HORRENDOUS weather did not put a dampener on a Sidbury couple s golden wedding celebrations this week. David, 71, and Rosemary Sowden, 69, of Fore Street, celebrated fifty years together with their friends and family at two separate functions. The pair

HORRENDOUS weather did not put a dampener on a Sidbury couple's golden wedding celebrations this week.

David, 71, and Rosemary Sowden, 69, of Fore Street, celebrated fifty years together with their friends and family at two separate functions.

The pair were treated to a lunch at the Deer Park Hotel on Saturday with 25 members of their family-including their three children, seven grandchildren, step grandchild and step great grandchild.

Rosemary, a member of Sidbury WI and art club, said: "It was excellent. They did a superb meal for us. Some of our family came from Derbyshire and London. There was some worry with the weather that parts of our family wouldn't get here but we all managed to,"

And yesterday, on their actual wedding anniversary, friends and family met at Sidbury Village Hall for a second party.

David, who was Head Waiter at the Bedford Hotel, and Rosemary, who worked at Vanity Fayre, married at All Saints Church in Sidmouth on 12 February 1959 at the tender ages of 19 and 21.

"We both went to the same school," said Rosemary who was brought up in Sidmouth and attended The King's School, "and we were friends for quite a while before we became an item."

Their reception was held at the Tudor Rose and the couple visited friends in London for their honeymoon.

Fifty years later the pair still enjoy travelling and frequently visit Europe in their campervan.

Rosemary puts their happy marriage down to "enjoying a lot together and we always have".

She added: "We garden, caravan, walk together and we just enjoy life. Like all people we have our ups and downs but we are just happy.