Wilts United Dairies in Bythesea Road in 1962 when Mr Knight was living in Trowbridge and Mrs Knight living in Westbury with both their parents having moved from London before the war.

Mr Knight, of Stallard Street said: “I will always remember the days when we used to have property tea and coffee breaks every day at 11am in the canteen. Well, Jill was quite an attractive girl and stood out and being a young and timid man, I wasn’t brave enough to ask her out. One of my friends bet me that I wouldn’t ask her and while I cheated and asked to make sure she would say yes, I asked her out and since then I’ve always said if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

It was four long years of courting that resulted in the couple getting married at the registry office in County Hall before having their wedding reception at Cedars in Westbury.

After they married, the pair moved to Chippenham for a short while before returning to Trowbridge where they lived in Hazel Grove for a number of years.

The couple welcomed their children Richard and James a short time later.

Mr Knight added: “The celebration we held on Saturday in Lovemead House was a repeat of our reception back then.

“I think because we have been a bit adventurous in life and being so busy, communication is very important in our marriage.

“The secret of a long marriage I would say is that it is all about talking to one another. I can honestly say I have never gone to bed on a bad argument and marriage gets better the long it goes on.”