RON Grogan was so sure he would marry the girl he met at a local dance that he bet her £50 he would one day walk her down the aisle.

This weekend, the Tow Law town councillor, and his wife, Jean, both 71, are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary 55 years after they first met.

Coun Grogan, who is also a Wear Valley District councillor, said: "She still owes me £50. I don't know what it was, but as soon as I saw her I knew I would marry her. I told her that one day I would marry her but she said different.''

The couple dated in Liverpool for five years before marrying on October 9, 1954.

Mrs Grogan said: "He was just about to go into the RAF for two years and we were going to wait until he had finished before we got married. We found out that we would get £2.12s8d allowance if we got married before he went, so that's what we did.''

It was after they were both made redundant from their jobs in Liverpool that they made the move North to Tow Law to buy the Dans Castle pub, which they ran together for 18 years.

Coun Grogan said: "I knew as soon as we walked into the pub that we could be happy here and we have been.

"One thing I can say is that we have both had a lot of laughs over the years.''

The couple will celebrate their anniversary tomorrow when they will stay at a hotel in Carlisle with their three sons.